Birthday, WNBA, Mr. Skinner's circles & Trusting the Lord

I can't believe it is already august.  i can't believe i am turning 21.... nod nod wink wink presents are always accepted my dear family :)  butttt i would send it to the mission office just in case i get moved again.

 

So a few thoughts i had.  I decided that Sunday is the hardest day of the week on a mission because it is the most opposite from what you are used too.  Sundays have always been a day of rest, a day to spend time with loved ones, a day to feel the spirit, go to church, and do churchy things, but here on the mission Sunday is a day to work just like the rest.  So please next time you eat a big Sunday dinner, take a nap, play a game with the family, and just relax please think of me not doing these things and know that you are lucky. ha but i do admit that Church on the mission is always incredible.  This past Sunday was probably the best sacrament meeting I have ever attended.  The testimonies that were born were incredible.  It is amazing how much spirit and love for the gospel this little ward has.  but I feel sorry for the ward because next week i have to give a talk and give a primary lesson.  I was just about to ask you for advice mom on how to teach the kids (especially because 3/4 don't speak english), but i realized i won't be able to read it in time, so never mind.  just wish me luck and keep me in your prayers! 

 

I realized this week that I am destined to play for the WNBA.  i always have just assumed that i was awful at basketball. (well i was), but this week I don't know what happened but i definitely found my star potential.  maybe it was because sis chan is only 5'2" and the elders are about 5'7" but still, i think i found my career when i get home.  you can stop worrying dad i won't just be a moocher off of your money for the rest of my life.   

 

Dad so we are teaching this amazing family, and they are from..... JAPAN! and they are hardcore buddhist.  I was wondering if there was anything you did special to help people with a buddhist belief to realize the importance of Jesus Christ as our Savior. and that we are all children of God, and that we can be together as a family for forever.  I know that was a while ago but any advice oh wise father of mine?

 

So this is mainly for rebecca or anyone in fact who had Mr. Skinner. kylie addison you would probably appreciate this. The other day i found a puddle on the sidewalk that was a perfect circle, and for some reason it reminded me of freshman year when Mr. Skinner claimed that aliens helped him draw perfect circles on the white board.  i almost took a picture. then i looked up and saw how weird Sister Chan was looking at me and figured that it might be a little to strange. butttttt it was pretty cool. 

 

England is literally crazy.  this morning bright and sunny and now pouring.  and of course the computer i am at has a leaky roof and it is raining on me... inside... how is my luck so great. 

 

Two scriptures that I found this week that have really helped me through some stuff is John 14:27, and 2 Ne 22:2.  Isn't the second one the coolest reference.  I will never forget it because it is all twos!

2 Ne 22:2-

Behold, God is my salvation; I will ^atrust, and not be afraid; for the Lord ^bJehovah is my ^cstrength and my ^dsong; he also has become my salvation.

John 14:27-

27 ^aPeace I leave with you, my ^bpeace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be ^ctroubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

I read John 14:26 alllll the time because it is a scripture they want us to memorize for our missions, but just this week did i read the verse right underneath, and it was literally the exact time that i needed it. 

 

This week has really put some things into perspective for me.  There is this family in the ward that has probably one of the hardest pasts that i have ever heard. yet the mother is one of the most positive people i know.  She has so much faith and trusts in Heavenly Father so much.  This week my eyes have really been opened to how little we know and can control the things that happen around us.  No matter how hard we plan, and no matter how perfect our plan is (or how perfect we think it is), there will always be something that happens not according to plan. we need to learn to accept these hiccups, or in some cases huge mountains, and be able to trust God; that He knows what hiccups and mountains need to be placed where in our lives.  I am so grateful that Heavenly Father is in charge.  Being able to know that He knows me, He knows my fears, He knows my thoughts and desires, and He knows what I need, better than I know myself, is the most comforting thought.  If i follow Him, and trust him He will never lead me astray.  So this week I am going to encourage us to instead of getting wound up over the little things, instead of freaking out when things don't go according to plan, instead of trying to push forward thinking we know best, to not be too proud to fall to our knees and admit that we do not know best, and that we need help; to ask for help to learn what Heavenly Father would have us learn from this certain challenge. so that we can grow and become the person He needs us to become.

