Quick, Yet Productive Week

Touring Manchester United Stadium...pretty cool.

My trainer, Elder Moss is to my right (now a Zone Leader).

Sponge cake Elder Youles made for Billy, but ended up having it for dinner...

Afta-noon Fam!

Those pics that Dad sent of the stay in St. George remind me so much of when I headed down there. Such a good time!  Cannot believe it has been two years.

And woah, what drama with the wedding! Those US Custom guys need to simmer down a bit. Hopefully everything goes as planned!

As for my week It has been a quick one.

We started with a tour of Manchester City's stadium with the ZL's Elder Moss, and Elder Ditmer, while I swapped to have Elder Ziegler, as Elder Youles didn't want to go. But I tell you what, these football (soccer) teams have such a rich tradition about them. As I have been here I have reallied warmed up to the sport. My bad memories of never getting the ball in my youth soccer days have since dwindled...

Update on Billy:

We have seen Billy twice this week and is doing really well. We taught him the Plan of Salvation on Monday and he really understood it well where it takes most a little longer. We really emphasized the Atonement and how we must "act" to receive the blessings of the Atonement in our lives. He also had his birthday on Thursday, and Elder Youles baked him a homemade sponge cake. The only problem was he wasnt in all day. Soooo, we ate it for Dinner, because he wasn't going to be available for awhile. He also wasnt able to make it to church on Sunday, as we still don't know why. It was a bit of a surprise, seeing him buy a white shirt and tie during the week for church. But we are not too alarmed...from what we can tell he is very committed as he still has kept all the commitments we have given him.

Update on Paul:

Paul is doing marvelous. He has committed himself to stop smoking and is still set for his date of the 27th. He has made a big change this week by shaving off his bead and buying some "Just for Men" to take out the grey in his hair. His comment after we asked why was,"You know, I want to clean up my life and so I'm just going to do it all, and the beard and hair come with that." It was pretty funny to show up and see the difference. But he is doing very well! After a hiccup last week we asked him to kneel and pray for a confirmation of his date. He did, and as we returned the next time he described the "weight being lifted from his shoulders" as he did so we had one lesson this week going over Mosiah 1-5, showing him the conversion of the people and how it related to him. They wanted to "enter into a covenant", and so we likened it to him to show the importance of a covenant and what that really entails. It was a very good lesson because of an amazing fellow shipper we brought! The members really do make all the difference! He came to church this past Sunday and again loved it. The ward is doing a very good job embracing him, and making him feel comfortable. Again, so key for his LASTING conversion.

This week we have been doing some finding in some areas that have not been hit in a while. One of them being Stalybridge and the other Mossley. We walked an hour and a half to Mossley yesterday and found around the town for about 4 hours. We ended up with about 9 appointments and 3 service opportunities! It was a gold mine and a place that we will be working in the future. 

We also had a miracle this week with a man named scott. After trying to see Billy and he not being in, I ran down to him and caught him right before he headed in. I chatted him up and at first he seemed to have no interest. But after we went back and forth touching upon different gospel principles something softened his heart and he let us in to teach him right there. We then found out that he is the step-brother of a recent convert in May. It was such a good lesson and he had such good questions...  

I truly witness miracles everyday, and whether big or small they have increased my testimony. I know that the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored, and that the same church organization that Jesus Christ established is now on the earth.

Oh, how I love all of you!

Elder Eliason