Life Across the Pond: T's Baptism

Dear Family,

I'm having a hard time believing that it is soon going to be October! I was thinking about where I was last October for a few minutes this week (there really isn't much time to think about it) and it was pretty amazing to compare where I was then to where I am now, and where I will be next year! I am SO grateful for listening to the Spirit and going down to Cedar City even though it didn't turn out like I wanted it to. It turned out better! Just goes to show the Lord knows what's up! I am on a mission now, instead of a nursing student like I thought I would be, but this is such a good experience. This is where I am supposed to be right now! (Sorry for the extraneous use of exclamation points!) :)

This week ended on an incredible note- T's Baptism! It is such a blessing that I was able to be here for it. (I'm here for another transfer) He was so excited to be baptized and for the past several weeks I have been able to see how committed he is; he was going to be baptized and there were no ifs, ands or buts about it in his mind. We met with him on Thursday to have a lesson with him, Elder Woolsey (the man who baptized him) and Sister Woolsey. It made me so excited for Sunday! He is rock solid in the gospel. He knows how important the gospel of Jesus Christ is. Teaching T has been an incredible blessing in my life. He has changed me, and help strengthen my testimony! I still remember the Thursday that Sister Miller and I GQ'ed him and then his first Sunday at church etc. Its crazy to think it all started about 3 months ago. I have seen his deep conversion to the gospel and that was the best reward! His baptism was just the icing on the cake for me. The whipped cream will be his confirmation and the cherry the first Sunday he is able to pass the sacrament after receiving the priesthood!

We have also met with L almost every day this week and he seriously inspires me. In our lesson on Friday he handed us an envelope titled "tithes." What a champ! We hadn't gone through all the logistics because we just needed to make sure he would commit to live the law of tithing. We taught tithing simply, without going over how to fill out a tithing slip etc. Then we explained to him that we couldn't collect it but that he would be able to give it to the Bishop on Sunday. He is SO cool! Such faith and dedication! He really wants to understand the allegory of the olive tree and other things like it in the Book of Mormon and its causing me to study up a lot to help answer his questions! Its so good!

We had a rough week with S, but hopefully this week we will see him progress further. It is hard to know what to do as a missionary sometimes. We have done everything we can for him as a missionaries, but it is time for him to take his stand and really commit to living the word of wisdom. If not we will need to consider dropping him soon, which would REALLY stink. It is frustrating because he knows the church is true and that it is the way to find happiness in his life he is just stuck in his old ways. Agency- its a gift and a curse :)

Nothing else too eventful has happened this week. Fall is in the air and the rain is too! Luckily I hardly ever straighten my hair, so it doesn't really matter if gets wet :) University of Birmingham starts up this week, so it should be an exciting time finding! Perfect timing, because we need new investigators!!!

We watched to restoration DVD this week with one of our less-active members and it hit me especially hard this time. Church history here is different. There isn't as much emphasis on the things of early church history in the U.S. but more of an emphasis of the history of the church here in the UK. I felt privileged this week to have seen so many of the church history sights! Part of my testimony of the restoration comes from my experiences at these places where so many important things happened in the early restored church.

Now for some pictures: