Flippin Phillipino

Bore da. (Welsh for "good morning")  Hope all are well. The comp is always saying flippin phillipino so that's my subject today. 😜 This kid is the man. Haha we are having so much fun. I have to watch my back because he uses his martial arts skills on me sometimes. I'm learning how to get beat up by a ninja so that's good.

My area is flippin beautiful! Like for reals. So pretty. I'm loving it so much. Like I said last week, I love wales. (: one day we took a two hour walk along the promenade and street contacted the whole way. Nobody wanted to talk to us, but there was a nice lookout point at the end. It's really fun to walk along the beach talking to people, but not the most effective cause nobody wants to talk to us when they're having a day out at the beach. 😜

So. Colwyn Bay. The branch here is really struggling. We're lucky if we get 30 people out on a Sunday. And a good handful of those are people coming from Chester, who have a calling to come help out Colwyn Bay ward. Our branch prez is a member of Chester ward. Nobody has been baptised here in more than a year as well. Me and elder Artates are really giving it our all. Trying our best to help out some less actives, and also trying to find people to build up the branch a bit.

We've had a couple miracles! One day we felt like we should go try by an investigator, she wasn't home, but as we were walking we heard "hey elders!" In a STRONG Scottish accent. Haha her name was Jill and she was super nice. She was with her son Louis, and they are moving from Scotland into our area! She is a less active who was baptized 15 years ago, and we think her two sons aren't members yet. So we've got a wonderful part member family to work with when they move here. Luckily I had some chocolate a member gave me that I gave to Louis and we quickly became homies. 😜

The elders are some of my boys elder Rodriguez, elder Charles and
the main man Cepeda. Ah man Ive made so many good friends.

The members here are wonderful. We get fed like everyday. Our main man Paul goes around every Sunday filling up our week with food appointments. Good stuff. (: a lot of great people here.

Well, that's us here, talking to loads of people and trying our best to rely on God to help us have an impact on this area. I love the words of Ammon in Alma 26, with God all things are possible. I feel a bit like Ammon. With My strength I can't do jack. But with God helpin me out, we can accomplish all things. I love you all! Have a great week!

HOME

Elder Edwards and Elder Artates.

So the 4th week in august on a Tuesday one year ago I was on exchanges with Elder Kaonohi in Colwyn Bay. Brand new, had no idea what the heck I was doing. And now 4th week in august on a Tuesday I am in Colwyn Bay with the main man Elder Artates. And still hardly have any idea what I'm doing. BUT. I cannot even begin to express how happy I am to be here. 😊  My fav senior couple the Baileys picked me up from Ashton yesterday and drove me down here back to WALES. We were driving through Rhyl area and oh man I was just so happy. I love this country so stinking much. 

The bay!!

Being back, makes me realize I felt out of place in England. I titled my email home, because I really just feel at home here in Wales. It might sound hoopdy, but I am just seriously so happy to be here. I just feel flippin amazing. (: I'll stop being a butt now and tell you about my week.

My fav family in Ashton. The Pawelchyks. (:

Last week in Ashton was a goodun! We met a young lad named Aiden. Set up a return appointment for 2 days later and he showed! Me and elder Morgan were on exchanges, and we taught him in Alma 7:10-15. Invited him to baptism and he accepted! He expressed how he just wants a new life, so baptism is perfect for him. We've got him set for the 16th. Oh man so happy about Aiden. I'm praying that all goes well with DP (Elder Devenport) and the fresh meat as they teach him. Elder Devenport is training by the way. That legend. Gonna miss that kid and laughing about vis all day. Love you DP! 

Squaw!! Gonna miss the boys.

We also had an incredible lesson with Matthew. We read three segments out of the Book of Mormon and it was perfect for him. The spirit was incredibly strong. Still got some obstacles on the way to baptism but he committed to pray and ask if he should be baptized on the 16th of September.

My fav person in Ashton, Andrew. He is the man.

Ashton has been great! Gotta lotta homies. But Colwyn Bay is the place to be. Elder Artates is a legend. He is from the Phillipines, loves to smile and make people happy. And he is a flipping ninja. He keeps telling me not to sleep because he might kill me as I sleep, but I'm not too worried. 😜  He has been here for about 8 months already and really didn't want to stay again, so we'll see how it goes haha. But he's great, love him. 

Artates

I love my Savior Jesus Christ, And I'm so glad to be home again, repping his name in wales! 

Mahal ko kayo!  (Filipino for "I love you all.")

