Howdy there friends, comrades, and all around good people. This week has been a little ridiculous and utterly draining but I will get right into it.
Tuesday we got to meet our new mission president and his wife, President and Sister Checketts. They are amazing. I absolutely love them already. They are so kind and determined to help us all grow closer to Christ. I am so excited to be serving with them for the next 14 months. I also went to London. Like London London. Not just the train station but Hyde Park. We had our meetings in the chapel where President Nelson had his first stop on his recent global tour. It felt awesome. It also felt super weird and there is going to be some interesting days ahead as these two mission cultures blend and everyone gets their footing, but I am excited. I got to see some of my missionary friends which is always fantastic. We also met some missionaries from the old London mission and it was really different interacting with them. It was kind of like they filled the chapel with oil and water and tried mixing the two, but it was not super effective. I think it will take time, but the most important thing is we are all excited to be here serving God. President Checketts is really making an emphasis on moving forward in unity and I think we will do just that. it just may take a little time.
Wednesday we had a mini fourth of july breakfast with the petersens where we ate omelettes and shared what we love about America. I was not expecting to miss America as much as I did, but I missed it a lot. If there's one country where they don't even pretend to celebrate it, it's England. But it was all good because we were able to visit this lady in the hospital. We had visited her Monday night and she was in a sorry state. We were able to see her again and she was doing so much better. She still had rough trials ahead, but she was remaining hopeful. She said some things that really touched my heart. It's conversations like the ones I had with her that make everything I do as a missionary worthwhile.
Thursday involved finding, listening to the terrible things that certain people have had to go through, a barbecue, and consoling a friend who had a hard week at work and with his love life. Definitely was one of my more interesting days, but what I have learned over and over again is how Jesus Christ can and will help us through any and every situation we find ourselves in. We just have to reach out and grasp His outstretched hand.
Friday was just surreal. So, I have a friend named Garrett who I went to high school with. We have really spoken in person in about 2+ years. It just so happens that this Garrett is in oxford for a summer term and that I just happen to be one of the missionaries assigned to Oxford. It also just so happens that Garrett has a friend in his summer term program that is a member of the LDS church who is actually from my home stake. So we all ate dinner together! It was so surreal. In talking with Garrett, I realised that there were so many places and things that I had not thought about in years and I just was taken back 5-10 years in the past to the world I once knew. It was just surreal. In high school I remember thinking about the day I would one day meet an old friend for a meal and reminisce and reflect on days gone by. Friday was one of those days. It was so surreal. It was really wonderful too because I was able to share a Book of Mormon with him and share more of what I do here as a missionary. He is on this email list so I am sure that it will be weird for him to hear this story again, but what I want to say is this. There are many of you that I have know for years. We have laughed and cried and grown together. Yet there are many of you whom I have never even mentioned anything about my faith to. I want to change that. Please, just take a moment and look at
Mormon.org. Please, just take a look at the Book of Mormon. Jesus Christ has changed my life and I just want each of you to know how much I love Him and how important His gospel is to me. Getting back to the story, it was just an amazing experience that I know God had a hand in making happen.
Saturday was exhausting and involved one on one basketball, me losing in basketball, helping people move house, extremely hot weather, witnessing a barbecue in the park that probably should have been illegal given how dry and dead the grass is, and planning our week. Good stuff.
Yesterday was probably one of the best days of my mission. We were on our way to church and we were waiting for our friend when Garrett and Will, the member from Virginia, rolled up dressed to the nines and ready for church. I was able to speak in church for both Garrett and our other friend who came to church (and everyone else there but those two were the most meaningful audience members). It was just a wonderful experience. Then we had more church meetings in our un-air-conditioned church building (good meetings, bad temperature). Then we got invited to dinner but had to decline because we had a lesson. Here is the best part. We went to the lesson and knocked and he was not there. BUT his brother was and said that the guy we were looking for would be back in 15 minutes. So we waited and then he arrived! We went into his back garden and started teaching him. It was the smoothest and best lesson I have ever had in these past 10 months. He is so prepared and asked all the right questions and made the best and most insightful comments. It was absolutely a miracle and he is now preparing for baptism on the 11th of August. It was just so amazing. but the night gets better. We had a mission wide conference call where President Checketts talked about some goals we have moving forward. He then also shared that given the historic event that is England being in the semi finals of the world cup, WE CAN WATCH THE MATCH WEDNESDAY NIGHT!! AHAHAH I don't even like football that much but I am still absolutely pumped. And then a member brought us dinner because he heard we had to decline dinner and our meetings ran really long and all we had to eat for dinner was a bowl of yogurt and rice krispies (okay he only knew we had to decline dinner but still the sentiment is there). ugh I love oxford.
Companion Comic: we were doing some shopping this morning and a woman thought I worked at this store we were and had launched into her question before she realised her mistake. Also, Elder Man LOVES football more than anyone else I know and he was utterly and completely shocked and overjoyed yesterday which was a sight to behold.
Scripture of the Week: it's actually a quote
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