One Solid Week 3/21/16

It’s been one solid week! All the way from St. Patrick's Day to Vicky passing her baptismal interview!

Mar.14th

Monday was good stuff. P-day was fun, Elder Hoppe and I ended up going on a nice walk on the beach with a member because the sun was shining! Later on we tried by a Baptist we ran into the other day and set up an appointment with him for this week, we also did our weekly planning.

Mar. 15th

This morning we woke up at 5am and buckled our seatbelts for a long drive to Paisley for a Zone conference. It was a really good meeting, we learned how to better use scriptures when teaching the restoration so we can get some return appointments! After the conference I drove home on exchange with a big teddy bear named Elder Martine. The sun had set by the time we made it back to Stranraer but everything worked out and Elder Martine I and met up with Vicky for her baptismal interview. SHE PASSED!! She even gave a spiritual thought at the end. She has come a long way; I am so excited for her! Elder Martine and I finished off the night with a trip to the Chippy for some Fish and Chips.

Mar. 16th

First thing in the morning Elder Martine and I did a killer leg work out, and then we waddled out of the flat and drove back down to Irvine to finish our exchange. Elder Hoppe and I had to take a different way home so we could get to a village on time to teach our friend Kevin. The whole way down we were on this crazy single track road, it was a windy little sucker but it was a lot of fun! Tonight we ate a load of food... First some less actives has us over for a hot curry, and then our friend from the Czech Republic surprised us with a dish called "gluasch" And I thought Scottish food was weird!

Mar. 17th

Today I drove to Ayr and picked up Elder Hoops for another Exchange. Afterword’s we traveled to Kirkcowon and taught Kevin the Word of Wisdom. He took it all on board but it was pretty awkward when we rolled around to the coffee bit because he happened to be sipping a cup right then! Today we also had a coordination meeting then did lots of chapping. We chapped into an atheist with a giant "God Loves You" tattoo on his arm. It was pretty ironic....

Mar. 18th

Went back to Ayr, got Elder Hoppe and then made it back to Stranraer and took the car in to a body shop from some damage one of the past missionary's caused. It was a big pain in the butt, but my mood was brightened when some members had us over for a good steak dinner!

Mar. 19th

Today was loads of chapping. The highlight of the day was definitely when we met up with Vicky to have a lesson and found that she brought a friend! Her friend Chloey was really nice, we taught her the Restoration and she said she would be baptized once she knew it was true! We also had weekly planning...

Mar. 20th

Sunday's are always good, we had a sorta investigator girl named Rachel come to church and that was cool. Today was also a lot of finding but that weather was nice so I didn't mind. We saw Vicky again tonight, we found out that we might have to push her baptismal date back again and that was pretty sad but she'll get there so it’s okay!

Well,I better run before the library lady comes and kicks me off! I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Love, Elder Cluster

Hastening the Work in Stranraer

It has been a very busy, very fast pace week! There have been even more road trips and some miracles to boot! 

Blue Sky...It's a Miracle!! 

Mar 7th

Today Elder Hoppe couldn't really move because of his blistery feet so p-day wasn't anything too exciting. We managed to get all the normal P-day to-do's done and then had a good time relaxing :) Later on we were stood up for a lesson with the girl that came into church last week. We finished off the night by drinking our sorrows away with a good cup of hot coco at the Branch President’s House!

Mar 8th

Tuesday morning was the regular trek to Ayr for District meeting and it was probably the weirdest district meeting I’ve ever been too... I'm still trying to figure out what was even going on! When we got back to Stranraer we had a lesson with our good friend Sandy. The lesson went great up until the end when he randomly decided he wasn't interested anymore and dropped us.... But that's just life I guess. We got some try by's done and helped Martin more a massive old school TV. Afterwards I made like speed racer down to Killmarnock to spend the night so the travel to Edinburgh for a leadership conference would be less brutal.

Mar 9th

The Alarm rang at 4:30am and I found myself back on the road to Edinburgh. The roads and the traffic in Edinburgh are terrible, and it’s a miracle we made it there and back alive.... While in Edinburgh I got to spend a lot of time doing Street contacting with Greenies! It was a lot of fun, but the best part was when I spotted a little corner store that read "Street Mexican Food" I shouted for joy and instantly got a group of other missionaries together for a burrito! It wasn't anything close to genuine Mexican food but it’s nice to know someone in Scotland is trying! Later on we got Elder Hoppe to a doctor for his feet where he got some antibiotics and then it was a 4 hour drive back to Stranraer...

