We got a lengthy and happier e-mail this week. It was a day late because this is transfer week. There was some exciting transfer news, but not about Eric. He and Elder Kacher are staying in Leeds together. However, the mission president really shook up the mission, changing much of the leadership. Elder Combs, who was Eric's zone leader in Sheffield for 6 months, will now be serving in the Leeds zone, where Eric will be his zone leader. It's a good life lesson, because that's the way it is in the LDS church. You serve where you are asked to serve. You might be asked to serve as bishop or as the primary pianist, but you accept it and do your best.
James had a good week. He has overcome all of his concerns, and shared his testimony with Elders Kacher and Hansen that he knows the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. He realized that God wouldn't put a false prophet at the head of his church. James is now ready to be baptized, which will take place this coming Saturday. Eric also relayed an interesting experience they had with James this week. On Sunday morning at 9:50 a.m., Elder Hansen and Elder Kacher were at church waiting for James and others to arrive. The woman who usually gives James a ride to church pulled up without James in her car, and explained to the elders that James couldn't find his keys, so he couldn't get out of his flat. Apparently in England, most flats require the use of a key to get out as well as to get in (sounds like a fire hazard). Anyway, here's what Eric said about it:
This week, Elders Kacher and Hansen started teaching a 9-year-old boy named Ethan. His mother is a member of the church but his father is not. Ethan is a fun kid, but he has ADHD and his home is pretty hectic. This makes teaching him a challenge. The missionaries played a game of charades with him and acted out the restoration of the gospel to try to help him out.
Also this week, Elder Hansen and Elder Kacher found a family to teach. It sounds like they were knocking doors, when they found a woman home with two children. They taught her and her children, then returned on Sunday night to teach the whole family: Dad, Mom, Mom's 20-year-old sister, and 4 children, ages 18, 12, 9, and 4. It was a very good meeting, and the family said they would attend church next Sunday. They have a Christian background, but don't currently attend church. They are originally from Ethiopia, but have lived in England for some time. Eric asked that we please pray for them.
Other than that, he answered a few questions. They live in a very urban area near the center of Leeds. A 20-minute drive gets them out to the countryside, which they like to do on P-day. He hasn't been getting much exercise other than some push-ups and sit-ups, but he said, "Don't worry, I'm not too fat yet." And he asked that we send him some flash cards with simplified Chinese characters. Good luck finding those. We're hoping to be able to order them from a bookstore in the UK and have them delivered.
That's it for this week. Thank you to our readers for your thoughts and prayers on Eric's behalf. We know they make a difference in his life.
James had a good week. He has overcome all of his concerns, and shared his testimony with Elders Kacher and Hansen that he knows the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet. He realized that God wouldn't put a false prophet at the head of his church. James is now ready to be baptized, which will take place this coming Saturday. Eric also relayed an interesting experience they had with James this week. On Sunday morning at 9:50 a.m., Elder Hansen and Elder Kacher were at church waiting for James and others to arrive. The woman who usually gives James a ride to church pulled up without James in her car, and explained to the elders that James couldn't find his keys, so he couldn't get out of his flat. Apparently in England, most flats require the use of a key to get out as well as to get in (sounds like a fire hazard). Anyway, here's what Eric said about it:
"So I called him on the phone and he answered kind of franctically telling me he couldn't find his keys. At that moment I saw in my mind where his keys were in his flat. I told him, James look on your bookshelf in the corner behind the model corvette. Then he said, oh yeah here they are...how'd you know that? I remembered that we we had visited him earlier, I saw his keys there and said to myself hmmm his keys usually aren't there. So we had a member drive over real fast and pick him up and he was just a few minutes late because he lives only about 5 minutes from church. So that was a tender mercy of the Lord."Christopher, who we've mentioned before, loves the Book of Mormon and reads it all the time. He asked the elders what other commandments there are that he could follow to please the Lord. The only problem is that he doesn't feel worthy to go to church and be baptized. Eric and Elder Kacher have tried to explain to him that everyone is welcome at church, but he is finding it impossible to get over that concern. Hopefully, he will come around, but it may take him awhile.
This week, Elders Kacher and Hansen started teaching a 9-year-old boy named Ethan. His mother is a member of the church but his father is not. Ethan is a fun kid, but he has ADHD and his home is pretty hectic. This makes teaching him a challenge. The missionaries played a game of charades with him and acted out the restoration of the gospel to try to help him out.
Also this week, Elder Hansen and Elder Kacher found a family to teach. It sounds like they were knocking doors, when they found a woman home with two children. They taught her and her children, then returned on Sunday night to teach the whole family: Dad, Mom, Mom's 20-year-old sister, and 4 children, ages 18, 12, 9, and 4. It was a very good meeting, and the family said they would attend church next Sunday. They have a Christian background, but don't currently attend church. They are originally from Ethiopia, but have lived in England for some time. Eric asked that we please pray for them.
Other than that, he answered a few questions. They live in a very urban area near the center of Leeds. A 20-minute drive gets them out to the countryside, which they like to do on P-day. He hasn't been getting much exercise other than some push-ups and sit-ups, but he said, "Don't worry, I'm not too fat yet." And he asked that we send him some flash cards with simplified Chinese characters. Good luck finding those. We're hoping to be able to order them from a bookstore in the UK and have them delivered.
That's it for this week. Thank you to our readers for your thoughts and prayers on Eric's behalf. We know they make a difference in his life.
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