Good morning friends, family, neighbors, and loose acquaintances! I love you all and hope you have had an amazing week. As you can tell, the week didn't have too many exciting, out of the ordinary things happen so I could not come up with a good email title. Moving on...
We had Stake Conference this weekend! Its basically just a big gathwring of a bunch of local congregations and It last a whole weekend and is so enriching and uplifting. It was really wonderful. Our mission President spoke about seeking light and how Christ brings that light to all who seek Him. I know that to be true from personal experience. I also know that any of you seeking a brighter life can find it in and through Jesus Christ.
Another speaker spoke of remebering to be inclusive of all in the church, and she particularly focused on including women. She quoted both Maya Angelou and Michelle Obama and I loved it. A dear friend posed the question to me last week regarding the expectations of women in the LDS culture. I wanted to take a moment to get on my soap box for a moment. The LDS faith is centered on families: creating them, raising them, teaching them, loving them, and preserving them. I think this can portray a notion (and cause individual members of the church to perpetuate a notion) that a woman's highest responsibility is to have children and that forgoing a career is required to be the "best mother". In a faith centered on families, it is paramount that we remember that both men and women must have equal stake in the growth of the family if we are to produce loving homes, families, and societies. Each couple is different. We are each blessed with the agency to choose our own paths. So regardless of what anyone says, inside or outside of the church, choose your own path. Within the church, respect and honor the commandments of God in choosing your path, but still, choose your own path. Have a career. Be a mother. Be a father. Just be united and love each other as you do it.
We had exchange this weekend as well. On exchange I got to see the lighting of the bonfire with the effigy of Guy Fawkes sitting atop it. It was quite cool. Man there was a lot of people though which actually makes it more difficult to chat with people about the gospel of Jesus Christ because you can't find someone willing to stop and you can barely even single someone out to talk to. But it was fun nonetheless.
We met a man named Paul a few weeks ago and after passing him a few times in town, we got talking and he said we could come round and visit him sometime. We did that this week. He lives in the middle of nowhere. Like actually. We thought we were lost but then we kept going and found his house. He is such a kind guy. He is from Zimbabwe and hunts and his house is a traditional English cottage with a thatched roof and the whole house is over 500 years old. From the time we started talking with him to the time we ended, I saw a big change in his attitude towards us. The Spirit that we carry as missionaries has an effect on people and I've seen it many times this week. The first time we met him he was a little standoffish and didn't want to talk. Leaving his home the other day, he gave both Elder Lopiano and I hugs. It's amazing how quickly people's perception of you can change.
British Word of the Week: veg - veggies, vegetables, or a singular veggie or vegetable. It's all veg
Brisith Food of the Week: fish pie - basically fish, cheese, mash potatoes and veg. Quite good actually.
Scripture of the Week: Alma 19:6 You should read the whole chapter and the few before and after it to get the whole story but this verse is great. It speaks of how the light of God, of Christ, can and will clear out even the darkest of souls. It can fill us with greater joy than we can imagine. I've definitely seen it in my own life.
Companion comic: Elder Still is the missionary who took the photo attached. Love him to death, but every time he takes a picture of me it's blurry. I love him though.
I want to leave you with a humbling experience. We were at stake conference in Plymouth and after it had all ended, we were mingling about with some of the other members when a man approached us. He said that another man had just waled into the building and asked if someone could give him a blessing. When I say a blessing, it is something that priesthood holders in our church can give to people who are sick or needing comfort. We were surprised but really agreed. We met the man and learned his name was Barney. He has been meeting with missionaries in London and wants to continue, but fell ill with pneumonia when he came to visit his mother in Plymouth a month ago. We spoke a bit and then I had the opportunity to give him a blessing. This man was not yet a member of our church. But he had more faith than lifetime members I know, probably myself included. He knew that we as missionaries could help him because we are called of God. He had faith that the blessing we gave him would help. I'm humbled to have been able to meet him and give him a blessing. I hope I see him again. Also, it was crazy because he visited Hampton, Va last November! For those of you who don't know, I worked there last summer! Shoutout to all my Virginia Spacegrant family.
Well I love you all and thanks for the emails and well wishes. Keep sending them! You all are the best.
Love,
Elder McKinley
First attempt at exchange photo
Lovely clouds from looking out the kitchen window
A slightly better but still blurry photo
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