February 29, 2016

This is Mason's e-mail from today - he is getting transferred! And, next Monday, March 7th is Mason's 21st birthday so I am sure he would appreciate hearing from anyone who has a minute to write to him before next week and wish him a happy birthday!! (His e-mail is mason.wynder@myldsmail.net)

Well I am moving back up to the Highlands but I'm going to the most northern part of mainland Scotland - Thurso. Also they are getting the dream team back together I'M GOING TO BE WITH ELDER KINVILLE AGAIN!!!!!!!!!! (Elder Kinville was his companion for one transfer when he was in Dublin). Which also means I will be going on exchanges in Inverness so I will get to see all the members there. We will have to see if we can talk the district leader into letting me have my birthday in Inverness because I think there really isn't that much up in Thurso. The Ewarts are sad that I am leaving I called them last night and told them and Allen said he was hoping I could baptize him. It is really crazy how little time I have left it is going to go by so fast!

So any way this week on Tuesday we had district meeting it was really cool we had three districts all together for a big district meeting. Then the district leader and his companion came up to Montrose and blitzed the area with us. Me and the DL went to Arbroath and just did finding all day. 

Wednesday we spent most of the day trying by people. Then we went and had dinner with a member family then we went and saw the Stewarts who are a less active couple who are really nice. 

Thursday we went to Arbroath and went by formers all day long.

Friday, we did some weekly planing and went back to Arbroath to teach another less active named Joseph who is interesting. Then we did some more try bys. And then went and saw the Ewarts we had a really good lesson with them, we will also be seeing them tomorrow morning before I leave. 

Saturday we did our service at British Heart and the manager bought me a birthday cake just in case I got moved and wouldn't be there for my birthday. Then it was off to Arbroath again (yes I know we go to Arbroath a lot) and went and saw a member who just doesn't retain anything so we have started to teach him. Then Elder Scharman was just super tired because of some new medication he is taking and so he called Sister Donaldson and then took a nap the rest of the day. 

Sunday we had church and then after that we went and tried by more formers until we got our moves call then we went back and packed. So that was us. Love and miss you guys!

As Mason said, the town he is going to, Thurso, is the northernmost town in the United Kingdom. He said there is a branch in Thurso - all of his other areas have had wards. Oh, and I forgot the best part - it is an area with a car! He was pretty happy about that . . . and the fact that he is back in the Aberdeen zone and will probably be able to go on some exchanges back in Inverness! And he found out the district leader for his district is Elder Perkins who was one of his companions in Cumbernauld almost a year ago and he is excited to see him. He will leave Wednesday morning for his new area. Here are a few pictures of Thurso that I found from Google images -

This is a map so you can see how far north he really is - right now he is in the Dundee zone so he has a little ways to travel. Mason thinks all of his areas have been bigger than Bryn's whole mission and he is probably right!

Castle of Thurso

Thurso Town Centre

The main street in Thurso

February 15 and 22, 2016

There were some problems with MyLDSMail last week so Mason sent an e-mail but we never received it. So today he sent the e-mail from last week again and another short message for this week.

February 15, 2016

This week was alright. Tuesday we went to British Heart because we were supposed to go on exchanges on Saturday and there is a new rule that we are now only to go and work in the leaders area for exchanges. Then after lunch we went to Arbroath to try by some less actives none of them were in and then we did some GQing on the high street, and that was the day.

Wednesday we did some finding in the morning and early afternoon, then we had dinner with the second counselor in the bishopric. Then we went to a little town north of Montrose called St. Cyrus and went by some more less actives both were in and we had a chat with them so it was alright. 

Thursday We did some weekly planing in the morning then we had to go down to Edinburgh since Elder Scharman had a doctors appointment so that was the whole day. 

Friday we went to Arbroath and saw a less active named Joseph it was alright he is old and a bit crazy. Then on the bus back from Arbroath we got a call from our district leader cancelling exchanges because there was an emergency move, I don't know why, so now we are going on exchanges tomorrow. We also got to see William and Shannon, they moved in with her parents which is just to crazy to go and teach so we more then likely not be seeing them again tell they move out. Then we weren't able to see the Ewarts this week because they got sick. So we finished off the day by going through the area book. 

Saturday since we didn't have exchanges we went and did service at British Heart then we went to Arbroath and did finding out there and tracted into this one girl who we are going to see today. Then we came back and had dinner.

Sunday after church we went to the Stronachs for lunch. Then we went through the area book. We also did a little video on how we celebrated Valentines day so I will put that on the Dropbox. So that was our week, love and miss you guys.   

This is the link to the Valentine's Day video they made -  

February 22, 2016

This week nothing too exciting happened - just a lot of less active try bys and lessons. Elder Shcarman likes working with less actives so that is mostly what we have been doing. We saw the Ewarts and they said they were thinking maybe April for their baptism so I might be gone for that, we will just have to see what next week brings. But they are still doing really good, they did talk about how they are a bit worried about the time commitment of callings and all that but they know it will all get sorted out. Sorry this one is a bit short but their isn't too much really going on right now other then finding and going by less actives. But we did go to the Arbroath Abbey last week and took plenty of pictures. Love and miss you guys. 

Here are some of the pictures from the Arbroath Abbey. Arbroath Abbey, in the Scottish town of Arbroath, was founded in 1178 by King William the Lion for a group of Tironensian Benedictine monks from Kelso Abbey. he Abbey, which was the richest in Scotland, is most famous for its association with the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath. They are wearing monk robes they have at the abbey.

