10/10/11

Dear family (with a special shout out to Mom, Patrick, Nana and Pappy, and Lindsey and Dad,

*The people with "ands" before their names are even more special because they sent me real mail and email!

So this week has been pretty nice. It was rough in spots as those with post will figure out, but on the whole, it was pretty fun. Oh and here is a story.... So here in Gateshead there is this ice cream truck that plays this REALLY creapy song. We always hear it over the wind and it reminds us of a zombie movie like right before you see the zombies. So we have heard this song at least once a day but have never seen the truck! Until this week! It came down a street we were knocking and mutated Elder Montgumery and I into zombies! haha. Oh and to answer some of my loving mother's questions: I don't really know what the biggest high of my mission has been. There have been a few... and then all the people who caused them have dropped us. Yeah, fun stuff, but for a few highs for this week:
1. Herman came to church.
2. We had a miracle finish (as those who write me will know),
3. Elder Montgumery stepped on an extremely crunchy leaf.
That may not sound like much, but they were all miracles to some extent. (The last one too. We have had lots of rain so most of the leaves don't crunch right now.) But life here is a blast! And today I will be going on exchange. So for the next 24 hours I will be in Newcastle, which I am supper exited for! I have been on 3 exchanges and never left Gateshead. Also I will be with Elder Clawson who came out 3 weeks before I did. :) He is really funny Elder and a hard worker. But I feel like exchanges are so good! Every time we have gone on them in the past, the work has sparked! With Elder Woodside, we found 3 new investigators! With Elder Ottie we taught Hazel for the first time (and only - but it was still epic and she had accepted a baptismal date). With Elder Bowlman (misspelled) we got a few really good potentials! So I am exited to see what Elders Montgumery and Jacobsen do with our area over the next day. :) But anyway G2G
I love you all,
Elder W. W. Tombs
Oh- PS. My favorite scripture for this week is in Jacob chapter 5 and I can't remember the verse, but it says ,"What more could I have done for my vineyard?" and/or "It grieveth me to loose this tree." Yeah, sad but true. :P But such is missionary work

10/4/11

Hello there family and friends (namely Patrick, David, Mom, Dad, Nana and Pappy, and Lindsey),

So things are going pretty well here in England, but if you want truly great stories you will just have to snail mail. Hahaha bribery. I love it. Yeah, but snail mail is one of the greatest things ever here - so do it! Besides you write me, I write you, and everyone loves that feeling of looking in the mailbox and seeing a letter addressed to them. I know I did at least. And this week I have a pretty epic story involving the Zone leaders, setting a mission record, and at least 2 pineapples. Hooked? You should be, but I guess Lindsey will be the only one to hear about it :P. wuahaha! But in answer to your questions mother, no it has not been raining constantly. So far it has only been about once a week. So that was nice, but we are heading in to winter, so it is about to start picking up. But it has actually been REALLY hot this week! It is the first time in my mission I served without my jacket. And it is so humid that heat is unbearable. I am almost glad for winter. Oh and as to your other question, breakfast for me usually consists of a beef and egg burrito. I put more effort into my morning meal than most because our flat has the best shower in the mission, so Elder Montgumery usually gives me plenty of time. :) Lunch is exceptionally random. Sometimes members will give us food to take home (namely Sister/mama Ives) (for more info on that character write letters) and we will just nuke that or something else easy. But I have gotten away from horrible microwave meals. They taste great but 29 grams of fat in one go - that's ridiculous! (Try yelling that at in an English accent sometime - it is great) No I usually do something involving some type of cook-able meat and lettuce. Yeah, it is pretty intense, but I actually really enjoy lettuce now, it is crazy! But hey, I gots time constraints. g2g

Love,
Elder W. W. Tombs

Dear Family and Friends (specifically Nana+Pappy, David, Patrick, Dad, Mom, Mary Beth, and Lindsey),
So this week was fairly spectacular! I won't mention any names because every time I do something happens. (Literally - I sent a letter to Lindsey about an epic investigator and 3 hours later she called and canceled our appointments.) But things are going really well here. Oh and mom, as for your question about my days (teaching in evenings, but what in the working hours?).... It doesn't matter what time it is honestly :P. The welfare system here is kind of messed up, so 50% of people don't work at all. They just sit around and claim to be looking for work (we call them chaves). So actually almost 1/2 of our teaching appointments occur between 12-3pm. Which wouldn't be bad except that it is really nice to get off the streets in the evenings, and getting members to lessons is difficult as most of the members are employed. But such is life. Oh, this week may be a fairly historic week for me. It may be the first time I/we have to drop an investigator instead of the other way around. Yeah he is a really really rich old guy who really just wants to talk more than to learn and he doesn't really let us teach much, so we may have to drop him and use our time elsewhere which is really sad to me, but he really doesn't want the gospel at all and other people do, so unless something changes it may be bye bye Jared. It is really sad. Oh well. Hey this week is conference! Did you know that we watch the Saturday evening session on Sunday morning here? Yeah, huge time change, but both morning sessions are live so that is nice. :) But it is going to be epic! I never realized before what a great missionary opportunity conference is. It is one thing to tell people that there is a prophet on the earth today, but another entirely to say would you like to hear him speak. But anyway g2g

