October 6, 2014

Hey Mom :) man, I loved conference!! it was so dang good!! I took so many notes.. I gotta bring my notes... Dad sent me the "Lord, is it O" talk by uchtdorf.... that was one of my favorites by far.. so dang good!! ill bring them next time so I can share more with you.. one I used as a spiritual thought was president Monson's talk about the ship... how the rudder was shot and broken and that made it sink.. how the ship could stand up to many ships alone but without the rudder it was almost usless... then compare that to Alma 37:40... it talks about the liahona... I have loved talking about being a good example lately.. I feel like if our rudder is in check we can know from our example if its true.... man I have so many things I want to be better at... conference is the best!

haha hiking in the cave.. that was so much fun!! I only saw a few of the videos, so I dont really know what was said but I'm glad you liked it :) we had such a good time.. I felt like I was back at home though, haha! not in a trunky way its just stuff like that we never get a chance to do.. it was fantastic!!! they probably got annoyed with all the stories I had about camping with you guys and stuff.. America is the best! people say my accent is still super American so I think I don't have an English accent.. my speach pattern is a little different and I use british slang but I'm still American! I think im going to be like dad and just come home normal. although, I would like a little accent, anything to help my chances ;) haha

I think the kids taking our rugby clinic just like the rugby.. but some of them have left their other friends and started to chill with the members... man when I think about the effect the gospel would have on those kids it's insane... it seems night and day.. I hope we we can help them in some way.. if not they will have fond memories of the missionarys when others knock their door.

I love studying the Plan of Salvation though, the scriptures back up everything. It is so true... I have taught it to a few people that love it and study it and ask loads of questions but for some reason a lot of people just seems to accept it and wait for the next lesson...... but it is Gods plan for us... if you have the plan you know what you have to do... thats a big deal. but we are teaching it this week.. we will let you know how it goes :)

We do have more people to teach.. its been really nice. finding is fun as well.. I think of all the things I have learned on my mission to do, finding is one of my favorite.. tracting, street contacting... its all great.. people can feel the spirit in just like two min of conversation... even like thirty seconds.. if they can see you care about them and want to help them then it changes everything.. I think its really fun :)

I love you mom!!

love Elder Wiser

October 1, 2014

The reason Sterling did not email on Monday. . . . . Some members of their ward took them to The Big Pit Coal Museum.  He was so happy about it, it's like cave exploring - something Sterling LOVES.  The member sent the pictures and the video to me.  Thank you Laurence Howells for the wonderful pictures and videos.  It was wonderful to see Sterling doing something I know he loves and to hear his voice.  I MISS HIM!!!!!  

Sterling was able to email us a quick note on Thursday - I will include it below.

Love you all - Laura

I'm Laurence, I live in the Merthyr Tydfil area and have been out teaching with You'r son a few times, he is a great missionary! Last Monday we went out for a p-day we ended up going to the Big Pit, he loved it.

The footage isn't great but from the talking you see that we enjoyed ourselves. Any way hope you enjoy the footage and handful of photos. 
Laurence

Man, so you heard from a few members this week? ha! thats pretty cool. I'm grateful they sent that stuff to you. This ward is so good. I love it here. Bishop called president and asked if he would keep us here for a long time, haha so Elder Palu might stay here for like eight or nine moths haha.  I'm pretty happy about it :) this ward is great!

I could stay here for around six months.. which would be next transfer. but i don't think they will keep us together for more than three transfers.. it doesn't happen very much. But Elder Palu is the rugby player and the reason for all the excitement :) I love bragging about him!! As long as he is here the ward wants to use his talent. so I'm here to plan and try and make stuff work so that happens..  it has been really good. it's going to be hard to switch to a comp who is not famous ha being known all over is a good conversations starter, especially in wales. Everyone loves rugby here.. cool beans!

I dont know if we told you but we are helping coach a little rugby team. mostly for visibility.. so we are in sports clothes with our badges on :) its been fun.. everyone asks if I play rugby and I just tell them American football... haha what I don't explain is that it was like backyard two hand touch haha ah man at least I can tackle though... thank you double leg take down.

love you mom!! have a great week :) ill talk to you on monday!

