Weekly update 10 October 2011

Hello!

Well starting for Monday, october the 3rd I need to update you all on
alot of recent events. That Monday unfortunately my previous companion
Elder Misbach had failed his driving test (Jeralee I'm sure you will
do well, no pressure) he had failed during a roundabout in the first
five minutes of his test, it was excruciating to see him have to
continue his test in vain.

We are expecting to have many baptisms this new transfer, I am so
excited! Elder Lintusaari and I have planned to take the Rochdale ward
to a whole new level, we have asked for an updated ward list, and we
have asked our ward mission leader to go through all the names with
us, we plan to make contact with all the less- actives and re-
activate them, Rochdale is like the Staines ward, it has alot of less
actives and they need visiting, we have alot started to explore our
map in our flat and make out our areas of focus aswell as make where
investigators, less- actives, members and many other people live.
Rochdale is being taken to a whole new level!

During our first lesson together Elder Lintusaari and I visited a
less- active family as we taught, we taught in unity and we taught
well together, the Less- active family consists of a father, a mother
and three young children, two boys and one girl. As we taught well and
supported each other, the youngs boys told us that they "want to be
missionaries someday"

Elder Lintusaari is allergic to sugar, so he has the potential to
become my favourite companion, the reason being: after a dinner
appointment when members bring out dessert he tells them that he
cannot have any sugar, so I get twice the amount of dessert, one
member in particualar offered Elder Lintusaari some Fruit (he is very
allergic to any sugar, so he can't even have Fruit or Juice or
anything) so then they give me the fruit. I tried to say that me and
Elder Lintusaari won't both have dessert because of his allergy and I
was willing to give up dessert but, he tells members that I love sugar
so yay! more dessert for me!

By the way, a little surprise here: Elder Misbach said he was good
friends with Elder Martin that served in our ward. Elder Lintusaari
came into the mission as Elder Kassinen but had a name change to Elder
Lintusaari, and he says that he is Melissa Kassinen's counsin. He says
"say hello to Melissa"

During my first day with Elder Lintusaari the first person we had a
conversation with is a man called Akin, from Nigeria. He was in a rush
and so we only managed to tell him where our church was and when it
started, alot of people will not come to church even if we tell them
where it is and what time it is. Akin showed up to our Church on
Sunday, it was such a miracle. We taught him after Church and he is
now dated for baptism for the 5th of November.

John is amazing as usual, he is still our most progressing
investigator, the first time I met him he told me that he wouldn't be
joining any church, he was quite the skeptic. But now he has totally
changed contenance, let me recount on his progress so far, John was an
alcoholic, he lived on alcohol when we first met and he didn't believe
a word we said, but we continued teaching him anyway. In one of our
recent lessons he said "I just can't put the book (the Book of Mormon)
down, if feels like I'm drawn to it, I don't know what it is" he has
been diligently reading the Book of Mormon and praying for an answer.
He has also been clean from alcohol for almost two weeks now.

He is seeing these changes in his life and last Sunday, yesterday, he
even came to Church with us. John has social avoidance disorder and he
doesn't like sitting in groups, so he said he had to leave, so he left
after Priesthood meeting (Rochdale has Priesthood first, the Sunday
school and Sacrament meeting last) at 2:53pm after church he left us a
voice mail. I was scared that John didn't like Church and didn't want
to learn anymore. It was the total opposite.

Now let me share the biggest miracle of my mission so far. During
Johns voice mail he said: "You have accomplished in a few weeks what
doctors have been trying to do for 30 years now" John isn't able to
sit in large groups, doctors have tried to help him through this
problem for over 30 years now, but he sat with us in priesthood in a
large group. Heavenly Father saw his willingness to go to church and
blessed him with Strength and Courage to stay even for one hour of
Church. At first I was a little disappointed because our investigator
didn't manage to come to the Sacrament meeting. But now I am happy
because he is taking BIG steps. I have no doubt he will be able to get
baptised pretty soon.

Doctors have tried to get him to sit in large groups for over 30
years, simple 19-20 year olds with Gods help, allowed him to sit
contently in a group within a few weeks.
During that voicemail he also said one line I will never forget: "I
want to join your Church" with God all things are possible!

This has been the biggest miracle of my mission so far, it brings me
to tears even recounting it in this e-mail.

