Thanksgiving Bus Stop

Monday, November 26, 2018

Baptism of B. by Elders R. and F.
Photo credit: Elder Fleming

1 year+ missionary shoes

Hey, guys! It has been a good but long week here in Nicosia.

TUESDAY, November 20th: I taught a guy some piano at the church building, #trainyourreplacment. We found this guy from Voice of the Lord survey, and it turns out that his name is F. and not Henry Fusy...we are still confused how that happened. We saw our less active Cypriot member who has dementia. He was better this time and was more there. Plus, there was more light, so I didn't feel as scared... We had a lesson with Squad 1, but things weren't going to well for them. But, we gave them priesthood blessings before we left...apparently one of them has the gift of laying his hands upon the sick and healing them and also preaching the gospel, and he isn't even a member of the church yet!

WEDNESDAY, November 21st: We were at Caritas, and the US Ambassador came for a visit to see what they do there [Editor's note: Elder Müller wasn't specific about the name of the ambassador, but the current US Ambassador to Cyprus is Kathleen Doherty.]. It was cool to see there one of our branch members who works for the Embassy, and it was also great to speak to other Americans. I had a great conversation with the guy who runs the Migrant Center at Caritas, and he wants to learn more about what we believe.

We walked a guy to church so he would know where it was for Greek Class. Ya’ boy implemented the new Teaching by the Way initiative and taught the first lesson as we were walking—got a good ol' Book of Mormon in his hands and got him to come to Greek Class that night: "Droppin’ some doctrine" - Aubrey Shafer.

We had a lesson with our Chinese member and her friend, and her friend agreed to be baptized once she feels the Spirit tell her it is the correct choice. Chinese people are simply amazing. Did I tell you all that I am learning like 4 languages at the moment? Greek, Punjabi, Pidgin English, and Chinese. It is pretty awesome, I know ;)

THURSDAY, November 22nd: I don't have a journal entry for Thursday, but we had a lesson with a friend, and he brought HIS friend who has heard about us before and wants to learn as well. We were at the bus stop to go to Larnaca and speaking to these two guys from Punjab, India, when the bus pulled up, didn’t stop or open its doors, and just kept going. So, we had to take the next one, a half hour later. So, we made everybody late for District Council/Thanksgiving dinner at the G.'s home. By the way, I completely forgot that it was Thanksgiving during the day until we were at the bus stop. 

FRIDAY, November 23rd: We had service with R., our English LA friend. He was actually pleased for once with the work that we did and kept telling us how well we did, haha. We got loads of food from his wife as well. We did some finding right before sushi with the Flemings and the other elders. We met this group of Nigerians (#Squad 4) and started preaching, man. Then, their friend came up and started attacking the Book of Mormon. We shut him down HARD. He was asking for money and how we needed to pay for him to come to church.

Sushi
Photo Credit: Elder Fleming

I got his whole squad on my side and just shut him up with pure doctrine. I told one member of the squad that God would smite him if he comes to church only to look at girls and told the other troublemaker God would smite him if he suggests that he must be paid to worship God. It was a fun night, haha. It was raining, and I had a fall right before we got to Squad 2's house. The lesson did not go well at all. 

SATURDAY, November 24th: Baptism day! We had a bus rented and loaded it full of Cameroonians!!!!!! All the way down to Larnaca, we got to learn Pidgin English, and they died, man. The baptism was incredible, and B.’s testimony afterwards was PERFECT for all of our friends. READ THE DANG BOOK, GUYS!!!!! We had a celebratory dinner of Papa John's pizza with the other elders and the Flemings.

Baptism of B. by Elders J. and F. 

Baptism of B. by Elders J. and F. 

Elders J. and F. 

Elder J. and F. 

Elder J. and F.

Baptism of B. by Elders J. and F. 

Elder Fleming, Elder H., Elder Muller, Elder J.,
 Elder F., Sister Fleming
Photo Credit: Elder Fleming

SUNDAY, November 25th: We biked far out to pick up F. for church. We walked for 30+ minutes. This kid is awesome. We had 5 friends in church and a great potluck afterwards. We had a great finding session and found Squad #5, lads. That's right...Elder Müller wins hearts through Pidgin!!! "HowFa?" Oh, I forgot to mention how our embassy member has like the cutest little family and is just incredibly awesome in every way. He speaks HINDI!!! And, this guy just smashed a talk directed right at our friends. I want to grow up to be like him. We had a miracle moment of meeting a refugee right by our church as we were heading home and being able to take him up and give him a hygiene kit.

