Monday, November 26, 2018

Saturday was Alex's Baptism!  He was so excited for everything.  His family invited a lot of their family and friends.  It was great to see all of the support for him.  His Aunt and Grandma both had tears in their eyes after his baptism.  His foot only came up once.  After his mom said she couldn't wait for her own.  His parents should get their birth certificates back this week so they can apply for a marriage license.  It looks like they'll be baptized at the start of the new year!  

Alex loved it so much.  One of the members gave him a scripture bag and a quad.  He asked Elder Edwards if he could bear his testimony in church yesterday.  He came to church with his scripture bag and the quad he was given.  He's a great addition to the Branch.  

On Tuesday, Elder and Sister Edwards were kind enough to make us a LOVELY Thanksgiving dinner.  There were 7 of us there and yes, we had turkey.

This week Sister Cox and I decided to go visit one of the members in the Branch.  It took longer than anticipated and we ended up waiting a long time for a bus.  After we waiting at a shopping center where we saw a little less active lady (and when I say little I seriously mean no more than 4 and a half feet tall).  It was pouring rain and she told us that she had called for a taxi, but they couldn't be there for an hour.  She said she was just waiting in the shopping center for someone she knew to come along to help her to get a taxi.  So we took her groceries and helped her across the street to the taxi rink.  So this week I literally helped an old lady cross the street.  It was great to see God's hand in that.  Clearly, we had to wait at that members home and wait on the bus, so that we could be in the right place at the right time to help this lady. 

This week we saved two elders from starvation.  They didn't budget very well and all they've been eating is eggs and bacon for every meal.  After coordination meeting on Thursday our Branch Mission Leader gave us a bunch of frozen food, but gave none to the elders.  We decided to be nice and we donated our frozen food to them.  We're convinced we saved two lives.

Monday, November 19, 2018

This week was interesting!  With Sister Rose it was so strange because it was her last everything.  On Thursday, when we were weekly planning, it was so strange because I was talking about the plans that we had for this week and basically it was like I was just thinking out loud because she'll be at home, enjoying Thanksgiving dinner.

No Scottish Thanksgiving, but THANK goodness (pun intended) we have a senior couple in our area. They are feeding us Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow!  Thank you Elder and Sister Edwards.

On Saturday we had a Relief Society activity at the church.  We made Christmas crafts!  It was lots of fun, but it was a poor turn out.  It was just us, Brooke, her friend, the relief society president, and one other member.  We got the moves call Saturday night and I was told that I would be getting Sister Cox.  Sister Rose and I also put up the Christmas tree we got from a member.  I know it's before Thanksgiving, but I made the exception because she was leaving.  

Sunday was HECTIC.  Sister Rose and I had to be at the mission home before 2, which meant that we had to leave church early.  We stayed for Sacrament Meeting (I had to play the organ..........Once in David's Royal City?  Really?)  and then had to rushhhhhh to the train station to catch our train to Edinburgh.  Because I was companion-less I was kind of in limbo for a while.  I spent some time with the departing missionaries, went finding with some sisters in Edinburgh, visited a member, and I was passed back and forth between teams of missionaries for a few hours.  Then, this morning I caught a train to Dundee.  Sister Cox and I met there, and then we got a train to Perth.

Sister Cox is from Las Vegas.  She just finished her training, but I've been in Perth longer than she's been on her mission!  It's also really strange because I've been out longer than all the missionaries in my area combined!  Apparently I'm old now.  It's so weird how fast time goes.  I'm super excited for this transfer!

Monday, November 12, 2018

 ____ is still planning on getting baptized, but he'll be getting baptized on the 24th.  He had his baptismal interview this week and passed, but his mom wants him to wait until the 24th because his grandma is going to fly in from Romania for the baptism!  He is so excited for the 24th.  His parents are getting excited for their wedding as well.  ____ said she's going to get her dress and shoes this week.  It is so fun to watch their excitement!

We were able to teach a girl named _____ this week.  She is Brooke's friend and she has already been to church 3 times and she went to the baptism.  She was excited to learn, especially about the Holy Ghost.  It's also great that Brooke can be there to fellowship her and help answer any questions that she might have.  

This week we had exchanges in Aberdeen.  It was significantly colder than in Perth and much much windier because it's on the coast. It was a good day and it's always good to be on exchange and see different styles of missionary work.  Funny story from exchange:  So Sister Rose and Sister Lough were going to take a bus to their lesson, but they got on the bus on the wrong side of the street and ended up the complete opposite direction of where they should have been.  They were going to be late, so they asked us to come get them in their car.  The only problem was Sister Lough had the car keys with her.  So we had to borrow the Elder's car and get them to their lesson half an hour late.  It was only a slight fiasco and everything worked out okay!

This week is Sister Rose's last!  It's weird to think that this is her last everything.  Next week we will probably spend Saturday and Sunday in Edinburgh.  So strange.  That also means next week I might not be emailing on Monday/the timing could be thrown off, so keep that in mind!

 

Monday, November 5, 2018

Halloween was lots of fun!  It was a pretty regular day, but that night we had our FHE.  We had lots of candy and played some Halloween games.  The Elders acted out 'the first Halloween' in the Book of Mormon.  It was when Nephi kills Laban and puts on Laban's clothes to get the brass plates.  It was pretty funny.  We had a competition to see who could make a mummy faster out of toilet paper (the girls won obviously).  Sister Rose and I made caramel apples and muddy buddies for everyone.  It was a good time!

Unfortunately, ____ who was going to be baptised on the 17th dropped us yesterday.  She has been taught for over a year and she texted us yesterday saying it's not something she wants in her life right now.  That was really sad. BUT on the bright side ______(9) got permission to be baptized on the 17th!  His parents are excited and they want to be married and baptised before Christmas.  What a miracle!

