WEEK 73: SNOW!

This week we had snow! I loved it. I want to make a snow angel and a snowman and snowballs. Elder Watson gets a kick out of watching how excited I am. He says he feels like he is watching a little kid. I feel like a little kid so that's fine. I'm so pumped. It might be my first white Christmas!

We spent a lot of time with other Elders around Leeds this week. It was so much fun. I learn so much from those guys. Everyone is excited for Christmas and we are all finding lots of success in sharing about the joy Christ brings us.

I met a guy this week that told me the Holy Spirit visited him and he was unconscious for 20 days. He also prays with his hands spread wide to the heavens and ends it in ancient Hebrew. He is hilarious. He mentioned to us that he has read the Book of Mormon, but he read it after smoking a joint, so he didn't get the full effect. He is going to try it again without the drugs this time. I hope it goes well.

We had stake conference and Katie came and so did two friends of President Whitehead (he is the leader of the group of congregations in this area). They were super cool and got to meet Elder  Sabin (one of the leaders of the church as a whole). 

Anyways, as Christmas is coming there is no better time to turn more to our Saviour. I know that He gave his whole life and even his death for our benefit. He did everything to love and serve us. He lives again, He still reaches out to help and lift and encourage us all. Let's do what we can to learn and share more about our Saviour Jesus Christ this Christmas season.

Love you all,
Elder Pace

WEEK 72: Miracles

The Lord looked after us this week. We tried our very best to work hard and be diligent and obedient and serve others. He provided miracles. President Turvey promised that each set of missionaries could find someone who would be ready to accept the message of peace and hope and we could see them change their lives and be baptized by Christmas. That is an amazing promise and we have all been working hard to find the people that are out there. I had the privilege to work with a lot of the missionaries this week as we searched for the people who are ready. As we went out, we prayed long and hard about where we needed to be. Each time we met someone who was prepared to hear this message and take steps to follow it.

My favorite was when I was with Elder Peck and we were visiting my old area, Leeds 2. We prayed about where to go and discussed where we thought. We repeated this pattern for 30 minutes of planning until we all agreed on a small community. I had been there before and no one was interested and only one was friendly. I was apprehensive. On the first street we knocked, the very first door that opened was a nice lady from Nigeria. She used to be Muslim, but felt unfulfilled and has been looking for something more, she has a young family and as she opened the door, her husband arrived home from work so we could go inside. She is a surgeon who studied at Oxford University! She was so excited to hear about the Book of Mormon and how it has brought answers and peace to our own lives. I can't wait to see how the Lord continues to work with her.

So many instances like this helped me see that the Lord has people ready and He will guide us to help his children to find their answers. I love it. I have so much fun out here, learn so much, and I am strengthened every day by God. As it says in the Book of Mormon, his tender mercies are over all who keep his commandments.

Have a great week,
Elder Pace

WEEK 71: Feeling Grateful

The hills are a picture in Keighley.  We went on a Blitz with some missionaries over there.  It snowed!

So I just wanted to take a bit of time to share some things I am grateful for!  I'm grateful for my parents, who raised me to be happy and to be kind and to follow Christ. For the example they set of a good healthy marriage.  I'm grateful for my siblings, they support me in everything I do and help me to have fun.  I'm grateful for fish and chips, it's opened my eyes to a new world.  I'm grateful for this mission experience since I have met so many
great people and have felt a change in me to want to be closer to God because of it.  I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon, it has strengthened my knowledge of and love for my Saviour Jesus Christ. I have felt God's peace and comfort come into my life as I studied the inspired writings it contains.  I'm grateful for Jesus Christ. For his life, his suffering, his death, his teachings, his love, his power, his grace. He means everything. He has helped me out with so much and I can't imagine where I would be without Him.

This week was great. We had some fun times and met a few really cool people. One guy named Emeka just honestly wants to find truth. He feels like truth has been changed and lost over time and he wants to know if it is anywhere on earth. He is on holiday now, but I am excited for him to find the truth that has been restored to the earth to end his search. He will be pumped! Zone Conference helped inspire me to be a better person, to reach out to the individual more and to care. It helped me want to turn more to God with my decisions. I'm excited for these next few weeks.

