Week 63: Fixed Toes and Diaper Wearing Dogs

Hello everybody! I am coming at you live (but not when you read this) and here with a fixed toe! That is right everyone, my toe is now fixed. I will spare you the gory details (it was actually kind of cool) but I am doing well and on the right track in terms of healing and am excited to be able to not have to wrap my foot in a bag to shower in a few weeks after it heals #simplepleasures

So after the surgery on Tuesday, I was not allowed to walk, so naturally we read the scriptures for 10 hours and then went to sleep for the night. Or kind of. We did read the scriptures but also:
-watched a depressing but hopeful video called "The Last Leaf" (it is a movie produced by the church and we thought, let's see if this has any potential to help us with our teaching. a good film, but not really great for anyone we are teaching right now)
-played a rousing game of DIY checkers on a white board with pieces of an advent calendar 
-ate pizza
-rested
-called some people
All in all it was probably one of the weirdest days of my mission and I am glad it is over. It wasn't bad but still, being immobile is awful when you are a missionary.

So Elder Brown and I have started doing this thing where we summarize our day in one really obscure sentence. I would share them all with you, but that would really not do any of us good and they are probably only funny to us. But still, worth noting.

Anyways, just to give you a cultural look into England, there was a village we needed to visit on Friday. This village is 7.7 miles from where we live. So those of you with cars would say "oh that's probably a ten to fifteen minute drive no problem." Well, here, driving would take you around 25 minutes which, is not too bad. On the bus, it takes an hour and a half. So a lot of times, your day becomes taken up by travel and you have to wait for the bus to come every hour and so you get creative. It makes you realise how much we take fast travel for granted, but it also helps you notice the uniqueness and beauty of each of the little places you go to. 

A guy sang Beach Boys to us the other day on the street. If you'll remember, it is the same guy who showed us his coin collection late one night the other week. 

We were able to help our friend that we are teaching, let me just call him Clark, with his windows again. I am learning a lot about contracting and home improvement work on my mission, which hopefully will come in handy one day. We were able to teach him afterwards but only briefly. he just got a new job and is going to be gone a lot so we are trying to put together a schedule where we can teach him over video chat and see him when he is in town. It is a bit slow going, but by these small and simple things, we know Clark will find his answer. 

Elder Brown is doing great! We already have way too many inside jokes and we laugh all the time. He is working hard and adjusting really well. It has been really strange because I keep thinking about where I was a year ago and I cannot believe that I was in Plymouth on exchange with Elder Allen who is now home and in university. Now I am here on a small island that is part of a bigger island and am helping someone learn how to help other people learn about Jesus Christ and His restored church and it is all so surreal. We did not see as much success as we would have liked this week, so this go round, we have some really great goals to help us get super excited and pumped up about missionary work and they may or may not have cookies as the reward (his idea not mine; I've heard worse ideas haha).

We have had some really tender moments with different people we have visited this week. I know that the Lord loves each of His children and that when we follow the Spirit, He will guide us to those that need our help.

We had a ward halloween party on Wednesday and we ended up being the judges for both the costumes and the pumpkin carving and let me tell you I have never felt so much pressure in my life. 10/10 would not recommend. Do your local missionaries a favour and do not ask them to judge things. We love everyone, equally. "Judge not that ye be not judged" am I right?

British Food of the Week: persimmon - I know it is in America, but still, I had it for the first time here. Imagine a mix between a peach and potato. It also looks like a bell pepper kind of. It's good.

British Word of the Week: *Isle of Wight edition*  anywhen - any time

Scripture of the Week: 3 Nephi 15:9

Companion Comic: okay so this is not from my companion but still it is the funniest thing that happened in the longest time. So, we are talking with a friend of ours and he is telling us about the time when he was in the hospital recently. Then his young old son pitches in to the story with the following: "We could tell when daddy was stressed because he would pee blood." From the mouths of babes. 

Some of you have been asking for my address so here it is:

52 Clarence Road
Newport
Isle of Wight
PO30 1EW

Also, to whomever sent me the can of "Hot Apple", much obliged. 

I love you all so much and I am so grateful for your support. Your prayers really do make a difference. I love hearing from you and sorry if I do not respond right away. I hope you have an amazing week and know that I love where I am, what I am doing, and who I am doing it for. 

PHOTOS:Elder Brown and some blankets, awkward selfies, and our district leader




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