Busy Days

It has been a good and busy past few days. Between adjusting to the area, moving flats, and the concert in Liverpool, we haven’t had too much time for much else. I am sure things will pick up this week, and I will get to know the area a bit better. I haven't taken any photos yet, but next week our district is planning to go on the tour of one of the castles in our area so that will be exciting.

We moved flats this week. I will admit the move was definitely work. After some cleaning, moving, unpacking and cleaning again, it is finally feeling like home. While at first glance the apartment did not seem suitable, it has now become home and it is a pleasant place to dwell. The office elders even were able to bless the flat, which added to the Spirit that resides there. I attached a picture so you can see how much fun we had (no worries, we didn't wear our proselyting clothes when we were actually working).

I have also been thinking about seeking the will of the Lord. We know that prayer is a means to align our wills with Heavenly Father's will for us. Here is an experience that relates to the thoughts that I was having: A few weeks ago, I kept thinking that I was about ready for a change. I figured that I would just talk with my mission president and ask for some more excitement or prepare myself for another transfer of study time. Basically, I was struggling a bit within and while it all may have appeared to be alright, my heart secretly desired something else. As I continued to think about it though, I realized my opinion didn’t really matter. While I may have wanted something in particular (i.e. a companion who liked finding, to whitewash an area, etc.), I knew at the end of the day I would do whatever the Lord would ask of me. It may have been nice to receive some words of comfort or a bit of advice, but it all would have been short-term. The bottom line is that I was already prepared to do the will of the Lord and that is what really mattered. In gospel principles this week, we studied about gifts of the Spirit. Some are given the gift to know Jesus Christ is the Savior, and others are given the gift to believe the testimonies of others to know Jesus Christ is the Savior. I acknowledge that I have been blessed with that faith to accept the Lord’s will. Anything that I am asked to do by him, whether it be through himself or via his leaders, I am willing to do. I know that this acceptance will continue to bless me all the days of my life. It doesn’t mean the journey will be easy, but I will an effective instrument in the hands of the Lord and become who he needs me to become.

I am still getting used to everything being in Welsh and English. It is almost like being in a foreign land, but not quite as scary. Welsh honestly doesn't even sound like a language, but I am sure by the end of my time here I will be more used to it. The countryside is beautiful, and there is lots to be grateful for. Hope you all have a good week and I will be sure to report back more next week.

Love, Becca

Off to New and Grander Vineyards

So just take a guess where I am? Let me give you a hint...I am not in Swinton anymore and I have a new companion. Also, I have finally left the Manchester or greater Manchester area. I know you are all just dying to know, so I am in Wales. I am currently serving in the Gaerwen Ward. We live in the town that is the longest word in the Welsh language (do not even ask me to pronounce it or try and spell it). Luckily, we are moving tomorrow to Bangor (another city in our area), which is clearly a bit easier to pronounce.

 

There is definitely a bit of a change of scenery. First of all, I am in a car area. You may wonder, am I driving? No, I am not. I asked the assistants who was driving, and they told me, "You're too old Sister Jack." Quite frankly, I have another 3 weeks where I can still drive legally, but after that there is a slight problem legally, so it is probably best that I don't drive. It just means that I get to make the phone calls and enjoy the scenery, which is absolutely beautiful! There are castles and lots of sheep. What you may have thought England looked like before coming on a mission and living in the city. I will be sure to send some pictures in the upcoming weeks.

 

Cyr’s baptism on Saturday was a beautiful sight to see. My favorite part of seeing someone be baptized is to witness the expression on their face just after they get out of the water. Once Cyr came up, he looked out to where we were all sitting and had a huge grin on his face. It is in that moment that you know all is well. You just know that the person feels the Spirit and is happy with the decision that he/she has made. The gospel truly does bring great joy! We went ahead and passed him along to the elders already serving in the ward for them to do the post-baptism lessons because, surprise, I whitewashed out of the area again (just this time it was to sisters). What does that make my record now, 3 out of 4? Not looking so good for Gaerwen...

I am not sure if I told you about Lee before, but there are just some investigators you grow to love (in a brotherly way, no worries), and Lee is one of them. Lee is definitely a bit quirky, but he is one of the most sincere people I know. I will admit I thought he was in his sixties, but later found out he was 45. He may look a bit rough at first appearance, but it is a perfect lesson about how to not judge a book by its cover. He recognizes the change that has occurred in his life this past month as he has met with us and come to church. The gospel is causing not only a spiritual change, but also a physical change in his lifestyle. He has quit smoking as well as drinking tea and coffee. You can tell that he is honestly happier and just has taken to the gospel. It is such a blessing to meet a variety of people along the way.

My new companion is Sister Orr. She is from Pocatello, Idaho. She is the youngest of 3 girls. She also went to BYU-Hawaii before her mission and was studying English education. She came out on her mission at the same time as Sister Howell. I think that is the brief overview I have for the time being, but I am sure there will be more to report in the future.

Well that is all for now. Hope you are each doing well. Enjoy your week!

Much love, Becca

p.s. The first is a picture of my district this last transfer and the second is a picture from Cyr's baptism.

Here there and everywhere

Here are two more where is Waldo photos. This one is from zone conference :) 

This one is even easier than the last...

