Dundalk, Part 11

"Mmmm, half a shekel for honey with bugs." - Silus, the honey merchant (title of the email. :-D)

Well, we have yet to see how the baptisms will go. They both still need to have their interviews (Jude will have his today) but we've been a little concerned for both of them. I might baptize Jude, but a member will baptize Alicia (her good friend's Dad). Keep praying for them to make it! They're so close! 

I think we will be watching the morning sessions of Conference live, and the other ones later. In fact, me and Elder Scholz will be doing a lot of travelling and switching around on Saturday and Sunday, so I'm not sure if we'll catch any of it live. I don't know who my next companion is or even if I'll be staying in Dundalk (though I probably will be). 

I think this p-day we'll be going back to Castle Roche with a few other missionaries. 

Oh the temple! My family, how I wish I could go to the temple. It was so nice to have it there right by the MTC, but there is no temple in Scotland or Ireland. I miss it. 

I've been able to print some of the pictures you've sent me. It seems like I ask for pictures or something in all my emails, but could I have another? I just wanted to show this guy in my ward the picture of me and that deer I hunted. He's a hunter. 

We've had little to no success lately with street contacting, so we're doing a lot more door-to-door chapping lately. It's kinda fun--it's like what I always imagined missionarying to be like. Still no immediate success though. 

I think y'all's prayers are working, for me at least. Because I haven't run away with my tail between my legs. I feel like I haven't really done anything right before: I skipped half of highschool and barely graduated (I didn't deserve to graduate), I quit football before I even played a game, I didn't finish seminary, I never magnified any of the callings I had...fear creeps in occasionally that I will likewise fail at my mission. It helps to know where I come from, and who I am. A link in a long line of beloved, faithful Lybbert men. Not to mention the son of a supreme heavenly being. 

Love y'all! Talk to yous later! 

Pictures!

I think this might be "Hannibal the Spider", or at least a cousin. :-)

Typical Cody. But NOT funny! Okay, maybe a little....

Dundalk, Part 10

Title of Cody's Email: The Irish Say Cooker instead of Oven! (CEW-ker)

My week isn't so full of things to report. I'm looking forward to not this but next week, because we should be baptising two people: Alicia and Jude. Have I mentioned Jude? He's great. He's African. 

You know what would be awesome to get from home? My home journal. That little brown book I got. It was in that blue crate with all my old stuff in it that was in my room. I thought that would be kinda cool to have, if you felt like sending it my way. Say, what became of my old room and stuff? 

So what do we call Dallin #3? Oh wait, I know already: Newton. Oh, by the way, I didn't know River wasn't baptised. I thought for certain she had been. Oh well. I'll bet her sister being on a mission contributed to that one. Has she returned yet? How is she? How do you spell her name? because that's why I'm avoiding writing it. 

We went to the Newgrange monument last week. I took some pictures, but I forgot my camera, so you'll have to wait for pictures. Probably just until later today though. It was...okay. Ireland's natural beauty is much more impressive than it's round caves. 

Anyways, I must away. If we don't clean the flat now, it'll never get done. Just like the last few weeks...

TTFN; Ta Ta For Now!

"I made a cover for the animated book of mormon stories we got." 

Dundalk, Part 9

Not great, but good week. We got our hands on some digital copies of the animated Book of Mormon stories, and we burnt it onto a disc. It's funny. But some of them are actually pretty good. I like reading it better though. I'm going through the Book of Mormon for the second time now, and I'm trying also to get through the Old and New Testament. I'm currently in Leviticus. It's gonna be a long journey through those books. 

I'm getting the urge to do things I wouldn't normally get the urge to do. I want to ride a horse, I want to watch Hulk (2003), I want to dance with a girl, I want to walk around in the snow...it's not even that time of year, but I already know I'm gonna miss the snow. And by the way, we are certainly not praying for rain over here. 

Alicia is doing fine. Her family doesn't like at all that she is being baptised, but she's getting through it. She has gone on a trip, and will be back in a few weeks, at which point she wants to be baptised ASAP. We are keeping in contact with her via text to make sure she gets there. Nothing has really changed in our teaching pool yet. 

