at least we have legs.....

guess what i thought of this week, if i have already mentioned it i am sorry, but it was Jessica's daily affirmation.  Mum please go look on youtube and get the link and link it to the blog because it is one of my favourite videos ever. 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qR3rK0kZFkg. The little girl is so brilliant.  we should all try and be like her.  she is so positive and confident.  And truly that is how we should all be.  We are all such amazing children of God and He has made each one of us unique, so we should be able to stand in the mirror and say "I like my hair, I like my hairbrush, I like my mum, I am great! I can do anything good.....ya ya ya"  :)   have to watch the video in order to understand the quote. 

 

another video i thought of but i don't know if you will be able to find it is of the inspirational speaker that does not have legs. he goes around to schools and tells the kids how great they are.  Found it.  Here's a link to a youtube video of him speaking.  Nick Vujicic inspirational promo youtube 4:10  

 

anyways we were talking to this YSA girl in our ward that we are working with trying to really help her, and we were talking about trials and challenges we have been given, and i don't remember how in the world it came up but we mentioned this guy and then we thought well hey no matter what your trial at least we have legs. cuz we could have this trial and have no legs as well. it made a lot more sense when we were talking about it i promise, but now whenever we want to complain about something, sister pope and i just turn to each other and say well at least we have legs..... 

my fingers are going to fall off typing because it is sooooooo cold here in the chapel  okay i probably shouldn't complain because some places are really really cold, but here it is a different cold... just like everyone always says it is a cold to the bone kind of cold! but at least i have legs :) see it makes every situation better.  

but oh i forgot to mention if i am moving or not, well i am sure the ward is sick of me after these past 4 transfers or 5 months, but too bad for them they have to live with me for another 6 weeks! but we are working with some great people here and I am so excited to be able to stay and continue to serve these people.  and lets be real sister pope would have gotten a bit lost without me, she has some problems with directions ha but poor her she has to put up with me for another 6 weeks, oh well it will teach her patience and tolerance :) 

dad guess what? you would be proud of me, i now love tomatoes and the whites of eggs! i am growing up! but i still hate sea food. yuck. in the market there is this sea food stall and i have to hold my breath when we walk by because I would definitely throw up. yuck. luckily the other day when we got fed fish, i was sick so i could not really smell or taste it! the blessings of being sick 

i also bought an umbrella! finally. and since I have bought it, it has not rained when we have been outside once..... the weather is very cheeky 

sometimes.  

Every week we do this thing called weekly planning where we plan for 3 hours for all the people we are going to see the next week and things like that. well we decided a few weeks ago that we wanted pizza so we ordered a pizza for while we were weekly planning, allowed? idk but we have now done it twice and both times it was the same guy who delivered it, and he says every friday if we ask for him he can come and deliver it, so our goal for the next 6 weeks is to teach and convert the pizza guy.  we figured it is a pretty good excuse for ordering pizza right?

really lovely experience on sunday.  So there is this man named Ashley who got here in St. Albans the day after i did back in August.  He is the brother of one of the single sisters in the ward. He is probably the sweetest man you will ever meet.  He has lived in the states for the past 25 years.  Their dad died in August and he came to help her organise and redo the house and such ( it needed a lot of work) so they could sell it.   The whole family joined the church here when they were little, but now the sister, Deidre in our ward is the only active one. 

 But we have been helping them fix up the house, about once a week we go and do service there. usually painting, ( we have become expert painters i may open a painting business when i get back)  but Ashley is the most incredible cook, and every sunday they have us over for sunday dinner.  He served a mission back when he was young, but has been less active pretty much ever since.  When we first started going over there he would not stay downstairs for the lessons.  After a while he would stay but would not really participate, and for the past month or so he has been an active participant in them, and he has one of the most amazing testimonies i have ever heard.  He loves the gospel so much and knows it is true with every fiber of his being.  I have learned so much from him and my testimony has grown so much.  He has come to sacrament mtg and sat in the back a few times, but yesterday, all of a sudden i look up and see him up on the stand for the last testimony.  lets just say i about lost it.  It was one of the most powerful testimonies i have ever heard.  There was not really a dry eye in the place.  He grew up in the ward and the whole ward knows and loves him and it really was such an incredible experience.  He talked to the bishop afterward and told him that having us over and bringing the spirit has helped him so much and he is determined to when he goes back to the states (this week) to continue to progress and keep going with this. 

 It is experiences like this that make all the freezing wet long days of getting rejected so worth it.  Also his brother who lives up north with his family, has also been less active for years and has two daughters not members.  They have all been down helping with the house every once in a while.  Deidre just called us a few weeks ago and said that because of the service we have given, and the interactions we have had with their family, when the elders in his area knocked on his door just recently, he let them in, and they have been visiting them every week since.  My life will be forever changed by this family. and It all started with service.  

When we serve other people our hearts and theirs are changed and touched.  Which has taught me a valuable principle.  We need to not only offer service, but we need to allow ourselves to be served.  I think the second one is a lot harder for people, it is for me at least.  It takes a swallow of pride sometimes, and even if we can easily do it for ourselves, sometimes it isn't us that needs to be blessed by the service rendered.  We should not deny them the blessings and happiness they will receive when they serve us.  My challenge for the week is to look for opportunities to serve, even if it is as small as opening the door for someone.  The second part of my challenge: when someone offers service, allow them to do it.  Oh also be grateful for it :)      

oh man i gotta run, the time always goes so fast and i don't really ever say anything i feel like.... but i love you guys so much! crazy that today is my 10 month mark.  possibly only 7 more to go.  i was laying in my bed last night realizing how short that was.... i have to step up my game i need to do so much in that time!  but have a brilliant week! hope it is full of sunshine, service, and all the other good stuff! love ya! rach

Here's another thought like Jessica's about appreciating yourself, particularly your body -- but by someone much much older :) "Decisions for Eternity" - Neal A. Maxwell