 

with that being said mom and Mckay i hear that you are arguing over whether to do the Book of Mormon challenge now that school has started.  To resolve the argument how about we just wait until next July.  And dad mentioned doing a no sugar month at the same time.  so we can do both soon before I come home so that A) i won't be as fat when I come home, and B).... there isn't actually a B but just putting A seems weird. we can do it whenever is best for you guys. just let me know! 

 

Love you! you truly are the best family ever.  trust me i have seen a lot. don't let it go to your heads though.  Enjoy the last bit of summer! before you know it, it will be Christmas and you will get to see my lovely face and hear my lovely voice! lucky you. speaking of lovely voices sister Chan and i sing for investigators in lessons, and one of the old guys we are teaching turned his hearing aid off in the middle.... we were that good.... :)

 

我爱你。( i think and hope that means i love you)
Rachel    

 

  

Be careful who you smile at... :)

So this week.  nothing really to say, i will try and make next week more exciting ha but there was the biggest thunder storm the other night.  so loud and the lightening so bright i could not sleep. and that is saying something because i am DEAD tired every night.

Oh I wanted to thank you guys for making learn how to work.  We did a lot of service this week.  i even have blisters on my hands to prove it.  and it is a good thing i love cleaning! it really helps ha like even this morning idk what it is about English vacuums but they are awful, so it took me two hours to vacuum our flat this morning..... it only has 2 rooms. but i didn't mind. just sat there.  it is a nice break to do something mindless for a while considering normal missionary work is the exact opposite. 

Do they have earthquakes in England? are they big enough to feel? because Sister Chan and I swear we felt one the other day, but didn't know if we were just going crazy or not. 

Want to know the saddest thing? they don't know what smores are over here.  I have tried in like 3 different places and no one knows what i am talking about.  they don't even have graham crackers!! the poor english people.  no wonder they don't like to smile. 

I got Brad's wedding invitation this week!! CRAZY! they look so cute. it was weird because i got it after they were married.  thanks for sending it! (Thanks Regina!)  and also tell all the young women in the ward thank you so much for the letters. (Thank you Corisa & YW & Leaders!).  they made my day. it really did.  and also i was thinking that Jordan should be getting home like in 2 weeks!!!! i remember when addison and i went to the beach the day he got his call and when he opened it, Marc was making fun of me for not knowing where El Salvador was..... haha those 2 years went by so fast! i bet Janelle is so excited.  tell her hi for me and to tell jordan welcome home!!  (FYI)

 awkward/funny thing that happened this week.  we were sitting on a crowded bus and i smiled at this guy sitting a few seats away.  too far away to talk too but just being nice and friendly.  When we got up to leave at our bus stop he gave me this leaflet.  It was about Jesus Christ, had some scriptures and things( you know the kind people pass out to everyone) well i was startled because he didn't really look like one of those people that pass those things out. but i, trying to build up the friendship between the different churches, responded very excited and happily to him giving it to me.  I was like thank you so much this is great! and then had to walk off the bus.  i waved bye and then looked down to read the leaflet.  Only then did i realize that he wasn't passing out the leaflet but that he had written his phone number on it...... awkward.  i was way to happy and excited when he gave it to me. so funny. sister chan just died laughing at me haha i think you had to be there, but let me just tell you it was awkward and funny.  

So i remember when i thought that people up in Utah fake tanned a lot.  Not any where close to here in Essex.  Girls literally look like orange oompalumpas.  pretty oompalumpas, but still pretty dang orange. ha

The ward here is fabulous.  Small but so loving.  I hope i get to stay here another transfer.  I can't believe this one is already half way over.  guess what!! the mission president of the whole dang church is coming here in 2 weeks to speak to us.  cool huh. 

This week has consisted of lots of bus rides, some amazing lessons, and some discouraging times, but what makes it all great is knowing that this is the gospel of Jesus Christ and that I am part of something that is so much bigger than just me.  That this is where I am supposed to be at this point in my life.  That there are people here that i am supposed to meet and teach.  That we are all God's children and that He loves each and every one of us, and knows exactly what we are going through.  And He is waiting to help us if we just ask.  None of us can make it through life by ourselves.  and He does not expect us too.  Part of His plan is that we rely on Him and the tools he has given us like the atonement, scriptures, prayer to overcome the hard times.  And there will be hard times.  We are fooling ourselves if we think that there won't be, but the greatest reassurance we have is that nothing we face will ever be to much for us to handle.  As Presdient Hinckley said,Things will work out.  it isn't as bad as you sometimes think it is.  Put your trust in God and move forward with faith and confidence in the future.  The Lord will not forsake us if we put our trust in Him, pray to Him, and live worthy of His blessings.

