To answer some of your questions which I forgot to last time: We usually have dinner appointments 3 times a week (this week we have 6 though!) and most times the members take us out to dinner. Its awesome because I'm getting to experience all sorts of different things. I've had the traditional Tuna (I know. I ate tuna and didn't throw up) potatoes, and peas all covered in parsley gravy. This wasn't my favorite meal, but I kept it down. I've also been on the other end of the spectrum and had some homemade Indian food (it was SO delicious, but I accidentally chewed on a tiny bone). Eating food I don't like isn't a problem when I realize that a lot of the people feeding us are making a financial sacrifice to have us over.
The shopping is good! We actually live a 20 minute bus ride from the city centre (downtown) and it is basically miles of shopping. We went two pdays ago and I got running shoes at the adidas store and a few other things. Shopping for food is interesting because they don't have big shopping centres like Walmart in our area. We go to one store to get food (no american brands) and then we have to go to a drugstore for toothpaste shampoo etc. and then another store for household items. That's why if we need something it might take a couple of p-days to actually get it. Also, its true. The ranch dressing here is weird tasting, there isn't taco seasoning, and they don't have American peanut butter (it tastes weird here) or root beer. Root beer and peanut butter are all highly desired commodities among missionaries here :) I'm learning to make do without the peanut butter.
This is going to be a long email because this last week was incredible. We have 3 new investigators!
One is a 9-year old girl who's family has been inactive for about 3 years. They came to church this Sunday for the first time (YAY!) and we are teaching her and her family again tonight!
The next investigator we met tracting. She is from Poland. She let us up into her flat (we had to get buzzed in) and we taught her for 15 minutes and she spent the rest of the time asking incredible questions about the Book of Mormon and the difference between the our church and the Catholic Church. She was a miracle find!
Then we found W. He is incredible. Sister Miller and Sister Muller, the missionaries here last transfer, talked to him at a bus stop but weren't able to exchange contact information because his bus came. Then Saturday morning (over a month later) we were out street contacting and we ran into him. He said he would come to church and gave us his phone number and address. We were excited because the chances of finding him again among all the people here were so slim. The best part is, HE CAME TO CHURCH! He just walked in all by himself ten minutes before church started! Good thing we were there to greet him and introduce him to people. We hadn't even taught him! He liked church and apparently really liked elders quorum where the lesson was on temples. We teach him again on Wednesday, and we are so excited! It truly is a miracle. He is a young single adult (he's 25) so its awesome because the YSA wards have so many activities he can go to!
I was selected to be part of the Birmingham mission's "Come unto Christ" choir and we had a performance this Friday in Cheltnam. Sister Miller and I were on splits all day because she wasn't in the choir. I drove the hour and ten minutes down to Gloucester where we practiced with President and Sister Rasmussen and two others sisters. There were 50 missionaries selected and it was really cool. We spent 5 hours putting it together, had lunch and dinner and then the performance. It was SO nice to meet other missionaries in the field and to be together with them. The English countryside is beautiful! We also drove through Stratford upon Avon on our way down!
We have some awesome missionaries out here! They're from all over the world too. We have missionaries from 30 different countries. It was crazy too because we didn't get back to our flat until 10:40. Don't worry everyone in the choir got in later, and we were with the assistants. That's like 2:30 missionary time! :)
We had a dinner appointment last night and it was the most incredible dinner appointment ever! (I'll give you a brief rundown because its long and I'm getting a copy of the story so you can read it in 18 months). This family is from Pakistan and they were one of the first members there. The father got a hold of the Book of Mormon because a 17 year old from Utah sent a Book of Mormon with his testimony in it to England and the English man gave it to a minister in Pakistan. The minister was bashing the Book of Mormon and this man went up and asked to borrow it and the minister said yes. He read it, gained a testimony, and wrote the boys address down and then gave it back. Basically after writing this boy and 3 years of contact with the area presidency he was finally able to be baptized in Hong Kong with about 80 other people from Pakistan. Incredible! 4 years ago the father was serving as a branch president in one of the branches there. Some things happened and the family had to evacuate Pakistan because his dad was branch president and their lives were in danger. and now they are in England! They are truly example of modern-day pioneers and their story touched my heart.
This week we are going to be really busy, but we don't have anything out of the ordinary planned like we have the past 2 weeks. This week I have really learned of Gods love for ALL of his children. I see it when I read the scriptures, when I see ward members serving others and when I see our message touch someones heart. God want's all of his children to hear this message of hope and happiness and that is our job as missionaries. To find those who are ready to receive the gospel!
I love you all!! thank you so much for your love an support :)
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