Between zone trainings and interviews, exchange, zone leader council, and the concert at Avenham Park, you may think there wasn’t much time for missionary work; however, we did it all along the way. Missionary work truly does fit into every activity we do, and I feel blessed for the variety of experiences the Lord has provided me this week. Let me tell you about a few of them.

 

I went on exchange with Sister Peters in Macclessfield. She is a new missionary from the Netherlands. She is great and reminded me a lot of the pioneers. Sister Peters sprained her ankle recently, and yet she still wanted to go out and talk to everyone. She truly pushed herself to work hard, despite a hurt ankle. That is a lot more motivation, drive, etc. than I think I have. I was able to learn a lot from her about hard work and simply doing.

Cyr is getting baptized on Saturday, and he is very excited. I admire his desire to follow the Savior and praise God in his daily life. Recently he couldn’t afford a bus pass and because of the language barrier we didn’t arrange for a lift (we offered to do so but I just don't think he understood), so he walked an hour to come to church on Sunday. If that is not dedication, then I am not sure what is. Cyr enjoys reading The Book of Mormon, and he definitely feels the Spirit when he attends church. It is amazing to witness his conversion to the gospel. One of my favorite things about Cyr is his desire to share about the gospel with us as well. During lessons, he loves to talk about the gospel and how he sees things. He is very open and is willing to share with others, which is great because it allows you to truly get to know him as a person.

"Do I see the person walking towards me as a child of God?" What an inspired question! And it is one that President asked me during our interviews. While I may be desirous to share the gospel with everyone (Mosiah 28:3) and know that it is in all our best interest, it is not the mindset I inherently have. I know that charity is the most important of all the Christlike attributes such as faith, hope and charity (1 Corinthians 13:13). Since the beginning of my mission, I have prayed to have charity each and every day of my mission. However, prayer is nothing without action. Before my mission, I learned that charity is more than small acts of kindness; it is seeing the world as Christ sees it. Now is time to put that into action. I am not quite sure how it will come, but I fully believe that I can begin to see the world through Christ’s eyes. I am excited to be able to change my mindset (in reality my desires) in order to change my actions. 

 

As you can see from the pictures I sent earlier, I was able to go to zone leader council. Remember when I went back in October? Well basically ever since then they have had a few sisters attend each of the councils. What was on the agenda this time? We were able to revise our Blue Information Binder (basically a binder that has all the important information about our mission). Our mission is going back to the basics--the White Handbook, Preach My Gospel and the scriptures. Over time there have been a lot of rules and policies that have entered the mission via the Blue Binder, but it is time for change. Our aim was to make the blue binder actually an information binder. As missionaries we will be called to a higher standard to truly understand the spirit of the law, but I think it is a good thing. It was amazing for me to recognize how many of the rules or policies that are in the binder actually come from the white handbook or Preach My Gospel already; I just didn't recognize it because the blue binder seemed to take precedence. Overall this change is an expression of the inward change happening within the mission to follow the promptings of the spirit and be ourselves. As President Preston said, he doesn't want an elder calling him a month after getting home and asking him if the suit he is buying is too shiny. President has a great sense of humor (even if what I just wrote doesn't quite portray it).

 

Life is good. Missionary work is even better. Hope all is well at home!

 

Love, Becca

 

p.s. Next week is transfers, so I will be emailing on Wednesday. Can you believe another 6 weeks has flown by?

 

p.p.s. The pictures are all from the concert at Avenham Park. This is the park that is beside the Ribble River. The Ribble River is the first area where people were baptized here in England. It is a great historical site for the church as well as for us missionaries who are following in these missionaries' footsteps.

 

1. Who can guess who I am with here? She is from Wigan. Yes, Sister Higham! I just keep seeing her everywhere, which is absolutely wonderful :)

 

2. Me at the concert.

 

 

 

3. The weather was beautiful, until the concert started. No worries, the English know how to handle the rain.

 

 

Just another week

I am doing well. I honestly don't know what to report about this week. The rain has come back, but there is always a bit of sunshine as well. I am enjoying all that I do :)

 

My companion, Sister Howes, is absolutely amazing. We get along really well, which is a blessing. It is always fun to be working beside someone you just consider to be your best friend. Also, it is surprising how you can be best friends with someone only after spending three and half weeks together, but I guess that comes when you spend 24/7 together. As you know Sister Howes is from London. Her family are members and she was baptized when she was 8, but then they went less active. It wasn't until about two years ago that she started coming back to church. It is clear the role prayer plays in each of our conversions as well as the Holy Ghost. When we receive answers and feel the Spirit, we just know what we need to do.

 

This is the same experience many new people to the church feel. The first Sunday of every month, the mission president invites new members and investigators to his house and they have a fireside. Often times the new members bear testimony and there is another speaker or two. We were able to go yesterday evening, and it was amazing! I love being able to feel the Spirit that good warm feeling testifying to me of the truth of what these people share. Not only that, but also how the gospel has changed their lives. Each of them feel so strongly about the gospel and are rather courageous to speak in front of a group of 50-100 people. It is amazing, and I know that it helps everyone who attends. There are many wonderful activities, programs, etc. that are particular to my mission (England Manchester), and I am grateful to be able to participate in each of them. It really opens your eyes to new ways to see the world and help others experience the same joy that I feel.

 

I think that is all for now. I am going to spend a little bit more time responding to individual emails. Hope you all have a wonderful week, and I know I will have more to share next week.

 

Love, Becca