This is just a random picture with some horses they saw - 

February 8, 2016

This Wednesday will be Mason's 17 month mark, but we think he will be home on August 17th so he really only has a little over 6 months until he is home - that doesn't seem like too much longer! Here is the e-mail we got today . . . 

So this week has been really nice. My new companion is Elder Scharman and he is from South Jordan. He is really cool and fun and he has been out one move less then me, so he still has about nine months left.

So this week, Monday night we went down to Dundee and stayed over with Elder Benton and Elder Parsons. Tuesday morning the Zone Leaders came and picked up Elder Johnson. Then we went and taught some of their investigators and then that night we went over to another investigator's who they have become best friends with, the sister trio came over as well and we had a pizza party. It was a great time - so much fun. 

Wednesday morning we got up at 5 am to run the Tay Bridge but I was not told of this so I only had my pajamas and steel toe boots, so I just walked it. It was a massive group though three teams of missionaries, 2 members, 1 recent convert, and Jack who we had the pizza party with. Then we went back to the flat got ready and Elder Benton left for the Shetlands. So me and Elder Parsons had some time together before our companions showed up. Elder Parson's new companion is Elder Crowe. Then we got on the train to Montrose shopped and cleaned and Elder Scharman unpacked. 

Thursday was weekly planing so we did that in the morning. Then we went GQing and found this one really cool guy named Martin - I'll tell you more about him in the Friday part. Then we went over to the Crawford's for dinner which as always is really good. 

Friday we went and saw Martin who I will get along with very well. He is a big movie nerd and he had a few swords one from Game of Thrones, one from Conan the Barbarian, and one from Kill Bill. Also the pillows on his couch were Game of Thrones. We started teaching him but he talked most of the time which was really good. We are going to see him again on the first of March, cause he works on the oil rigs so he will be off shore until then. 

 

Then after that we meet up with Brother Crawford because he was going to come teaching with us but the potential wasn't in so we went and saw a less active family named the Stewarts. Man do they talk fast - I could hardly keep up with him and then Brother Crawford said that he has heard him talk even faster. But we should be seeing them again sometime this week. 

 

Then it was off to the Ewarts and it was really good. They were praying about a date to be baptized so we asked them to pray about the 27th so we will see what the answer is this week. 

Saturday we went to British Heart were I got a new kilt for 7 pounds and it is a proper kilt -100 percent wool - so it was a real deal. Then we spent the rest of the day going by less actives only one of them was in and she wasn't interested. That was Saturday.

Sunday, church was really good and right after the Bishop's daughter got baptized. The Ewarts came and really liked it. Then it was over to the Stronach's for lunch then we spent the rest of the day going through the area book and calling people. 

 

This was a really good week. Love and miss you guys. 

 

 

This is a picture of the Tay Bridge that Mason talked about - it goes between Dundee and the suburb of Wormit across the Firth of Tay and it is 2.75 miles long.

 

 

February 1, 2016

Here is the e-mail (and pictures) we got from Mason today!

So I am staying in Montrose and my new companion will be Elder Scharman. I've never met him before and I really don't know anything about him. Also Elder Barton (from Cottonwood) will be my zone leader again. Elder Johnson should be going to Edinburgh on Tuesday but we may need to go to Dundee and stay the night there. It is really cool that Bryn is getting her mission papers all in but just remember Mom  the glass is half full - by the time Bryn leaves I'll only have 3-4 months left. 

 

So this week nothing too exciting happened the first half. Although we did go over to our bishop's house for dinner and he plays the card game Magic so we had a few games with him and his second oldest daughter. It was really fun although I got beaten so bad by bishop every game - he beat me before I could do anything. Thursday Elder Johnson was packing for almost the whole day. Then we went and had dinner with the ward mission leader, and that was it. 

 

Friday our district leader Elder Benton insisted on going on exchanges, so we exchanged in the morning and we went out with Brother Crawford, the ward mission leader, to go see some less actives. Then it was finding until the Ewarts. They are doing really well and they now have a framed Family Proclamation and said they completely agree with every thing in it. We didn't get too much teaching time because there was another older couple and they talked a lot and Elder Benton was mostly drawing with Vincent and Ramsey, but still good. 

 

Saturday we exchanged back and Elder Johnson needed to do a final round of things to get for his family so we went to the tartan shop here in Montrose, where I found a nice ex-hire vest for 20 pounds so that was a really good deal. Now all I need is the jacket, flashes, and knife and I'll have a complete kilt outfit. Then we went over to the church to help set up for Burns night (Burns night is a holiday that commemorates the life of the famous poet Robert Burns). Burns night was really fun I wore the vest I got and my Scott tartan tie. I got some videos of Brother Glanville piping in the haggis and Brother Crawford doing the salute to the haggis, good luck understanding it. The Ewarts came and had a great time, it was just really fun and Really SCOTTISH.  

 

Sunday after church we went over to the former bishop's house for lunch and after that Elder Johnson continued packing. So that was it for this week. Love and miss you guys

 

Here are some pictures from the Burns night party at the Montrose ward . . . 

 

Mason's new vest and his Scott tartan tie - ready for the Burns night ward party

 

 

The traditional Burns night supper is haggis, neeps, and tatties (neeps is some kind of mashed turnip kind of vegetable) and tatties is mashed potatoes)