Have a great Thanksgiving!

Email - November 25, 2013

HOLY! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE GROCERIES!!! AH! I was so surprised. I was like what is this rubbish!?? I didn't order this! Then, I saw Erika Munson written on the receipt and I was like ahhhhh no way!!! You're amazing mum!!! Thank you so much!

It is so crazy that one year ago we were on our way to Mexico! That was the most incredible week! I loved it! ... we'll go again when I get back. 

I'm sorry to hear that you guys have been sick! GET BETTER!

I'm glad the memory card made it! hahaa I can't even remember all that was on it but I'm sure it was really random.

On Saturday, I got to go to the London Temple because Elder Bognár had to go to show an investigator around...the same investigator that he has been teaching on Skype quite a bit. So, I was lucky enough to be able to tag along!!!

The family that invited us for Thanksgiving is the Olivaras. The husband is Brazilian but the wife is from Sandy. So, I'm excited!

Elder Blumenthal was transferred to Newbury...which is by Reading I'm pretty sure!

And, I showed Elder Bognár what you said... and he just laughed? So, I don't know if that is a yes or a no.. hahah!!!

There aren't many American families here. One is moving back to New York next week.. and they are the only complete American family. It's Ella's family...that cute little girl I sent pictures with.

As far as service, we haven't done much here. No one has yards to do yard work in or anything like that! But, we look for opportunities all the time! Just not many have arisen here.

I taught a lesson in church last week on obedience, and the more I taught and the more I testified of it, the more it was sinking in deeper and deeper how important obedience is. Studying about something is one thing. But preaching and testifying of things builds my testimony more than anything else. And, that is what is so amazing about being a missionary. It is my duty to testify of things and it reassures my testimony of multiple things. But, obedience was one that I definitely have needed help with since the beginning of my existence...hahahhahahahah!

I love you guys! Thank you for all that you are doing! I miss you loads! I can't wait to be able to talk to you in about a month!!! Have a great Thanksgiving! Tell the whole family how much I love and miss and appreciate them!!

Love, Elder Munson

"LONDON TEMPLE!"

"Elder Bognár was kinda cold during study this morning."

"Elder Bodhaine and I take a picture together every week at district meeting and we have done it every week since I've been here in London and we're just waiting for someone to catch on.. haha it's so funny."

"Elder Bodhaine and I got matching headbands:)"

I can't believe how fast time is going!

Letter - Received on November 22, 2013

Family!

     Ah, I've been so scrubby at writing since being in London!  There is just no time here.  Life is fast paced and non-stop here.  I was planning on sending this card [he sent home a memory card with lots of pictures] last week, but I had no money...ha!  So, I'm sorry!  Everything is way more expensive in London, but we get exactly the same amount of money as everywhere else in the mission.  We try to use it wisely, but it just goes so quickly!

     I love London though...as you can probably tell!  The city life is so fun.  So many crazy people!  But, so many good people too!  Most of the population here is from somewhere in Africa.

     We get yelled at on the daily!  And, it's just part of being in London!  Oh, and another common thing is people telling us what we believe!  Ah!  It's so funny!  I've learned how to be super bold with people here cause some people are just so dumb!  It's hilarious though!  And, being here has helped me learn the scriptures and doctrine better...not really helped me...but, forced me!  Some people just want to bash and prove us wrong and most are really good at it!  But, I can hold my own here now.

     Recently there was a lady who was chewing us out for saying that we are "elders."  She said, "Elders are only old!  You guys aren't old!  I'm worried about young people like you who interpret the Bible wrong!" and all this rubbish!

     But, then there are really cool people like R____!  He has been in and out of jail for most of his life, but he has such a desire to change and he is so awesome!

     I'll try to be better at writing this transfer!  I can't believe how fast time is going!

     I really hope all is well back home.  I miss you guys, but this is the Lord's work and I am loving it!  Oh, and by the way, I can say, "I love you," in 25 languages other than English!  How sick is that?!  I can write it in a few as well!

     Take care! And, thank you for all that you guys do for me!

  我 愛你                                             أنا أحبك            
{I Love You in Mandarin}                                                          {and in Arabic}

Love,

Elder Munson

I'd rather be nowhere else!

Email - November 18, 2013

Hello! So ... Elder Fairbourn's new companion is Elder Ocando from Spain. He's super quiet, but really nice! So that's good.

This week was interesting! I'm trying to think what has happened since Thursday! I taught the Gospel Principles lesson yesterday! It was good. I'll just answer the questions now... hahaha.

No one new progressing, but R____ is doing well. We are seeing him tonight :) so I'm excited for that!

The ward here is a LOT smaller. But it's nice. The people are great and the leadership is really interesting. Elder Bradford, a senior missionary is in the Bishopric and the Bishop has only been to church twice since I've been here. He's a really great guy, he's just super busy with his job so, it kinda stinks. But, at least it's a WARD right?

