A Missionaries work is never done!

                               Thanks to Sister Jordan for the Instagram updates!!

Last weekend in Watford with The Honrado's and Elder Jones

Reunited!

Elder Nolan visited The Hyde Park Chapel this week and was surprised to see the former Elders Desire and Quresma who both served in Elder Nolan’s home ward in England Manchester Mission. Elder Desire was even in our home when Elder Nolan opened his Mission call.  A real blast from the past!!!

Hey ! Mum I'm staying!!!!!

      
 Hey mum!, I am staying!!!!!          

                                                         

                                                            Me and Scott Grover

  

16 1/2

Hello,

So, it has definitely been a while since I put finger to key and updated you on the progress of the zone and the changes in our area. Its hard to write a lot when things aren't going to well, its been really hard and it has took me a while to figure out the problem and more importantly, fix it. 

The first thing that needed to change was me, I had let myself fall into a few traps with regards to making missionary work happen. The biggest pit fall a missionary can fall into is to assume. I was doing this, whilst focusing on the zone I assumed that my area would just be taken care of, but it wasn't. I was neglecting it and the people there in by not focusing my mind and heart on it's progress. This has changed now, and the last week we had has shown that. 

The second thing that had to change was also me, with regards to how I was treating my companion. We had a great talk about things  and he pointed out to me things that I hadn't even clocked I was doing. I felt terrible, I had been so rude and disrespectful to him. I had again assumed that he knew I loved him and that whatever i said to him wouldn't bother him. I realised I was taking out my frustrations on him and in many ways using him as a punching bag, sometimes literally! (He is a 6"1 running back, so i will continue to assume he can take the physical hits ;) 

The Last thing that needed to change, was me, again. The Lord wasn't done yet, I asked my companion the question 'What is your motive to do missionary work?', we both had to think for a while. I really searched inside for what it was that got me out of bed in the morning, why we would street contact at 8.30pm in the blistering cold, why we would try again and again to get people to change ... etc I knew what my answer should have been, deep down I knew what my reason has been since I handed in my papers, but for the past few weeks I think I had side stepped it and lost the Spirit of the whole thing. The reason I am a missionary is because I love Jesus Christ. I love His Gospel, I love what it challenges me to become, I love the organisation of His Church, I love how the members of His church really are some of, if not the greatest people in the world, I love that I am associated with them, I love answers I get from many of the 'unanswerable' questions we all have, I love working with the missionaries around me, I love the people I have taught, have seen change and become saints through the choices they have made to follow God. I just love it all, and with 7 and half months left I have no intention of slowing down, or 'dying', my only desire is to speed up, to push harder, to get smarter and become wiser, to endure longer and pray more earnestly, to envision higher and achieve greater! 

This is the time I have to be molded into an instrument that the Lord can use to do great things and I am not going to miss any of it. 

I love being a missionary!

I love you all,

Hugs and Handshakes,


Elder Nolan

Me and Valerio - the husband of a member. I love this guy!

Zone interviews, Elder Opiyo from Uganda - this kid used to hide from Joseph Kony so to be frank, he isn't scared of ANYTHING!

                           Mine and Hutchins' companionship in a nutshell. 

                                                              
                           
                             Excuse the double chin, Viva Pinata with the kids - the LOVE it!

                                                                       
                                                              My watch collection

                                                                      Ward Photo

                                         Bad zone photo but hey, it was a great meeting!

Tudo Ben?

Oi!

Tudo ben? 

I have been practicing my Portuguese with the members this week, they seem to like - my companion must think I'm an idiot as I just say the same thing to everyone I meet. Elder Jones is one of the good guys, he is settling into his new role well and is just about coping with the lack of sleep we get. This week has been one of the most unique of my mission. 

It has been teaming with everything a mission can throw at you, Miracles, Great studies, great trainings, finding great new people, getting dropped by new people, building relationships with members, agonizing over your recent converts new found struggles, new missionaries, rebuking new missionaries, rebuking old missionaries, praising missionaries, dealing with unwise choices of missionaries, being amazed by the faith of missionaries, being humbled by the sincerity of missionaries. I love the Watford zone, I want you to know the names of these wonderful people, so here ya go, area and then names; 

Watford 1 = Nolan and Jones (utah)   Watford 2 = Sister Maurer (Swiss) and Eastin (Arizona)   Watford 3 = Doucet(Utah) and kishari (Albania)  Aylesbury 1 = Wenzsel (S. Africa) and Wen (Hong Kong)  Aylesbury 2 = SIster Hernes (Norway) and Smith (Utah)  Enfield 1 = Randall (Texas) and Martin (Utah) Enfield 2 = Sister Katrinacova (Czech) and Mlchocova (Czech)  Enfield 4 = Murri (Utah) and Toledo (Chile)  Wembley 1 = Call (Utah) and Caluag (Philippines)  Wembley 2 = Kendall (Utah) and Kgwetiane (S. Africa)  Wembley 3 = Opiyo (Uganda) and Tonks (Utah)  Hayes 1 = Ballstaedt (Utah) and Haysman (N. Zealand). 

