Monday, January 10, 2011

Dear Family Units,



Oi! What you like? Aw way! Ha ha Just joking. Oh you are asking for a translation? I just said 'Hey whats your deal? Come on.' Crazy I know but that's the language for you. How is everyone doing? Well I mean now after you emailed me because I know how all of you are doing. Thanks everyone for emailing me. Everyone sounds like they are doing good and winding down. The craziness of the season and that other thing. Glad it all went well and thanks Myranda for the pictures. Shame on the rest of you. I want all the pictures you can send. Myranda looked really perdy in her dress and everything. Hey can I get one of those ties that Brad is wearing? I like it a lot.


So this was a little back to normal and things started to progress. We've been finding more people to teach and more people have been giving us referrals to teach as well. SO that's good. It's still kind of slow though. We see a lot of new members and less actives. We see about 10 in the whole week. Mostly new members. It's hard because we want/need to switch them over to the ward and home teachers but we're lacking in some of the coordination. It's all good though. Let me think of some experiences this week...


We saw some new investigators and one of them is a kid and he was trying to describe the feeling he got when he prayed. He said it was like passing gas without farting. Like the relief after indigestion. It was funny, but true I guess. That relief and comfort you get from the spirit. So that was funny. We met the nicest drug addict. A very nice polite guy. Like the druggee with a heart. He believes in Bob Marley and Rastafarianism but he doesn't smoke pot anymore so thats good. Just some of the crazy people you meet I guess. Don't worry we're careful. We found plenty of potential people this week as well. Hoping to see them next week. We also went on exchange a few time this week. Once with the Zone Leaders which was fun, then again friday with the Middlesbrough Elders. They are having a rough time working together so they needed a good exchange. I'm trying to help my companion figure out what we can do to help them. I've been telling my companion why I had some problems with companions, what I did that helped and what didn't. I learned a lot from my last 2 which I think is why Elder Ashby and I get along so well. The dad from the family we just baptized got the priesthood Sunday aswell as invited some of their friends to church. They are doing really good and are really nice. They keep progressing and are even teaching me things. I think that's about it for the week. There wasn't too much exciting things happening that I can remember right now or that I can really say.


I can tell another story I had the other week though right after Christmas. Well it starts before Christmas. At the Christmas P Day at the army base, Sister Lindley, our mission President's wife, read us a story called Christmas candles.



A man went into a shop to by some candles for his lantern to get him home for Christmas dinner. He's rude to the candle maker because he makes really nice candles, very pretty ones but they will always melt into puddles of wax. So the man just asks for some plain ones, the cheapest ones. The Candle maker warned him though that they maybe cheap, but would be the most costly. So the man walks home with his latern lit with these candles. Well the story goes he meets several people on the way home, beggars and homeless. Everytime he sees them with the candle light though it looks like someone from his family. So shocked to see his mother, brother and other family members begging or hurt in need of help he helps or gives everything he's got. But when he takes the candle light from their faces he sees who they really are. Well he passes by one beggar before he gets home. A little girl, knowing if he shined the light on her what would happen. SO he gets home for Christmas dinner. See's his family's faces and remembers the people he helped. Remembers the little girl and goes back out into the cold to get her and bring her in for a nice Christmas dinner.


It was a nice story and made a lot of sense to us missionaries. So since I heard that I was trying to think of every person I talked to as a member of our family and to fight just as hard for them. Well one day Elder Ashby and I were out knocking with not much luck and were walking back to an appointment when he stopped a woman. Well I didn't notice it until I stopped and talked to her too, but she looked just like mom. Like dead on. Same height, size, hair, voice, face, everything. It was really weird. Well we talked to her and she was really nice but a methodist and so didn't really care too much. She heard of us before. We fought hard with no success. Well with that she kept on walking home. It was hard to see mom walking off like that but I was greatful for the experience because I learned so much about loving people and helping people from it. It's one of my more tender experiences lately so I thought I should share it with you all.


Let's see what else. Elder Ashby and I are great. I hope we stay together for another transfer or 2. How are things at home? The member we live with loves American football and was upset to tell me that Seattle beat the Saints. He tries to down Seattle every now and then but not this time. So that was funny.


Not much else to report. I hope you all are well. I have not received dad's little package yet though. So I don't know what happened. He sent 2 normal ones nad 1 small one right? Might want to see if you can track it down.


