IT IS A MIRACLE!!!

Guess what??? I am not moving!!!! isn't that great! it was weird to watch someone else have to pack everything up..... looked like a big pain in the butt.

but ya I am staying here and I could not be more excited. My new companion is unknown. straight from the MTC. poor her, having to put up with me right off the bat, haha but really.... poor her, i will try and be a bit more normal for her sake... just a bit :)     but When president Jordan asked me to train he said to "light up St. Albans", and I am soooooooo ready. (like fire kind not lamp light kind)  i feel like a horse that has just been standing at the starting line gate thing waiting for the little stall gate to drop, and i am just ready to go! weird anaolgy i know  idk why it just came to my mind ha but Sister Diaz is going to London North, with Sister Jacobsmyer also from our MTC group.  cool huh. she is going to love it.  she is sad to leave, but i know she is going to have the most amazing transfer. She has made a ton of progress these past few weeks. it is amazing to see her so happy and smiling.  I am going to miss her, we had so many great times.  

few  questions  mum- you got a new phone??? which one?? and also you were talking about Elizabeth reading the Book of Mormon, what's she think?  and also where did you serve your mission?? this lady in the St. Albans ward served in Italy as well around your time and says Chipman sounds familiar, but she isn't sure, but it didn't sound like your mission, but i wasn't sure.  She is sooooo cute.  She is from Italy. She reminds me of you quite a bit. 

Dad- a game camera huh?? sounds interesting. leave it to you to take something and use it for a completely different purpose, but inventive.  hope it works so you can like you said expose them for filthy lucre, so when i get home some of that filthy lucre can go towards my lucreless bank account. don't think thats a word, but you get the hint ;) haha 

This week I had an exchange with Sister Steele, Kylie!!! if you just skim this, read this part! ha she is from Tanner's town and knows him from back when they were younger.  Her name is Brittany Steele.  Ask if he knows her. she is 23, ran cross country, and is the type of personality that, he would definitely..... know , and have a strong opinion about, knowing tanner.  haha I miss him and his hilarious and philosophical but logical comments about everything.
    

anywayssssss I went on an exchange to London, and surprisingly i didn't mind working in London.  I always thought I would not like it at all, not enough green or enough open space, but it was not bad.  For our morning run we ran to Big Ben, and then right by the flat is the Warner Brothers Office.  walking home at night i looked up and there was this creepy figure in one of the upper floor windows, it was Batman!! and they had the Harry Potter House Banners up and displayed in the Main Window, it was really cool. and there is a Chipotle!! we didn't go to it, but just the fact that it is there was amazing. one day i will go.  we had so much fun and worked so hard.  one of the coolest things of the day was we started talking to the cutest girl from China, CJ.  She actually just moved to London this week from Penn State for an internship at Oxford, and she has been looking for a Christian church to go to during her time here.   We had a lesson on the train, and she is going to meet with the missionaries up at Oxford and go to church there! Heavenly Father truly knows each one of His children and has an amazing plan for all of us.  Sad part of the day was we stopped by a less active lady and when we walked in, the house was in complete chaos.  It was so sad.  She is not in a proper state of mind at this time in her life, and she is really distressed from some reasons. and She has a 2 year old son, and there was pee and poop all over the floor, and just a mess.  We spent about an hr cleaning up everything.  It looked amazing after we finished.  once again mum thank you for teaching me how  to clean and how  to love cleaning.  but i just felt so sad for her little boy.  We told the proper people and hopefully she gets help and the situation gets sorted out soon.  

this part is a bit awkward and gross, but just to let you know what i have to put up with here in this district haha Elder ---- our district leader from Hong Kong, who went to university in Utah for a year was talking to the 4 of us during a district meeting and all of a sudden in the middle of his sentence he walks halfway outside the room and sticks his butt out and well ya use your imagination.... we just sat there like, did you really just do that? and he said better than inside the room..... 19 yr old boys haha 

So we stopped this one girl by Hatfield University.  It just started school this week so there are LOADSSSS of students everywhere.  Anyways we stopped and talked to this really nice girl from Kenya.  She invited us to a BBQ her church was having to meet some more people.  It was an interesting slash funny experience.  Mum it kinda reminded me of my Monte vista days where I was one of the few white students, but here at the BBQ i was the only white person.  It was funny. who would have thought in england that would have happened.  They had the BEST food.  and some fun games.  They thought we were pretty strange though crashing their church bbq 

i got an egg thrown at me the other day. okay it technically wasn't at me.... but at the bus i was on, but it hit right by my face and i jumped sooooo bad.  the lady next to me started laughing 

Idk what i am going to do without sister diaz and teaching the Albanos, my spanish is limited to food, colors, numbers, and some strange objects. church stuff does not fall under my limited ability ha but that is okay. we had a great lesson with them where we taught about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It is amazing what strong spirits little children have.  When we taught them about it, we talked about praying to know the truth of what we share, and the feelings they will feel in their heart to know it is true.  Fransico said he knew  it was true, he could feel it in his heart, and Patrick bowed his head and prayed the second we told him that was how he would get his answer.   Christ really does mean for us to become like little children.  their faith and sincereity is unmeasurable.  

ALSO I AM SO EXCITED FOR GENERAL CONFERENCE!!!!! if anyone isn't a member and are a bit curious about things we believe or just want to be spiritually uplifted you can watch it on http://www.lds.org/?lang=eng  about half way down the page is a link to watch it this next weekend.  I am so excited because I know  these men are called of God and have His authority to lead and guide us.   The spirit is always so strong when they speak, and I am always so uplifted and rejuvenated.  I can't wait till Saturday! even though the timing is off, so we don't watch it till later, but that is okay! 

In California, Conference is Saturday and Sunday from 9 to 11 am and 1 to 3 pm.  At www.lds.org or on KBYU Channel (9403 for Dish users).  It's an easy way to hear what we hear at church.  haha.  It's one of my favorite weekends, too!   (Chris) 

Next week I will have some info on my new companion! I love you guys so much! have a fantastic week! you are always in my heart and prayers!!  

love you! Rachel