My watch ran out of battery, and I went to a few different jewellers to get it fixed. But it's good now. And that would be the 10 euro charge as of late. 

It's pretty hard to not think about going home, and that's a lot because everyone is talking to Elder Scholz about going home ALL THE TIME! He's doing good. He gets me up and makes me go to the gym every morning. By the way, we found out that we aren't supposed to join gyms. Too many scantily clad women. So at the end of the month, we find other ways to exercise. Any ideas? 

Love y'all! Be good! I'm not coming home this year!

Dundalk, Part 8

Vern's questions:

1. How much longer does Elder Scholz have before going home?

2. How far away does President Nesbitt live? 

3. How often and how far do you have to travel for District and Zone Meeting? 

4. How is Alicia coming along? Has she set a date?

5. Does someone have to be to church early to setup chairs for Sacrament or is there permanent seating? 

6. Are there separate rooms for auxillary meetings like Primary and Sunday School? 

7. How many youth are regular attendees?

8. Who are some of the families who are strong in your Branch? 

9. Do you still have the money for your bike or did you turn that in to President Donaldson and the Mission Office?

10. How many kms are you going each month on average? 

11. Do you guys get to use a tablet as a teaching tool?

12. Do you use a cell phone or a house phone?

13. Can you text locally to help in your communications? 

14. How far away are the next closest missionaries?

15. How do you feel your personal teaching skills are coming along?

16. How often do you get to sit down and teach or do you spend a ton of time just trying to find people?

17. There must be a lot of work to do just trying to reactivate people who are already members, is that true?

18. Do you have to report every night to your District Leader? Or is Elder Scholz the District Leader?

Cody's answers:

1. He goes home October 2nd, which is actually almost a month early, which isn't uncommon for non-European missionaries

2. About a half hour away in Newry, across the border in Northern Ireland

3. To Dublin, which is about 50 minutes away. It stinks, because it's a toll road and we need to spend 2 euro there and back each time. Better than paying for buses or trains though. Every Tuesday

4. Yes, she is getting Baptised on the 30th of this month, and she is very excited

5. The chairs are always set up

6. There is a primary room, nursery, young men's, young women's, and relief society room

7. There is about 5, but one of them (Isaac) usually goes to primary

8. The Gunapalas are an absolute Godsend. They were in Clonsilla ward, but were requested to move to the Dundalk branch for a bit to help it grow, lest it closes. And they've been terrific! They brought us Alicia, they feed us and give us groceries all the time, and they are terrific home teachers and magnify their callings to a great extent. There's also a family what just came back from vacation who look like they're gonna be a boon. Also, a Nigerian mom (recent convert) and her 4 primary age daughters just moved in, and they are very keen

9. Yeah, the mission office has my money now. I just don't have a bike. I have a car though!

10. I dunny ken (I don't know)

11. Nope

12. We have two cell phones, one with an Irish number and one with a UK number. Both phones are crap

13. Yes

14. Dublin...?

15. Yes, though very slowly

16. We get to teach pretty much every day, but we do spend a lot of time finding. But I am butt at finding

17. Yup. For as many who are really great and strong, there are those who are either lazy or going through a tough time

18. We report every night by call or text to Elder Pelham

You're a nut ball. Another horse already? You keep them at Grandpa's place, yeah? 

We might be going to Dublin today. Then again, we might just be doing dishes. This week was kind of a drag. I could have worked a lot harder, especially when it comes to finding. But like I said, I am currently butt at finding. Dad, Tamara, Dallin O, did you do a lot of finding? On the street? For hours? HOW!?!? 

I've thought about coming home a few times. Sometimes you really get down, ya know? I've figured: ''I could live a good life, still be a good member, still believe what I believe.'' But alas, it isn't true. If I truly did believe what was taught me by the Book of Mormon, the prophets and apostles of today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint, and my parents--and I truly do believe them--then I would stay. And so I will. 

Good on you all for being so stand up. Let me know how school goes! Remember to remind my sisters that they are the most beautiful people ever. Love you mom! Love you dad! and the rest too.