Reserved

Reserved

November 24.... I may be a true blue, darn tootin, Star Spangled, burger eatin, tater pickin American... But, way down deep inside... I am an English Daisy.

I may be a true blue, darn tootin, Star Spangled, burger eatin, tater pickin American... But, way down deep inside... I am an English Daisy. <3

Hello, my beloveds!!!!
I am training... What?!?! Sister S is the absolute cutest!!!! She is soo Christ like and just sooo with it!!!

She has a testimony and a heart of gold!!! She served a mini mission before this, so I definitely feel like she doesn't need to be trained.. Officially, of course she needs to be, but spiritually, she was born trained and ready!!!

I love her to bits!!! I think she really is such a powerful and effective missionary!!!! :)

I asked her how she wants to change and she said with a huge smile on her face, "I want to be more humble!"

Just desiring to be humble is an act of humility!!! She is sooo teachable and so willing to learn!!! I love her ooodles and oooooodles!!!!! :)

I am so excited to experience miracles together with her!!!

And we already have!!!!!

Holy guacamole.... Last week was PHENOMONAL!!!!!

On Thursday, we met up with L!! (Oh, did I mention that she is a part time burlesque dancer? I forgot to mention that little detail... hahaha!!) We met up with her (we haven't seen her for about a month because she has been so busy with her... um... career?) So, we decided to meet with her one more time just to see if she actually is interested in meeting with the missionaries....

And guess what happened?!?!?!

SHE PRRRAYYYED!!!!!! For the first time ever, she prayed to her Heavenly Father and asked if He was there!!!! The Spirit was sooo strong!!! :)

Our next goal with her is to take her to the temple!!! Because we feel everything would completely change if she went!!!! :)

We also met up with M!!! :) We watched the General Conference talk given by Elder Bednar "Come and See." :)

M, afterwards, said, "I respect you so much for what you do..." I think it has finally clicked in his mind of who we actually are (representatives of Christ) and what we are here to do (help him come to true happiness through coming unto Christ by being helping him gain faith, guiding him to repentace, being baptized, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end....) He gets it!!!! He really really does!!!!

Oh, and then Friday... Oh, Friday... What a flipping amazing day....

So, we met up with M again and talked about enduring to the end and how the Atonement helps us in enduring to the end.... (M loves the Atonement!!!) We were talking to him about how much he has changed! And he said, "I used to think Jesus was just a person... But, I'm starting to realize He is waay more than that!" I was just like... AHHH!!!!! And then, he said the most genuine thank you for all that we have done for him.. I wanted to cry!!! I was thinking... "Thank YOU!!!!"
We asked him if he wanted to continue changing and he said yes... <3

So, for the last few weeks, M has said no to saying the prayer because he feels he is inadequate when it comes to saying prayers... Well, my dear brothers and sisters, he said the prayer on Friday!!!!

And this is what he said:

"Dear Heavenly Father. Thank you for this beautiful day. (For starters, Friday was gloomy and gray... He has changed so much he can call everything, even gloomy and gray days BEAUTIFUL!!!) Thank you for allowing me to learn. (THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING US TO TEACH YOU!!!) Thank you for teaching me. (AHHH!! He is sooo humble now!!!) Thank you for the sisters. (Shucks, M.. We love you!!) Thank you for giving me the freedom to believe in you and not brainwashing me to believe in you. (Hahahah!! M is amazing!!!) I'm sorry. Thank you for being there. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen."

AHHHHHH!!!!!! I was sooo happy!!!!! M really truly knows that Heavenly Father is there!!!!! <3

M then started going off of how our bubbly personalities and countenances have changed him.. He's so sweet!!!!

After the teach, we ended up being late for our train and our next appointment cancelled... :( So, we got on our train and ended up being on a coach al alone with these two men ( one of them had down syndrome. He was adorable!) We said hello. :) A couple minutes later, one of them came up to us and said, "Are you LDS?" "YES! Are you a Latter-day Saint?" "I'm inactive!"

We invited ourselves over, asked if we could say a prayer with him, and then asked why he stopped going to church. He said being sealed to his wife freaked him out.

We testified to him that being sealed to your family is one of the greatest gifts God could've given us!!!

We then committed him to pray about being sealed and start going to church again...

Unfortunately, he is in the Farnborough ward, so we can't check up on him... BUT, there are missionaries serving there, so we will make sure they follow up with
him!!!

Heavenly Father is most definitely looking out for us and wanting success for us!!!!

I can testify that He is and always will be our one true friend!!!

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!

Love Always,

Sister Funky Fresh. :)

“If the person you are talking to doesn't appear to be listening, be patient. It may simply be that he has a small piece of fluff in his ear.” -Winnie the Pooh. <3


Hello people that I love a flipping ton!!!!!

As for the quote.... Missionaries.. Take this to heart!!!! <3 To be a missionary means to be patient!!!! <3

Soo, we got a call the other night from President Millar.... "Sister V, I would like you to train." All I said was, "Okay." Hahaha I was dumbfounded.... I said a silent prayer to Heavenly Father saying, "Um... You're trusting me with a new missionary?" ... I felt completely unqualified for this... But, then a very calming feeling came over me. Of course I'm not qualified for this. Because I haven't been called because I am qualified. I've been called to BECOME qualified... :)

I really am very excited to train! I really am! I just, at first, felt a little bit of pressure... Because I remember Sister Millar saying, "Being a trainer is the most important calling in the mission."

