BOURNEMOUTH WEEK #3

Hello!

This has been a good week!  Again, nothing super thrilling but we've had some good things happening.  We received a referral from Temple Square early in the week and have been messaging with him and we have a teach set up for Friday so hopefully that goes somewhere good!  We also received another referral last night so we'll see what happens there too!

There is a really cool family in our area and we are teaching their son before he gets baptized so that's a lot of fun because it lets us practice our teaching and we get to spend time with some really cool people!  We taught him the Restoration this week and are planning to teach him all of the lessons before his baptism at the end of May!

This week I went up to the Mission Office to go to a Self Reliance Meeting.  We have a self reliance center at the Mission Office and when missionaries are about 6 months away from going home they go to a meeting run by the senior couple in charge of Self Reliance.  It was a really good meeting!  We took a cool job picker test which was probably the most exciting part of the day but they also gave some really good tips on how to prepare financially for the future and the importance of taking care of yourself first because then you are able to help others.  It's hard to believe that I have been here long enough that it was time for me to go to that meeting!  Time flies.

Thanks again for the package.  I have been loving the Swedish Fish!  And the deodorant is a life saver!  Also, there was a tragedy in my mission tour transfer and I lost the trousers to one of my suits so I'm going to buy a new one either today or in the next couple of weeks so I'm not wearing the same one all over the place and all the time.  Just thought I'd let you know.

Also we get to go to Wales this week for Zone Conference!  Cardiff is such a cool city and I'm excited to go up there!

Love you all and hope you have a good week!

Elder Lott

"Today we learned about becoming wise stewards."

-Anna-Marie Heywood

BOURNEMOUTH WEEK #2

Hi All!

Not loads happened last week but we did have one MASSIVE highlight!  Alex got baptized!  I'm sad that I wasn't able to be there for the end of his teaching but so grateful I was there for his baptism.  I was even able to speak at it.  He's solid and I wouldn't be surprised if he's a Bishop one day.  What a legend.

Happy Easter as well!  Jesus Christ is so amazing!  His sacrifice for us is so important and the love He shows is immeasurable.  As we do things to draw closer to Him, our lives improve and we become happier.  It works every time for me and I know it does for everybody else too.

Love you all!!!

Alex's Baptism!

Random stuff we saw this week!

Elder Lott's Easter Post April 2019

April 20, 2019

This Easter weekend I am so grateful for the gift of Jesus Christ!  No matter who we are, He loves us and we can have so much because of Him!

John 3:16-17

16.  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.....

17.  For God sent hot his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world though him might be saved.

#BecauseofHim

BOURNEMOUTH WEEK #1!

Hi Everyone.

Finally in Bournemouth!  My companion is Elder Chick from Australia (although he now lives in New Zealand).  It's been a pretty crazy week just trying to figure out what is going on here!  There are a lot of people around here so it is a lot of fun.  The area book was a bit of a mess so we're sorting through that but we'll get there eventually!  Also, the phone has just died and I'm typing this on the computer but all of the pictures are on the phone so I'm afraid no photos this week.....

There hasn't been anything super intense of cool that has happened this week, mainly just visiting less active members and finding, so I'm afraid I don't have much to report on there.  There are some less active youth/YSA that we are going to start working with hopefully this week though and a few people the previous Elders were teaching, so hopefully we'll be able to get things going with them soon!

Love you all!  One scripture that I've really like recently and that makes me super grateful for the knowledge we gain in this church is Doctrine and Covenants 130:2.  The Plan of Salvation is so cool and the fact that we are able to live with our family and friends after this life is so good.  God loves us a lot.

Have a good week!

-Elder Lott

*************************
These photos are from a wonderful lady who lives in the Bournemouth Ward that Zach is serving in.  I appreciate her posting these photos so much!  It is good to see him and see that he seems happy!

Elder Lott and Elder Chick

At a Munch and Mingle after church

With Sister Anna-Marie Heywood and other members 

of the Bournemouth Ward

POOLE WEEK #2

Hello all!

