Purple Haze

(two weeks in one, because sometimes mom has a hard time staying on top of everything) 

October 20th: Amen Son is the nickname one of the member has give to Elder Amundsen. My nickname is Purple Haze. It's so funny, we don't do nicknames in this mission, but for some reason that one's stuck and so a lot of the Elders and Sisters call me Purple Haze, or Momma Hays.

So, I realized I completely forgot to tell you guys, that Transfers are really weird this time. Because of the time schedule for when the new missionaries are coming in, we're not getting transfer calls until Thursday, and we're not doing Transfers until Saturday. Which means that when I next email you, not only will I know where I'm going, but I also may be in a new area. I have no idea if I'll stay or not, but It's going to be one CRAZY transfer. Because Elder Amundsen is a ex AP and he's been spending the week with the current AP's  (Did I tell you guys that???? I've been in Leeds most of the week with the Zone Leaders because Elder Amundsen has been on tour throughout the mission to give some last words of advice the the Trainers and Trainee's. Did I mention how amazing and beloved my companion is?!?!?!).  There will be some changes coming up - I'll tell you about them next week. 

Our investigator W. is doing really well, he's progressing a lot and will more then likely be baptized in the coming weeks if everything stays on track. 

Our Investigator L. came to church for the first time yesterday, which was really great.

Everyone else is doing well! Well, I gotta get some pics on here and write to president. 

Oh! I forgot, ok so all Christmas packages have to get to the England Leeds office by the 12th of December, because of how transfers are working out. And actually, I have to start my Christmas shopping for you guys this week or so as well, because next transfer is absolutely packed with meetings and I'll have no spare time to get that done really. I also don't know where/what city I'll be in, so I kinda want to get some things for you guys while I know where to go. I'll try to ship my Christmas stuff for you guys by the second week of November, so please email me in the next email anything specific you guys want. It's not going to be anything extravagant (Unless George wants me to buy here a pair of Doc Martins and somebody is willing to foot the bill), but yeah. 

 

Love you guys loads! Talk to you soon!!!

--Elder Hays 

 

October 27th

OMG YOU GUYS WONT EVEN GUESS WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW, IT'S SO FREAKING AMAZING AND EXCITING, I'M ECSTATIC I'M IN....wait for it...

 

keighley

Lol, yep, I'm still in Keighley. I'm serving with Elder Innis, who is from Australia (Sydney) and he's actually from my MTC group, which is pretty cool! That's pretty rare and doesn't happen too often. So I'm really excited about that. I think we'll get along well. He's a pretty obedient missionary, but I think I adapt well to my companions in a way. Like, with Elder Schwarzkopf was word of the Law obedient, with Elder Amundsen it was a bit more Spirit of the Law, and I think with Elder Innis I'm already back into my Word of the Law. I'm probably going to strike a balance between the two though. 

 

OK DOES ANYONE WANT ANYTHING SPECIFIC FROM ENGLAND, I NEED REQUESTS NOW!

 

Fun thing that happened yesterday, it was Day light savings time, and I forgot to set my watch to the right time, so we got to our flat an hour earlier. This system is so stupid. I'm so glad Arizona doesn't do it. Also, that makes it like pitch black at 4 in the afternoon now, bleh! 

 

This letter is a bit scattered because I have like 4 people from the mission emailing and calling me, and I think George and Mum just realized I'm online so I'm getting on line emails from them right now. 

So yeah, spiritual thought for the day. I got the chance to be there for Elder Amundsen's testimony at transfer meetings, and WOW. It was probably the most spiritual meeting I have ever been in before. There wasn't a dry eye in the chapel. At the end President Pilkington said, "I'd just like everyone to know that Elder Amundsen is one of the great missionaries of the church. No, not just of the mission... of the church". It was such an honor to serve with him, he makes me want to be a better man. 

So yeah, not a lot going on, just trucking along I guess. Investigators are doing well.

We have a new star this week in Keighley from Ogden, Utah. Her name is Sister Garrett. I think she's doing well. 

Yeah, alright, just gonna finish with pics. Love you!!!!

 

........minutes later and 3rd email 

 

NEVER MIND I FORGOT MY CAMERA!!!!!

 

 

on the Keighley Moor

 

random Keighley corner

 

(so when he does not send photos I just randomly find interesting images related to Keighley on the google machine)...

More Meowing and Questionable Hiking Clothing...

So Elder Amundsen and I have loads of pics with us holding cats because that's pretty much all we do when we aren't teaching. We walk around Meowing at cats and trying to pick them up. I have lot's of pictures, and lot's of scratches.

This week is going pretty great. One of our Investigators W. has come to realize 

 

1. It makes complete sense for God to call another Prophet.

2. He needs to be baptized. 

3. He needs to quit smoking.

So that's been really awesome. He may get baptized in two weeks, but It may be a bit longer depending on if he can stay off the Cigs. 

 

Right now I'm wearing regular clothes... which is really weird. Elder Amundsen and I were going to go hiking up Malham cove today (Which is so pretty, look up pics), but It's a bit too rainy, so we're probably just going to go to Skipton and do some shopping. I haven't gotten new shoes just yet, because I'm trying to get a good deal on some ankle boots because they seem like they'll last longer and be more useful in the winter then regular dress shoes, but I'll get some today, PROMISE. 

 

BTW by regular clothes for hiking I mean black Michael Kors Corduroys and my button up teal shirt with a grey primark tie. Glamping yo. 

