Ah, life is crazy. :)

Uhm... 

Well. 

This week, we have been blessed with meeting several really cool people!

AH - WAIT! I just remembered a great story!

So! On Thursday was new leadership training, in Edinburgh, an hour or so away by train. So we had planned out how to do it all on our own, then later realized higher-ups had planned for our travel already. We were planning to arrive Wed night, and asked the Zone Leaders for directions. They told us to take a 7:18 train, arriving at Glasgow; followed by an 8:00 train headed for Edinburgh. So! We get up to Glasgow and call the other team we're meant to meet up with. When we find out that we weren't meant to leave until the following morning. *facedesk* So we sleep over at some other missionary's home in Glasgow and leave the following morning. 

And goodness, the training was wonderful! I had felt so poorly before, and by the end I felt so uplifted! :) I'm so grateful for President & Sister Brown and our APs. *sigh* They are all lovely people. 

So it's been interesting being a district leader. In some respects, it's not that fun - you're constantly judged and used as a standard, but it's good, as it pushes you to work harder. 

So life has been good. :) I'm a bit tired, but feel sustained. Everything will work out. Everything will be okay. :D That's been my mantra for many years, and has so far proven true, so long as I enjoy life, and don't stress. (ahhaha I stress a lot, but that's alright...)

Love you all! Thanks for writing me! :D

Cheers!

– Elder William Kevin Black

Propaganda!

Here's one of my favourite signs, which went up a few days before: 

– Elder William Kevin Black

Sea World!

Last Monday, we visited a sea world, which was fantastic! 

It was gorgeous, but ​I wasn't feeling that great, so my smile came out as more of a grimace... 

Still was a blast though!

– Elder William Kevin Black

Motherwell has been a weird one...

So I started off being emergency-moved here, then my district leader was evicted from his flat. Now, all the missionaries are being removed from that ward, and I'm being called as the new district leader. So it's been a weird few months here... XD

I'm really excited about everyone in my district, because I already know all of them!! Not usual at all, considering we're getting two new areas added to our district, with the two others being removed. Anywho. Hopefully all will work out, and it'll be a party! :D

I don't remember if I said last week, but most of our investigators have stopped investigating, but we've been blessed to meet a few new people, who seem really promising!!

Okay, more on the building I mentioned from last week: I saw in my mind's eye a building which extended many stories into the sky. As it grew higher, it pierced the clouds, and more light came to it. The building was built stone by stone, but only when the resident was looking at the light could he properly build it. Other people were building towers as well. Some people looked down, and stopped building - some of these went down stories in their houses, allowing the upper levels to fall into disrepair. Only those continually looking up were able to build higher. 

I understood this building to be a metaphor for our spiritual progression. As we look upwards, that is, seek revelation from god, we know how to lay the next stone, but we cannot lay stones without surrendering our will to gods. Each stone is laid through our obedience and subjugation to Christ. The light that comes to the building is a natural consequence of being higher, but the people had to see from a higher perspective to see how to lay the next stone. Thus, only God, from a higher perspective, could instruct how to build next. We can only be built upon as we yeild our will to God's. As we reject the light, or inspiration, given us, we look down. As we sin, we go down stories in our lives, going against the light given us. 

There was a bit more to it, and as you can see, that was a bit scattered, but I really feel it was inspired of the spirit. 

Love you all! Cheers!

– Elder William Kevin Black

Building our Faith

To be clear, the loss of weight is a conscious battle on my part. I love the food here. For the most part, I just stopped overeating and put good food into my diet. Easier said than done, but there it is. 

So I organised a missionary choir of 8 for our stake conference was held - Elder Jose L. Reina of the Seventy was the presiding authority Saturday night and Sunday morning at the sessions us missionaries were privy to attend. It was brilliant! It struck me when he said that the things the Spirit tells us become personal commandments for us. 

Here's something I wrote my mission president about:

(QGC is a key indicator we do here - "quality gospel conversation", which includes a return appointment) 

Yesterday, we had a miracle. As we walked home, we spoke with everyone. There was a man leaning against a building, smoking. We could have easily passed him by, but we were prompted to speak with him, which led to a solid QGC! Then I heard a rattling of chains from behind. Oh no, I thought, another ned. /Talk with him./ So I did, and we had a fantastic conversation, and nearly got a return appointment! Finally, near the flat, we stopped a girl who was interested in learning about the afterlife, and got a QGC! We know it's only a tender mercy of the Lord that so many people spoke with us, but we know that once you do all in your power to serve, you are blessed. 

(Two QGC in one night is very unusual here - we've had one (a shaky one at that) in the last month or so, maybe three in total over the 9 weeks I've been here.)

So I had just been on an exchange with our DL and spoke with everyone, even on the high streets, which motivated me to speak with every single soul, not just the convenient or obvious ones. 

Herm... My time is short, but I had a cool image come to mind earlier this morning. It was of a building, stretching into the sky, built by our sacrifice to God - when we give up our will for his. There was more to it, but I'm out of time. 

