Week 41!I got to meet a cat!!! And Elder Moreira!

This week was sooooo busy! So it started with a zone conference on Wednesday and then splits with ward missionaries on Thursday and exchanges Friday and Saturday. Also really intense rain on Saturday. Like Really Bad rain. Not even my heavy duty raincoat could cope. We had to go back halfway through the day to get changed and I ended up buying an umbrella because I never want to experience that horror again.

On Wednesday was zone conference and elder Moreira (from the 70) was touring the mission. He's super funny and taught us mostly about faith and repentance. He talked about how you can go through the motions of the gospel but you won't feel the gospel until you truly repent. True repentance isn't saying sorry, it is changing your thoughts, actions, habits, and beliefs. We can all change our thoughts, habits, and actions if we allow ourselves to be self disciplined enough but to change our beliefs(and desires) can only come through prayer to our heavenly father. 

When he was talking, elder Moreria shared a story about how after his mission he didn't really know what he wanted or who he was. He figured the best way to find that out was to go to his heavenly father and find out. He spent the whole day praying and going over his patriarchal blessing and the scriptures, and ay the end of the day he asked heavenly father who He (God) wanted him to be. He got his answer and his life has never been better. Even through rain and shine (and poverty and riches) he said that he never doubted God's love and trust in him.

I really want to encourage everyone here to repent daily (we all need to) and to ask heavenly father who he wants us to be? I love ya'll and can't wait to see (some) of you in 9 months! 

The funny stuff:

Every day I feel like like I'm becoming more and more like my mom, but every night when I take off my watch and look at my watch tan, I realize that I'm still a lot like my dad. *(I asked Haley what she meant that she's becoming more like me and she emailed that she's starting to say some of the things I always nagged her about like "You can choose to be happy, do your work first before you play, etc" I had a good laugh over that one! ha!)

I hadn't bought pomegranates in a while and occasionally the elders or sisters will go to our flat to get the street display stuff, and they always steal my food. Well the zone leaders grew quite used to their weekly handful of pomegranate seeds and elder casidebari was very concerned when I didn't have any pomegranates last week.
I'm trying to break my habit of picking my hair so I asked sister paschen to help. Now she slaps my hand every time I touch my hair, and I'm not allowed to get annoyed bc I asked her to do this.
I'm so emotional now. Sister paschen loves the doctrine and covenant videos and watches one like every morning. I always sob a bit when I see the Pioneer ones.
Sister paschen is unable to walk in a straight line but she also wants me to always walk next to her. I keep getting pushed into walls or bushes
I had a very vivid nightmare of elder casidebari. In it he was a serial killer and I saw him with one of his victims and had to help hide the body. Later on, every time he said "you OK" in his Italian accent, it meant he got another victim and I had to cover it up. I was legit scared of him for like two days. He thought it was really funny when i told him
The music standards for our mission was changed from hymbook only to hymbook and sacred choir which means I can now sing efy music and not get told off. The next step now is to get president to approve Disney
When we had exchanges with the stls and we were at their flat, sister paschen opened the back door to go out and this cat ran inside. His name is gidean and he lives in the neighborhood. Apparently he always jumps in if the window is open too. He chilled with us most of the morning. I also got him to chase my watch (and now I have scratches on my hand, playing with Jess is a lot easier). *(funny thing! Haley emailed me before she sent me her weekly email, that she had some pictures of a flat cat. I assumed she was talking about a dead cat and asked why she would be sending me pictures of that! She replied that it wasn't dead, it was a cat that was hanging around their flat (Apartment). hahaha!! Flat cat!)

*Pictures..The flat cat, zone conference, and apparently Haley likes to put on the Elders glasses and take a selfie. ha!

Week 40! Book of Mormon challenge kickoff

So this week was super busy, having sister Paschen, new ward missionaries, prepping for Josh's baptism, and starting The Book of Mormon challenge has been keeping us busy. We had our first street display with a posh new banner and everything for the street display but England was grumpy that day so not a lot of people to talk to. Hopefully the next couple of days will be better. I also got a new companion, sister Paschen!!! She's from Hanoeer Germany and is one of the funniest random people I've ever met. We get on really well. There was also a member missionary fireside this Sunday that we got to go to with Josh and Stella. I think the highlights were when sister Graham sang (she sounds like a literal angel) when president made all the missionaries get up and sing the efy **I wonder if she meant the mission theme song?** theme (without practice) (why president whyyyyyyy) and when a previously catholic member spoke. He described how his lifelong dream was to be a priest and how that and the search for peace led him to finding the lds website and reading the book of Mormon. It was amazing to hear his testimony (especially from someone who knew the Bible and religion really well) a boy how the book of Mormon brought him that peace and clarity he had been looking for his whole life. It healed all kinds of pain in his life and even brought the miracle of healing his eyes (has the days of miracles ceased? Elder Holland). It just shows that this church is the true church on this earth. If it wasn't, the book of Mormon wouldn't have such a good effect on people like I've seen on my mission and back home.

