Transfers! -- September 26, 2016

What a crazy tiring week...
Monday we got picked up from a recent convert and member from one of Sister Calles' previous areas and they took us to Cleethorpes which is a sea side town. It wasn't sunny, so we didn't go play on the beach. But we did do some fun activities around including eating at Taco Bell since those are rare here in England and Sister Calles wanted to try it. Then we got on a bus to Hull with the Grimsby Sisters. We got
there around 8 o'clock and Sister Blair left us some finding challenges for the rest of the night. They were

1. Testify of the Law of Chastity
2. Tell someone how you feel the Spirit
3. Contact a former (she gave us the name and address and some info)
4. And find someone with blue hair to compliment

So we tried. We found an 18 year old boy to testify of chastity to. Which was really awkward because for some reason when I looked at the page, I thought it was word of wisdom. So I was way confused why she
was telling him about chastity and wasn't prepared to jump in because I was so lost...then we found some really nice Muslims and talked to them about how we connect to God and the importance of feeling faith
in our life. Then we contacted the former. Who said he wasn't the same person but the background he gave us was the same, just a different name...so we're pretty sure he just wasn't interested. But we didn't find anyone with blue hair. So sad times. We found someone with a blue hoodie on, but Sister Calles wouldn't let me count it, even though it was kinda his replacement hair...

Tuesday was so spectacular! So we woke up and had a Sisters Meeting as the zone. So all eight sisters in our zone went to have a great meeting and Sister Turvey Skyped in. So that was really fun! Then we had the shortest exchange ever. I was with Sister Manning this time. She just came out this transfer, so we did 12 Weeks training together which was a little awkward because I didn't know how Sister Blair normally does it. But then we went to teach a less active named Carol. It was so cool! We were planning on talking to her about the Word of Wisdom and relating it to the temple. Before we started, we were following up on her reading and she said the phrase "turn their tents towards the temple" kept sticking out to her so she thought Heavenly Father was trying to tell her something. We looked at each other and said "yes He is." So we had a great lesson and The Spirit was so strong! Then we went back to the flat and I packed both mine and Sister Calles' things and we met them at the train station. So yeah, it was a great day and we learned a lot!

Wednesday was INTERESTING! So we had district meeting as we do every week and it was really good. It was on asking for referrals and using The Book of Mormon more in finding. Then we barely missed our bus back and had no money to buy lunch, so we had to wait an hour and do finding and then go. We were going to have to skip lunch because of a lesson, but she texted while we were on the bus that she was ill, so while we were sad we couldn't see her, we were glad that we got lunch! Then we went out street contacting and ran into Josephine! We talked to her a little bit about her family and how Ben is doing. She's so funny. She's starting to read sections of For the Strength of Youth to him to wake him up. We cracked up at that! Then we went to wait for a ride to this guys house and while we were waiting, we saw him come walking up. So obviously he forgot and wasn't in. But that's ok. We went to his neighbourhood anyways because we had run into some other people knocking his street so we tried by them and none of them were in. So we walked back to town and had a lesson with Jackie. She's doing so good! She's changing so much and it is just the most amazing thing to see!

Thursday was interesting. Everyone in the morning dropped us. So we walked around and did some finding. We found this lady with ten kids. She likes the idea of eternal families and asked what she has to do to have that. Well long story short, were teaching her now and we made a deal to do some service for her in her garden and house and then have a lesson. We just didn't get a phone number because she lost her phone, but we left it that we'd pop by later to get her number. Then we went to try and find Georgina. She wasn't in, so we came back for lunch. After lunch we had a lesson with a guy named Sam. He's 20 and so excited to learn something new! He even sent us a text after that he really enjoyed the first session and was looking forward to more! Then we went finding some more and had a really awkward encounter in town that still makes me mad! So we asked this guy where he got his jacket and he was talking to us quite a bit and then he saw our badges and got upset. We could tell, so we didn't transition into the gospel, we just kept talking about his jacket. Then he got even more mad and was like you shouldn't ask about jackets if you really just wants to talk about Jesus Christ. And I don't want to talk about Jesus Christ. Well, I had left my jacket in the flat after lunch since it wasn't too cold. So I said "no I really am looking for a jacket. I'm from a desert in America and so I'm going to be needing a new jacket soon" anyways he just left after that. We were going the other way, so we kept going and stopped another lady. She was asking us if we could go help her mom and we were explaining how missionaries work when this guy comes back and just stands there. The lady got really uncomfortable and was like "hi" and he says "they liked my jacket, did they like your blouse? (Which was actually the approach we had used, so that was more annoying) they seem like nice girls but they don't really care. They're just devious and are trying to recruit people" Sister Calles and I just kept looking at each other and we asked him "I'm sorry, did we offend you by liking your jacket?" And he said no he just wanted to protect this nice lady. She got mad at that point and told him she could handle herself and it was time for him to leave. She took our card and told us she had to go because her car meter had almost run out. So we were mad because he was just really rude and we hadn't even tried teaching him anything! Anyways, then we went to our next lesson, but they weren't home. So we left to go to Ben and Josephine's. We got there a little early, so we jumped on the trampoline for a little bit. Which woke us up and then we had a great lesson with Ben on Sabbath Day Holy and Obedience. He said he wants to review the Word of Wisdom next time. So we're excited he's asking questions and really wanting to learn the most he can! Then we were going to go home for dinner, but Josephine wouldn't have that, so we ate with them!