Love you all,
Elder Pace

WEEK 70: New Companion

Elder Watson is my new companion. It was a legendary week. We accidentally stole luggage, returned it, found the cheapest takeaway in England, bought tracksuits, and had a good time.

We are now teaching Katie again. She came back to church and loved it.  She is working through some family concerns. Charlotte is still going strong after her baptism as is Nikolas. We met a Russian guy this week! His name is Sam and when we told him a bit how the Book of Mormon could help him, he replied, "If that's true, that book is magic!" I know that the Book is true, but it's not magic, it's the word of God. A study of that book and an application of its principles brings His approval and His power to our lives. It helps in school, in sports, in relationships, whatever. God knows our needs and He wants to help us.

Love you all,
Elder Pace

WEEK 69: Temple Trip

(The individual he is pictured with is Jack and is from Essex.  Tyson says he is the first Suns fan he has met in England and he loves Steve Nash for the same reasons he does.  The last picture is of Charlotte and Josh who introduced her to the Church, Elder Palmer and Tyson)

So two big things happened this week. I went to the temple, and we had transfers. My companion is leaving and he is going to York. I will be serving with Elder Watson! He is such a homie. I served around him in Sheffield. I am so excited for this next transfer. Lots of the missionaries here are changing and we will have a new dynamic in the zone.

The temple was amazing. We went with Naomi and Mark Lippert and Charlotte and Josh and Katie. They are all members here in Bradford except Katie, who is in Skipton. We drove down there and spent a few hours at the temple. It was so great to be there again. I love how peaceful it feels and the quiet that surrounds us. We can take a break from the problems we have outside and feel closer to God.

This week as I read in the book of Mormon I was touched as I realized how important humility is in our lives. As long as we are humble in trusting the Lord, things will improve. We don't need to worry about things going wrong in our lives now. As we continue to obey, the Lord is bound to bless us. The people of Alma in the book of Mormon were in a tough spot. They were being persecuted for believing in God. Because they believed, they would be attacked and belittled. They chose to trust God and believe that better things would come. Even though some people still didn't like them, they were blessed with everything they needed and more. They then chose to follow God and share what they had and we're filled with joy. As long as we follow God, we don't have to worry about any up or down in our life

Love you all,
Elder Pace

WEEK 68: Temple

No letter this week as they went to the temple for their PDAY

WEEK 67: Bradley Foster

We had a meeting with a general authority (leader in our church) this week and it was so cool to meet him. He shared a lot of things that really helped me out and gave me some guidance. I realized that there are many ways for me to improve.

We had two Baptisms in our ward this week. One was a man named Jamie who the other missionaries worked with and the other was Nikolas who is a Slovak lad. They are both super cool. Jamie showed up to his baptism in a Lakers jersey and it cracked me up. His personality is hilarious.

One quote that has really stuck out to me this week was "I have wept in the night for the shortness of sight that to somebody's need made me blind, but I have never yet felt a tinge of regret for being a little too kind". I think that those words will always keep us in line.

Have a great week! Happy Halloween!
Elder Pace

WEEK 66: Nikolas

We had a good week. Our friends made some sad choices and nobody came to church even though they all loved it last week. Anyways, Elder Palmer and I are having a good time  and getting a lot of work done.  We will be working with a few more missionaries this week and I'm excited.

Nothing too crazy happened this week here, but we are getting ready for a Slovak lad named Nikolas to be baptized. It will be on Saturday.

Love you all,
Elder Pace

I asked him several questions.  Here are his answers:

1. I use my Slovak more because Bradford has Slovak investigators.  Several of them have dropped us since Elder Buckhoff left. It is always a rough transition between missionaries with them.

2. (I asked for a picture with his new companion)  We'll see mum.  (Must not have been a priority since I didn't get one.)

3. (I asked If he was warm enough) Yes

4. (I asked if President Turvey still reminded him of dad and if so, how)  Yes. He has a similar sense of humor and when he has an idea, you can tell he is way proud of it in a way that reminds me of dad. He teaches in a similar way where he reminds of the rule and then encourages our own choices. I have loved getting to know him more while being here in Bradford.

