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!

​I was on an exchange with Sister Couper in Kings Lynn and it rained literally all day long.

​And then we slept on bunk beds.

​Our cute little district. Back row: Elders Jensen, Adriano, Weinheimer. Middle row: Elders Berenguer, Da Silva, and Toledo. Front row: me and Sister Curtis.

​This is the giant question mark we run to every morning. Sorry for the horrible photography, the ground is not the best photographer.

​This is me reading the Book of Mormon under a tree in Cambridge. Not just any tree though. This tree was grown from a graft of a branch off the tree that Isaac Newton was sitting under when the apple fell on his head and he discovered gravity. In that same spot. Directly behind is the dorms he used to live in. Neat!

​Equally impressive, this is a portrait made entirely out of jelly beans.

Sister Pauna, Sister Greenfield, Sister Curtis and I waiting for Tour de France to ride by.

​This is about the best shot I got of the race. All the cyclists passed in about 15 seconds. But it was exciting!

​Dumping tea into the river!

​

No taxation without representation!

​This advertisement campaign was definitely thought up by mothers.

​

Sister Falcao from Brazil. We had lots of fun ;)

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!

​Sister Greenfield, David (who doesnt like pictures), and Miriam at our Navajo taco feast. I love this family!

​It was rather rainy and windy, but a double decker bus with open-air second floor rolled up and we thought, "Why not?"

​This was us at Caffe Nero for Sister Curtis's year mark!