"You spank the car and I'll rodeo!"

I'll explain the title in a second but first things first.

So, there we were doing a leaflet (pamphlet) drop, just sticking them through people's mail slots all nice like. I open this gate (almost everyone has a gate in front of their house) and all the sudden there is a crazy amount of barking.
*where is this coming from?*
All of a sudden, OUT OF NO WHERE, a Rottweiler-ish looking dog is booking it towards me. So I'm like, "aiiight, I'm just gonna close that gate back up..."

WRONG. The dog starts going for my hand when I try to lock the gate! We start playing a little game - I'm trying to catch the gate without getting my hand eaten off and he's jumping trying to get through the gate while simultaneously trying to chomp on my fingers.

I'm thinking I'm gonna die.

All of a sudden this dog starts yelping, and I mean like, howling. After 10 seconds I realized it was in pain and "I'm like what the heck. You stopped trying to devour me, how come?" I look and see his arm/paw is stuck in between the wooden fence posts that make up the gate. But the gate is still swinging back and forth with this dog stuck in it.
OH. AND MY COMPANION PEACED OUT LIKE 10 MINUTES AGO.

I'm freaking out trying to figure out how to handle this situation. Every time I would try to lock the gate again while it was stuck, it would still try to bite me. Then I thought "Maybe I should remove his paw because he's in so much pain" but I realized I didn't want to for fear of the animal charging at me again.
So there I was awkwardly standing there watching this dog swing back and forth in this gate until the owner finally came out and helped him.

Needless to say I did not give him a pamphlet.


Thursday we had a no show for an appointment but we met a man named Aaron in the Library later that day. We were meeting with a recent convert and Aaron kept looking at us while we were teaching. After the lesson we went down the stairs and almost exited and then I felt like we should go back up and talk to this man. We did and he said we could meet with him this week. Fingers crossed!

We met a man named Robby who gave us his contact info and a woman named Julie who is awesome! She's not interested in the church but we KNOW it would bless her life. She thought Sister Firth and I were twins #ballin. Julie's mom just passed away so prayers for her would be nice :)

Stake Conference was awesome! Elder Leimer from the 3rd Quorum of the Seventy came. He showed us a video of President Eyring speaking about families at the Vatican. Apparently The Pope invited many different churches to send a representative to speak about the nature of families. He killed it! He read The Family Proclamation to the World.

Then he got on the members pretty hard to help the missionaries. HELP THE MISSIONARIES IN YOUR WARD. If every person brought ONE person to church or gave the missionaries ONE referral, we would expand the church by a crazy percentage. Let the missionaries teach in your home! We need help, we can't do this alone.

Okay, spiel done.

We had Zone Interview Training which is all the missionaries in Northern Ireland. I had to give my incoming testimony since I'm new and Sister Firth gave her outgoing testimony since she's dying this transfer :(

Now to the part I know you've all been waiting for. The title.
The Elders from Portadown (Elder Lewis and Elder Tarbet) always give us rides to meetings. We were driving back from Stake Conference and another car of people in our ward pulled up beside us so Elder Lewis and Elder Tarbet put their arms out the window to flap like a bird.
Then Elder Lewis says "Okay now you spank the car and I'll rodeo!"

o___O


S.Firth and I "WHAT!?"
hahahahahaha.

Apparently it's supposed to look like you're riding a horse...
Okay Okay it's not thaaat funny. But we just died in the backseat.

Missionary life is awesome. My nametag is my favorite part. We wear Jesus Christ's name on our hearts and I wouldn't have it any other way!

Cheers!
Sister Skagen

                                          Richard our recent convert! He is the COOLEST!

                                                                      We traded clothes.

                                              ​I turned "1" last week. Only 17 months to go!

What a Week!

Yesterday the library computers were not working so I have my e-mailing time today.

We are basically at square 1 right now. We have one investigator but nothing/no one else so we're doing a lotttt of Finding. 

Sister Firth and I decided to go chapping (knocking doors) on Thursday for most of the day. And Thursday, ladies and gentleman, decides it would like to pour. It was not super heavy rain all week until we decide to be out all day. #drowningratstatus 

It was really funny, we were freezing but just couldn't stop laughing at the situation. We eventually went home and changed. 

I had my first experience with dropping an investigator this week. It was pretty hard but Sister Firth and I felt impressed to not teach him anymore because he wasn't progressing as we hoped. 

Thanksgiving is not celebrated here. AND I FIGURED OUT WHY. It's because they celebrate it every day at dinner. Literally, I am eating a flipping (yes I know that's in the best two years and I know I'm becoming one of thoooose missionaries, #dealwithit) Thanksgiving meal every day! I've attached a picture. I honestly could not finish that particular meal, I thought I was going to explode. But it was delicious.

On Friday mornings we volunteer at a charity shop in town. It's fun! But really hard because they turn the radio on and I just want to sing to all the songs but alas, I can not. #missionaryprobs

(Shoutout to Alanna -- Good Girls by 5 Seconds to Summer came on!)

Other things I noticed this week:

  - The stop lights turn yellow before they turn green! So it goes, Green --> yellow --> Red --> yellow --> green. I think I would race people way more if I ever were to drive here.

 - When shopping, the people working at the registers say "wee" all the time. 