I'll be moving into Bournemouth tomorrow and Elder Chick will be my new companion.  He is from Australia and was actually Elder Waterbohr's trainer, so that will be fun.  My trainee is still supposed to come but we just have no idea when, so we'll be together temporarily...or permanently, depending on what happens I guess!

This has been a really good week though.  The baptism on Saturday fell through as he felt like he wanted to live it for a bit longer but we fasted with him over conference and he has decided to be baptized either this week or 2 weeks from now.  Unfortunately the Poole Elders possibly wont be here for this weekend and he is out of town next week so we might have to wait until the 27th.  He is ready to be baptized though and honestly is already pretty much a member!

I'm excited to go to Bournemouth finally!  It will be good to get where I have been meant to be for the last 5 weeks but I am sad to leave Poole and to have this crazy transfer over.  I've learned a lot so I'm very grateful for it.  Being chucked around the mission is pretty fun too because you get to see loads of places and people so that has been nice as well.

Love you all and hope this week is sublime.  Also, everybody should ready Joshua 1:9 if they haven't before.  It's a quality verse!

-Elder Lott

The Bournemouth Ward does football every Saturday and they

take a picture, so here it is.

My first and last in-person District Council of the transfer!

POOLE WEEK #1

Howdy Everybody!

Well, I've been in Poole for a week now and it's been super ultra fun party time!  I'm with Elder Ireland from northern England and Elder Roth from Vienna.   I've gotten to know both of them pretty well over the last year or so and we are being madly blessed at this time!

My trainee hasn't come because he still doesn't have his Visa, so I'll probably be here for the rest of the week and then it's transfers so if he isn't here by then I have no idea what's going to happen to me.

But anyway, Elder Ireland and Elder Roth are two of the best missionaries I've ever served with and we are finding and teaching like crazy!  We even have a baptism lined up for Saturday!  They found him just before I got here and we've met with him a couple of times this week.  He was originally going to be baptized on the 20th but we asked him if he wanted to move it up and he did!  So that's going to be a great time!

It's been a wild transfer but I've loved it so much!  Living out of a suitcase isn't the most prime thing of all time, but I've seen loads of miracles and served with some awesome missionaries during this time as well so it's been worth it!

This afternoon for P Day we are going to the beach to play volleyball and eat pizza!

Conference is coming up so that's exciting!  Life is good!  Keep praying and reading the scriptures! (and if you're not then you should start! It helps a lot!)

Love you all!

The coast in Poole

The beach on P Day

Our member neighbor parked behind us

A piggy bank in the Bridgend flat

Elder Tollestrup at Zone Conference!

Cardiff Zone Preparation Day!

Some of my MTC group.  The sisters go home next week.

Elder Roth

Another Week In Transition

Just a short note from Zach today...

I've spent the last week in Bridgend (Wales).  It's been a great week, many people found and a lot of miracles!  We found a new person this week, taught him the Restoration and he came to church on Sunday!  We also had a couple of other people at church and taught a few lessons this week as well.  For only 7 days in Bridgend we've been able to accomplish a lot!

Instead of going to Bournemouth tomorrow though I'll be going to Poole to be in a trio with the Zone Leaders.  The new missionary isn't coming in tomorrow and we don't know when he will be, so all is very much up in the air right now.  It will be interesting to see what happens.  I do know he is coming from the Ghana MTC, so odds are my comp will be the greenie from the Ivory Coast.

It's good to hear that March Madness is going on!  I forgot that it was starting.  You'll have to give me updates on the big upsets and the finals and all of that.

Have a great week.  I hope that everyone is doing well!

Elder Lott

**UPDATE:  Zach sent a quick note through Messenger that he just found out his new companion is going to be coming to England tomorrow, March 26.  He is excited to meet him and get to work!

Cheltenham Week #1!

Hello Everybody!