Love,
Elder William W. Tombs

PS-I was going to look up a rebuking scripture because I still haven't gotten any non-Lindsey post yet but I do realize that post takes 8-days or so to get here, but I am expecting mail :). Seriously, tell everyone to write me! Tell your friends it doesn't even matter if I know them or not, just give them the address and tell them to send a few thoughts. My companion is seriously the most written to Elder in the mission! Every day he has a letter waiting for him! I need to stay competitive also you get alot better stuff with my hand written stuff :) Just saying. So yeah- letters! Tell all of your friends (like literally ALL of them and give them my address :)) Haha... But seriously..
PPS sorry about the Ipod :P I guess I didn't think that through too well :P
William sent his ipod home but it never made it. We received the letter without the ipod and the envelope had a big tear in the side. Someone somewhere got to listen to a whole lot of Mormon tabernacle choir music. :)

9/19/11

Hello everyone, especially Mom, Dad, Patrick, Mary, Nana & Pappy, Tyler, and Lindsey,

So this week was really exiting! I have tons to write but verry little time. But hey, I know you could all write me letters! Like seriously, every day when we come in for lunch, there is this thrill knowing that you might have posted. Lindsey is writing me weekly and that makes me happier than almost anything I can imagine. Nana sent a wonderful photo album (thank you so much by the way - that has really brightened up my flat). And just the other day, my ward mission leader sugested that I carry a photo of my family arround to sort of humanise myself instead of being mr missionary so that helped alot. :)) But they have lives and can't make sure I get a letter every day can they? Haha. But seriously, anyone who writes me will get a letter in return.....with probably much more info than I can email :P. But anyways.... so funny story time. So at zone meetings we always end with a testimony meeting. So I get up to bear my testimony and I have no idea what to say, but I start by saying how wonderful my comp/trainer is because we really are working hard and doing well, and I say, "Elder Montgumery is so awesome" :P "Awesome" is a slang word here and missionaries are not supposed to use it. I realize my mistake and say, "Oh crap."!!!!!! Yeah, g for genious. Crap is actualy like a mild swear word here. SO embarassing but I think I pulled it together after that and we all had a good laugh about it. Definitely not one of my finer moments though.

But anyway g2g,

Love, Elder W. W. Tombs

P.S. Will a man rob Elder Tombs? Yet ye have robbed me. And ye say wherin have we robbed thee? In letters and written notes. Wherefore bring ye all the letters unto the post office that there may be mail in my house saith the Elder, and prove me now hearwith if I will not open unto you the windows of England and pour you out a letter that there shall not be room enough to recieve it.

(Yeah, seriously write me! It costs like 98cents to get a letter here. That is less than a meal at taco bell so tell all your friends.) :)

more pics (2) 9/13/11

more pics 9/13/11

9/13/11

Dear loved ones, (I am not sure if that should be capitalized)

So thank you everyone who wrote me this week (Nana, Pappy [it feels odd not putting an "and" right there], Dad, Mom, David, Aunt Kathy, and Lindsey). Arg!!! Cowboys need to win! But if they do have a terrible season, I am glad I am in England where no one cares :P. Oh and Baptism! (x2) It was amazing! But it took a huge chunk out of our day :P (Kind of an odd thing to be peeved about :P) Oh and I am going to send some pics of what our flat is like over here just because it is WAY nicer than I expected. Oh and guess what?? I cut my own hair! (Twice!) Yeah, my hair was getting way too long so I chopped it off. And then apparently it was still too long :P My hair is extremely short right now as you can see in the picture of Elder Winder and I. That is Elder Winder, he was my best buddy in the MTC. He was soooo odd but really really funny. Ah good times oh speaking of pictures, I think Mary Beth will really enjoy some of his art. (This is my first week to really send pictures so I am sending alot.) Oh and this is my companion in the MTC, Elder Holland (and me looking awkward:P) but funny story about him. He seemed to have a hard time in the MTC remembering that he couldn't flirt with the sisters. (We all made fun of him for that (in a nice brotherly way) but he is off now in the Scotland Ireland Mission. Last week at zone conference (also epic - I have like the greatest zone leaders ever) the letters from the mission office were there and he had written Sister Belleston a letter :P Very funny in my opinion - especially because she is 2 years older than he is. But anyway, here is my new(ish) companion, Elder Montgomery. Oh and Mom you would be so proud of me. I am eating really healthly. (With the exception of members who try to kill us with food.) I have been eating actual fruits and vegetables (veggies mostly when members serve them). But last week I even went so far as to buy a head of (wow I can not spell! the grean leafy salad stuff). Yeah be impressed :) But anyway I just got the 1 min warning so G2G.

Love,

Elder W. W. Tombs