Brothers and Sisters, I know this Church is Gods Church, even the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints!

Elder Sapaden.

Quick Email

So... just a quick e-mail because it is transfers today, I got a new
companion his name is Elder Lintusaari. The computer was in perfect
condition and the only way a virus could have got on the computer is
if someone in the Family downloaded something. Please don't download
many things in the Future, that is the reason why I had my password to
protect the computer from these scenarios, even when you murmured
against me for it.

Anyway, yeah my new companion is from Finland. I will be sending a
longer e-mail on monday, because that is our proper Preparation day,
it is 4 o' clock right now and we still need to do many, many things
to prepare like shopping, before 6 o' clock. I am still in Rochdale.

Please translate that Fillipino E-mail you sent me because I cannot
read Fillipino and we only have so much time to read and send e-mails.

The computer does not have a CD in the Purple Box because the System
was already in the computer. So it didn't require a CD to start the
System. Maybe we can buy a computer when I come back so no one need to
interfere with it. I can keep it virus free and educate you all on
what is safe and what is not safe.

I have received the sweets, they were nice. Thank you, but the Gloves
and the rest won't come for another long while. My new companion and I
will have an amazing time in Rochdale, he seems really nice and I am
sure we will get along very nicely.

I am spending 4 and a half months in Rochdale so far, potentially even
6 months, a quick success story is this:

We are teaching a man called John, he has some struggles with alcohol
and has been trying to get off the Alcohol for a while now. Recently
we taught him to have faith in trying to quit. He is slowly quitting
as we have tried to implement some ideas to get him off of alcohol, we
have planned to go on walks with him as well as cutting his garden
with him.

During one of our lasts visits John shared many things with us. He
told me that every time he has a drink now, he thinks of ME sitting
next to him, telling him not to do it. I am glad that John is able to
recognise that we love him enough to tell him to quit, he has been
clean from alcohol for 4 days now and he is progressing nicely to
baptism.

I'll write more next week.

Elder Sapaden

Weekly update 21 November 2011

Hi Family!

This week we truely have had some great experiences. It's only been 4
days since, my last weekly update, so this one is pretty short this
time.

Well you won't believe this but this week I have really taken my
musical ability to a whole new level! Perhaps this is the cause of
being far away from a piano from a long while but, I wrote a song in
my dreams this week!

During last wednesday, I had received some quite life changing news
and it caused me to have some really deep self- evaluation. So
probably because of the cerebral excitement and a few other factors, I
wrote a song in my sleep. The first two verses go like so:

What do you do?
When you're feeling all blue.
Your world has collapsed
Your life's overcast

What do you say?
When nothings okay
Your lifes in the past
Sorry, but it didn't last

It is a little sad and emotional, but good news people! I'm mildly happy now.

Anyhow, apart from writing a song in my sleep there have been a few
other interesting parts, both my companion and I got sick this week,
not stay in flat sick, but the seasonal cough and cold. We bought some
medicine! The members love us so much even they gave us some medicine!
During this weeks Self- evaluation I really prayed earnestly. It was
really a week of prayer.

During one of our lesson we were supposed to teach one of our
investigators with the Europe Area President: President Kopischke,
unfortunately he wasn't able to make it. Before the lesson I told
Elder Lintusaari: "Imagine taking a leader whose responsibility is to
look after the whole church in Europe, now Imagine taking him to our
Investigator John ____. That is what we are doing!" It was some very
exciting times for both of us.

It was still such a very spiritual experience, John was overcoming an
addiction and we gave him a priesthood blessing, such a fantastic and
spirit filled lesson.

We had our Ashton Stake Conference yesterday aswell! Guess who we saw:
Melissa Kassinen, she had found out that my companion was her cousin,
they hadn't seen each other for over 10 years, and she didn't know
that I was serving with him, when I was her it felt like I was
institute all over again. Such fun times, we took a picture with her.
It is so strange to see your friends whilst your on your mission.

It was amazing though!

Elder Sapaden

Weekly update 07 November 2011

Kumusta Familia!

So this week, we started with Halloween, I can't say it was as
exciting as I remember it to be, as missionaries in the England
Manchester Mission we have to be indoors by 5pm on Halloween, so we
worked on the Monday morning and had prepation day from 1pm - 9pm, it
wasn't bad. I spent some quality time writing letters.