September, 29, 2014

This is Rhian Davies - she lives in the ward that Sterling is now working in.  She served a mission in England a few years ago and was companions with our dear friend Michelle Paskett.  What a small world.

I didn't receive a letter from Sterling today - so unless I hear from him tomorrow, this will have to work for a week.

Love you all - thanks for the support.

Love Laura

September 22, 2014

Hey :) things here have been great! we had a good week. man we
just had district p-day and we played indoor hockey, basket ball, and
pingpong. It was aweosme! I'm really tired. and... some bad news I lost
today for the first time in my mission life, in ping pong... I won like
five games then lost.... so I cant say I'm undeafeated anymore. noooooo!!!
but thats ok :)

Thats really cool with the temple! I will have to go there when I get
back. It's nuts that was still getting put together when I was home.
Time has a flown by! 

How is shelb liking highschool? you said she has quite a bit of work
but is she liking it? I don't remember hearing if she is doing sbo or
not... any extra corricular activities? I am starting to tell shelb
looks older.. it's good Stant is there to fight all the dudes off ha
only the prophets grandson :)

So this week was really good actually.. my goal was to learn how to
plan... so we got slammed with stuff to do. and most of it was time
comsuming so I'm a little better at planning! I think. yes! there was
loads of ward activities and stuff going on. I really feel like this
ward has come alive with missionary work. It's so good.

We finally saw Robert a few days ago. He had just gotten back from
holiday. We are seeing him tonight! It's going to be great. Elder Palu
and I have been trying to learn to scriprturs really well so we can
answer peoples quiestions using the standerd works. It's actually
pretty easy when you can just ask each other all day what this one is
or that one. sorta like learning a language I think.

We did loads of service this week as well.. Elder Palu and I wrestled!
I still got it :) I have gotten so much worse though.. I'm going to
have to hit stant with a stick a few times before we wrestle so I have
an even chance ha! what is his weight now?

Where are some places close to here Jay Lighthall and brother Call served? I could
be looking for people they taught. or sister albrechtson?

This week is transfers... it would be way weird if I moved, I'm not
planning on it at all but it is possible.. I hope not though becasue I
feel like things are really on the climb.. oh man which reminds me.. I
street contacted this girl in Newport and her family got baptised! how cool is
that? Elder Maligon got to teach a family!!! ahh man I'm so jelous I
want ot teach a family on my misison..

man I'm way tired... I have to get going soon actually. we have a
dinner apt and then we are teaching Robert. Things are great! I love
this ward and this area.

and I love you :)
have a great week!!
Elder Wiser

we had Redd, a member, come with us for service.. after we made him
dinner! we cooked a chicken on the fire. it was way fun... the chicken
didnt cook all the way though so I didn't eat it. Everyone else ate it and didn't
get sick!

this is at zone conference!! i gotta see the Newport team :) we just
laughed the whole time. I loved it :)

my teeth! so the guy here was pretty good but he missed a spot so it
still hurts and I can still only use half of my mouth... so I have to
get it fixed...... ahhh man I hate medical stuff it takes so much
time.... but I thought it would be cool for you to see my holowed out
teeth

September 15, 2014

moooooommmmmmm!! hey :) in this country they spell it mum.. and they
say it like that, ha I like mom :)

We had a really good week!! Elder Palu's feet are doing great. We
actually walked around many many miles in his frist week.. and it
pulled the ligament in his foot.. so he was told not to walk for a
month... we still did though and he has been blessed.. its healing and
we are still walking :) the bikes as well we have been cycling loads.
I have two huge locks..  the houses here are to small to bring them
inside with us... everything here is so small and close.. ah man.. but I'm keeping
my eye on them. :)

Nine months left!! ya! its so weird.... I'm going to be home soon ha.. I dont
know if I wanna come home. ha! Can I just be a missioanry and you guys
come live here?  I love being a missionary.. 