We had Zone training meeting with them last week on new years day and had a great time together! We set a zone goal of 9 baptisms for the month of January and we are so focused on accomplishing it. The Zone ended with 52 for the past year, which is really great work. I really love this zone, I love the Area and me and Jones are focused on helping them achieve great things and do their absolute best! We have a very young zone, we also have some great leaders in it and Elders who have recently been released from leadership - the beautiful thing we have seen is that these guys are still leaders, missionaries still look up to them and they have a great influence on the Mission.

The focus of this week Spiritually has been the doctrine of Christ, it has come up several times in lessons and I am concluded on the fact that when it is understood better our desire to share the Gospel increases. This is the Scripture that has been on repeat in my mind - '
13 Behold I have given unto you my gospel, and this is the gospel which I have given unto you—that I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. 14 And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross; and after that I had been lifted up upon the cross, that I might draw all men unto me, that as I have been lifted up by men even so should men be lifted up by the Father, to stand before me, to be judged of their works, whether they be good or whether they be evil—15 And for this cause have I been lifted up; therefore, according to the power of the Father I will draw all men unto me, that they may be judged according to their works. 16 And it shall come to pass, that whoso repenteth and is baptized in my name shall be filled; and if he endureth to the end, behold, him will I hold guiltless before my Father at that day when I shall stand to judge the world. 3 Nephi 27.
My heart burns when I read this. The verses radiate absolute truth with me and I can feel the Power of the Holy Ghost within them. I would invite you to read and re-read them, then ask the questions - In what condition will I be lifted up? How has the Atonement of Christ changed me? What is yet to be changed that needs to be? 
The Church is a community of repentance, it is the 'hospital for sinners', however imagine for a second a hospital where the patients wouldn't let the other patients be healed. I see this sometimes, we tend to hold on to things and struggle to move on, we can sometimes struggle to watch another receive forgiveness and experience repentance because our finite minds want justice now. A missionary once asked 'what is Godliness?' - i have thought alot about this and I feel comfortable to say that one form of Godliness is not only the ability to see others as they may become but it is the power to forget how they once were, completely. This is something in which Missionaries become quite good at, they see investigators change, progress and become free of the chains they once had because of their repentance and application of the Atonement of Christ. The essence of enduring to the end is the continuation of this path of faith and repentance, no other church requires all of its members to serve and teach other people who they probably don't like most of the time. This is why the Church is so true, its challenging and hard, it stretches us in ways that no other Church does and it challenges each one of us to become like Christ in some of the hardest ways, namely forgiving those we do not want to forgive and forgetting the mistakes we do not want to forget. That's hard, I know it is and I have much repenting to do, but I know that this is something worth doing! 
I love you all,
Hugs and Handshakes

Elder Nolan

I never knew you could buy sprouts in a form that you could beat some one to death with. 

Email to Mum

Mum, 

I am staying in Watford btw, Elder Hutchins is going to the middle of nowhere, he has been released for his last two transfers! i spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday, last speaker, new i was doing it an hour before i was to give it and prepared it whilst taking the sacrament. A lot of prayer resolved the issue and the ward LOVED IT. I got invited round to a members house just so they could say thankyou and tell me that they had studied the references i made in the talk and several people told me they were inspired and wanted to change because of it. It was on the 'beware of pride' talk by Ezra Taft Benson. I just spoke about how prideful I was when I came out, people love it when you tell them how much of a terrible person you are. I also had no name tag on which I realised half way through and explained that I had left it in the car because I was using it to scrape ice off the car window haha they LOVED that! The Lord took care of me in that one!  love ya! Love the package, the socks are wonderful, and I wore the lapel pin on sunday, so cool! 


Elder Nolan and Elder Hutchins

He is the Gift

Watford Zone

Hutchins and the after shot of a woman who joined the gym behind this window, 

this was the best photo they could choose. 

I hope you find this photo as hilarious as i do.

Hello!

Long time everyone, how are you doing?

