Living the Dream - Manchester, England

Hello Loves!

It's been a wild two weeks.

In the matter of 10 days, we lost our entire teaching pool including all 4 of our dated friends, so the last little while has been finding finding finding. 

Nothing too eventful has happened besides that. We are just talking to anyone and everyone all day every day. I am very happy and very tired :)

Pancakes are a blessing!

Hurrah for Israel!

Be brave for Jesus!

D&C 29:7!

All the loves!

Elder McConkie!

pics:

Bus 

Hogwarts

Big Ben

Me and my boy

Hug it! - Manchester, England

Hello!

Remember that you have all been given the wonderful gift of Agency. You are agents to act! Choose to act, and not to be acted upon. Satan's plan is the same here as it was in the pre-mortal life and that is to take away your agency! Don't let him! Give him a good punch in the jaw and develop your own personal faith in the Savior through your own personal experience and watch as your life has an increase of joy and fulfillment.

Early this week Elder Pohořelický and I had two of our 'Golden investigators' who were dated for baptism decide to stop meeting with us, but we immediately chose to not be discouraged. In response, we decided to up our regular finding goal of 5, to 10 new friends, and I have had more fun this week than I have my whole mission! We'd be sitting in members homes anxious to get out because we just wanted to find find find, and we found our 10!

When opposition comes your way, welcome it with a nice big hug and make sure it knows that you are going to choose to be happy.

Hurrah for Israel!

All the Loves

Elder McTired

Pics:

Doesn't really capture it but my area is real sketchy

Elevator

Risk it for a Biscuit - Manchester, England

Hello Loves!

It has been almost two months since I wrote a group email. There are a lot of exciting things happening here in Manchester South, and we've seen such great miracles this last transfer! I will be in Man South for another 6 weeks and finishing Elder Pohorelicky's training. 

So much has happened, but a lot of things have stayed the same! For example, it rains all the time, it's freezing, bible bashers are everywhere, being a district leader trainer is stressful haha, miracles keep happening, we are working so hard, and the Book of Mormon continues to amaze me.

At the moment, we have 5 amazing people on date!

Two of which are this wonderful couple Elder Carlson and I found back in November. Their names are {B} & {C} and they are in their mid 70's, have always gone to Church of England, but were so amazed at the kindness of the members and how everyone offers them help. There were certain things we planned to share in one of our earlier lessons with them that we felt prompted to share and they were so perfectly tailored to their needs. When Elder Po invited them to be baptised I witnessed the gift of tongues. It was crazy! Beforehand, he was struggling to remember how to invite them and was stressing out about it, but when he did it, he spoke in the clearest most natural English I've heard him speak and the spirit just rang throughout the room and they accepted! After the lesson we said goodbye and once the door closed I was HYPED. Imagine me after getting a monster roof block against Skyline in volleyball or pounding a ball on the ten foot line in game and then just yelling my guts out haha! Jumping up and down, fist pumping, and just saying things along the lines of "THATS IT ELDER!! LETS GOOO!! YOU KILLED IT ELDER!! THAT'S WHAT WE WORK FOR!!" That spiritual energy inside all came out once we were outside and I was the happiest boy you have ever seen. Ever since then they've continued to progress so well and love the gospel.

Another one of our friends on date is named {C}! The first time we met with him he told us that he wants "a proper baptism" and we were so excited. He is amazing! And so determined, he reads the Book of Mormon every day, and is so anxious to come closer to God

Missionary work is so hard! And I miss my family so much, but the Lord continues to bless me and teach me in such brilliant ways. I've noticed that as I become more anxiously engaged in this work, and strive to align my will with the Lords, I am so much happier. I promise that you can find greater happiness as you strive to follow the commandments God and align your will with His. 

This was a hefty email sweet goodness

Hurrah for Israel!

All the Loves

Elder McConkie


Photos from the mission president's wife, Sister McReynolds, and one of George skyping Wilson

I LOVE MANCHESTER! - Manchester, England

 my acrostic poem/group email for you

Incredible week!

Light the world!

Oh so excited for Christmas

Very busy

Everyone needs the Gospel!

Make sure everyday counts

Accountability is key

Never enough time!

