I really needed a new FB profile pic, so we had a photoshoot with Raquel, a YSA in our ward 
I like to think this is what I look like at all times. And no, this is not what I chose for my profile picture.
Monday, July 28, 2014
28 July 2014
So....this week. Not a whole lot to say about it really. On Tuesday, we were asked to go represent our ward at an inter-faith day thing and the topic was "How can the different faiths contribute to caring?" like health care. It was way over my head. Lots of presentations and such, not a lot of learning what other people believe. But it was still alright, I suppose.
We had a pretty jam-packed week of teaching, otherwise. Our investigators working towards baptismal dates are doing pretty well, but it was a shame because none of them were able to come to church for various reasons. We worked so stinkin hard to have investigators at church, like we invited everyone we spoke to, and lots of people said yes. But no one came. But HUGE MIRACLE. Half way through sacrament, this Romanian guy named Lucian that Sister Curtis and I had a lesson with like two weeks ago just walks in, finds us, and sits by us. This was the biggest surprise of my life because our lesson with him ended in us having to physically leave because he was too bashy. Like he didnt listen to a single thing we said and was basically just trying to preach at us and tell us we are wrong the whole time. But at church yesterday he was so calm and participated really well in the lessons. I think Heavenly Father saw how hard we worked at getting people to church this week and was cutting us a break. Hopefully Lucian felt the Spirit there and his heart was softened.
On Thursday, Sister Soares from Brazil came to Ipswich with me on an exchange. We had an exciting day of meeting new people and contacting referrals. One of our referrals ended up being from Brazil so it was a real blessing to have Sister Soares there.
Saturday we had a lesson in the park that we brought a member to, but our investigator was an hour and a half late, so we talked to some people in the park and ended up finding a guy that lives right next door to the bishop and his family. We have talked to this guy before, but werent able to get his contact details so it is really a miracle we found him again.
This week is MLC, most likely my last one :( But it will be really good, I'm looking forward to it. And an exchange with a new missionary from Tennessee, which I'm pumped for. I love new missionaries. I really hope President has me training next transfer.
Have a great week, everyone!
Monday, July 21, 2014
21 July 2014
On Wednesday we shipped in to London. I was so so so sad to leave Sister Curtis, but excited for Sister Formica. She is from Hemet, California. She is even taller than Sister Curtis, 5'10" to be exact. She is very athletic and health conscious and what not, so thats great that I can keep that up. We spent all Wednesday at Hyde Park helping with the new missionaries. We got 3 new sisters, two of whom we will have exchanges with so thats fun.
This week has been MIRACULOUS! Seriously, we have had several great miracles every day, so I wrote you out a whole list of them.
1. On Thursday we went to see our investigator Eliza, an 80-something year old Zimbabwean woman. She has a date, but we are not sure she is fully grasping the concept of the Restoration because she divides her time between our church and "hers". So we had another very bold lesson with her about what it means to be baptized INTO the Church of Jesus Christ, and how its a covenant partly to attend services at His church and partake of the sacrament blessed by proper authority and she committed to come to church at our ward every week from now on! Yay!
2. Same day we went to see our investigator Tamas. We had had a very spiritual first lesson with him, he really understood the Restoration. So this time around we started with the Plan of Salvation and the Word of Wisdom. He is already living the Word of Wisdom, went from believing reincarnation to accepting the plan of salvation, and accepted a date all in that lesson. And then he came to church for the second week in a row!
3. Friday we were finding in the park and stopped a YSA age guy, and he is from Florida! Neither Sister Formica nor I have ever taught an American. He has pretty much figured out the Great Apostasy on his own and is looking for truth. So good!
4. Our investigator Jamie came with us on Friday for a chapel tour, and the time before that we had briefly mentioned what substances we dont use because he offered us tea, and he showed up on Friday telling us of his 6 week game plan to quit coffee and cigarettes. And we hadnt even taught him Word of Wisdom yet! So of course we taught it that night and put him on date. He is really willing and really eager to change his life.
5. Saturday we were hosed for an appointment in town, so we were walking through town to go try some potentials and we ran into a member. As we were standing there talking to him, an investigator father and daughter who we have not seen in a while walked past and started talking with us. We were able to clear up a lot of things he had heard about Joseph Smith and explain a little better about the Restoration and how the Book of Mormon ties into it, and the member was able to bear really powerful testimony. It was a much needed lesson. Surprise member present!
5.5. We went to contact the next door neighbour of a member that had referred us to his neighbour, and he wasnt home so we knocked on the members door to get a name for someone else he had told us about from the ward that lived in the area. He is rubbish with names so he was phoning people and everything and by the time he figured it out, his neighbour turned up and we were able to have a really great lesson with him! So his poor memory was a miracle!
6. Sunday morning we had just got word from one of our investigators that was planning on coming to church that they would not be able to make it, so we were kind of bummed waiting for our bus. Then a member came up to the bus stop with a friend he was bringing to church. That friend happened to be a man we had taught and made a new investigator about 2 weeks ago, but he had told us he was going on holiday to Portugal so our return appointment wasnt until the middle of August. So we had a surprise investigator at church!
