Life Across the Pond: Fall (or Winter) is Here (Again)

Family!

What a week. I have learned so much and am so grateful to be here on the mission. It is so weird that I have been out for 6 months!

This week it rained a lot and it was impossible to stay dry, but we had such an amazing, fun week. We had zone p-day and that was really fun. We did a scavenger hunt, a team building activity and played ping-pong, Foosball, and Futbol. We also had a district lunch on Wednesday after district meeting since about half the people in our district will probably be transferred this week. I love my district here so much! I love the ward too. I feel like I am part of the ward, to some extent, since after being here for 6 months I know pretty much everyone now.

We taught loads of our Chinese investigators this week and it is really exciting to see their faith grow. R, a Chinese investigator we have been teaching for about a month now committed to baptism! (November 17). He is a champ. He rarely misses a Sunday at church and is so cool. M2 and S3 are amazing and we read in the Book of Mormon with the intent of teaching them how to learn and receive revelation from the Book of Mormon. We read the story of Nephi's bow with them and it was so cool. Every time we meet them they amaze me, and the Spirit is so strong in the lesson because they are so willing to learn.

Z, another Chinese student, committed to be baptized this week too. I was a little bit apprehensive about extending the invitation but I did it with faith knowing that I should and she said yes straight away! It was a testimony builder that when we try to be obedient and when we just take the step of faith and invite people to change and make commitments we can be surprised!

We met S this week to see how he was doing since we dropped him and see if he was ready to fully commit to the gospel; he isn't ready yet. It was pretty frustrating because the first thing he said is that he knows he will be baptized eventually and that there is happiness to be found here, but he is being overcome by his vices right now and is fairly content to be where he is.... All I can say is that we did our part as missionaries and invited him. We taught him the principles, got him to church and helped him feel the Spirit and continued to invite him. The rest is up to him though. I hope that a year from now he will see the light and realize that the gospel of Jesus Christ is worth EVERYTHING.

We had a stake Relief Society service workshop and dinner which we were allowed to go to since it was a service activity. It was so good. There are many women here that struggle with their testimonies and living the gospel but there are also many that have consecrated all that they have to building the kingdom, serving others and being true to their baptismal covenants at all times. It was so nice to chat with some of them and learn from them and hear their conversion stories. As I have come to know people more I have learned that most of the leadership families in the ward and stake are all converts to the church! Either they are first generation members or their parents are. It is so cool to see how the gospel enables people to fulfill callings and build the kingdom regardless of how long they have been in the church.

I will find out tonight after nightly planning if I am being transferred out of the area and then will leave Wednesday morning. And let me say- its killing me! I just want to know what is going to happen to me! I have said my good-byes to everyone and have taken pictures with members and investigators. It just all comes down to where Heavenly Father needs me the most!

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! Oh- and I finished my journal last week! All 208 pages :) Now I'm on to fill up a new one with the amazing experiences I am having. Sorry the email is shorter today- we have lots of things to get done today since I'm probably leaving the area! Today we are going to a free, famous art museum right in the dead centre of Birmingham. We have put off going, but I would kick myself if I was in this area for 6 months and didn't go! I'm going boot shopping today too! I gotta find some good boots just in case I transferred to a biking area in wales where there isn't as good of shopping haha