He Lives: Testimonies of Jesus

I love you guys! I hope you are having a great summer.  Relax for me please. you are the best.  I know you don't have a choice and that you are stuck with me, but boy am I glad you are.  Love you guys! Rach      

Watching a fly fly

Nam-myoho-renge-kyo. Probably wondering what this means.  well you and me both. 

One of the families we are teaching is from Japan and they are very active Buddhists.  So today she invited us to come to a Mommy and Me get together, where they talk about their beliefs and their lives and different things like that.  Well we got there and to start off the meeting they do their Buddhist chants.  It was a very..... interesting and educational experience.  They chant for about 10 mins and then start the meeting.  The whole time I was just wondering how they remember the words and their throats don't get all dry and thirsty.  It was quite a scene having the three moms chanting to this box shrine thing, their babies just playing and crawling everywhere,  and then us two sitting there.  2 of the moms were English and the Kimyo ( our Japanese investigator.)  but like i said I enjoyed it.  it was interesting and cool to talk about our different beliefs but to find out how we are similar and different and can live in harmony and learn about each other.  The best way to describe it without trying to be mean or rude is just picture the scene from finding nemo where they are in the dentist office and it is his first night in the tank and they have to like initiate him.  Shark-bait-ooo-ha-ha.  that is exactly what it was like.  orrrrr like the thing that they do before rugby games. i forgot what that was called and even if i remember i would have no idea how to spell it, but whatever it is.... it was like that. ohhhhh i remember, the haka?? 

So you think you guys have it bad with the heat. i don't want to hear about it.  it is now 35 degree Celsius and HUMIDDDDDD, but here is the catch.  they don't have AC over here. since it is never this hot none of the houses or buildings have it.  so there is no escape from the heat. except for maybe a pool, but oh wait..... haha 

I tried a Kiwi for the first time this week!!! aren't you proud of me.  I don't know why the heck it took me so long it was delicious! I should have realized that they would be because Kiwi flavored things are scrumptious, but the outside always scared me off. the hairy brown stuff..... no thank you. and all the seeds on the inside, but hey just proves that we shouldn't judge by appearance because looks can be deceiving! which is so true with missionary work. so many times i find myself drawn to stopping a certain type of person because they look nicer or look like they would listen, when sometimes that is not the case and the people you wouldn't expect to be interested are.  I have to remind myself that we are all Gods children, and all brothers and sisters, and everyone needs the gospel whether they look like they want it or not.  so that is something i am working on.  Every day i make sure to stop someone that i would initially not stop because they look a bit on the rough and tough side. 

ohhhhh funny moment.  We were sitting in the library one day waiting for an appointment, when this young man walks up to us, probably late teenager.  He says so what is it that you guys believe.  We start to tell him about the Book of Mormon and he was like no what is your unique message.  We start to tell him about having a prophet on the Earth today and he stops us and says "I don't think you guys really know what you believe.  I think you are brain washed".  It was hard for me not to get impatient and a bit sassy back to him, but i tried my best.  We continued to talk to him and teach him a bit and then showed him the intro of the Book of Mormon and asked him to read the last 2 paragraphs. ( if you haven't read it, go read it, it is good stuff.) anyways he freaked out.  He was like No! It might be a spell that you are trying to cast on me to take over my brain!  I just started laughing.  I asked him where he heard that and he said from his pastor.  That his pastor told him not to talk to or read anything from us.  I was very tempted to say 2 things A) if i wanted to cast a spell on you and take over your brain i would have done it at the beg of the conversation to save my time and B) it sounds like you are more brain washed then us if you can't even read a paragraph, but i refrained. aren't you proud? 

GUESS WHAT!!!! i heard about a sport this week that i have never heard of.   brace yourselves. under water hockey!!! cool huh!! have you guys ever heard of that? crazy huh. one of the members of our ward plays it.  apparently it is like a world wide sport. sounds pretty boring to watch, and maybe even to play, but i want to play at least once. it sounds like something either a drunk person or little kid made up.        

