Just keep on keeping on!

Elder Linden, me, and Elder Munson showing off our English cufflinks...fancy.

This last week has gone so well, we're really happy about it. The beginning of the week kind of went by as usual, except for the fact that we've gotten a lot more effective at shooting off Emails and doing online work, but other than that pretty it was just normal stuff. Well, Thursday we had Zone Conference, though, and it kind of changed a lot for us, or at least for me. One of the presentations given at Zone Conference was by the Haywards Heath Sisters, and they talked about the power of music, and the variety of ways that we can use music in our proselyting. Well... to be honest, I had a pretty hard heart about it all at first. As Sister Steffensen was saying, "Yeah, we went knocking with our ukuleles and found new investigators!" I thought, "Yeah... I went knocking with my guitar, and no one would let us sing for them..." And when they talked about playing music for people on the street, I thought about the one lady that let us sing for her on the street, and then didn't accept any kind of return appointment... Well, my mind was pretty reluctant to try, but I felt a distinct impression to carry my guitar with me everywhere I went.

And you know, it was really cool.

Instead of just talking about whatever from back home between appointments and stopping people on the street, I just played the guitar and sang hymns. It really helped me to center my thoughts on the Savior, and to feel the Spirit much more strongly. We got a number of promptings that we wouldn't have even thought of that lead to cool miracles, but more on that in a minute.

We also tried using music in the few lessons we did have. There was this one former investigator whose door we knocked on, and we decided to sing for her "Come Follow Me". And even though she didn't accept a return appointment, I felt the Spirit so strongly testify that what we were doing was right, which was wonderful. So, I really have to thank Sister Steffensen and Sister Vande Merwe for having given that presentation, because now, I rarely leave the flat without my guitar hanging off my shoulder.

Let me tell you about a few of the amazing experiences we had this week. First, while we were contacting down towards town with the guitar, and just trying to stop everyone we could, I looked up and saw this woman on a balcony. So, I shouted up to her and asked if she wanted to learn more about the Book of Mormon and Jesus Christ. She said, "Uh... Come back Saturday at 1:00." And rushed inside. We didn't expect much of it, because usually, those appointments don't come through. But, we came back anyway with a member and knocked on her door. A woman answered the door, cursed at us, and slammed the door. But, we were confused, because the number she had given us was on the other side of the building... So we knocked the rest of the building, and got no answer. So, we walked back outside, and this guy was leaning out of the same balcony, and he asked if it was us who knocked on his door. We told him yes, and that we were talking about Jesus Christ, and asked if we could come up and share our message with him. He agreed. Turns out, he's a 19-year-old Bishop and overseer of five Pentacostal churches, and we invited him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon, which he agreed to do. We should be seeing him again this week.

After we met the woman on the balcony that day, we went and tried busking in town center. Basically, I just played and sang under an overhang (since it was raining) and Elder Barney tried to stop people. We didn't have incredible success, but we had a less-active member that we'd never met approach us and start talking, and found another guy who lives right next door to some of the members of the ward, so that was pretty cool.

Our super cool miracle this week, though, was with this Portuguese family. We met the mother a few weeks ago in the town center, and I spoke with her in kind of a broken conversation... It's pretty difficult to understand Portuguese, but she could understand my Spanish just fine. She said it would be better if we didn't come around, because her mother had just had a bad fall, but she gave us her address anyway. Well, yesterday in church, a South African/Portuguese Sister Marcos (who is such an amazing member) came up to us and said, "Hey! You met some of our family friends a few weeks ago!" Turns out it was the same family. So, we felt impressed to stop by and bring a copy of O Livro de Mormon. When we knocked on the door, the woman was so excited, and invited us in. I had difficulty understand what she was saying, but she introduced us to her mother, and she mentioned that we were the ones who had prayed for her. Her mother started crying, because I guess she felt that she had gotten better because of the prayer. We spoke with them for a little while, and then set a time to come back and talk more. We also spoke a little with her son, who's in his mid-twenties, and who speaks English, and it was so great, because he pretty much just asked if he could come to church with us next Sunday. So great! We're really excited.

As for food adventures, we've not been too crazy lately. We made lamb hearts again, and decided to try dragonfruit. It was okay, kind of like kiwi, but a bit less sour. It didn't really have a super strong flavor to it. Elder Barney makes great breakfast burritos, but he doesn't cook much more than that. So, I do most of the cooking, which I don't mind too much.

First time eating Dragon Fruit.

What a gourmet cook! Lamb Heart with Mash.

Oh, online's been picking up stellarly, by the by. I've been calling around to the other areas in the mission, and the Eastbourne Sisters, the Polegate Elders, and the Kennington Sisters are giving us referrals like crazy. AND we're actually having people email us back! Wow! So cool. It's such a great experience.

By the by, yes, those were the cufflinks that Pauline gave me and Elder Munson.


So... Yeah! There's our week. The Lord does provide. We're really excited to keep on keeping on. Our goal is to make this area one of the most effective in the mission. We'll definitely do it.

Love you so much!

- Elder Green