Life Across the Pond: Fall

FAMILY!

This week has gone by SO fast because our schedule was a little different, making it fly by. We had P-day Monday, and then Tuesday was the trip to Benbow Farm and the Gadfield Elm Chapel. It was seriously so cool! There wasn't enough room on the coach so we drove down with the sister-training leaders in our area. It was really fun to drive through the English countryside. It really is beautiful, and exactly what I would picture the English countryside to be in my head to be. I even continued the family tradition of mooing at all the cows we passed by.

We started out at Benbow pond and we talked about the story of Wilford Woodruff which was really cool. then one of the Elders offered a prayer of remembrance and a Sister sang a song and then President asked one Elder and myself to bear our testimonies. It was crazy because I didn't have any notice, but It was actually a really cool experience because I just felt the confidence that comes from the Spirit. I felt proud to be in England serving a mission and following the footsteps of so many of the leaders of the church. I felt I had the Pearl of Great Price, and I felt my love for my Savior. I am grateful for the opportunity President gave me to strengthen my testimony.

After that we drove the 30 min to the Gadfield Elm Chapel where we had a meeting and took a tour. It has a really cool history and some pretty incredible things happened there! A total of 65,000 saints from the British Isles immigrated to the U.S. I have lots of pictures from our trip so I'll send you some!

Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday passed by pretty fast. We has some really cool lessons. We had one of the most powerful lessons I've ever been in on my mission this week as well. We were teaching Md and Sd, 2 of our Chinese investigators and the Spirit was just SO strong. It was undeniable, and they felt it too! That is when I feel the most like a missionary, when I feel the Spirit working through me to help our investigators understand and believe. The lesson was quiet, but powerful. There was no need to use lots of words and explanations; the spirit was the teacher.

On Saturday I was on exchange with Sister Krylborn all day. She is one of the best missionaries I have seen on the mission so far. She knows how to be a missionary and to find, teach, and baptize! She understands what it is to leave everything behind and to focus on the work. It was a privilege to be with her for a day and learn from her. We also get along really well so that's super fun too!

It has rained a lot for the last 3 or 4 days and been really cold. Its been getting below freezing too. The rain makes it so green and beautiful, but the cold changes missionary work a little bit because there aren't as many people out. When we were on exchange we were GQ'ing (golden questioning) from 6:30-8 and it was pouring rain and freezing cold. We stopped this one man and we were having a good conversation with him. As I stood there with my feet soaked, holding my umbrella and talking to this man in the dark I was thinking to myself that this is missionary work. Missionaries go forward to teach the gospel regardless of the weather and the time because we know we have a message that is more important than anything else.

Oh, and L received the priesthood on Sunday! Bishop ordained him. It was so exciting. We talked to him afterwards and he is just so excited to reach out, serve, and bear his testimony of Jesus Christ! He is a star, that's for sure!

This upcoming week should be a good one! We are going to be pretty busy and we should have a lot of teaching appointments, which is always the best! Things are good here, and time is zooming by!

Transfers are on Oct 30, so In about 2 weeks. I'm not quite sure what will happen, but I've been in Harborne for almost 6 months now, so there is a pretty good chance that I will be transferred to another area. It will be exciting to see what happens! I won't find out until the evening of the 28th though, after I've already emailed for the week, so you will find out after I've already moved if I do haha

Now for some pictures!