week 14

I get to send emails from the computer at the library.  The library is pretty big. (This next part is especially for his mom :))  You would love it.  There are loads and loads of books.  Lots of computers and little children.  

 

I'm having a contest for bike names.  Please come up with wicked awesome names!   Here's some information about my bike to help you out.  I don't have a picture of my bike close up, but its a mountain bike.  It is black and grey, really ghetto looking, like a thug bike.  It is a boy bike and its personality is rough and tough with a slight side of "I wish I looked better" lol.    That is about it.  Elder Dahl did the same competition and his brother came up with a golden name!  His bike's name is Bilbo Baggins McGagger hahahaha so funny. Its absolutely brilliant!! 

 

We are getting fed better.  We had a DA with the Wheelers.  He is actually from Turlock and he has a brother who lives in Stockton!  So that was really cool.  



Michael and Elder Lyman

 



Michael and Elder Muir



Michael and Elder Stoddard

During personal study I usually read a little of Preach My Gospel and then some Book of Mormon.  Sometimes I will read a little in the Ensign.  For companionship study we study what we did in personal study.  Read the white missionary handbook, a chapter in the Book of Mormon,  and then do role plays practicing how we will teach lessons for that day. 

 

We are teaching this lady from Nigeria.  We are still teaching our mother and daughter investigators.  We weren't able to meet with them for a while because they were so busy, but we were finally able to see them Saturday and we are seeing them tonight as well. 

 

Transfers are next Wednesday! Insane!  So my next comunication won't be until Wednesday or possibly Thursday.  Then I can let you know if im staying in Swindon or moving on.  I'm excited and nervous all at the same time.  It will be good though.  Life is good here.  We are working hard, playing hard and having fun.  

 

New words Michael used in his letter this week that made him sound very English:  fret, well good, lad. 

week 13



Michael on a Ram

It is officially winter/fall.  It is windy and cold haha.  We were biking home from the church on Sunday and it was so windy I had to exert effort to get down a hill that is usually really easy.  We got home and I was absolutly shattered!  

 

I'm really excited because Zone Conference is on Wednesday and it should be really good to hear from President Ogden and the Assistants.  I'm excited for that! 

I love Swindon and don't want to leave, and who knows maybe I will stay here!  Transfers are in 2 weeks so we will find out soon.  I'm coming up on my 3 month mark.  Its crazy time has flown by but seems like it is going slow too haha crazy how it works. We have 4 dinner appointments this week!  The ward is getting more involved and I'm excited about that.  We have 2 investigators and 5 potential investigators.  We are just trying to make contact and get them to progress toward baptism. 

We are working hard with our two investigators to get them to church.  We are working and finding like crazy.  We have potentially 8 people we will be teaching in the next week so I'm excited for that!  It will be a good week!  



The Swindon Elders



week 12

Mission Football was yesterday.  There are two Mission Football's.  One in the North Zone and one in the South.  I'm in the south zone so we met up in Cardiff, Wales and played at a local field.  There were three teams.  Team Cardiff, Team Myrther- Tydvill, and us Team Cheltenham.  There were three games and then a final for the best two teams to duke it out for the championship.  We played Cardiff first and won 3-1.  We then played Myrther- Tydvill straight away with no break and lost 2-1 :(  Its ok because then we got a break and played in the finals and WON!!  CHELTENHAM CHAMPIONS!!!  In the final match I got the ball and broke away on a fast break and almost scored but then I got tackled hahaha.  It was really fun and I loved just hanging out with other missionaries and having a good time. 

Michael and Elder Lyman

Michael and Elder Tonga

 

 



Cardiff Castle

We were able to watch General Conference.  I'm pretty sure the only one we watched live was the Sunday Morning session, but we watched it at night haha.  The Provo Temple--Thats so cool!!  We watched one session at a member's house and the rest at the stake centre on Sunday.  We were there from 9 til 7--long day. 

 

 

Here in Swindon it's been crazy busy these last couple of weeks.  I mean it's October!! We were able to see our new convert last night and he is going back to America to secure everything.  He said when he comes back he hopes to have the Priesthood and to have been to the temple to do baptisms for the dead.  He is awesome and a really good guy.  Even though he got baptised in America it was the best thing for him. When he got baptised the ward was notified 1 hour before and tons of people showed up and he enjoyed it and felt loved. We are working with 2 other way cool investigators. I love them, and they are determined to find out if this is true and for them. 

