Nov 7th- 16th

Wow, family tell Jeff that I will be the best intern he has ever had! That is so exciting! I knew it had to have been something big like this. I cannot wait. This will be so great! It seems as though my brothers know me best because there is no question I would have given that up. How many interns at a time? Do I have to apply or because I am in byu do I automatically get in? Do I live in dorms or do I have a roommate? Is it right in town? Did Robert do the same thing?  Lots and lots of questions…

All right,

This has been a great week. Let me start off by telling you about Halloween. Well got all the recipes and go to asda to get the goods and they are all out of pumpkins. I am telling you this country has loads to offer but when it comes to holidays is poor!! We ended up making the pumpkin brains without the pumpkin and it was interesting to say the least but got us full. Then elder hopper decided he knew how to make fried ice cream and so we had these massive fried ice cream balls. Last transfer I bought a one-z pajamas tiger outfit and so it was quite fitting for the evening. Anyways, it was a fun time lots of memories.

Quick update-

Barbara- She is great. We went last night to the mission home for a fireside. Lorna bore her testimony in front of everyone and it was so good. Barbara’s leg is still not healed and so she won’t be able to be baptized until it closes up, hopefully by next weekend.

Nicky and Mathew- Nicky has had a change of heart and is starting to really make some progress. Something has changed and she is just progressing well. All we have left to teach is tithing.

This week I went on exchange with a brand new missionary from sal polo brazil! He is such an amazing missionary and we had a great exchange. He tells me next time he will make me some pon di quezo sp?? The chezzy bread ball things. He has actually been living in the southern part of England for the past couple years but still feels Brazil is home!

Okay I hope you are all doing great! Thank you so much for all the pictures. Paige you are truly the best!!! I loved all of them. Everyone looks great and all the kids look so cute.

Love, Elder Cunningham

Elder Eliason sent some pictures so look at his blog. If you want a copy of the pics you can email his dad at Toddeliason@gmail.com

Dad I only got two emails last week. That talk was incredible so great I loved it. You go against the grain when it comes to boring high council talks. I also love the mormon.org profile. Great work. The email I didn’t get was the one of the building. I got one a few weeks ago and it looks great but not recently.

Oct 31- Nov 7

Okay Chareese this is just what I sent the parents (their letters have been quite skint) and maybe tomorrow you can give them my real letter.

“Family,

Happy Halloween! Hope all is well. Sounds like from what dad said it was a great time in Mexico. I am doing great. The work is progressing extremely well. Speak to you soon.

Love you lots,

Richard”

Real Letter-

This week has been so great. Lorna’s baptism was incredible. She has been so prepared and bore the most beautiful testimony at the end of the service. The spirit was so strong and it especially touched Barbara Lawson (Grandma #1). Lorna used to be an archer and has one many awards and mettles. Apparently she was the representative for Norway and used to practice three hours a day without fail. I am exited for when you will get to meet her. I know and she knows that with out a shadow of doubt we were sent to find and teach her that day.

Barbara is hilarious. Literally one of the funniest grandmas I have ever met. She loved the baptism and has identified the spirit in the lessons and at church. She committed to be baptized on the twelfth of November last night. We told her that meant she had to give up the tea by today and she responded “I guess ill drink a gallon tonight!” This week we met all of her children and grandchildren. Hopefully soon we will be able to teach her daughter. Her family is incredible and would make great members of the church. They have been a real support to her and so we shall see what happens.

Bianca and Richard are doing well. You would not believe the great support that the ward has been to them. She is making all of these plans for her wedding in January and everyone is pitching in to help. She and Richard don’t have two pennies to rub together and so it has been really nice to see the gospel is action.

Nicky has been struggling. Because of her past she has lots of reservations and lots of concerns and it has been very difficult to help her progress. We taught her this week with a member of the mission presidency and that was great help. He had an abusive father and so he was able to relate a little bit to her. She has been making changes and progressing but it has been at a very slow pace. Hopefully, something will click in the next few days.

Elder Kopishke (70 President of the Europe area) came in town and that was quite the experience. He is a really wonderful man, really down to earth and so knowledgeable. I learned the importance of the scriptures. Every question that someone asked was answered using the scriptures. He focused most of his remarks of faith and following the spirit. I have notes in my scriptures that are priceless. He also touched on dreams and how we can accomplish our dreams but only if we set goals and work hard. The zone leader council meeting we had with him was the best. It was just 14 of us and a set of sisters. He had some big ideas about the mission and some ideas that we could begin implementing. It is exciting.

Today is Halloween and we worked for the first three hours of the day and now have the rest of the day for P-day. Elder Hopper is excited to put these recipes to the test thank you for sending them!