There was the most beautiful sunset the other day when we were driving home on the top level of the bus.  i seriously was going crazy over how gorgeous it was.  to me nature is such a testimony of the love and power of God.  The colors in it were so beautiful. They should really make a sunset colour because it would be a lot easier for me to say my favourite colour as sunset than peachy salmony.  

so this morning after our run i was laying down on the floor staring up at the ceiling just thinking, (my usually morning routine) and there was a fly flying around above me.  have you ever seen a fly fly? ( haha that sounds funny) but really. it is the strangest thing. they go for a bit in one direction and then suddenly jerk into going the other way and then jerk and go in a different direction. it is as if they hit an invisible wall, or that they are attached to a leash and someone yanks them in a different direction.  They stay within a circle of about 2 feet in diameter just flying around.  I started thinking about how this is a lot how we as people are.  In life sometimes we find ourselves flying around with no real purpose and then when a trial comes our way we are completely tossed and thrown in a new direction, and we just continue that way until some new problem appears and we jerk in a different direction.  We stay within a tiny circle not really getting any where in life.  not really having a purpose or direction, just going until some new problem appears and makes us fly in a new direction.  I was thinking about how the gospel is so amazing and can give us that direction, that purpose.  if we hold tight to the gospel of Jesus Christ and its teachings. and the basics of reading, praying, going to church, and following the commandments, when we hit that invisible wall, the problem in our life, we can push through and overcome that challenge and continue on in the direction we were headed. continue on our path, instead of getting completely tossed in a new direction. and just now it made me think of this scripture in Ephesians.  

 "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"

Too much deep thinking for the morning.  no wonder my head has been hurting the whole day :) haha 

Working hard having fun.  trying to make a difference.  sometimes i think i am not, but then everyone once in a while i feel useful. and it is all worth it. 

 

Romford, Romford, Romford

So first week down in the new area and it is ehhhhh good haha WAY bigger of a city than Gt yarmouth and Gorleston and way bigger than I would like, but missions are not about being comfortable right? 

People say that Romford is the ghetto part of England, so I guess they sent me here so that it would be like home back in hemet.  just kidding i love hemet. really i do. romford is great too.  Lots of young people, and they speak a very different form of English.  It is kinda like the lady from my fair lady before she has the English lessons.  the "lots of chocolate for me to eat" girl. you should remember that dad haha choir was just foreshadowing this time in my life.  preparing me for their accent!

Dad you are 100% right. three things that I asked Heavenly Father about my mission A) don't send me to a place that rains.....B) please don't move me around a lot.... C) please let me be with people that speak English.... so He definitely has a sense of Humor! haha but I wouldn't trade anything.  

Mom you did a brilliant job of picking suitcases, because these things have been put through heck and back and are still looking good.  we literally just end up dragging them up and down the stairs... and they are holding up! but watch now i will have jinxed myself and next time i move they will break and my stuff will go everywhere.  oh that would be awful!!! lets not think about that. my right arm was sooooo sore on Thursday and i couldn't figure out why, and then I realized it was from carrying my suitcase all day on Wednesday.  i am going to come back a body builder.  no biggie.  

Sister Chan is so cool. She doesn't speak much English, but she is learning quickly.  I must be an amazing teacher.... but not really because people keep congratulating her because she isn't picking up my American accent.  I don't know how such a little person walks SOOOO fast.  I literally can't keep up with her.  She also eats all of the sun flower seed..... is that normal for people in Hong Kong??   

but Dad remember when you were telling me about teaching the people of Japan how to speak English and the l's and r's would get mixed up and it would be sooooo funny.  i now know what you were talking about.  She said it is because they don't use their tongues when they talk.  They barely even move their mouths.  We have an investigator from Vietnam and when they speak to each other it sounds like they are speaking parsel tongue (no clue how to spell. dang spell check, doesn't keep up with the potter vocab).   

after the first night together in the morning time she was like did you know you talk in your sleep? and I was like yaaaa sorry about that. and then she said do you know that you were talking about missionary work??  I can't decide if that is a good thing because that means i am focused and shows what i am thinking about all day, or a bad thing because my brain literally 24/7 does not stop thinking about missionary work and will soon just crash on me...

it has been SOOOOO hot here.  people laugh when I say I am from CA.  but it is a different kind of hot. it is sticky and gross and I can feel the area touching me, and that is not a good feeling.  dad you would be proud my feet already have a shoe tan line. 