 

We were able to do service for a lady in the ward.  All the lawn mowers in England are electric....
and small hahaha

We are working a lot with the members to get referrals and gain the trust of the members.  We feel that it is really working and making a little difference.  We are working hard and staying busy.

 

week 11

I have mission football (soccer) practice today, so I don't have much time to write.  It will be fun being with all the elders!  We have mission football next week. 

 

Our investigators are doing well.  Some are very interested and committed to know if this is true.  We are visiting with a lot of members and building the trust of the ward as well, so that's really cool .  We are trying to get the members excited and more involved in missionary work. We just hope as we show them we are serious they will want to be as well. 

 

We go to Cheltenham to watch conference.  We will sleep over at the Cheltenham elders' flat and conference is Saturday night and Sunday.  The time change makes it weird. The only one we see live is the Sunday night one.  Its all jumbled around and I'm not even too sure, but at least we get to watch it. 

 

I don't know if I'll be transferred this time.  Transfers are on the 26th of October.  Usually greenies stay with their trainers for 2 transfers.  It could go either way because next transfer will be Elder Dahl's 4th in Swindon, so honestly I have no idea.  Our District Leader thinks I will get moved, but President decides so who knows.  So if you want to send mail make sure to send it so it arrives here before the 26th--just in case!

 

We are working hard and staying busy!

 

 

week 10

This week was long because it was transfer week.  I didn't think I would get moved just yet, and I didn't so I'll be here for another 6 weeks.  We have a new elder, he is new to Swindon but he has been out 18 months.  He's our new district leader and his name is Elder Stoddard.  

Our investigator who we committed to baptism, got baptized . . . in Long Beach, California :(  All that matters is that he got baptized (and that he is bringing us back oreos haha just kidding).  He is a way cool guy.  I'm so proud that he made this step in his life.  He texted us after his baptism and he said it was the best decision he has ever made and he is excited and happy.  That made us happy, so we celebrated by getting a battered Mars Bar.  What is it?  A Milky Way candy bar, battered.  The first time I had one I smelt it and I'm pretty sure my heart stopped, but they are really good.  

It isn't summer anymore. Fall has officially hit.  Its clear blue skies but freezing!!  I don't even know how thats possible.  From inside the flat it looks like a hot summer day and you step outside and you turn right around and grab a jacket.  I have a feeling it is going to be a cold winter.   

 

We are starting to get a couple more dinner appointments,  but the ward feels instead of feeding us they just give us bags of cookies.  PLEASE FEED THE MISSIONARIES IN THE MODESTO 1ST WARD EVERY DAY!!!!!  We manage though, we have rice and chicken almost everyday for every meal and we throw burgers in sometimes.  I'm not too sure but I think I've gained weight.  I would weigh myself but no one has a scale in England, so I'm on the search for a scale. 

 

Town is way fun!  There are a lot of shops.  Primark, Subway, ASDA, which is like Walmart.  Madalans, which is a really cool place (cool clothes but well good suits).  

   

We are teaching loads of people, about 7 people or so.  Some are Less Active Members or Recent Converts.  We are teaching a woman and her daughter who are amazing!! I love them and they seem interested, they just have a lot of questions.  We are working on getting them to church on Sunday.  

 

Were staying busy and working hard! 

 

week 9 (transfer week)

On top of the world!



Sorry I didn't write Monday.  It is transfers this week and so on transfer weeks our P-day is moved to Wednesday.  So here I am!!

Transfers are today and 13 new missionaries enter which means a couple things:

1.  I made it through my 1st transfer!

2.  We're not the newest missionaries anymore!!

Our district is getting all moved around so we should be expecting some new faces at the next district meeting.  Should be way good. 

Man oh man!  Made it through my first transfer!! Crazy I've been out 2 months today!  We are working hard and teaching people.  Our investigator is still in America, so we dont know when or even where he will get baptized.  We are going to go crazy!!  We're teaching some other people and some are progressing and some are not unfortunately. 