***Note from laura (Sterling ran into a group traveling from Layton Utah.  When they found out he was from Pleasant view they offered to give his Mom a call.  So I got a call from a sweet sister telling me how wonderful my son was, how happy he looked, and that he was a great missionary.  here are the pictures she sent me.  The one of him writing is when he was writing down my number to give to her).

***Back to Sterling

its cool those guys sent you those picturs.. it was so good to see them.. I wanted to hug
them all. I miss how Americans speak so bad.... I dont even talk like
that anymore... ah man.... good news though I'm not actually trunky :)
I miss home sometimes but I really have gotten used to it here.

Its nuts thinking sis is home.... ah man I'm really nervous to come
back... I still have so much to learn. What you were saying about our
missions is true, that we are called to a people and a mission president..... this mission I feel like I came to learn how to
be obidient.. sometiems baptisms follow, sometimes they don't.. the
tough part is you can work really hard and have nothing happen and you
can do nothing and have nothing happen ha.. I think thats why so many
people that serve here have become apostles, beause you have to keep
going even if nothing happens.... I have honestly had transfers where
we work our guts out and nothing happens you just gotta learn about
how to do what God wants no matter what :)

Shelb is old, I Can't believe she is driving!! ha and Stant is a senior in high school.. that is so
weird.. at the end of this school year i'll be home and he will already
have his call.. man I hope we are still as good of friends after he
serves as we were before... I won't really see him for 4 years.... man
that sucks. I love that kid.. I cant wait to wrestle him though. it's
going to be hard because I have gotten used to the thick air here and
haven't properly done it for two years..... but i'll still win :)

We do have a few cool stories though :) we have a few more people to
teach!!! so first thing.... we have been playing touch rugby with a
bunch of kids that live around gellideg (gethlideg) and we invited
them to youth and nine came!!!! nine!! it was great :) and they are
planning on coming again next week. it's good to have a full team to
play with.

A cool thing though so we were taking the bus to aberdare and there
was these kids that were laughing at us.. I say kids but they are
probably 18.. soooo my age ha so men and women :) but they started to
point so I was being a little cheeky and asked if they wanted a
autograph. So turns out they weren't making fun of us they were
actually excited to see us. They had seen the book of mormon musical
and had never seen missionarys before. So the bus ride is about 45 min
long and we talked the whole way. they asked questions about what we
do and I taught a chunk of the restoration. About half way through
some other people started to listen and I ended up giving a little
sermon with like four people. haha! when I read Eric Stakebakes emails
and he says he stands up and talks to a whole bus.. that is really
cool... I kinda want to try it but I think this is as close as I will
get. ha! we have a return apt with them this week and its going to be
sweet!! she wanted to send a snapchat to her friends so I pulled out
the book of mormon and we all held one and took some picutres :) I
love it when people ask questions!!!

we also had a meeting about training... so they serperate trainers and
trainees and we learn different stuff. it was a great meeting.
president talked about applying what we study.. if we do that there
will be constint improvement... and thats what we should be trying to
do :)

Oh man as well... elder palu is going to coach a rugby team! that or
just do some training... we are getting it cleared right now but he
will be put in the paper and stuff so it will help with visibility.

Elder palu is a stud by the way... I'm honestly not even training... he
is such a good missionary.. He is a great teacher and really knows how
to follow the spirit. The best is how he just goes for everything...
talking to somone. he never was scared or anything :) fear God more
then man ha the man!!

So the other day I caught a huge spider during lunch and Elder Palu
just tipped the container over and put it on his face. haha! so I'm glad
he didnt see me with a huge stick and bowl to capture it haha I have a
picture i'll put it on :)

Well this transfer is almost over! Its gone really fast... flip!! with
everyone going home I gotta make time go slower haha everyone is
leaving home or married now a days... I'm glad you only work half days
ma so we can still chill ha and tuff as well :) is she still alive? oh
flip.... tuffyyyyyy!!!!

