So last
Monday, we went to teach a short lesson with Ephraim about donating tithes and
offerings and then our next lesson cancelled, so we went and had a lesson with
a member who lives near us named Jimmy. Well his actual name is James, but we
call him Jimmy. It was a great lesson and he was really touched that we stopped
by to talk to him, even though he had to sit in a chair in his doorway
while we talked to him.
Tuesday was ok. We had a
lesson with a less active named Lavinia about prophets and then our next lesson
fell through, so we went to the library since we got a call that I had missed a
part of my technology training on accident. Well, we got there and Andy was
outside! We were so excited because we wanted to see him and set up another
appointment with him. So that was a miracle! Then we went to another lesson,
but she was asleep (we found that out later) so we talked for almost an hour
with a guy named Chris on the street about the plan of salvation. He didn't
want to set a return appointment, but Sister Sovala got really mad at him (it
was quite hilarious) and we got a return appointment with him. So then we went
to Melvin's house. Melvin is special. He is obsessed with the Confederates and
has a Confederate flag in his house and framed pictures of Robert E. Lee and
Stonewall Jackson on his wall. He kept saying I was a dang yankee when I told
him I was from Arizona. So then I was like "Well I grew up in Texas"
in an effort to calm him down and he goes off about how that's even worse because
that's the most North we can go...then he asked where my parents were from so I
said Utah and Idaho and he looks at me, smiles, and says "I knew there was
a reason you have such lovely Confederate Eyes." I think he needs an
updated map...and history lessons. But I didn't tell him that because this way
I can just laugh to myself when we talk to him.
We hardly did anything
on Wednesday. We had district meeting in the morning and then travelled to
Sheffield because Sister Sovala had a doctor's appointment. We had lunch and
studies in the cafeteria. The cafeteria was actually really nice. I think it
was the nicest meal I've had yet. I had duck for those of you who are
wondering, which probably isn't very many. So we were there pretty much all
day. I had to talk to people in the waiting room while she was gone. It wasn't
very productive because everytime I got to the gospel, they got called back
into the doctor's office. But we did have a dinner appointment with a less
active family. The wife is too sick to make it to church but they're so excited
the missionaries have found them again and are able to bring the Spirit back
into their home!
Everything fell through
on Thursday. Andy forgot his appointment, so we called the lady who was asleep
the other day and she happened to be in town, so she came to meet up with us at
the chapel. She is really struggling and asked us to ask the elders for a
blessing, so they set up an appointment with her the next day. While we were
walking around town, we ran into Andy and he was mad at us because we weren't
ther for him, but we were. Then we found out he forgot the time and showed up
at 2:30 instead of 12:00. So we rescheduled and then we went to Ephraim's and
had a lesson with him in the park about the 10 commandments and obedience and
then went over the INTERVIEW QUESTIONS!!!! Then we had a lesson with Darren and
tea at their house. We then had an hour long bus ride back home and were
thankful to be done with the day!
Friday was so short! We
had a really long weekly planning session trying to decide what to do for the
next week. Then we stopped by June and then went to the lesson with Livia where
the elders gave her a blessing. It was a beautiful blessing and when they left
she said "I finally feel at peace...this will be ok, won't it?" So we
had a great lesson with her about the purpose of trials and she was really
strengthened!! Then we travelled to a dinner appointment with a member. The bus
going home was apparently stopped for like an hour because some guy decided his
car was too fancy to turn onto the road he needed to and so he stopped in the
middle of the road....so we got back pretty late to Ephraim's lesson, but it
was ok. We taught him more about President Monson and then ran into the elders.
They had a package for Sister Sovala which really brightened her day! Her
family even wrote me a little postcard that was so cute!
Andy forgot his lesson
on Saturday too. So we saw that the Chapel on the Bridge (one of the oldest
churches in England dating back to the 1400s) was actually open. It is only
open on the third Saturday of every month for a few hours. So we took our lunch
break and toured it. It is super small, only one room, but it was really cool!
So then our next few lessons also cancelled. So we had to run home and grab the
baptism papers for Ephraim because he had his interview! He is getting baptized
on the 30th! It would be sooner, but he has to go to London for a week :/ and
we didn't really want to pass him onto the London Missionaries...So then we
went and had a lesson with Pam and her husband Richard about talents and
supporting each other in those talents and pursuits.
Sunday. Oh Sunday! I
love Sundays so much! We had a little bit of a weird Sunday because our branch
president got released and our mission leader got put in as the new president.
So he has to pull double duty for a few weeks, poor man! But it should be
really good! Then Nathan cancelled his lesson with us and Ephraim got called
into Sheffield last minute. So the two people we can always count on let us
down! Anyways, we then had a lesson with Graham. It was amazing! We talked
about the power of prayer and he actually wanted to say the closing prayer!
Such a miracle! And it was such a beautiful prayer. He's really making a lot of
progress. Slow. But a lot. We are so thankful for him and how much he always
makes us laugh!
So yeah, it has been a
great week! My thought for the week comes from President Monson's "On
Being Spiritually Prepared" talk :
"In the search for
our best selves, several questions will guide our thinking: Am I what I want to
be? Am I closer to the Savior today than I was yesterday? Will I be closer yet
tomorrow? Do I have the courage to change for the better?" May we all find our best selves through
our daily service to others and the Lord! I love you all and am so grateful for
all your prayers.
Love,
--
--
Sister Hope
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