Week 20: Clear Skies, Rock Fishing, and Patience Beyond Measure

Good morning everyone! It's been an interesting week for sure, so I'm just going to get down to it. I don't know where to start because of all the things that happened so bear with me. We had a cool experience where we actually got to give someone a Book of Mormon in a foreign language! It was a polish Book of Mormon and when we came back later in the week, he wasn't interested anymore, but that's okay! We told him to keep the book. Maybe someday he'll change his mind. I'm grateful I felt I should take the Polish Book of Mormon though. We weren't going to, but then I felt I should take it. The holy spirit works in simple and effective ways.  WE FINALLY GOT TO TEACH MARTIN! Elder Lopiano and I met Martin about 45 days ago and has been so busy ever since. We really felt he would be interested though so we kept trying to meet him. Friday we finally were able to! It was really wonderful and he has such a desire to learn more. I'm super excited to continue teaching him and am grateful that we are finally able to begin meeting with him. Before we went into the lesson, I looked up and saw the clearest sky that I've seen in awhile You never really see stars here because it's always so cloudy at night. But that night was so clear. I saw a constellation that I've always loved since my childhood and it was just for a brief moment and I felt a connection with God in that second. I'm so grateful I get to be out here, representing Jesus Christ and helping people come to Him. One thing I've learned this week is how patient we can actually be with God's help. There were sometimes this week where my patience was lacking. I looked back and I saw how patient I have been since I've been on my mission. Granted, I'm not perfect and grated I've also been very impatient at times, but I definitely have seen the Lord's hand in my growth and development. I know I wouldn't be able to not just get through the day but enjoy it as well without the Savior's help. I look back and realise how much He has been strengthening me as I've focused on serving others.  When I turn to myself, that's when I tend to struggle. When I focus more on myself and less on Christ, that's when I start to flail and waver. However, when we have our faces "set like flint", as the scriptures say,  continually focused on Jesus Christ, we will not ever fail in the end and grow more than we thought possible.  We rebuilt a stone walk for Brother Manners this week. It was a dry stone wall, so no cement was used. Only mud and clay hold the wall together. It was great fun and kind of cool to have built something that will most likely outlast my lifetime. But that's what we hope to do here in this life: build an experience that will outlast our mortal probation and prepare us for the life hereafter and onwards.  British Word of the week: sussed - figured out; when you learn that you can always win at Tic tac toe if you start and play a certain way, you've sussed it out. When you realise someone says they're going to be home at a specific time for you to come by but you know that they'll be working because they told you they work, you've sussed it out. It's almost like cleverly figuring something out.  British food of the week: cheese toastie - either a piece of bread with cheese on it, grilled in the oven or a grilled cheese sandwich. It's usually just one piece of bread though. I think some people here live off of just cheese toasties. Grayson would do just fine here :-) Scripture of the week: Alma 13:24  Companion Comic: part of rebuilding the stone wall included fishing out stones that had been part of the wall but had fallen into the pond below. I was wearing the wellies so I had the pleasure. It was super fun. Picture is attached.  I love you all so much and I'm so grateful for you all. Thank you for your prayers, letters and emails. You are all wonderful people. Have a great week! Also transfers are this next week so you could potentially here from me in a different area! (Probably not though. I'll probably still be here. Which would be amazing, I love it here :-) ). Again if you ever have questions about what I'm doing or why, please just email me or check out mormon.org. Until next time! Elder Finnegan McKinley England London South Mission  Pics: Suited and booted for wall building, Westward Ho! And a view of the ocean from our sideview mirror.