Mar 10th

Today we taught our investigator Vicky about blessings on the beach! It was fairly cold and windy, but we stayed dry to everyone was happy. We also had a wonderful dinner appointment, did some finding, and then had a blast at a youth activity! 

Mar 11th

Friday morning we went up to Kirkcowen and taught our friend Kevin about the Temple and Family History. He ate it up and loved the idea of doing temple work for his ancestors! We got some things done like finding and coordination meeting, but the big shocker of the day was when we got a phone call from someone we are teaching saying he is on his way to burn down the hospital because his doctor won’t give him a sick note! We raced over to him and found him with a can of gasoline... Don't worry, we talked him out of it and got him sorted with his sick note.

Mar 12th

Not really much to report on for Saturday, we spent a lot of time chapping then finished the night off in Port William. We had a wonderful lesson with Dave and invited him to Branch conference.

Mar 13th

Sunday, Church was amazing today! It was branch conference and we had a good share of Stake leaders come down which doubled the size or our branch! Dave came, Kim came, and Vicky came! One of the best parts was when Dayna told me about the testimony Vicky gave at a youth “thingme” this week. She bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon and told everyone about her baptism! It was music to my ears!  To top it all off we had a “munch and mingle” with haggis rolls. (A linger longer Scottish style!) 

Later throughout the day we received a phone call from Dayna and Vicky saying they really need to talk to us. We met up with them at a pond and apparently Vicky’s Catholic mum doesn’t want her baptized... It was pretty sad stuff but, it’s all good because we’ll just have to wait and do it on March 25th (Her 18th B-day) We also got to spend some time going over the baptismal interview questions with her.

Well there's another week for ya! Please keep Vicky and her mum in your prayers. Miss and love you all,

Love, Elder Cluster   

Long Drives, Lost Sister, and New Companion

It’s been one exhausting week! However like normal we are low on time, so let’s drive right in!

Feb 29th

My last P-day with Elder Harman, we did the usual p day stuff and spent some time at the Gym, and then it was Cleaning, Packing, and saying some Goodbyes!

Mar 1st

After we finished up with all the Cleaning, Packing, and saying some Goodbyes We had the chance to give a member a blessing. Giving blessings is just the best! Later we packed up the luggage and traveled down to Irvine to spend the night. 

Mar 2nd

Wednesday (Moves Day) was absolutely insane!! I must have traveled back and forth over the West Coast a dozen times. I spent so much time driving that I’m still trying to get feeling in my butt again! First we all woke up extra early and started to make our way to Glasgow to drop off Elder Harman to his bus for the ferry, and picked up some other missionaries. As we were on our way to the bus terminal we see his bus driving in the opposite direction! We missed the bus!! A couple minutes later we get a call from our Zone Leaders freaking out and saying that we need flip around and race that bus to Ayr so we get everyone on! It was a Christmas Miracle but with a led foot we were able to beat it to the next stop. (Look for me in fast and furious 8) Next I picked up the Ayr Sisters and dropped them off at a train Station where I also picked up a new missionary then started to make my way back up to Glasgow. We made it safely then went on a hunt for the Glasgow Elders, after running all over the city we found them and I drove the whole crew up to another train station and picked up my new companion Elder Hoppe. I thought it was all over and tackled the long drive back home to Stranraer. We must of had a solid 30 min to take up the bags and have a quick bite to eat (The only food I had all day) When we get a call from the AP's Saying there is a sister who had missed her Ferry from Ireland and will be docking on the late ferry in 10 minutes. At this point it is 7pm and we have to rush down to this ferry to catch a sister who has no phone is and planning to get on a wrong bus that will take her to Glasgow. I don't think I’ve ever moved so fast in my life but we managed to catch her just in time! Now we are flying down to a train station to catch a train that should we leaving just a couple minutes later. As we rolled into the parking lots we just missed the train slowly driving into the distance. Elder Hoppe and I had to drive the sister back up to Ayr..... By the time we got there is was 10Pm so after dropping her off we went to Irvine and spent the night. 

Mar 3rd 

Elder Hoppe and I got up this morning still completely spent from all the craziness and took the road trip back home to Stranraer. Today we had a stellar lesson with Vicky where we set for up with a new baptismal date for Mar 19th. (Please pray for her that she will be able to make that date)  As for the rest of the night we had lots of finding to do.

Mar 4th

In the morning was a lesson with Kevin and loads of try by's! We ended up managing a lesson with our friend Martin and a new investigator named Sandy.