It is fall in England and the leaves are dropping along with the temperature.  Right now it's 13 degrees so I don't even know if that's cold or not because im horrible with the conversion stuff lol!

Out of the mission in Oxford!



As a mission we were blessed to hear from Elder David A. Bednar of the twelve.  Elder Bednar was AMAZING!!  He is inspired and called of God.   He came in and we all went up and each of us got to shake his hand.  He said,  "If we know who we are and we know our purpose for being out here, we don't need numbers or events to justify our mission."  It's so true though---numbers don't matter one bit.  If you are out here working like crazy and you do all you can, then you were successful.  He had some great stories and insights, and he bore his testimony and I'm pretty sure the whole room was filled with the spirit and everyone had tears in their eyes.  It was an amazing weekend.  Starting the new transfer and setting goals so we can be successful but happy and also have fun.  I know this gospel is true.  If it weren't there wouldn't be 150 19-21 year old boys out here teaching and preaching.  This gospel brings happiness to all those who embrace it in their lives.  I know that being out here on a mission will change my life in more ways than I can imagine.  You feel it everyday and you know what you're doing is right.  I was talking with my companion and we said if you believe in the very basics, the rest will come.  Have faith in the small things, bear testimony and then your faith will grow in the big things.  I love this gospel and I love this work.  I love being a missionary!

And for my primary friend:  What do I love about missionary work?   I love meeting new people, teaching people about Jesus Christ, and sharing my testimony with others. 

Thanks for all the letters and cards and pictures you send me. 

(Michael is at the same address for at least 6 more weeks)

Elder Michael Barton

59 Helmsdale

Green Meadow

Swindon SN25 1RA

England

week 8

Here I am in Swindon, almost through my first transfer!  Crazy to think.  Next transfer we are getting 13 new missionaries!! Thats an insane amount of missionaries. 

We're teaching our golden investigator, and he is moving to L.A :(  sad times for us.  He wants to get baptized with the people that first introduced him to the church.  I'm fine as long as he stays strong and gets baptized.  But then he called yesterday and said he might just get baptized in Swindon because it would be easier. He gets back from LA in a couple of days and he said he would let us know where it will happen when he returns.  This guy is awesome!! He called us up and was like hey I'm gonna bring you back something, what do you want?  We were like uhhhhhhh whatever you feel is good.  He was like okay I'll bring back some double stuffed oreos hahahahaha it was awesome"

Other than that investigator, we are teaching a woman and her daughter.  They are awesome and have been taught by a long line of missionaries, they have questions and concerns but I feel that they have been prepared by the Lord.  They are interested, they just want answers to their questions, which sometimes is hard.  

We have done some GQ'ing (Street Contacting) and we met a couplpe of potential investigators that we are going to meet.  We are focusing on expanding our teaching pool.  Its a good goal that I know we can reach if we just trust in the Lord and put our heart into it.  

Oh yea guess what?  My bike seat cushion got knicked(stolen) by some Chavs(gangsters) ahhh!!!!  We were in Park North, super ghetto place, and some chavs came up to us and started talking and i got distracted and forgot to put it in my bag and they knicked it when we left.  ahhhh!!! oh well lol

T-Minus 5 days until David A. Bednar comes to Birmingham! I'm so excited!  We each get to shake his hand.  I'm gonna take a picture and send it home because it will be awesome!!!  I cannot wait for Saturday!

Lower Lights District

We had a trainer trainee meeting a couple of days ago.  That was cool i got to see some of my MTC buddies and hang for about an hour.  It was a fun time seeing them and seeing how much everybody has grown in these 4 weeks out. 

   

I love being a missionary.  Sharing the gospel and watching people accept it and grow is an amazing thing.  I wouldn't trade this for anything in the world because it is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to serve a mission as a 19 year old.

Week 7

I've been in Swindon for about three weeks and I'm pretty sure I'm directionally challenged because I have no idea where I'm going, I kinda just follow Elder Dahl around like a lost dog.  But, I'm starting to get a little better. 