Friday was great though! We had weekly planning all morning and then when we went to an appointment, the ladys name is Lin and she wasn't in. She rents a room out to some guy though and his friend answered the door. So we talked with him for about twenty minutes. He really felt the Spirit and wants us to keep teaching him! So that was a miracle! Then we decided to try by Georgina again. She was actually in! So we set a time to go back since she was cooking dinner for her kids. Then we had a dinner appointment with a couple in the branch and they took us to go visit Michael. We taught him some more about the Priesthood and are trying to help prepare him for the Melchizedek Priesthood! That's so way exciting! Michael is so great and such an inspiration. He first met the missionaries about twenty years ago and kept turning them away which gives me hope for some of the people we're meeting now that they'll accept in twenty years!

Saturday was miraculous! We had Mormon.org time first thing and then went to try by a lady we felt prompted to. Well she wasn't in, but her husband was. His mom had just died and he was still mourning and had a lot of questions. We answered the best we could in the short time we had and are definitely going to go back! Then we came back for a quick lunch and popped by a few people. We went back to !aria and got her phone number and then started her garden a little with the promise to go back and finish when we can teach her a lesson. Then we went to Jackies to go to the branch activity. Poor Ben thought we had a lesson at 3:30, but it was actually Sunday at 3:30, so we kidnapped him to the activity as well. He couldn't stay long but he enjoyed it while he was there! And Jackie loved it! She made a lot of friends and when we took her home, we were planning on watching The Restoration video with her. So we did and then she asked if she could come to church. So we ran to the members house who takes us to church and asked him. He said of course! Miracles happen!

We went to Jackies early to help her get ready for church and sorting her animals. Well she surprised us and was all ready! She asked us to do her eyebrows and make up for her! So Sister Calles plucked and I colored them in. It is so great to see she really wanted to go and look her best! She really enjoyed church, was beaming the whole time, and even sang the hymns with us! Then we came in for a quick lunch. We were supposed to meet Sam, but he wasn't there. So we tried by Lin. She was in and showed us all around her house. She draws a lot and covers all her walls and ceilings with her artwork. We shared a message with her and committed her to keep meeting with us. Then we went to have a lesson with Ben at the O'Grams house. It was so fun! We were going over the Word of Wisdom again and had a fun object lesson on peer pressure with him. We took him out into the garden and had Sister O'Gram point out her favorite plant. So she did and we asked her if it needed to be watered. She said it did. So we handed Ben a juice bottle and told him to water the plant. He was so confused. I got to play the tempter :D and so I was sitting there like Ben it's ok, I do it. It won't hurt the plant. If you're scared, just try it once. You'll see. While Sister O'Gram was like No! Don't ruin my favorite plant! Juice is bad for it! He was pretty confused and then he looked at me confused and I burst end out laughing and he goes "oh I get it, peer pressure" so we talked about how we know what's right and we know what we should do and we shouldn't let other people talk us into something else. Then we watched the Mormon Message "A Shower of Heavenly Blessings" and talked about how disobedience is like putting an umbrella up to Heavenly Fathers blessings but repentance is when we close the umbrella. It was such a good lesson and he left pretty determined to not give in to peer pressure! Then we ran to meet Sister Elliot and have a lesson with Jackie. We talked about repentance and how we've never gone too far to be out of reach of His love. It was really powerful! We're not sure how much she believed us, but she accepted it! That's good! Then we went in and awaited transfer calls. The big news is: I am staying in Louth and second half training Sister Manning (which means she has been out one transfer and since training is two transfers, I will finish training her) and Sister Calles is moving to Selby in York.

"The Lord honors and favors those who need prophetic direction" -Carol F. McConkie, "live according to the words of the prophets" With General Conference coming up, I really hope we are all preparing ourselves to hear the words of our living prophet and apostles. It really is a bold claim to say we have a prophet leading our church and a claim I am so grateful to have a testimony of! Hope everyone has a great week and does prepare to be taught and edifices by our prophet. I love you all!

Sister Hope