Love you all! thanks so much for your love and letters! :D

Cheers!

– Elder William Kevin Black

And last week...

Here's me at the falls of Clyde. Do I look great or what!? :D

This morning, I was finally below 80 kilo, having lost about 20lbs since coming out on my mission. 

Love you all! Cheers! :D

– Elder William Kevin Black

This has been the best morning of my life.

Here is the run Elder Facer and I did this morning: 

5.3 miles!!! (we walked the rest of the way home) It was the most glorious thing I've ever done with exercise. We goth were pretty tired, and were saying about 3/4 of the way through that we couldn't have gone this far without each other. Working seperately (e.g.: in a relay race) we wouldn't have been able to go as far as when we were running together the whole time - we provided motivation for each other to push on, even though we were both tired by the time we had gotten halfway up the loch. (which was beautiful - there was a glorious pink sunrise reflecting off the misty loch)

Then I had the best companion study of my entire mission. It's too special to go into depth here, but know that we both sought and followed inspiration for our personal studies. As we shared our experiences, it brought the spirit so powerfully into our companion study, and gave us energy for the day. It was really miraculous. We revel in feeling the spirit, and our hearts are moving towards Christ. I love this quote I heard earlier in my mission: "Build relationships on spiritual experiences."

I love you all! Thank you all for writing, and for being my friend! :D 

Cheers!

– Elder William Kevin Black

The Atonement

I was asked recently how to use the atonement, specifically, How to use the atonement to find relief from trials, and here's the answer I gave. :) Quite chuffed that I can now write this:  

How can we use the Atonement to receive help in our trials? I am mastering this still, but can certainly give you some pointers. 
1. What is the purpose of trials? What is the purpose of exercise? To tear muscles and let them grow stronger. So it is in life. Patience is never given, it is exercised. 
2. What is the purpose of the Atonement? What is its function? In the Atonement, Christ suffered all. Due to this action, he perfectly understands our lives. This is what gives us the light of Christ. As we prayerfully and humbly submit our will to His we are led to take the most Christlike path. Following the promptings of the spirit increases the light of Christ in us, and makes it easier for us to recognise and follow promptings. 
3. Here is my suggestion. If you don't already have a journal where you keep all your revelations, get one. Kneel down with pencil in hand and pray. Ask what you need to do, and write down the thoughts, images, and words that come to mind. You will be led. You will be guided. Read Alma 7:11-13 with the intent of understanding the Atonement better. As he experienced all of our lives, he knows how to best deal with our trials. He knows how we are to grow from them. Trust in Him, and he will deliver you eventually, but as a weight lifter needs a heavy weight to gain muscle, so do we require a load to grow. 
4. It is my personal conviction, knowledge, testimony, that as we rely on the Saviour, we will be led for good. Our paths will be put in the way our Father would have them go. We can feel the influence of the spirit always in all things. Don't worry if you don't understand what's going on. You can know what God would have you do if you pray. 
5. Trust in the Lord and in His timing. Know that deliverance will rarely be immediate. 

Hmm. Upon reflecting on your original question, I realized I'm answering a slightly different question. How can you use the part of the Atonement that helps give us relief in our trials? I suppose the answer to that is the question above. The way we are to get relief in our trials is to rely on the lord. Ask him what we are to do, then follow that instruction. Your footstepswill be led, as you prayerfully and humbly submit your will to his. 

Hope you get something out of this. :) Cheers!  

– Elder William Kevin Black

PS: Why they were evicted

ha ha

We don't really know. 

They got a letter a few months ago which explained that they would have to leave the flat by a certain date, but never opened it. As 99% of letters marked "Tennant" are junk, missionaries tend to just bin them. But this one was sort of important... 

Out of the blue, in their perspective, they got a call a couple days before the date, saying: "hey, are you ready for the two new beds to be put in?" Oh, were they surprised. So they had to high-tail it out of there, which required the help of a member, a senior couple, and us. he he he

So that was quite the adventure for them!

Funny for us, pretty stressful for them... 

Cheers!

– Elder William Kevin Black

EVICTED!

The missionaries in East Kilbride (a city near us) were evicted from their flat, so Tuesday afternoon/evening and Wed morning, we helped them clean and move out of their flat and into ours. (which by our reckoning really isn't made for 4 people.) But it's all working out nicely! 

I got to go running with Elder Facer (my District Leader (another missionary in charge of the local stuff)) this morning, and saw the ruins of a roman bathhouse! It was brilliant. We stood on the edge of it, and preached to the roman spirits lingering about, (wish we had Paul's sermon on the Unknown God) and ran back. (which was death - probably the longest run I've ever been on - about 4.5mi XP)

Good week! We're teaching a girl named Annie who was found by East Kilbride, but lives in our area, so we're her teachers now. It's going great, and she'll be baptised this Saturday! :D

Uhm... Nothing overly exciting otherwise. :) All is well. 

Despite trials we go through, we can overcome them and do what god requires of us. Pray and ask what to do, and you'll be told. :) Simple enough. 

Cheerio! :D

– Elder William Kevin Black