3 Month Mark! Can You Believe It?

Well almost. I have a couple days left until my actual three month mark but man time is going by fast. Just like two months until Christmas. It has been another good week in Ireland. I am actually in Bray right now again. The place where I climbed that mountain, but I am on exchanges with Elder O'Toole it was a really fun day yesterday. Well I am so looking forward to Sunday for Joel's baptism. It has been really fun working with him and it will be good to see him make that step in his life. It was supposed to be Saturday but the ward wanted to change it to Sunday right after church at 2:30. So more of the members could just stay after church to go to it. So that will be interesting and different. We went to see a member the other day named Immaculate Akello, African lady, who is a really stong member baptized about 5 years ago. But I was prompted to ask her two talk at the baptism and so we went over and asked her, and she was very gracious and willing, so I am also excited to hear her talk. She is amazing and has more faith than I do I think. Every time we go over to her house we feel like we got uplifted instead of doing the uplifting. So, I will have to report on the baptism next Week. One experience this week I was on exchanges on Monday with Elder Stavast who is the Zone Leader and we were in my area and were trying by some less actives and there was a group of girls probably about 20-23 so we stopped and talked to them for a minute and then we kind of told who we were and that we go around and share a message. One of the girls was very interested and took and wanted a Book of Mormon. So, I gave her one and soon after that she went into the house and we were still talking to the other two girls for a minute. But we could see her through the front window and she was just sitting on the couch just starring at the Book of Mormon. It was really cool. We have a return appointment for next Monday so it will be interesting to see what happens. Also, on Monday I think I told you how we have been going over to the Bishop's home on Monday nights and teaching family home evening but teaching the lessons undercover because their niece lives with them and is not a member. So, before she kind has been a typical teenager and not really listening when we teach the lessons. But this week we had a really good lesson we taught about the importance of reading the scriptures which are the writing of prophets of old and how it's even more important to listen to the prophet on the earth today. But the spirit was really strong and I could tell that she was feeling it. I think it might have been a turning point for her. I think one of the main things that helped us in our lesson is that me and Elder Stavast both shared personal stories about how the scriptures have helped us in our lives and we have found questions through the scriptures. I believe that is when the spirit is the strongest when we share things that come from our hearts and mean something to us. Anyways it was just really good. This week has kind of been crazy and it will be until the end of the week. We had exchanges with the ZL's Monday then yesterday we had exchanges and I came to Bray. Today we have a district activity, we are going bowling so that will be fun, then tomorrow is Zone Conference then we'll have a few things to do Friday and Saturday to get ready for the baptism. Yesterday we had a really good day. One appointment we had was with a guy named Terry. We shared a message and then he started going off on the IRA =(irish republican Army) and how they ruined his life. Then I saw a Jim Reeves tape on his table. I grabbed and I was like " I Love Jim Reeves" and he stopped his complaining, and he was able to open up about his love for classic country and we had a good talk about that. But I think it kind of opened up his heart for the missionaries because of that one thing that we had in common isn't that funny. Then last night we went tracting for like an hour and a half and we set a goal for 5 potentials. To qualify as a potential investigator. You have to get their address, phone number and they have to know that you are expecting a return appointment. Anyway's where I am serving in Clonsilla we are lucky if we get one a night. But Bray has been having better luck, it's also just different in different areas, some of my areas are the Ghetto. Anyways so we went out and I admit I had my doubts. But in that hour and a half we got 5 potentials plus 5 others who said we could come back and teach they just were reluctant to give us their phone numbers. It was a miracle. Well, it has been a good week nothing really important to report I guess.

Thanks this week to Lindsay for the letter. I have been out of town for a couple days so there might be another few there I usually have a good letter day Tuesday or Wednesday. But it was nice to get here to email and have so many emails to read it really brightened my day so thanks, Wyatt, Tommy, Jamie, Aunt Oona, Sister Bigler, Aunt Pam, Aunt Marsha. It was so good to hear from you.I Love you all and miss you so much but I am loving the work and I am happy here.
Elder Hancock