Livingston, Part 16 - November 12

Nothing very crazy happened on Guy Fawkes night. We weren't aloud to travel outside our area. There was a lot of fireworks going off hither and yonder. Things really got more crazy in Edinburgh and even moreso in England. We just stayed with Karen and taught her a bit more about temples. 

We cleaned up for our flat inspection. I sent Elder Miller to bed and stayed up later than normal to get it done. 

On remembrance sunday we had a special service, which included the moment of silence. Apparently Edinburgh ward went all out with pipers and decorations and had a whole bunch of other religious leaders and folk from all over. But yeah, it's a pretty big deal. 

This transfer is almost over. I'm looking forward to some change, either the area or the companion or whatever. 

What I need is to get contagiously happy. I'm pretty contagiously not happy sometimes. Well, a lot of the time unfortunately. I'm gonna try increasing my prayers and study. That's honestly all I know to do. 

That's cool that my sisters are at least on their way to driving. But what a time of the year to have to practice in! Has it been a white November? 

I haven't bought new shoes yet, but I did buy some hair clippers. Sick of going to the barber, you know? (imagine that in an Australian accent: ''the BAHbur'') 

It is physically empowering to read the book of Mormon and just to work despite yourself. 

Love, 

Elder Lybbert

Livingston, Part 15 - November 5

Karen's Baptism

Tonight is the 5th of November: Guy Fawkes night. We won't be doing any proselyting past 6 tonight. We may, however, teach lessons, so we set up to see Karen again. She was indeed baptised on the 3rd and confirmed yesterday on the 4th. She is normally a very energetic and hyper person, but immediately following her baptism her countenance changed, and she became so calm and placid. She can't stop telling us how happy and at peace she feels. And now she is very excited to go to the temple to do work for her grandmother. 

I did not get new shoes yet, but I have not been as wet or cold. In fact I decided to shed a layer today. We also shopped a lot smarter this week, so I don't anticipate that I will be hungry. I love conferences! And not just because it gets me out of chapping for a bit. The last big one we had was when Elder Holland and President Nelson were touring, and their first stop was England, which was broadcast to Scotland and Ireland as well. 

There have been fireworks going off all week. 

I loved that dancing video! Everyone looks so darling! That means you, boy. Boy looks like Uncle Nathan a bit, yeah? and Amanda I thought was Jenna for a sec. And Matthew dances like an adorable, constipated Hulk. 

Good luck on hunting! I can't wait to join in next year. Does any of you know when my release date is? I'm pretty sure Bishop Smith would know. 

Anyways. I'm just trying to stay sane. And it's working! I've been enjoying myself as much as I can and I am usually very at peace. 

I love you!! bye for now

Livingston, Part 14 - October 29

I am currently, at this present moment, pretty cold. It has been cold here lately, and it's not even winter yet really. What's worse is that my feet are nearly always wet. And therefore my toes are FREEZING! 

Karen is way excited for her baptism. She's more excited for that than...for anything. She's gonna make us dinner on Wednesday, and I'm gonna make nanaimo bars for dessert if we can afford it. Which we probably won't be able to, since we currently have no money. 

I'm not quite sure what to say. It wasn't that busy a week. It was as busy as we could make it. 

Happy birthday to just my MOM! I really do love her a lot. I just really do. 

I think I'll sign off for now. JUST KIDDING! how lame would that be?

But let me think....I had a mouthwatering burger with caramelised onions and HAGGIS. It was delicious. 

I love y'all. Can't wait to see you

Livingston, Part 13 - October 22

The Picture is me with 4 of my companions. Left to right: Elders Baklan, Price, Wotherspoon, and Miller. 

So that normal lady we started teaching is actually not normal. She's crazy. But it's a good, fun crazy. Her name is Karen, and she knows a bunch of ex-members. She's met missionaries at least twice in the past (one of those times it was actually us) but never took any time for them and never was interested. Then she watched a documentary that involved ''Mormons'' somehow, and she became curious. She called someone on mormon.org I believe, and they directed her to us. So now she's been reading the Book of Mormon and loves it, she's been meeting the members and becoming fast friends with them, and is going to be baptized on the 3rd of November. She's really cool. She said to us a lot of really cool things, such as: ''I feel like somehow I've been prepared for this my whole life'' and ''I used to think I knew myself pretty well, but now I'm finding out all this new stuff about myself that I didn't know existed before''. We're excited for her. Needless to say. And she is very pretty. I mention that because there is a single man in the ward who seems to get along very well with her, and he will be the one to baptize her, and he is her age, and he is quite handsome....can someone say fellowship of the RING!?!?!

There was also a pretty good moment this week when me and Elder Miller were out in Bathgate (near Livingston) street contacting. It was a pretty bleak day, but I don't mind those. The sky was grey, the air was cool and moist, and there was a serene breeze. There were few people, and next to none were interested in chatting with us. There was a fellow off to the side, all set up with a guitar and a microphone, playing very well some covers of classic country and rock music. We heard him say on his mic: ''This next song seems appropriate...it seems appropriate for the two guys out there.'' and he proceeded to play a slow rendition of How Great Thou Art. As he played it, a ray of sun peaked out from the clouds. We talked to him after and thanked him. He is staunchly atheist, strangely enough, but a very nice guy. 