Mom the loudest and hardest i have ever heard you laugh is at Americas Funniest Home Videos when that drunk old man interrupted the wedding by asking the priest where the toilet was haha you were DYING!!! do you remember?? i will trade places with Addison, little boys are cute. over here in England we seem to attract either the drunk bums or the realllllllyyyyyyy old men.  but it is fine because they either are too drunk to move and follow us, or too old to keep up. 

so funny part of the week, was last tuesday when we were at a members house saying goodbye, sister gilgil.  So she was telling me a recipe and said she used lemon salt, and I was like what the heck is that? and so she had me try it, and obviously my brain left me for a few minutes because I didn't put together that lemon plus salt could not be a good combination, so she had me try some and it looked like sugar so i took quite a bit, and lets just say it didn't taste like sugar.  I ran around dying for a bit and then i went to go get a drink or water, and my jaw was locked shut. and i couldnt open it for a bit. she said that it tends to do that.  glad that her and Sister benetti could have a good laugh as i was suffering ha

my address is    27 Mercury Ct Victoria Rd 

                        Romford Essex 

                        RM1 2 AB 

 ya victoria rd!!! cool huh. meant to be that i am here.  

This week has been good but kinda tough.  Her last companion really just did everything and had Sister Chan follow her around, so we both don't know the area or really the investigators or anything so it is definitely an adventure!! we have only gotten lost twice so far.... ha but good news i am getting to be a boss at public transportation.  it was such a strange concept to me that most people don't drive, but over here getting your license and petrol is so expensive that EVERYONE takes the buses.  and when i ask people if their is a bus map that i can have everyone has told me that they don't have that here you just have to get to know the system. hopefully i get to know it soon, or sister chan and i will have to plan an hr around each appt just to get there.    

each time i move i think that the ward is tiny and wonder how it survives, and then i move to an even smaller ward.  I have realized that the size of the ward does not matter but the size of the hearts and testimonies of the members is what counts.    Romford ward is so small, but it is full of some amazing people.  I already love them.  I am excited to get to know them and serve them.

Yesterday we found out that there has not been a baptism is this area for about a yr.  it kinda freaked sister Chan out, because her last companion here was here for 7 months, and she was sooooooo hard working. it was not like she was not a good missionary,  but we decided that it just means that this area is due for a bunch!  so we need to be the missionaries that the Lord can use to reach the prepared people.

Mom I say that all the time! just keep swimming just keep swimming.  and it is great because it is impossible to say that without smiling, so if i ever get down i say that and get cheered right up.  Also lately everything I read in the Book of Mormon seems to be about not being ashamed of the gospel.  and then yesterday I was listening to I Believe in Christ by MoTab and i could just picture the choir members standing their singing their hearts out wanting to share it with the world that Jesus Christ lives and that He is our Savior.  It made me want to go to town centre and pull a Dan Jones and just stand up on something and shout it to everyone that this the gospel of Jesus Christ. Christ loves us so much that he took upon him the pain and suffering of the world. if we follow his example and follow this gospel, it will bring them true eternal happiness and is the way that we can return and live with our Father in Heaven.  thoughts on how that will go over with the people here in Romford?? haha 

Sounds like you guys have loads and loads of Salsa! maybe you should give away a tube of salsa with each o-tus?? (www.o-tus.com) i know i know, genius idea.  

love you guys! thanks for being the best family ever. i know that i had a big part in making it so great, so you are welcome as well :) haha jussstttt kiddinggggg love ya Rachel  

我恨包裝......

我恨包裝......

for those of you who don't read chinese that means I hate packing....... which I do a lot.  aka i am moving..... yay!!!..... 

I am going to Romford! no idea where that is but I hear that it is by London.  I am going to be training a 6 week sister from Hong Kong, Sister Chen.  Hence the chinese above.... Do they speak chinese in Hong Kong? or is it like Mandarin or idk i guess I will find out!  I am not too happy about leaving some of the members, or Sister Benetti, or going down to the city but I am excited for this new adventure.  Apparently they speak really "different" English there.  More details next week when I am actually there.  

you should be happy i am moving mum because I heard from a few people this week that Gt Yarmouth is like the number 3 place in England for drugs and stuff like that. It was so sweet though, a few people we would stop and talk to on the street would always warn us to stay safe and be careful.  

