Life Across the Pond: Fire and Barbeque

Here's this week's update!

This week has been one of my favorite weeks on the mission so far. We had a dinner appointment 5 nights this week, which is really something because there are so many missionaries in the ward. I was stuffed all the time! The members are really nice here. Its also been in the upper twenties for the past week and a half. (They use Celsius across the pond. Its been in the 80's there for those of us used to Fahrenheit). It has been so nice! We're way more tan because we're outside all the time. The English people are funny because they all complain they are melting!

First exciting thing, we witnessed a fire! I'll attach a picture. It was one of the nicer pubs on High street (the main street in each city). I don't know all the details, but it was cool to watch the firemen in action. We were lucky we weren't busing a lot that day because the buses couldn't go through high street- it messed the buses up! Funny that it was a pub, and a sign was burnt- all that was left was barbecue and grill haha

Wednesday was zone meeting and it was really exciting because we watched the missionary broadcast. I was touched as I watched it. They did an excellent job on it and there were some really valuable tools and things shared. I especially loved the story President Monson shared about the small branch in Canada that became a ward. I also loved what Elder Nelson said: "Love is the lubricant and life of missionary work." I also really loved the emphasis placed on member missionary work. As missionaries, our calling is to assist the ward members in fulfilling their duties as missionaries. We can't do missionary work without the help of the members! Anyways, it was inspired. I feel honored to be part of the missionary force at this time in history.

There were several other highlights:

We were teaching S (he's the one who found us) and we really wanted him to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. I can't remember if I told you this story, but a few weeks ago he prayed to God to know what could bring peace in his life and then opened up in the Book of Mormon to Baptism. So, we were trying to help him understand that baptism is the way in this lesson. We listened to him and asked inspired questions and he told us what was truly holding him back from baptism. We took him to the baptismal font and both shared our testimonies of baptism while he looked at the font and thought about it. When we sat back down and re-extended the baptismal date he said YES! For August 4th. We will have work hard and be diligent though because he's a chain smoker, but he knows this is the key to putting his life in order. He can feel the spirit. We have been meeting with him for over a month, so we were ecstatic! The Spirit was in that lesson directing us. It strengthened my testimony of always teaching with the spirit!

The heart break of the week was M. She was the Chinese girl that was so elect I emailed about a few weeks ago. We haven't been able to contact her since she committed to baptism. It has been a source of frustration for me because she was so ready. We found out on Saturday from one of her flatmates (someone finally answered the door) she moved back to China 4 days ago. I was crushed when I found out. I really felt like she was ready for the gospel. I think it happened suddenly, so she traveled around Europe for a week of two (which is why no one was home) and then left. She was the first investigator I truly loved. I thought she was going to be my first baptism. We gave her the website which the church uses in china to coordinate wards and activities etc. so I hope and pray that she will remember the spirit she felt and will contact the church in China. Through this heartbreak though, I now understand the parable of the lost sheep. i love all the people we are teaching, but I still miss M. That is how the Savior feels about all his children. There is no cap on His love for His children. It was hard, but I learned, grew and loved.

One of the dinner appointments we had was a picnic with a Filipino family in our ward, and they invited 3 sets of missionaries and told us they had invited all their non-member Filipino friends too. We were excited for the change to find people through members. Funny thing though- turns out it was a huge party in celebration of Filipino independence day!! We ate real Filipino food though. It was actually really good! I probably couldn't eat it every day, but it was cool!

The ward had a barbecue on Saturday and it was really cool because we had an investigator and a inactive family we've been working with come! We should have had a few more, but they didn't come. The ward is great. We also had a few people wander to the activity off the street. Some of them may be potential investigators!

On one my favorite things from personal study this week was Alma 1:24-25. It talks about how the saints stood strong in the faith despite persecution from those who had been of the faith or weren't of the faith. These saints saw people they cared about fall away. It's really important here because pretty much any active family was friends with families that are now inactive. We are actually dealing with 2 families who are struggling because a family who was once a rock in the church fell away and are anti-mormon now. The rest of the chapter talks about 5 things which the people of the church did to find peace and stay strong in the gospel. It is really useful and was very good for me to learn to help teach families things they need.

There were many other miracles this week as well, but I don't have time to write about them!

Other random things about this week- We have been sleeping with the windows open because there is no a/c and the houses are really well insulated. We were woken up 3 times on Saturday night by drunk people! On Monday, on our way to city center, we stopped at a World War I and World War II memorial. Poppies are a sign of military respect here and they make wreaths of them.

Biking has been pretty good this week. We've only biked probably a half hour to hour a day so bicycle butt hasn't been too bad. Its pretty funny biking in a skirt though! Sometimes my skirt gets caught in the brakes!

I LOVE being a missionary so much. I love the people. I love the Lord.

I love you all!

Sister Roscher

P.S. the story in the Ensign this month about the saints in Sheffield, England is epic. It can happen in England too! (Sheffield is about an hour away from where I am too! )