Week #62 Croydon

Hey what's up family and friends this week went by really fast but I'll share a couple cool things.

     We taught our mate Akpan from Nigeria and he's reading the Book of Mormon and we will meet up with him again Friday! He's got a full family as well so it should be cool if we can get them all in the lessons next time. We had a sweet miracle before our teach with Akpan he wasn't there yet so we knocked on the door right next to his house and found a lady named Gloria from Nigeria and we are hopefully going to start teaching her and the family soon!  Then after we got a return apt. with her, Akpan walked around the corner ready for the teach! Lord works in mysterious ways! 

    Something crazy that happened is my old companion Elder Niuelua came back to the ward we were serving in Croydon with Elder Stark from Lone Peak! Wow it's going to be so fun with these elders here with us! Good fun and good work is going to happen! 

    I was reading in Jesus the Christ about how Christ taught the Apostles how to pray and I loved how it's explained but also how important Christ is in our prayers. We pray to the Father but in Jesus Christ's name. Something I want to do this week is focus on Christ and His sacrifice for me when I pray! 

    Love you all have a good one! 

    

-ELDER MCSPADDEN 

Exchange with Klobcic

 We're back together again!! 

 Temple

 South African food from the Reed's

Week #61 Croydon

Happy birthday to my Dad and my Mum this week!! I love you two so much and I'm grateful God put us together! I have learned so much from you guys and I wouldn't want anyone else to be my earthly parents. Love ya! 

    Another good week in London for Elder Dickey and I!! We found 11 new investigators which was fun. We do this thing called a harvest week where we just find as many people as we can so we can help more people come to Christ in the future. So Elder Dickey and I were going hard in Croydon!! We were on the high street talking to most people while doing banner contacting. Way fun! Just set up a picture of Christ and start preaching the good word to people! Sunday night at 8:55pm Elder Dickey and I were exhausted and probably could have just went inside or chilled in the car but decided to go and find just one more person... we got out of the car pumped and the first person we saw we stopped. It was an older couple and their names were Nicki and Derek! We are now meeting up with them tomorrow and teaching them about how Jesus Christ can meet their needs in life! Pretty excited for that! This week we also found a guy named Akpan from Nigeria! He's a beast. We stopped him as he walked past the picture of Christ and he just looked at us all puzzled so I said, "You alright mate?" Then he said how we made him feel so guilty cuz he is smoking in front of Jesus Christ and servants of God. He turned and went by he shopping center and started to cry because his life has been so messed up and he keeps running away from Christ! Elder Dickey and I bore solid and pure testimony that Jesus Christ can and will help him if he meets up with us! He looked up and said I know he can. So Akpan will see us tomorrow as well! I'm pumped to help this good man. Things like that is what makes this all worth it! Luisa came to church as well so that was good! She has some family issues with getting baptized but we are still working with her! 

   Something funny that happened this week is we went down to Hastings which is by the coast and did an exchange with the elders there. I was with Elder Botta from Italy and I don't think I have ever laughed harder! We were contacting on the beach and the way he did things was such a crack up. He went up to this guy who ignored his first contact and said, "hey listen to me man, I am important" in a strong Italian accent 😂 I was like wow that was bold. Just all day he did funny stuff but we had a good time and worked hard! After we went and had some ice cream at this place called Kaspas which was good! 

    I have started the Book of Mormon again and I was reading in 2 nephi about Nephi and the family in the promise land and I read a scripture talking about how they lived in happiness because of there righteousness! I love that because it's so true... as we choose the right and follow Christ happiness will come. True happiness! I know that this church is true and that Jesus Christ lives! 

    Have a good week every body!! 

    

-ELDER MCSPADDEN 

 Tunnels everywhere!!

 Maidstone District Meeting

 Kaspas with Hasting Elders

 Beloved Prophet Thomas S. Monson...

Week #60 Croydon

Hey Everybody,
   This week has been such a good week! Elder Dickey and I have been working way hard up here in Croydon. Before Sunday we had tons of teaches and then after Sunday we had none so Elder Dickey and I set a goal of finding 14 new friends. We are at 6 right now and these 6 so far are way solid! I'm pumped to find more and get a better teaching pool!! We were able to finally teach Luisa again on Sunday which is good. She's willing to keep meeting, reading, praying, and coming to church so that's good! She wants to know if it's true but she needs to do the things to get her answer! 

    Elder Dickey had his birthday on Monday and so we went to work!! We found 4 new friends which is cool. We then had a DA with a cool family in the ward the Hawkins and they gave us tons of pizza and we had a pizza party for Elder Dickeys b day haha good stuff. We then drove all the way to Welling another area in the zone to sleep over at the Elders flat to travel to MLC the next morning. We left for MLC and got stuck in the London morning traffic... we were so late but still made it! MLC was way good! Talked a lot about unity as a mission and how if we have the some goal and plans we can achieve great things! We also got approved for smart phones as a mission which is weird because I never expected that but it will be great to move the work forward! 

    Something funny that happened this week was we were with the Neiderbergers, some members in the ward from South Africa, having a DA with them. They wanted to learn a game so we taught them how to slap box. The dad was egging it on for the boys to do it and I have never laughed so hard the two of them going hard at each other with slaps😂 it's so fun to laugh and have fun with the members, it's always good! 

    Here is a quote from Elder Holland: "happiness is like a butterfly, the more you chance it the more illusive it becomes! When we focus on something else the more likely it is to land on our shoulder!" Happiness is a choice(: I choose to be happy!! 

   Have a good week!! 

Much love, 

-ELDER MCSPADDEN 

Elder Dickey's Birthday!!!