5. (I asked what his favorite thing he learned this week was) My favorite thing to learn was that the Lord is very aware of the work here and that as long as we do what we can to help, anything that goes wrong will be fine. We don't have to worry even if situations come up. He is in control of this work

6. (I asked how it was going with their new technology) It's alright. I don't use it much though. I definitely don't overuse it. I should probably use better though

WEEK 65: Kebabs Galore

We have been super busy this week with meetings and traveling around. I have had the privilege of meeting many of the people learning about the church from around Leeds. There are so many great people that are looking for hope and closure and direction in their lives. I am so glad that we are able to help them find that through the message of the restored gospel and a living prophet! 

I met a Portuguese lady named Vania and her two sons Logan and Ewan. They were able to be baptized this week in one of the wards in Leeds. Logan has already told me I am his favorite so I was super happy. He is this pretty chill 9 year old lad that likes football. He is so cool. I love getting to see how happy the people that try out the message become. It really impacts their lives forever.

We got a nice kebab today and Elder Palmer wanted to make sure I let everyone know. I am eating tons of kebabs right now. We never have time to go back to the flat for food.

Love you all,

Elder Pace

Facebook Picture

I think this is Tyson's first leadership council meeting.  Facebook said it was on October 6. 

WEEK 64: Conference

I got transferred to Bradford. It will be an interesting time. I am driving now and am serving with Elder Palmer. He is a great guy and I am excited. One of our friends, Katie, will be baptized on the 13th. I met her on Sunday and she is wonderful! I am replacing Elder Buckhoff,my mission dad. I just drove him to the mission office so that he can go home. It was pretty sad.  (Pictured above from left to right a 4 generation Slovak missionary picture:  Elder Buckhoff who trained Tyson who trained Elder Campbell who is training the new guy (I don't know his name) who just arrived in September.  There were no explanations with the pictures so I'm not entirely what they are all about but looks like some P-Day fun was had!)

This week was general conference and the leaders of the Lord's restored church spoke to the earth. They taught about receiving strength and hope in the trials of life, the power that the Book of Mormon on can bring to our lives, and growing closer to Christ. It was so great! I know that my questions were answered. I wrote down seven before the conference began and each of them was answered. Very few were directly answered, but the Lord spoke to my heart and mind and told me what I needed to know for each one.

If you didn't get to watch it, take some time and read the talks. God knows your hearts and has an answer waiting for you.

Love you all,
Elder Pace

(Mom's note:  I am reading between the lines but I am thinking if he is driving and he replaced Elder Buckhoff then he may have been called as a zone leader?  That would also explain his comments to me that President Eyring's talk about believing in the callings of the Lord was his favorite and how knowing we need to support our leaders even if they seem unqualified was comforting to him.  He probably is feeling unqualified at the moment.) 

WEEK 63: Follow God's Plan

This week we were able to watch our friend named Angle be baptized.  She is someone that the Sister missionaries in our ward worked with.  She is super nice and sincere and her daughter is so funny. She is from Sierra Lione and was very excited to be baptized. She is a friend of Cintia and it was really cool to see them together.

We finally got a football match moving forward. We had some people from our ward and some people that meet with us all come. We ended up with probably 16 people even if some were a bit younger. It was really fun and I hope we can do it with more success. We will do it this week and more people should be coming!

This is already pretty long, so I will finish with this: Elder Buckhoff shared with me some advice about getting answers from God. He talked about how he would pray and seek an answer and sometimes the thoughts he would have did not seem to fit with his plans or seem to be easy at all. As he had the courage to change what he thought and follow the ideas that God gave him as he read scriptures or prayed or served others he was able to see how it worked out. The plans helped people to give up the bad habits they had struggled with because he would visit them right as they needed support. It helped me to see that the Lord will not leave us alone, but it will take faith to follow. We have to trust that He knows what He is asking us to do and follow through on our end. We can follow that pattern in anything. Pray, act on any thought that comes, ask for more guidance.

