Hello!
Monday was pretty good. We had
kinda a long PDay trying to get shopping done and figure out how to send
pictures home for Sister Tautkus. Anyways, it took awhile but we finally made
it to the Grimsby chapel and made banana bread and pizza for lunch/tea. So we
ate that and watched MegaMind. That movie is hilarious. I do t know why I'd
never seen it before! It was so funny! Anyways, our lesson had to be
rescheduled because they caught the stomach flu. So we did Area Book Finding
instead. It's just getting too cold to walk around for two hours in dark and
empty streets. So we figured it was more effective calling formers.
Tuesday was interesting. I
learned how to drive stick shift. That was an adventure. Then we did service at
Josephine's and helped her get her Christmas decorations up. The we caught the
bus to Hull. On the way to Grimsby, I talked with this really great guy who
wants to invite Christ back into his life to be a better example to his kids.
But he lives out of our area. So it was a really short day. We had 12 weeks and
tea in the Sisters' flat in Hull. Felt like we didn't do anything, but it was
still good!
Wednesday was AMAZING! We caught
a taxi and coach again to Huddersfield and had our Christmas Social
Party! 🎉 we
wound up getting there about two hours early which was really frustrating
because we had to wake up at 4:45 to get ready. But oh well. Come what may and
love it. And we did love it! First of all, we got to wear jeans! Such a relief!
We played games and made crafts and then had a talent show. So that was really
fun! Almost nobody from our zone did anything though because it wasn't
communicated well. But whatever! So we then had lunch which was absolutely
fabulous! Then Santa and Mrs. Claus came to visit us! Sorry I was looking at
another camera...
Then we went into the chapel for the
Nativity presentation and Carol Singing. Then we came home. Elder Clinton and I
talked to this lady on the bus ride home and she wanted to go to church on
Sunday! Unfortunately she lives in Grimsby. So for the second day in a row, I
talked to someone who was interested but would have to be a referral. Anyways,
we spent the night at the Grimsby Sisters' flat.
Thursday we woke up and did Personal and
companionship Study with the Grimsby sisters so that was fun! We practiced
setting expectations with members which was interesting. Then we caught the bus
home and had lunch and then the bus to Mablethorpe to teach Stuart. So funny
story? We had previously mentioned the Word of Wisdom, but hadn't gone in
depth. Anyways, so he gets to the lesson and Sister Dickens asked him what he
wanted to drink and he said coffee. Well of course we corrected him that he
wanted hot chocolate. But he insisted and so she got him a coffee. Then we
begin the lesson and say we're going to teach the Word of Wisdom and her
granddaughter said "well this will be interesting" and it was. He
tried arguing with us, but we have God on our side and he's stopped drinking
coffee now. So then we came home and had tea and then went to Jane and Andy's.
We answered questions and were so excited because we've been trying to cut down
lesson times so we're at people's houses less than an hour and we had been
there for 55 minutes. So all that was left was the prayer! We were so excited!
So we asked Andy to say it and knelt down. We kneeled on their floor for 45
minutes trying to get him to pray. He kept almost starting and then laughing
and saying no he wouldn't. So we'd encourage a little more and he'd think about
it and then say no. Well finally after 45 minutes, our feet had gone to sleep
so we just prayed and left. We were a little worried we'd get in trouble for
being there nearly two hours, but our district leader just laughed and said to
keep trying. So because we were there way longer than anticipated, we only had
about half an hour of 12 weeks. We did an activity that Sister Sovala had done
with me since this week is the power of revelation through the Book of Mormon.
It's really hard to explain, but I felt bad because Sister Tautkus was crying
by the end of it. But she said she'd pass it on to her next companions too. So
I guess it wasn't too scarring for her!
Friday we felt disobedient, but we weren't!
