Charity

This week has been pretty miraculous. This week Sister Appleby and I have been having the time of our life. We have now been companions for 12 weeks.  It is hard to believe how fast time goes by. 

This week started off with Zone P-day, which was wonderful. Its always fun to get together with other missionaries and have a good time. The weather was beautiful too. 

Tuesday we taught 3 first lessons, with some really cool people! G,an older man who just lost his wife, is so amazing! We've taught him 3 times, and the Spirit there is so strong. He needs the gospel! When we taught him the Plan of Salvation he felt incredible peace. He said he 100 % believes it. He asked God about it too when he was praying and he felt the Spirit. We will be extending the baptismal invitation tonight, and we are so excited! Every time we teach he listens so intently to what we are saying. It is such a blessing! 

The weather has been relatively good this week and we have been able to really feel like we are pushing the work forward in the area. Each night as I have written in my journal  I have been writing about how happy I am here, doing the Lord's work in Swindon. I LOVE the ward, they are absolutely amazing people, and I am so happy with the work that has been going on this last week in the area.

 

We had a CRAZY lesson with M, J, J2, which I  won't go into all the details about, but basically is set me thinking about the ways the gospel has blessed my life and about how HAPPY I am. Being a missionary isn't easy by any means, but  it sure has made me happy and has really deepened my understanding of the Gospel. 

On Saturday morning we had a big service project with the ward, and there's nothing quite as good as serving with  others to strengthen your relationship.

 

We also has a meeting Saturday morning with the Bishop and ward mission leader to help put the final details on our Easter weekend missionary activities. We'll have 8 other missionaries coming in throughout the Zone to help out. We'll have a big place to draw the plan of salvation, mormon messages on the screen in town centre, restoration buckets, a family history book and a children's booth with coloring pictures of Christ. EPIC. Its 2 days after transfers though, so  I might not be there to see it happen! 

I am so grateful for all the blessings I have! :) 

LOVE YOU ALL! 

Sister Roscher

Smile

This week has gone by SO fast! I can hardly believe that we're already in the last week of March...  I don't know how that happened! It is hard to believe how fast time flies by.

We were able to travel to Gloucester on Wednesday for Zone meeting and again today for Zone P-day. I was impressed by a recent convert the Elders from the Forest of Dean (Harry Potter Anyone??) brought with them. She joined the church 3 weeks ago and was so amazing. She truly was led to the gospel, and the missionaries were led to her. Her advice for us? DON'T GIVE UP and do anything and everything we can to have the Spirit more abundantly with us throughout the day. Pretty sound advice from someone who's been a member for 3 weeks!

I have been trying to do this for a little while, and let me say. It takes a concentrated effort, and concentrated prayers to ensure that I have the spirit with me abundantly at all times. When I am doing everything I can though, it makes SUCH a big difference! Everything is so much more rewarding and fulfilling. It is easier to make the right decision in the hard moments. 

This week has been an interesting one. We've taught a few new people this week, but we're having a hard time hanging on to them (even though we're doing everything Preach My Gospel says to do...) We were doing everything we possibly could to help Ab and he fell off the face of planet.He just completely stopped all contact with no notice and we haven't been able to get a hold of him or see him to resolve concerns (We're assuming he has concerns if he just stopped all contact)  That was pretty heart wrenching! There have been moments when I have wondered what on earth is going on. I've wondered if the street contacting and tracting days are EVER going to end haha  

It is such a blessing to go street contacting and tracting though, because we meet some seriously amazing people while we're at it! There are amazing people doing amazing things out there, contributing their piece of good to the world. And although sometimes people are nasty, there are also so many people that are SO nice. The world truly is an amazing place!

I was touched by a family that we are (were working with this week). They have got A LOT of issues going on. 4 kids, 4 different dads, alcohol...you name it, this family has had problems with it. We met the Mom on the street on Friday an she was crying because her boyfriend had left her... her kids have been taken away by CPS. Its pretty intense stuff. Multiple times we told her the only way for her to be truly happy and pull out of it is through Jesus Christ and his atonement, and that the only way we gain access to this is through baptism. She said that we were nice, but that she just didn't believe God even cared or that Jesus Christ would understand what she was going through.