Love you all,
Elder Pace

Ps Elder Campbell (my mission son) is training so now I'm a grandpa! I'm so excited to meet the lad!

WEEK 62: God Reaches out to the One

This week really helped me to feel the difference the Savior makes in our individual lives. Everything He did was for us. And more than that, He would take the time to reach out to a single individual.  Maybe they wouldn't stand out as someone worthy of the Savior's precious time as He only spent three years in His Earthly ministry, but He was always willing to stop and touch the one. 

Countless times here on my mission the same has been true for me. God knows us each.  He knows what we are scared for and what we need to help us make it through the day. He wants to carry us through and He will do individually. My mission has helped me see how much God reaches out to us through other people. It has helped me see how He tries to guide me when I have questions. And it has helped me see that no matter what, he will give me another chance.

This week was a good one. It was also sad as most of the people we had found that were interested, changed their minds and asked us not to come. It was good because we saw many miracles and little things to boost our spirits. Randomly we would feel like we should knock a door on our way somewhere and they would be interested. The little things let you know God still cares. As well, we have begun working with a young lad named Iain. He is from Singapore and is very excited to find a relationship with God. He is so eager and excited because he has never experienced anything like it before. I can't wait to see where it leads.

Love you all,
Elder Pace

WEEK 61: No Time

Thanks to all who wished me a happy birthday! It made the day really special. We had a blast. It was a great week! By the way, we are On Facebook now so that is weird

Love you all,
Elder Pace

WEEK 60: Facebook

We had zone conference this week. It was spectacular. I felt so spiritually supercharged. I got to help set up the night before with Elder Peck and it was great to see him and spend some time with him.  We talked a ton about being led by the Spirit of God. It has really helped me know that we can get answers. He other big announcement was Facebook is going to be a thing we try. So I may have to make a Facebook

We met a lady named Trisha this week and she is someone we hope will try out the message of Christ's restored gospel. Being out on a mission has really allowed me to see the true difference that the gospel makes when we are sincere in trying. It is the truth. It is enlightening. It has helped me to throw closer to Jesus Christ as my
Savior. I know the path outlined by revelation through prophets both ancient and modern is the best way to Happiness and the only way to lasting, true joy.

We helped at an art gallery and got to do some service ironing for a lady at a laundromat. Several of the pictures (at the art gallery) are done by a member of our ward.

WEEK 59: Driving Again

I passed my test. That was a stressful day. But I'm so happy that it's done now. I also gave a talk in sacrament meeting this week. I have
now spoken twice in about as many weeks. I think they are getting desperate.

We said goodbye to so many friends this week as grey all finished their missions. I'm so glad to have known them and to have learned from them.

This week, I learned a lot from our new Zone Leader Elder Ford. He is a solid guy. I'm excited to serve around him. He really helped me to pray with more sincerity. It means so much more when it is sincere. We recognize the Lord's help much easier when we put our energy and our heart into praying.

Hope you all have a wonderful week,
Elder Pace

Speaking of Hogwarts....

President Turvey posted this picture of Sister Turvey (jeans and dark hair) on Facebook today.  I sent it to Tyson and he said he so wishes that was him!

One of the first thing we noticed after Tyson received his call was that the Harry Potter castle etc was in his mission boundaries (although I believe it's at the very northernmost border).  Tyson is a big Harry Potter fan!  If he doesn't get this chance while he's there I know it will be on the list when we go back to visit!

Week 58: Miracles

This week as we tried our best to be obedient and to pray for help to meet people who will be ready, we had two miracles that I want to talk about. 

