Happy New Year - New year update

One of the seven packages!

We had a sleep over on Christmas!

 My new quilt!

We put this togethr for krissy one of our less actives :) 

they had no green trees left at tesco!

Happy New Year!

Christmas was so good! We watched a tonne of films and skyping home was amazing. Thank you all so much for the gifts and letters I received. It really made my first Christmas as a missionary special and I wouldn't change it for the world.

So New years in London is amazing! We were on the banks of the Thames witnessing the Eye shoot thousands of fancy fireworks into London town's already heavily polluted atmosphere. We saw all the festive delights come to a majestical close as the shift from 2013 – 2014 commenced. Just kidding, we are missionaries of the Lord Jesus Christ and we were tucked up in bed resting after a hard day of labour! Hehe

We had to be in our flats for 7 as the celebrations can get pretty crazy so we've heard. Apparently a mouse was found on a bus last year wearing a crown with its fur shaved reading 'God save the queen through 2013' (copywright Elder Nolan)

So we came home early and wound down whilst watching a film called 'The Testaments' it was pretty good.

Me and Elder Farley are doing great! He is a good missionary, very orderly and obedient which I exactly what this flat needed! He said he needs to learn how to be bold, so it looks like he's in the right place. He came from Ely and was Elder Gore's companion for the last transfer. We have already had some great studies and teaching experiences and so I'm really excited for this transfer. We also have a baptism on the horizon! Wooooohooooooooo! Angela is getting baptised! She is doing great as she prepares so please pray for her. She wants to set the example for her boys. Her aunt is a member in Jamaica and so she has known about the church for a long time. She has received the spiritual witness that the next step in her life is to be baptised and commit to Christ. It's just wonderful. I'll send a copy of the program when it's finished.

I'm beginning to understand my role as a missionary. This has progressed as I have started to really understand prayer. I always felt it awkward to ask Heavenly Father for help with an investigator when the whole point of us teaching that person was so that they could return to God anyway. I thought that Heavenly father would just fill in all the gaps regardless of my faith in asking him to. But as I have come to understand prayer and how it works, I'm starting to understand the whole concept of being a missionary. The Lord could quite easily 'pour out his Spirit' upon the whole world and people would be flocking to the font. He could have people knocking on our door trying to set appointments with us. He could make sure that we have a 100% success rate with every person we talk to and we could sit back and be spectators of this marvellous work. However, although at first it would seem logical and easy, there would be no growth, there would be no faith and there would be no experience for both the missionary and the individuals we are teaching. This is wholly and completely the Lord's work and in his mercy and love for us he has given us the opportunity to play a part in. He has given us the tools and methods to bring souls unto Christ whilst in the meantime we are saving our own. This sacred process of 'forgetting yourself and going to work' was taught by Jesus Christ himself 'He who shall lose his life shall save it'. When we put our faith in God and put our hearts to work we see a change, not only in others around us but mostly within ourselves. As I have tried to thank Him for every blessing we have seen in the field I am filled with joy and the spirit as it eradicates any notion that I am responsible for any success we are having. And if we don't have success even though we have tried our best and have exercised faith, it  simply means that the agency of other is in action and with this, feelings of despair and guilt are muted.

I have so much yet to learn in these short 21 months left and I feel so blessed to be in the London North ward at this time. I'm blessed to have Elder Farley as my companion and we are going to have a great transfer together.

I love you all,

Hugs and Handshakes

Elder Nolan

Ps. If Elder Hein's family read this, please tell him I love him and that his beautiful face has a place in my wallet. He also left his memory foam pillow on my window sill as a surprise for when I got home after I gave him grief for not giving it to me in person. What a man. I'm also sorry about the Glitter incident, he told me of the pain it caused (him and you), I had no idea he had an actual phobia! Haha Happy New year Hein family!