Monday, March 22, 2010

Hello from HALI!


Good ol' rainy England! I've realized how lucky I've been to have sun for the beginning of the mission. The other day we went to town centre in the morning and did some street contacting. Thing is it was raining the whole time. I had my rain coat and an umbrella so when talking to people I'd stand in the rain and hold the umbrella over them and tell them about the gospel. We found a couple people that were interested and willing to listen but no return appointments. We only did it for a couple hours but by the time we came in for lunch we were soaked. But I didn't care I enjoyed doing the work. Thank you to all those who think or pray about the missionaries and continue to pray for miracles!
I had to speak in the ward on Sunday. Just introducing who I am and things like that. I gave a short talk on missionary work and why I'm excited to take up the call and then extended it out to everyone. I focused on the verses in the Book of Mormon in Alma 36:19-20, 24-25; then in Doctreine and Covenants 88:81. I bore my testimony at the end. It felt like a good talk and my companion and the other elders agreed.
We've been teaching a few people lately but no one solid enough for a baptismal date. So I keep studying and praying for those miracles. We have one person who we're teaching with his cousin. He's going through a rough time in his life, sort of a mid life crisis. But we've shared the restoration and plan of salvation with him and it's really making him think. He says it makes sense. The only problem he has is with praying. He just uncomfortable with it. Feels it's silly, but we're gunna keep teaching him and praying with him so hopefully soon he'll be find an answer.
Well I got to go now. Hope everyone is doing well. I sent out a lot of letters today so hopefully people will be getting them soon. I'll be sending home some pictures next week too. I forgot my camera today. Till then I pray for everyone's health and safety.


Sincerely,

£ld£r Dudg£on

Monday, March 15, 2010

Hi from Hali

Dear family and friends,
Finally out of the MTC. I loved it but it was driving me crazy at the end. My companinon was really getting on my nerves but thats fine. So we had our big transfer meeting and my new companion, trainer, and mission dad is Elder Eggleston! We're in the Huddersfield Zone in a city called HALIFAX! So welcome to Hali (like cali but not). It's an amazing looking town. Beautifuly buildings and country side. It's some what south of Leeds. I'm not sure exactly. We're in a flat with 2 other missionaries, Elder Liane (pronunced Line-uh) from Finland and Elder Czirbon (pronounce Serbon) from Utah. They're all great guys and pretty good missionaries.

This first half week I have just been getting shown the ropes to proselyting and contacting people. We have serveral investigators already, a few who could be baptized within a month. The people here are pretty good. Most people stick to them selves though. Nobody knows their neighbors and says anything to anyone, and most people are just completely lazy. Due to the goverment having universal health care and goverment housing (which a lot of people live in) there's not much reason to work so a lot of people work maybe 15 hours a week, sit at home and watch tv, smoke, drink, party and clubbing and have sex. There are so many young teenaged single mothers it's ridiculous. There's not much incentive to work or do anything though. Everyone smokes from the age of 10 basically and drinking isn't far behind. So as you can probably tell there is a lot of work to be done.


We went to church yesterday and I got to meet the one ward for this city which has got to be the size of Everett. The one word I can describe it is pathetic. There is some good people there but the ward really needs to step up. I feel like it's gunna be one of my biggest priorities while I'm here to get the ward into shape. We have to get the ward into doing missionary work. We get no referals for anyone. They have quite a bit of success here, baptizing people and keeping them at church but thats just due to the missionaries finding people. The elders quorum lesson we had yesterday was basically teaching us missionaries how to be missionaries. Not very good. But I remain hopeful. The ward has good people, and the missionary work here could thrive if the members got more involved. The lord prepares people to receive the gospel. He prepares them with the members of the ward talking to their friends and neighbors. So I am asking for some advice for all who read this to write me. I know the old Marysville 6th ward has done well with missionary work. I know that they have set goals in the stake for everyone to bring a member. Finding opportunities to invite non members. Thats what I want for this ward.
I'm so excited to do this work. I can't believe that this week I'll have already been gone a month. The time is going to go really fast. Please write to me though. I haven't gotten much post from anyone and I would love to here from people.


