Woohoo!

So quite a lot to chat about, first, it's been an epic pday!! There's

no pics yet so you'll have to wait for the story next week and pics to

follow.

So in no particular order we had exchanges with the zone leaders.

Froze to death nearly! We have been putting a focus on finding those

who are prepared to meet missionaries so we really prayed and follow

the spirit. We met some interesting people. One lass from Greece said "I

can say 2 words that will make you run away. I'M GAY...." haha classic

cuz we didn't run away. In fact we chatted for 15 min about this and

that. We were getting somewhere then her girlfriend showed up and they

both disappeared 👻 oh well

Elder Campbell is actually called to speak in Slovakian so we spent

some time searching for the Slovakians which was pretty funny.

Anyways. We had another exchange with the Darlington elders on Thursday. I

got to spend some time with Elder Graabek who was born in Denmark :) raised in

England. But he is fluent in danish cuz that's what his family speaks

at home! <--- this is important for later.

So he's been out like 3 weeks. So he's still very much deer in the

headlights haha we had a blast though. We taught our friend Nigel.

Funny guy. Then a Church of England vicar came and visited Nigel at the same

time! Woah super awkward. Nigel was asking him questions about Nephi

and Jesus Christ's visit to America. 😂

So in the evening we popped over for a tea appointment and these

members are the best like 26 yrs old a 2 year old daughter and they

have a DANISH exchange student staying with them. Classic, so we were

walking to the house and I'm like I think these girls are the danish

students... so turns out yes they were. Elder Graabek is just lurking

so hard and was listening to them. We finally said hello then our meal

was pretty much them talking in danish. Idk what they were saying.

It's a hard language.

Then we cruised over to another member's house and yep, they also have a

danish student. He was so shocked this time! We had lots of fun and

got to teach them a little about the gospel and stuff!

We also had stake conference. Pretty focused on helping others feel

the joy from living the gospel! President and Sister Turvey attend

every stake conference in the mission so it's always good to hear from

them! :) I love the stake president here! Such a happy guy! He has so much

hope and love and he's just so Christlike! I wanna go to his house for a

meal haha :)

Yah so much happened. I remember it all but sometimes I feel like it's

boring for you guys so idk what to say.

Ah yes. Bad news then good news. So my dearest friend Karl Kagi passed

away. He's on the left below. He was 94? Or 93? Anyways. Every Sunday in

Keighley he would have the biggest smile :) always had that special

connection. Every testimony meeting he'd be the first up with his

Swiss accent he would say, "I know the church is true". GOOD NEWS. We have permission

to go to his funeral on Monday the 5th! So back down to my home land

❤️️

 

Cale's friend, Karl Kagi

That's pretty much it! I'm so very excited for everything and spirits are high and good :) 

Love yous, 

Elder Pilling 

Sent from the land of lads 

Pure Joy

Hellloooo :)

So funniest story ever.

There's a recent convert who was baptised the day before I got here.

He's 18 but because the sisters haven't had much success they are

teaching him the follow up lessons. Anyways, last week he said he

was too busy to meet because they are moving. He said, "my mom likes to

move a lot so it's pretty regular". Anyways we see him on Sunday and

he's like so I'm moving to Canada!!! Of all places. He's moving to

Swift Current haha.  His dad is a farmer... so funny. His family is

making the move in April!, so crazy. I would defiantly go visit him!

He's cool.

This week we had a zone conference. Our weeks always get super busy

when zone conference is on. So we were rushing around trying to see

all the investigators and members before zone conference. We also have

to stay in Darlington the night before. And boy it was a little hard. But alas

we made it and loved it! I can honestly say one of the most uplifting

inspiring conferences and just great! As mentioned last week, we have 
a really big goal to see 56 baptisms in the month of March. So that is 2 per

district in March! That's what we are shooting for. I'm super excited

about that.

So as some may know, it's been 16 months since I left the great white north.
It's been a wild ride. Lots of really amazing people. (Adam and

Mary Jane.. and kiddos), some faith building moments for me and those

around me.  I have learned more about myself and my testimony and the

gospel than I ever have before. I have learned what is needed to find pure

joy. I have really felt God's love in a pure form. In a quick glance I

would say I know my purpose now, and I know the ways I will be the

most successful in achieving all my goals. I know what I want from

life... it's changed into an eternal perspective. My personal testimony

that Jesus Christ lives and loves us is real. I really really am so

grateful that we have a living prophet. As one may say I have tested

the gospel. The principles taught work and they change lives. No

longer is the Book of Mormon a book which sits unopened at my bedside.

It now is studied, pondered, and prayed about. There is more power in

that book than I can really describe.

We have spent a considerable amount of time studying and discussing

chapter 4 in Preach My Gospel.... all about the spirit and the role it

plays in our lives. I love Heavenly Father's plan for us. I love all

the things he has given us so we can be able to return to live with

him. The Book of Mormon, prophets, scripture, families, priesthood,

temples! The list goes on and on. So grateful for all I have been

given!