On monday evening though I received a phone call from our Bishop, we
had a funeral the next day and he forgot to arrange a Organist to play
for the funeral he asked for me and he asked if I could play at the
funeral, we told him that we weren't allowed to go to funerals and
that we also had a dictrict meeting to go to the morning of the
Funeral, and so the bishop had phoned our mission
president to ask permission for me to go to this funeral.

The mission president gave permission to the bishop and so at 11am the
next day I was at a funeral playing the organ and our district meeting
got moved a day back.(because I had to play at the funeral) I love the
Rochdale ward, I love when they rely on me, it makes me feel needed,
and I love serving them.

I have seen countless blessings from serving the members I know that
Heavenly Father is pleased when we serve and members have shown their
love for me by inviting us around to dinner.

I had a wonderful exchange this week with a missionary called Elder
Kuchar, Elder Kuchar and I came out to the mission field at the same
time, and we are serving around each other so we spent 3 days together
in Rochdale and worked together, he is amazing he has been a member
for less than 3 years and he is a fantastic missionary.

On this exchange we had the most tiring service in the world, I loved
it though, we had helped build a bonfire for a less- active member,
the bonfire consisted of wooden palates, not the light flimsy kind
that one person can lift, but quality wooden palates that need 2
person to carry, they were quite heavy, so for two hours me and Elder
Kuchar had to carry these very heavy palates and stack them one on top
of the other, this wooden stack was magnificent when we had finished,
it had reached about 9 foot high and 20 foot in width and length,
after all the physical exertion, the next day getting out of bed was a
challenge.

My forearms are still recovering from that service 5 days ago.

We had a fantastic sunday yesterday, we managed to bring 7
investigators to church and 12 people (including those who wern't
investigating and their children) all to church, it has been an
amazing week, 7 investigators at sacrament meeting is
really good for our mission, last week Elder Lintusaari and I had the
most investigators at Church in the whole England Manchester Mission.
Rochdale used to be a 4 missionary area, but it is being managed well
by me and Elder Lintusaari, we are doing so good, we are a strong
companionship and we are working well together!

We are expecting to have a baptism really soon, two of our
investigators Aneeka and Anushka are getting baptised on the 26th of
November. We have so many investigators in Rochdale and they are all
at different levels of progress, hopefully we will be able to help
them all return to our Heavenly Father.

Our investigators are doing wonderful, we have over 10+ portugese
investigators here, it is amazing to teach them they are so humble and
just want to learn more, they should send Elder Miranda here, we would
have a great time together.

This week we received a picture from two of our investigators, these
pictures were drawn by our 9 year old investigators, they love us
teaching them, and we try to make their lessons fun and they decided
to give us a present. We recently taught them the plan of salvation
and I described Paradise/ Celestial kingdom to be like a
party, everyone is happy... e.t.c, In this picture is drawn the
celestial kingdom with smiles, cake and balloons. I love how literal 9
year olds perceive a party to be like, they are such fantastic
investigators.

I love you all, I am having a great time here! My mission is going too fast.

Elder Sapaden

Pressing forward with Faith! 05/09/2011

This week was a very good week. It feels like I'm so settled into the
mission, I was able to meet up with people that I knew before my
mission who are serving here, I met Elder Webb, who was in my EFY
group and also Elder Brooks who was from the reading ward. They are
fantastic missionaries and I know that we will be amazing friends even
after our missions. On Thursday we had to wake up extra early at 5:30
to travel to Preston for a Church History Tour, it was amazing. I even
found out that Bryan Miranda (from the Kingston Ward?) is coming to
serve here in the EMM next transfer. Two Elders from the Staines Stake
serving in blessed Manchester.
 
During that Church Tour I was even invited to play on an organ over
1000 years old, It was the first non- electrical organ I've played, it
sounded magnificent. I love speaking to people on trains in the
morning, although some of them do not listen, it is a great learning
experince for a new missionary to deal with opposition, I am so glad
that Rochdale is my first area, we face many challanges and much
opposition for which I am grateful for because I am able to grow and
grow from these experinces. If my first area was somewhere without
opposition like Chorley (the area where the Temple is Located) I
wouldn't have had all the hardships I face, but because of these
challenges I become stronger.
 