Anyways, those are highlights from my week. We are by no means destitute, but we have...not much to get by with this week. But the members are hopefully gonna take good care of us. It's as much as we deserve; we spend far too much on potato chips and marmalade. 

So of course there is ''I dunny ken'', which means ''I don't know''. There is ''fit'' which means ''what'', ''fay'' which means ''from''. Often you will hear ''where are you fay?'' or ''I'm fay Glasgow''. It's all rather weird, maybe I'll explain it on a video or over skype. 

I'm hungry. 

I'm usually hungry. 

So what was the theme or the general message of the Ezra Taft Benson speech? 

Is the ward having any kind of shindig for Halloween? I know I may be aksing the wrong guy, but still. 

Anywho. I'm trying to practice being a better listener this week, and in like capacity being a better minister. Any ideas on that? wait, what's that? you mean I can literally go to any talk or article written since April 2018 and it will be on the topic of ministering? Wow! thank you! 

Love you! Love you so much! 

Livingston, Part 12 - October 15

How did I possibly come to deserve such a family? The answer is, I didn't. But God knew I needed it. And that we needed each other. It's just so good to be a part of this unit where we all love each other, nobody is estranged or anything stupid like that. 

Thanks so much for the tune; I'm so glad you sent that. I was actually gonna request a song, or a few (I don't know if you've recorded any of your songs yet). I like hearing those. 

Yeah, so sacrament was really good this week. I'm gonna obey the commandments, and I'm gonna go to the temple, and I'm gonna marry me a fine honey, and I'm gonna treat her special. And nobody in HELL is gonna take that away from me! And I'm certainly not gonna give it away. It's mine! 

Sorry. Got a little heated. 

Someone called this week, and basically we're teaching her now and she came to church and she probably is gonna join the church pretty soon. She's about 46, a single mother of two, and she's super sweet. She is Scottish, but she has the Irish gift of gab. I've really been enjoying seeing her. She's practically a member already. She doesn't like coffee and tea, she's already been quitting smoking for some time now, she hardly drinks and likes the idea of stopping entirely, she has no law of chastity problems, she doesn't like swearing or gossip and...you get the picture. She just needs the covenant path and she'll be all hunky dory! 

One night this week, me and Elder Miller would say ''Oh, Hi Mark!'' to every car that passed us. A lot of people honked at us because of it. 

I made another pumpkin pie, sans crust for Elder Miller's sake, and it was pretty good. 

Me and Elder Miller are emailing in the clerk's office at church, only a few inches apart from each other. We're just gonna email and go. Real quick-like. 

Y'all make me cry when you say I love you and such. I love you all too.

"My birthday cake."

Picture!

Livingston, Part 11 - October 8

Howdy y'all! 

I caught both the morning sessions live (I loved the music by the TABERNACLE choir  for the Sunday morning especially), and I've also seen the relief society session. I haven't seen either of the afternoon sessions yet. I'm not sure how that happened. I love the new tradition they have: some good speakers to prepare the hearts of the people, and then they unleash Dallin Oaks to tell everyone how it is, and he just spits fire! I felt like a lot of the talks on Sunday morning were so directly applicable to one of the people we see often (who is a member, but goes through very hard times.) 

D/C 24:8 Be patient in afflictions, for thou shalt have many; but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days.  

I just like that a lot. Really good to know that Jesus isn't assigning us to do his dirty work; he is with his disciples always. 

Well, I hope my mission reunions will be better. I'll just carpool down to Utah with one of the many SIM missionaries from Alberta. Cool. Does Tamara like her companions? Did she get to do anything else in Utah? Does that mean she watched conference at the conference centre? 

Well, don't lose heart. Nothing's gonna be quite like the satisfaction of the venison dinner earned with a well-placed arrow. I look forward to joining you for that next year. 

I have been trying to improve things like hygiene and just how I take care of myself. I'll try and buy more things like carrots and apples this transfer, instead of coke and doritos. It's still supremely difficult to get myself to exercise, but I'm working on it. Elder Miller ordered some bikes for us...without my consent. I don't want bikes. But we're gonna get them, and so I'ma gonna use'em. 

We're making a lot of our own dinners again. People have been less available in the evening to give us meat. But it's okay.

We've been up to Edinburgh twice this week for companion exchanges. And one other time for interviews with President. I love that man to bits, but I hate talking about my issues. It does feel weird and uncomfortable to discuss that I have real, serious problems and to discuss on top of that real, serious solutions. I'm assured that I am not supposed to feel weak, but that doesn't change the fact that I now feel weak. I guess that's better than faking being strong, right? 

On Monday evening Sister Call from the mission office staff took a bunch of us to dinner for her last hurrah before she goes home. She's such a sweetie; we're all gonna miss her. 

I've been studying 2 Peter 1:5, where he lists attributes and virtues. I was intrigued by the order in which they are listed. 

I totally forgot about thanksgiving! Nobody celebrates thanksgiving here, and the ones that do are filthy Americans! 

I think I'll try my hand again at some pumpkin pie. Wish me luck! 

Love y'all!