-elder edwards (:

fab screen protector

Visibility level high

Vis crew out here

This week. Was good. Me and elder Devenport have been trying hard to find some people to teach. We've been talking to like a finity people. And outta those finity this week, 1 has been interested. So that's good! Her names Lou and we will be seeing her on Wednesday. (: 

E Kitch going home ):

I also did this nice maneuver where this kid wasn't interested, and was on the way to his girlfriends. I gave him a Book of Mormon to give to his girlfriend. Hope your baptized someday Mandy! That was his girlfriend's name. 😜

The main man

This weekend we went to the British pageant! Oh my days. It was the most amazing thing of my life. A recent convert here brought his non member mom and she loved it. Ah it was the best. Most amazing play I have ever seen. Top class fo reals. The spirit was well strong and I just loved it. Gave me a lot of motivation to keep talking to people, even if they ain't so interested, until we find the one!

Pageant

Went on exchanges with the zonies this week. Was a good time. I went with ya boy elder Anderson. Man that kid flippin charges in missionary work. We street contacted all day long, and talked to like a thousand people. It was well fun. Talking to everyone is something I've been working on lately, and he's good at that so it was a productive, and well fun exchange. (: yep! 

My MTC teacher brother Roggow! Literal legend

Things are good! Yessir I'm a Mormon, died in the wool, true blue, through and through. Love yall!
-Eduardo

Footy

Ashton described in one picture

We met an old fossil

Yes boy. It's been a pretty sick week. We've been laughing way too much about high vis (high visibility). ALL workers here wear high vis and it's the best. I got some high vis gear. I'll try and include a pic. Anyways... this week was great!

My vis

M still ain't meeting with us. Bummer. He's outta town rn hopefully we'll see him later this week. We ran into Alicia again on the street! Haha it was so funny she had like 4 serious questions for us, then she was done talking. She's still not ready to start meeting and hearing the lessons, but all good, someday. (: we met a some solid dudes this week (David, Dan) who we will hopefully be able to start teaching. It's been a great week, like 4 people actually talked to us! 😜  

Cruisin yo

Another one of them was this lady named Judith, she is a pastor at her church (not sure how that works) we had a great chat about the restoration and she was well happy when we gave her a book of Mormon. So that's good stuff. (: think that's about it for investigator friends... we've put in some seriously solid finding, talking to as many people as we can. We'll find somebody who's ready soon. 🙏🏻 our boy Andrew has been in the hospital this week for his burned legs. We've visited him like 3 times this week. He is a good good man.

Me, Andrew, Elder Devenport

Ya boy! Elder Melvin Russel Ballard came to our mission! And oh man the mission conference we had was well enjoyable. It was a much needed conference and really helped me feel a lot more optimistic about this area. There was a bunch of people that spoke, elder Hallstrom, elder Patrick Kearon (my mission president was the first missionary to teach Kearon!😳), Elder Ballard spoke and it was seriously good, he is such a funny man. He told us how a young kid met him one day, and somebody told him he just met an apostle. So he ran home and told his mom he met an old fossil. 😂 Elder Ballard is the man. 

z

That's me boy

But my favorite part, was the end. The MTC missionaries left, and all the general authorities left after Ballard was done speaking. So it was just us missionaries and sister and president McReynolds. Those two are the most amazing people. I love them so much. They both spoke to us, and it was so very good. It is amazing, you can just feel their love. They are the most genuine people. President used an analogy, you're lost in New York, and don't know where you are. So somebody gives you a map. But it's a map of Chicago. So it's no use to you. You try all these things, trying everything you can, but you can't get anywhere except with the correct map. He related it to how we need the right map in life. The map called the gospel of Jesus Christ. And how that's all we need to focus on. He talked about not focusing on changing our behaviours. But focusing on the map. 

Drenched

There is a quote from President Boyd K. Packer: 

"true doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior." 

I love this so much. God has some things he needs us to change. But focusing on our bad behaviors is absolutely miserable. It's hard to get anywhere if we just focus on trying to change what were bad at. But if we focus on Christ, and put him first, then he will change our behaviors that he needs us to change. I know that. For sure. Christ is walking with us, helping us as we seek to become more like him. I know he lives and that he suffered for all of us, so we can feel peace. I love him! 

And I love you all as well. I'm so grateful to have such incredible friends and family. Stay excellent my dudes.

-Eldwards

Ashton

written July 31, 2017

Well... things are mad slow here in Ashton. I think every single one of our appointments fell through this week. A is in the hospital with severe burns on his legs, S has fallen back into his old
habits. So that has been really sad. It's really hard to see people you love so much held down by addiction. Alcohol is the devils nectar in my opinion. So that's been kinda sad.