From all the meetings there has been so much that I have learned. There's no way that one thing stands out above others. But I guess just to pick out of the many, one thing is that the General Authorities have stated that IF the church is going to grow in Europe, it is going to have to start with the London Missions. The England London South Mission has the MOST missionaries out of all the European missions. So, that was amazing to hear that THIS is where the hastening has to start for a lot of the world to be able to progress as well!

I have enjoyed listening to Jack Johnson.. and Mo Tab....and lots of music that I don't really know. Piano Guys? haha The rule from President Millar is anything that you can feel calm and have the Spirit at the same time. So, every missionary kinda has their own personal preferences. But, as for our flat, Jack Johnson and Mo Tab and random Christmas songs are what are played most! And, a special request would be the sound track for Friday Night Lights by the band Explosions in the Sky. It's all instrumental and nice music. :) And, nice Christmas music is always good. :)

I like fish and chips and Indian curry. I actually can cook a few really nice curries. :) But, from home mostly I just miss the restaurants.  [Note to self:  Guess I'm not as good a cook as I thought...no need to worry about home cooked meals when he gets home!]

As for who I hear from often... besides Mum and Dad... NO ONE is better at writing me than Brittany Conner! She is incredible! So I hear from her quite often.. and Bailee Cook! and obviously Sawyer and I write each other letters often! Jake McFarland and Riley Ottesen write me actual letters, too! Sam writes me quite a bit as well! Ciera, MeKenna, MeKenzey write every once in a while but they email me most weeks! As for the boys... haha we have a big group email going with all 13 of us and everyone pitches in a funny experience from every week and it is HILARIOUS!! Just knowing all of the Boys, we are going to have the funniest things to talk about when we're all home. haha Love them!

Things are going really well though! Even though the work is tiring and hard here, it is the best! I'd rather be nowhere else! Elder Bognár and I are really becoming good friends. He is awesome. We have a lot of fun! So I'm happy about that!

I miss you guys! and I hope all is well! Thank you for everything!

Christmas is just around the corner! FREAKING CRAZY!

Love, Elder Munson

"This dog is crazy! It is Isabel's (member of the ward) dog.. his name is Bolt."

"The Wandsworth Zone.. a week and a half ago. I don't have a suit jacket on

cause it was tied around my waist due to my ripped trousers. Hahaha!"

That Smile :)

"Ella. Cutest little girl in the world. I love her. She is 8 and she interprets Sacrament Meeting in British Sign Language for deaf people in the ward! It's the cutest thing in the world. She has more scriptures memorized than me probably!"

"Spencer Romney's cousin.  He's one of the AP's."

"Hahahaha"
[I always go hard in ping pong!]

"Look at this cool sign I passed by near our flat!"

"Empty bus"

"Isabel is a recent convert in the ward! She is really cool!"

"Saw Elder Mecham at a member's house on Monday night. :) He's the man."

"Last picture with Elder Blumenthal this morning."

"Crazy guy stickin his tongue in my ear at Big Ben. Funniest moment on my

mission.. up until I ripped my pants!! He was walking on the road and he passed all the missionaries and no one said hi to him! So, Elder Bodhaine and I ran over and gave him a bro high five and he sat there and hugged me for like 5 minutes until I asked him to take a picture with us."

"London SWAG"

"London Eye"

It's not too dodgy

Email - November 13, 2013

Well, this was a fun week! haha and yes, I did get the suit thing figured out!

Last Monday, we went to Big Ben for p-day! It was so fun! I love London guys! I seriously love it! I don't think I'll be leaving anytime soon from London. :)

Anyway, Elder Bognár has been out for a year! We do language study everyday because he struggles with English.

We don't actually live in Catford. That's just what the Ward is called. But, yeah Lewisham has the highest domestic violence rate in all of London I think. I've felt safe for the most part though. It's not too dodgy (sketchy).

We've been teaching a man named R____ quite often, 1 or 2 times a week. He's an ex-convict but he has such a good heart. I love him. He was raised as a Jehovah's Witness, so that is kinda a struggle but he loves meeting with us and after his Sunday community services are over, he should be coming to church in a couple weeks!

As a missionary, you see prayers being answered everyday! With one of our investigators, C____. We thought that his girlfriend was living with him but we didn't know for sure! So, we prayed to be able to find out for sure during a lesson that we had with him earlier this week. One of the first questions we asked him when we sat down was, "What is your girlfriend's name again?" and he told us and said without us even asking that she doesn't live there!!! Ah, we were so happy. We are hoping to invite him to be baptized this week now!

London has been so fun and so crazy!

Well, looks like I will be in Catford till Christmas at least!!! Ah I couldn't be more excited that I am spending my Christmas in LONDON! WOOOHOOO! It was sad this morning to see Elder Bluementhal leave though. He will be missed!

