Transfer week

Hello! This week has been a great one!  Transfers are taking place tomorrow at 9:30!  I can't believe this transfer is already over.  I went by in the blink of an eye.  Elder Johnson is a super great companion and missionary, and i am most definitely going to miss him :(  We get along great, work great, and look great! ;)  hah!  It's been a blast!  Sad it's coming to an end...  So President Called us last night, and he asked if i would train.    It'll be fun.  I'm excited! >
  Monday: WE WENT DOWNTOWN!  It was a party and a half!  It's not what i was expecting however.  It wasn't as busy as i thought it was going to be.  It's not that big of a city.  We went with Jared.  He's awesome!  We went to this super duper yummy pizza place.  I guess they are one of a few restaurants that have approval from Italy to make pizza.   Everything is imported from Italy.  It was way good though!  There was this guy named Wholly who sat next to us.  He pointed us out as Mormon missionaries, and sat by us while we ate.  I guess he was famous.  He's the man responsible for making Pittsburgh a food scene.  He was nice.  We then went to point park and to the fountain.  It was a lot of fun!  We saw the 2 stadiums.  PNC and Heniz.  We went back to the car since we were running out of time.  It was a great day!
Tuesday: We did service like usual.  After we went to visit Sister H.  We taught her the plan of salvation.  But her husband sat in!  He's not a member, and he wanted to learn more!  We picked him up as an investigator!  Sister H was so happy.  She really wants to get married in the temple!  Then we had dinner!  Our night fell through...
Wednesday: We had our last district meeting.  It was really fun!  We have such a great district, and it's going to be different without a lot of them!  3 are getting transferred.  After we went and Visited with A and K.  We went on an exchange as well.  Elder Little came to our area with me.   Then we had dinner with the Memmott's.  Bro Memmott came to Utah this this past weekend because he is interview at BYU.  Hopefully he gets the job!  After we taught Book of Mormon class.

Thursday: This day was awful.  Literally nothing happened.  We got 3 media referrals, but none of them wanted to talk to us.  It was a faith day.  We had dinner at the Mickelson's.  That was really fun!  They're a great family! We also saw H. We taught her about the Book of Mormon.  She really liked it!
Friday:  Another faith day.  We didn't have much luck lesson wise...  Our day was planned, but for some reason it kind of fell through.  We had a lesson with P, but during the lesson the sisters called twice.  So we assumed it was important.  We answered, and they said they had a flat tire and they need us to come fix it for them.  They called the office, but they told them to call us.  P said he knew how to change a tire, and he'd love to help!  So we went and fixed the sisters tire.  After we had dinner at the Zebraski's.  Our dinner appointment cancelled, so they said we could come have dinner with them.  After we went to see Y, but he wasn't home...
Saturday: Today was awesome!  We had so many appointment.  We had 4 appointments right in a row!  Some how we stayed on time.  We saw sister h, sister h, sister E, and Sister M.  It was a crazy day!  We had dinner at the de Poix's.  It was great!  Then we went and helped the Zebraski's with some service.

 Sunday: Only one LA of ours came to church.    We had a great lesson with Mr. H. about faith.  He's read Mosiah, Alma, and Helaman all in the past 3 weeks!  He really likes the BoM now.  After we had a lesson with G.  It was a great lesson on the Holy Ghost.  He said that the lesson's are helping him, and he just needs time and he'll come back!
  It ended up being a great week!  Sister Holmstead, Elder Johnson, and Sister Nay are getting transferred.  It's a sad day!  We have a great district.  I get my trainee tomorrow at 12!  Have a great week!  Talk to you next week.

 Love Elder Birrell

Faith week.

Hello!

This week was a little rough...  A lot of our appointments cancelled.  Surprisingly though, we remained productive and the week went by in a flash!  Not a whole lot happened.

