Hello Family!
Thank you for the Birthday Wishes and emails!!!! I'M 20! In
the words of mommy, I am pretty much 1/5 dead. I got out of my shower and
jumped thirty feet when Sister Gillins blew one of those Birthday horn things.
She set up all the decorations mom gave me in my package and made me German
pancakes. And THANK YOU FOR THE GIFTS!!!! What do I get to
do on my Birthday? We are going to the Perreiras for dinner, we are having FHE
with the Jenkinsons and they are inviting K... and J... over, and we get to
talk to people! I LOVE TALKING TO PEOPLE!!!! It's so much fun being on a
mission.
We went on exchanges this week. Sister Hansen came to London
and we had a tri-companionship for the day. It was great! I love exchanges so
much. You learn SO much when you get to work with other missionaries,
specifically missionaries who have been called as leaders in the mission because
of their example and their ability to teach and lead. District meetings, zone
councils and conferences are the greatest for that as well. I LOVE learning
haha. And I am so grateful for our Sister Training Leaders.
Our zone leaders were white washed into the YSA Branch in
London so they spend all their time contacting in our area. It's like having
two companionships in the same area pretty much! We get so many referrals from
them. It's the greatest. That's something that I have loved about serving
in London is every companionship works together. We give each other
referrals so often since our areas are so close to each other.
On Thursday, we went to M...'s house planning on teaching
him the Stop Smoking Workshop to help him quit. He had written down his prayer
that he said that morning so that he could remember it and read it to us.
"Please give me the strength and confidence to tell the Sisters that I am
not ready to quit smoking and frankly I don't want to..." We sat there for
a second in silence. Sister Gillins and I both got the impression that we
should still teach him the Stop Smoking Workshop so that is what we did! Haha
he ended up accepting it and this is his third day without smoking!
A... was confirmed yesterday and both he and G.... were
sustained as members of the ward and interviewed to receive the Priesthood!
Exciting times.
So Sister Gillins and I have been working really hard to
make sure we stay focused entirely on the work in the things we say, do,
study, everything. Just like how people say "Pray for strength, and God
gives you trials to make you stonger..." in this case it is "Pray for
the ability to focus, and God gives you LOTS of distractions to work on
it." hahaha. One of the best ones this week was when we were teaching A...
in the library. I have realized in my life that if I can hear music, I cannot
focus on anything else - whether that be with telling a story, or studying, or
whatever - my brain goes straight to the music. Well we were teaching A...
about the Priesthood, when suddenly this HEAVENLY music begins behind us and a
women's Barbershop group starts performing... I was in the middle of a
statement when that happened and suddenly all my thoughts left my brain and my
mind seemed to have ran over to the group and started listening to their song.
hahaha I stopped midsentence and just sat there in stupor, eyes wide
open, with Sister Gillins, A..., and our ward member just laughing
their heads off because they knew what had happened. They stayed and sang
during our entire lesson. It was the greatest opportunity I have ever had on my
mission with regards to focusing on the lesson, and the spirit, and our
investigator haha it was funny.
We taught K... the Word of Wisdom and she is so good to go.
Her fiancé on the other hand is having a hard time with it. Her biggest reason
for doing anything is "I want to live with Heavenly Father again, and
J...". It was so great when we were teaching her because she kept
looking over at her fiancé scolding him that he'd better pick up his game if he
wants to be with her for eternity. "No 'but's' just do it!" It was
awesome.
I just love this work so much. When you are completely
focused on the task at hand and your purpose, not only are you accomplishing
something but it makes this work SO MUCH FUN. Missionary work is called
missionary WORK for a reason. Sister Gillins and I have been so happy this past
week because every night as we have been getting ready for bed we honestly have
no energy left. This is the most important work any of us could be a part of. I
am so grateful for my life and my family and my testimony and for Heavenly's
Father eternal Plan of HAPPINESS!!!!
Have a wonderful week! Make it so! I invite you all to open
up the hymnbook and start singing "Scatter Sunshine". It doesn't
matter where you are, just do it. It's the song of the century :) I LOVE YOU
ALL!!!!!
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| First Birthday Present |
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| Ducks!!!! |
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| It rains in Canada |
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