Happy Birthday Rachel!

   St. Albans, UK

sorrrrryyyyyyyy don't hate me about last week.  we emailed for 30 mins in the morning, and so i saved the email as a draft planning on coming and finishing it that evening, but the day turned crazy and we didn't get a chance. sorry!!!!! 

but as you already know, i moved!!..... again..... don't know if it is a compliment or a punishment, but hey i'll go where you want me to go. 

So catch up, i am in St. Albans with sister Diaz from the Dominican Republic. St. Albans is GORGEOUS!!!! When you think of England and you think of it being pretty with old buildings and such, you are picturing St. Albans..... a lot different than Romford.  It was just a bit more ghetto. The ward here is amazing as well, there are 6 missionaries in this ward. crazy huh. but the two sets of elders are really cool and awesome, so this transfer is going to be great.  One of the Zone leaders with us looks EXACTLY like future Josh Dunn. like really, size, hair, eyes, everything.  You are going to be proud of me! i have taken a lot more pictures!! and i was going to send tons of pictures this week, but my camera is dead and the charger is back in Romford.... i seem to leave little things behind every where i go.... but next week i will send the pics and you can see future Josh.   

YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!! loved the morning surprise :) honestly it was perfect.  Everything looked so good. and the special milk! what more could a person want for her 21st birthday! that sounds like sarcasm, but it isn't.  honestly food is one of the things that gets me the most excited these days. 

(We had groceries delivered at 8 am on her birthday (luckily P-day) -- fruits and vegetables and milk... thought it was normal milk..maybe not?)

so a bit about sister diaz. she is great, love her to death, we couldn't be more opposite. she is the sweetest, person ever.  Is terrified of the dark, anything that crawls or flies or buzzes, and pretty much everything.  but she is the most amazing cook. like literally it is a gift. and she loves it,  like ratatouille...  so we have agreed on a great deal,   i will smash and kill everything, and she will cook everything.  this is going to be a great transfer.  

Dad I have been meaning to tell you this but keep forgetting! you are definitely going to look like Henry B. Eyring when you get older!!! and i think he is a cute older man so mom is a lucky lady.  just like you are lucky you have a wife who will smash stuff into the green waste in a pencil skirt.  

HAPPY EARLY BIRTHDAY MOM!!!!!!!! you are the best. really. don't let it go to your head or anything.  your present is coming, but it won't be there for a bit.... probably because i haven't bought it yet, but that's because i have been looking for the right thing, and inspiration just hasn't come yet, so i might just end up doing something lame.... just because nothing is deserving of you! 

So this area is going rough to start.  the past few transfers nothing has really been happening in this area, but there are now three of us new to the area and there is so much potential here that I am excited to help build up this amazing place.  

I think i am a bad example on all of my companions... the other day we were crossing a bridge and the train was going by underneath us, and i taught sister diaz how to spit off the bridge and try and hit it..... don't worry it was dark no one was around to see us, and we missed...

Today we are going to go play football with the elders! i am excited, it has been too long. and did you know that they spell soccer like american football not futbol.... i never knew that till a few days ago....  

AHHHHH JORDAN IS HOME!!!! that is so crazy and exciting! i bet he did amazing on his talk, and i bet his mom is sooooo happy! i am so sad to hear that they are leaving Hemet.  hopefully next year he will still be up at byu and we can be on the same polo team together. freshman year we were so close to winning it all.... yes i am already planning next years intramurals.... don't judge me. :) 

i can't believe Mckay had his court of honor.  Why is he the best ever? where the heck did he get that from? honestly i am so proud of him. and I love the pics you sent of his Eagle court of honor. he looks so handsome! so cute ahhhh.  That is so great that uncle mike got to help out. he is such an amazing man.  I have been thinking about him a lot lately.  how is Mckay liking school so far? i hear he has a crazy load. maybe now he will actually have to work at school work.  

Becca the pics you sent me ago were amazing! so cute. i miss you guys. ahhhh you are going up to BYU today! have fun unpacking, and when you are just think of me having to do it almost every month and quit complaining haha you have to keep me updating on EVERYTHING! and yes a letter is still coming.... slowly but surely i promise i will send it this week.... oh wait nvm you will have a different address, so email me your address and i will send it next monday deal? 

This Saturday we did Mormon helping hands.  (pics to come next week) it was not anything like when we do it back home. a) it was raining..... we got SOOOOO muddy it was fun.  it was funny/ good practice for when i have kids, helping sister diaz embrace the thought of getting muddy and working in the dirt with bugs, oooo and we practiced shooing away a bee instead of freaking out. we are making great progress. she is so funny.   b) there was only like 20 people there. it was a bit sad. it just reemphasized to me how much missionary work is needed here in England.  I am excited to be here helping this amazing country become the amazing force of the gospel there were in the times of the pioneers.  

The ward here is so amazing. it is the biggest ward i have ever been to. there was a couple from watford! and they remembered me.... that was surprising. but it was great to see them.  I am getting not completely awful at on the spot getting up and having to talk in sacrament meeting.  It is great because I am guaranteed a laugh when i talk about my name.  formica is very popular over here and everyone thinks it is hilarious that it is my name.  English humor.... still working on it, but getting better i think. hopefully. i have been here for 5 months already. my enlgish accent is actually not terrible anymore! i have figured out the key, just talk like you have a hot potato in your mouth and you are set.  

One thing that I have loved is that I have now served in 4 areas, with companions from literally all over the world, and the church and the gospel is the same.  all. over. the. world.  it just is such a testimony builder to me that this is the gospel of Jesus Christ.  There is no way that it could have spread this quickly and remained the same in every country, that have such varying cultures, unless it truly is Christ's church.  

  Meeting all these new people has truly confirmed to me that we are all children of God with such divine worth and potential.  The more i understand that concept the more i want to share the truth with everyone.  

Mom you are right it is a bit tough to keep moving.  I get to love and grow so close to the people in an area, and the area becomes yours, and you work so hard to help the people there, and then you move.  and ya you don't get to see much fruit for your labor, but i have learned that it doesn't matter if i am there if when the fruit comes, just being able to be a part of it is all that matters.  

Sister Diaz and I have done more dancing and weird video making than i have my whole mission.  hopefully next week i can send you some. they are..... strange... but fun. you just have to keep in mind that as a missionary your ways of having fun are a bit limited so we have to get creative haha 

I love you guys!! thank you so much for being amazing. and once again for the birthday surprise. it is great because sister diaz was just as excited because she is going to use it to cook for us haha you really are the best family ever.  good luck with everything going on this week. try not to be too busy that you can't listen to the quiet promptings and guidance the Spirit gives us everyday.

 love, Rachel