So I dreamed that I was being transferred to Washington D.C. but that didn't happen so obviously it wasn't revelation.  I also dreamed President Hinckley called me and told me I had completed what I needed to do so go home.... I need more sleep I know.  

So funny/sad moment this week: mum you told me to treat myself on you, so I bought us an ice cream cone, and within the first 3 seconds of being in my hand the ice cream fell off the cone. I felt like the little kids in all the pictures. Luckily the guy was nice and gave me a new one.  It was not my fault though; here they just barely place the ice cream on top of the cone, they don't push it down into it so it was just asking to fall off.  

Shout out to Karen and Larry for delivering an amazing package of Cereal!!!! thank you so much you are the best! 

something funny I learned this week is that they call cotton candy, candy floss. so many funny differences.  I am adding more to my list all the time. one day i will type some up on here.  

Got the package on exactly my 3 month mark so that was a lovely bonus.  I love the recycled letter idea! so clever.  I didn't even realize this till this morning, but even the letters on the outside were post-it-notes just stuck on so you can reuse the envelope!!    so yes that means I got the lamp thank you so much :) you are the best. and I got the cereal!!!! yay!!! i have been craving that.  Good work asking josh for my favorite.  Definitely is, and they definitely don't have it here.  My comp thinks i am strange for eating cereal at 10 o'clock at night, but I told her that is the best time for cereal.  and she also thinks that it is weird to eat eggs for breakfast, so just goes to show you can't trust her opinion about food.  EXCEPT she knows how to make the most delicious dessert on the planet.... brigadeiros. i'll make them for you when I get home.  If you weren't looking forward to next October already, now you should be because they are sooooooooo good.  

We visited this lady in the hospital today.  she lives in alpine Utah and then here in England and travels back and forth, and her and her mum in Utah do all the missionary tag engravings.  guess what!! she remembered doing mine! since I broke my tag the first day I got it; before I left for England I got a new one a few weeks ago and she said she remembers doing it.  Cool huh.  You should check out the website  distinctiveengravins.com or something like that.  apparently they are putting some cool stuff on there.  

So last p-day I looked in our freezer and decided that it was awful and needed to be defrosted... well it didn't just melt on its own and so i spent over an hour chipping away the ice and dumping hot water on it to make it defrost..... i made a huggggeeee mess. there was a lake on the kitchen floor, but good news, the freezer now looks dang good.  

So sister benetti is probably glad to be getting rid of me and my crazy ideas. yesterday before we found out if we were moving or not I suggested  if one of us was leaving, we wake up early and go and see the sunrise over the beach.  Well as you know I am leaving so she is such a good sport and we woke up at 4 in the morning, yes 4, it gets light very early over here and walked to the Gorelston beach ( a lot nicer than Yarmouths) and watched the Sunrise.  It was so gorgeous.  Every time I see nature I get just in awe about how incredible Heavenly Father is and how blessed we are to have the Earth and this time to learn and grow.    Pretty huh.   

It is incredible the experiences I have had and the things I have learned in just the past 3 months.  I wish I could describe it to you, but emails just can't convey it. 

 One thing I loved that one lady told me was that if you ever want to make Heavenly Father laugh tell him your plan.  I thought that was so funny.  and true.  Yes we are supposed to be proactive and plan for our future and prepare ourselves for what we plan, but we also have to be willing to accept what He places in our path.  We have to trust Him and know that Heavenly Father sees the beginning from the end.  He knows what trials we need to have to help shape us into the person He needs and knows we can be.  I LOVE the Bible dictionary definition of prayer where it says that pray is where the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other.  It is not to change the will of Heavenly Father.  So when hard times come, and they will come, we need to remember to ask for understanding; instead of asking why me, ask what can i learn from this, how does He want me to grow from this.  Just remember that tomorrow is a new day.  If we live the gospel righteously everything will work out.  maybe not in our desired way and at our desired time, but it will work out.  I am working on remember this here in England when days never go according to plan, but the gospel is true and I LOVE IT! it really is the source of true happiness and I am so happy that I am able to share the joy it brings me with the people here in England.  