Elder Blaine Dudgeon

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

week 3 transfer time

So they are letting us email tonight instead of tomorrow because we won't be able to due to transfers. I'll be heading out to the mission home tomorrow and being assigned to my trainer. I'm very excited to get out of the MTC. The time here has been great but for the past couple days I felt held back. I feel that it's time to grow more. Thanks for emailing me write back though. Glad to have gotten mail. JK.
This last week did go well though. Went tracting through Chorley for a few hours and and we actually found a girl who let us teach the first lesson to her and give her a BOok of Mormon. We asked her to attend church on sunday and meet the missionaries assigned to her area, but we don't know if she did. The chat sessions that we have been doing have been going really great. We helped a couple inactive people feel good and hopefully start going back to church.
I've mastered my testimony in german as well as some other phrases. On sunday I bore my testimony in German and Elder Wilde, the elder in my room who has been teaching me, bore his in english. It was a great testimony and felt good. I hope to keep in contact with him. Also sister Hecht, as german sister missionary who I've become friends with here, gave me her german hymn book. I almost cried when she gave it to me and I wish I could have hugged her. She marked her favorite songs for me. I hope you send me a german english dictionary for me whenever you send a package, as well as german book of mormon.
Please give sister randall my favorite scripture for the plack Alma 36:23-25. It's a good one I've come connected to here. And it's shorter then John chapter 15.
Well it'll be another week till I can here from you guys. Hope all is going well. Hope you got my adress fixed and stuff.
Till next week peace,

£ld£r Blain£ Dudg£on

Monday, March 8, 2010

week 2 Preston MTC

Hey family,




Things are going fine here. Just busy busy busy every day. Same old work but its still as great and amazing the first day. Food is fine, companion is alright. England is great it's just like home except older buildings and people drive on the other side of the road. Language here is fine. I said last time that I am already picking up the accent. I'm also taken it upon myself to learn german because we have 2 german Elders in our room. They can speak english pretty good but I find it fun to learn German. I've gotten my whole testiomny down, how to say it, write it and stuff. It's pretty cool. I might have you send me a german-engllish dictionary so I can work on it while over here. I might even try and learn it when I get home. But thats a ways away.



So we went into Manchester last week. It was good but I was nervous because last minute they switched my district around and gave us some of the german elders as companions. So I was left with an elder, Elder Franke, who didn't speak any english nor wanted to. I was left trying to carry him around while talking to people about the church. It did go well though. Was able to talk to a couple people, gave a pass along card here and there. But I was praying the whole time for a guy who could speak german and the next guy I talked to spoke a little bit, but Elder Franke didn't speak up at all. I was a little frustrated with him after that. I was hoping for a good experience though and thankfully right before we left to go back to the MTC, we were inside the train station when we saw a guy who kept staring at us. Well finally we approached eachother at the same time it was quite funny. His name was James and he had seen us missionaries all around Manchester that day and finally decided to ask what it was about the same time we approached him. He had heard of the church before. I was able to tell him a little bit and give him a Book of Mormon. He wasn't from Manchester unfortunately but we gave hima way to get in contact with the missionaries there so I hope he finds them. He was very nice and very genuine so I hope we helped and made a difference for him. I got less frustrated with Elder Franke after we got back to the MTC because The next morning he was gone. Sent home. I don't know why but it helped me see how important being unified with your companion is.



Couple other things we've been doing here is a chat system. People can get on a ask question over an IM system and we are there to answer. Elder Felton and I have had a few good contacts and are keeping email with some of them while they take the lessons from the missionaries in their area. It's great to see or at least about it helping people. Also a little frustrating because people get on there to mess around or just argue. We get to excersise 3 days a week including P-Day. They usually play volleyball or football and it gets really boring because people aren't very good at volleyball and theres just too many people for football. And nobody dares play me in basketball. I'm the tallest one here. And theres not very many of us.



Glad to here your trip is going fine and that you were still able to email me. Everyone has gotten letters here except for me so I was a little worried. If I hadn't gotten an email I would've thought something was wrong. Glad you were able to post things up on the blog. Hopefully I can here from you next week, its when I go out into the field. We'll see though.



HAve fun in Honduras,



Sincerely,

Elder Dudgeon