Well, Cheltenham has been great so far!  We've met some great members and made some good friends with people on the street.  Right now I'm with Elder Hawkins from Arizona and Elder Johnson from Vernal, Utah.  Elder Johnson has the most energy of anybody I know so people really like talking to us because his energy just makes all of us happy!  It's a good time! Elder Johnson and I were in the same MTC District so it is fun to be with him again.  I knew Elder Hawkins a bit before as well.  We were all Zone Leaders so we saw each other at meetings and such.  We have a car right now but we are going to lose it in the next week or so, sadly.  We only have it becuase the Sister Training Leaders over our Zone didn't have their drivers licenses but they wanted to keep the car close.  One of the Sisters passed her test the morning though, so we will lose it soon which is utterly heartbreaking.  I won't have a car in Bournemouth though so it will be good to get used to not having something to drive before I get the new guy.  My companions are both going to be training as well.  What we know about our greenies is they are from Indiana, Tonga and the Ivory Coast.  But we know absolutely nothing else about them or who will be training who.  We'll find out fairly soon though!

Missionary work-wise there isn't too much happening in the area right now.  We've spent quite a bit of time finding new people this week so there isn't much to report on that end.

I love being back in Cheltenham Zone though!  It's the same Stake as the Forest of Dean, my first area, and there are loads of church history sights!  Today we went to Gadfield Elm which was the first chapel in use in Great Britain!  It was the home of the United Bretheren, a group of 600 people who formed their own little church and many of them hoped for the Gospel of Jesus Christ to be restored.  So when Heber C. Kimball came knocking they were all very happy to hear what he had to say!  All of them except one person were baptized as I remember, and they have kept the chapel and restored it so it looks really cool.  It was fun to visit and think of the history that happened and of the people who had been there.  We are hoping to go to Benbow's Pond next P Day, which is where a lot of the United Brethren were baptized.  We tried to go today but sadly couldn't find it.

To answer your questions Mom, I have had my first Skype District Council and it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be.  Everything went pretty well.  I will only have to do one more because Zone Conference is the week before I get to Bournemouth and we don't hold district council on those weeks.  The place I am living right now is not in the same Zone I will go to in a couple of weeks.  It is two Zones north.  I'm in Cheltenham Zone and Bounemouth is in the Poole Zone.  Since the Forest of Dean is actually in the District I am living in right now and Elder Johnson also served there (he replaced me when I was transferred) we are hoping we can do an exchange there as well.

Transfer day went pretty smoothly, but I was really sad to go.  I went by train and the luggage wasn't a problem at all.  It was a little awkward getting on and off the trains because of the gap between the train and the platform and how heavy one of the suitcases was, but it wasn't bad.   I already miss Duston quite a bit, but that's how it goes on a mission.  It's strange to think that I'll only be in this area for three weeks.  I really like the ward here already and we've had a great time here so far!  Also, Sister Hobbs (now Sister Rollins), one of Sarah's companions from her mission, is in this ward!  I had the chance to speak with her a little bit yesterday at church, which was fun.

Happy 89th Birthday to Grandpa this week!  I love you!

Love you all!  Have a great week!

-Elder Lott

My Companions!

Gadfield Elm from the outside

They don't staff Gadfield Elm, so if you know the answers 

to these questions you can put them in the keypad and get in.

Me being a Preacher

The people were very short in the 1800s.  VERY short.

DUSTON WEEK #25

Hello!

So I know where I'm going now!  I'm going to be serving in Bournemouth on the south coast in Poole Stake.  The new missionary I'm supposed to be training is having either Visa issues or is really struggling with English so I'm not going to get him for another three weeks.  While I'm waiting I'll be in Cheltenham.  So that'll be exciting haha.  The chances of me getting a kid who speaks no English is pretty high right now so pray for me.  It will be really challenging.  There are a couple of other trainers who won't be getting their new missionaries for a few weeks as well so I will be companions with one of them for awhile.  As far as my District goes, I'm still going to be their District Leader but I need to do it all over Skype, which will be a challenge.  It will be interesting, to say the least!

As far as missionary work this week, we weren't able to do much because we moved flats.  The new flat is really solid though and will be good for the incoming missionary.

We had some miracles at church yesterday!  Somebody we taught once about 2 months ago came to church to let us know how he is doing, and a girl who has been on and off looking into the church for like 13 years was there for the first time in awhile as well, so we are going to start teaching her!  She listens to Elder Holland in the car for fun!

