Hello!
This has been quite a week, it was transfer week, I've been called to
serve as a Zone Leader in the Liverpool Stake. It is one of the
biggest areas with one of the most amount of missionaries to help them
direct the work. It is very strange because I've already spent more
than 9 months in the Liverpool Stake and I will probably spend more
than half of my mission associated with the Liverpool Stake, but that
is okay because it is the best Stake in the world!
Going back to Liverpool has really made me feel quite a range of
emotions, as an Isle of Man missionary we were thrown out into the
Streets of Liverpool by the previous Zone Leaders when we came over to
England for our Missionary Meetings like Zone Conference, ofter more
than week we spend serving these wonderful, brilliant people of
Liverpool. My whole mission I've often said "I wish I could go back to
Liverpool" and now I am here again, the great thing is automatically
I'm an honourary member of the Liverpool Stake. I have great
relationships with the Stake Leaders from serving around them, I went
often to the Stake President for dinner when I was a St. Helens
missionary. I even went to the Liverpool stake youth camp when I was
an Isle of Man missionary. I could live here and even if I picked up
the scouse accent and come home, I would go home a happy man.
Just like my experience on the Isle of Man, being called as a Zone
Leader has made my shoulders "heavier" the often misconceived "cloak
of comfortability" isn't really what it seems and it becomes a "robe
of responsibility" of one I welcome.
I love the growth and the progression of missions, you learn, you fall
and you grow. It is a very enlightening experience. Being someone
people can turn to in times of trouble and gloom isn't an easy call to
bear but it is one of solace and duty.
I'm also serving with another great companion, Elder Webb, Elder Webb
was actually in my EFY group and who would of thought all those year
later when we were together in 2008 that we would one day serve
together as the Zone Leader companionship in perhaps the most historic
sites of the Church in England, Liverpool; where the early prophets
and apostles first set foot on English ground, we are litterally
following the steps of great spiritual giants.
The fun thing is that I'm driving yet again, although having
stewardship of the Liverpool Zone and directing the missionary work
there is a great privilage. I get to here from the missionaries that
are serving on the Isle of Man and missionaries in St. Helens call us
everyday and update us on the status of the work there.
A great miracle has taken place recently, one of my investigaors that
I found on the Isle of Man is dated for Baptism tommorow. He is called
Rong Xin Zhou he is amazing, he also has a tremendous story! One day I
street contacted his parents and spoke to them in Chinese and they
said they were interested but would give us a call if they wanted to
learn more. They gave us a call a week later telling us hat there Son
would be interested. We have been teaching Rong Xin Zhou ever since,
he is the Miracle of my mission. I left the Isle of Man and he was
still being taught. He has read the Book of Mormon more than once
over, he even studied the Index! He studies the Chinese Gospel
Principles 2 hours everyday, he now has the Doctrince and Covenants
and the Pearl of Great Price in Chinese and he has gone to Church many
times, even attended General Conference.
He is the miracle of my mission, who would have thought, learning
Chinese 9 months ago would have resulted in a Baptism right now? God
has a vision of who we are and who we are to become. All we need to do
is to Go to work.
Another amazing this that has happened is that my trainee, Elder
Nicassio is Training! It is very rare and almost unheard of that a
missionary who has just finished being trained for three months will
train another missionary straight afterward. He is ready and prepared,
we have both created a legacy in the mission field and he will do
great things, I was just privilaged enough to train such a great
missionary.
When we get comfortable in the mission field, we know we have grown,
if I can lift 10kg comfortably there will be no progression in just
continuing to lift 10kg, however if I lift 15kg it will be hard at
first, but someday I will be able to lift 15kg comfortably and there
will be no progression in continuing to lift 15kg and thus we see that
this is how progression works. I came into the Bolton District, the
biggest District of missionaries in the Mission. They had 0 people
dated for Baptism. I left and they have 8 people dated for Baptism.
Throughout that Transfer it was painful ad hard, I grew and grew, I
was uncomfortable. Then I acted and got rid of it. Then I had no more
comfort zone. I had to be utilised to continue to grow and so I got
called as a Zone Leader, now the phone rings more often with questions
that these new missionaries have, with the problems that they want
solutions to, telling us, confiding in us of there struggles and we
are here.
This is growth "welcome to the discipleship of Jesus Christ!" I
welcome it with great joy.
