August 15th–August 21st: By Popular Request, A Run Down of the New Area

Here is the basics of what is going on:

I am serving with Elder Rongo from New Zealand, here are a few words from Elder Rongo:

"Kia ora, how are doing? I'm glad I'm serving with Elder Tarbet this transfer as it is my last.. So all should be well. Hopefully."

So that's Elder Rongo. He is super relaxed and fun, so it should be good. He likes to laugh and have fun while we work and he knows the scriptures super well. 

Stockport is definitely a city, more than anywhere I've ever lived. It's quite a busy joint to live around.  I am still totally and utterly lost!!! It's going to take me a long time to learn this area. The ward is quite big and it is going to take some getting used to, I miss Southport!  So serving with Elder Rongo is in one word EXCITING.

This week has been one ongoing craziness. Day one, we leave the keys in the flat. Day two we get jumped by a Catholic Priest while we wait for Elder Forsyth in the car park of B&Q (Home Depot) that was so funny. He was so determined to tell us that we were wrong that he contradicted his own doctrine. He told us about how after Christ there was no revelation. When we asked about John the Revelator and the Book of Revelation. He tells us that it is not prophecy. That set the tone for the week. It was just one craziness after the other. Yeah, honestly I'm not so sure what to write anymore but yeah, that's what is going on in Stockport. 

Investigator wise we have a part member family that Elder Rongo has gotten close to and we think that Andy will get baptized soon. We also just met a really good Italian man named Attilio. Should be a fun place.

I miss Southport though, after being in a place for 9 months you come to truly love it. I'm going to miss the people a lot. Especially the people that we worked with so much. 

Love

Elder Tarbet

Caelitus Mihi Vires 

My Strength is from Heaven

August 21st: Note from Sister Maclean

Dear Sister Tarbet,

Today your son bore his testimony and we welcomed him to Stockport Ward, Manchester England Stake. I am the ward historian and so photograph all the missionaries who serve here.  Please find attached a picture of Elder Tarbet with his companion, Elder Rongo.  We take care of our missionaries here so be assured he will be fed!

Best wishes

Sis. Sandy Maclean

Last Days in Southport with Elder Morgan

   

A Note from the Fullwoods

Dear Tarbet family,

Your son is leaving us! Both of our missionaries are leaving on Tuesday for pastures new. We have really enjoyed watching Elder Tarbet grow and mature over the last 9 months and getting to know him. His testimony has really grown and we have been blessed by some amazing spiritual thoughts and uplifting messages. Baptising Maggie has been a blessing to our whole ward. Thank you so much for lending him to us and we hope he enjoys much more success during the rest of his mission.

Lots of love,

The Fullwood family

August 8th–August 15th: End of An Era

As you have heard I am leaving Southport. I will be going to Stockport. I will be with an Elder from New Zealand. Elder Rongo. 

Will email more if I can. 

Love you all

Elder Tarbet

Caelitus Mihi Vires 

My Strength is from Heaven

Elder Morgan and I (and some yummy looking cake)

Dinner with the Members in Southport

"We just 'tagged' you this evening. We have just come from another lovely dinner with Carolyn Anne Rodwell.  We think it could be Elder Tarbet's 'last supper' :( "

(It wasn't quite Logan's "last supper" as he ended up staying in Southport to train Elder Morgan)

Elders Singsam, Tarbet, Pape, and Korth with Carolyn Rodwell and Francesca Hindlay

August 1st–August 7th: A Week of Ups and Downs

This week has had a lot of ups and downs. The week started really well when we had dinner at a less active members home on Monday and the lesson that we had with them was so solid! It was just a great, great day!!! We met a new investigator and had an appointment set for the next day.

Then Tuesday happened and 3 of our appointments just fell through completely, our new investigator followed through and had actually read the introduction we had given him and the restoration pamphlet. So great! The only problem is he had done some additional research about Mormons and had found some anti stuff. So he was all up in arms about how Mother in Heaven is blasphemy. He actually got up and walked out about 10 minutes in. Never ever had someone do that before. We then got threatened by a man washing his car that if we didn't leave the road we were walking down (trying to find our next appointment) that he would call the police and set his dog on us. The day was redeemed by a really good lesson with our neighbor downstairs.

The next day was first 5 weeks training for Elder Morgan in Manchester which took basically the entire day. We got home a little before 8:00 pm and had left at about 7 that morning. It was a good meeting though.

