Greetings!
How are you all doing?
Apologies for my lack of communication lately!
Christmas in London is already a sweet experience, all my Christmas shopping was purchased on a market stall in Camden town, boom. If you don’t already know I really dislike shopping so this was a blessing! The decorations around the city are looking great and there is a real Christmas atmosphere in the air.
So, something we do in the Mission is a little exercise called ‘Mind the Gap’ in which we teach a certain point of doctrine with a scripture and an inspired question and this all has to be done in 2 minutes. The points come from PMG and everything we need to teach is broken down into 12 weeks so we can practice them 4 times a day and by the end of 12 weeks have it remembered. SO, this week we had a visit from Elder Dyches of the seventy. The chapel was filled with half of the mission, senior couples, President and Sister Jordan and Elder Dyches and his wife. Elder Riki one of the AP’s was conducting the meeting and as he began the announcements I receive a premonition of what is about to happen. Elder Nolan will be giving a ‘gap’ training on the ‘book of Mormon; another testament of Jesus Christ’. Lo and behold, this becomes a reality. I have not reached this in my 12 week course and so the panic set in. Time seemed to stop. I looked to Elder Hein for some kind of fatherly support and all he could say to me was ‘Moroni 10’, this was not the scripture to be used in the training. ‘Elder Nolan’ I hear coming from the stand. It’s do or die time, so I walk up to the stand, I see Elder Dyches’ huge smile and for some reason it doesn’t help. I get to the stand and start trying to find the scripture I’m using and it seems as the Book of Mormon I’ve been reading wasn’t the one in my hands. Anyway, I begin and get through my 2 minute testimony of the BoM. I feel President Jordan’s hand on my shoulder and he asks the congregation ‘what did you like about Elder Nolan’s gap?’ They were very kind and liked that I described it (BoM) as a fruit of Joseph Smith. President Jordan then went over the points and it was clear that I had missed more than a few haha He asked the congregation what I should do to improve to which I replied ‘Study the points!’ Elder Dyches Shook my hand and said I did great. Now, the plus side to this story now is that I know that point of doctrine from top to bottom with the scripture etched on my soul!
After the meeting, Elder Tobia came to me and informed me that he was the one who constructed the agenda for the meeting and frighteningly said to me ‘that is what you get for beating me at stick pole!’ haha
Elder Dyches’ gave us some great insights into working with members and told us the parable of the Oranges.
So, this week was the ward Christmas party. All the missionaries in the ward were at the chapel on Saturday morning for the English class we hold. Me and Elder Hein were teaching Margarita and had a wonderful experience with her. We chose to watch the talk ‘We will never walk alone’ by president Monson and it was perfect for her at the time. We had no idea what it was about or that it was in the Relief Society session we just felt it was the right one! SO, Dasoulla turns up at the chapel with all the food for the Ward Party. Stacks of it. Then just as she begins to prepare it she gets the call that her daughter is going into labour! Ha! So she has to shoot and in panic asks the Missionaries to supervise the situation. The other sister who was supposed to be coming also had a family crisis and so the London North missionaries have to come to the rescue. I wasn’t impressed at all. No one was picking up their phone and we had missionary work to do! Thankfully our appointments cancelled and we could get on with the job. We did such a great Job. The sister missionaries ran the kitchen and the Elders sorted the music and decorations. I somehow ended up in the middle and cut up peppers, rolled ham, rolled cheese, made salad, cut bread, covered all the food with foil ( which Americans can’t seem to understand why) and made a reservoir of fruit punch! We had to transport this bowl of punch from the kitchen to the hall and it was the most stressful part of my mission haha! The sister’s were the ones that made everything happen though. Hats off to them. Now, this situation was annoying at first, but then we saw it as an opportunity. We tried to see the situation as Ammon would see it. We were ready to smite the arms off this Christmas Party so to speak. And we did. In turn I really feel the ward trusts us a lot more and on Sunday we had members asking to come teaching with us and inviting us round for dinner to teach their friends! What a great blessing! We really showed that we are here to serve in ANY way we can. I wasn’t too happy we had to clean up as well though haha Elder Hein will account of his escapades as the friendly Neighborhood Spider-man. I'm way proud of him for this.
So we had Margarita and Angela at church and they both loved it. Please pray for them over this period as they are so close to being baptized they just need that extra strength to commit to the Lord. J
Sunday night we performed at Hyde Park for the last time as the Choir. I thought it was our best performance as well. I’ve really enjoyed performing and it’s been a really unique experience to have as a missionary. I’m really thankful for the talents Heavenly Father gives each of us and how even if we aren’t very good at something we can still enjoy doing it. I hope you’ve enjoyed the songs we recorded. WE recorded in the chapel and when we were warming up last night in the basement we realized we recorded in the wrong room haha
So I’m still happy and enjoying myself even though this week has been hard at times, appointments falling through and the heavens have felt more distant than usual. I guess we need to work harder, ey?
Helaman 5:12
I love you all,
Hugs and Handshakes,
Elder Nolan