Being a missionary who plays piano has its blessings, let me tell you
of some. We have a member (I won't name him) he hasn't had the
missionaries around for dinner in a long time, he is fairly musical
and loves to talk music, and gets very excited on that subject. So in
the first time for possibly years he invited us around for dinner, it
was splendid and he loved to talk music, we did and he even
volunteered himself to come out and visit some people with us. I
really was called here by Heavenly Father because of personality. I
seen many blessings (with a side of dinner appointments), many members
have greater trust for me as I serve them by playing piano. He even
offred us a lift to our next appointment after dinner.
 
This week I've really learn't a lessons of Exact Obedience. In this
mission Exact Obedience is something that really stands out as a
deciding factor of how good you are of a missionary. From Section 130
v.21 we learn that "when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by
obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." I know this to be
true, I've just seen many example of being obedient on my mission thus
far. I will always remember the times where it is 8:55pm we are very,
very far away and by walking we will not make it to our Flat by 9:00pm
so we run, we run to our flat even when it is cold, dark and very wet
outside, we run because we are Exactly Obedient, I can testify of the
blessings in our lives as me and my companion are Obedient. We are on
our knees praying at Exactly 6:30am in the morning and Exactly 10:30pm
at night without even a 1 second measurement apart.
 
During this fast Sunday I fasted for the purpose of getting our ward
excited for missionary work. To no surprise I saw that our ward, even
Rochdale ward was so ready for much member- missionary work. You
wouldn't believe the amount of times I even heard the missionaries
being referenced by members this week. What was so exciting about this
Sunday was I saw Jordan Forbes (he served as Elder Forbes in Hounslow,
he was from the Lancs. area but I didn't know he was in this ward,
although he is moving to London soon to attend Kingston University) I
also found out that he trained Richard Hillary (who served as Elder
Hillary as a Zone Leader in Staines) the world just seems like a small
place.
 
I just finished reading the Book of Mormon cover to cover, I started
it in the MTC, I managed to finish Preach My Gospel in the MTC. I
would extort you (aimed at readers of this e-mail) to read it, and to
gain a testimony of it (if you haven't already) but within the verses
of Moroni 10:3-5 we are asked to read and ponder and pray about it, I
would like to focus a little of this portion on what we should be
pondering. When you ask anyone: "In these Verses (Moroni 10:3-5) what
should we ponder about?" the answer would be "the Book of Mormon"
 
In Mormon 10:3 we learn that "when ye shall read these things, if it
be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how
merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the
creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall recieve these
things, and ponder it in your hearts", what should we ponder? "It"
what is "it"? "It" is "how merciful the Lord hath been unto the
children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time
that ye shall recieve these things"
 
I know that as we ponder about the Book of Mormon, aswell as our
blessings we will receive a confirmation of the truthfulness of the
Book of Mormon, and ultimately this whole Gospel.
 
Elder Sapaden

Guess what... 2 months out today! (24/08/2011)

So it's two months out on my mission as of today, I've just had so
many miracles and so many wonderful experinces. I thank you for all
your letters and e-mails they have really helped me press forward with
faith.
 
This week started off with an assistant to the President exchange
where I had the opportunity to work with some of the finest
missionaries in the mission. I was able to show them how hard I work.
I've been blessed with a wonderful trainer who has a wonder work
ethic, one of the finest lessons I have learn't so far is the ability
to work even if you are physically worn out, the Lord always pushes us
one step further and during those times that we are stretched and we
reach our breaking points, if we press forward, we progress.
 
On Wednesday we had a meeting called a "training camp" where all the
new missionaries gather together again and receive extra training.
Everybody expressed during that meeting how much we all have changed.
It seems that my face relaxes into a smile. No joke. I've seen many
blessed experinces from people who aren't so receptive to people that
accept us straight away. Our investigator Shalome is going to be
baptised this Saturday. I'm so excited for it. It'll be my first
baptismal service on my mission.
 
Today new missionaries are coming into the mission like I did six
weeks ago, today I lose the title of "the youngest missionary in the
mission" but within the next six weeks I won't even be considered a
"new missionary" anymore. I have set myself a really difficult goal
for these six weeks, I am going to become the most urgent missionary
in the England Manchester Mission. That is my goal.
What this goal includes is talking to everyone without fail in any
circumstance, everyone needs this gospel and I will talk to everyone.
 
