Dear family and friends,
It has been a great last week here in Rotherham. I am really sad to have to say goodbye to so many great people, but unfortunately I am getting transferred. But Sister Sovala and I are staying together for her last few weeks in the field. We will be going to an area called Horbury. We are excited to stay together but a little anxious to be white washed and washing. Kinda weird but should be good!
So this past week has been really tough especially because it seemed as if every day, Sister Sovala and I took turns feeling sick to our stomachs. But we pushed through and looking back we're glad we didn't stay in because we still worked with all our might. So Monday, we were supposed to have a girls night with some of the YSA aged girls in our branch, but they all cancelled. So we decided to go have a lesson with Rambo. So we called Pam and then got on the bus. Well there are three busses that say they go around Kimberworth Park, but apparently they all go to different parts of the park. So we got lost on the bus yet again. We came back to the interchange, told Rambo we were going the next morning and then had a lesson with Pam. It was such a tender mercy because she really needed someone to talk to and remind her of her divine nature! So Heavenly Father works in mysterious ways for sure.
I woke up on Tuesday feeling so sick, so I slept through our study time. I still wasn't feeling super well, but we went to a lesson with Rambo anyways and it was very interesting. He said he had one question before we started and it took him like 45 minutes to get the whole question out! So we still didn't get to teach the restoration. But whatever. So then we came back to town and had lunch in the chapel. While we were there, the bell rang, so we answered the door and one of the members, Tim, showed up. He said he'd been talking to this guy and wanted to give him a pass along card and a Book of Mormon. And that he felt he should go to the chapel at that moment. What a great tender mercy yet again! Then we went to visit a less active who forgot we were coming and was headed out the door. Right as we said goodbye, our phone rang and there was a repair guy at our flat to fix some things and so we had to go home to let him in. He had apparently been meeting with the elders before and still had a bunch of questions so we were able to answer those! Then since I still wasn't feeling very well, we walked around for a little bit and did some street contacting.
Wednesday I was feeling much better. We went to district meeting and then had a lunch appointment with this lady Caroline and her daughter Miracle. They are from Zimbabwe and made us some delicious food! We were so stuffed though! Walking hurt. We were there for a while because she had a lot of questions and our next two lessons had cancelled. By the time we left, we decided we had time to drop by one former to say goodbye to just in case we got transferred. We talked with her and then realized the time. We got back to town and watched the bus we needed to catch drive away. The next bus was in an hour. So we had to catch a taxi. We had dinner with them and just remember we were already stuffed.
We woke up still full on Thursday. So we went to have a lesson with Ephrem and retaught the restoration through song. Then we had branch correlation and got fed there. Still stuffed! Then we did 12 weeks and some street contacting and went to have a lesson and tea appointment at Barbara's house. Now we're over-stuffed. But then we went to Graham's. Luckily he didn't try to feed us as well. We had a good lesson with him, but unfortunately he decided he wants to stick to his own beliefs. But it was still good and he's still one of our favorites!
Friday. We were supposed to do splits all day with Abbie and Becky but Becky broke her foot. So she stayed in. We went to a lesson with Lavinia to say goodbye and tell her she needs to go to church. And then we went to the chapel because we were going to have a lesson with Michael but he cancelled while we were on the bus, so we had a lesson with Abbie instead. Then the three of us went to a lesson with Rambo. Apparently his real name is Rahman (Pronounced like Ramon) but he goes by Rambo because that was his fighting name when he was a wrestler or something. Anyways it was an ok lesson but we're honestly not sure how much he takes in with his English. But the Spirit was there so that's what's important! Then we went home early. We found out the mission is selling our flat so they wanted everything packed up before transfers. So we figured if we spent like 2 hours on it, we'd be fine! It didn't work that way. I got mostly packed and we scrubbed the kitchen but that was about it. But then we were tired so we went to bed.
Saturday was so great! Well besides the fact all our lessons flogged us (cancelled or didn't show up) it was so great! We tried by a less active who none of her neighbors knew so we're pretty sure she moved a while ago. Then we went on a bus that we knew had a circular route and just bus contacted for half an hour. That was fun! Then Michael decided he wanted to see us again finally. Well we already had plans to go do service for Pam, and he decided to come along! So we went to Pam's and had a great lesson on the talk from April 2002 called "For Thy Good" which is all about the problems we go through in mortality and I really recommend it! Then we got to service! We helped them de-junk their house and got like 5 trash bags of books and CDs they didn't want out. So we did that for about an hour and then Michael had to go, but the elders, Nathan, and President Jones showed up and we began the scrubbing process. It was so good! We scrubbed for like three hours and that house was a completely different house when we left it! We had to leave early because we don't have a car and the busses are funky now since a road has been closed for construction. So we said goodbye and left the elders and president and Nathan to finish. We're going over today to make sure they did a good job ;)
The most amazing thing happened on Sunday! Tim blessed the sacrament for the first time and he spoke so clearly we could hear every word! I don't know exactly what Tim has, but he is in a wheelchair and can barely talk. I meant to take a picture with him but he left early so I didn't get one. But he is one who is so amazing. He was baptized in November and due to his disability they were going to do a special baptism or something but he refused and wanted to be baptized by immersion, so the two elders carried him into the water and baptized him. Isn't that so cool?!? He is the same Tim that came to get a Book of Mormon while we were at the chapel. He is one of my Rotherham heroes for sure! Anyways, after church, we had lunch and then went street contacting. We ran into Graham and his parents. So we got to meet his parents. They are so sweet! His mom has dementia pretty badly though so we had the same conversation like twenty times of where we're from and everything. It was so funny! So we finally got away and then went to visit a friend named Jazzmine to say goodbye to her and wish her well in her pregnancy! Then we came in to await transfer calls. So our mission does this thing called T-books. I have no idea what the t stands for. But it's basically like a yearbook of sorts that people sign. So Sister Sovala and I decided we'd write in each others while waiting for the call because we were like 99% sure we were leaving Rotherham. Well the call came at 11:01, so we wrote memories for like two hours. Then found out we were staying together. So that was fun! At least all our Rotherham memories are together.
So I'm sorry this was so long. It's just been a really great week! My spiritual thought comes from Elder Eduardo Gavarret's talk "Yes Lord, I Will Follow Thee" "As you strive to come to Him, you will gain of the power to relieve life's burdens, whether physical or spiritual, and experience a positive inner change that will help you be happier" So there you have it! The secret to happiness is coming closer to Christ! I know this is so true because despite all the hard and tiring times I've had these past few months, I've never been happier and I've never been closer to the Lord. So go find happiness! I love you all and will talk to you next week!
Question: What is your favorite Book of Mormon story and why? I'm wanting to put together lesson plans for chapters in the Book of Mormon and would appreciate any advice on stories that have helped you guys through hard times! Thanks!!
Sister Hope
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