Hope all is well.

Love, Richard

Oct 24- 31

If only an email was adequate to share with you a portion of the things we have experienced this week. You could say that it has been a roller coaster. Just in case you have forgotten I love roller coasters! I will try and share a few of the loops.

Saturday afternoon we went to teach Lorna to finalize all of the plans for her baptism scheduled on the 29^th of October. Immediately we notice something is wrong and as we sit down she starts tearing up and telling us that she cannot not be baptized. Devastated, we evaluated the situation and said a prayer. After the prayer, Heavenly Father opened our scriptures and guided us to several versus that addressed every one of her concerns. Satan had gotten into her head and convinced her that although she knows the church is true she just won’t be able to be baptized, circumstances made it impossible. From this experience I learned how Satan will take something so small and turn it into a mountain. The one thing that I am so grateful for is that Lorna has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and because she knew it was true she could not refute the words of 1 Nephi, 3 Nephi, Ether, and Alma. This was undoubtedly one of the most spirit filled lessons I have ever had and because of the power of the Book of Mormon Lorna will be baptized on Saturday!    

The next event is closely related. Because of Stake Conference Lorna’s baptism could not be announced in sacrament this week. Elder Eliason and I created a little invitation that we hand delivered to several members of the ward and then asked for referrals. One of the members we stopped by was President Burgon (of the mission presidency). He referred us to Barry Donaldson, Elder Donaldson’s inactive brother. Elder Donaldson is a 70 and before he got called was in the MTC presidency. He was the first person to interview me and I love him and his wife. They are both amazing. Anyways, again the power of the Book of Mormon filled the room as we read from Alma 32. Not only were we able to teach him but as well his wife who has not been baptized and his daughter + her friend both sat in on the lesson. After being very bold and direct with him we invited him to church and he accepted. Apparently he has not been to church in years. Just to make sure we seal the deal Elder Eliason and I will be going over to their house Sunday morning and making them breakfast. None of this would have happened had it not been for member efforts. I really feel that I have built stronger relations with more people in this ward than any other and that is because of this emphasis on member work.

The craziness continues though. First Chester Stake got a new stake president and so we had a visit from Elder Texeiera and Elder Wright of the 70. Wow, they were incredible and such amazing speakers. Barbara Lawson was not able to go to the Sunday session so we took her to the Saturday evening session and it was so good, even better than actual sake conference. I have decided that I will go to every Saturday night conference session I can. As I looked around the building I only saw the strongest of the members. Barbara loved it and we were able to introduce her to elder Wright and he was so intense with her. He got really close to her face bore testimony and said pay attention to the feelings of the spirit. It was great.

Sunday morning our ride for Nicky and Mathew fell through last minute and so for an hour we scrambled to find someone who could give them a lift all the way to Wrexham University, which is 30min drive away. Eventually we were able to get a man who has been struggling to say the least to pick her up. As we get to conference Nicky has a panic attack and decides she cannot go into the auditorium. Wow, stressful. She has a phobia of big crowed and it got too much for her. We did not understand what was going on and it was quite awkward. That’s what missions are all about though I guess. We went and saw her later that evening and she apologized and just said she had freak out moment. Her baptism has been postponed a week or two but we are continue to work with her and help her overcome her fears.

This week we have President Kopishke of the area 70 coming to visit the mission. We are going to have a zone conference with him as well as a special zone leader council meeting. It is going to be exciting. I look forward to telling you all about it.

All right family I hope you have a great time in Mexico.

Love, Richard

Ps. I just read the beginning of elder eliasons letter and he too said the week was a roller coaster with out even collaborating. Either that is some kind of unity or the week was just crazy.

PPS. Can someone please right to the Sayle family via facebook? I have been trying to get a letter out but it has proven difficult.

PPPS. Thanks again for the Costco card, were all going again today!

 PAIGE THANK YOU THANK YOU FOR ALL OF THE PICTURES THEY ARE SO GOOD! THE BOYS ARE SO BIG AND EXTREAMLY CUTE. KEEP SENDING THEM :)

Oct 17- 24

Family,

Wow, Disneyland? Well it is a good thing that the kids love Disneyland as much as I do because we will have to make another trip in a few months! Thanks for all the pictures I loved them

All right so this has been just another terrific week in the mission. It is crazy, the weeks are just flying by and I want things to slow down just a bit so I can enjoy the wonderful experiences that are happening.