The view of the road from the top of a double decker bus

(because I ride them now haha)

The weather here is LOVELY!!  can you hear the sarcasm?  of course not.  It is the most bipolar weather ever!  It rains, then it's sunny, then it pours, then overcast, and so on. Ugh its gonna take some getting used to.      

View of a street corner

View from Penn Hill

We went to church on Sunday and the sound system was broken, so we did the whole sacrament meeting with no sound!  To top it all off we brought an investigator to church--we couldnt hear anything at all.  I'm serious, NOTHING!! After Sacrament Meeting we joked around with him, and asked him what his favourite talk was, he liked that.  We were biking around Saturday night and I got asked if I could be a backup speaker in case one of the speakers fell through.  My first thought was, "does this happen often?".  Of course I hesitantly said yes.  And its not like at home where you have all day to prepare a talk.  I'm a missionary, so I have about 30 minutes of free time and that consists of going to bed early, so I wrote my talk in 5 minutes, never thought that would be possible! 

We are working hard and teaching an investigator who is progressing at the speed of light.  This guy loves what we teach.  He reads, prays and desires to learn more.  We committed him to baptism on September 17 and he accepted!!  He is reading and praying and waiting for an answer.  I love him-- he is a joy to teach and  to be around.  Tonight we are going over to an investigator's house and having family home evening!  That will be way fun.  I'm excited for that.  Missionary work is so fun! You have the funniest moments and meet the craziest people, but I love it.  I know this gospel is true!

week 6

Things here in Swindon are going great!  We have three dinner appointments this week and we had one Sunday as well!! I am excited.  We are teaching a lot of people and our goal is to get an investigator with a baptism date this week. Well everyday we ride around and see some potential investigators, former investigators, and less active members.  We went tracting and got 2 return appointments but 1 already fell through.  We're working hard and just trying to reach our goal. 

Today we have flat check, we cleaned our flat sooo good! It is way clean haha.  The cleanest flat gets the clean flat award at the end of transfers so we are working to get that!  We will win, I know it, our flat is spotless.  haha

We are working everyday really hard and seeing people.  I'm tired almost all the time haha but I get used to it pretty fast.  All I can say is when I get home I'm gonna be ripped because we workout and bike so much haha. 

We had district meeting on Wednesday and we had Sister Ogden's paninnis for lunch and they were amazing!!

Other than that no exciting news this week.  Just a normal week. 

Week 5

 As for here in Swindon, England. The rioting hasn't hit Swindon hard at all. Tiny little riot one night so we stayed in our flat that night.  Nothing to worry about at all. I went on exchanges with DL(District Leader) Price and that was well...scary (haha).  He is a really good missionary and he talks to everyone he sees.  I got out alive though so everything is all good.  Halfway through the day my bike chain snapped, haha joys of missionary work! My fault since the bike was cheap (lol). It's alive again though, the store fixed it for FREE!!  Amazing word to hear.  About my bike--My bike is good. PLEASE SEND MY BIKE CUSHION. My butt hurts 24/7 when I ride that dang thing.  Bought it for £79.  Fetching steal.  We bike so much here lol.  Everytime I think of a bike my thighs automatically hurt.  Funny stuff--we were at district meeting and we got all this stuff we had to take home so I strapped up and put it all on haha.  Gear, a dvd player, a fire exstinguisher, first aid kit, area book, and all my stuff.  Then we had to bike home,which is about 3 or 4 miles haha YES!!  

It is my 1 month anniversary though! I've been on a mission for 1 month and it has gone by slow, but at the same time really fast!!  Crazy to think about.  We did some tracting yesterday, which I learned don't tract on a Sunday because no one wants to be bothered and so they just don't answer, and if they do they are pretty angry lol.  Oh well brush it off! As for investigators we are working with 4 potentials.  They are all way cool and excited to learn more about the gospel. Keep them in your prayers.  I witnessed another baptism Friday.  It was amazing, a 16 year old girl who absolutely loves this gospel.  She is amazing and the spirit was so strong at that baptism.  Oh guess who is coming to our mission to speak to us in September?  DAVID A. BEDNAR!!!  I'm so excited! An apostle of the Lord is coming to talk with us! How amazing is that.  I'm so excited I can't even explain.   