7. We have a recent convert woman whose husband Barry is pretty poorly. He always says he wants to be a member but doesnt want to get baptized (dont ask me how that makes sense) and whenever we breach that subject he says he will do it when he is good and ready. Well, he is currently in the hospital and we went yesterday to visit him with our ward mission leader and his wife, and we were just making small talk and Barry turned to our ward mission leader and said, "When is the next baptism?" and then asked him to baptize him, saying he had finally made a decision because being in the hospital has given him time and space to think about it! BEST MIRACLE EVER!
8. Not missionary work related, but Saturday there was a stake athletics day, so basically a track and field meet between wards. They talked us into running some races, so I ran the 100m (took 2nd, but its because one of the wards cheated and put a 17 year old in the 18-29 category and of course she creamed me), Sister Formica ran the 400m and obliterated them, and we ran the 4x100m with two members and got second. And our ward took first overall in athletics! Yay! Go team!
That's about it for this week. Love you all!
Tuesday, July 15, 2014
15 July 2014
So, the news you've all been anxiously awaiting! DUN dun DUN. I am staying in Ipswich! Hallelujah!!! But sadly Sister Curtis is leaving me. It was too good to last. She is going back to my previous ward, Whitechapel, so of course I'm spending all day telling her about everyone there and all the investigators I want her to work with. Coming to me will be Sister Formica from California. I've broken the Utah streak! As well, Sister Formica will be my FIFTH companion from my MTC group, so that's exciting.
I went on an exchange with Sister Couper (from Colombia, but really Australia) last week in Kings Lynn, the northernmost part of our mission. It was cold and wet. But we had a great day, and it was actually pretty productive! And she is fun to be with, so it was fun.
It has been really rainy and windy one day then really sunny the next all week long. The weather cant make up its mind. And of course if anyone ever tells us the weather forecast, it is dead wrong. So that's fun.
Sorry I don't have a lot to say about this last week because it has just been a lot of normal missionary work. Except heres a cool one: We work with a member named Miriam, and she has befriended this bus driver and he said he would come to church but he keeps having to work Sundays. We also, seperately, talked to a bus driver and gave him a Book of Mormon. Well Sunday morning came and one of our investigators that was meant to be at church was poorly and couldnt make it, so that was a bummer. But in walks Miriam with this same bus driver we had given the Book of Mormon to! Yay! haha We found the same guy! He is pretty cool, just very busy so it was hard to set a time to meet with him again. But yeah, that was great.
We also started teaching a guy from Hungary that we had a really spiritual first lesson with. He has investigated before, but we picked him up again and the Spirit was just so strong in our first lesson with him. He accepted a baptismal invitation, and then came to church and we think he really enjoyed it. Hooray!
We are working hard, I'm excited for this new transfer, but again so so sad to see Sister Curtis go. Also, I'm 100% positive I will be leaving Ipswich next transfer and be released as Sister Training Leader, so moves predictions from now on are pretty dang easy. Anyway, love you all and I hope you all have a great week!
Monday, July 7, 2014
7 July 2014
Its been a great week! We didnt see any huge miracles or anything, but I felt the Spirit a whole lot and I feel like I gave it my best, and PMG says thats how you know you are being successful in God's eyes! It has really been a week where everything is just between us and God, other peoples opinions dont matter much.
First of all, go watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6RMdeG8Qybs&feature=youtu.be
This is what we sang at Shanice's baptism. We had Raquel film it because I know you would want to watch it, Mom.
Secondly, Shanice bore her testimony on Sunday and IT WAS AWESOME! I just love her so much. She is so great. I teared up a bit. She just talked about her baptism and her feelings that day, and the Spirit was so strong.
This past Saturday a family the elders were teaching got baptised. We showed up a bit early because we needed to practice our musical number (we sang A Childs Prayer) and the font was busted. So guess who spent like 45 minutes going back and forth from the bathroom sinks with pitchers of water to fill the font? These sisters! haha It was an adventure, but the baptism finally happened and all was well. Such an amazing family, we are excited to have them in the ward.
Zone conference this week was great. We talked all about helping people make and keep commitments. A big emphasis on boldness and on repentance. Really helped me to keep in perspective the WHY of missionary work. We are trying to help people change their lives! They need to know that very clearly, and they need to be told how very plainly. There is no beating around the bush in the gospel.
I had exchanges with Sister Wang Foo from Tahiti and Sister Falcao from Brazil this week. Both were excellent. I got very sunburnt on both. But yeah, I dont know if I mention it enough, but I love working with the sisters of this mission and learning from their faith and testimonies. And having fun with them!
For the 4th of July, we did something hilarious. We went and dumped tea into the river. If you don't think that is funny then you are wrong. Pictures to follow.
Today for PDay we went to Cambridge and watched the Tour de France, which was really like 15 seconds of some bikes riding past but it was still exciting because the whole city was having fun stuff happening. We looked around, I bought a shirt, and now we are back in Ipswich. Fun stuff.
Next week is moves. Which means I dont email until Tuesday. Which also means I more than likely will be separated from my dearly beloved Sister Curtis. I can't believe its been 3 months with her, its felt like a week. I just love her to death. So it will be sad. But whatever God has in store for me next will be great, I know, so I'm just excited to find out what that actually is!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)