Anyway! Last night Elder Bognár and I set a baptismal date with R____! AHH! I am so happy. We're planning for Dec. 7th. But, depending on how fast we can help him stop smoking, it could be earlier or later! But, we're working towards the 7th!

Also, there is an American in the ward who invited us to go to their house for THANKSGIVING :) yay! So, maybe I'll be able to experience somewhat of a Thanksgiving. Remember last Thanksgiving? That was pretty fun I guess... bahhahaahahhha! [Explanation:  He thinks he's so funny!  Last Thanksgiving, we were on our last family vacation, all five of us, because we knew he'd be leaving right after graduation and we wanted a special family vacation together.  We were on a cruise for seven days over the Thanksgiving holiday.  'I guess' that was 'pretty fun'!!!] 

I hope all is well back home! I can't believe that November is nearly half way over.. what the heck?????????! It's getting cold here.. but not too bad yet. Everyone says that just means the winter is going to be long and awful.

I love you guys! Thank you for everything! I love what I am doing and it has been such an amazing experience!

Love, Elder Munson

I always go hard in ping pong!

Unexpected email - November 6, 2013

So, this morning was a zone district meeting in Wandsworth as we have every Wednesday... this was obviously the last one for this transfer. But, we had a big zone breakfast before the meeting started and during the breakfast obviously elders are going to be playing ping pong and obviously I always go hard in ping pong... and basically I ripped my pants... really bad. Like all the way from the top of my butt down my left thigh. Luckily, no sisters saw! We were like playing up on the stage and all the elders were watching and right as I ripped them all the elders busted up laughing and closed the curtains of the stage real quick. haha It was so embarrassing.. well, ok not really.. it was really funny. But, so I was wondering if I could maybe get that present from grandma and grandpa a little early. To district meetings and to church we have to wear suits and now I don't have a suit to wear. (I gained too much weight and grew out of the pants from other suit I brought, so it got left in Southampton.) Gall, I feel so dumb. But, clothing isn't terribly expensive here. I can get a decent suit for like 60 pounds. So sorry about this! I got special permission from the zone leaders to email you today so I can get a suit asap. haha I'm such an idiot! I'll send you pictures on Monday! I love you guys!! Sorry for the inconvenience.  

Love, Elder Munson

Everything short of Mo-Tab

Email - November 4, 2013

HELLO!

Stake Conference was great and this choir was... everything short of Mo-Tab, but it was fun!

I have been learning many good things during personal study. I think overall what I have been learning most from personal study is how important it is to have personal study! I love reading personally and studying what ever the Spirit guides me to study. Having that personal time to learn from the scriptures is the best. Basically, it's my favorite daily thing as a missionary.

As far as my testimony... good heck... I doubt if I even had a testimony before my mission from how strong it is now. I think back to my farewell talk all the time and I  am so embarrassed. I have a much better understanding of the Gospel and an actual knowledge of the teachings and the purposes that come with it. I did not know my scriptures before my mission. I did not pray nearly enough before my mission. I was trying to talk and testify of things that I didn't know enough about. I absolutely can rely on my testimony now. Before I couldn't. I love the feeling of knowing with ALL surety that this Church is true!!

Earlier this week, Elder Bognár and me..(minus me) taught a lesson over Skype to a Hungarian elsewhere in the mission. I just sat there on camera silent for an hour haha it was hilarious. I'm sure he did a great job though.

Halloween isn't very big here, but on that day we were street contacting in the evening and a kid, maybe 12 years old, dressed in a spider man costume came up to me and started pushing me around and hitting me and demanding candy from me ... haha it was so funny! He thought he was a proper thug or something! He grabbed my badge and ripped it off of my sweater and took off!!! haha Obviously, I hunted him down and got it back but it was so funny!! hahahaha I was like MAN I'M SORRY I HAVE NO CANDY ALRIGHT! haha Oh chav kids...

Oh, and to answer dad's question about day lights saving... yes they do have it here.. but it was last week! haha

Anyway, London is crazy/fun/hard work/amazing.

I love it so much.

I miss all of you though! and I love you loads! Thanks for everything!

Love, Elder Munson

"Mine and Brother Basoah's pumpkin."

"Haha, brought back MTC mems for me and Elder Bodhaine!"

"Alison and Sydney. They both went to Lone Peak. Sorta kinda knew them

before! But, they are here studying abroad! Haha, so cool."

{To Grandma and Grandpa} 

"THANK YOU GUYS! The Halloween package was amazing! and the mangos and everything! Thank you so much! The other elders say thank you as well for the candy! Best grandparents ever! and they agreed! Thank you for all that you guys do! I love you guys and love reading the letters you guys send. Sorry london is such a busy time and its hard to write back, but I'll try to do better! I hope all is well!