Good Afternoon! (or morning or whatever)
For a lack of a better subject, I would like to just tell a little bit about what the mission is like in the wonderful area of The Scotland/Ireland Mission (the SIM). There are 3 countries, 8 zones (each zone being a stake) and about 200 or so missionaries in the mission. Our mission is led by President Donaldson who used to be the area 70 and started his work in the mission 2 years ago. I will be going home a little while after president!
The biggest wards in the whole mission are about 120 active members and the smallest being branches sometimes covering areas quite large. Every area is large enough that you will never be able to cover every town or village in your area in one transfer. Every Ward has a set of missionaries (Sometimes up to 5 teams in a city center). The work is tough, but if you work hard, any area can do well. I have served 1 transfer in Dublin Terenure (south side of the city of Dublin, Ireland) 4 transfers in Glasgow Ward (Northwest area of Glasgow, Scotland) 1 transfer in Dundee (Dundee is a smaller city northeast of Glasgow), 1 transfer in Buchan, Aberdeen (an area North of the most Northern Big city of Scotland) and now I am back in Glasgow in the other ward that covers the other half of the city. Been quite an interesting mission so far. Been out about a year.
In such a religious place you meet all types, yet there are enough pubs, bars, and gambling places that you kinda scratch your head. I really thought it was a joke that I got called mandarin speaking here, but as we have 2 chinese friends scheduled for baptism this week, I have a mainland Chinese companion, and there are hundreds of well established families to be taught around here, I think I know why.
I feel blessed to be in such a great mission, no bragging intended.
Elder Bang
(your welcome)
Categories: Tyler - Scotland/Ireland
Time Well Spent 