The Watford zone is well under way in their Christmas festivities, as is the world wide missionary front through the new initiative 'He is the Gift'. I absolutely love Christmas time and spending it on a mission is a very special experience, different to home but spiritually I have felt closer to my family than ever before. The initiative is proving to be a great tool in getting people to open up about their feelings towards the Saviour. Even as a missionary, being sheltered from the media, from speaking to people daily i can see and feel the lack of emphasis on the true meaning of Christmas and the 'He is the Gift' video itself just resonates truth to me. 

This week I was on an exchange in Wembley with Elder Tonks, he has been out 4 months and is a very promising Elder. The exchange was just crammed with miracles and proved to be one of my favourite days on my mission. We started the day with zone training meeting; this is where the missionaries in the zone meet together and are trained by the zone leaders, we also set goals with the district leaders and have a tonne of fun in the process. It was my best zone meeting as a leader, we both felt really inspired and gave trainings on the doctrine of repentance both for our investigators but also how we can access the Atonement as missionaries. We have a recently called district leader in the zone who has undergone a great change, sparked by a call to leadership in which he has repented and changed his behaviour in the field and is now bringing about much success with his companion. Such a powerful story, that the Lord even permits change to those whom he has previously placed so much trust in, which trust they may have mistreated but now want to change and improve. In the exchange we found some great people to teach and I am convinced the Lord uses exchanges as an opportunity to increase the faith of missionaries, as so many things just go right! Now, in the evening around 7pm I got a phone call, I answered and it was Irene - I taught her in Maldon and tried so hard to get her baptised. Recently we had been in contact and I had been helping her with her scripture study habits. It's interesting, because even when you leave an area, you still pray and ponder about the people you taught there everyday. I had been thinking how great it would be to go back to Maldon at the end of my mission and help Irene make that great step. However, on the phone she expressed to me her great desire to be baptised that evening! She wanted to call and ask if i had been praying for her; I think she wanted me to confirm the spiritual confirmation she had received as she met with the missionaries that day, as they bore testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel, she felt an overwhelming spirit enter into her and she knew that she needed to be baptised. As she told me this, I could feel the tears gathering behind my eyes, but i quickly remembered that i was in a public place and was with a younger missionary so I had to hold them back! But, the feeling of peace I received at that point was something I will never forget. I knew that the Lord had not only hear my prayer but had orchestrated a situation in which so many peoples lives would be blessed by the Faith of another (Irene). Think about the powerful experience those missionaries in Maldon have had as they bore their testimonies, think about the personal conversion that has taken place in Irene and think of the young missionary on exchange with me who saw the excitement and joy I had received because of someone I had taught making their first covenant. He knows us perfectly. 

In other news I want to express my appreciation and awe for the irreplaceable power of a heartfelt, genuine, bone shuddering rebuke. When done properly and with the right motive, this can alter the course of an individuals life forever. I think the world is too short of this. Its like the once beautiful game of football, there is an art to slide tackling and that art is now fading because of the reaction of the individual on the receiving. Way back when my Granddad could run a mile, men would act like men and when they were challenged on a pitch they took it, got back up on their feet and went after the ball they had just lost. There was no rolling around, no hands on faces, no complaining to the ref, no appeal to the 4th official, they took the knock and learnt from it. Thus it is in our society today, the fall of man is in his inability to be accountable and take responsibility for the mistakes of his past. For me, there is nothing more noble than for a man to receive correction from another and receive that correction openly, in the hope of improving oneself and the integrity of his character. 'Sons, grow not weary of your Fathers correction, for whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth'. I have learnt on my mission, that sometimes you have to accept that you do not know everything and that you, like the diamond in the rough would do well to endure a little and at times a lot, of bone shuddering refining, in the form of a heartfelt, genuine rebuke. 

In absence of time I must finish!

I love the work in which I am so blessed to be a part of. 

I love you all,

Hugs and Handshakes,

Elder Nolan

Christmas performance at Hyde Park

Guarav got baptised!

                             Elder Hutchins performed the baptism and I confirmed Guarav

My soul Hungered....

   

Hey Everyone!

What a week it has been!?

Happy Halloween, me and Hutchins nearly attended a party as Jehovah's Witnesses but at length thought it may not be the best idea. We went as ourselves in the end. I heard a missionary in the mission went to church as me though! 

I feel drained though, there has been much happening and much changing within the mission and on a personal level this week. I feel really charged for my area and have a clear vision of what the Lord needs me to do here, I'm excited.

Its hit me hard this week that I need to step it up a little. In my interview with President Jordan this week I told him that I am trying to understand what it means to serve with all my 'heart, might, mind and strength' and I asked him for advice, he said 'Well, I am glad you are feeling these promptings and I am excited to hear about the answers you receive as you wrestle with the Spirit' at first i felt a little deflated at this, i have now realized the power of his wise counsel. He wants me to develop my capacity to receive revelation concerning my own spiritual growth. Slowly and surely I am receiving answers to my prayers, It really takes effort to wrestle with the Spirit though and sometimes you feel like you are taking a beating!