We went and taught a less-active member.  He is suffering from a concussion, and now he has pneumonia.  We showed up at his house, and he freaked out!  He was so mad we were there, then the next moment he was crying...  He said he was so sorry, and he asked us to forgive him.  He said that his diabetes makes his sugar level really high, mixed with his sickness.  I gave him a blessing of healing, and he said he was peaceful and tingling!  The spirit was super strong!  I felt it go through my arms into his head.  It was crazy.  I almost got teary eye'd.  We also taught H this week.  She recently got a job downtown.  She has been exhausted each night, so we haven't been able to meet with her.  We finally saw her on Friday, and she seemed really happy!  She is down to 5 cigarettes a day now!  She is continuing to be so converted in the gospel.  It's incredible to see.  We also saw her last night, and talked about the Book of Mormon.  She loves reading it, and she is seeing  how it is applying in her life!  Soon she will be ready to be baptized!  We committed Y to be baptized.  He didn't come to church, but he wants to be baptized.  We also been working with his mom. They both a really awesome.  That was pretty much our week!  It was a good week.  We taught 10 lesson's.  I just don't really remember what happened.  There weren't any milestone lessons.  The works just plugging along.  Have a great week, and i love you guys!  I know this church is true.  I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  I know that if we "treasure up the word" we will not be deceived in these last days.  The world is holding up their signs high in the air.  We need to raise our flags of righteousness, and not just stand by the way side as evil pushes forward.  We are the Lord's hands here on the earth.  I love this gospel and the joy and happiness that it brings into my life.  I love the atonement.  It is such a powerful gift from God.  Love ya!

Elder Birrell

Week 16

Well.  I can't believe we are on our last 2 weeks.  This transfer has gone by in a flash!  I'm excited for next Monday though...  A member is taking us to Downtown Pittsburgh.  That'll be super fun!  But i am more excited for the coming week.  The work in our little area is really excelling!

Monday: As usual, was not very successful.  For some reason, our plans on Monday always fall through.  The weather was bad as well, so we weren't able to use the car to travel.

Tuesday: We saw Sister F again.  She never answers or calls us back, so we always just show up.  It was a great lesson though!  She said that she is going to get active again.  She knows she needs to come back to church.  She isn't happy with the baptist church anymore.  She's really hard to pin down.  

After we went to see sister M and H  Sister M wasn't there so we just taught H!  We asked if she'd be baptized and she said yes!  She said she was thinking about it again.  She always feels peaceful when we leave.  She was super open to the church.  The spirit in the lesson was super clear.  Everything just clicked.  

Later that night, we went to the Addiction Recovery Program.  It's church sponsored, and focuses on the atonement.  It's a great class, and we're going to try and get more of our investigators to come!  

Wednesday:  We had our district meeting.

After we went to teach A and K.  J was there again, so we taught her about the book of mormon.  Right when K walked in J had to leave.  K brought her friend with her, so we closed the lesson with J, and said an opening prayer to teach K and her friend.  It was awesome!  We taught them the Plan of Salvation.  She liked it all, and said she's going to get her mom to come! 

We had BoM class that night, and it was amazing!  It was only us, the sisters, and J.  The spirit was so strong though, and we all learned something crazy awesome!

Thursday: We had an awesome lesson with P.  We taught him about the BoM and prayer.  He said he was going to come to church this Sunday.  He said that the spirit told him he needs to live righteously again.  It was a successful lesson.  

We taught sister H.  She asked how she can protect her family from the evils of the world.  We basically told her she needs to start teaching them the gospel while they are young, and that is what will protect them.  It'll guide their choices, and they will be more sensitive to the spirit.  

We taught H at the Memmott's house.  We had planned to teach her this quit smoking program we have, but there wasn't enough time.  She said she isn't giving us her cigarette's.  We were bummed, but decided that the only way to get her to quit is to continue to do what we are already doing-teaching.  The spirit will be the one that helps her quit.

We also had 2 lesson's with members seeking referrals.

Friday: We went and taught sister H, and the same nurse form last week was there.  She was still interested in the gospel!  She said the missionaries we referred her to contacted her.  It was awesome!  She met with them Yesterday.

We had a lesson with sister S, and taught her tithing.  That's what she has an issue with.  We also committed her to come to church.  We promised her so many blessings.  She didn't come.  One day she will.

Saturday: We went to teach sister F. again.  She had the flu though.  Her son who is 16  answered and we asked if we could teach him!  We had an awesome lesson about the BoM with him, and he said he is going to read it.  We are following up with him this Tuesday.

We had a lesson with H later that day as well.  We continued to encourage her.  We compared her life right now to the Joseph Smith story.  She feels like so much darkness is around her.  But like Joseph Smith, the light will come.  She needs to continue to seek it. 

We had dinner at the zebroski's after.  It was delicious and super fun!

