The Segue to Heaven

Dear Everyone,

 So if you haven't figured out by the email title, this week I rode a segue for the first time ever! It was quite nerve racking having my friends watch me. We went to a members house and did some service for him. We moved a bunch of concrete slabs and dirty for him. He rewarded us by letting us ride his segue called Fiona. It's crazy to drive them you just lean and they go. We took it slow at first then slowly build up some confidence and started to ride them around his property. And doesn't it look like I had fun?

Last Monday after emailing we were walking down the road and I saw a man with a Florida Gators hat on. I started talking with him. He use to live in Idaho and Utah and his girlfriend lives in Chubbuck! Yeah how mental is that. We had a good laugh with him and then he had to get back to work. Hopefully we get to run into him again.

This week I went on exchanges with Elder Humpherys. He is from Idaho Falls so it was good getting to be with him and talk about things at home. He makes me laugh, that's what we did most of the time. But that ment that your companions were together. They both have been in the field for about a month. And so it was a pushing time for them. I think that it helped them grow a bit and we got to watch them teach together at a members house for tea. I was so proud of the way that they taught. They both are acting like they have been out for awhile. Then they taught this lady named Glynda. She is so prepared. before they went there she was praying that what they taught would be true. And we are going back there tomorrow.

On Saturday we went and visited a mosk. Some muslims invited us to come and check it out. It was interesting. Almost everything was in Arabic but they were really nice people to us. I appreciated learning a bit more about their beliefs. Also we are starting a 40 day fast with our ward. My ward at home did it and I heard it went really well. So I am expecting the same here. The members are on board so it should be smashing!!

I love you all

Love Elder Hammond

08/11/14

Hey Everyone,

It was pretty interesting listening yesterday at the sacrament being blessed in Welsh! But then they did it in English right after wards. When I served in Wrexham it was in Whales but not very many people spoke it. Here in Gaer Wen welsh is the first language. So it is a bit harder to pernoune all the welsh words of towns and what not. But it just adds to the adventure :)

We had tea at our Bishop's house this week. And it felt so good! They live out in the middle of a field so I felt a bit at home. It was nice and peaceful. The bishop has 5 kids I think so it was really good to share tea with them and laugh. Then we played a game with the family afterwards and tried to invite the spirit into their homes. I love getting to go into members home and feel of their love for each of us. To hear about their life stories and how they came to know of the truefullness of the church.

A member gave us an area to work in called Cemaes Bay. It was like a 2 hour bus ride onto the island of Anglesy. The second door we knocked on let us in! It was a single lady name Glynda. She was very nice and welcoming to us. I shared with her a picture of my family and that really softened her heart. She told us to come back by, so we are taking a member with us this week to go and see her. Her neighbour was outside weeding so we started talking with her. She was from the Philipinnes and when she was living in Hong Kong, she would go to our church with her friends! I felt so overwhelmed with love from Heavenly Father to know that all these people were just waiting to here the gospel. The member was so inspired on inviting us to go up there.

On Friday we had our Zone Meeting with the other missionaries in our stake. It was so good to see some of my mission friends that I hadn't seen for a long time. One of them being Elder Oakey. He is from Nebraska and we were in the same district when I lived in Stockport. We had a big activity and game as well called Why were you late for church. It is like a charades game where people have to act out the most random reason why you were late to church then the person has to guess. I laughed pretty hard at it.

On Saturday we had this idea to go out finding with a football. So we had people write on the football things that made them happy. then we talked with them about it. It was a great success. Almost everyone wrote something down on the ball. You could see peoples hearts softened. Yesterday after church we went to the hospital with the other elders. One of the people they were teaching was dancing and slipped and dislocated her knee. So they went there to see her. It was kinda weird being in a hospital. But I think she will be okay.

My week has been full of tender mercies from the Lord and I know that he loves me so very much. I love being in Gaer Wen! And I love my new companion Elder Rolfson. He is doing amazing and teaching me so very much about life and new ideas for missionary work. Love you all

Love Elder Hammond

3 Attachments

First Week in Gaer Wen

Dear family and friends,

This week I got the wonderful privilege of meeting my new companion Elder Rolfson. He is from Oklahoma. And I was so nervous yet excited to work with him. Tuesday night we had a special meeting with the mission president called train the trainers were we got special instruction how what we need to do to help these new missionaries. It was so powerful and I felt like I was endowed with power from above and capable of training. I was a bit nervous at transfer meeting, seeing some of my great friends like Elder Calder and Debenham and Walker going home, and also starting a new history with the new missioanries. I got the best missionary! He is so prepared to serve a mission. He is not afraid of anything and just does it. He hasn't been homesick at all, so it has been a tender mercy from the Lord to be serving with him in Whales.

The first train that we took to Gaer Wen, we started talking to these twin girls across from us, we quickly realised that they were Americans. They had come over to Whales on holiday. So it was great getting to talk with them and explain what we were doing. And it was especially good for Elder Rolfson. Such a tender mercy to have them as his first contact. That started the whole American thing for us. So the next day, we were talking to man on the bus, he was from Whales and had been to Salt Lake last month. He showed us a picture with his wife and him and the sister missionaries there. It was another tender mercy from the Lord. Then the next day we met a group of travelors from New Jersey! Yeah It was crazy how many people come on holiday here. Then last of all, on Sunday we had a senior missionary couple come to church. they were from West Jordan Utah, and their daughter is Jenny Orme from St. Anthony. So it was great talking to them about their family. So many miracles :)

We went street contacting near a park and we saw this lady and I was like Elder we need to go talk to her. Her name is Sisilia she is from Ghana and talked to missionaries there. She hadn't ran into missionaires in Whales, so started talking with her and will be teaching her this Friday :) so many things are happening here in Bangor!!

I enjoy my new companion and look forward to helping build his faith. I love each and everyone of you!

Love Elder Hammond