Christmas in Dundee

This week was a good one. Even though we were all sick and had 2 days off for Christmas and boxing day, somehow we still managed to get a good amount of stuff done. We taught the most lessons that I have taught since I got to Dundee. We had 2 investigators at church, and we had a good overall week. It was a well needed success after a long and very difficult transfer. We taught a lady named Cheryl twice, she was a referral from a recent convert in the other ward and she is stellar. She is really receptive to the gospel and just the spirit in general. She came to church and really enjoyed it. So we will teach her again today and extend a Baptismal date for the 17th of January. And the other Elders have an investigator who was being taught online who they have taught heaps who is being prepared for the 17th as well. So things are finally looking up. Hopefully we can increase the teaching pool and be teaching a few people here. That would be awesome. 

Christmas was great and it was really good to get a couple of days to relax and hang out. We watched so many family movies, it was awesome. Absolutely loved it. It was so good getting to Skype you all as well. That was a great blessing. It was just great to see everyones faces. It is sad that it was such a short time, but a short time is better than no time. We will get new years day off this week so we have got one more day. And then back to work everyday. Pretty full on time over the Christmas period, you would think as a missionary it would just stay the same still but it gets way busier with all the ward activities and stuff. Its been Chocka block full. 

Well. Love you heaps. Here are some pictures from the last little while. Much love. 

Elder Tang

photo: me as rugged up as I can possibly get. It didn't snow, everything on the ground just froze because it was like -3

Christmas Day Skype 

Wet feet in a country that always rains not good

PRETTY DANG IMPORTANT! The boots you got me were faulty I think. Well the right one. Because the left one is fine, but the right one got a big crack in the sole and water is soaking through the bottom when its really wet. Im not sure what you want to do, but my right foot isn't waterproof anymore. Elder Mulville has these Ecco shoes that are pretty good. The are called Ecco Gore-tec, pretty dang durable and waterproof as anything. Or just more Rockports, because they are really good aside from the crack in the right shoe. 

Moves call was this week. Elder Mulville is off to Ireland. Im gonna miss him, he is such a good companion. And my new companion is going to be Elder Allred, I know him a little bit, he is cool. And Im getting "promoted" I guess to be a District Leader. So Im staying in the same area but my job has changed, Elder Merrill who was the District leader is moving to Glasgow and Im taking his job I guess. So that should be fun. It will be weird having to give instruction and stuff like that. 

So moves call is probably the biggest thing this week. We also were in a Christmas show at the church that was pretty fun, all the missionaries in the area sang in the choir, it was all about remembering the true meaning of Christmas, it was really fun. Ill send some pictures. I also found a guy named Aiden who looks a lot like me, he is an American exchange student in the Bingham ward here in Dundee. Pretty cool. 

New comp..

. This week was really tough for teaching too. We have been praying really hard to meet someone who is receptive, because we are really just feeling like nobody cares right now. There are so many people so caught up in so many unimportant things that demand their attention constantly that sometimes, we just cant even get people to stop for a minute to talk to us. That's a hard part of the work. 

One thing we did that was really fun this week was we sang in a choir that was part of a big Christmas show. It was a play about remembering the birth of Christ for Christmas. Really awesome. Ill send some pictures because it was heaps of fun. 

We have had quite a few chances to give service to ward members in small ways, I am really grateful for those opportunities, I love helping people, and as a missionary sometimes you can feel like nobody wants to be helped, but when you help someone who wants and needs it, rather than needs it but doesn't want it, the feeling is just stellar. 

Here are some pics from my last week or two.

Dad forgot to post this one

I must admit, I am not a great writer either. But hey, the atonement is real, I will repent. 

We haven't taught a lesson yet since Ive gotten to Dundee, there were no investigators or less actives being worked with when I got here. So Elder Mulville and I are basically starting from ground zero. We are getting along really well, I love this kid, he is a cool as a cucumber and he is a great missionary. We are working hard with the members trying to serve them so that they can trust us. The reputation of the missionaries over the last year has not been great, so we are really struggling to get the ball rolling. I love the Ward though, they are fantastic, and I love Dundee. Last week we were just out finding people all day everyday. Its really exhausting business, Im so tired every day haha, I fall asleep as soon as my head touches the pillow. 

