NUNEATON WARD

It's official...the ward loves us!  People are giving us food even when we aren't over for dinner and it's brilliant!  We have people going to Costco and we have people bring us food on Sunday to take home plus we get fed pretty much every day.  Hinckley has turned into a bounteous area! 

We also visited a super cool family this week and it was so much fun!  We got along great and it was a party.  Cool thing is, when we got to their street we couldn't find the house and we were about to give up when we heard somebody say, "Who are you crazy people?"  That was a fair sign the members saw us.  After they let us in they told us that the husband works nights and sleeps during the day but for some reason he woke up and looked out the window right as we walked by.  So just know that if you wake up early it might be the Spirit.  We got to know them a little bit and then shared a spiritual thought which inspired a really good discussion.  It was a good day!

Aside from that, this week wasn't too memorable.  We had our final interviews with President Leppard.  We have one more Zone Conference and then he goes home, which is pretty crazy.  I'm excited to see what it is like to have a green Mission President though haha.  We are also coming up to the end of Elder Raicevic's training so it is likely I'll be leaving Hinckley after the next couple of weeks.  It is strange realizing I've been here for as long as I have been, and that I'm probably going to be packing up and going somewhere totally new before long.  I'll just try to enjoy the time I have left here.

I love you all and hope that this week is fun!  Keep being cool and doing yo thang!

-Elder Lott

We found a cool park!

Another park pic

Waiting for the train

A member owns a super posh restaurant and let us eat there

1st Class

Hi Y'all!

A good week we had here in Hinckley!  The first half of the week was pretty boring, but the last half was fun!

On Thursday we had District Meeting and then I had an exchange with the Chelmsley Wood Elders who were put in our District at the beginning of this transfer.  I went to Chelmslely Wood with Elder Tinker, a British lad from Kent, which is South London.  We had a really good time and we taught a guy they baptised last transfer,  We watched the Joseph Smith movie and I love it.  It is incredible all that Joseph Smith did amidst all his trials.  Good dude.

On Saturday we went to our Bishop's house in the afternoon and helped him sort his back garden.  We painted the deck, removed a pole that was cemented into the ground, and power washed some tiles.  It was a big job and we were there for a long time, but it was the royal wedding that day so people were extra not bothered by us.  Also, he fed us so I'd say it was definitely worth it.  Bishop is a lad as well so it was loads of fun.  We also took some shots on a netball hoop his wife practices on and it's blooming hard.  It's like a foot higher than basketball and there's no backboard.  I definitely sent a ball or two over the fence into the neighbor's yard.

As for the Royal Wedding, there wasn't too much about it where we are.  I looked around for things to take photos with, but aside from a few magazine covers there wasn't much.  No cardboard cut outs or anything like that.

It's incredible to think that Mrs. McDonald and Mrs. Humphries are both retiring.  They were both such incredible teachers.  It's so crazy to think it has been that long since Silver Mesa days.  It definitely hasn't been 7, almost 8 years.  There's no way.

Yesterday we went to a Church of England chapel because one of our members set up a Nurse Appreciation Celebration with their congregation.  It was a fun and interesting day.  We listened to a gospel choir, got preached to by a Vicar, and said group prayers.  It was fun to see how other churches worship but I think I like the way we do it more.

It was great to hear that the Jordan River Temple has been rededicated.  It is one of my favorite temples and I'm looking forward to going through it when I am home.

Spiritual Thought:
Enos 1:17
     And I, Enos, knew it would be according to the covenant which he had made; therefore my soul did rest.

This verse is a good reminder that the Lord always keeps his promises.  It is up to us to keep our end of them and if we do that, we will receive all the blessings He has promised.

I love you guys!  Keep being cool!

-Elder Lott

Church of England

A beautiful view

A panoramic gone wrong

The strangest door knocker I've seen yet!

My lunch today! 

Hi Everyone!  It was so good to talk to you all yesterday!  It is so great to see everyone's faces and hear your voices.

It has been a pretty good week over here on this side of town.  The first part of the week was pretty slow but then stuff got exciting on Thursday after District Meeting.  We did some District finding in the Nuneaton Town Center and that was good, but then Elder Raicevic and I lost track of time had had to hustle to the train station.  Luckily we got there right as the train was about to pull away so we got on.  Funny thing is though, the train only stops in Hinckley once an hour and on this particular day the train that doesn't stop in Hinckley was delayed by about 30 minutes before the other train which would stop in Hinckley.  Because we didn't know that we thought we were on the right train....but we were very wrong.  We blew straight through Hinckley,, passed Narborough, cruised by South Wigston, and eventually arrived in Leicester, the neighboring zone.  We hopped on the next train back as fast as we could and luckily we were back in the district in about 25 minutes and then we were able to safely make it back to Hinckley in time for our DA!  Whew!

We also had Mid Trainers meeting in Birmingham for the greenies who are halfway through training now!  It was fun to see everybody and spend some time with the other missionaries.

Highlight of the week though was TALKING TO MY FAMILY!!!  It was awesome to see everybody's face and hear their voices.  Only being able to email is kind of tough, but it makes the Skype clls that much better!  Happpy Mother's Day Mom!  Thanks for being such a wonderful mom!

As a thought, I would like to leave a quote that Sister Leppard put in an email once.  I'm sure most of you have heard it, but it's a really good one.
     "When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

Love you all and hope this week is stellar!  Keep being awesome!

-Elder Lott

2018 Mother's Day Call

with Elder Raicevic on Mother's Day 2018

Mid Trainers Meeting

I ran into Elder Orr at Training

A new member of the squad!

Barbecue with the Iliffe family

HELLO EVERYBODY! HERE WE ARE AGAIN!

This week was pretty mellow, but had some fun stuff happen.  We had Zone Conference on Tuesday where we got some nifty  new smartphones so that's cool!  It's nice to have it but still feels weird having a smartphone as a missionary.  I also went on an exchange in Stratford Upon Avon again with Elder Kjar and it was really fun!  He's a lad and I wish i had gotten a picture but forgot, so I'll get one next time.

Something else this week that was pretty crazy was we were walking home when somebody stopped us #rare and it turned out to be a former investigator.  We spoke for a little while and then he gave us his number and told us where he lives and then said to come by on Saturday mornings!  It was so cool!  My jaw is a little bruised from dropping to the pavement, but sometimes these things happen.

Wow!  I know I usually say it sounds like you had an exciting week, but this week blew all the past exciting weeks right out of the water!  Nor was it exciting in the same way!  I am happy to hear that you are doing well though Mom.

On a side note, today was a bank holiday (pretty much a national holiday) so everybody had work off and some of the Elders Quorum got together to play basketball.  It was a lot of fun and I'm already really achy so the next few days might be rough haha!

I now know when I'll be able to Skype!  It will be 3:00 PM over here which I believe is 8:00 AM for you guys.  We only have 40 minutes for this call.  I am really excited to see you guys!

This week should be good!  As all other weeks are!  Love you all and hope something cool happens before we are here again!

-Elder Lott

My Boy!

I found Elder Dodds and Elder Bassett!

Me ruining Elder Murray's fancy picture

The phone has filters and they were really entertaining!

#missionary life