Disney store last week.
Harrods last Monday. Me, Sister Diaz, Sister Hymas, and Sister King.
Monday, November 25, 2013
I forgot
Two great things to say:
I figured out how to do the cup song. Like, sing it and do the cup game at the same time. Blew my own mind.
and HAPPY THANKSGIVING! I only forgot because they don't celebrate it here. I'm still going to eat like there's no tomorrow, though.
Wagwan, blood?
Don't know what that means? Just google it. Yeah, I'm learning pretty thuggin English slang.
So, general announcements first: My dearly beloved cousin Nikki whom I know reads this blog is the best human being on the planet. Thanks so much for your awesome card and the Scottish pounds! I really appreciate it! I would send you a thank you card but I don't feel like you get them when I send them and you mentioned moving, so I thought I'd wait until you are at your new residence. If you email me your new address, I would love to send you a Christmas card!
On to the good stuff: This was definitely not our best week. But not our worst. Last Monday after we emailed, we went to Oxford Street with Sister King and Sister Hymas (my MTC roomie, for those who dont remember, and one of my best friends in the mission). It was already all prettified for Christmas, which made it a whole lot more fun. They even put a big bubble around the fountain at Piccadilly Circus to make it look like a snow globe. Posh.
That evening we were walking to an appointment when I felt impressed to stop this guy walking past and before I could say much he said, "You guys are Mormons? So am I!" He explained his mom is on the stake primary presidency, but he's been inactive for a few years simply because he got out of the habit of living the gospel. It's definitely a habit you have to work to keep up, people! He is interested in being reactivated, so we are going to start teaching him. I know us stopping him was an answer to many prayers said by his mother, so it made me really happy.
On Tuesday we started teaching Sebastian, the reverse tracting guy, and set a baptismal date! He is a great investigator. So prepared, and understands the doctrine so well. He gets it. I love it when they get it.
The rest of the week was pretty standard. Definitely one of our slowest weeks, but it turned out decent. It has been really extremely cold, but dry mostly so its all good. Quite glad a splurged on boots a while ago.
There is this couple in our ward that have been gone for the past few months, and just got back and I love them! Guess where they met? Performing on a cruise ship! They are both performers and just extremely cool people. The wife, Jess, looks so so so familiar to me and when I told her that, she said the same about me and we can't figure out why for the life of us. So we decided we were premortal bestites. She got baptised fairly recently, and now their goal is to go to the temple, so we are starting to teach them temple prep.
Interviews with President were on Friday. They were excellent, as usual. And he made me go first, as usual. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but every time we have interviews, Sister Jordan makes the best brownies known to man. So that was definitely the highlight of my week.
We are finding and teaching a lot of Spanish people. I can't really say anything, but I understand the whole conversation when Sister Diaz is teaching them. I'm working on it. Hopefully I'll be able to at least bear my testimony soon.
This week we have a performance in Ilford, our first Christmas one. We are practicing today. And today pretty much all the sisters in London are going to Camden Town with us. Its gonna be a party! I'm quite excited. Hope you all have a great week, love you lots!
Monday, November 18, 2013
Remember Who the Enemy Is
So I forgot to explain last week why I didn't email until Wednesday and why I was so busy on Tuesday. So a few weeks ago, our bishop's wife, Sister Toler, asked us if she could have us for one of our PDays to do like a whole spa/makeover day with us. We scheduled it for this week because we figured we wouldn't have choir practice, but we did. We had to skip though, because she already had all these appointments for us. So we were with her all day, and it was really fun! We got like a clothing consultation from a stylist, she took us to a salon and we got our hair done, she took us to a charity shop and bought us clothes, and she had her neighbour Shirley Ann come do our make up! It was really fun, and the best part is that every person she had involved was someone she wanted to refer us to for us to teach! It was a good day, but very busy.
This week has not been the best, but it has been decent. We have had more disappointments this week than most weeks, but we are picking ourselves back up. We found a lot of new people, so we are hoping something comes from each of those.
Two miracles:
1. We were taking a cake and a card to the people that own the charity shop Sister Toler took us to, and to see if we could set an appointment with them. We delivered it and they didn't have any time and weren't super interested, so we walk out and are half way down the street when one of the employees comes running after us. She was like, "I didn't notice you guys are Mormons, but I am so interested in you guys!" So we have an appointment with her tonight.
2. We were at our flat for lunch yesterday after church, and we were just sitting around for a second and the doorbell rings. We figured it was the elders because they are the only ones who know where we live. Sister Diaz answers the door and its a guy going door to door registering people to vote or something, and as he is talking he asks about her name tag and we had a lesson with him on our doorstep. He is super interested! Reverse tracting! haha love it.
So advertising for Catching Fire is EVERYWHERE. At first it made me sad, but I would much rather be here. Although it looks like it is going to be SO GOOD. But as I've seen the adverts, I've quite liked the tag like "Remember who the enemy is". I think it can really apply in our lives spiritually. A lot of times we get mad at other people or God or the government or whatever because of adversity and trials. But we need to remember who the enemy is. Satan is the enemy, and he is pretty dang sneaky. If we remember that he is who we are really fighting, we can be more on guard for his tactics. And that's how I relate the gospel to the Hunger Games even when I'm on a mission.
This week should be a really good one, we have interviews with President Jordan on Friday! Today we are going to Oxford Street to go to the Disney store with Sister King and Sister Hymas, should be a party!