Missionary work is hard, I'm not gonna lie.  Its tiring and draining.  I come home everyday knackered(tired).  But we keep pushing foward and we will find those who are prepared to hear what we have to share.  I was telling Elder Dahl yesterday that when they don't listen it makes me feel sad.  We are acting in the name of Jesus Christ so they aren't rejecting us, they are rejecting Him.  But you brush it off and find those few ready to receive.  I love this work.  Its draining and its fun.  Everyday wondering who will we find.  I love this church.  We were talking with someone and they asked us, "why do you do this?".  I said, "that is a good question.  Im 19 years old, I could be in college, hanging out with mates and enjoying life, but I have given two years to help you.  I have happiness through the gospel of Jesus Christ and I want you to have the same thing because I know it can make you so much happier."

Michael's address to his flat:

Elder Michael Barton

59 Helmsdale

Green Meadow

Swindon SN25 1RA

England

week 4!

This week has been weird because of transfers! 

• Thursday we got settled and got all my stuff like my bike and groceries. 
• Friday we did service and prepared for a baptism then we were at that all night. 
• Saturday we were in Warwick(war-ick) all day for a wedding/baptism of Elder Dahl's old investigators. 





Michael and Warwick Castle

 



Warwick



 

• Sunday we were at church and meetings all day.
• Today is pday so were gonna go shopping and stuff. 

There are Swindon A elders and Swindon B elders.  Me and Elder Dahl are Swindon B elders and Elder Price and Reed are Swindon A, so we see them a lot and at church.  Its cool to see other elders all the time, doesn't make you feel all alone.  We haven't done much tracting or even teaching and our numbers show, but me and Elder Dahl are feeling really positive about this week.  We already have 4 appointments set and we're gonna visit some referrals.   We also have three potentials for baptism so that should be great!  We have a 10/10/10/10 vision.  Talk to a person within the first 10 minutes----talk to at least 10 people a day----hand out 10 Books of Mormon a week----have at least 10 appointments a week.  That will keep us nice and busy so I'm excited.  I pray all the time to be happy and have fun, and it is working so I know I'm getting answers to my prayers.  It's hard, but I have a quote that says you only grow when you're out of your comfort zone.  So I'm growing a lot!!      

There are so many little people in our ward that it is crazy loud in there.  The Bishop and Ward Mission leader seem cool.  The ward mission leader is from Hungary. I haven't had much interaction with the members, but they seem nice.  We haven't had one Dinner Appointment.  I'm praying next week we will get some.  We live off pizza and cereal.  But last night I made rice and pasta.  Pretty dang good. 

 

The people are awesome everyone is like "hey alright mate" which means hey how ya doing.  You answer

"alright mate".  And when you leave you say "alright cheers mate" which is alright thanks see ya.

Its so cool.  I love the language and want an accent!

We bike...a lot hahaha.  We bike on the street; and here if you bike you're like a car, so we bike as close to the curb as we can and cars just go around us--its crazy (I promise I'm safe).  We bike uphill, downhill, in the mud, everywhere.  Im getting more used to it but I was sore at first haha. Its cold!  It rained so hard yesterday and I was soaked. So today we're going to buy me waterproof trousers (like rain gear for golf lol).  My jacket works though!  The city is small but big.  Its a classy little English town but it has its big parts to it at the same time.  Its really awesome though--I love it. 

In the Field!

     I'm officially in the England Birmingham Mission, or the EBM, which stands for Earth's Best Mission!! haha  We woke up at 5 on Wednesday and we drove to the mission home in Birmingham.  Here we met the President who is awesome, to say the least; and the greenies got some hazing lol. We stood on a wall and introduced ourselves and everyone cheered and stuff.  We then went in the transfer meeting to meet our trainers.  My companion is Elder Dahl.   I'll be with him for at least one transfer, so 6 weeks; and even possibly 2 transfers.  We then rode the bus and train to my first area --Swindon, which is the southernmost part of the mission.  Pretty small area--way awesome though. 
     But anyway the language is awesome everyone is like, morning mate, alright mate, oh bless, he's so dodgey.  It is awesome.  I don't have an accent yet, but my companion does when he talks to local people haha. It's so cool how it turns on and off like that. 
NEW ADDRESS TO COME SOON!