M cancelled loads of appointments this week. It just might not be his time. He will get there eventually. We found a couple new people this week, ones name is Evelyn and we will be seeing her tonight. Hopefully we can share a message that will touch her. (:

My boy Dave

We've been working super hard and trying new things to try and find people to teach but that's not what the Lords got in mind for us right now. I know that what the Lord wants to happen, happens. So I know this is what the Lord wants for us and our area. I know that as we keep the faith, keep working hard, keep striving to be more Christlike, He will lead us to somebody in his timing. Might not even be while I'm here in Ashton. Which is all good. (: 

Hump Day tradition of burning a white shirt.

Last night we met a girl named Alicia. The instant she saw us she started asking about the Book of Mormon, spirit world, and Adam and Eve. We were like woah what the heck. We talked for like 15 minutes. She said she'd never felt the spirit before. Later on she mentioned how talking to us helped her feel relaxed about all her questions. So we acknowledged that as the spirit. She was so prepared. But she didn't want to give us her number, address, or meet up again. She said she wasn't quite ready. So we said goodbye and off she went. It was an interesting experience. We have nobody to teach and At the end of a long tough week, we meet a girl who's really interested and prepared, but it isn't quite the right timing yet. Looking at it in my human eyes, it was frustrating. Frustrating to meet such an inquisitive and questioning and believing girl, but for us to not be able to meet again. But we tried to look at it through Gods eyes. He led us to her, to give her an experience of feeling the spirit. But it isn't quite her time to be taught by the missionaries. But we were part of his plan, in leading this girl to the truth. Maybe he'll lead us back to her, maybe missionaries years down the road will teach her. And whoever it is, it doesn't really matter. I'm just glad I was able to meet her, and share something that helped her in her journey. 

Sometimes enduring, in the mission and in life, we feel like we're not up to par. That were not as good as we need to be. But we need to just hang on. Hang on with whatever faith we have, and keep trying. I love Jeffrey R Hollands words "So keep loving. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow and forever." 

In other news, we had a zone conference, which was killer, it was my year mark, which was killer, ya boy Jarry had his farewell yesterday, (I spoke in sacrament meeting as well which was enjoyable), played lots of football in the mornings (which was killer), my boy dave from Chester drove down to have lunch with us, which was killer, I rode in Dave's trunk as he drove like a mad man, which was killer, I got absolutely drenched on Friday, which was killer. 

Life is good. I love 

it. And I love you all. Ta.

Rainerang

Tracting in the rain

written July 24, 2017

Hey all! It's been a pretty solid week. Last p day, we did some sports and stuff, the weather was well nice too. BUT. I drank no water and got super dehydrated so we had to stay in that night cause I felt like I was going to throw up. But it was a nice nap. 😜

Tuesday! We had interviews with president McReynolds then him and his wife joined us for our district meeting! Ah it was the best. Those two are the greatest mission president/wife. They are so genuine, so caring, and so in tune with the spirit. It is so good to have them in the mission. And it was so good to have them in our district meeting! We all really felt uplifted by the spirit. I love being able to plan out district meetings, it is the best. 

That day I went on exchange with elder Beckman! He has been here in the mission for two weeks. And he is a great lad! I had a lot of fun with him, we had 2 really good lessons with Mathew and this investigator named Stephen. Stephen is well prepared. He's a homie! He's got hair like how mine used to be haha. We taught him the restoration and he loved it. Unfortunately he moved out of our area, and now lives a minutes walk outside of our boundaries. |: so we referred him to the Hyde elders. Elder Beckman did great teaching the restoration as well! I was really impressed. So it was a great exchange. (:

Chocolate fountain on exchange.
That's Elder Beckman in the front.

We did a lot of finding this week, and we're able to find a couple new friends. Saturday night we felt particularly prompted to tract this street called Kenworthy avenue. We left the flat after tea to walk to this street. A buncha kids started following us and saying all sorts of terrible things and stuff. Kids here are proper nutters haha. Then we got bashed by a couple dudes while tracting. Then this one massive group of chavs started going crazy at us. We was like what's up with all the opposition? But then a lady came out of a house and walked over to us and apologised for her son and his friends. They all kept shouting at us while we talked to this lady. She seemed really sad and expressed that her baby girl had died a year ago, and it's been making her wonder. She was really interested, we gave her a pamphlet and got her number then her partner started screaming at her to stop talking to us.

