This week has been interesting. I'll just spare you the long winded, substance lacking introduction and get to the point.
Last Wednesday we went to the modern art museum and I'm usually pretty open minded in terms of looking for meaning in modern art. This was literally a room of rubbish methodically scattered about a small room So we all kind of chuckled, looked for five minutes and left. So that was fun. We also had a little tender mercy because I was feeling a little down toward the end of the day when we bumped into to members who took us out to dinner. So that was awesome.
Thursday is honestly a blur. I cannot remember for the life of me what happened other than the dinner we had. There's an amazing family, the pakynteins, who fed us and their kids are insane but pretty funny. Yeah I legitimately can't remember. It doesn't help that I'm behind in my journal. So yeah. It was a good day though. Nothing life alterning happened so I guess that's good.
Friday was a bit crazy. I was on exchange with Elder Quilter and we had the chance to go to the neighbouring town to help some missionaries find people to teach. It was bucketing down rain. It was absolutely ridiculous. But we still helped them find someone to teach! So that's exciting. Elder Quilter and I also made the Adobo mix given to me by a filipino family in my last area. Let me just say, it's amazing.
Saturday we did pretty regular missionary things and we were able to find even more people to meet and teach! We also did finding together as a district and we were knocking these neighbourhoods that were a little dodgy. So we're walking along, this is Elder Burton and I now, and we ask this guy if he has a moment to chat. He says he's in a rush and carries on. So we carry on at our pace and then see him a block later. We watch him get into a car that just pulled up, exchange something, and then get out and the car drove away. He walked quickly in the opposite direction. So, without knowing the full story, we either witnessed a really important exchange of information between two people with very busy schedules and no other way or time to communicate or it was drugs. I think it was probably the first one.
Sunday was a bit crazy because I did something totally out of my comfort zone and sang with three other missionaries in church! We did a medley of two church songs, and we got major compliments. One person said that he could tell who was singing what part when elder Burton and I were doing our harmony so that was pretty cool. I just decided that I wouldn't say it was a bit out of my comfort zone and that I would just own it and then I'd be okay with it. And I was the whole two weeks we practiced for it. I was still really nervous but it went really well and there was a really sweet spirit present. So look out amateur chruch choirs worldwide, I'm coming for your coveted volunteer tenor spots ;-)
Monday can be described as follows: Elder Burton and I had a long chat. We've worked things out. Sometimes, you really just need to talk through things. That makes life so much better. Whether it's with your best friend, your spouse, your boss, talk it out. Do it with love and respect and you'll come out of it with a better and stronger relationship. We also went to the wrathalls house for dinner. He is a world famous modern philosopher teaching at Oxford. They're super cool and super chill, like almost too chill. It was so chill I almost felt on edge about how chill it was. But it was awesome.
Yesterday was a great day because I passed the theory portion of my driving test! Woooooo! I was super nervous and stressed but I did it! It was really We did because the company Pearson is who creates the tests for the British government. They're also the same company that created all of my standardized tests as a child. I felt like I was taking an SOL again and it was only slightly traumatizing. I'm halfway to being fully licensed! Exciting stuff. We also had a really fantastic dinner appointment with the Hoffmires. They're so cool and we were able to get some really good ideas from them about how to help the church grow here in Oxford and how we can best serve the needs of this area. We also shared some really tender experiences together. They're a nice family. Elder Burton and I have some big ideas in the works for the future of missionary work in Oxford. They'll never know what hit them.
British food of the week: nandos - restaurant focused on chicken. That's basically it but it's a massive craze here
British Word of the week: whilst - pretentious English for while (I like it though)
Companion comic: you're gonna want to buckle yourselves in for this one. So let me set the scene. The sister missionaries in Oxford live in a flat right in the middle of city center. Sunday night elder Burton wanted to make coffee cake but we had run out of milk. So naturally we asked the sister missionaries if we could have a cup of milk so we could make coffee cake. They happily obliged. We got to City centre right outside of their flat after having dinner with an amazing family. We see them wave at us from the window and then they proceed to open said window and hold up a bag, that's right all you Canadians, a bag that has been tied that is full of milk and measuring cups. And they proceed to tell us they're not coming down but instead are going to throw it to us. Elder Burton starts walking away but I knew that someone needed to catch the milk bag. So I stood beneath the window to catch it when they almost threw it onto the anti nesting spikes on the ledge, hence the title of my email. Then they threw it. And I caught it. Do you know what it's like catching a bag of milk from the heavens? It's indescribable. But we then made amazing coffee cake. So it was worth it. And only a few people gave us weird looks.
But I wanted to make a parallel to this story. Sometimes, the experiences we have are like bags of milk. They are precious and really valuable. However, there are some things going on in the world around us that can poke holes in our experiences if we let them. These spikes are everywhere but they're noticeable and avoidable. Don't seek sorrow. Don't seek disappointment. Such will come to you always no matter what. You don't need more sorrow and disappointment. Seek joy. Seek happiness. Cradle the good experiences you have, like they're fragile bags of milk.
God is amazing. He sees us in our struggles. He sees us in our triumphs. I love Him, I love my Savior, I love you all, and thanks for all the love and support you give me. Love,
Elder Finnegan McKinley
England London South Mission (for now...)
Adobo, city, what the museum looked like, frayends
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