October 26, 2015
Hello everyone! I got a new companion this week! His name is Elder Gullion. He is from Sacramento, California. He is 19 and has been on his mission for 11 months, the whole time in Ireland! I said goodbye to Elder Stevens on Tuesday and picked up Elder Gullion at the same time. This week was kinda rough because I basically had to do everything myself because Elder Gullion isn’t familiar with the area. Planning is the most stressful thing. Oh and I’m the designated driver now so I have to drive everywhere! Driving on the left side of the road is stupid.
Elizabeth has a baptismal date! November 14th! She really wants to join the church and loves having us over. The day after we gave her a date we went to see her and she was having some doubts 😦 She said she has financial problems, family responsibilities, and smoking problems so she doesn’t know if the 14th is the right date. I told her about how much baptism is going to help her in her life and Satan does not want her to get baptized. He will do everything he can to prevent it. I told her to pray for strength and if the 14th is the right date for her. Pray for her! I have so much faith in her.
The rest of the week was good! We got around to a lot of investigators to let them meet Elder Gullion! And Sunday was fun with everyone in the branch meeting him as well. They were pretty sad to see Elder Stevens go because he spent his first 7 months in Galashiels. An high councilman came to speak at sacrament meeting. He got up to the pulpit and said, “I just had a vision. The members here and the missionaries need to find a piano player. A lady who plays the piano is prepared to hear the gospel in Galashiels and you need to find her.” We play the hymns from a CD through the speaker because no one plays the piano in the branch. It was very interesting! We will start asking people that when we street contact or chap their door. “Oh and by the way, do you play the piano?” Should be good fun.
I was reading in Alma chapter 30 this week about Korihor and his teachings. Things that Korihor teaches are still in the world today. “There is no God. If you can’t see it, it doesn’t exist. Religion is a ‘foolish tradition’.” I see this every day as a missionary. Satan wants us to believe these things. I know that God exists and that He does bless our lives. Don’t listen to the Korihor’s of our day. Ask God if He really is there, if you don’t know already, and you will receive an answer. I love you all!
Elder Swenson
Scottish word of the week: stotter=a good example
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Elder Paul Swenson 