All About Elder Edmiston

Elder Meyer has voice recorded himself talking about his current companion, Elder Edmistion.

Wedding in my First Area.

Weekly snippets from Elder Meyer's email (August 28th, 2012):

Hey Everyone, 

Ahh I just love hearing from you guys each week, I always get excited and happy when we go emailing, Just to let you know this week has been different, as it's 'moves' week, and I am emailing on tuesday instead of monday. Moves week is when P-DAY is changed so that missionaries can move to another area, but P-day is normal every other week. Me and elder edmiston are staying with each other as he is training me, and we stay together for 12 weeks, after that I will get a new companion.

This past week, um its sort of been slow a bit, but we actually had ex-changes again, last tuesday, and I went to Portadown again, and I was with Elder Coombs. he is a really nice missionary, he is from south carolina, and he loves his hunting, which was cool. we went to a members home and had dinner, and also saw another person and taught him the plan of salvation which was good. I said a couple things, I did my best I said what I could say. We also taught our investigator, his name is Glen Spense, it would be good if you pray for him. We taught him the gospel of jesus christ, which went well, I said a little, it was alright.

It was fun, yesterday me and my companion played around the flat and had some fun, we were shooting rubber bands at each other and playing with the ball you had sent in the package. 

I have been still missing home, and still am shy and nervous around members and investigators and other missionaries, but I might overcome it overtime. it is still the start of my mission still so yeah.  I am trying to work on being brave and have courage to stand strong as I want to finish my mission I don't want to go home and not accomplish it, I know I can accomplish it and finish my mission it's just hard at the start being away from home and being homesick alot, but I will work on it and become better. I still love the area and love teaching the people and the ward members are really nice and I love them also.

Ah just before I came to email today I experienced a wedding, it was a recent convert's wedding and he was marrying a girl in the ward. they looked really happy together. the ceremony was at the chapel. It is really cool because I now I have experienced a wedding in my first area. 

David and Everlyn's Wedding

I love you guys so much and miss you heaps, I am still hanging in there and I know that everything will be fine and I will be able to improve and become better. I love you guys again, and wish you all the best in this next week. Love you Bye 

Elder Meyer

Flat in Lisburn, Northern Ireland.

So we stalked down Elder Meyer's address on google maps and have pictures of his flat. You've got to love this technology. Apparently, the missionary flat is down the back of this beautiful house.

A P-Day of Cooking. Yum.

Here are snippets from Elder Meyers email on August 20th, 2012:

Hey Everyone, 

This week has been alright, those potentials that we tried.. they weren't there, and so we were unable to teach them. we left our phone number on a card but I don't think they will call, we will have to wait and see what happens.

I had my second ex-change this past week, I went with this missionary his name was Elder Moore, he is from utah. I didn't lead as I went to his area, which was a place called Portadown. When I was with him in his area we went to a member families home and had dinner, and we taught a couple. We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I shared my testimony. 

Also this past week we had zone conference, last wednesday, it was good. I was able to see the mission president, President Brown which was good. I also had to bear my testimony as I was new but I saw 3 other missionaries from my MTC group which was good. I also said the closing prayer.

Ah hey I got the voice recorder, as I loved it so much, I loved hearing you all I miss hearing your voices, some of the kids made me laugh, and my companion said that he loves my family he thinks my family is cool, and he loved the accents as well he noticed it in dad's voice. I will try and start one and start recording myself saying a few things.

Ah and Rachel sent me the blog in the mail and what it looks like! I love it, it is really cool. I love all the photos it's awesome, hope it all goes well. I don't think I can go on to the blog website, but you can just keep sending it and seeing what it looks like. Thanks so much, I love how she is doing this, it's a great idea and everyone can see how I am going. 

Ah I forgot to mention this week as I was on ex-changes, my companion found a new investigator which is another members boyfriend, and I was able to meet him as my companion and the elder he was with was able to get another appointment in on friday and we went and taught him the plan of salvation. my companion and the elder he was with were able to teach the restoration the first lesson, so I came in and we did the second lesson and he is really keen. he wants to be baptized, he knows the book of mormon is true and that thomas s. monson is a true prophet. But that is really cool, he wants to be baptized which is awesome, I can't wait I might have a baptism in my first area which will be good. 

Anyway I should go out and enjoy my P-DAY. me and my companion are going to cook today. I am going to cook my fudgy wudgy cookies and he is going to cook cinnamon rolls. so we are going to do that as well and we will clean our flat, as we have flat inspection this thursday so yeah. 

anyways I will let you guys go, I wish I could keep writing to you guys, I miss you so much, I love you guys so much and wish I was back home with you guys. 

LOVE YOU HEAPS

Elder Meyer

New Experiences, New Challenges.

Here are some snippets from Elder Meyer's email on August 13th, 2012.

Hey Everyone, 

Yes it's another P-Day, WOOHOO, Thank you so much for all your emails I love reading them each week. I have been getting your letters as well, I love getting the letters from you guys and I love the cards you send me, they are so funny. Ahh and thank you so much for what was in the packages, I got the greeny package when I arrived at the mission home, and I just got the other packages just last week on Tuesday. I loved the flags, my companion stuck one on the desk in our flat, we are unable to stick it on the wall as the blu-tac rips off the paint. My companion doesn't want to try vegemite he said it looks gross. I got some vegemite before you sent me the package with the vegemite in it. they sell vegemite here, I was so happy so I bought some.