The boots are great, dry feet are a tender mercy. It rains so much in this place haha. Im looking forward to getting back to sunny Brisbane one day in the far away future. 

I just finished the Book of Mormon again today, this one took me a while, about 3 months. I was studying about humility, all of Christ like Character depend on humility, you cant have any of Jesus' attributes without having some degree of humility. Not teaching has been a humbling experience. Its really hard to get things moving when nothing is happening. I cant even imagine how hard it is for the Lord to get his work moving, I guess he is all knowing so he is more efficient, but Im sure its still a struggle. 

Elder Tang

Falling out my third Story window

Sounds like it was a really great trip! I love the photos! Dads beard is killing me! That thing is flippin awesome! Im so jealous. Thou shalt not covet thy fathers beard... At least I think that's what the scripture says. 

This week was pretty rough. Coming off a week where we had pretty successful finding I had a hard time when this week no one really was listening to us. We were just talking to brick walls all week, lots of rude people and heaps of really closed minded people too. By Friday and Saturday its safe to say I was more than frustrated. I hate it when people will not even listen enough for us to tell them about the restored gospel, it really grinds my gears when they just keep walking when we try to speak to them or they just shout NO NO NO NO to everything we say. They don't even know what we are telling them, and its the most important message they will ever hear. Its really hard to preach to people who are so hard hearted. We had a man this week whos door we knocked on who said "for me to believe in God he would have to come down, stand in front of me, and say 'Im God, what can I do for you?'" He told us that he didn't believe in God basically because his neice died and he said that if God was there his life needed to be better. He was so arrogant and blasphemous, we then testified about how opposition is a part of Gods plan and that he would never learn anything if God was just his butler, to which he responded "YOU WONT PREACH TO ME!" 

That was just one of many people that just grinded my gears this week. Its so humbly to have to just not say anything to these people who are so prideful and contentious. Suffice it to say I did not have the best week. 

In order to combat a bad week this week we are starting fresh and we have to have a good week. Im trying to avoid thinking about the pressure. 

The Church has launched a HUGE Christmas initiative online and across the world, its a great opportunity to try and help people realize what they are actually celebrating, especially because I think that every year the real spirit of Christmas is getting pushed more and more aside. You have probably already gotten the whole run down from the sisters, if you haven't though, ask them about it because its a lot bigger in the states than it is here. Hop on facebook and share the video that's on Christmas.mormon.org its awesome. 

Well that's about all the news for me this week. Pretty boring. Sorry I don't have anything too outrageously exciting. We did have a great thanksgiving dinner at the Bishops house, that's was good. 

Love you. 

Miss you. 

Elder Tang

Dundee is actually a place as well as a fictional character

Elder Mulville and I

This half week has been amazing. Elder Mulville is great, he is so relaxed all the time. And the ward is awesome. Its a big ward, about 150 members. Sunday was awesome. 

We are basically starting from ground zero, we aren't working with anyone right now and apparently the members haven't been very supportive of the last few missionaries. But we are going to change all that. We have prayed a lot about helping the members get more excited, and so we spent a lot of time on sunday while I got to know as many people as I could and shook everybody's hand coming in and tried my best to smile and be as warm and friendly as possible. I think we had a good impression. We went to Bishop Keoghs house for dinner and introduced the set a date program from Elder Ballard to their family (they have 10 kids! WOAH!) Sister Keogh jumped on it, she is a real go getter. And Bishop Keogh had some experience with the same program in the past where it worked really well. There are apparently some families that will be a lot harder to win over, but we are off to a great start. 

I didn't really do anything on my birthday but Elder Mulville told one of the Keogh girls that it was my Birthday on Friday and so Sister Keogh has booked us for dinner next week where she will make a late birthday cake, I have never been so pampered in my life. 

Dundee is looking like it going to be awesome, I love that we have an opportunity to work with so many great members to expand the work here. Its really just awesome! Im so excited for this area. 