This week we taught a minister from the Church of Christ.  It is crazy how similar their beliefs are to ours.  They pray the exact way we do, they believe the Church was restored, etc.  They believe in basically everything except for temples and the Priesthood.  It was incredible to see our beliefs line up.

As I was reading the Book of Mormon as part of President Nelson's invitation to the women I noticed that every time or almost every time they talk about the commandments they refer to them as 'commandment's of the Lord' or 'the Lord's commandments' or something of the sort.  The Lord is always associated with commandments.  I think it's important to remember the why of the commandments and to know that we don't just do something or avoid other things.  We do them because we love the Lord and He has commanded that we live in a certain way.  And along with that there is always a promised blessing worth so much more than we give.  What a gift the commandments are!

Monday, October 29, 2018

This week was pure chilly baltic.  That means freezing.  The weather has changed drastically in the last week or so and wow.  It's cold again.  I almost forgot what winter is like here.  I even wore a scarf and Sister Rose wore a hat one day.  We've also made the transition to thicker tights. 

We had the primary program this week!  There's nothing I love more.  I love the simple testimonies shared by the children.  As I was listening I realized these are the things we teach people.  God is our loving Heavenly Father, He has a plan for us.  How important are those simple doctrines!  Simple enough that a child can understand, but powerful enough to change eternities.  Sister Rose and I helped out with it as well.  I played the piano (and for Child's Prayer sang the boy's part).  There were even 7 kids there!  

Our 9 year old investigator even gave a talk.  It was great and even better to have his whole family there.  His parents should be getting married in a month and then they can all be baptized together!  We are so excited for them.  His mom was even showing us pictures of the wedding dress and shoes that she wants!  Yesterday, the Branch President gave his dad a blessing to help him quit smoking.  They are so excited to take these steps and it is so fun to watch their excitement!

Today we got to go to Stirling Castle with our Relief Society President.  It was amazing.  Best castle I've been to.  Would highly recommend it.    On Halloween we have to go in at 6 or be at the church, so we decided to have a Halloween FHE.  It should be really fun!  We are super excited for it.

Monday, October 22, 2018

So many good things are happening here!

Monday was lots of fun!  We hiked Kinoull Hill with our Branch President's wife before she moved back to America on Wednesday to keep her nursing license.  It was so pretty and you could see all of Perth from the top! 

On Tuesday we had a meeting with our zone in Dundee.  On Wednesday we had Scotland North conference in Aberdeen.  

I don't know if I've talked about this family, but there is a family of Romanians that have been taught in Perth for about a year.  They go back and forth with wanting to be baptised, but the 9 year old, ____, is constant.  He is at church every week and loves it.  This week when we visited them the mom expressed her desire to be baptized.  We set them both with a date and she is working on the paperwork for her and ____ to get married, so they can live the law of chastity. 

____  is 18 and has been taught by missionaries since about November of last year.  She is so interested, but has been scared to tell her mom that she wants to get baptized.  We met with her this week and set her with a baptismal date.  She told her mom this week and her mom supports her decision.  She'll be getting baptised on the 17th of November, Sister Rose's last Saturday in the mission!

Brooke's uncle, ____, that said the prayer at her baptism yesterday came to church yesterday!  It has been YEARS since that last happened.  He stayed for all 3 hours and said he'd be back in two weeks when it's not his weekend with his daughter.  Brooke is one heck of a missionary!

Also the Elders finally got a flat in Perth and can start working here!  Elder and Sister Edwards are finally settled here and missionary work is on the brink of explosion.  Perth isn't ready for all the miracles we're about to receive.  I'm so excited!!!!!!

Monday, October 15, 2018

Sister Rose is great!  She is from Utah, but she lived in England for 10 years.  We get along really well.  We've been working super hard and she doesn't want to leave the mission, so we'll have lots of fun this transfer!   Unfortunately, the Elders don't have a flat in Perth yet.  They stayed in our District Leader's flat all week in Kirkcaldy, but they came to church yesterday.  The senior couple, Elder and Sister Edwards, are AMAZING (and not just because they took us out to dinner this week and said we were their favorites).  They are so excited to be in Perth and the branch is so excited to have us all here.

This week it started to rain again.  I am not ready for winter.  We got absolutely soaked on Saturday.  We got lunch and our coats and backpacks left puddles in the restaurant.  We felt really bad.  My coat that was once waterproof is definitely not anymore.  We weren't expecting the rain that day and I wore my boots that I came out with.  They're still wet and I wish I was joking.  We came back to the flat halfway through the day to change our clothes because we were freezing.  

Church was amazing this week.  We had 6 of the people we are teaching there!  With the new missionaries, visitors, and people we brought to church there were about 15 people that weren't normally at church there. I have never seen the chapel so full.  It was magical and I almost cried walking in.  There were so many people attending Gospel Principles we had to move it into the chapel because our little classroom wouldn't fit us all.

Something I was thinking about this week is the importance of Jesus Christ.  I think all too often we go through church without emphasising Him enough.  That was made clear by President Nelson and his talk on using the importance of the Lord's name when referring to the church.  Another example comes from yesterday's gospel principles lesson.  It was on the Law of Chastity.  We talked about what it was, its importance, and that we can be forgiven from breaking the Law of Chastity.  The whole time Jesus Christ wasn't mentioned once.  I decided that needed to change and I bore my testimony on His importance and how He can take away all sin.  The lesson turned in a whole different direction and when we brought Jesus Christ into the lesson the Spirit was much stronger.  We can never emphasise Jesus Christ enough.