I've really liked my time in Duston and I'm really sad to leave!  I wouldn't mind staying here for the next transfer at all, but I guess it is time to go!  I've heard a lot of good things about Bournemouth and I'm excited to go there....eventually.

Have a wonderful week!!!

-Elder Lott

Playing a game with some members

The Kettering Elders doormat.  Sooooo good!

A big spider we found

I made adobo for one of the Sister's birthday.  It was dang good!

A legendary District!!!

DUSTON WEEK #24

Talking to my family last week was flipping wild and it was so good!  President Nelson is a beast for that one!

Big news!  I'm training again.  We got the call last night while we were with our Ward Mission Leader.  I'll be a District Leader again and I won't know where I'll be training until next week, but Elder Ireland, the AP who called, did let me know that I'll have a Uni in the area, which I am so hyped about!  It'll be my first uni and unis are on fire.  Young people get baptized like crazy.

It has been a pretty solid week.  We did quite a bit more work with some returning members and one of them came to church for the first time!  We've been working with her since I got here and she came yesterday!  Also, I gave a talk yesterday in church.  They asked me to speak for longer than the Stake President, which was strange.

This week will be a bit of a weird one as we are moving apartments and we'll be out of the area for a day for the trainers meeting.  It's strange as well knowing that I'll be leaving the area for sure now.  It would have been pretty easy to guess even if I didn't get the trainers call seeing as I've been here for 24 weeks, but still.  Northampton is a place I'll miss a lot.

Love you all!  Talk to you next week family!

They spell "curb" weird here!

Exchange with Elder Davey

Trying to navigate a car park. This happens regularly.

Out to dinner again!  The same family who took me out to dinner for my birthday came and took me out to the same restaurant.  This time I was on exchanges with Elder Mauro. The angle is a little strange but it's a good picture all the same.

DUSTON WEEK 90 OR SOMETHING...... (actually Week 21)

Hello!  I've been really bad at weekly email.  I can't even remember what has happened since my last email and I can't remember if I sent one last week either.  I know I thought about it.....

Anyway, I'm in Duston for another transfer!  That's exciting, I've really liked it here and it's been good fun!  The ward is cool and I like the area so I'm not mad at all.

We had Zone Conference this week and that was good as always.  President Hughes is a total savage so listening to him speak is a party ten times out of ten.  Also, Elder Staheli is the new Assistant so I'll get to go on exchanges with him next week, which will be fun!  See how much things have changed over the last 13 months!

Something great...Jamie got BAPTIZED!!!  He will be good for the Cannock Branch.  He was the first baptism in 4 years or so.  It is a good branch with so many good people. 

Mom, you asked what we do on P Day.  It is usually spent at Kettering with the District and we usually play some games with everybody.  Today we played Spicy Uno and there were some bitter feelings at the end. haha  But we're all good friends and  it's a good time, our District is really great!   We have 3 Americans (2 from Utah, 1 from Arizona), a Scottish Sister, an Italian Elder, and a German Elder too.  It's a fun group!  We usually  need to drive a fair bit as well, which would give me a great opportunity to email, but I get car sick if I look at a screen for too long now, which is a pain.  Preparation days seem to be seconds long (unless we're shopping like today, then 45 minutes feels like 90) and weeks feel like days now.  It's pretty bizarre! 

Thanks for the mac n cheese for my birthday.  It is really good but wow I forgot how heavy it is.  haha.   It's so good!  We love it, but it is like a brick in our stomachs afterward.  And the Chick-fil-A sauce!!!  We went to KFC and I ate about 5 packets of it there.

There isn't a ton happening with the missionary work right now.  We have a few people who we have taught a few times but it is incredibly difficult to find someone who will actually show up to the appointment we have made with them or who wants to meet more than once or twice.  That's the main struggle.  We get a lot of phone numbers and addresses and we talk to a lot of people, but very rarely does it go beyond that.  Kind of frustrating, but we'll just keep doing it and see what happens.

And yeah, the Captain America picture!  HAHA!  A recent YSA convert made it.  Pretty funny.

I'll send along some pictures  Love you all!

Exchanges

Some members from Kettering came and took me out to dinner for my birthday!

(on Exchange with Elder Bluth)