 Mar 5th

Saturday was good stuff! Elder Hoppe and I went for a nice jog in the morning (He got some crazy blisters all over his feet!) It felt amazing to go on a nice scenic run through the country side of Stranraer!  We had two really good lessons with a man named Dave and another with Vicky!

Mar 6th

Sunday.... There was a miracle at church today! First I was pretty down because neither Kevin nor Vicky showed; back later on during sacrament came in Dave! What a champ! And is that wasn’t enough a couple minutes later come in a girl named Kim looking for help... She cried through the whole service and invited us over to teach!! At this point I’m already on cloud 9, but then another kid walks in saying he learnt from the missionaries a long time ago, he said he prayed asking for help and direction and just felt like he needed to come! We will be teaching him soon too. What a Blessing. Today also happened to be one of the most spiritual testimony meetings I've ever been a part of!

 Miracles are happening here in Stranraer. Thank you for keeping us in your prayers. 

PS.  My companion is VERY German! He is still working on his English but he is a great kid and a very hard worker! I'm sure it'll be a good 6 weeks.

Love,
Elder Cluster

Moves Call!

What a week! From driving all over the west coast, getting a new suit, speaking in sacrament meeting, and a moves call it’s been a heck of a ride!

Feb 22th

In the morning Elder Harman and I hit the Gym, and then hit the road for a long drive down to Irvine. We spend P-day with our ZLs kicking some American Footballs and checking out some stores. Elder Harman and I ended up with  two new Swagin' Suits! No doubt we were the best lookin kids on this side of the pound! Finishing of the night, Elder Perkins and I got some good old fashion Street Contacting done. Elder Harman and I spent the night in Irvine.

Feb 23rd

Bright and early on Tuesday I drove the crew down to Ayr for District Meeting, it was a good time. The best part was when a member got us free lunch at their bakery! After DM we went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders. I was with Elder Gates and we had a good time doing lots of finding! Elder Harman and I had a long drive home then had a wonderful dinner with the Corigan family.

Feb 24th

Wednesday was more driving, this time out to Kirkowen for a great lesson with Kevin. Later on we moved some of our junk to our new flat, and then did service for a deaf man with a ridiculously heavy couch! We ended the night off teaching a grand lesson to a less active.

Feb 25th

More finding in the morning, then we got ourselves officially moved into our new flat! That was one glorious moment... In the afternoon we were supposed to have a lesson with Vicky but that fell through, so we ended up having a lesson with our recent convert instead. After that we hunted down some less active members, then tackled weekly planning.

Feb 26th

Today we had another lesson with Kevin, we taught him about the Sabbath day because getting him to church is our main barrier. It’s pretty frustrating because he lives out in a distant village and the bus only comes once every 4 or 5 hours... After that we drove back to Ayr for Elder Harman to have a baptismal interview with the Ayr sister’s investigator. The man passed with flying colors. After that, and we hurried home for a killer youth activity.

Feb 27

First we had another long drive back to Irvine; we picked up the ZL's and hit the road back down to Ayr for two different baptisms in the district! It was way exciting! Afterwards we traveled home to Stranraer and had a lesson with Martine. It was a miracle! We though he had fallen off the face of the earth! This was the first time we had heard from him in 2 weeks. We ended the night with some chapping. On the way home I ended up with a group of 14 year old girls telling me I was "fit" and yelling their numbers at me. We tried to ignore them, and hurry home to our flat!

Feb 28th

Sunday was something else! Our investigators were all a bunch of wasters and didn't bother to show up to church, and I had to give the talk in sacrament meeting last minute! (We only have one talk because if we did more than that you'd be talking every week!) I did it on Charity the Pure Love of Christ. I was happy with the way it went! The craziest part of the night was when we got our “moves call.” I was pretty certain we would both be staying together in Stranraer seeing as Elder Harman had only been here for two Transfers and I was only with my last two companions for a few weeks. But I was wrong, and they're sending Elder Harman to the Republic of Ireland. It was a sad moment, we had some good times together but I hear change is good. My new companion's name is Elder Hoppe, He is a crazy x military German! I'm sure we'll be an interesting companionship to say the least!

I'm almost out of time on the computer but thank you all for your prayers, it sure means a lot! Love you all -Elder Cluster

PS This is my new address!

Elder Brycen Cluster

28 Galloway Avenue

Stranraer

Wigtownshire

DG9 7BH
Scotland UK