A little more about Elder Mulville, he is a convert, baptized one year ago, his story is fairly similar to Jacks, so it is really cool to serve with him and to hear his story. He is really smart too, knows heaps about the gospel. I am really excited for this companionship. Its gonna be awesome. 

address is 2/R 174 Lochee rd, Dundee (I am not completely sure about the postcode, but you can probably find it on google maps) 

Elder Tang 

Elder Barton

Transfers are here!

Dear Friends,

Im sorry but Im really terrible at writing as you all can probably tell. 

So the moves call has come in and after 6 months Im getting kicked out of Stranraer, they are offically sick of me. Well I hope they arent haha, but Im getting moved this week to Lochee in Dundee. For all who dont want to bust out google maps its right up on the North East coast, almost up to Aberdeen, just a little north of Edinburgh. Im going to be Senior Companion to Elder Mulville, I dont know anything about him yet, but Im certain that will change. 

The Last few months have been hectic, no baptisms or anything big in that way to update you on, just little experiences everyday where the Lord reassures us that we are doing the right thing, if youre not careful you could miss them. 

I have been learning a lot about love lately, its something I want to get better at. Jesus Christ loves everybody, he loves us all more than anything else, he didnt withhold anything from us when he was atoning. I wish I could have that kind of love, I havent quite figured out how yet. Its one of those mind boggling mysteries that I am trying to figure out by constant pondering. I have a pretty easy time loving the people I spend a lot of time with or that I miss from home and all that jazz. But unfortunately I cant figure out how to love every person I meet yet. I think at some level I do, but I just need to get it out and throw it around a bit... Its easier said than done. One thing I have noticed more though is the more you truly come to love the Saviour, the more you can love others. 

Do you love the Saviour more than your nets? (to find out what I am talking about go hit up John 20, and think about what your nets are) 

Are we each ready to leave our nets behind??? Its a big question. But asking ourselves that will help us to put into true perspective what its worth. Even down to the smallest things, do we love him more than our comfort? Or our easy going lives? Are we willing to make sacrifices. Thats what I have been pondering lately. 

Love yous all. 

Elder Tang

These are a couple of extra details he wrote his mother....

This week was busy but pretty uneventful. Other Than the lesson we had with Matthew which was awesome, he accepted the baptismal commitment and we will see him again this week. He is going through some really hard stuff and needs help, the good thing is unlike so many other people he is willing to accept help and recognizes that going to God is the right thing to do, its pretty amazing really. 

Elder Barton, he has been my favourite companion, the guy that I am replacing in Dundee is coming to be Elder Bartons companion, its pretty weird, Ive never heard of a swap like that. Im a little scared, I have never moved areas before obviously, and Im right in the middle of a big city. The ward there is supposed to be really big, Im looking forward to that, I would just love to sit in a big congregation again. So there are some good and bad things as far as nerves. But all things considered I really have needed a change. 

So a little logistics update, it snows a lot in Dundee apparently, so I will need some boots I think. Ive got a link for some,  http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dr-Martens-Boots-Brown-Gr-45/dp/B003SX0ICQ/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1415011431&sr=8-22&keywords=mens+doc+marten+brown   I think Dad said he had some Docs on his mission and they lasted forever. I also tore through the knee in my older black suit, too much praying. (seriously thats what did it) I stitched it up a couple of times but just kept tearing more and more, proabably due to my dodgy repair job, so I can survive on just the one suit for a while but I may need some money for another one soonish. Im sorry to be always asking for stuff. Im trying to make everything stretch, I feel bad asking for stuff all the time. Maybe call the boots good for xmas.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dr-Martens-Boots-Brown-Gr-45/dp/B003SX0ICQ/ref=sr_1_22?ie=UTF8&qid=1415011431&sr=8-22&keywords=mens+doc+marten+brown

thats the link again because I dont know if it worked. (Im a size 8 european, Use your best judgement I guess) 

Elder Barton my son....

This week has been good. We had some good success, we had 3 investigators at church, which is the most Stranraer has had, probably in years. Im not sure. And it was just a really long, really busy weeks all in all. 

Ok let me tell you something about Elder Barton. 