Cold cold cold

Happy as can be

Exhausted

Sleep faster

Training elder Pohořelický! let's gooo!

Excited for this transfer!

Read your Book of Mormon everyday!

!

(Much love, Elder McConkie)

jmcconkie@myldsmail.net

Dare to Stand Alone! - Manchester, England

Hello Loves!

It's been a brilliant 2 weeks. Manchester is the greatest. 

Transfers:

Transfer calls were yesterday and the twin towers of the EMM are splitting up. Elder Carlson is off to Chorley to be a ZL and I'm training a new missionary here in Man South! I get my trainee tomorrow morning and I'm so excited for this transfer. 

Members:

So we aren't allowed to use the "I'm a Mormon" pass along cards anymore so I turned a bunch of them into little playing cards for object lessons with members! The Members here are so great and are key in missionary work so we've been trying to help them see that everyone everywhere can do missionary work. No excuses!

Grateful:

We had a street Display in Sale on Saturday. And I don't know what was happening but bible bashers were just coming from everywhere!

10 minutes in, a man came up to me and told me I was wasting my life away, that Joseph Smith was a fraud, and that I should just quit now and go home. This isn't the first time this has happened of course but this man was trying to tear me apart and I almost almost almost lost my cool (please note that I am not using the C word in slang but to refer to my temper). So my patience was tested and then I met two other bashers who were just ridiculous and it took all my willpower to not just destroy them with doctrine from the scriptures. 

After the third I turned around, looked up at the sky for a second, took a deep breath, and then a scripture popped into my head:

2 Nephi 6:17-"...for the mighty God shall deliver His covenant people. For thus saith the Lord: I will contend with them that contendeth with thee-" 

And the spirit hit me, and It confirmed to me this idea that the Lord was on my side, that my Heavenly Father was with me helping me along the way and that I could trust Him. 

I kept talking to people and within the next five minutes found a man named David! The spirit took over the conversation and as I bore testimony of the book of mormon I told him that if he read it, he could trust God and that he could know for himself. It was amazing to testify of something I had just gained a witness of.

The Lord is preparing people to hear the gospel!

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder McConkie

PS I dunked on Elder Carlson let's gooooooo

Usain Bolt - Manchester, England

Hello friends and family!

What a week! Oh my days it went fast.

This week was busy and Elder Carlson and I have been quite literally sprinting all over Manchester in our suits and sidebags going from place to place because there is never enough time in a day. I remember watching elders in Prague run around in their suits and thinking that it was the most missionary thing possible so when I do it I just think to myself "Wow! I'm really a missionary!" it's great

We've had a lot of great lessons too with some of our new friends. One of which is this man I miraculously found thanks to the spirit, named Pascal. I don't think I've ever met someone who loves Jesus Christ as much as Pascal does. Usually people see our badges and run away but Pascal saw my badge and said:

 "Oh yes! Wonderful. I love Jesus. Yes yes yes. Very good! When shall we meet?" 

He's the man! and he is so excited to read the Book of Mormon once we get him a French copy this week. 

Another one of our new friends we met this week is named Sheffield! I was talking with him and asked what he was studying at University. He told me he was studying American history. I pulled out a Book of Mormon and said:

"Thats great! We have a book all about American History!" 

He is amazing and so prepared to hear the gospel. We hope to meet with him this week.

Some other fun stuff:

I street contacted Frankenstein which was pretty great

I started crying at a members house because I had the spiciest pepper of my whole life sweeeet goodness I was dying

On one of our bus rides we got hit by a car and then had to sprint to our tea appointment

Our oven is broken so I cooked apple pie in a frying pan

Elder Carlson is a baller

Luke 15 is amazing

I LOVE MANCHESTER

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder McConkie

Alma 38! - Manchester, England

Hello Loves!

It has been a rollercoaster of a week as well as a rollercoaster of a P day and I have no time to write an email. But people say a picture is worth a thousand words or something like that so you can make up your own stories of how my week went!

If I had time for a spiritual thought it would be on Alma 38 it's brilliant

Love you all!

Read your Book of Mormon every single day!!

Hurrah for Israel

Elder McConkie

Elder Carlson & Elder McConkie

Elder Carlson & Elder McConkie