Love you all. The work is amazing! Read the Book of Mormon for goodness sake, and change your life!

- Elder Müller

High Energy Lunch

Little Cypriot Alleyway

                 My nightly foot bath of salt and vinegar. 

This night, I put olive oil in as well. Gotta keep them feets all nice

Rainbow!

The Turkish flag on the mountain
It lights up and flashes at night

The Turkish flag on the mountain
It lights up and flashes at night

Pictures from Elder Fleming in no particular date or order:

Elders H., Muller, J. and F. with Sister Fleming

Elder Muller teaching a Greek class!

Elder Muller and Elder F. 

Sushi with the Flemings

Elder Muller learning baking skills from Sister Fleming
Elder J. learning with him.

A training meeting. Elder Muller on the piano

Returning from Larnaca to Nicosia

The football game where Elder Muller was the agent!

A pie eating contest!
Elder Muller didn't send any pictures of this!
Thank you, Elder Fleming!

Pictures from Sister Grover:

B's baptism

Elder J and Elder F
B's baptism

Elder Muller
B's baptism

Joy in the Mediterranean Sea
Brothers in Christ 

From B's. baptism

B's baptismal service

Thanksgiving table

Thanksgiving with the Grovers, Flemings,
and Elders J. & F.

Thanksgiving feast!

Thanksgiving feast!

I'm a Chinese-speaking Football Agent Who Eats Pie

Monday, November 19, 2018

Elder Muller, his friend, M., Elders J. an F.

Well, lads, it's been a week in Nicosia. 

TUESDAY, November 12th: We got stuck at Caritas for five hours because it started raining, and right as we were about to leave, they needed us to sort Christmas toys for refugee kids. It felt really weird to unwrap presents...We went to go see A., a very elderly Cypriot man who has dementia and lives in a shack like Fred Flintstone. Not gonna lie, the visit was pretty terrifying. He doesn't have electricity, and there could very well be a dead body back in the side corner where you can't see. I noted in my journal that I am losing my Greek. I don't get to speak much Greek with the people around me, and we are too busy to have a lot of language study. So, my progress has halted and definitely started to decline. 

WEDNESDAY, November 13th: I made fried rice again and had a pretty difficult afternoon. We had sushi with the other elders. It was soooo good. I understand why Alyssa and Jaedyn are obsessed with sushi now [Editor's note: Alyssa and Jaedyn are Elder Müller's younger sisters]. Our Greek class flopped. We had 50 or so people agree to come, and only one guy showed up and an old student from before. And, the one new guy was an hour late. Later, I started an exchange with Elder J. that evening.

Home made fried rice and bread by Elder Muller!

Elder H. enjoying Elder Muller's cooking!

THURSDAY, November 14th: Elder J. made a great breakfast, and it was just like being back in Paphos, except we have both changed so much it is crazy. WE KNOW HOW TO BE MISSIONARIES NOW!!!!!!!!!!!! I gave Elder J. a situation during companionship study about "why do we need religion?" and it actually played right into one of the lessons we taught that day; it was almost the exact same situation, talk about the Spirit guiding studies. We went to a real Indian food place, and they rekted us ;). But, I discovered my new obsession...PUNJABI MUSIC VIDEOS!!!!!!! Seriously, if you have no idea what they are, LOOK THEM UP RIGHT NOW. After a rough day of appointments flaking on us, some good lessons, and a long finding session, we met these two Lithuanian girls and a Portuguese girl. We ended up walking with them all to the church because the Portuguese girl wanted to speak to Elder F. in their language. They were super chill, and we got to explain about the Book of Mormon and offer them copies in their own languages. They didn't really want them, but at least we tried.

Elders Muller and J. together again!
Elder J. was Elder Muller's trainer when he arrived in Paphos, Cyprus

Elder J. enjoying Indian Food

And he finished off Elder Muller's plate!