Love you so much thanks for everything!! i will update you on Romford next Monday. repeat, MONDAY. so please have your emails in before then :) loveeeee youuuuu   

Rachel

ps you guys are doing such fun things without me. you butt heads. yes i said butt heads on my mission. call President Monson. ha 

pps i can't believe Mckay is going to efy crazzzzzyyyyyy ahhhhh i am getting old. ahhhh you guys are getting old haha jk jk 

ppps dad i hope you didn't get any more bug bites with the jungle on the side of the barn.  your letter is still coming.  just adding more and more wisdom as time goes on haha 

pppps ( this is just getting ridiculous sorry) are alot of girls coming home?? 

ppppps fires??? updates? house burned down yet? 

ppppps love the scriptures mum you are the best.

pppppps blessed ants funny.  (We sent her the Italian translation of "Benetti + Formica")

the end love you

Happy Independence Day!

Wow. another week down, another transfer done.... well not yet technically. this is the last week, but by the time i email you next week my fate will be decided. where i go, who i am with, what i do, who i teach, whose doors i bang down. ha wish me luck! so i won't email you till next tuesday, but DON'T think oh i will email monday get busy and then forget about me haha

idk if it is politically correct, but i am definitely going to celebrate the 4th of July so correct for me!

  

this week has been great. 

some highlights were International night!! it was so fun.  it was a pretty big success i would say. people really enjoyed it.  for the American 15 mins I taught line dancing and the cha cha slide. thank you stake dances for permanently engraving those in my mind. it was hilarious to see the bishop and older members up there doing their best to keep up.  I don't know if dancing the line dance and teaching it is allowed because technically i think as missionaries we aren't supposed to dance, but i am the only american in the ward, and they were depending on me, so i decided to do as dad always says: ask for forgiveness rather than permission. (As we read Rachel's letter togehter, Ed asked, "Since when did I say that??")   The food was really good, except they don't have rootbeer here, and at this special store you can buy it and it is advertised as "American Rootbeer"..... but it is disgusting. poor English don't get to have the blessings of rootbeer.... for one of the entertainment sections they had ballroom dancing.  It made me think of you guys.  They were trying to find a couple who would get up and dance in front of everyone, and they were having difficulty finding someone to do it.  Dad i knew that you would have been up there so fast. twirling mom, showing off, being the life of the party ha

anyways it was a really fun night for the members but it was sad as well. we had a few investigators there and it was so disheartening the way the members didn't really interact with them. Even after we went up and specifically asked them to go talk to them, they would go say hi for about 5 seconds then go off to their own friends and families.  I think that as members it is really easy to fall into just doing what we are comfortable with.  and yes maybe it is not as comfortable for us to have a conversation with someone new who isn't a member rather than just be with our normal friends and family, but just imagine how the new person feels.  In our next lesson with one of the investigators, we asked him about it and he said he felt not at home and that he felt as if he stuck out like a sore thumb.  It was so disappointing and sad. Luckily he agreed to give church a try and see if he felt any more welcome. 

I loved the fireside we watched yesterday that was so bold and so clear. our greatest and most important duty as members of the Church is to preach and share the gospel.  It is not enough to be a member and to live and enjoy the blessings.  We must go out and share the truths that we know.  The people around us are our brothers and sisters. we need to love them enough to want them to have the knowledge and blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  This gospel brings us such peace! it brings us such happiness and such an everlasting joy.  We need to follow in Jesus Christ's footsteps and share the source of this peace and joy.  It sounds like you guys are trying to do that and I am so proud of you!! so true mom about your prayers for me to find a family, when the moms of the missionaries in your ward are saying the same thing.  

Another highlight was the fireside. I wish it had been shown to EVERYONE! it was so great! it truly spoke the truth about mission work and how it is most effective.      

Some of my thoughts during the fireside were:

 just found out the library is closing!! i will share my thoughts next week i promise!! i am so sorry!! 

The scripture for the week is all of D&C 31 haha i love it.  the doctrine and covenants is soooo inspiring for missionary work. man it just makes you want to go and tell the world!  about Megan's thing, it is funny you  mentioned that because Sister Benetti and I have done something very similar! i will give you more details next week.  haha give you something to anticipate in my email.  i love you so much and your emails and letters and support and strength help me more than you know! love ya Rachel      

Megan is Rachel's cousin, serving in New York City, New York Spanish speaking mission.  She wrote in her blog about them doing a flashmob on the subway train.  I'll include it for those who are curious.  It sounded unique and fun!   

