Sunshine

First off, we had transfers and I'm staying with Elder Bailey :)

MY BROTHER IS GOING TO CALIFORNIA ON HIS MISSION!

My week was so warm. It was a beauty felt like I did a 2 hour ride I was so sticky. Wednesday and Thursday were like 25-27 and sun. And humid ha nice 🌞  Being the last pday in the transfer we went to a place called Malham so no time to email.... I'll get pics next week for that.

I'll just share some pictures of the week.  Any of my doctor friends can email me for details but our friends, Simon and Darren have had a rough week.  Darren, the dad, spent most of the week in the hospital getting tests on his heart and kidneys. Not good. But they finally returned home Friday evening and we were able to visit them. I have some quality selfies taken by Simon the 8 year old.  I have so much love for this family and for their persistence and dedication to learning about the gospel.  This is the kind of love missions are made of. Pure joy :) 

Moving along we have a beautiful drive out to a village called Stanbury so pretty :) 

We have some people to visit and teach I gotta run  :) 

With lots of love,

Elder Pilling 

Sent from the land of lads

Mission life is the life to have

As much as I love fishing 🎣 and biking and camping ⛺️ the mission life is hard to beat!  Helping others to come unto to Christ is an amazing work. 

Super special week :) Monday evening we spent some time on exchanges with 2 very good missionaries. They are in a unique leadership position called traveling assistants. They just work with other missionaries all day, everyday. They don't have their own area. So Monday night Elder Rhea and Elder Thompson picked us up to go to work! Elder Thompson and I (being both from south Calgary) had some really good fun. 

We taught Darren and Simon! Simon is the smartest 8 year old. We shared how the gospel blesses families. You know as I sit here trying to share my experience with them I am struggling to put it into words. I have never felt a deeper love for an investigator. My testimony was strengthened and I know Heavenly Father blessed me with my family :) 

This week as per usual went fast but it was good. Up and down with our investigator, Jackie.  She's really struggling with the challenges life has given her. It is hard because I know what the gospel can do to help her find peace and strength. 

One of the real good times this week was when an older member took us on some back roads in the country side. We drove on a road called the Yorkshire bumps. Haha so good it's not bumpy as in rough it's just kinda whoopy up and down. It was similar to Red Rock road sorta but way better. We full on caught air haha some good memories.

Rashid, a recent convert. He's the best!

Love Elder Pilling

Sent from the Land of Lads 

Sunshine and some friendly faces

Hello all!!

This week was pretty  cool 😎. Met another old guy, went to a funeral,

and got free ice cream.

To start I'll share about an old guy I met on the bus. Don't even know

his name but this story starts a few weeks back. One day while riding the

bus some old bloke noticed I was a missionary.  He started

blabbering on about some guy named John Browning who lived in Utah. I

had little time to say much at this point and I just squeaked out

I've got a Remington. Then the barn doors flew off. We talked about all

sorts of stuff; guns, dogs, birds. It was exciting. Unfortunately we had to get

off without getting any details. Fast forward to now. Today I was

pondering on what to say to you all, thinking I could share about that

old guy. Then of course he walks on the bus haha. He said he got a book

about shotgun history and thought of me :) so nice. So we had another

chat.

Interviews happened this week as well as a exchange with the Wharf Valley

elders. Here's a picture.  

His name is Elder Erickson from Palm Springs California! His dad is a tennis coach haha. Anyways he's a funny lad, we had a good half day. Met an old lady who loved to hear about what we are doing all the way over here. Ate some biscuits with her...yum! That evening we ordered some chicken balls which are an exchange tradition.

As for spiritual thoughts. 

Hmm during the Skype with fam jam I was asked about advice for my younger brothers. It lead to a quick pondering of the things I have learned. I will attempt to share my feelings. Serving a mission is unlike anything else in this world. A bunch of 18-23 ish year old young people of the church leaving all things they are comfortable with; family, friends, entertainment. They dump them into a strange world sharing the gospel with people they have never met before. People who are not members of the church think we are crazy. Well, it's kinda true.  It shouldn't work. We shouldn't be able to completely dedicate 2 years to serving the Lord. I have developed deeper feelings about my time here. It is a special time where I am changing. I am changing a lot. My values that my family has taught  me are strengthened. I have developed a relationship with our Heavenly Father and our Saviour. It is a blessing to come closer to them and feel of their love and strength. 

I love all you people back home. I do feel the love and support. 

Here's a picture of Rashid a recent convert! He's so funny!

