FIRST WEEK IN HINCKLEY!

Hi Everyone!

Sounds like it has been an exciting week back home!  And I'm happy you've been getting some snow there so you were able to crack out the snow blower and put it to use!  We are getting a little bit over here as well.  Our weather pattern right now is coming from Siberia apparently, and it is reeeeeaaaaalllllly cold.  Siberia can keep it's weather to itself!  It's been floating around freezing but it feels so much colder!  I don't like humidity.

The transfer went well enough.  There were a few stressful moments and some uncomfortable standing, but we made it.  I left from Hereford train station at 9:40 am with one of the Zone Leaders Tuesday morning and it was a close one.  Elder Dodds and I couldn't figure out how to pay for parking because the metre was really confusing and just as we figured it out the Zone Leader who wasn't leaving came running through the car park yelling, "Your train is about to leave!"  I managed to nest the big and medium sized suitcases and still fit everything so I only had two bags and the bike.  Elder Dodds took a bag, Elder Willis took a bag, I took the bike, and we ran!  We got all of my stuff on the train, the doors shut and then we left all within about 5 seconds!  A little too close for my comfort.  The ride to Birmingham was pretty uncomfortable as well as I had my bags and my bike in a standing area, but Birmingham New Street is one of the busiest stations in the country and people - lots of them! - got on at every stop.  The whole train was full of standing and sitting people.  There was no room at all.  One lady kept collapsing and swearing and it was just a really interesting train ride!  I only had to wait for about 20 minutes for my next train so I just stayed at the platform because moving with the suitcases and the bike is pretty tough.  The next stop was Hinckley so it all went well!  I had people help me get my stuff on and off the train so it wasn't too bad.  On the train was easy but moving from place to place was a challenge.  It all went pretty well overall though!

I've really liked my first week in Hinckley.   Elder Jones is great, we get on really well and he is a hard working missionary which is a great blessing.  He has been here in Hinckley for 3 months already so he knows everybody, which is nice.  He also knows the area which is really  nice!  And I quite like the area. The first few days were a little weird and meeting the members and introducing yourself all over again is all part of the experience.  The biking isn't too bad either, which is great.  The hills can be a challenge though. I'm really out of shape but I'm holding up better than I was expecting! Helmet hair is the worst part.

The members here are great but don't feed us as much as the Forest did, sadly.  There are 2 sets of Elders, us and one team in Nuneaton as well.  The Hinckley Elders (us) are a little neglected by the ward so we'll see what we can do about that!  The members I have met though have been great and the ward seems great as well!

One of the members here is the best gluten free baker I've ever met.  Elder Jones is gluten intolerant and so is she, so she made some gluten free cake and gave it to us and I honestly could almost not tell the difference.  I'll ask if I can get the recipe from her and send it for Dad because it was so good!

Have a great week everyone!

-Elder Lott

Sorry, not the best photo, but here I am

with Elder Jones.

HINCKLEY!!

This was a good week!  Things started to pick up after a lull in the work and we found a couple of people to teach.  It will be exciting to see how they progress.  The sun also came out for a little bit this week and it wasn't really cold so that was pretty neat!  We tracted a really interesting street and had some weird experiences there but it was an enriching experience!

Elder Dodds and I were able to ride our bikes a little bit this week.  We were doing some work in Monmouth (the town where we live) so instead of taking the car we decided to get out the bikes and take a ride!  I'm not going to lie - I got my butt totally kicked.  It was a short ride but I was really feeling it for the rest of that day!  Being in the car has gotten me so out of shape!

We also got the transfer news.  I'm leaving the Forest of Dean and moving to the Hinkley area which is in the Nuneaton Ward in the Coventry Zone. My new companion is Elder Jones and he is from Springville, UT.  I don't know much about the Hinckley area or my companion yet though so I'll let you know more next week.  I do know I'll be leaving the car though, which is something that is bittersweet.  I've met a lot of really incredible people while I've been here and I'm going to miss this place a lot, but it is also time to go.  It will be hard to say goodbye!  I've loved it here in the Forest and I've learned a lot here and have had some incredible experiences!

The transfer will be by train and I leave tomorrow morning.  I'll be on my first train with one of my Zone Leaders but I'll be solo on the second train.  I'm a little nervous because the train stations here are really big and I'll be changing trains at Birmingham New Street which is reeeeeaaaaalllly big.  It's my first time on the trains because I got straight into a car from the mission home and I don't know what's going on all that well, but I'll figure it out.  I'll just take it slow and ask people for help if I need it so don't worry too much Mom.

Scripture of the Week!
2 Nephi 25:26
And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.

Have a wonderful week everyone!

-Elder Lott

Elder Lott with the Woods Family.

Their daughter has been called to serve in the 

Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission.

Keep the Forest Public!

HEYA!

Sadly I don't have much for this week.  A lot of finding and a lot more finding.  We have a small teaching pool and we have high hopes for them but they are at the beginning stages so it is hard to tell how they will progress.  It's a little frustrating sometimes but that's okay because no matter how slow the work is or how nonreceptive the people are I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing.  Lots of doors knocked this last week and a lot more to come!  Sorry this is a boring one and I don't have any pictures.

Spiritual Thought
D&C 121:7-9

7. My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment;
8. And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes.
9. Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm hearts and friendly hands.

Although my situation right now isn't nearly as intense as Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, it has been a frustrating and disheartening week.  This scripture is awesome.  Heavenly Father begins with the address of, "My Son", which is sooo important.  He is our Father, quite literally, and loves us.  Then he lets us know that our suffering is a short time and that the rewards he offers are worth it!  And finally it ends with arguably my favorite part (it's all my favorite if I'm being honest though).  "Thy friends do stand by thee."  Thank you to all my friends and family who support and strengthen me!  I love you all and you mean so much to me.  Keep being awesome!

-Elder Lott

4 MONTHS

Yooo!  Hello my dudes!  I've been out for 4 months now.  How crazy is that? 

We got a new record time for people telling us it was too late to knock - 5:30!  She said people can't see that late at night and the sun was still up.  lol

Well, this week we got invited to a social club at a different church and we went and it was so much fun.  We just spoke to all the old people about the church and why we are so far from home.  I spoke to a South African lady who was so interested in the youth programs of our church.  I also spoke to a woman from Poland who was born during WWII and she had some incredible stories.  We weren't sure what to expect but we were so happy we went!

We also almost hit a boar on the way home last night, which was pretty intense!  It was dead in the middle of the road and we barely stopped in time!  Somebody had hit it just before we got there and they were parked up the road so I was just slowing down as we approached them and if it weren't for that, Paul would have been done for.  Paul is the name of our car, btw.

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT!

Romans 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:  for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth;

I really like this verse because it is the missionary mindset!  None of us are ashamed of this gospel and that's why we go out and do this work!  People can't be bothered most of the time and they send us away, but we keep going because we know that even if we only find one person who will believe and be saved by it, it has all been worth it.  I invite all of you to increase your belief in this gospel, whither you are just beginning to scratch the surface or are much deeper.

Have a wonderful week!

-Elder Lott

                  Photos in Hereford with the Zone Leaders