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
A Mormon and a Jehovah's Witness walk into a bus...
What a crazy week! Hence why I'm not emailing until WEDNESDAY. Goodness, I've been busy. So at our zone meeting on October 31st, they announced new standards of excellence for lessons taught: 12 member presents, 11 other lessons, and 7 recent converts/less actives lessons. We got 9 member presents the other week and that was crazy enough, so we were like whoa thats a big task. But guess what? 12 member presents, 11 other lessons, and 9 RCLAs! Woot woot! Our week was literally excellent! We finished off the transfer good. Thank goodness, because so far this week is not looking stellar. At least numbers wise. It really has been fine, we just haven't been able to count lots of the work we have been doing.
Tuesday was Guy Fawke's night, where everyone sets off fireworks either because a guy tried to blow up parliament, or because he didnt succeed. Not really sure which reason they celebrate. So instead of ping pong night (because only Nigel showed up), we went up to Alexandra Palace, which overlooks the whole city, and watched fireworks go off all across the city. It. Was. Brilliant. Note to future husband: that is where you should propose.
On Wednesday/Thursday we had an exchange with Sister Wuthrich! It was her last exchange of her mission, we were honored. But also very sad. She is such a rock star, I always learn so much from her. I love her dearly, I'm gonna miss her! And her wonderful voice in choir. We had a lot of fun on our exchange though. She has more fun pictures of it than I do, hopefully I'll get those at some point.
The rest of our week was pretty standard, except we had a lot more member involvement which was wonderful. So much more fun bringing the members to lessons. And Nigel is always willing to teach with us, so its good to be able to strengthen his testimony as well.
On Monday something sad happened. Our investigator William, who is supposed to be getting baptised this Sunday, called and said he had a dream in which God told him not to worship with us and he never wants to see us again. He said it in a nice way, but it was still really sad! He was really cool, and all our lessons with him have been so filled with the Spirit. It is always a shame when that happens. But we are ready to start this transfer fresh and find people that are prepared and willing to follow the Saviour!
Two funny stories:
1. The other night we were on the bus and this Rasta looking guy comes and sits next to us, so we start talking to him because he was eyeballing our Book of Mormon. He started telling us about some plant called Moringa and how it is the tree of life and does all these diffferent things and I swear it was like on Forrest Gump where Bubba is listing all the uses of shrimp, he went on for 15 minutes about moringa. I had no idea what it was, but I guess Sister Diaz did, so when he got off the bus I was like "Its a drug,. isnt it?" Its not, but the story would have been funnier if it was.
2. Last week I sat next to a lady on the bus and we started talking and having a really good conversation and she seemed really interested. Five minutes later I find out she is a Jehovah's Witness and for the next 45 minutes I was preached to. She was really nice and we shared some good ideas, but there are some things we just did not come to an agreement on. We prayed together though, and that was nice. I like making friends! The whole situation was kind of funny to me though.
Monday, November 4, 2013
I'm 7 months old today! The time is going way too quickly. I really don't like how fast it goes. Still crossing my fingers that they will announce that sisters can serve for 2 years. This week has been a great one, full of miracles. Let me tell you about two.
On Thursday night, we were on the bus on our way home from English class at the chapel. The elders got off a few stops before us where they live, and a couple came back and sat by us. We commented on their costumes and started talking with them, and the guy is like, "She's a member of your church, you know" and she says " I used to be ". So we discover that she got baptised but stopped going because she was the only member in her family and the church was too family oriented to go at alone, from her perspective. But this guy is her fiancé and she wanted to take him to a testimony meeting and stuff and we had a nice little lesson with them on the bus and it was way cool! They didn't end up coming to church but we are still hoping to teach them.
Second miracle: We were out walking somewhere we needed to go and street contacting along the way, and we got to this street we needed to cross and there was a guy on the other side about to cross our way, but I rushed across the road and caught him before he started into the street and we talked to him and set an appointment. We took Nigel, our recent convert, to the lesson and it was amazing! This guy was so prepared. He said he had been approached by so many religious people before and had ignored them, but when we stopped him we were kind of the straw that broke the camels back. He knew it was God trying to tell him something. And he has been wanting to increase his relationship with God for a while now. People: God knows His children!!! Never forget that. He knows each one of you individually and personally and wants to help you with what you want and need! This guy is named William. He came to church yesterday and accepted the Sunday school teacher's challenge to read the Book of Mormon in 30 days. Solid.
So on Thursday it was Halloween. And Nevada Day. And Sister Belnap's birthday. We had zone meeting, thank goodness, and so we turned it into a big ol' party! After the meeting, Sister Diaz and I did a lunch for the sisters in our zone because it was also Sister Steele's birthday this week. It was really a lot of fun! There have been fireworks all weekend for Guy Fawkes day this week, so that has also been pretty fun.
Just a quick announcement, not that anyone will, but if you would like to send me a package for Christmas, it needs to be addressed to the mission office and say Christmas somewhere on it, because if I open a Christmas present before I'm supposed to, the wrath of Sister Jordan will be incurred. Ok, that's about all I've go for you all. Have a wonderful week! Oh, and don't forget next week is my transfers week so I won't be emailing until Tuesday!
Happy Nevada Day!
From Sister Jacobsmeyer (Overton), Sister Gibson (Sparks) and Elder Leavitt (Las Vegas).
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