My companion has had a hard week, he has put his foot in it a few times with other people, bumped the car and made a comment that nearly got us arrested (slight exaggeration). I just love him though, he has so many talents and is such a natural missionary and so i see past the faults that often other people cant get past with him. I have learnt so much from him in these few weeks we have been together and I have become a better missionary because of it.

It has become clear that our focus as a zone needs to be on finding, teaching and baptizing families. Obviously the Lords arms are stretched open wide to all those seeking rest and refuge, our work with individuals with be ongoing. I know though, that God's eternal plan is centered  on family units, I know that there are fathers and mothers of families praying for things to change in there lives and for God to bless them with new light and greater purpose. I know the missionaries have the answer to that prayer and that is the message we share. We have the Book of Mormon which contains the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, many ask why the plan of salvation isn't contained in the book of Mormon, simply the Plan of Salvation is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the POS is divine knowledge and direction revealed through Prophets, past as well as modern day. They have the responsibility of declaring the plan and the specifics of that plan at the time they are in office. Thankfully we do have Modern day Prophets, Our message also teaches families that they can receive personal revelation for their own lives and for the lives of their family members through the power of the Holy Ghost 'which revealeth and teacheth all things'. We can share with them the way that they can achieve strong, lasting and wholesome relationships with each other which will stretch into the eternities and help them realise the divine purposes of an ideal home. It's going to be a White Christmas,.

I love you all,

Have a great bonfire night and don't eat too much treacle,

I will,

Hugs and Handshakes,

Elder Nolan

          Elder Nolan, Hutchins and Keen -

         
                     Taco Time!





                  










        
   
              Watford Zone


                                                                                                                                                  










                                                                                                

                                    

5 Guys

Hey Everyone,

How are you doing?

Watford continues to be the adventure I had been hoping for, we are teaching so many great people and some of the most interesting people I have met on my mission. Elder Hutchins is one of them, its funny, everyone in the mission was shocked when we got put together and even President was tentative about it as we are well known for speaking our mind and taking the lead, which is fine. Me and Elder Hutchins have always said that we would get along fine if we served together but we have been repeatedly told that we would kill each other. Alas, we are getting on more than well, its like serving with a friend I have known for years. We deduced that when a decision is to be made, we don't want it to be done OUR way, we just want it to be done the RIGHT way. I told Elder Hein that the only reason we ever had a problem is because he had a dumb idea ;) haha Just kidding, glory be to the Father. 

So the band is back baby! Its great to be back with my favourite missionaries, its funny how we are all zone leaders now, we have a real sense of camaraderie and we sound better than last year. It's me, Hutchins, David, Hein, Adriano, and a few other newbies who are really great. Hutchins trained Adriano and David, Hein trained me, Hutchins and Hein were trained by the same father, David and Adriano served together as did me and David, me and Adriano are in the same group, and all of us except Adriano were born in London North! Mission buddies are special and I know that these guys will be friends for life. 

This week there was a bittersweet experience as one of the Elders in our zone chose to go home after 5 months. We tried everything to keep him, went for lunch with him, called him, they even got locked out of their flat so we had him and his companion stay with us. 6 men in a two man flat. We asked him some of the most hard hitting questions you could think of but he was just wrapped up in his own world. The trouble is that he has not experienced anything difficult before in his life and the moment he has stepped out of his comfort zone he was looking for the gap to walk straight back in. I was really sad to see him go, because I know the things he is missing out on. Hopefully he will wise up and come back out. On the other hand, we got a great young missionary as his replacement who was trained by Elder Farley so you know he is good. This zone has some of the best missionaries in the world and I feel so blessed to be serving with them. 

We have 20 people on date in the zone and 4 in our area right now. We are teaching people from all over the Globe. Last week we had a special conference with Elder Herbertson of the seventy. I really enjoyed it. After the general meeting all the zone leaders and sister training leaders met with him and in the meeting we had about 11 different countries being represented, so cool. The England London Mission is such a mixing pot and I just love it. 

We are about to move into a new flat, right now we are staying with Elder Duncan and Doucet, we are on the floor in the front room, things are a little hectic and cramped but I am happy. The shower is amazing and we have a balcony which I love. Every Morning, after getting dressed I go out, look at the great view and pray. It is a really sweet and spiritual experience. I feel closer to God when I am marvelling at his creations, and at 7.30 in the morning the sky is often mesmerizing. 

I love you all,

Hugs and Handshakes,

Elder Nolan