Week 76!! So I'm not famous

So last week when I said that missionaries were possibly getting interviewed for a TV show, well it did happen. Because there was a trio of sisters though, they wanted to send one out so that there wouldn't be too many at once. So I volunteered and spent two days in Oldham while the filming was going on. Normally I would jump on a chance like this, but anyone who knows me knows that if I think something, I will say it, and my brain is pretty wierd. Plus I respect the church way too much to do that to it, so I was happy going on exchanges. During the week we also started seeing a returning member named Howie who is absolutely amazing. He's so prepared and ready to come back. Plus he gave us cereal. We also managed to meet our goal of four new friends (investigators) because we made two during the week and then two new people showed up to church! I was in Oldham for this so I haven't met them yet though.

Exchanges in Oldham was so fun! I was with sister larsen and sister Escalon during it and they are a party. We also had a lesson with a returning member named Ama, and she is probably one of the cutest old ladies I've ever met. Honestly I just love the old ladies in England. They're probably my favorite group of people. 

Anyways this week's spiritual thought will be on believing and true conversion. So anyone can believe in Jesus christ and get a spiritual witness of him, but how do you know if you are a true follower of christ? When we are baptized, we covenant to take his name upon us, and that means to stand up for the standards you promised to follow at all times, even when it's not convenient or when no one is looking. It's important to receive a testimony, but a testimony isn't built on seeing miracles or random powerful spiritual witnesses. For example: laman and lemuel definitely believed in Christ. They saw a literal angel, heard the voice of God, and were shocked by the power of God. Plus all the miracles that Nephi and Lehi preformed. There was no way they didn't have a belief in God so why were they so bad still? It's because they never did the things needed to keep their testimony. When I've taught people on the mission, almost every one of them felt the spirit in lessons. I felt it so they should've felt it. But only the ones who kept their commitments and tried for themselves to feel that again were ably to keep their belief in christ. It's not about seeing a miracle, it's about living in a way where you'll always be able to feel the spirit. In Matthew 7, Jesus gives the parable of the wise and foolish man:

24 ¶ Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

The wise and foolish man both built a house (they both had a spiritual experience), but the difference was the foundations they built it on. The foolish man built his testimony on sand. He chose to put in little effort and because we didn't work hard to keep his testimony, when the rains (or trials and temptations) came, his testimony washed away. The wise man on the other hand, built his home on a rock. He put in the Daily work needed to keep the spirit with him always, and because he did that, when trouble came his testimony stood firm because it was built on a good foundation. 

The funny stuff:

So the book of Mormon musical (not church produced) (the one that makes fun of us) is coming out soon in England, and we had a whole training in zone conference on how to answer questions without controversy. The best part too is that the church is running and ad that says "you've seen the play, now read the book. The book is always better!" it comes out my last week of the mission too.

So there's some people who do church online. I had no idea that was a thing. Everything is on the internet these days though.

It's so funny the stereotypes other countries make of each other. One girl was telling me that they saw all Americans as loud, crazy like our celebrities (we are pretty loud though) and I told her about how we see all English people as posh, proper, and really classy and she thought it was hilarious

We called by a lady's home and she couldn't open the door because she lost her key. I hope she finds it or else she'll be locked in.

So either the walls are super thin or our neighbor has one heck of a stereo because we can hear every song or TV show they play. (and poor sister Ott is trying to stop singing worldly songs) (I'm pretty sure they're agents of shield fans)

I miss the chavs in Chorley. The ones here are so annoying. They'll yell "obscene" things as we walk past. Meanwhile the chavs in Chorley just called us gorgeous but that was it. I was planning to name my first future pet chav but now I'm rethinking it.

So I saw this soda that was dandelion and burdock flavored and if course I had to get it. If I gave it a rating between 1 and 10 I would give it a 3. It wasn't as bad as the cookie soda from Satan that my parents made me drink once, but this one was still pretty rubbish. And it did not taste like dandelion at all. I am speaking from experience.

When I was at a street display in Oldham, this lady came up and asked to see all the elders hands, but she didn't want to see mine. Then we saw her walking up the street again and she was singing the whole time. Then she came up again, asked for a book of Mormon, said 'God bless' (it's a very popular phrase among the Christians here) and left with it. Whoever you are mysterious hand checking lady, I will always remember you.

Sister Songer and I have really been struggling with the no worldly song thing. So, in order to be more obedient, sister Ott decided to stop singing non-church songs, and sister Songer and I, being supportive companions (and decent human beings) decided to do it with her to make it easier. Well Satan doesn't like this goal, because my memory of rock, Disney, and alexander Hamilton song lyrics has never been better, and it is taking every ounce of willpower not to rub it in sister otts face.

So I'm a horrible person and this is why I opted out of being on TV: So we were at a members home while on exchanges with sister Larsen and Escalon, and the lady was telling us this really sad killing that happened to a religious group, and the first thing that came out of my mouth was "well that sucks." The second was "wait that's not dignified, that's awful!" Can anyone imagine if I said something like that in an interview. At least this guarantees that I'll never be one of the women axillary presidents. (the member wasn't mad and she was very understanding of my mistake)