AS WELL THIS IS BIG NEW SO LISTEN UP AND THEN SPREAD THE WORD. THE OFFICE HERE CAN NO LONGER FORWARD OUR MAIL TO US SO IT NEEDS TO BE SENT STRAIGHT TO ME WHEREVER I AM OR TO THE OFFICE. IF YOU SEND IT TO THE OFFICE I WILL NOT GET IT TILL WE HAVE A BIG MEETING OR INTERVIEWS. WHICH MEANS 2 TO 4 WEEKS AT THE MINIMUM. I WOULD LIKE MORE POST THEN JUST EVERY 2 TO 4 WEEKS SO LISTEN UP MY ADDRESS HERE IN BILLINGHAM IS

ELDER BLAINE DUDGEON
40 ESSEX CRESCENT
BILLINGHAM
TS23 4AW
UK


IF YOU SEND A LETTER OR A PACKAGE TO ME MAKE SURE YOU GIVE IT A GOOD 7 TO 9 WORKING DAYS TO GET HERE. THAT MEANS THEY DAY BEFORE TRANSFERS IS NO GOOD. TRANSFERS ARE ON FEBRUARY 2ND. I'LL LET YOU KNOW WHEN THE NEXT ONES ARE. THE ONLY ADVICE I CAN REALLY GIVE IS WHEN IN DOUBT SEND IT TO THE OFFICE ADDRESS. IF IT GETS TO THE FLAT ADDRESS AND I HAVE MOVED IT WILL TAKE EVEN LONGER TO GET TO ME. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE SPREAD THE WORD TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY SO THEY KNOW AS WELL. OR MAKE SURE IT IS ON THE WARD BULLETIN OR WHATEVER. CHEERS.


well i got to go love you all.


Elder Dudgeon

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

Dear all the folks at home, (mainly Devin because he is the only one who emailed me this week )



How was everyone's new years! Ours was very uneventful as new years eve should be on a mission. Went to bed at 1030 and woke up at 630. That was it. Elder Ashby and I did get something to eat (my last kebab till my birthday, I don't wanna get fat). It was fun. We enjoyed the next day thoroughly though. A full working day with no busses and everyone hungover and staying inside. We walked 18 miles that day. The feeling in my head that night was, ♫I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more♫ haha it was good.


That day was actually quite fun. We went to the bishops home for dinner (aka: lunch) and they were all tired from the night before. They are a great family. Well when we were done and had some good laughs we were going to leave with a spiritual thought. But before we did the kids were asking us questions. First one was about colors which Elder Ashby started laughing at me because I'm still having a hard time telling between certain colors. Well we told them one more question that we'll answer completely truthfully so the older are thinking when the youngest who's about 10 quietly asks ''have you ever kissed a girl?'' Hahaha it was hilarious. I went bright red and so did everyone else. I didn't answer instead we gave the spiritual thought. But thats my funny story of the week. Things you run into. It was a good meal appointment because our Bishop took us out around his areas and showed where some of his friends live that aren't members so we can try by. Then took us to another members house. He's a good bishop.


Things have been kind of slow this week but going well. We are trying to mix things up a little bit. Break away from what missionaries have done in this area for years. Trying out new areas and working more with the YSA. We went through our area book and found some former investigators that are really good. We have met some LA and PM families to seek referrals from which is great. As well as we saw some recent converts that haven't been seen in awhile. They have just amazing stories to tell. Some are from Africa and faced many hardships I couldn't even begin to comprehend nor cope with. It was a really humbly day when we went by them. This has got to be one of the most foreign missions. You meet so many different people from all over the world and all walks of life. Speaking english is sometimes a struggle haha.


Things are so good though. Elder Ashby and I get along so great. Maybe too well. We can lose focus or go off subject pretty easy, but we are getting better at it. I don't know if I've told much about him. He's from Pocatello, ID. He's country boy but didn't grow up on a farm as my zone leaders first told me haha. He basically did what I did. He likes and listens to mainly country music which is funny because I've never met any missionary yet who likes country music. You know me, I like anything so we get along with that just fine. Oh funny thing, the member we live with taped the BYU v UTEP bowl game and we watched it this last P-Day since we are allowed to watch recorded sports. There was college basketball on right before it as well and it was just weird to here American accents and stuff, but neat.


I started to write in my journal again. I'm terrible at it. But Elder Ashby showed me how he does his and it seems a lot easier then the wasy I do it so I'm trying it that way. It's going well I've made it everyday since the new year and thats my goal. To stick with my journal because this is my full year here. From beginning to end of the calendar year I'll be on my mission. Crazy. I'm so excited though. Well I hope everyone is well. I bought dad a birthday present but it'll be awhile till I send it. I got it now because England does January sales. Right after Christmas and new years sales drop to 50-70% off. So it was good. I was thinking as well. If anyone sends a package anytime soon, send taco seasoning. Haha like those big containers of it. The other American missionaries and I miss tacos haha. Just a suggestion. I haven't gotten dads other small package yet. It may come this week though because of the holidays and the bank holidays.


I love you all and I miss you. Hope everyone is doing well. SEND EMAILS NEXT TIME AND PICTURES OF THE WEDDING. even if its just a couple of email. SEND SOMETHING!!!


TTFN (TaTa For Now)

Elder Blaine C. Dungeon Master