He is a fantastic missionary, really prepared and has really stepped up to the challenges that Stranraer presents. He is from a family of 5, all sisters, he is the youngest. He is the first in his family to serve a mission. He is so tall, 6 foot 4. I feel like a midget. He has a girlfriend in at BYU (he came straight from highschool and she went to college) and she seems pretty cool. He didnt have much to say at first, he was kinda nervous to speak, but he has come miles from where he was. What a killer missionary he is. Ill send a photo. 

I have been getting quite a lot out of my studies lately, I have been studying about a lot of christ like attributes like charity and love and humility, there are so many things I need to improve on. Its actually ridiculous how far we have to come to become like the Saviour, Im not even close. Atleast I have no shortage of things to do in my list of Godlike qualities, always got something I can be busy with. 

I am so excited for Patch to come to the mission, I had a weird feeling he would come here, at first I thought I just hoped, but now I think God maybe revealed it to me a little bit, out of a love for me, just a nice thing for him to do right? He will be a really good missionary, it will be weird to have a missionary here that is family, that will be really cool. I hope I serve close to him so I can see him often. That would be awesome. 

I have had a good week, its been exhausting, but its been good. 

Elder Tang

Wise as serpents harmless as doves

Another transfer is over here in the mission field. Thats 3 down now. On my 4th planner now. Elder Barton and I went to see St Ninians cave last p-day, which is the first place that christianity landed in scotland, in about 400ad or something. Right at the beginning of the great apostasy, funny that, probably explains all the false doctrines that are prevailing around here.

Oh so, I was speaking with a Less active in the Branch, who is a Mcgilvary, like Dads grandma, and I was saying to him that I really liked his Mcgilvary hunting tartan that he had for a kilt, and he said he knew a guy that could get it discounted if I might want some (its a really rare really expensive tartan) so I said that would be awesome. He talked to the guy, and the guy just sent him like 5 meters of it and said just pay me whenever. So now I have 5 meters of mcgilvary hunting tartan to make a kilt, but i need about £150 to pay for it haha. Sorry about that, he didnt mean to get it sent to him yet, it was a bit of an accident. Maybe dont worry about a birthday package this year, haha.   

This week was rough on numbers. To be honest I have felt pretty sad lately. I have been in Stranraer for 4 and a half months and we havent been able to improve anything, no members reactivated, the active members arent doing any more missionary work really, no baptisms, I have been struggling to find what our purpose is in Stranraer. I keep asking the Lord why we are here, what he wants us to accomplish. I dont know what it is yet. So we just keep trying our hardest. Its tough sometimes. In the Book of Mormon when Ammon was busy converting King Lamoni and all of his people, his brothers Aaron and Omner had been called to go among a different people among the lamanites, where they had no success, they were even cast into prison and tortured. Im really greatful that we arent in prison but of late I have felt a little bit like Aaron rather than Ammon, being called to preach to a stiff necked people that wont hearken to the words of the Lord. I am trying really hard to have more faith to find the people that God has prepared here, but it doesnt seem to be working so far. My faith is really being put to the test. It makes sense I guess, the Lord himself withheld things from Mormon when he was compiling the Book of Mormon saying "I will try the faith of my people", I guess thats what the Lord is doing right now. Maybe, Im not too sure. 

Cant say as I really have a solid answer to those questions yet, we are working as hard as we can, I guess thats all that matters. 

What's The Crack?

 

WHATS THE CRACK?

Hello All, Its been a whole other week already. How time flies.

This week has been an adventure for sure, our investigator pool is beginning to dwindle. Which means... you know it... HARDCORE FINDING! We are taking up the restoration tackle tactic, it consists of tackling people and then showering pass along cards on them while they are down.
So thats actually not how we do it, but maybe its worth a try. We have been having a hard time with finding lately, and its been a real struggle. For all those return missionaries reading this, what do you do when things get tough? YOU GET TOUGHER! Get some real spiritual pushups going. A little bit of gusto never hurts. Our weekly planning session this week was almost all about what we are going to do to intensify everything. Im excited for this week, are you?