The first one is when we met Saimanta (pronounced Samantha).  She is from Lithuania. We met her on a bus a solid month ago. She told us that she was interested and she wanted to learn, but she had no time. She said she would text us when she got time and could meet. I don't think you all understand how many times we hear that. No one has ever called us back. Saimanta texted us this week and said she had time! It was so cool. We managed to set up a time to meet at the Chapel and show her around because she had met other missionaries the day before, but they did nothing to answer her questions. We met with her and as we showed her the baptismal font, she told us she felt this super strong good feeling, like this was all true and she couldn't explain it. She came to church and we explained to her how God can answer our questions as we sincerely pray during the sacrament (when they pass around he bread and water to remember Christ). As the trays were being passed, she simply bowed her head and asked God her questions. She told us afterwards, that all throughout the meeting she was filled with this electric like energy helping her feel it was right. And she had an image come to her mind of being baptized and feeling all the bad wash away. She knows that this is the path for
her. She is so excited to keep progressing and to be baptized on the 9th of September. Saimanta is 20 and is a university student. She is
super cool and Elder Leavitt and I both felt like this is someone we would be friends with for the rest of our lives. She loves to mountain bike and is generally super nice. The one problem we have, is she lives in a different ward. So we have to explain to her that some other missionaries will come to visit her and help her along. It made us super sad, but we are still excited for her to get the blessings God has in store for her.

The second is a lady named Paula. We met her while knocking. She told us that she lost her faith when her mother died. We shared with her how the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon had comforted us in times that we felt alone. She read a bit with us and wouldn't let us take a turn to read. She was so excited that she just kept on reading.  She read the chapter and then told us hat it helped her feel better already and she would like to read it all. It was such a strange experience for knocking on doors, since that usually is very intrusive and people don't like it.

I know the Lord helps us as we seek His help in prayer. He loves us so much and wants our happiness.

Other things this week, I passed the first part of my driving test in Scarborough. It is one of he most picturesque places I have been. I
will attach the photos I grabbed. We even saw a train that looks like the Hogwarts Express. Even though transfers happened this week, nothing changed for me. However, we have two new Sisters in our district.

Love you all,
Elder Pace

WEEK 57: Brownies!

I've finally found a reliable source of Brownies in this country.  Luckily, one of the Sisters in my district loves to make brownies and they are proper thick and so good. She made several pans of them this week and I loved them.

One of the other highlights was interviews with President Turvey. He shared with us some advice on following the promptings that God gives us. This is His work, and He is fully engaged in helping us to find the people who will try out the gospel. It was so inspiring and I loved feeling God's approval as we were there together.

We are bowling and I just scored 177! That is so crazy! I have never been that good!

This Sunday, we tried our best to follow the Spirit of God as we searched for people to speak with. It was inspiring as we prayed about where to go and who to speak with. We saw so many people that were willing to talk and ty to find out if this is true. I am super excited to meet with them again and follow up on how it has gone.

Love you all,
Elder Pace

WEEK 56: Small Pleasures

This week we had a visit from Elder Ballard. He was so inspiring. The
whole mission got to gather together. I loved seeing all my old companions and saying goodbye to the people that are leaving. The overall vibe of the meeting was to encourage us by sharing their love and support for us. We had all fasted the day before so we all were open to receive answers to our questions. I'm always amazed to see how the Lord answers our questions even if the topic is never discussed.  He answers us through the subtle impressions in our mind and the strong, but clear feelings in our hearts. If we are willing to listen
and follow, He is always willing to talk. I love it.

The other miracle of this week was this new family. The man is named
Calvin. The dad and kids are not members. We had met the dad on the
street a week previously and he said that they would come next time.
We thought he was a just saying that to get us to leave him alone like
everyone else. The following week, he was at he local Catholic Church
where he approached the Piano player, who happens to be a member of our church that volunteers his talents there. They thought he was a
pastor and asked him a question saying, "Vicar, where..." He stopped
them saying he holds the priesthood, yes, but in a different church so
he is not a Vicar. They asked what church. He told them it was ours
and the wife said that she was a member. She had moved and couldn't
find the church. She was recently baptized and didn't know how to find
the new building to go to. They remembered our invitation and asked
for directions to the Church. They were excited to come and loved it
on Sunday. They can't wait to keep coming and learn more about it so
their family can be sealed for eternity by the priesthood authority of
God.

I was so grateful for everything that happened this week. Our American
family in the ward brought some ranch to the Munch and mingle. We were all in Heaven. Ranch is SOOO good.

Love you all,
Elder Pace