Dear Family,
So, it's been a good week. We've been really blessed and there are a few really good things coming through the pipe line despite the transfer week always being tough. Transfers were good. Elder Ruka went to Redditch which is just South of Birmingham and I got a new companion named Elder Tukuafu (say 2-ku-ah-fu) from Tonga. It's great. I've now had three companions from Pacific isles. Funny joke: I mentioned that my companion (then Elder Ruka) was from a Small island in the pacific and this American Elder I was talking to said that he was also from an island in the pacific. I thought he was totally joking but apparently he's actually from an island off the coast of Washington State so it was real-not what I was imagining when he said Pacific Island though. Elder Tukuafu is great though. His English is really really good which is just amazing. I can talk and explain things and it's just wonderful. I'm still getting used to being able to communicate openly with my companion. Elder Ruka was a great companion and I learned a lot from him about how your spirit and attitude often speak more powerfully than your words. He was obviously a good example of that. But it's good to get a fresh start with a new companion and get things really going. Also, the third area in the other ward in our district was reopened (Wylde Green where the mission office is A is the Assistants, B is the sisters there and C is the newly reopened area) so we now have five teams in our district! Woot woot! One of the assistants changed but other than that and Elder Ruka being replaced by Elder Tukuafu, everything in the district stayed the same.
So, Elder Tukuafu is really great. Here's a picture of him from a newspaper article before his mission.
Elder Tukuafu is really funny and happy all the time. It's great.
In other news, we're building great relationships with ward members and leaders and finding opportunities to teach which is great. We received a mormon.org referral from a woman who wants to learn and come into the church. After meeting with her the first time, we gave her a plan of salvation leaflet and in the next visit, she had studied it thoroughly and read all of the additional study scriptures. So, it was awkward trying to teach because she already knew and understood everything-there were just some things that were new to her. It was actually quite a challenge to teach based on that because I was so unused to it but it's also really amazing! We're really excited for her. She couldn't make it to church so pray that everything goes well over the next week and general conference and everything!
Other than that, there's a young teenage sort of recent convert we were told to visit. His family is awesome. Not sure why they didn't join the church when he did a few years ago but they haven't had contact with missionaries in a while. So, we came and we get a fresh start. They offered to feed us so we're going for dinner and a lesson tomorrow. I'm really excited. They are great! We have a number of less-active people we're working with as well and they're doing alright-two came to church on Sunday and brought their non-member grandson. There were more people at church than ever before while I've been in Walsall-even though none of our actual investigators came.
So ya, things are good and I'm learning a lot. We're going to hit the ground hard this next week (yay!) and it should be great! Also, the Zone Leaders started challenge week-three challenges per day and then points at the end. Today it's:
1. GQ a redhead
2. High Five a stranger
3. Introduce the Book of Mormon using pictures
We're going to win and also convince the other teams that we're not competing so they shouldn't either... Muahahaha! or, convince the Zone Leaders to make a prize for the District that gets the most challenges completed. We shall see...
Love you all and hope the September-October shift treats you well. Keep up the prayers, we always need them!
Elder Houghton
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