So then we bounced outta there. But Satan works so hard against anything that's good! He didn't want us to find this lady so he was placing a whole buncha nasty people in the way to keep her from talking to us. But Satan never wins! Cause he's a hoopdy! (Yeah I said it Satan, come at me bro, do it you won't) Satan fights against all things that are good and true. That's why there is so much rumours and such, people trying to discredit the Book of Mormon and Joseph smith. Because Satan knows that those things are filled with light! And he doesn't like that. I know that where there is opposition, you can also find the light. Cause Jesus Christ always beats that hoopdy Satan. I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love living it and feeling the peace that comes from it. I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

-easy e

Devenportation

written July 17, 2017

Hey all! It has been one pretty killer week. Elder Devenport is the flippin best. This is his fourth transfer and he is a great missionary, really hard worker and likes to have fun. Funniest kid too. 😂 so it is super great. He is from Payson Utah, loves Donald trump, and is a major hoopdy. It's the best. (:

Elder Devenport found some dodgy underwear under his bed

We saw our good friends A and S a lot this week. They are both members struggling with addiction. S has made loads of progress since I met him. When I met him he was just completely hopeless and felt like he couldn't ever find happiness again cause he was just trapped by his addiction. But in just 3-4 weeks things have turned completely around. It's been amazing to see the light enter his life and even his countenance. It truly is amazing what Jesus Christ can do for us. Bring us from the lowest of lows, and help us feel that joy that we're all searching for. I love seeing people start, or start again to feel that. Nothing brings me quite that same feeling. (:

We got punked quite a few times this week, by people giving us fake addresses and stuff. It's been kinda lame. We've been talking to loads of people but none have really been interested. We are still seeing M though! The one who skipped on both baptisms last week. We had a great lesson last week, he's made a lot of progress, started believing in Jesus Christ and is looking to be baptised. He wanted to come to church but skipped out on that as well. All goods though. Hopefully we will be able to see him multiple times this week. We want to get him to a baptism this weekend. Good man.

My boy, Elder Cossa!

That's about it! A lot of my good friends went home this week. It was sad. ): my trainer elder Korth, the legend elder Cossa, elder Van Dyken, another Kaysvilleite elder carling. It was a lot of sadness. Good lads. Well I hope you all are doing well! Love you all!

-elder Edwards

A trunky Cossa.

New Dad

written July 10, 2017

Hey all! It's been a pretty good/crazy week. Last week we went hiking as a district. We were trying to find a pike of some sorts. We never found it. We found a dead lamb tho, which was better than a pike I think. It was some good.

We found quite a few new friends to work with this week. It has been really good. One man in particular named Tim is super interested. We will be seeing him this week which will be a good time. We are still working with Shaun and he's been to church two weeks in a row now. He is a super good man, it's been fun working with him. 

So M, that dude we've been seeing. He is a good man, but is really struggling with what we're trying to teach. He believes in God, cause he was touched by him. But he doesn't believe in Jesus Christ. He's been trying to discount Jesus Christ when we are with him. So we invited him to a baptism in Oldham on Saturday so he could found out if the stuff were teaching him is really any good. But. He didn't show. Which was sad. There was a baptism for the sisters in our district Sunday morning and he said he'd come to that as well, but didn't come. All good though. Hopefully we can see him soon, he really needs this gospel in his life.

We had a multi zone to welcome president McReynolds this week! And he is absolutely amazing. He is seriously so good. Such a humble man, and it SO refreshing to have him here. I did a baptismal interview for Morgan on Friday. It was really enjoyable. She is great and was super ready for baptism. The sisters have been working with her and she was baptised Sunday morning. Good stuff. (: 

I opened up our phone and this is what I found.

Tuesday we taught at a school. It was a real good time. We taught at bishops daughters class and another class. It was really fun I had never done anything like that before. Then we had a Fourth of July barbecue at the Fletchers. It was the best. They are the best for doing a barbecue for us. We had a water balloon fight as well which was real fun. Good times. (:

Getting the lad with a water balloon.

Well Elder Charles is leaving tomorrow. Sad day. He is a good lad. We've had some fun. But! My new companion is Elder Devenport, a legend. He was trained by my boy elder Cepeda. Should be really good! I'm really excited.

I've been thinking a lot about the peace that comes from Jesus Christ lately. Even when we're living in a tempest and storms and waves are beating upon us, we can feel peace and calm because of Jesus Christ. Because He is the prince of peace, and the only source of lasting peace. I love you all! Have a great week!

-elder edwards