Week 38! District party week

I'm at a bowling alley while I'm writing this (I'm rubbish though). This week started out stressful because our wonderful Blackburn Elders decided to have district meeting in Blackburn. I like Blackburn and all, but it's an hour bus away and the bus only comes every hour so we had to get up early to go. After district meeting was a street display in Blackburn which was pretty fun. We basically went finding all week and we had a really fun surprise lesson with Josh and Jacob. Sunday was an even bigger surprise! Josh had gone with Jacob to see his friend get baptized Saturday night, and later he told us that he felt ready! We don't have a date yet but hopefully it will be finalized by September.

This weeks spiritual thought is on gratitude! If you think about it, this is the best time to live. People are able to do so much more than ever before. We live better than most kings did before the industrial revolution. We shouldn't take this life for granted. There's a reason that God said we should give thanks.In the book of Mormon, all the prophets and deciples of christ showed gratitude. Showing gratitude shows your respect for God. Being a grateful person also makes you happier. When you see the blessings in your life you realize how lucky you are. People who are ungrateful onlt see the bad, thus they feel bad. If you stay grateful and positive though, no matter what circumstances you are in, you can be happy.

Funny stuff:

My good raincoat got left at the church so I had my bad raincoat for a couple days. Of course those were the days where England decided to act like England again and just dump rain on and off all day. I don't think I've ever been wetter.

Sister Gilland and I came up with Disney characters for our whole district. I'm lilo(lilo and stitch) , sis Gilland is Meg(hurcules) , elder Adams is Phil(also hurcules), elder casidebari is poncho(emporers  new groove), sister Thompson is Nala(lion king), sister poussard is Babette(beauty and the beast), elder Zander is mushu(Mulan), and elder Smith was Flynn rider(tangled).

There's these fruit stands in town center that have very very gross fruit. (I had bought a coconut there and it tasted like a bad lemon). The stand had free samples of tangerine slices, and suster Gilland took one. She ended up spitting it out. She described it as: the texture of a foot (what) but with the taste of something you'd give your kid when they swear.

I got these toilet cakes that turn your toilet water pink and fizzy, and the elders stopped by to pick up some exchange stuff and use the bathrooms. Apparently soapy pink toilet water is extremely fascinating, so the elders made me give them a toilet cake. Sometimes I forget that other missionaries (and myself) are still dumb teenagers/young adults

So this missionary with the EXACT SAME name as me friend requested me on Facebook. I still haven't found out how to make Facebook stop sending me emails, so when I saw an email that Haley Hawkins sent me a friend request, I was really confused.

So we met this nice old man (we've chatted before) who had a kind of mouth cancer and he got a piece of his tounge removed and replaced with a piece of the skin on his arm. Well we were chatting with him again and he's talking way better now(tounge surgery man). Then he said that he had something funny to share.  So apparently the new piece of tounge that came from his arm is GROWING HAIR?!? it was so awful!!! (sister Gilland and I were dying when he told us) luckily he's getting it removed soon. (respect man)

One of the members in my ward named his first born son Poseidon, the second son is named Alex (future children goals) 

**Just before Haleys p-day was over, I asked her to tell me what the hardest and what the best part of her mission has been so far. This was her answer.

How do I even answer that? I think the hardest thing is having to always be focused on the work. It's a struggle looking myself and not letting tiredness boredom or wants get in the way. I really miss just messing around. The best part of the mission has been seeing the progress in myself and others. seeing the change the Gospel brings in people is amazing.

Pictures:

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Elder Casidebari got a little paper doll and he asked me to draw his face on it. Also we didn't have a tea appointment one day so we had a rare free hour and I was bored so I figured out how to draw on my tablet and I finger painted an eye

-I got a pizza cone in Blackburn for lunch bc it was only 2p. Also the elders (Smith and Zander) saw you posted them on facebook and wanted me to take their pics again (She's talking about the picture from last week of them holding a D&D book and teasing her about it. I post all her pictures in a folder on FB and they must have seen them)-

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Sister Gilland being dumb(photo bombing her picture lol) and the blackburn chapel has a really neat temple model 

-Benjamin Franklin lived in Preston at one point