Man we had some other cool stuff happen but its just potential stuff
right now... this week there will be stuff :)

Well I really love you guys!! have a great week :)

September 8, 2014

Hey family!! man I gotta be speedy becuse we are going to cardiff but some really cool things have happend..

so the other day we were in tesco and a lady asked about my badge.. so after a bit of a chat and some lame jokes im always good at i gave her our number. she called two days later leaving a message about how it had been an answer to her prayers! she had been praying weather or not to go to the mormon church and if she should then she should meet some mormons.. and she "bumped" into us :) we are going to teach her this week. her name is lynn.

there was this other dude.. his name is adam i think.. but elder palu and i were playing some sport and since i became a really small human a few weeks haha i got pushed into a wall by one of the elders..and smashed the phone. so we had to buy a new one and the guy who served us said its weird not having missionary that dont recognize me.. he had a hard time coming to church when he was being taught bofore because of distance but he lives right next to the church now!! and i got smashed so we could meet him :) everything happens for a reason.

the members here are really getting excited about missionary work as well.. we have had a few less actives and members come to church... we have been so blessed. everyone that we have been able to speak to god has prepared... it just shows how much god loves all of his children.

funny story this week... elder palu crashed on his bike..... its terrible that i laughed so hard but he was being a goof and passed me in a high gear so he was pedaling really fast.. in the middle of the road... so a car was behind him and he beeped at elder palu.. it scared him and he swerved and hit the curb and belly flopped on the pavement hahaha ah my goodness im laughing right now!. i laughed for a half hour when it happend.. im the worst compannion ever. he just has a few scratches and tore his cloths but we are all good :) it was right next to the chapel so we cleaned him up and all is well.

things are great though.. the church is true :) people are prepared all over the world. throw a little bit of doctrine and covenants 4 in there.

i love you guys!

elder wiser

oh man i met a bunch of american from layton yesterday :) :) they were on tour. it miss your accent so bad.. i wanted to hug them all ha i gave some of them your number and some pictures so you might be getting some in the next few weeks. haha i loved it so much.... all of the americans are all the people in pants :) thats what one lady said haha ah man makes  me laugh.. pants are underwear over here so all the english people had a laugh.. i love americans they are so friendly. i ffelt like i was best friends with them and i only spoke to them for like five min.

August 25, 2014

hey mom!! things are going great :) i have a little bad news though... elder palu... his first few days we worked a bit to hard and he has strained his feet and isnt allowed to walk much for the next three weeks...... three weeks!!!!! we taught more lessons this last week then this area has seen for a long time.. so thats a bit sad but we are hoping that we can make something work so we can still get around and heal him up :)

man i hate getting the ball rolling and then feeling like we have to start from scratch again... but maybe we are supposed to meet someone on a route we wouldnt normally take or something..

how is school going? its nuts Shelb is in high school.... man its going to be weird getting back.. I'm getting to the point where I'm getting nervous about it.. I would be comfortable staying here for a long time.. since we have to stay in the apartment and cant really leave anywhere I have been watching conference and reading the scriptures a lot... and before I get back I'm going to set myself a member missionary vision... things I wanna do, pray for and stuff... being a missionary really is the most fulfilling work anyone could ever do. and I wanna continue one for when I get back :)

ah man.. I picked out a missionary that I think dad was just like.. his name is elder grouhui.. he is german.. one of the hardest working missionaries I have ever met... I never saw a pair of shoes on him that looked new and shiney.. he worked so hard for his whole two years.. but whenever I would just talk to him he was hilarious :) his memory of movies and music was fantastic and he was someone I liked being around.. I wanted to serve with him so bad but he went home last transfer.. I want to be a missionary like that 

So I had something I wanted to share but I'm out of time... there was a bunch of emialing to do today. I have some pictures.

the thought was on a talk called "Help Them Aim High" by president Henery B Eyring

I loved the scripture Isaiah 40 29-31... true that :)

so the new people are elder palu and omakaru. he is irish! he grew up in what sounded like the ninth distirct.... so i may have heard him wrong but it was cool anyway!

thats the harry potter bridge... cool picture eh?

that is elder omakaru

well i love you guys loads :) i hope ya have a good week. be safe.

this is a fire in the rain ha good old wales :) we wanted to get rid of some stuff so we burned it. it was fun!! i felt like a missionary serving in England in this one ha