Here's to You Elder Al-Jamal!

Today my brother has reached his one year mission mark. He is currently serving in the London England Mission and loves it! We are all so proud of his choices and look forward to another incredible year for him. To mark this day I'm going to post my top 12 favorite memories from his letters that he sent me.
1)Okay i forgot to tell you this story. So we were going to less-actives houses, to try to get them back to the gospel, and the first guy we visited threatened us, and ran us off. So we decide to go to this ladies house, her name was Valerie Huthchin. She answers the door, and she's all nice, but we ask her if she's still interested in the church, and this is what she tells us: she doesn't want anything to do with our church, because the sister missionaries were over at her house, and when they were giving the prayer, her cat got ran over by a car. At first I thought she said her kid, and I was like woh, but then she said cat. She left because God didn't save her cat. I'm not even kidding. She started balling, and told us she was afraid to pray to God, because she was afraid he would let one of her other cats die. It was quite an experience.

2)Miracles really do happen. I've been driving for the past week in a manual car on the other side of the road, and I'm still alive.

3)Friday night we just had a really good appointment, and I'm leaving. So I'm backing the car up, and I can't see my companion, and he's not backing me up like usual. And bamb, I crash into a house. I get out, and I'm starting to freak out. No damage done to the house, except I smashed their plastic power box. I look at the back of our car, and the bumper and the light is cracked in half. So I go to knock on the door to inform the owners that I just crashed into their house, and I'm crying. I'm really freaking out, and I start realizing that I know this house, and then the person answers the door, and I'm really starting to freak out. I crashed into the 1st counselor in stake presidency's house.4)Sunday comes around. The baptism day for Evelyn Woods. She doesn't show up for church. She's not answering her phone or anything. We're about to cancel her baptism, and I get a phone call from Evelyn. Her dog ran away so she was looking for her dog. So we get a member to go get Evelyn, and it's all settled. The adversary really works hard when you get close to that baptism. So the baptisms service happens that night. Everything is going smooth. Elder Carlo decides not to go into the font with me, and tells me, an elder who has never baptized anyone, that he trusts me to do a good job by myself. It took me three tries to baptize her. She was freaking out, and wanted to get out after the first try, but somehow I convinced her for two more tries. It was so bad that the bishop told the congregation to leave. She was baptized, and she was fine after wads.

5)I'm doing incredible. This past week has been the most successful week of my mission. We were able to commit 5 people to baptism this past week. the Lord has blessed me and my companion so much lately. We're working so hard right now, and blessings are just coming out of nowhere. Our district has 12 baptisms coming up in the next two months. That is indeed insane for England. England can baptize. Whoever said they don't get baptisms is full of rubbish. If you search for it, and trust in the Lord, you can do anything. I have been so amazed at the power of God. I love this work Brock. I know the church is true. I know the book of Mormon is true. I know Joseph Smith was a prophet, and I know this is Heavenly Fathers work. I'm just so happy right now. Doesn't matter what happens tomorrow, because whatever is in store I have the Lord on my side.6)The story of Clive.

7)Everything is alright, but I have the coolest experience ever to share with you. So we got this media referral from this lady named Notlonipo. I got in contact with her, and we set up a appointment with her. So I'm really feeling good about this appointment, and I tell my companion that we're going to commit her to baptism in the first appointment, and he was hesitant, but felt if the spirit was there lets do it. So we meet her, and it was an amazing appointment. The spirit was so strong, and we got to the Book of Mormon, and she just kept on saying this is amazing. So I looked at her,and said do you believe that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and she said I know he was. So I then committed her to be baptized, and she said yes. Then she said, it's funny you mention baptism, because I had a dream that I was at a church, and someone was being baptized, and they were dressed in white, and the rest had suits and ties on, and I wanted to be baptized, but I couldn't tell them. She said I know that was your church I dreamed about. Layla it was the most amazing experience of my life. I sat there with my jaw on the ground and just said, it is our Church. The true church of God.

8)I have to tell about the coolest thing that happened yesterday. Guess who is our new investigator? The English version of Tyrone Biggens, the crackhead from Dave Chapelle. I kid you not man. He is like him in every manner possible. He even had the beanie. Man it was great.

9)We had 3 baptisms happen last week. Clive Hankinson got baptized on Saturday. It was an incredible experience. The spirit was really strong there, and than that Sunday George and Jack Smith were baptized. I was given the privilege to baptize George. I slammed dunked the kid. the whole front row got splashed.

10) Last Saturday we got to meet Elder D Todd. Christofferson. The new apostle. That guy is amazing. I mean he really knows Jesus Christ. He knows without a doubt that he exists. I hope my testimony is half as amazing as that guy's testimony one day. So we get home, and we found out that there was a drug-raid 5 doors down from where we live, and there were 50 armed police men raiding this house. 50 of them with guns. Police here never have guns. They blocked off the whole area and everything. We missed it. I was waiting for a drug raid the whole time I've been here, and I didn't get to see the one that was only next door.

11). I almost baptized a member. Crazy situation. Turns out one of our investigators has already been baptized. So he got the priesthood instead!! The work is fun.

12)I'm a legend in this mission, but not for the right reason. Last Monday I went to a members home for FHE. Turns out this members father is Elder David S. Baxter of the first quorum of the seventy. So we go to the home, and guess who's there. Elder Baxter. We taught a general authority. The lesson was going great until I opened my mouth. Man I flopped big time. I had his six year old granddaughter read a scripture, and than after she read it the words that came out of my mouth was this "So Brooke (the little girl) what do you think about that scripture". The second I said that everyone got silent. I turned pale, and than Elder Baxter looked up at me and said "hmm elder that's a bit too much." I asked a little girl to explain a scripture. I would never do that in any normal situation. But for some reason I did that. I got rebuked by a general authority. We got out of that appointment as fast as possible. The only chance I'll ever get to teach a general authority and I blew it big time. It was bad Layla. Like a car accident bad. I'll never forget that. Never.


Reading through his letters really put a smile on my face. I'm so glad that he is my brother and that not only is he working hard but loving it! Here's to you Elder AL-Jamal and I hope that you have another incredible year! If you would like to learn more about our faith and what missions are, you can find more info here.