Elders quorum lesson was all about how to gain the trust from the lord

and from our families. As my dad has recently said, it is better to be

trusted than to be loved. The relationship I have developed with my

S aviour will be cherished.

Love you all....

Elder Pilling 

Sent from the land of lads

If yous want to send me a LETTER

10 Russel street

Bishop Auckland

England

DL14 7PT

A package MUST  📦 be sent to the mission office

Elder Cale pilling

England Leeds mission

Lister house, Lister Hill

Horsforth, Leeds

Bye Elder Ward

Wehoooo 

Srrsly don't know where to start. Kinda want to go random today so know this isn't in order. 

We had a meeting in Leeds so we stayed over in Darlington (area below ours), caught a train at 8am and zoomed down. Super super good meeting. I definitely caught the vision President Turvey has for the mission. We have this thing called #TT which stands for think two. For a long while we have been finally achieving 1 baptism a week in our zones. Well you guessed it, President Turvey wants it to be 2 a week. We have all been stuck with a glass ceiling where we only set goals to find 2 or 3 new people a week. But President Turvey and I are now confident that it can be 1 a day! So we are going to shatter this ceiling and think two ;) 

I'm super excited about that^^^

I said bye to my new friend Elder Ward 😪 it was the best  7 weeks of my mission that's for sure. Really do miss him. He has another 20 months left in the mission so I'll have to wait awhile to hangout with him haha. I'm sure one day we will drive around in our land cruisers together. (Yes he drives a 1997 land cruiser).

So I got a new comp! He's fresh out of training. And also fresh out of highschool. It's been a pretty interesting week. I kinda messed up and took the wrong bus on our way to a funeral (oops). We were late for a meal appointment (thought it was at 5:30 actually at 5) so kinda a bummer week. 

Church on the other hand was unreal. Like the best sacrament meeting in a loooooong time. It was ward conference so the stake presidency was there. So good ahhh! So the Elder's quorum president bore his testimony then bishop Morgan did. Then the youth sang Peace in Christ, the new theme!! Surprised me, it was actually not bad. Then the stake presidency bore testimony. President Stuart gave an awesome talk about how we as members of the church need to be examples to those around us. Serve as our saviour served. 

From the song Peace In Christ this stuck out to me,

There is peace in Christ when we walk WITH him. 

We are walking WITH him. The Saviour said this to Enoch in Moses chapter 6 

34 Behold my Spirit is upon you, wherefore all thy words will I justify; and the mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.

We have his spirit and we have his stamp of approval. The strength we can all receive knowing he is walking with us. He has felt all the sadness and all the pains and sicknesses. He knows what it is like. And he has promised us that he will lift us up. I know he loves us and he will make ALL the difference in a life that is so difficult. His grace is sufficient for all men to return to live with him again.

Stay warm everyone :) 

Love elder p 

Sad days

So lots has happened this week...even had a little sneaky Skype with the fam (it's

approved :)

Let's start with Monday. There's a member who invites the elders over

every other week for a little family home evening so that was super fun. At the

moment they have a danish exchange student named Oscar. He will be

over here for 8 weeks taking the equivalent of his last year of high

school. He is a good guy for sure. He is a big reader so you all know

what that means. We gave him a Book of Mormon.... he said he's read

all the other religious texts; Bible, Quran etc. He said " I must read

and learn about it all before I say God isn't real." Should finish the

Book of Mormon really quick. Hoping he doesn't finish it before we can

tell him about Moroni and his promise!

So the highlight of the week was doing a little Skype lesson with

Jamison and his mom!! Aka Ian and his friend. It was the most

challenging lesson I've ever had. But I think it went well! It's

really cool to see people who are touched by the Holy Ghost. They have

this glow and this interest that I just love.

It's been a little too cold this week. Just a tad uncomfortable at

times. We did have some good fun on a little exchange dealio with the

Darlington elders. Had a district jeopardy game then hit the streets.

Didn't meet a ton of new people but had fun :)

TBH I'm super bummed that elder Ward is being transferred. Sad times. I have

loved the last 7 weeks, it's been a joy 😎  Now things are changing

quite a lot in the England Leeds mission. They are closing the London

South mission July 1st so our mission will gain 3 new stakes/zones. So

an extra 70-80 missionaries. Our mission is not quite doubling in size

but it's definitely growing!!

Some good things happening. The district is changing quite a bit too.

2 brand new missionaries will be joining us. Then my new comp Elder Selk.

He is very new. Same as Joe. So it's pretty young up in here. Plus I'm 3

years older than my new comp lol. I could ride a bike before he was

born 😂 anyways things are interesting for sure. I'm not even really

sure what to say. I'll snap a new district pic on Wednesday. It's

gunna be crazy.

Love yas

Elder Pilling

Sent from the land of the lads