Week 60: "No, I'm sorry, but I don't work here"

Good afternoon/morning/Tuesday everybody! Sorry I did not email yesterday for I was otherwise engaged with interviews in Crawley. So today is our preparation day and we basically have just done shopping things today. It has been really nice to take it slow considering we have been running around like crazy these past few days. We have dinner with the Bishop tonight so that should be really nice. 

Not too much has happened this past week if I am being honest. I went to this small little city called Winchester and it was charming. I was with Elder Andrade on exchange. He is from Portugal and really likes to work hard. We had a blast. We had the opportunity to teach this girl who is attending uni there. She is amazing. She has studied the gospel so deeply and she really knows this is true. However, her mom is avidly against her having anything to do with religion, especially our church. So she is a bit stuck at the moment. Just for privacy sake, I will not say her name, but still, if you could pray for the girl at uni in Winchester and God will know who you are talking about. I know she would appreciate it. But seriously she is one of the best examples of someone who seeks truth that I have ever met on my mission. 

Truthfully, if I go through things chronologically and try to weave the stories together, it is going to just sound really boring so here they are in no particular order:
-we got in touch with this lady who had met missionaries before and we scheduled what we thought was going to be a lesson with her. We met her and it turns out she has zero intention of learning about our faith and just wants friends. While that is nice, she just wanted to hang out with us as friends, and that is not really our purpose. We did have nice chats about nature and poetry though.
-I sang in the choir for stake conference! It was a bit out of my comfort zone but I had an absolute blast and got to know some of the members of my ward and stake really well and I highly enjoyed it. 
-We had stake conference! Both meetings, Saturday and Sunday were fantastic. I loved them. President and Sister Checketts spoke and they are fantastic. They are just the greatest. 
-We had a lesson with Mark, a friend we have been teaching for a little while. We were going to teach him more about the restoration but right before we walked in, we felt we should teach the plan of salvation. Then, when we started the lesson, after he gave us some of his home grown pears (they were fantastic by the way), and asked what questions he had from general conference. He then asked questions about...the plan of salvation! The Lord works in simple ways and we were able to teach Mark about the God's plan for each of us and how He wants the best for us. He asked such good questions and we were able to bear really powerful testimony of how we can be with our families again. I know I will see my brother again and the relationships we have here in this life can carry on to the next if we follow the path the Lord has prepared for us.
-yesterday we woke up at 5 and left our flat at 6 to then get back to our flat at 8:30. We're absolutely shattered.
-after the conference in Portsmouth on Sunday, we ended up traveling back to the island with a couple from our ward. We got to know them more and it kind of felt like traveling with surrogate grandparents. It was a bit weird but fun. 

British Food of the Week: Terry's Chocolate Orange - I know what you're saying, it's not just in Britain, but they are somehow really really big here and as Christmas fast approaches and given we have no "thanksgiving barrier" (thanks Sorella Riley) here, Christmas decorations are already up and I LOVE IT

British Word of the Week: plonker - it basically means idiot but it a less harsh, more pitied manner

Scripture of the Week: 1 Nephi 17:3-4

Companion Comic: Elder Brewster and I have been asked on three separate occasions today in three separate stores if we worked there. We have politely said that we didn't each time, but it is good to know that I have a future in retail if push comes to shove.

I wanted to take the last little bit of my email to tell you about my mission president and his wife. They are from New York, although they grew up in Salt Lake City. They are high school sweethearts. They are amazing.

Okay okay, I know that this is really limited information and I could tell you all about them if I had the time, but I just want you to know that the Lord does truly inspire the call of missionaries and their mission presidents. I know that I was meant to serve with them and get to know them and that they were meant to minister to me.We had such good conversation and have built such a friendship in this short time and I am so grateful for them. They are called of God. They truly are surrogate parents for the time being and I love them so much. I also love all of you! You are amazing and your support makes all the difference. Thank for your love and have an amazing week!

Also we have transfer calls this weekend but I highly doubt I am leaving because I have a surgery for my toe in two weeks. That hasn't stopped me from moving before but still. Anyways, love you loads and find some joy this week!





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