Tallest Companionship in Church History - Manchester, England

Hello loves!

I'm loving Manchester South and my new companion Elder Carlson is fantastic! He's from Utah and is probably the only other missionary in the world taller than I am. He's 7 foot and I'm 6'9 so we've had some funny reactions this week to our height and multiple drunks have tried to fight us to show their buddies how tough they are. Good fun.

We've been working really well together. We've found loads of new people we hope to meet up with this week and start teaching. I am consistently astounded at the influence our Heavenly Father has in this work and how he leads us to those who are ready to hear the gospel. It is truly a blessing and there's no way we could do it by ourselves. 

My trainer Elder Audrlicky told me the day before I left Liverpool that the best missionaries are like Michael Jordan. Michael Jordan could go into any game at any time and instantly make a difference and change the game. Man South is my new arena and I'm here to make a difference! I don't want to just go through the motions on my mission, I want to teach repentance and baptize converts. I want to invite as many people as I can to come unto Christ. 

As I've been thinking about the change in church schedule I've studied the talks from general conference. Over and over they say that this will help "deepen conversion". I think this change has come because far too often members just go through the motions and aren't building their testimonies or faith as frequently as our heavenly father would hope for us. If you feel like you are just going through the motions of the gospel, that's OK. You can change! I invite and plead with you to start thinking how to make your homes and lives more centered on the atonement and gospel of Jesus Christ. Take the necessary steps to build your faith!! Be a spiritual Michael Jordan yeah? 

Much Love to all of you! 

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder McConkie

Pics:

Me, Elder Carlson, and the new Elder Chen!

Me and elder C

Manchester-Bound - Liverpool, England

Hello Loves!

Crazy crazy week, sweet goodness it's been busy

Some highlights:

Elder Audrlicky and I went to Manchester on Wednesday for a new missionary training and it was so fun to see the MTC group again

On Saturday we woke up early to go fill the font in Liverpool. The font was pretty filthy so we spent a good hour cleaning it so there wouldn't be hair and bugs in the water. We finally finished cleaning the font and then started filling it and after a few minutes it started spewing this nasty thick yellow water and we flipped out. So we drained the font, cleaned the font again, and Thank goodness it all worked out eventually. 

Ewan and Kay were baptised later that day in clean water and it was wonderful.

I loved conference so much!! I am grateful for a living prophet who has a vision for this church and is actively making great strides to further the work of the Lord. 

I'm leaving Liverpool tomorrow! I've been transferred to the Manchester South area and I'm stoked for this next transfer

Much love! 

Hurrah for Israel!

Elder McConkie

jmcconkie@myldsmail.net

1.the MTC crew

2.baptism day

3. My man elder Chen!

4.cleaning the font/I fixed the mirror thing woot

the MTC crew

baptism day

cleaning the font/I fixed the mirror thing woot

- Liverpoool, England

Hello Loves!

It's been another grand week here in Liverpool! We've been so so busy but it's been great. 

This week my trainers had to go to a mission leadership council in Manchester so I got to go on splits with the phenomenal Elders Li and Chen. We had the craziest day ever and so many things just didn't work out. But then I contacted a lady at the bus stop and she wasn't super interested but she liked how willing we were to talk with her that she gave us 20£!! So we went to KFC and spent every last pence and had a feast. It was a bit of tender mercy haha.

I am so so happy I get to speak English on my mission, but also, I'm learning a little bit of lots of languages! There are so many different languages and cultures here that it helps to be able to connect with people a bit in their native tongue. 

The other day we went to visit our friends in the hospital and we read scriptures and taught them about prayer in Portuguese. At a street display, I contacted a lady in very broken Czech and tried to understand Skauss. Later that night we had Chinese festival we put on as a district that was aimed at bringing in ysa and there was a testimony meeting after in Chinese. After the testimony meeting, our companionship grabbed elder Brochu from France and we went and taught the restoration to one of our investigators in French!

I've realized this week how universal our church really is. It doesn't matter who you are, where you come from, what language you speak, or anything! We are all sons and daughters of God and he loves us all so much and wants us so desperately to return to him. That's why the gospel needs to be preached in every nation and every tongue! That's why we need missionaries! God speaks to his children through the spirit but how are they supposed to know that if we don't spread the word that everyone has a savior to turn to and a father in heaven who is mindful of everything they're going through. Spread the good word! Love the people!

Everyone go read Helaman 5:6-12 and then go tell someone why it's so important to have a testimony of Jesus Christ. Verse 12 is a classic but it's so important in this day and age.

This was a lengthy email sweet goodness

Love you all!

Elder McConkie

jmcconkie@myldsmail.net

Elder McConkie, Elder Li, Elder Chen

LIVERPOOL! - Liverpool, England

Elder McConkie, President McReynolds, Sister McReynolds

Hello! 

Last Tuesday we were shipped out of the MTC and took a bus to the mission home in Manchester! President and Sister McReynolds are fantastic. My whole companionship thing is a bit complicated haha. I'm in a trio with two Zone Leaders! My companions are Elder Auderlicky from the Czech Republic and Elder Masekoameng from South Africa/London. They've been working me hard and I've learned lots from them already. Because they have lots of ZL responsibilities I'll sometimes go on splits with Elders Li and Chen from China and Taiwan. So I've got essentially 4 trainers. It's grand.We are serving in the central Liverpool area and it's a beautiful city. Reminds me a lot of San Francisco.

Some highlights from the week:
Meeting the members! The Liverpool ward has a lot of different nationalities especially Brazilians and Chinese so I'm learning a bit of Portuguese and Mandarin from the members. They're all so joyful and I love em already.

We hosted a fireside in Liverpool last night where recently baptised members told their conversion stories and bore their testimonies. Missionaries from around the mission brought people investigating the church to listen to people who were in their shoes just a few weeks ago. It was a great night and I think it really impacted some people we are teaching.

The 21 day BofM challenge!
There is a challenge going around the Europe area that invites people to read a passage from the BofM that correlates with some big questions that some people might have for 21 days. It's a fantastic challenge and if you want to try it(you should) you should be able to find it on LDS.ORG.UK We did a street display advertising it downtown and I really enjoyed talking to people about it. It's funny though how people have such strong, negative opinions of the BofM when they haven't even read it haha.

I love you all, please please read your Book of Mormons every single day. In a world filled with so much chaos and distractions, it can give us such great peace and happiness!!

All the loves
Elder McConkie

Tour of Liverpool with President and Sister McReynolds

Elder McConkie and companion Elder Auderlicky from the Czech Republic