Elder Evans in Birmingham

On a bridge in England

Well, I'm not even gonna lie to you guys! This has been the strangest, hardest, most frustrating, difficult, and challenging week of my life. I met my trainer, his name is Elder McKenzie, he's great. Then I got to my first area (Wolverhampton 2nd Ward area, In the Lichfield stake) and it was go go go go go the second we got here. We got to my flat(apartment) dropped my bags and ran out the door to my first dinner appointment! First thing I have to say about that, the members here are amazing. They feed us dinner 6-7 nights a week, pretty much 2 times a month we don't have dinner appointments. They feed us so so well. (So don't worry mom, I am getting food) The English food I have had so far has been good. They love gravy here, I haven't had a dinner appointment where they didn't feed us something with gravy. But I am really blessed to be in an area with such faithful and amazing members.

Every single member I have met has said the same thing to me when they meet me. They say "Elder Evans where are you from" I tell them I am from Utah and they all say the same thing "Utah where's that? 😉 ..... of course you are from Utah!! You're all from utah!" And then they say "I just ask because I was guessing You're from Wales because Your last name is like the most common last name in Wales." It is seriously is so funny because everyone has told me that! Haha.

The area I am in is completely outside of the city center. So there is not much street contacting for me, we pretty much just knock doors all day. I have already had some interesting experiences knocking doors. I have had doors slammed in my face, and I've had people yell, but I have also met some genuinely nice people. The funniest thing that happened while knocking doors, happened probably 3 nights ago. We knocked this guys door and a guy came out, he was so drunk. We talked for a bit and he was a very lovey drunk. He kept telling us how proud he was of us. Then he gave me a hug and told me I was going places in the world and that he loved me. It made me laugh. He didn't like my companiom though, he made it clear that my companion wasn't going places In the world. I guess I am just good with drunk people? 😉

One thing I have learned very quickly is how diverse and different England is. My Companion and I have summed up England in one sentence "when someone answers there door, the first thing you smell is Indian food, and weed." We decided that everyone in England is just high all the time. The houses here are weird. Litterally every house here is either a duplex, a triplex, or even there can be up to 8 or 9 houses connected together. But that is just a normal house in England. Nothing here is the same as America. It will definitely take me a while to get used to it all.

We have been able to tract into a couple houses, and we have met some great people. But we have also tracted into a couple houses that are just major tricks. There have been a few people so far, they pretend like they know nothing, and then as soon as we get into their house BOOM BIBLE BASH (the ones we have met so far were seventh day Adventists, or Jehovah's witnesses). They start bashing on EVERYTHING I believe and telling me I'm wrong and that I'm going to hell and that I need to listen to what they say. Luckily my companion has done this for 10 months, and he is so so knowledge and knows exactly what to say. He usually just continues teaching the restoration until they kick us out. Because they will keep bashing until we give up and say they are right, or until we irritate them with the restoration enough to get them to kick us out. That gives me the biggest panic attacks in the whole world, I freeze and start shaking uncontrollably. I have no clue what to say in that situation. So I just sit there are pray until we finally get to leave. It's SO hard. I know that the book of Mormon is true without any doubt, I love it and I know it. And it scares me to death to have people who honestly hate something that I know for a fact is true. It's hard to watch them try to rip apart everything I have known to be true my whole life. It honestly shows me how truthful the book of Mormon is. Satan would not work this hard to tear down my belief in something if it wasn't true. So even though it scares me to death and gives me major anxiety to be in situations like that, it also just strengthens my testimony. I love this church I know it's true.

My first lesson that I got to participate in was for a wonderful kid named Sammy Lee. (I only tell you his name because I know that everyone from my home ward will find his name funny). He is a long term investigator. That kid is so much more faithful then me. He is like a bright light in dark and gloomy England. I love that kid and I'm so lucky to be teaching him. I have also had the chance to teach a couple other people and it has really been good to use what I learned in the MTC for reals.

Well that's about it for this week. I am not the type of person to pretend I am feeling a certain way, even though I'm not. So I am going to tell you honestly how I am feeling. So far being on a mission, I have had a really really hard time with my emotions. I have had the worst anxiety of my entire life, times 50, since leaving Utah 1 month ago. I am really really really really struggling. I am having a hard time doing the work and I really don't feel like myself at all. I am working with my President and getting the help I need, and I think (and really hope) that I'll be okay and that I'll be able to make it through this anxiety and still serve and say that I gave my absolute best on my mission! No matter what happens, I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me. I have been really praying harder than I ever have in my life, and I know that Heavenly Father will guide me to do what is best for me. I have felt your prayers! Please keep praying for me! Thank you guys for all you do! Feel free to email me and talk for a bit today! I love and miss you all so so much! I promise you I will continue to work as hard as I possibly can! I love you all so much!

-Elder Eric Evans