It really saddened me after we said good-bye to her, because I know what her life holds in store for her if she keeps on living the way she is. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is there to help us, we just have to take those steps!!! I also learned from this experience the safety and protection that comes from keeping the commandments. They truly are there to help us, not to hinder us!

The Elders had a baptism this Saturday, and it was beautiful. His name is Pt from Poland. He is such a cool guy. He was positively glowing the WHOLE time. It made me so grateful for missionary work, to bring these people to the truth so they can have the blessings which we experience! 

I got to give a talk in sacrament meeting on Sunday and it was a wonderful experience to think about why I chose to come on a mission, and some of the reasons I needed to come on a mission. I have been so blessed as a missionary.

I am so grateful for this Gospel and the chance I have to share it with others!!!!!

Have a wonderful week everyone!

Sister Roscher

I am Grateful for...

YOU! That's what I'm grateful for on this beautiful Monday morning! (Among a host of other things).

This week was simply amazing! I felt the love this week :) Main highlights of the weeks were:

MY BIRTHDAY!

It was a good one, which extended into a 2 day birthday. Sister Appleby is sneaky and pulled in the pillowcase you guys made me, Savannah's bracelet and the stickers and hid them so they were sitting there in the morning when I woke up. (I'm glad she did it, then I had birthday things to see). I LOVE the pillowcase with your little messages on it.I stared at it all the time when we were in the flat during lunch and cuddled with it :) I got Belle (the princess) in my kinder surprise (chocolate with a toy in it) .We made crepes for breakfast, we did some finding and did a lot of laughing! We had dinner and ward coordination at the ward mission leaders house, so I got to blow the candles out on the dessert.  We also got to train to Cheltenam that evening so we could get to zone conference early to practice a muscial number because trains didn't run from Swindon to Cardiff early enough. That was a fun adventure. The next highlight:

ZONE CONFERENCE

It was SO good. President Teixeira and his wife are so cool! I learned so much from them both. They talked about raising our expectations, finding people to teach and a few other things which were really relevant to our missionary work in this area. I also got to see Sister Miller (my trainer) which was amazing, and a few other missionaries who I've served around in the past. I also got all my birthday packages and letters at the end of Zone conference. I was on cloud 9! THANK YOU  (friends and family) for your letters heartfelt of words of love and encouragement. The next highlight:

AB

We taught Ab a couple of weeks ago, and he kept on canceling our lessons because of work etc. We were finally able to meet with Ab on Friday and guess what?! He's read most of the Book of Mormon and knows its true. We taught plan of Salvation (which he said seemed 'familiar to him') and then committed him to be baptized on April 12th. I could have jumped for joy! He is SO cool. He found the truth and just accepted it. He's a champ!

Its been a good week, and hopefully next week is even better as I raise my expectations and my faith!  There is so much to be grateful for. I cannot believe how fast my time in the mission field is going... it's going way too fast!

This week, I want to share my testimony with you of the power of prayer. Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. He always does. As I have made more of an effort to have a conversation with Heavenly Father, pour my heart out and to truly try to feel the Spirit and let it guide my prayers I have noticed a difference. When we do this we can close our prayers feeling truly uplifted and supported, rather than like it is just another thing we can tick off the checklist of things we should do. I have felt the very real power of prayer this week.

I am so grateful to be serving as a missionary and for the many people out there who are serving.

Sister Roscher with the pillowcase all of us signed/ decorated

 

 A castle!

On the train to Zone Conference

 Beautiful English countryside (we ventured out to a village this week)

I LOVE YOU ALL!
Sister Roscher

Sunshine and Daisies!

Hello! this week has been absolutely stupendous. The past 3 days have been so so so beautiful! I've just been biking along and singing funny songs as we've been going up and down hills :)

Let me just start by saying, we have an epic ward here. The new bishop is really helping us in missionary work and really striving to hasten the work! In sacrament meeting on Sunday his talk was on Alma 8 and how when Alma (a missionary) and Amulek (a member) worked together they saw many, many miracles. This bishop gets it, and he will lead the ward in something great. This is a pretty amazing time to be in Swindon. The ward has a whole missionary month planned for April with a variety of missionary activities that everyone can be a part of, including ones out in the community. It is going to be SO cool. As a missionary it's helping me become the missionary that this ward needs to move the work forward.Lets all get together and move the work forward!! 