Today I would like to give some lovely shout outs to some wonderful examples. First goes to Elder Jack Goodwin, the rock, Satan thinks he is clever, but Elder Goodwin is a monster of spiritual inspiration. We can all learn something of perseverance from him. He is able to take situations that seem bleak and difficult and even boring, and turn it into an opportunity for both growth, and strengthening. Strengthening for both himself and others.
And the other is for Shelly-Anne Haisman, she has been able to have the wonderful blessing of bringing a friend into the gospel. For those of you who dont know her she was only baptized herself about a year ago. And since even before her baptism has been an amazing example of what a saint, and a missionary is.

There are so many other people I could praise, but today we will stick with 2. My lovely friends, the Lord God, is hastening his work. We can either sit back and watch, and miss what is possibly the most exciting time in the history of the world, or we can roll our sleeves up, get involved, and share the harvest that the Lord is gathering up for himself. The war that we are fighting is called the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is ongoing, and it is a winning fight. Despite popular secular belief, we cannot be defeated. Like the Stripling Warriors who fought under the direction of the great Helaman, we must trust in the word of the Lord which has been taught to us by those most dear. Yes Mum, thats you <3. Let us take up our swords of truth and go about doing good, and INVITING people to come unto Christ. Simply "living" the Gospel will not cut it. To truly live the Gospel, we must share it. And we can do it, even if we think we cant. Jesus Christ is with us. If you feel like he isnt pick a random section of the Doctrine and Covenants and go read. The Lord is with his people, you are his people.

I love each of you, thankyou for the inspiration you give me in your wonderful examples. Happy Birthday to my Dad for this week, you are a great example to me as well.

God be with you till we meet again.

Elder Tang   

Number 8 Aug 26 2014

Finally Caught up…

HELLO FRIENDS AND FAMILY!

Well its been a cracker of a week, so busy that its actually insane.

We are moving house right now which has cut into a lot of our proselyting time, massive bummer. But wait! There is an up side, the Lord definitely blessed us in the little time that we did have out and about. We met quite a few new potential investigators and set up a lot of appointments for our week this week which is a super busy one too.

So my new born son, Elder Barton is quite the character, from guess where.... SALT LAKE CITY! Classic. Now when people ask if we are from salt lake we can no longer surprise them by being australian and german. But so far it hasnt hindered us at all. He is settling in really well, especially considering that Utah and Scotland are about as polar opposite as you can get.

We taught our Bulgarian friend Konstantin who seemed rather fascinated by the fact that he could oneday be a God, just a heads up, probably not something to bring up with a nonmember when they dont know a whole lot about church doctrine. But he just has so many weird questions, its a learning experience for sure. Its funny how you make lesson plans that never seem to work how you want them too, but i am convinced if we didnt make them we would be the most horrible teachers ever. That obedience business, its actually crazy how true it is.

Speaking of obedience we listened to a fantastic mtc devotional from elder holland about the mission call being forever. quality stuff, and he said "I hate talking about obedience, but seeing as obedience is the first law of EVERYTHING, being obedient is about as eternal as anything I could ever say to you." Even God is obedient, ponder that for a while, I promise it will be satisfying.

Becoming a trainer has offered heaps of opportunity to grow. Its amazing how quickly you learn to swim when you are tossed in with a 20ft wave. HAHA I know that sounds funny but its an eternal truth, God stretches us, makes us trust him more. This week made me think, "WOOWWW, God really knows what he is doing."

That he does my dearly loved ones.

The Fight Goes On, Lets all get involved.

Love

ELder Tang

Number 7 Aug 11 2014

Ahhhhhh Hello Dear Friends and family.

The Winds of Change have gusted through the Stranraer area. Moves call came last night with some exciting news. I finished the first 12 weeks (greeny training program) and I have now been called to train a brand new missionary. I have no idea who, because the group gets here on wednesday and then President Brown will decide who is with who. But Its super exciting and nerve racking and scary all at once. My companion Elder Neideck is off to Edinburgh to the Dalkeith ward to be a District Leader. After an unbelievably short 3 months I am into the senior companion seat, didnt expect that. Most trainers have been out about a year, or between 6 months and a year. I had to double check with President Brown to make sure he knew who he was talking to and didnt have the wrong missionary on the phone haha. 

