Slow and Steady

Saturday ended our last week resting Sister Brooks' foot. :) She is now allowed to put weight on it with her boot on and so we'll be able to get out a lot more this week than we have been.  Little by little, we're working back up to more finding and teaching in our area.

 

Due to our unique situation, I've found a new love for bus contacting.  Our zone leaders said, "Rather than sit in the flat, sit on the bus and go talk to people." Brilliant! I love getting to know people on the bus! It seems that just starting up a normal conversation always leads to an aspect of the gospel anyway, so it's easy and natural to teach them more about it. I think we'll be doing quite a bit more of this contacting in the coming weeks!

 

We have recently been meeting with a new investigator named Apurva. He is a great person and we love to teach him because he is eager to learn and has a lot of questions. The amazing thing is that he has already read a Book of Mormon that was given to him 6 years ago by another set of missionaries! How cool is that? We're excited to continue teaching him more throughout the next few weeks.

 

I've learned a lot about humility the past week. I've come to realize that the more I focus on those around me and aligning my will to the Lord's, the happier I am inside.  Everything else comes 2nd.  The mission is not about ticking boxes or becoming a robot.  It's about changing our deepest desires and hopes to match what Heavenly Father's plan has in store for each of us. What a peace that simple realization has brought me. I've learned that as I try to change my ways to become more like the Savior, He helps me reach the potential I can't reach alone.  

 

Scripture of the week:  "Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your ^asynagogues, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall ^bheal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them." -3 Nephi 18:32

 

Basingstoke District! From left to right: Elder Hanks, Elder Hegerhorst (Zone Leaders - just visiting for the week), me, Sister Brooks, Elder Simpson, and Elder Goodson (Basingstoke District Leader)

A Baptism!!

Yes, a baptism!!! I couldn't be happier!! I found out last Monday that Cherisse, an investigator in Kingston while I was there, was baptized about a week or so ago!! How great is that?!! I'm so grateful for her decision to be baptized and I'm so excited for hre because of all the many blessings I know the Lord will bless her with since she's taken this step in her life! It's true that everything else we do as missionaries is worth it for those who make the right decision and are blessed by becoming members of the Church. How blessed and grateful I feel to have been a part of that!

 

This week has been pretty different to other weeks since we have had to rest Sister Brooks' foot.  The few times we did get to go out were amazing though! On Wednesday, we went with a member down to a place called Buckskin.  We meant to meet with an investigator, but he ended up not being able to make it in time so we had to cancel. While waiting at the bus stop for our ride back into town, we started talking to this lady named Julie.  She is Roman Catholic, but told us about how she wasn't practicing much.  We ended up teaching her a lot of the first lesson on the bus ride back as well as sharing the First Vision with her! It was a very special and spiritual experience.  She took the Book of Mormon and we hope to get in contact with her again this week and pay her a visit. :) I'm so grateful for those little opportunities the Lord places in our path to remind people who they are and share with them the evidences of God's love for us.

 

Scripture of the week:

"8 For behold, the Lord doth ^agrant unto ^ball nations, of their own nation and ^ctongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he ^dseeth fit that they should have; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true.

9 I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do ^anot ^bglory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.

10 And behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember ^awhat the Lord has done for me, yea, even that he hath heard my prayer; yea, then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me." - Alma 29:8-10

 

Also I really loved reading 2 Nephi 4:15-35 this week if you get a chance to look it up. That is a very encouraging passage that has helped me a lot. :)

 

 Also, I went on exchange in Woodley this week with Sister Jensen! :)

Fwd: Pic of the Week

 (Sunday Dinner at a member's home - Basingstoke ward takes such good care of us)

 

Fwd: Pic of the Week

 (Sunday Dinner at a member's home - Basingstoke takes such good care of us)

 

Never a Dull Moment

This week, two great things happened!  We had Zone Training in Reading on Tuesday, which was a great pick-me-up to start off the new year, and on Saturday we finally found out what's wrong with Sister Brooks' foot! She has a stress fracture in her middle toe and so will be in a boot for the next 4 weeks. I know it doesn't sound too good but that news was great for us since we thought it may be something a bit more serious and long term like arthritis or loose cartilage that would've required an operation.

 

So on doctor's orders we are to rest her foot for the next two weeks, and the gradually work up to walking longer distances and she should be good to go and completely healed in about 6 weeks time. It may be a bit of a grind at times, but we're happy to just keep doing the best we can! Patience is a virtue.

 

This week's miracle was meeting a less active named George.  We haven't been able to contact him since I've been here (about 8 weeks now) and he just happened to be out fixing his gas gauge when we were in the area! We visited with him for a while and invited him to come back to church.  He said he wanted to come! Not only that, but while we were visiting, his friend that lives just below him in another flat came down and we introduced ourselves.  She couldn't stay long to talk, but we gave George a Book of Mormon and he was really excited about sharing it with his friend. It was member missionary work at it's finest. 

 

I'm so grateful for the good week it's been and all the lessons I've learned. I've learned on my mission that if we're just willing to help other people out and forget about ourself, the Lord will teach us and remind us of His love and plan He has for us as individuals on a daily basis.  I love the Lord and I love His Gospel.

(All the sisters in the Reading Zone! Love these ladies!)

 

Scripture of the week:  "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." -1 John 3:16-18

 

ALSO SHOUTOUT TO MY FAMILY THIS WEEK: A HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO WADE WHOSE 13 TODAY, SISTER CASSIE TOBLER  IN POLAND ON THE 15TH, AND MY LOVELY MOM ON THE 16TH. :)

 

 

New Year

What a great week it's been! I always love the start of a new year: fresh start and blank page for exciting things to come.  It's strange to think that I will go home toward the end of this year, but it's a blessing that I'll be able to fill each month until then serving the Lord and preaching the Gospel to the people here. I don't want to waste any time!

 

The weather this week has been CrAzY. I'm finally starting to understand why England gets such a bad rep for their weather. I guess I've been spoiled the last few months with extraordinarily "mild conditions." Recently, the rain and wind like to pick up at the same time so if you look across a park, the rain doesn't seem to be falling at all, just blowing sideways. We walk around with our hoods up and "brellies" out and manage to keep relatively dry. :)

 

We have been able to meet two lovely ladies this week.  The first we ran into while doorknocking in a place called Buckskin.  She was so sweet and talked with us for about an hour about all the things that she'd been through and how her belief in Jesus Christ had helped her.  The other lady we met by going through our Potential Investigator list.  She is a cute lady from South Africa who has left her daughters there to come work in England.  She is tough as nails and also told us about how her faith in Jesus was the one thing that gave her strength when she had nothing else.  Both of these wonderful women accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon and we feel such a genuine and sincere friendship with them already! We hope to continue to meet with them and help them feel the power and comfort the Book of Mormon can bring.

 

This week we have Zone Training and should find out how to fix Sister Brooks sore foot! Good things ahead! :)

 

Scripture of the week: "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren...and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." Alma 26:27