The funny stuff:

Some days in England are so cloudy and foggy to the point where the sky just looks like a blank piece of paper

In the mtc, everyone got a little bag of laundry tablets, and sister Paschen kept one to use her last day of the field. This laundry tablet is 10 months old

Within the span of like 2 minutes, I met almost all of my district. Chorley has 3 companionships, 1 decent park, and it was a nice day out so of course we all accidentally go to the park at the same time

There's a baby swan (signet) at astley Park right now, and he's going through the ugly puberty stage. I keep mistaking it for a pile of dirt every time we pass it

It's really fun when we get to pass one of the other Chorley missionaries because if they're talking to someone, you can make a face at them and see if they get distracted. 

* Here is a link to the UK Book of Mormon 21 day challenge for any who would like to do it! There is a reading chart with the scriptures to read each day and question to ponder! https://www.lds.org.uk/the-book-of-mormon?lang=eng-gb

*these are the only 2 pictures Haley sent this week of her and her new comp Sister Paschen. I told Haley she needed to repent and be sure to send lots more pictures next week. haha! 

Week 39! Ooh! We're half way there! WhOahh! LIVING ON A PRAYER!!!!!

I'm finally at my halfway mark! Wooooo! I can't believe how fast it's gone. I'm officially a normal missionary now. 

So this week went by so fast. Both sister Gilland and I were on the edge of our seats waiting for transfer calls. And I am..... Staying! Unfortunately sister Gilland is leaving for Saint Helen's near Liverpool. My new companion will be sister paschen (pronounced passion) from Germany. I don't know anything about her but she sounds cute!

Another thing happening in England (and Europe) is a book of Mormon challenge for September. Every day has a question of the soul to ponder, some scriptures to answer it, and a quote from the quarom of the 12. It's a 21 day challenge and will have videos every Friday and Monday. Even though this is mostly for Europe, anyone can join in! I really hope you all give it a try! 

And now the funny stuff:

I had the white handbook thought and when we all got up to recite the missionary purpose, I accidentally started with the young women's theme.

Twilight zone moment: when your investigator asks You to go to a baptism.

Nobody in England wants to respect the missionary title rule so I had a bunch of people ask for my fist name. Now I get called Haley at least once a week. 

Every American missionary I know has quoted napoleon dynamite at least once.

Things sister Gilland has taped into her smash book: sand from thorny Beach, a beef jerky packet (thanks mom), a missionary ID card from provo mtc (they have ID cards?), like every train ticket she ever got, money, a deflated balloon, a burger King coupon, Harry and Megan's marriage,seaweed, and like 2 of my drawings

Every missionary I know quotes SpongeBob (including me) 

For family home evening we were watching the restoration movie and it got to the part where Emma's dad was roasting Joseph Smith. When he finished talking and Emma was giving him the cold stare; one the the ysa said:`it's not a phase dad!' everyone just lost it. 

My new hobby: giving sweets to missionaries who are trying to diet (the only missionary I haven't corrupted is elder Adams, his willpower is strong)

I'm pretty sure that my mom is more popular in the mission than I am. I've had a lot of people ask me how Gwen is doing

Things sister Gilland and I do: during companionship study we say our white handbook paragraphs in a different accent each (I'm best at southern drawl and cringy valley girl) (sister Gilland does posh londoner, Birkenhead, and southerner)

So the stls got some Swiss rolls and gave them to the zone leaders, who gave them to the blackburn elders, who gave them to us and now theres no one left in the district to give them to. 

Pictures.. lots of pictures of her district going out for one last ice cream since many are getting transferred or going home. 

One of the pictures is of Haley and Sister Gilland and their investigator Josh who has a baptism date set for Sept 22nd! I'm so excited Haley wasn't transferred and will get to finish teaching him until his baptism! Hopefully Sister Gilland will be able to come to the baptism also!

The video is from last week..the Elder who took it just sent it to her so she sent it to me this pday. 

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 

Week 37!

*This week Haley ended up hardly having any time to email, so she just sent me a few funnies from the week and not much more. She had the opportunity to go to a beach with one of the YSA's and the STL's, so she sent me lots of pictures from that. The funniest thing of the week she sent me was a video her comp Sister Gilland took. I literally laughed out loud watching it. It warms my heart to know Haley's getting along great with her companion, and it makes me love Sister Gilland so much for messing with Haley like that!! I totally miss doing that kind of stuff to Haley! ..

From Haley: The funny stuff

I accidentally stabbed my eye with my mascara stick and I cried black tears for a minute. It made me feel like the Gothic kid I wanted to be when I was like 12.

American and English ambulances look about the same, but they sound different. An American ambulance is more like an air horn, it's really loud but doesn't kill you unless you're right next to it. An English ambulance is like a dog whistle on crack. Their alarms go so high that even when you're super far away, you'll still get a headache.

I was blessed to witness the best bird failure ever. This little bird attempted to land on the branch but when it stretched its legs out, it didn't grab the branch well enough and it ended up flopping onto the ground. I died

In England, a lot of people cut their pizza with scissors

Sister Gilland told me that playing DnD was against the white handbook and I was so sad and confused until I realized that she was referring to video games. Sister Gilland thought dungeons and dragons was a video game. I was so disappointed.

One family in ward 2 has a dog that watches TV. If they put a animal or child YouTube video on their tablet, the dog will lay down next to the tablet and watch it. It was so cute!