Elder Pilling 

Sent from the land of lads

The People You Meet

People of the forest, 

It has been warm and chilly and just pretty normal here in Keighley. Met some drunk people, someone burned our rubbish bin and I ate some shortbread👍🏼

I have been requested to tell cool stories haha. Well TBH Keighley is full of People from the Middle East. Like over half the population is Muslim. And Keighley has one of the largest drug markets in the area. So there's always something crazy going on. There's housing estates here called council housing. Missionaries nickname them chav estates and they tend to be a favourite place for missionaries to go. Here's a really good definition:

Chav (/ˈtʃæv/ chav) (charver in parts of Northern England) is a pejorative epithet used in Britain to describe a particular stereotype of anti-social youth dressed in sportswear. The word was popularised in the first decade of the 21st century by the British mass media to refer to an anti-social youth subculture in the United Kingdom.[4] The Oxford English Dictionary defines chav as an informal British derogatory, meaning "a young lower-class person who displays brash and loutish behaviour and wears real or imitation designer clothes".

So now when I reference a chav you will all know. 

Some cool things from this week:

We met an older lady in a nicer area (hard to find) she said oh I have traveled all over America and Canada I love it there. So of course I asked if she'd been to all the typical places like Orlando, Toronto, California. And then she said I have even been to Salt Lake City! Now I was getting curious. She had a pamphlet from temple square and everything. Further along in the conversation I asked her favourite place she's been. She said, "I really like Montana and Idaho." I'm like whoa. When I asked her why, she said, "I love the national parks." Turns out she has been to every single national park in North America. Yes even Waterton. That was neat.

We were knocking some doors in a super historical town. I'm not sure, but I guess it's where the famous Bronte sister wrote some books. Idk but this bloke said, "No, no I met some lads from Germany and America last time and I'm not interested." I told him now he can cross Australia and Canada off the list. Then he told me he's Australian and his wife is Canadian. What are the odds?!

This week we had a multi zone conference.  Unfortunately Elder Walker is now in York zone so I didn't see him :/

But this whole day was based on the Teton dam bursting, how it all started with little cracks that grew and grew. We were asked to identify the crack we have in relation to being obedient and to repair the cracks and to be fully consecrated to the work. Examples given were; we must see companions iPad screens, clean up our vocabulary and don't use replacement words. In your weekly emails to President we need to put some time in and share about our area and companion and also help him see what he can do to help us. I really enjoy the emphasis on obedience as it is always a good reminder as to he sacredness of this calling. To be representatives of Jesus Christ is a big deal and we must honour and treat it as such.

Family and friends I know the Book of Mormon is true. Joseph smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. I know Thomas S. Monson is called of God. I love the work and love God's plan for me. 

Love elder pilling 

Sent from the land of lads

These pictures are really toaster but that's ok 

See others in a new light

This week I have been studying chapter 4 in Preach My Gospel. I have spent some extra time on the light of Christ. As part of my studies I have been reading a talk by Boyd K. Packer titled The Light Of Christ. Things which I have forgotten have been brought to my mind. First and probably the most important is a quote by President Joseph Fielding Smith.  He spoke of the teachings of the Holy Ghost and of the Spirit of Christ: “Every man can receive a manifestation of the Holy Ghost, even when he is out of the Church, if he is earnestly seeking for the light and for the truth. The Holy Ghost will come and give the man the testimony he is seeking, and then withdraw; and the man does not have a claim upon another visit or constant visits and manifestations from him. He may have the constant guidance of that other Spirit, the Spirit of Christ.”

As missionaries we are to aid in helping people receive a manifestation of the Holy Ghost, but also to help people fan the light of Christ into a roaring fire, one which compels all to do better. 

Boyd K. packer said, "Every man, woman, and child of every nation, creed, or color--everyone, no matter where they live or what they believe or what they do--has within them the imperishable Light of Christ."

Being a member missionary is hard yes. But if we try to see all the people around us in a new light, we can see we all know people who have burdens which can be lifted through the gospel. Find the light of Christ in those around you and help them see it! 

In Psalms 145:8 it says, "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion; slow to anger, and of great mercy." Find love for all people. I am loving being able to develop love for those people I teach.  

The work here is a challenge. We have a few Slovak friends and I don't speak any Slovak, but I am already developing a love for them. I can already see the light of Christ in them and it is such a blessing being able to help them see and feel it as well. 

We have a friend named Jackie. She has gone through some seriously hard things in her life. She gets anxiety and is easily scared off. We love working with her because deep down we can see she has that light of Christ and she can recognize it as well. As of this time she is going to be baptized middle of may. 

The weather is crazy on this side. It has steep hills all around so the weather changes so drastically. But I always stay dry in my MEC coat! 

I saw the tour de Yorkshire roll through yesterday! Ha, it was a long steep hill and they were dying haha.  It was fun though. Cycling is so popular here too. 

I don't have any pics today...my companion is camera shy. 

Thanks for your support everyone!

Elder Pilling

Sent from the land of lads