Lorna is doing incredible and has been so strong. She was supposed to be baptized this past weekend but had some family complications so she had to run to London last minute. Long story short she did not end up going there. She felt the spirit tell her that she needed to stay home. She had been thinking about moving back to Essics where she is originally from but now knows that here is where she needs to be. While out at some meeting she slipped and ended up breaking her foot. This poor woman has gone through a lot but she is incredible. Even though she broke her foot she still came to church and loves everything about the gospel. We went and watched the prophet of the restoration and she cried at the end while baring her testimony of him. It has been incredible.

Interviews and Training was this week and it went really well. Elder Eliason and I trained on member work. My interview with president was really good. He is a great man and has a big heart. He is doing a really great job. On Thursday we had a meeting with president and all the bishop bricks, stake council, and ward mission leaders. President asked elder Eliason and I to come didn’t tell us what he wanted us to do or anything but half way through his presentation says elder Cunningham I am sure you have a few things you want to say..and then sits down immediately.  For Wales being so cold the room got extremely hot in a matter of seconds. I managed to spit out a few words and now know for the future always be prepared to be called upon.

Elder Thomas is a missionary from Belgium who is a recent convert of 14 months. Can you believe that? He is living in the flat with us and being trained by another missionary, elder hopper. It has been really fun with the four of us and this young man is the only member in his home, the only one that believes in god and is such an incredible missionary. It just goes to show it doesn’t matter what circumstances you are brought up in the gospel is there for everyone.

This week we had 9 new investigators and 5 of them came from a large group of college girls that we taught just yesterday. It was great they were all genuine and sincerely interested. The best part about it is after we set up the appointment and came back later in the week we found out that one of the girls was good friends with a member family from Liverpool who I loved. And they actually used to take her to church. These things are not coincidence.

All right time is running short and I think elder Eliason wrote a long letter so make sure to read his blog. Elder Eliason and I are thinking since you both read our blog that we could just switch off writing every other week? What are your thoughts????  Only teasing.

Love,

Richard

Mom loved the pictures thank you thank you. Also, I like you hair it looks really good. Sorry I haven’t been able to send many pictures. I think the real problem is me not taking tons. Also, I thought about sending my memory card home but then realized that I wouldn’t have anything to show you when I get home!!!

BYU – My username is richcunn1 password rwc941xme I think that is it at least. To be honest I haven’t given it any thought. I know that I will go back there for a little bit if not until I graduate. Still not sure about a major or a profession. I am starting to think seminary teacher might be nice….!!! No I can’t really let you think that I am being since seminary teacher is not an option

Paige thanks for the great pics!!! You’re amazing and look great!  Jens Hawaiian dresses interesting but she looked gorgeous

Steve jobs printed it thanks

Oct 10-17th

Family,

This weekend we had the baptism of Rowell Santos! Wow it was incredible. Rowell is married to a member in the ward and has been coming to church consistently for the past two years and meeting with missionaries for the past four. He was literally a dry Mormon, living all the principles just not opening the door to receive all the blessings. His baptism was one of the best baptisms I have ever attended. The spirit was so strong and the support from the ward was incredible. When emerging from the water Rowell looked through the glass and saw his two year old son staring right at him and stood there for literally a solid thirty seconds just staring at him. It was really great because he loves his family and I think knowing that he can be with them forever has been a large motivating factor for him.

I don’t know if I told you before or not but his parents were both killed in a car accident when he was only 10 and so he has had a rough start to life. However, he now has the gospel and knowledge of how he can be with them again. Also, his wife’s family is incredible. They have been praying and praying for this day to come for a long time. They are all from the Philippines and his mom was one the funniest loving woman you will ever meet. You catered his baptism like it was a wedding and gave one of the nicest prayers I have heard. So humble so loving.

Okay things are going really great. We still have six investigators dated for baptism and Lorna (grandma miracle number 2) is going to be baptized soon. It might be this weekend if not it will be next. She had to run to London last minute for a family emergency, so we may push it back a week so that we can announce it. However she is so ready it’s unreal.

This weekend we had a mission home fireside and zone leader council. They were both really great. President Preston does it so that the fireside is just about 6 recent converts who tell the conversion story and then we close and eat cookies. It’s great. There is a really strong spirit and all the converts did an amazing job. Sister unsworth was there and is still looking forward to meeting you.

That is sad about Steve jobs. I heard he gave an amazing speech right before he died? How was it? Also, that is exciting about mitt Romney. That would be great to have a Mormon is presidency. That will be exciting to see.

Hope all is well.

Love, Richard

Ps. You can find elder eliasons blog on the web it should be under Elder Cody Eliason on google. You can get double time!

Pps. I got the saddest letter from the sayles saying that they are planning on getting sealed FEB19th!!!! I am going to write him today and see if he can push it up a week or two. I will tell him we are planning on coming up in early feb but if someone could get on fb and talk to him that would be great!!!