"I love Jamaica, there really is no place like it. Sadly,  it also is one of the "harder" areas of NYC. Sister Missionaries just barely returned to the area after a few years of not being allowed for safety reasons. In the subway station, there are all sorts of preachers calling people to repentance and "Black Jews" shouting and chanting in their long purple robes. We decided to practice it once in the subway station. We sang, "A child's prayer." While one of the Elders played the guitar. There were at least 26 missionaries all singing, and you could feel the spirit fill the station. Many people walked by, some people stopped, but you could tell that they were all listening. It was powerful. We then got on to the subway. Some of the Elders dressed in their normal clothes to try to "blend in", but a bunch of bright eyed kids, most of which are white, kind of stand out on their own in queens, especially in Jamaica haha. Anyway, as the train moved, 4 elders started singing with the guitar while kneeling in the middle of the car, then us sisters stood up to sing, then more and more elders came into sing. The spirit filled the car, and many people took out their ear-buds to listen, and even were taking pictures and video. Angels must have been singing with us too, because we sounded really good. After we were done we would all hand out mormon.org cards and invite people to church. Some of course didn't want anything to do with it, but you could tell many people felt something and wanted to come. Our mission president is trying to get us away from knocking doors and out trying new things. 

Happy As Can Be

This week's letter is a compilation of responses to what we wrote her ... What we wrote her is in blue.  

Have FUN serving and work well!  The Holy Ghost can help you feel peaceful and comforted, not only when it's good, but when it's tough, too.  Be grateful and Be as Happy as You Can Be!  (Kimara's license plate:  HPYSCNB).  

That is the coolest license plate ever!  that is one thing I have been thinking about lately.   there are so many people we stop and talk to that say that they are not happy.  and i just want to give them some of my happiness! obviously the gospel is the source of true happiness, but even people within the church need to remember that happiness is a choice. being happy isn't going to necessarily change your situation, but neither will be being sad. but it will make the circumstance more bearable. even if you are in the worst situation in the world, there is always something to be grateful to Heavenly Father about.   there is an amazing quote that says:

 "Don't be gloomy. do not dwell on the unkind things. stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. even if you are not happy put a smile on your face. accentuate the positive. look a little deeper for the good. go forward in life with a twinkly in your eye and a smile on your face with great and strong purpose in your heart. Love life!"  

President Gordon B Hinckley.    good quote huh.  

I found parts of these quotes in two different talks, so I think it's a combination of two talks ... definitely good ones!  

   (How Can I Become the Woman of My Dreams? and The Spirit of Optimism )  

whats new.... hmmmm... oh well last p-day at like 8:30pm sister benetti said she wanted to do something fun and wanted to do something she could video tape.... she obviously didn't know what she was getting in too, because i then got our mattresses and made ramps down our stairs to surf down. it was so fun, but she jammed her toe on the wall. it turned black and swelled up and was pretty bad. luckily she is an amazing sport and said who cares it was fun so it was worth it haha we then proceeded to run to a bridge near our flat to watch the sunset for the last five minutes before we had to be back home.  it was super windy, and i had the urge to spit off the bridge. idk why.  i hate spitting, but i did and it blew back and hit me in the face. i was reminded why i hate spitting. haha

the funniest thing of the week was when sister benetti got pooped on by a bird.  actually hilarious. she didn't think so but i was rolling on the floor laughing

we have planned an international party. it is going to be fun.  different nationalities from the ward are going to have a booth and have food from their country and then each will have about 20 mins to do a program or teach everyone something from their country.  any suggestions on what we should do for America?? it is going to be really fun and hopefully have lots of members' friends there!

The ward here is so amazing, but very old and tiny. it is sad because in about 20 years it may go extinct without new families! so that is our goal is to find families.... we have a few, kind of out there ideas on how to find new families.... we are trying them out this week, but i won't tell you until next week what they are and how they work. any fun or interesting ideas you can think of to find families?

I love you guys!! Mom you can just pick and choose what you want on the blog i don't care. you guys are the best! literally was SO HAPPY this week reading the emails. you guys are funny. now i know where i get it from.  we are a funny family! weird funny, but stilll funny. 

love you!
rachel

ps I bought a american flag shirt... it is hideous, but you best believe i will be reppin it all day in the flat on the fourth of July, and possibly under my shirt when we go out :) haha

 look up the talk courageous parenting by larry r lawrence i heard it was really good. 

 Courageous Parenting  

Here it is.  She was right.  It was really good.