"Sister Formica, God is so tired to take care of you."

Today I was completely overwhelmed when i read my emails.  it was the good kind of overwhelmed... not the bad kind don't worry.  I was overwhelmed with gratitude.  gratitude for the amazing family and friends that i have been blessed with.   I just wanted to say thank you so much for the love and support.  You really have no idea how much it means to me and helps me keep going.

funny quote that Sister Chan said this week. "Sister Formica, God is so tired to take care of you."  story behind the quote:  we were sitting doing our 12 week program ( the program all new missionaries do for, you guessed it, the first 12 weeks) and our chairs in the flat are extremely sketchy. as in they sway and wobble and moan and groan every time they are touched. well i guess i was moving around to much ( or the other possibility is i have eaten one too many chocolates.... i prefer the moving around too much theory.)  but it completely broke.  like every single piece that could possible come apart did.  the seat the legs the back, all in a million pieces and i fell flat on my butt. it was actually hilarious.  and then not even 5 minutes later i was drinking some hot chocolate ( yes hot chocolate in the summer. it was a storm outside.   England is crazy i am telling you.) and i dropped my hot chocolate and it got EVERYWHERE, except on the portable DVD player that we were watching a Preach My Gospel dvd on.  it even spilled behind the DVD but not a drop on it.  these two things back to back is what inspired her quote.  I thought it was pretty funny. and she is right. i should be more careful to make his job a bit easier ha

Dad today I saw a advert for a movie that you must go see.  It is the Lone Ranger.  I just remember that a long time ago you would make us listen to it on the CD in the car, or it was some black and white TV series you made us watch i can't remember. but now i have some of his commentary stuck in my head..... so you have to go see it and tell me about it.  pay back for making me listen to it. 

We had a ward picnic on Saturday, and I realised something shocking, no one over here knows the rules to baseball.  We were playing kickball, which they also don't know, and i was explaining it and said that it is the same as baseball, and they had no clue. also i watched like 2 mins of a cricket game, and it seemed like the most boring sport to watch ever. minus cross country. but maybe it was just because i watched it from a bus stop for only 2 minutes, maybe i should give it another chance. 

The other night I woke up to a frightening noise. like it really creeped me out. after a few terrified seconds i realised what it was.... sister chan grinds her teeth in her sleep. like bad.  i am surprised she still has teeth left!

As i was preparing my talk and primary lesson this week i realized something.  that i absolutely love the Ensign.  I don't know how the heck i didn't read it before my mission, but now I just want to read it all the time! kinda lame/nerdy i know. but that is what missions do to you.

this week I was adventurous.  I have now discovered that I like beetroots and plantains! crazy huh! beetroots. it looks like probably the scariest most nasssstttttyyyyyy vegetable in the world.  is it a vegetable? i don't even know. it is like magenta pink and just a lump but it is good. and plantains! not just oversized bananas! who knew? 

Mom/Editor's Note:  When I was a kid, I told my mom "If it stains my plate, it can't be good for me", referring to beets.  We've had them twice in the past year and I discovered that I like them, but obviously Rachel doesn't know we have them too!  :)   

Today we had an amazing experience. we got to listen to the head of the missionary depart of the whole church.  4.5 hours of amazingness.  i didn't even realize it was so long until i tried to stand up and realized i could not move my legs. it was a mission wide conference and it was so great to see everyone as well.  i remember the first like 3 weeks my comp got so excited to go to one to see everyone and i was like big whoop i don't know/really care about seeing anyone. but now i know why she was so excited.  it really is amazing to see friends and catch up about old areas and different things.    

my poor little Sister Chan.  I make her go running with me every morning, and the whole time i think she is cursing me in her head. so  like i mentioned last week about playing bball with the elders in the morning, we were supposed to do that again this week, so we wake up at 5:55!!! that extra 30 mins makes a BIG difference, and start to go and run to the park. when we walk outside and there is the most gorgeous rainbow ever. it had all the colours. it was so cool!  one thing i have learned on my mission is to appreciate the little things, and recognize them as gifts from Heavenly Father. I never pass by a beautiful flower without smelling it now.  Yes i almost had a bee fly up my nose, but my cat like reflexes saved me. sorry back to my story, it starts sprinkling, but we kept running.  we get to the park and it is now full on pouring. we wait there for about 15 mins and then run home completely soaked.... later the elders told us they saw the rain and decided not to come...... typical elders. but that is okay because i had fun. i don't know about sister chan, but i think she is learning to accept my crazy ways. 

We are teaching this amazing but stubborn old man, named Terry. and when we don't have a lady member that can go teach with us we usually just stand outside his home and talk, but this week i decided that i was tired of doing that because whenever we do, the lesson is not as focused or the spirit as strong.  i remember that he had two chairs in his house, so i decided to byoc.   bring your own chair.  i may have looked a bit foolish carrying a chair down the road, but hey you gotta do what you gotta do right? when we got there he just started laughing his head off. but we had a great lesson on his front door step. 

My talk was ehhh okay.  idk, i can never judge these things.  people said it was good, but you know that everyone always says that no matter what. even the people who you watched sleep through all of sacrament meeting. but it was great having a few people say that something you said really helped them with what they are going through at that moment in their life. it is amazing how Heavenly Father works through other people to help his children.  Even when we don't know we are helping.  If we just ask and listen to the spirit He will use us to help and bless others.

Dad I am excited to read your talk! Mom great email as always.  Mckay i can't believe you are going back to school. i am a bit jealous.  especially with all the school supplies you get to buy! but hey this year is going to be amazing for you i just know it. if you don't kill the whole high school with your cough first.  keep being the great guy and stud you are. becca. literally i die.  i can just picture you sitting in the car not wanting to go back in. you are just the best little mommy ever. Adam.  i miss you. i taught the 8 yr olds in primary on sunday and could not stop thinking about you. and today a lady talked about some 8 yr old little boys and i definitely almost started crying.  you are the best! keep the whole family in line for me will you? and Mia, she better not be taking my place as queen of the couch during scripture study.  I love you guys. thanks for being the best family ever.