Week 52: hop on a zebra and pick raspberries

Well people, it's that time again. Email time! Buuuut this morning we went to a castle, Warwick Castle, and we have nooo time to email. SO hopefully I can fit everything in!

What an incredible week it has been. The week started off great, Sister Thomson and I had a party as we both had driving tests this week. She had the written one, and I had the driving one. During her test I wasn't allowed to be in the building (government stuff or something like that) and so during that time I had to wait I think car by myself for about an hour and a half. I got to make a bajillion phone calls and leave some voicemails, which resulted in receiving lots of gluten free cookies. It was like magic! Ask and ye shall receive. It works. Oh, and she passed! Yay! The next day we drove down to Warwick for my driving test, and basically they make you drive around making sure you know how not to crash, and make sure you can reverse (like into a parking spot or parallel). Now to kill the suspense, I passed! Even after I hit a curb and everything. Prayers = answered!

Of course this week we've been teaching our awesome friend Jessica. Basically, she's the best. And hilarious. She came to a baptismal service we had on Saturday wearing a super cute dress, and is pumped to get baptised. We love her. 

We also went on exchanges with the sisters in Peterborough this week, I was with Sister Alexandroia there, and it was awesome. I ate some pretty amazing brazilian food there, and she nearly got eaten by a dog, but in the end it was a pretty nice exchange. I found peanut butter on sale for 59p!!! It was amazing.

And the highlight of this week was on Thursday. Why? 7 syllables: Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. It was incredible. Sister Thomson and I were determined to get there early to get a good seat. We were the first ones there, and we sat literally on the front row. We were only 3 hours early. WORTH IT. When he finally arrived, we took a picture with him, and then he had us all get up and shake his hand one by one. It was amazing. You could feel the power of that man. The whole conference was incredible, and words here cannot describe everything that I learned or felt. What I can say though, is that my testimony of this restored gospel grew so much. As he spoke, you could just feel the words sink in. I knew everything he was saying was true. I know it. He stood at the pulpit, and explained to us that he was going to talk about the atonement. He explained that we had to have Adam and Eve start the whole thing, they had to leave the garden of eden (where we can all run around hopping on zebras and go to pick raspberries) and provide a way for all of us to eventually get to this earth and for Jesus Christ to pave the way to salvation. Overall? Amazing. 

My favorite part of the whole conference wasn't getting to shake his hand, wasn't getting to sit on the front row, wasn't getting to see everyone in the whole mission, but it was when he got up to leave. Wait... what? Let me explain. After the closing prayer was said, he got up to leave and we all stood for him to walk out of the building. As he was walking down the aisle he said to us "I love you." and blew us all a kiss, and then added "Work hard." As soon as those words came out of his mouth I was hit with the Spirit. It was like a warm feeling gushed into my soul and I could hardly hold back the tears. It was at that moment, as we were all standing silently as he walked away, that my whole being felt and knew that God's power is on the earth today. God's church is here, and it is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. How do I know that? Because I felt it. God's truths are amazing. 

Anyway, gotta go and I love you! 

Love,

Sister Slack

nametagswag

chillin with joyce

before elder holland

annnd yeah

Week 46: A day of missionary work.

Hello world!

Well this week was definitely jam packed full of fun. Sister Thomson and I have been having the time of our lives, and it is going by so fast! There is too much to write, so I'll just give you the highlights.

Highlight 1: We got to travel to a part of Birmingham this week as a whole mission for a conference. It was amazing and uplifting, and we definitely learned a lot. Brother Allen (who is over missionary work of the entire church) came to speak and it was awesome. Turns out he is pretty hilarious, but also knows how to get the point across. It was basically all about using technology wisely and becoming better missionaries. Our mission should be getting ipads soon, so that will definitely be a big change. One of my favourite things he said: "Just changing doesn't involve the Saviour, repentance involves the Saviour while changing. That's the difference."

Highlight 2: We have been teaching one of our investigators named Joyce for 2 weeks now, and we taught her about the word of wisdom (no coffee, tea, alcohol, tobacco, drugs.. unhealthy stuff). In the next lesson we followed up and she said "Oh, yes of course I've stopped drinking coffee." She also had some doubts come up about baptism. She was worried that her date was too early, and that she wouldn't feel ready. We encouraged her that she would be, and asked her to pray about it. The next time we saw her she said she had prayed about baptism and that all of her doubts and fears just left her mind! She is definitely elect. 

Highlight 3: We got to have dinner with some of my favourite families. They will remain nameless, because I love everyone.. but honestly food is the way to a missionaries heart! Especially if it is gluten free :) and if it is hot chocolate. 

Highlight 4: I got to go on exchange with Sister Beck! She is an adorable girl from Riverton, Utah. We had an awesome time together, and had a cool miracle happen. We had just finished a lesson in the morning and our other appointment was just about to show up. We were standing at the stairs to the library, when suddenly this lady came up to us and asked if we were busy. We explained that we were waiting for a friend. This lady then told us how she was a less active member of the church, and she had a strong desire to come back into the gospel. Her name is Kelly. We then invited her to stake conference that night, and exchanged information and then went to go teach our other investigator. Later that night at the adult session of stake conference, Kelly was there! It was amazing. We spoke to her after and she said that she really felt the spirit. Amazing how the Lord puts people in our path.

Highlight 5: We had Stake Conference and Elder Herbertson (of the quorum of the 70) came and spoke. It was awesome. On the Sunday morning session of it, he spoke about being on the straight and narrow path. The straight and narrow path being the way back to God. He made 4 points about it. 1- It doesn't matter how fast or how far along the path we are, as long as we are on the path and moving. 2- It doesn't matter how we are on the path compared to other people. Each of our lives are different, and comparing ourselves to other people never does us any good. 3- If we fall off the path, it's ok, we just need to get back on the path. Sometimes I think we think if we mess up, we're done for, but that's the whole reason Jesus Christ came to the earth for, to help us get back on and stay on the path. 4- If we see our loved ones who have fallen off, the best way to help them is not to jump off the path and stay with them. The best way to help them is to keep moving forward ourselves, it's kinda like the whole 'you can't save someone who is drowning if you don't know how to swim' thing. Overall, it was an awesome conference.

OH. And we also taught someone who I am convinced is a pirate.. he had only one eye and dreadlocks and wore a bandanna and used to be at the head of 2 gangs and would have them fight each other. Good thing this guy figured his life out in prison and came to Jesus otherwise it would've been pretty dodgy to teach him :) 

That's about all I've got for the week, but I love being a missionary! It gets better and better. Things are great. Keep it real. 

Much love,

Sister Slack

 Hot chocolate at Sarah's 

Stake conference with Joyce

The coconut we smashed last pday

All of the trees here now look like this (or in white form) it's amazing!

Driving around like crazy americans

 RAINBOW. Nice things come from rain.