We went on splits this week! First time in my mission that we had done that. I went with Collin and Elder Morgan went with Brother Quinn, for about 2 hours and it was really good. I think that it was a good way to get members involved.   We will have to do it again soon. Unfortunately we didn't plan very well so it probably won't happen this week. With the dynamics of the ward and the Ward Mission Leader, if we don't talk to the members about doing something like this it doesn't happen. Anyways that evening when we were walking home from the exchanges we walked a different way from normal home and we met these two young men. Who upon seeing us ask, "are you Mormons?" We said “yes” and then had a chat about their friend who is going on a mission soon and they want to understand why and what it is that he's going to be doing. They were actually quite upset that their friend hadn't told them anything. We didn't have much time so we set an appointment for the next day. One of the friends showed up (Phil) and we had a really good talk with him.  He had a lot of questions and we were able to explain the Restoration and basics of the Plan of Salvation. He wanted to really understand what was going on with his friend.

Saturday was kinda a down day, all of our plans fell through, then our backup plans fell through. It was kinda rough.

Sunday was really good, we were able to take our friend Shaun, who we have been trying to meet with for a little while, to the Fireside in Manchester. He seemed to have a good experience and we got a lady who is actively less active to take us there so she had a good experience too. 

Well that's been my week. Ups and downs on the roller coaster of life. 

Love ya

Elder Tarbet

Caelitus Mihi Vires 

My Strength is from Heaven 

Sent from my iPad

July 26th–July 31st: A Successful Week with the Ward

Well this email just got shorter, I had it all typed out when my iPad crashed…..so sorry!!

We we had a good week.  Ward Council finally happened and we talked about all the people we are working with. Oscar who is a recent convert. Lily who is a less active young woman. Nanavati who is an old investigator who is progressing more now. Henry who is stagnate. Roy who is Maggie's son. And a few other bits and pieces. 

On Sunday, we had 5th Sunday lesson about missionary work.   It shows that there is a bit of a shift happening. Then the best news is that we have 4 members already set up to come out with us this week. Two sisters tomorrow and a couple of men for splits. Elder Morgan and I’s goal is finally succeeding.  Members are finally working with us properly, it's not much but it will be the stone that starts a landslide (I hope). We have also gotten a couple of referrals. 

Elder Morgan is great!!! We have been able to work together really well. He spent a lot of time with missionaries so he knows a lot about how it works. He sometimes has over-expectations with different things and he expects that the work should be like it was in Arizona but it's a totally different game in England than it is there. It's good though.  He is adjusting and growing as we all have to. I think the next thing we will work on is ironing shirts 😋. 

It still feels kinda like we are chasing our tails and not getting a lot done from week to week but looking at the bigger picture especially with the ward things are starting to move a bit. If I can leave the ward in a more working state than I found it than I guess that is a success. Especially if they will do better with Maggie than they did for Oscar. 

Today we went and played lawn bowling with Oscar and it was super fun. He is a very good man and super genuine. He just needs some friends that will keep him on the straight and narrow. 

Love you 

Elder Tarbet

  

Caelitus Mihi Vires 

My Strength is from Heaven

July 18th–July 25th: A Search for New Investigators

Sorry for no email yesterday, we had an all Elders day which took all of P-day and we didn't get home till 8:00 pm so everyone is emailing today.

Briefly:  

Hope that you have all had a good week! This week has been pretty strange throughout. Maggie has been in hospital all week with some unknown infection and now she has MRSA (hospital disease) as well. We have gone to see her a few times but she has been in there for almost 2 weeks now. It's not good. We have given her a blessing which brought her some comfort. Last week she seemed to be getting on top of it but then we got a text from her on Saturday, "Hey I'm home from the hospital, you can come round and see me if you want." Then about an hour later we get another saying, "Don't come round, I'm still in the hospital, I just thought that I was in my flat.” I'm really concerned for her. 

We have been really busy trying to find new people to teach.  We have found a few people which is good. We had one of our investigators from ages back decide that this time he was going to try believing first and then he will get his proof. Sounds like a trial of faith to me.  We also had an investigator that told us that he believed the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a Prophet, and all these things but he doesn't think God wants him to be a Mormon. He was so sincere about it as well. He truly thinks that God doesn't want him to be a Mormon. 

I know it's kinda a lame email but I don't have many interesting things to say, nor a lot of time in which to say them.

Love,

Elder Tarbet