      "Would you like a wee bag?"  (BAGS ARE 5 cents HERE ! NOT FREE)

      "Here's your wee receipt."

      "There are wee instructions on the back so you can take a wee survey."

#iwouldweeallylikeyoutostopsayingthat

 haha but it's a good time. Apparently they are meant to say that because it sounds softer. Like, not just like TAKE YOUR RECEIPT.

Yesterday for P-Day we went into Belfast and to the Christmas Market. 

COOLEST.THING.EVER. 

It is like a farmers market with all things Christmas. 

I know this is Jesus Christ's gospel and that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet to bring forth the Book of Mormon. I am amazed and awed by the beauty of Jesus Christ's Atonement and grateful for the opportunity to live with Him and our Heavenly Father again. I know He loves us and desires to bless us and can fully do that when we come unto Him.

I hope everyone is doing well. Love and miss you all. I would love to hear what you are up to! Even if you think it's silly :) 

Cheers!

Sister Skagen

P.S. Somebody sent me a package with lots of chocolate things and apology about "being a booger" and not writing to me yet. But there was no name attached. I would love to know who it was so I can send them a HUGE thank you. 

Good Morning! 10 November 2014

Good Morning!

Real quick, we made it over here! FINALLY. The traveling was long and I am still jet lagged. It is 7 hours ahead of Provo over here so I'm still wide awake at night and dying in the morning.

We had a real Scottish welcome as it was raining and cold and snowing and WINDY as we (all the new missionaries) climbed a mountain called Pratts Hill. In 1840, Orson Pratt came and prayed for success in his mission. We all went up there and prayed and set mission goals for ourselves. It was a cool experience even though the wind was literally blowing me over. (that is why in the picture I look like a crazy person). Only moment in my life I wished I weighed more. 

My trainer Sister Firth is AMAZING. We are the same person and it is wonderful. I am learning so much from her except she's leaving me in 6 weeks. This is her last transfer and so I'm "killing her" which is what they say when someone finishes their mission. Which sounds morbid to me and I don't actually want to kill Sister Firth. She is from Sandy Utah and did track and cheer like me. She is super happy and always steps up when I forget what to say to someone.

I actually met her Uncle Paul in the airport on my way here. Small world!

But, I am in my first area as the subject line says Lisburn, Northern Ireland! We are just outside of Belfast. I still can not believe I'm here! It does not feel real at all. Especially because of the accent--The other day we were talking with a man on the street and he said "telly" and I straight laughed! It didn't register until after that he was serious and that is what they call the television. 

Speaking of the accent, they use weird words for things! For example:

6:30 = half six

flat = apartment

coach = bus

petrol station = gas station

ham bone = gamon bone

little = wee

They also says "cheers" and "hiya" alot. Before my mission everyone said to come back with an accent but I'm not sure if I will because I just feel silly saying all of these things. But I've almost got the intonations down. In a sentence, Irish people talk from low to high. It's hard to explain but I'm working on it.

ALSO. I'M GOING TO GET FAT AND I AM NOT HAPPY. ;)

The members here feed us heavy food alllll the time. I've had lasagna 3 times and I've only been here a week. They also give us french fries (chips) for like every meal. Good thing I love them. 

The last few days we've been trying to visit less actives and potential investigators but haven't had a lesson yet. We also go chapping (knocking doors) and you lift the mail slot thingy up and let it drop a few times instead of using your hand to knock. But we end up knocking the second time sooo.. 

We chapped on this one house my first night and this old man answered and told us that all religion is "rubbish" and shut the door on us.

I AIN'T EVEN MAD BRO CAUSE YOU JUST SAID RUBBISH.
It was funny hahaha. Seriously, the accent just gets me. 

The weather is not that fun but it hasn't been too bad. It is rainy and cold all the time which is what I expected. Also it gets dark at like 4pm here! So most of our street contacting and chapping is in the dark (sorry mom, I'm safe don't worry!)
I haven't pulled out my huge marshmallow coat so I'd call that a success on account of it's November #winner

We walk eveeeerywhere because we don't have a car or bikes so, ya know. It just takes forever to get anywhere but it's a good thing! It'll keep the weight off. 

Other things that happened this week:

Sister Firth saved me from stepping in poop, she's an angel.

Saw a 10 year old boy straight up smoking! 

I met an older woman named Beryl and I told her all about my Beryl in Orem, Utah :) 

We gave out a Book of Mormon on my first full day as a missionary and yesterday I invited an investigator to baptism #holla. He said "possibly" so we will see. His name is Chris and he's 17 and has had all the lessons before and just randomly walked into church yesterday. 

One last thing (sorry for the long e-mail, so much happened!)

We were in the Library on Saturday printing stuff and there was this man in his 20s and he saw us and smiled real big and said "Hi! How are you?!" all nice and excited (which is NOT what people do here.) 

So I was thinking "Oh man oh man, these are the mission miracles everyone talks about! The person that is just ready and waiting for you!"

Sister Firth says "Hi Phillip!"

-___________-

Man. She knows him! Oh well. He is a potential investigator though so we're trying to set up an appointment with him. 

Anyways. Today is P-Day so we are going to the Belfast Castle- I'm excited!

I love you all and pray for you. I hope you're doing well.

Cheers!

-Sister Skagen