A brilliant week

couldn't find ed or dad.... so add a s onto bro and dad you can be buddy.....

This week has been a brilliant week. honestly. such a good week. I got to go to Cambridge for an exchange! it is an amazing place! honestly. some p-day I want to go back there because it really is beautiful.  and such posh places to shop.... good thing i am not there so i do not spend money! 

MLC (Mission Leadership Conference?) on tuesday in london was great. like always. i love being able to counsel with President and Sister Jordan and the other leaders to find out better ways we can serve the other missionaries and help our mission reach its potential. the pic at the bottom is the Sister training Leaders after our sisters meeting after MLC! they are all the greatest!

I spoke with a 90 year old lady on the bus today.  she was so sweet.  I started asking her about her family and her husband.  they were married for 60 years and he just passed away.  She said it was love at first sight and that it was so romantic.  I asked her the biggest piece of advice she had for marriage, and she said to give and take; fighting is not worth it.  She also was in the Air Force!  What an amazing woman.  i love speaking with people because you get to meet the most interesting people, and you get to learn such great things from them and their lives.  

We went to the bishops house for dinner. I loved it! it reminded me of our house.  they have 4 boys from 21 to 10, and it was there was just a loud happy buzz the entire dinner.  such a great family.  there was a 16 year old and a 10 year old and it really made me miss you Mckay and Adam. You two are going to get so sick of me because i am going to want to spend 24/7 together! get readyyyyy!!! :)  

One of the pics is of our investigator Eleanor.  She is 82 and from Zimbabwe.  She is so lovely.  so excited to get baptised.  As she says,  she just needs to "focus on the baptism!  and everything else will be okay"... in her older Zimbabwean accent it is precious.  she gets baptised on the 16th along with another man we are teaching named Bill.... the one who changed his mind in the hospital.  I think i told you about him.  They are both so excited and determined! 

Another miracle. sister H. and I were teaching at man in the end of March, who was really incredible.  unfortunately his mum became extremely ill and we lost contact with him because he was so busy with that.  He just messaged me last week on facebook and explained the whole story about how he has had to quit his job and become a full time carer for her, and he is sorry he has not been in contact, but he is still extremely interested and would love to now meet up and continue learning!! unfortunately neither of us are still in London North but I referred him to sister B, so hopefully everything works out! 

As we were walking down the road from the bishop's house after dinner this week, we stopped a young man, and just said hello how are you, and he answered, "I am not religious" and kept walking.... we just threw out the question, well who do you know that would be interested in a message about finding happiness through God?  He came back and really thought about the question.... he said his sister might, and we were able to have a really brilliant gospel conversation with him.  After a while of chatting he completely changed and he agreed that he was interested and wanted to learn more. we just taught him this morning and it was so incredible. he is really looking to change his life, and he believes having a faith in God will be able to help him with that.  Preach My Gospel teaches us to ask referrals from everyone, and this was a perfect miracle to strengthen my testimony of doing that.  I know that if we do things in the Lord's way, that He will bless us beyond our comprehension.  

People just hear religion and shut off thinking about big fancy churches and confessions and priests and such.  that is not the message we share.  For me it is all about strengthening my faith and trust in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and what that faith leads me to do. and how it brings such perspective and happiness into my life. 

i can't believe rebecca is gone. it feels like she just opened up her call! 

loads of pics on dropbox because i am doing this whole take a picture a day thing.  some very random pictures because we get back in the flat late at night and realise we didn't take a picture, so I take them of my queen bed, or the massive water bottle i got for 50p (which is like 25 cents) or the wasp i killed.... and the light cover i killed with it by accident.

um i have no idea what i want for my birthday....... sorry! 

ps being friendly pays off. Every morning when we are running we say hi to everyone we pass. most people think we are mental, but we have seen this older lady a few times now. the other day we were lost in the hospital and guess who we ran into! that same lady.  she recognised us as the tall and short one ha but she works at the hospital and helped us find our way out and we were able to explain to her what we are doing here and we had a lovely chat!  Smiling and saying hi is such a easy but great thing.  try it! 

Love you!! have a great week! rachel 

ps  i need becca's address!! asap please. the mission home one in Perth

pss i can't believe today is my 16 month mark.... and it is great because it is sister jacobsmeyers as well so we get to celebrate!