We left right after personal Study and did our last two hours of driving. Then
we came in for companionship Study and lunch and then did weekly planning. So
finally around 3:30, we left the flat again, effectively using all our daylight
hours inside. So we went to the library and did Mormon.org time
before the library shut for the holiday weekend. Then waited at the bus stop
until the bus came to take us to Sister Harvey's house for tea. We had tea and
then she came with us to have a lesson with Chris. He's decided he still wants
to learn, but feels too pressured to have a date. So that kinda broke Sister
Tautkus' heart but I still have faith in him! It's been such a rollercoaster
even getting him to meet with us that the fact we've seen him two weeks in a
row is amazing!
Saturday was Christmas Eve. We went to
people's homes to Carol and deliver Christmas cards. But very few people were
in. And when we got on the bus to Michael's, we were the only people on the bus
other than the driver and his words to us were "So there is life in
Louth!" Which was pretty funny! So we delivered the card to him and then
got ice cream while waiting for the bus...
We continued delivering cards and then met
Stuart at the bus station. This really amazing member found out he was going to
be spending Christmas alone, so she invited him to spend it at her house with
her family! So we are taking advantage of the fact he is now down the road and
will hopefully be finishing the lessons this week so he can have his interview!
We talked about the 10 Commandments and went in depth on Sabbath Day and Obey
and Honour the law. Then we went to tea at the Dodds' house. They did a special
Family Home Evening and read this book called "The Tale of The Three
Trees" which I would highly recommend looking up! It is so good! Then we
went and read the Christmas Story with Jackie. Then we came in and set up the
tree for pictures and since each of us had the tradition back home to open one
present Christmas Eve, we did that.
Sunday we got to sleep in! We could've slept
in 2 hours, but decided to only do an hour and a half since Sister Tautkus
wanted to do her hair and makeup before opening everything. What a girl! So we
got mostly ready for the day and then opened presents and then finished getting
ready for the day. We met up with Jane and went to church. The church was
packed! We had 4 investigators and a couple less actives! It was such a great
day to be a missionary and see the Spirit of Christmas work on people!
Hopefully it'll become a New Years Resolution for some of them to keep coming!
Then we came home and grabbed a few things and then went to the O'Grams for
lunch. Which over here since they're deprived of Thanksgiving, they basically
do a Thanksgiving meal Christmas Day. So we were stuffed. And we got to talk to
our families! Such a great time! I'm glad I have my family! They're pretty
amazing! Anyways, then we went to have another lesson with Stuart about Thomas
S. Monson which went pretty well! Then we went to the Wilson's for the evening.
We played games that the girls had gotten for Christmas and then had leftovers
from their Christmas meal.
So today is Boxing Day, or the day after
Christmas. We got to sleep in again! I'll tell you the rest next week! But
happy Boxing Day everybody!
My spiritual thought comes from President
Uchtdorfs talk "The Merciful Obtain Mercy"
"My dear brothers and sisters, consider
the following questions as a self-test:
Do you harbor a grudge against someone else?
Do you gossip, even when what you say may be true? Do you exclude, push away,
or punish others because of something they have done? Do you secretly envy
another? Do you wish to cause harm to someone? If you answered yes to any of
these questions, you may want to apply the two-word sermon from earlier: stop
it! In a world of accusations and unfriendliness, it is easy to gather and cast
stones. But before we do so, let us remember the words of the One who is our Master
and model: “He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone.”
Brothers and sisters, let us put down our stones. Let us be kind. Let us
forgive. Let us talk peacefully with each other. Let the love of God fill our
hearts. Let us do good unto all men.”
Sister Tautkus and I have been thinking of
what New Years Resolutions we could extend to investigators and members and
this is what we decided on. I'd like to encourage each of you to do a real self
evaluation of what you could do better. We are working on this as well and I
know this talk can help us if we let it. Thank you all for your support. This
has been a great 7 and a half months and I'm so excited for the next 10! I love
you all, hope you had a wonderful Christmas and that your New Years is just as
good of not better.
Sister Hope
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