We have had an amazing week this week of teaching and finding. Not baptizing yet but we will definitely get there, and if things keep going the way they are it wont take too long. The Lord is working miracles here in Stranraer. This week we also found a new friend, his name is Moroni, he is a 1.5 week old garden snail. He was hanging out on my jacket on a rainy day, no idea how he got there, but he couldnt have been more than 1 day old at the time, his shell wasnt even colored yet. So we put some dirt and a plant in a measuring jug and now he just stays on our windowsill and sleeps all day. For those of you who know the missionary handbook where it says dont keep pets, I asked my District Leader who said its probably fine because we dont need to feed him, he just eats the plant, so i guess we just keep a plant and he just happens to live on it. Also I guess that means I lied about the no baptisms thing because we baptized our snail... if that counts. It was pretty funny, in a cup. He nearly drowned, lucky he made it. He is getting pretty big now though. Doubled in size in a week. Ok, enough about the snail. 

The work of Salvation is making leaps and bounds forward here in Stranraer, I hope you are all well and that you are eagerly engaged in sharing the Gospel with those around you. Prayer helps a lot. 

Until Next time my dear friends, 

Holiness to The Lord. 

Elder Tang

Number 6 Aug 4 2014

Such a beautiful Country..


Well this are becoming more and more of a rarity... 

Welcome to Elder Tangs week in Stranraer Scotland. And what a week it has been. Sorry for those who think I have neglected them, apparently though i spend way too much time writing personal emails and not enough time doing these big ones. But needless to say i found about 10 minutes today. haha

This week was crazy, so busy. We taught 8 investigator and less active lessons which is almost double what we normally do. And we have been running around, appointments dodged, books placed, names taken, conversations, pamphlets, cards, trying but not succeeding in getting referrals haha. Safe to say its been a big week. 

Story of the week. Lady named Grace in our ward, been battling cancer for years. Beat it a couple of times, although i dont know if you say she beat it if it comes back. Anyways its back, and in her tongue of all places. So today she is in sugery getting the tumor removed. (im not sure if you call it a tumor, good thing im not going into medicine) And she is so faithful its crazy. Asked her how she was, she said im ok, the Lord wont give me anything I cant handle. Elder Neideck and I were just stunned. We have no idea how a little old lady (dont mention i said old) could be so brave. But she is! Its Wild! 

Other than that, Elder Neideck and I found a sweet EFY version of Praise to the Man, with the Bagpipes and everything. For those of you who may not know, praise to the man is sung to the tune scotland the brave, classic folk song. So we have been driving around stranraer and have listened to it maybe 50 times. You cant listen to it and not know that Joseph was a Prophet, crazy stuff. And sister McGilvary (who i could possibly be related to) said she would get me a chanter, which is the pipe that you play the notes on from the bagpipe that i can take around with me and learn. which would be cool because maybe then i could learn the pipes when i get home. Thatd be an experience. And it would be sweet to sit around in a kilt and play. maybe not in public though. 

Well I love you all and hope you are well. Sorry if i hadnt replied to any mail. i tried really hard to get to everyone. but just know that i love you all. 

Youre all the man. 

Elder Tang

Number 5 July 14 2014 Missionary Selfies

Missionary Selfies on a swing!

Not a newsletter, but a letter to his Mum worth reading. He might not write to everyone every week, but he does write his Mother every week. What a Good Lad.

My Dearest Mother. This week went really fast. But we didnt really have any lessons with investigators so that was a little disappointing. But I have a story. So we are moving flats soon because our flat is really nasty, and we have been looking for a new flat. Remember that for later. And we have a talk in the car from Elder Holland where he talks about his "standard speech for missionaries" where he says its always hard. Its always the last 5 minutes of the day, its always the last house, its always raining. Inspirational talk. Anyways so we were tracting in the pouring rain (atleast my upperbody was dry cause of my new jacket that I got... I figured out that jackets without hoods are useless in scotloand) and we had knocked the whole street with no success. We had only about 4 doors left, and we only had 10 minutes until we needed to go back to the flat for language study (not curfew) It was about 7:50. And so we went to knock these last few houses, and the LAST HOUSE, rain started coming down even heavier, and a man opened the door. Spoke to us for about 2 minutes, then invited us in to sit with him and his wife. That has never happened to me, we have never been invited in off the doorstep. So we went in and started talking. Doing the how to begin teaching points from Preach my Gospel, more like a conversation than a lesson. And at the end, Campell (the mans name) said to us, "well, i wouldnt say that you have converted me, but you sure are some great young guys" (or something like that) and then we asked if we could return to give them a copy of the Book of Mormon to read, and they said definitely yes. That was really cool. And then just in talking they mentioned that they have a friend who is trying to find someone to rent a flat he owns in town. And he gave us the number for the man! The blessings in that hour that we were there were crazy. 