I've been trying to work on it, my trainer has faith in me, and it is
a difficult task, I've ran alongside a person on a bicycle, talked to
people in cars during a red traffic light, spoken to people out of
windows on a second floor building, every last person is an
opportunity and every opportunity is a blessing. I used to have
problems speaking to people on buses and trains out of shyness but now
it just feels like second nature.
 
I was also blessed to go on an exchange with one of my favourite
missionaries that came on a mission with me, Elder Leimgrub from
Germany, we were able to go with each other and learn many lessons, he
shared with me how excited I get whilst talking to people, I do get
very excited when I talk to people on the street because they are my
brothers and sisters and I'm showing them the way home, unfortunately
because of my excitement I seem to talk at a million miles per hour,
so I'm working on it.
 
We met a man named Albert last week, he was prepared for this message
in the Pre-Mortal life! He is wonderful and he just accepted our
message with no hesitation, he already shared some of the same beliefs
and he commited to sincerly read and pray about the Book of Mormon, I
do know that as he does, he will gain a testimony of it.
 
Something exciting is happening in Rochdale now! The members have
organised that two members will be able to go out with the
missionaries per day. I just had so much success with this new idea.
The only time we are seperated as a companionship is when you are with
other missionaries of when you go out seperately with members, it's a
marvelous learning experince to be out without your companion who you
know will back you up when needed, but when you are out with members
they rely on you to direct the convesation all the time. I absolutely
love it! It is so amazing.
 
This week has been a fantastic week, I've just seen myself grow so
much, especially with my goal of urgency always looking for someone to
talk to, speaking to one person setting up an appointment and then
seeing someone a hundred meters away and saying to your companion "ok
Elder, let's go" then running after them, it is the true joy of
missionary work. Whilst you are seeking for your own brothers and
sisters to hear this message you just can't stop feeling the joy of it
because you are showing them the way home to Heavenly Father.
 
You wouldn't guess how great of a cook I have become whilst on my
mission. Creamy pieces of chunky Chicken with a touch of salsa and
pure steamed Basmati rice in under 10 minutes. Marvelous! (I was
slightly hungry whilst writing this e-mail)
 
In "Preach my Gospel" it tells us that we need to "Listen with Love"
and throughout my service here in Rochdale I love sharing the message
of this restored gospel. I can truely tesify that as I've listened
with love, I have been led to the right people at the right times in
the right places.
 
Thanks for all your letters and e-mails.
 
Elder Sapaden

Weekly Update‏

So... another week in the field.
 
This week I've gone on many missionary exchanges (when a missionary
goes out of his ward boundaries and works with other missionaries in
other areas) because my companion is a district leader and being a new
missionary, I get to go on a total of 7 excahges within my first six
weeks.
 
I started my week going on an exchange with my Zone leaders, Elder
Dittmer, He is german and he is fantastic. Before I came on exchange
their car got stolen, but during my exchange it was found and given
back to us. Elder Dittmer was one of the most influential Elders I've
met. I even got to go to the mission office. Some missionaries don't
even get to go to the Mission office within their 2 years.
 
The exchange was intense! It was the first time I ran after someone to
share with them the gospel, there was no person that passed me that
day without an attempt made to share the gospel with them.
 
We've had the most vivid experinces this week, a English man that
converted to Islam, stopped his car in the middle of the road whilst
on a busy road, it was a red light came out and pointed at our badges
and said "not true" but, luckily before he got contensious our bus
came.
 
I've also had another Exchange with a missionary called Elder
Raybould. I was so lucky to be with him for 2 days aswell, he so very
musical like myself and we were just talking music theory all the
time! It was amazing. He is a wonderful missionary and taught me many
things.
 
Yesterday I came back to my area (Rochdale) as soon as I came back we
also faced intense situations. It's like they follow me around. We've
had a hard week with trying to achieve our goals. Sometimes it feels
like, "if I don't get at least 3 investigators to Church... I'm a
failure." This week something that helps me with that is: "The Lord
doesn't measure results with numbers, he meausres them with effort"
 
It was my 3rd sunday in the field and it's day 39 of my mission.
Yesterday I gave my companion a haircut, I'm dreading getting mine
soon. I'm preparing for another Exchange with a missionary called
Elder Whited, it's in a place called Middleton. Going to be amazing!
 
Elder Sapaden