FRIDAY, November 16th: I wrote my journal entry while sitting at a bus stop at 8:30 PM. We started the day by doing Weekly Planning. We weren't able to finish because we needed to go to lunch at the Flemings and follow that up with Coordination meeting. We smashed it all, and Sister Fleming made amazing potato soup for us all. I had a bomb personal study session. I studied 1 Nephi 2-3 and prepped for a lesson with Squad 2. We had a football match with our friends from Cameroon, Somalia, Nepal, and the whitest missionaries you ever did see.

I am the agent guys. I organized the whole thing, was on the phone for an hour getting people un-lost, and literally running from traffic lights to get people from their bus stops. Nobody could find the pitch. But I didn't play, ‘cause ya’ know, I'm American and a nerd, haha. We got home from football and changed quickly before our lesson with Squad 2. THE LESSON WAS FIRE, LADS. All the prep was sooooo worth it. We read chapters 2-3, and I even brought my study notebook and just slammed the doctrine. The lesson even answered the question that one of the Squad 2 members had about how the Spirit actually speaks to us.

The Pitch
Agent Muller organizing a match

We got home from our lesson and got a phone call telling us that our bus was at 7:15 in the morning (it was Zone Conference the next day), but when I checked the schedule, that bus only runs on weekdays, and the earliest on weekends is 8. So, we packed SUPER quick and speed walked to the closest bus stop. We ended the evening at the Zone Leaders’ apartment along with them and the Aps (Assistants to the Mission President).

                 When you have 6 elders in one apartment and run out of bowls! 

                                Elder Balser used a cup lol...oh BTW!!!!! 

          I FINALLY MET ELDER BALSER AFTER OVER A YEAR IN THE MISSION

SATURDAY, November 17th: Zone Conference was good. We had President Johnson with us. He is the Area President and gave awesome training to us all. We came back home and went to Game Night. It was a HUUUUGE success with a bunch of our brand-new friends coming and enjoying company and a pie eating contest. 

SUNDAY, November 18th: We smashed church once again, boys. There were thirty people with over half being investigators!!!! G., O., D., D., and P. all came! It was G.'s 3^rd time, O. and D.'s 4^th or 5^th time, and D. and P.'s 1^st time!!! Sunday school brought up some awkward question about Spirit Prison and Paradise because we haven't taught the Plan of Salvation yet to P. and D., and they weren’t' too happy, lol. But, BROTHER G. IS AN ABSOLUTE BEAST!!!! Like seriously guys, it is honestly terrifying in some branches to bring people to church because you don't know what they will hear from somebody.

BUT, BROTHER G. STOPPED HIS LESSON TO EXPLAIN THE SPIRIT PRISON AND PARADISE and even had Elder H. come up to the front and explain it! WHAT A GUY!!!! We also got to see and have dinner with M. at the Fleming's home. He is my Chinese friend from when I was here before. He is currently in Paris studying for a semester or so. He is teaching me some Mandarin phrases and says that I have a perfect Chinese accent...now I don’t know if he's just being nice, but Alyssa and Jaedyn, y’all better watch out. Haha.

Dinner with M. at the Fleming's home
Elders Muller, J. and F.

Having some fun!

Love you all lots. I had a guy yell at and tell me that I have a devil and that I am going to hell with Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon is a lie, even though this guy has never read it. From these kinds of experiences, you truly learn where your testimony is. I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the Spirit of Truth that has manifested to my heart that it is true. I would invite you all to read and pray TONIGHT if it is true. If it's not, God won't tell you, but if it is, everything in your life will change. Don't take that decision lightly. Have a "sincere heart with real intent."

Have a great week,

- Πρεσβύτερς Μούλερ

Elder J.(check out that accordion on the floor!)

Elder J.

Exchange with Elder J.!

Elder Muller and Elder J. reunited in Paphos

Friendly football match

Elder J. in forefront with blue shirt and red shoes!

Elder H. "Watch out Cyprus!"

Poker on Pday? Really?

Elder J. and Elder F. on Pday

Elder J.
("dat chest hair tho")

Elder J.

Elders F., H., and J.