Love,
Elder Sapaden
P.S sorry it was short I'l e-mail again on Monday
This has been quite a week, it was transfer week, I've been called to
serve as a Zone Leader in the Liverpool Stake. It is one of the
biggest areas with one of the most amount of missionaries to help them
direct the work. It is very strange because I've already spent more
than 9 months in the Liverpool Stake and I will probably spend more
than half of my mission associated with the Liverpool Stake, but that
is okay because it is the best Stake in the world!
Going back to Liverpool has really made me feel quite a range of
emotions, as an Isle of Man missionary we were thrown out into the
Streets of Liverpool by the previous Zone Leaders when we came over to
England for our Missionary Meetings like Zone Conference, ofter more
than week we spend serving these wonderful, brilliant people of
Liverpool. My whole mission I've often said "I wish I could go back to
Liverpool" and now I am here again, the great thing is automatically
I'm an honourary member of the Liverpool Stake. I have great
relationships with the Stake Leaders from serving around them, I went
often to the Stake President for dinner when I was a St. Helens
missionary. I even went to the Liverpool stake youth camp when I was
an Isle of Man missionary. I could live here and even if I picked up
the scouse accent and come home, I would go home a happy man.
Just like my experience on the Isle of Man, being called as a Zone
Leader has made my shoulders "heavier" the often misconceived "cloak
of comfortability" isn't really what it seems and it becomes a "robe
of responsibility" of one I welcome.
I love the growth and the progression of missions, you learn, you fall
and you grow. It is a very enlightening experience. Being someone
people can turn to in times of trouble and gloom isn't an easy call to
bear but it is one of solace and duty.
I'm also serving with another great companion, Elder Webb, Elder Webb
was actually in my EFY group and who would of thought all those year
later when we were together in 2008 that we would one day serve
together as the Zone Leader companionship in perhaps the most historic
sites of the Church in England, Liverpool; where the early prophets
and apostles first set foot on English ground, we are litterally
following the steps of great spiritual giants.
The fun thing is that I'm driving yet again, although having
stewardship of the Liverpool Zone and directing the missionary work
there is a great privilage. I get to here from the missionaries that
are serving on the Isle of Man and missionaries in St. Helens call us
everyday and update us on the status of the work there.
A great miracle has taken place recently, one of my investigaors that
I found on the Isle of Man is dated for Baptism tommorow. He is called
Rong Xin Zhou he is amazing, he also has a tremendous story! One day I
street contacted his parents and spoke to them in Chinese and they
said they were interested but would give us a call if they wanted to
learn more. They gave us a call a week later telling us hat there Son
would be interested. We have been teaching Rong Xin Zhou ever since,
he is the Miracle of my mission. I left the Isle of Man and he was
still being taught. He has read the Book of Mormon more than once
over, he even studied the Index! He studies the Chinese Gospel
Principles 2 hours everyday, he now has the Doctrince and Covenants
and the Pearl of Great Price in Chinese and he has gone to Church many
times, even attended General Conference.
He is the miracle of my mission, who would have thought, learning
Chinese 9 months ago would have resulted in a Baptism right now? God
has a vision of who we are and who we are to become. All we need to do
is to Go to work.
Another amazing this that has happened is that my trainee, Elder
Nicassio is Training! It is very rare and almost unheard of that a
missionary who has just finished being trained for three months will
train another missionary straight afterward. He is ready and prepared,
we have both created a legacy in the mission field and he will do
great things, I was just privilaged enough to train such a great
missionary.
When we get comfortable in the mission field, we know we have grown,
if I can lift 10kg comfortably there will be no progression in just
continuing to lift 10kg, however if I lift 15kg it will be hard at
first, but someday I will be able to lift 15kg comfortably and there
will be no progression in continuing to lift 15kg and thus we see that
this is how progression works. I came into the Bolton District, the
biggest District of missionaries in the Mission. They had 0 people
dated for Baptism. I left and they have 8 people dated for Baptism.
Throughout that Transfer it was painful ad hard, I grew and grew, I
was uncomfortable. Then I acted and got rid of it. Then I had no more
comfort zone. I had to be utilised to continue to grow and so I got
called as a Zone Leader, now the phone rings more often with questions
that these new missionaries have, with the problems that they want
solutions to, telling us, confiding in us of there struggles and we
are here.
This is growth "welcome to the discipleship of Jesus Christ!" I
welcome it with great joy.
Love,
Elder Sapaden
P.S sorry it was short I'l e-mail again on Monday
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