Pictures!

Dundalk, Part 7

The week in review:

We got a month membership for 30 euro. It's gonna be sweet. I think. I'm so so sore. No need to boast about your cream puffs though. You'll need to send apologies to Aunt Suzanne for me; I've very much been enjoying her letters, but haven't yet got the time to send her one. I'm very much looking forward to the one from Amanda as well. And I shan't be getting deported, so we're good. 

I'm sorry that my hometown is changing so much. Kinda. 

Nothing planned for p-day yet. 

Thank you dad for your testimony. Make sure y'all give a listen to ''Safety for the Soul'' by Elder Holland. Just if you want your mind blown. 

Yes, you're right, the progress of Isaac and Elizabeth is slow, nigh invisible, and maybe even a little backwards. But Alicia is awesome. I wish we had ten like her. 

Love y'all! Proud of Laura!

Pictures from Elder Lybbert

This is Elizabeth (Lizzie)

This is Isaac

This is their younger brother, Manasseh, who "who scares the devil out of me," he says.

And here are Cody's pictures from their trip to Trim Castle:

 

Dundalk, Part 6

My family! So, about Elizabeth and Isaac, there hasn't been a lot of notable change in their situation. We're still trying to get them to church. Elizabeth has been booked into the branch temple trip in November, so that's pretty good. Isaac...may take a little more time, but that's what we're trying for right now; just trying to endure with him for a little bit until we can do something significant. We're trying to get their 15 year old brother Abraham baptized too, and we think that might help them as well. 

We just finished a transfer by the way. But me and Elder Scholz will still be in Dundalk for the next transfer as well, which is a surprise to no one. But a pleasant non-surprise. Did I mention that this is Elder Scholz's last transfer before he goes home to California?

There was a branch barbecue on Friday, which we brought a few investigators to, and a bunch of active and less active members showed up too! And the food was delicious. And we brought all of the leftovers home, which is totally super because we have no money for grocery shopping right now. But now we have more than enough to get through the week, especially since the members love to feed us and then send us home with gift bags of food. Gotta love the Irish. Sadly, many of the people at the bbq did not come to church. But Abraham did!

On Sunday, we met a sweet and lovely young woman named Alicia. She's friends with a member, and goes to institute and YSA things with her all the time, but this was her first time at church. We met with her afterwards at the member's house. Me and Elder Scholz had been discussing beforehand that we wanted to invite her to be baptized for as soon as possible because she would be leaving on a trip soon for a few weeks. Before we even brought it up to her, she was telling us that she wanted to be baptized and confirmed ASAP so she could have the holy ghost with her on her trip! It was sooo awesome, and it was a doubtless miracle! 

You need to [send me any digital pictures in the best quality possible in order for me to be able to get good quality prints from them. Thanks.] 

I got me an electric razor, and it works quite nicely!

We are looking at a few different places to get a gym membership. We are leaning towards the one with a free month. 

Love you lots everybody! 

Dundalk, Part 5

Trim Castle

(These aren't Cody's pictures. We unfortunately couldn't retrieve the one he sent a second time so I took some off the internet, but his looked similar to the one below.)

Holy cats in a blender! That is an awesome hauce! It's probably one of the best hauces ever! Is Mackie jealous? And hey, Magic is a pretty cool name. Much better than Li'l Bandit or Elder Christiansen. And Koji. I will call his name Magic: the magic Hauce! 

I'm serious you guys, don't give Mackie away! And don't let Magic eat him. 

Okay guys, you ready? Here you go: pray for Elizabeth and Isaac. Remember that Romanian family I was telling you about? the Covaciu family? (that's how you actually spell their name I figured out) Elizabeth is the oldest daughter, 13 years old, and she runs the household. Her dad is a pious idiot who won't learn English or finances, so she does all their taxes and such, her older brother is never home, her mom always goes out with her friends, leaving poor Lizzie to clean the house and watch the other CRAZY children. She's overwhelmed, but wants to learn more; she wants to go to the temple. Isaac is her younger brother; 12 years old. He's smaller than Olivia, and pretty fragile, and very bipolar. One minute he's sweet and helpful and listens, and with no transition he's angry and cussing and flipping everyone off and fighting with his younger siblings (who are all bigger than he is). And then, also with no transition, he'll go right back to being calm and sweet. And he's not faking it either. His parents are absolutely no help; they kinda consider poor Isaac a lost cause. He and Elizabeth are baptised, and Isaac wants to be a deacon, but the mom is not interested in helping and the dad is openly against the church. I'm not certain why he allowed them to be baptised in the first place. We're not sure what to do. 

Oh my heavens, that's a brutal albeit very funny story about Justin and Olivia. I remember when Dallin and Tamara thwacked Amanda in the face with an exercise band and bruised her right across the eyes. She looked like the Lone Ranger. I remember when Jenna cut off Amanda's finger in the door. I remember when we buried Amanda alive and she nearly died. Sorry about your head Olivia, I hope you get better soon. And Justin, I know how bad it feels when you hurt your younger sibling, who you know you should be protecting, but it's fine, just learn from it and be more careful next time. 

The castle was called Trim Castle. It was pretty cool. I'll send some pictures hopefully later today. This p-day, we have to get my GARDA card, lest I get deported. It's a Republic of Ireland thing. So not as exciting. 

We have not been exercising. Even a little. We feel bad. This is the last week in the transfer, and we will both likely be staying in Dundalk, and if we do we're going to get a gym membership. 

We have not a lot of money right now, so we've really had to be more careful about our spending habits. It's not easy though; we make regular trips to Dublin for district meetings and exchanges, and the toll costs us 2 euro, there and back.

Guys, I had stuff during the week that I wanted to say, but now I don't remember, so just...ya know. Keep emailing me; I love you!

Dundalk, Part 4

The chapel is at Downham, a small town we visited in England during the MTC weeks. 

I'm grateful to everyone who sent me their stories and such about their first weeks, it was nice to see that pretty much everyone goes through what I am going through. I want everyone to know that their support is very much appreciated and that their prayers must be working, because this week was much easier on me. Thinking about Lehi's vision the other day, I had an interesting thought: am I on the straight and narrow path, clinging to the iron rod and going through the mists of darkness? Maybe not. I think I--we--are at the tree of life, partaking of the fruit. The world is shouting harsh and slanderous things at us from a great and spacious building. I might feel slightly ashamed, but I must stay with the tree, partake of the fruit, and call out to others to come and also partake. That's my thought. What do you think?

Also, opinion poll: which was better, the Sam Raimi Spiderman movies or Homecoming? I want everyone's opinion!...everyone who counts. 

Today I think we're gonna go see a castle. I can't remember what it's called, but apparently some of the movie Braveheart was filmed there. So that'll be cool. I'll send some pictures. 

I'll give you some names that I'd permit for a family horse:

- Blacky (but only if you said it like Maddy Ross)

- Li'l Bandit

- Bart

- Doc

- Tuco (Puente)

- Cody (but only if I die on my mission by the hand of a crazy born again fanatic)

- or Elder Christiansen (because he looks like a horse)

Which girls ask about me? No, don't answer that. 

No, do. Just keep it short. Not that that will be difficult. HAH!

Love y'all!