So thats the story. 7 weeks in the field now. And I am over the halfway point with my training, which means that soon I will be a normal missionary. That has gone so fast. Its actually crazy how fast it all goes. Its good to see the pics of the little mates. I hope they are doing well. Thats so interesting that my baby blessing said that I would have the patience of Job, because I really think that patience is something I have really grown in over the last year. Like a lot. I have been able to be patient and push through things I never could have. Not just in the mission field either, but when I was living in Australia. I wish I had a copy of my baby blessing, that would be cool to read. Tell me anything else you remember about it please. Its really crazy how I have felt my faith growing a lot lately. Thats a really important thing, without faith your ability to endure will crumble (President Eyring said that, see Mountains to Climb) Great talk. I have some more good scriptures for you to read mum. Check out D&C 31. Its a short one. But it gives me a lot of comfort while I am out here, especially when things with the boys dont always go too well. 

I love you mum, I know the Lord is looking after you and me. And the whole family. Righteousness is the key to happiness. And the Lord knows your feelings better than you know them yourself. 

Love, 

Elder Tang.

heres a photo of us on some swings. (I promise we actuaslly do work hard) 

Number 4 July 7

First off, sorry I probably am missing some people on this. But Im sure they will survive. 

Newsletter for this week. 

So the last few weeks we have seen some more progress in the right direction. We finally got our investigator Bridget to church. Massive step for her and for me. Its my first investigator at church. Cool stuff right? Stranraer is a really small place and I am starting to learn every ones faces... Thats not so good hahha. I hope we dont run out of people rto talk to. That would make things tough. 

Loving the Mission life. We had moves call and Elder Neideck and I are staying together for another 6 weeks. Which is awesome! But not too surprising because im still on the rookie first 12 week program and they probably wouldnt move me from my trainer before my training is done. So looking at another 6 weeks in the beautiful Stranraer, not bad eh? 

We fixed Daves printer this week (which means we plugged it in and turned it on [he is the husband of a lady in our branch, not a member]) and he was really grateful. Then we read the Book of Mormon with him, 1 Nephi 4 and 5. He enjoyed it. Then he said the prayer! He has never prayed with missionaries before and they have been going over for like a whole year. He is starting to come round, slowly. But hey, the tortoise won the race didnt he? 

Elder Neideck and I decided that we really wanted to know what it would be like if we were celestial beings. And I had a wonderful idea, and Ill attach a picture. So if you see us like that after we die, you will know whats going on. (special note- no proselyting time was wasted in this photography experiment) haha just in case you think im apostate... im not. 

I love you all dearly and hope life is treating you all lovely. 

Take care.

Love, 

Elder Tang.     

Number 3 June 9 2014

Hello from Beautiful Stranraer Scotland!

Its Elder Tang!

This week I had an interview with President Brown for zone interview training and I got to see the AP's and the zone leaders. Why do I have such awesome leaders in my mission? I dont know, but I do. We had a big talk about the importance of planners and they told me mine was good, so I saved a lot of sweat that day. 

Elder Neideck and I are out and about spreading the gospel and trying to find people to teach. The numbers say its not working but we are feeling inspired and awesome. The days are long but its so worth it. We spoke to a guy named Robert who said he had no belief in God, but he seemed really intrigued as to why there were two smiling young men in suits talking to him about it. He was cutting his neighbors grass and we offered to help him with his yard sometime, he was shocked and said yes. We have an appointment with him on sunday and we left him with a Book of Mormon. I think that was the last thing he expected us to do. I am so greatful for the example of the Saviour in serving those around us. Its such a blessing to be able to serve and love the people. Even when it is hard sometimes. What a marvelous work and a wonder. 