This week was an alright week, we did a lot of door knocking, which is tiring some days, and hard as people don't want to listen. I just want to teach people. I think this week I am getting better with homesickness, I still miss you guys, but it has been good. I still worry about being shy and nervous, and I am quiet most times around members and other missionaries. 

We did teach a guy, his name was Joe Ward. We saw him twice this past week and my companion committed him to come to church but he didn't come. He said that if I don't come to church then don't even bother coming back to my house, so I think we have dropped him and won't teach him again. This past week last tuesday I did my first ex-change and I ended up leading my area and I had another missionary with me for the day. The night before, when my companion said that I was leading the area, I was so worried and scared, as I am still new and I thought that I couldn't do it, but it ended up turning out to be a good day and I was able to lead and go to the appointments we had. So yeah it was a really good day, the missionary I was with, his name was Elder Dudley and he is from England. he was a really nice missionary and he said that he only had 3 weeks to go and he was going home, I thought What!!!!, but he was able to give me some advice which was good.

Also this week me and my companion were able to find 2 potentials, and we got a return appointment we contacted them on the street, we tried by there houses and 1 was there but he re-scheduled it to tonight so we will see him tonight. And the other one we went by her place but she wasn't there but she had left a note and the book of mormon we gave her, and she said in the note, thanks for seeing me on the street, she read a little of it and she thought we might need it back but my companion wrote a note back saying you keep the book of mormon and if you have any questions call us and we left our number. so we will see what happens with her. Also yesterday at church I had my first speaking assignment. I spoke in sacrament meeting, I was nervous but it went well I talked about myself, the first article of faith and how has the mission brought me closer to Christ. and it went.. well my companion said I did a good job, so yeah it was my first talk on my mission and it was in my first area, so there you go. 

Hey my companion is going through a mid life mission crises and he misses girls (haha), and he wants a girl to write him, so could you think of any aussie girls he could write to, and he wants them to be cute as well. 

Let all the kids know I love them so much and miss them dearly, I love hearing about there week. its really good. anyway I better go enjoy my P-DAY, go have some fun with my companion. alright well take care, and I love you guys, I miss you guys so much as well, all the best with this week hope it goes well for you. take care love you. Bye 

Elder Meyer 

I love P-days.

Here are some snippets from Elder Meyer's email received yesterday (August 6th 2012):

Hey everyone.

Ahh how I love P-Days, I look forward to P-Days! getting to hear about how the family is going, and me emailing you guys, I just love it. This week was a good week, it was better than last week I thought, we found new investigators. So there is this family named the Hinds and they have 7 children. we are teaching some of them together and others separately. we went in teaching the plan of salvation to Suzanne, Darren and Caleb, but it was crazy. my companion talked about Joseph Smith and the book of Mormon, and Darren had some really deep doctrine questions that I couldn't answer but my companion tried his best to answer them. so yeah I thought the lesson went well, I said some things but not a lot but it was alright. And darren said he would like to come to church as well so he seems pretty keen. me and my companion were so happy after that.

Ah last monday for P-Day me and my companion met up with another 2 elders, a companionship and we went to Belfast. Belfast is really nice, I didn't get to take photos but I will get to go again and take some photos.

I will take your advice and have courage and be brave. I know the Lord is always with me I am never alone, and Heavenly father can help me, and I am grateful for that.

As I have been on my mission I have been eating more, and eating and drinking things I never eat or drink before my mission, I think a mission is changing me haha, the food is nice it is sort of the same. there are lots of quick and easy meals, there are soups, chicken strips which I have made for myself and yeah it has been good. I love the food here! I shopped for only me last week and it seemed like I got to much. I think I need to budget more. anyways it's going good I am being fed and some members have been feeding us as well, it's all good.

Thanks so much everyone for your emails, I love you all and miss you. I also pray for you guys as well, and love doing it. I am going to be brave and have courage this week, and be happy, thanks for the advice. Anyways I better go now and enjoy my p-day, 2 missionaries in our district are coming up to Lisburn and we are going to hang out with them so that should be fun. I miss you guys and hope for all the best and goodluck with your lives. my mission with go by fast and I will be home in no-time haha. Take care, LOVE YOU ALL.

Elder Meyer

Elder Meyer and Elder Edmiston on their Preparation Day.

Arthur's Seat, Scotland

"It is a tradition in the Scotland/Ireland Mission at the start of your mission and at the end of your mission to climb up Pratt's hill and pray to Heavenly Father and make a promise," said Elder Meyer.

Just as Elder Meyer arrived in Scotland, before heading off to his first area in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, he climbed this hill in honour of Elder Orson Pratt. On this hill, Elder Meyer made a promise with the Lord to begin teaching the gospel and what he knows to be true, to the people of his mission.

Whate'er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part.

Elder Meyer and his first companion in the mission field, Elder Edmiston.

In Stirling, Scotland, 1898, David O. McKay (former President of the Church) once said, "I was homesick and a little discouraged on this day. As we were coming back into town, I saw an unfinished dwelling, over the front door of which was a stone on which there was a carving. That was most unusual, so I said to Elder Johnston, 'I'm going to see what it is.' I was half way up the gravelled walk when there come to my eyesight a striking motto as follows, carved in stone: 'Whate'er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part.' I said to myself, or the Spirit within me, you are here as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. That afternoon, I accepted the message given to me on that stone, and from that moment we tried to do our part as missionaries in Scotland."

Here, Elder Meyer and his companion, Elder Edmiston, stand in front of this significant carving with determination to do the Lord's work as missionaries in the Scotland/Ireland Mission.

Mission President and Sister Brown.