Sunday: We went to church.  No one we are teaching came...  It was still a great service.  After we taught brother m.  We helped address some concerns.  He is still struggling with how emma smith felt with the whole polygamy thing.  That's his biggest hang up.

It has been a great week!  I love being a missionary!  It's so fun!  Elder Johnson is such a great missionary, and i am honored to be his companion.  Transfers are coming up, and i'll probably be training.  If i can be half the trainer he was, i will have succeeded.

Love ya!

Elder Birrell

"Many are cold but few are frozen"

With a sign like this......we needed to tract that house.

Clearly, by the title of my email.  It was a pretty cold week.  Again there was a polar vortex thing at the beginning of the week.  Temperatures were in the low-single digits.  However, it didn't slow us down one bit.  The Lord has truly blessed us!  Elder Johnson's eye is healed an healthy again.  Our area is once again experiencing another successful week.  15 lesson's, and 2 new investigators- yet again.  We are really focusing on remaining as humble as we can, so the Lord doesn't humble us.  hehehe.

Monday:  It was cold.  We went to the mall so i could get a few things, and get a hair cut!  It was much needed, and i fell like a new man.  Ready to baptize my area.  We didn't have any "success" numbers wise this day, because it was so cold.

Tuesday:  It was a great day!  Tuesday's have turned into one of our best days in the week.  First we had a lesson with Sister H.  It was a great lesson!  We discussed the BoM.  We committed her to come to church, and she did!  She even bore her testimony.  They are both making a lot of progress.  After we had a lesson with Sister M and her grand daughter, C.  Sister M has been going through health problems, and we recently learned that she needs a new heart!  We watch the Mormon message "Mountains to Climb".  The spirit was so strong and she was crying.  We talked about enduring to the end, and our Heavenly Fathers love for us.  We left on a really good note.  She seemed comforted, and she's still pressing on!  After we had a lesson with H.  We talked about baptism, but it turned into the BoM.  She has started reading a chapter or two a night.  She is in 1 Nephi right now.  She had a lot of questions on what is happening.  I was able to answer them, because i have recently restarted the BoM and highlighting everything that pertains to desire.  So we discussed what she's reading, and she really enjoys the BoM.  

Wednesday: We did our exchange this day, with the Greensburgh elders.  Elder Johnson went to their area with Elder Little.  His companion (whom he is training) came with me to Penn Hills.  It was a great day!  We taught a less-active women, and then A. and K.  Except, A. had finally invited her friend whom she had been talking about for the last 3 months!  Her name is J., and we taught her the restoration.  She really liked it, and wants to learn more.  She said she is looking for a church, and hasn't found one she likes.  Great lesson.  After we went to the Memmott's and then attended BoM class.  it was a great day!  It was different teaching with a new an less experienced missionary.  You really take for granted the unity you have with your other companion when it comes to teaching.  It was great though.  I enjoyed being with him.  He is a great missionary!

Thursday:  We had our district meeting, and interviews the President Topham.  After we didn't have anything...  We tracted for 2 hours.  But if there isn't anything else to do, it's the only thing to do.  We actually ended up picking up a pretty good potential investigator.  We are going to follow-up with her this week!

Friday: It was a great day!  We went and taught Sister H.  She is old, and isn't able to make it out to church.  We felt like we should visit her though.  When we were there her nurse was totally interested in the gospel, and wants us to send missionaries!  It was so awesome!  We taught her about the BoM and the restoration.  The spirit was really strong.  After we went and taught Sister S.  We talked about church and the importance of it.  We committed her to come and she said she would.  She didn't end up coming... :(  Later, we felt impressed to try and see Sister F.  We went.  She was home.  She had a friend who's house just burnt down.  We taught.  Got a new investigator.  Had such an awesome lesson!  Pretty much sums it up!  They were both super interested!

Saturday: Another great day.  We taught Sister S. briefly.  Then we saw Sister F. and her Niece again.  We committed them to come to church.  They said they would, but they didn't.  We also had a super powerful lesson with H. that night.  We talked about tithing and the WoW.  We committed her to be baptized on February 22.  She was so excited, and said she would!  We committed her this week to stop smoking.  We have arranged for members to go over to her house each day and help her out (read scripts, talk, etc.).  She was so excited!  It was the most powerful lesson ever!