 

Sister Appleby and I have set our transfer vision. We're going to change things up, raise the bar and give it everything we've got to make this a memorable transfer.

Oh, also, before I forget, I didn't get transferred haha. I guess you probably figured that out by now! It wasn't a huge shock. I love Sister Appleby, so its all good.

This upcoming week is going to be so exciting!! And thank you so much for the birthday wishes!!! 

 

This week I tried a deep fried mars bar... It was pretty tasty and fattening. I think it was a one time pleasure for me, but the elders insisted when we had district lunch haha

This upcoming week on Thursday, we have Zone conference in Rhiwbina. Its by Cardiff. I'm pretty excited. Getting to meet a general authority is a pretty good (day late) birthday present! We also have  some first lessons planned for this week. We're going to go out this week and see some miracles!

This is part of our weekly email from President. I liked it, and I think it applies to not just me as a missionary but to us all in different walks of life.

"We should not wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available — all the time! Missionary life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect.

Sisters and Elders, no matter our circumstances, no matter our challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish. There is something in each day that can bring gratitude and happiness if only we will see and appreciate it. Let us resolve to be happy, regardless of our circumstances. "

I LOVE YOU!!!!!
Sister Roscher

 Canned Mince Meat anyone?

 On a sunny Sunday. Spring is in the air!

 Deep Fried Mars Bar :)

When you fall off your bike, get back up!

This week. What do I say about this week?? Its been a good one! Full of miracles and funny stories. Also, before I forget, transfers are this Wednesday, so fair warning I could be in another area this time next week. I doubt it, but you never know!

Funny Story Number 1: I fell off my bike this week. Literally... We were going over a bridge, and I lost my balance. Next minute- KABOOM. Me and the ground were friends. On the bright side, Sister Appleby and I laughed about it for a good while and I only have 2 good bruises :)

This week I learned a lot about patience. Wednesday morning, all of our appointments for the day fell through and I was pretty sad, because it meant a full day of finding, which was all we'd done the day before. So, we went out finding for the rest of the day (except for 1 other scheduled 1st lesson in the evening) and talked to people trying to get potentials and returns. We felt about 1.5 hours into it we needed to knock a street, and halfway through the street we found AY, a young, married mother, who let us in. We taught her about the restoration and she listened carefully. She liked the idea of the Book of Mormon and committed to read it and pray about it. YAY!!!
During that time we also stopped by to visit a potential investigator we accidentally tracted into the previous day. When he answered the door he wanted nothing to do with us and was ready to turn us away. After a 10 minute conversation resolving his concerns he committed to 2 lessons with us. That in and of itself was a miracle! We also got several other potentials from that area. At the close of the day, as I was reflecting, I realized how impatient I had been earlier that day. I was sitting there upset because Heavenly Father wasn't doing everything I wanted him to do. How dumb. Even with my ridiculousness Heavenly Father blessed us with miracles throughout the day. How ungrateful and impatient am I? I've since reevaluated and am striving to be much more grateful and patient :) Heavenly Father knows whats best and He is looking after us, even when we don't think he is.

We started teaching this really cool man AB this week too. He is from Nigeria and is pretty cool. He's committed to read the Book of Mormon and come to know that its true.  I'm excited about him, and AY, who we found earlier in the week. They both have a lot of potential!

This week, we got to travel out of the country for a doctors appointment.... to WALES! hahaha We went to Cardiff to see a doctor there. The sad news? I have a damaged ligament in my foot and Sister Appleby has a sinus infection. The good news? I saw my first castle and got to see Welsh written out (it's a weird language!) But, don't worry. I'm doing good :)

Life is good. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! I can't even really imagine regular life haha

 I feel so privileged and blessed to be a part of this great work that it happening right now :) There are wonderful people everywhere that are doing amazing things in order to help build the kingdom and to follow Christ.

During testimony meeting a member bore his testimony and he said this" I have learned God is serious about stretching our souls to become more like Him"- Powerful right? I am grateful for the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon. We've made more of an effort this week to use the Book of Mormon more in finding and teaching, and it really is incredible! It is the word of God. The more I study it and learn about it, the more I realize just how much Heavenly Father loves, just how important it is to learn of the Savior and to follow Him and how beautiful the gospel is.

Much Love!

Sister Roscher