Also Elder Neideck is teaching me German and I have started reading the Book of Mormon in German. One of the great advantages to being a missionary is free church supplies haha. Still eating wraps almost everyday, but this week we bought some stuff for tikki masala (dont know how to spell that one) Hopefully it works out. Mum makes a good one but I dont know if I ever watched close enough to inherit the skill. And Sister Mclaen gave us YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS!!! Not as good as Aunty Eileens but they were up there. My goodness. 

Until next week. The Gospel is true. And if any of you forget I might have to chase you into the ocean... 

Love 

Elder Tang

Newsletter 1. He's not the strongest writer in the world

Looks and acts like a local already..

Hello all, 

I have found myself with not much time left for my newsletter. Sorry.

The work is great, doing so much finding because we are really struggling to find people to teach. Its really good practise though because you will never be perfect at finding. 

Sister McLaen and Brother Mclaen (members in the branch) are feeding us like 3 times a week. Im sure you can all imagine that I am loving that. 

Next week I will try to manage more time for this. 

I love you all. This work is great. 

Elder Tang

On Mon, May 26, 2014 at 12:25 PM, Nathanael Tang <nathanael.tang@myldsmail.net> wrote:

Hello you four people whos emails i have. First up i love you guys, please send this to other people who love me a little bit, but not enough to email me. I understand they are busy. But i can raise my eyebrows cheekily and say i am busier than they are... Slackers. 

Jokes haha love them all. But for reals, so lonesome on a monday with like 4 emails. Not really... But really. 

Ok so hopefully you will actually understand this part of the email. 

I have been assigned to serve in the stranraer branch. Its and itty bitty little town on the south east coast of scotland. Try and find it on a map, i dare you. 

My companion is from germany, his name is elder neideck, he has a massive crush on danya (for those of you reading this who know her), i showed him photos of my friends and now he reminds me to get her email for him every single night... Hahaha he is a funny guy. Fun to work with. 

Together we make the dynamic duo taking on the most difficult people in the british isles. Literally. 

Our flat is about as old as elder packer haha but atleast it has hot water in abundance (sorry for anyone in the phillipines, not that you need hot water there) our fridge defrosted this week and flooded the kitchen, had to get every towel in the flat to mop it up, and then it just started working again... As the scottish say, i dunni can. (I dont know) 

We met all the members this week (about 16 of them) and its the smallest branch i have ever been to. Quite the experience. 

Tracting in the freezing rain has been the highlight of my finding experience. Fully getting into the scottish environment. 

Hahaha now a little more serious. 

There is a lot of work to be done here in stranraer. I am not sure how the lord can entrust so much to a boy so young with so little knowledge. But as history shows i guess thats his style. At night i find myself praying more earnestly than ever before for the people of this area. They do not know or want to know what God has for them. It can often make me sad. But God has given them to choose, and they will make their choice as i have made mine. I will serve my maker. 

I feel like alma when he said of my own strength i do not boast. But of my God i boast. 

He has power to save and he has prepared this area for the gospel, how can we let such negativity discourage us when we have God behind us who will never fail or forsake us? We can not. 

All power is his, without him I am nothing, and with him i rejoice. 

Love Elder Tang. 

The Start May 2014

Elder Tang with Elder Neideck 

Stirling, Scotland, 1898, David O. McKay: “I was homesick and a little discouraged on this day. As we were coming back into town, I saw an unfinished dwelling, over the front door of which was a stone on which there was a carving. That was most unusual, so I said to Elder Johnston, ‘I’m going to see what that is.’ I was half way up the graveled walk when there came to my eyesight a strik-ing motto as follows, carved in stone: “ ‘Whate’er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part.’ I said to myself, or the Spirit within me, you are here as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. That afternoon, I accepted the message given to me on that stone, and from that moment we tried to do our part as missionaries in Scotland” 

President and Sister Brown..

Edinburgh Scotland

In 1840 Elder Orson Pratt, an LDS Apostle, climbed to the top of Arthur's Seat. There he dedicated the country of Scot-land for the preaching of the gospel. Today your missionary climbed the hill and dedicated themselves to the preaching of the gospel in this great land.