 

(mom's note, I looked it up and here are some lovely photos of it, and it addition, this scene from Harry Potter was filmed there) 

 

So yeah, all is well in the hood. The hood is a bit cold and all, but It's all good. 

 

AWESOME NEWS THOUGH!!!!! 

GUESS WHAT , GUESS WHAT, GUESS WHAT!!!!

My Recent Convert Helen BORE HER TESTIMONY IN FAST AND TESTIMONY MEETING YESTERDAY!!!!! I cried SO HARD! Oh my gosh she's just the most amazing person ever. I love her so much! Ugh, I didn't realize when I went on this mission that I would just end up loving the people here so much. I just love them sooooo much. 

So yeah, that's awesome. 

 

Spiritual thought for the day: 

I was reading my notes from Jorg Klebingat's talk in General Conference on spiritual confidence, and it led me to Proverbs (My fav book in the whole scriptures btw. If you get a chance, read it) Chapter 3 V. 24-26. It's all about finding our confidence in the Lord. "When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid: yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall be sweet...For the Lord shall be thy confidence and shall keep thy feet from being taken". 

So yeah, this letter is all over the place! Hahaha, I'll send some pics now! Love you guys so much! Talk to you soon!!!! 

--Elder Hays

Elder Hays captioned this "Stalker".

Elder Hays gets some pretty holey shoes and collects stray cats

There's a woman at the computer next to me that is yelling into her Cellphone and at her daughter in Slovakian. Did I mention that Keighley is pretty much 30% English people, 40% Pakistan, 10% Slovakian, and 20% Other.

This week has been good. We scheduled 6 people for baptism and had 3 of them at church this week, so that was cool. I would love to say that some of it is me, but man, Elder Amundsen is just a freaking lightning rod of Awesomeness! We're going shopping today in Leeds, because Elder Amundsen needs some Civilian clothes for when he goes back home. That should be fun. The Skipton Elders are coming with us, and Elder Rush is from Avondale, so it's pretty cool to hear that Arizona accent (BTW the more time I spend outside of Arizona, the more obvious the accent is becoming to me). It's awesome that I've met Elder Cole from Mesa, and Elder Rush from Avondale, we'll definitely meet up post mission probably. I hit my 5 month mark this week, which was weird. Man, this is going by fast. I really love my mission though. I realized the other day that I'm here because of a lot of reason. Support from you guys, support from Bishop Barker, support from friends, and Support from God. That's a lot of people to thank, so I guess just a blanket "Thank you, will have to do for now.". I love you guys loads!

One sucky thing this week. My RC Helen is going blind. Like BLIND blind. She's had bad vision for a long time, but she saw the Doc the other day, and it's not looking good. She may lose her vision completely really soon. It's so inspiring though to see her reaction. She's just started reading TONS. She's re reading the Book of Mormon, she's now on Doctrine and Covenants 50, and she's reading Teachings of the Presidents Joseph Fielding Smith. She's just trying to read as much as she can before she can't anymore. Pretty much made me bawl my eyes out realizing how selfish I can be sometimes by complaining that I have to study the Scriptures for an hour every morning. She's such an example to me. 

Hope you're all doing ok. Love you lot's!

--Elder Hays

PS
 BTW THANK YOU SOOOOOOO MUCH FOR THE PACKAGE!!!! Oh my Goodness you have no idea how happy that made me to have 1, clothes, 2 a big coat, and 3 FOOD!!!! Lol, Elder Amundsen and I have been snacking on it all week because he got a package with Norwegian food, so we've been learning about one another's food culture. Our is definitely better ;)

Also, thanks for the due date ;)

Love you lot's! Keep being a super Mom! 

--Elder Hays

(and the following week)

So, it's finally turned into England over here! Man, it is raining like CRAZY!!!! It's super wet and super cold!!! Lol, the water feels like little needles on my skin in the morning when I open the door. It's awesome! One minor set back...I have holes in my shoes! Lol, I've known I've had holes in them for a while now, they've been forming on the bottom on the middle front sorta, but it hasn't really been an issue... until it started raining! Lol, so I've had pretty literal cold feet for the last few days. I'm probably going to shop for some new ones today. I'll try to send you a pic of my shoes though, it's pretty funny how 5 months of wear and tear can destroy shoes pretty quick! Besides that, all is well! I can't write much, my finger that I cut is sorta seizing from the cold so I'm having to type way slower the usual, lame! Lol, hope you're all doing well! I'll send you some pics though to make up for such a short letter. Oh! Let me address some Question's though!

1. What do you cook?

-We cook pretty much anything that is fast and cheap. So a lot of sandwiches and oven chips. Also I just found the pre packaged burgers that are... ok. Lot's of pizza that you heat up in the oven. I just bought Chicken breast for the first time in 6 months, which is the first meat I've bought in six months because it's way expensive over here, and takes to long to cook, but I couldn't do another week of oven done pizza's ;P We get takeaway some days because it's not too expensive over here. We like Chinese, and Donner. Donner is some weird in between meat that I don't really want to know what it's made of, so don't tell me. More then likely rat. 

2. Fav General Conference talk?

Elder Holland's talk was my fav. I also enjoyed Jorg Klebingat. Next Uchtdorf right there. 

3. How do you watch the sessions?

We watch the sessions live, except for the Sunday afternoon one and priesthood. Still haven't seen the Sunday afternoon one, we watch it on our own using the computers, so it'll take me a few weeks to get though all the talks. 

Love you guys sooooooooooo much! Talk to you soon! 

--Elder Hays