Sunday:  It was a great day.  We visited a lot of members to seek more referrals.

It was a great week!  Love ya guys!  Thanks for everything, and i hope you have a great week!  I love being a missionary!:)

Elder Birrell

A great week in PA!

We had 75 egg rolls at a member's house.  They were DIVINE!!!!

My companion had to get new glasses......I suggested these!

A door that bright was just asking us to come and knock on it....hehe

I love the snow!!!!!

First of all.  I'M GETTING A HAIRCUT TODAY!  I'm so excited.  I can't stand this long hair any longer.  You might as well call me Rapunzel now.  I just swing through our house by my hair.  That's how long it is.
  It's been another GREAT week!  Better than last week.  We taught of total of 15 lessons, and we picked up 2 new investigators.  The work is thriving in this area.  It's stressing me out, because things are going a little too good.  I pray the Lord doesn't "humble" us... heheh We are always giving thanks for everything.
  Monday was pretty good.  We went and visited with Sister K, and talked about 1 Nephi 8.  We taught her how to find peace, and how the Holy Ghost helps us.  I also gave her a pretty sweet blessing afterward.  I am starting to like giving blessings more and more.  They aren't as scary as they used to be.  I'm beginning to understand the spirit more and more each day.  He's hard to hear, but he's always speaking.

 Tuesday we did an exchange with the zone leaders.  I went with Elder Jones (ZL) and Elder Stevens (ZL) stayed in our area with Elder Johnson.  They had a great day.  They taught 4 lessons and picked up a investigator!  My day was awesome!  It was a lot of fun.  First of all, it was dumping snow all day.  So naturally i was already walking on sunshine.  Elder Jones was super fun.  He's a really good missionary.  He knows what he's doing.  We went and shoveled some people drive ways.
 Wednesday was great!  I was still with Elder Jones.  He set the alarm for for 5:45.  That's when he gets up to work out.  I barely get up at 6:30.  I just fell off the bed (bringing everything with me) and slept on the floor.  I hate the mornings.  I am not a morning person.  Once i was up and going i felt great!  I got my energy back, and was worked out a bit (the 30 minutes allotted).  We met up with Elder Johnson and we switched back.  It was a super fun exchange!  I was glad to be back with Elder Johnson though.  We've really figured out how to work with each other.  He feels more like a brother instead of a friend.  Which is great!    We just get to work, have fun.  YOLO every day.
  Thursday was pretty fantastic.  We taught a less-active women and pretty much promised her all of this awesome stuff if she'd come to church.  She said she would.  She is really close from getting active again!  After we went to teach a family in our ward to try and get a referral.  They called us right when we were about to knock on the door, and they said not to come.  They had the flu:(  So we went tracting for a bit, and picked up a sweet potential investigator!  It was FREEZING cold!  We went to the car, and we pulled into a drive way that was on a slight incline, and the car got suck!  It took us 40 minutes to get it out.  We ended up pouring wind shield fluid under it, and scrapping off the ice.
  Friday was another great day!  We had a lesson with B.  We went and saw sister H, and potential picked up her nurse as an investigator, and then we taught Sister K!  It was so cold though that night, it snowed a lot so we weren't able to go out that night.

  Saturday was sweet!  We had a sweet lesson with P.  A less active who said he'll come back to church.  After we had a lesson with H.  Then we had a lesson with G.  It was a great day! Very busy.  Very snowy.  There is a guy that moved back to the ward who has joined our companionship.   and he was previously Muslim.  He grew up in the church here, went to Cali and turned Muslim.  Now he's back and he prayed on Wednesday and received his answer that this church is true!  He has such a powerful testimony.  He is fully converted now.  He was with us for 4 hours on Friday and Saturday just carting us around and teaching.  All we did was testify of what he would say.  He was addicted to a lot of stuff, so it was really helpful with H. to get her to quit. He's also saved our butt on miles as well.  We have been so over, but he's driven us around the past 3 days so we are on track again!

  Sunday they cancelled church.  We went and had church with the Z's and the sisters.  I went on a split with Bro Memmott to teach brother M.  Elder Johnson's eye was burning all day, so he stayed with the Z's and rested.  His eye still hurts, but hopefully it gets better!

  IT WAS A GREAT WEEK AND I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!  Have a great week!  Love ya guys.
  Elder Birrell