Ahhhh!!! Whaaattt!!? Don't tell me that!!

But, I have come to realize and accept that this is my time to let Heavenly Father take over and change both me and the wonderful sister I am training...

I feel an overwhelming sense of gratitude for her choice to serve the Lord. <3

I know she is meant to be in this mission at this time for a reason!!! I'm sooo excited to witness miracles with her!!! :)

Well, I will have you know that I am doing grrreat!!

I am going to miss Sister Y though... She is an absolute angel and really brings out the best in me!! She definitely is a miracle worker and such a wonderful companion... But, not only that, she is a good friend! :)

I looooove Aldershot!!! I really really do!!!

Aldershot is aaaaaaaaaaammmaaaazzzziiiiiiinnnnngggg!!!!

So, a veerrry cool finding activity we had last week........ Absolutely blew my mind!!!

A couple of weeks ago, Sister Y and I came up with the idea to give away free hot chocolate with our number and mormon.org on the cups!!! We told Elder T (our district leader) and he liked it so much, he wanted to join in!! So, we got our whole district together, including the zone leaders and a couple of other elders in the zone and planned a day to do hot chocolate!!

We asked if we could have it closer to Christmas so that we could have a Christmas theme to it!! So, we got some Christmas decorations together, planned it with all the missionaries, and waited until the day we planned for it (last Saturday.)

Sister Y and I dropped off the decorations for them to start finding and decorating while Sister Y and I made the hot chocolate! :)

We made the hot chocolate and went to the designated spot for finding... :) We turned the corner and were absolutely stunned!!
The missionaries had all brought chalk and there was chalk literally EVERYWHERE on the sidewalk on the high street!!!!

The missionaries were stopping people and asking them what made them happy and then would write it on the sidewalk... It was soooo cool!!!!

And we had some verry cool experiences from it!!!

But, one that was veryy cool was with a guy named O.... :)

So, Elder B was talking with these two black guys on high street and they looked very, "Waddup, mah homedog!" I was thinking, "That's cool, that's cool.." And then, Elder B called me over and said, "This guy was baptized three years ago in the Staines ward!!"

Oliah told his entire story of how he is originally from Nigeria and was living in Staines. He was taught by missionaries and was baptized.. Soon after he was baptized though, he joined the military.... Now the military is great!! I LOVE the military!!! I respect those who serve our country soooo much and wouldn't mind at all if I even married someone who served in the military because, let's be honest, when you serve a mission and then serve in the military and still hold to your faith, that is one heck of a person!! I give HUGE credit to Latter-day Saints in the military because, as I was about to say, being in the military as a Latter-day Saint is HARD. The military is a fantastic opportunity, but some of the people in the military can be a tough influence on ya....

O explained that he fell away from the church because of it's bad influence in some areas... I told him about a friend I have back at home who had been baptized two and a half months before he left for the military.. Sadly, he didn't stay active because he didn't have time enough to get to know who he was as a Latter-day Saint and strengthen his faith to endure the temptations and bad influences that some people have....

But, unlike my friend, O has an extreme desire to come back!! He said, and I quote, "I want to get my endowments. I want to go through the temple. I have my Aaronic priesthood... Now I want my Melchizedek priesthood."

I was seriously on cloud flipping nine!!!! I just started bursting out with, "That is sooo great!!" and "Can we please meet up soon!?!?" I was sooooo excited!!!!

Seeing someone with a pure desire to come closer to Christ is what makes me the most happy... Really... I love seeing that desire to change in others' eyes....

I feel sooo blessed for being able to stay in Aldershot!!! I looove it here!!!!! :)

Ta-ta for now!!! :) (To one of the families in the ward, I'm Sister Tigger because I apparently have the energy of Tigger from Winnie the Pooh hahahha)

Have a WONDERFUL week this week!!!!

I AM SOOO EXCITED FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU ALLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

With love to the moon and back,
Sister Tigger. <3

"Do not try to perfect an already perfect plan." -President Spencer W. Kimball. <3

HELLO ALLL!!!!!! <3<3<

This week has been amazing!!!!

We met a really good guy named C!!! We were going through the parking lot of Lidl's on our way to an appointment and he was going to his car and we stopped him!!

We started talking and having a great conversation and then all of a sudden, he started talking about all the amazing, spiritual experiences he has had in his lifetime!! It was amazing!!!

Well, we prayed about what member we should bring to the teach with him and we thought about J... She is sooo friendly and soooo good with people...

So, we asked her to come on the teach with us... We get to C's house and J all of a sudden screams, "C!!! Is that you!?!?!"

They have been friends since they were kids!!!!! What?!?!?! :)

How cool is that!!! Well, Sister Y and I feel this is no mere coincidence!! :) We know Heavenly Father wants it to be this way because it will help C come closer to baptism with J along side with him!!!!

Well, in my mom's weekly email to me this week, she included a story that was told in a talk given at the YSA Stake Conference my dad serves as a bishop in...

It's called The Summer of the Lambs by Jayne B. Malan

"The day school was out at the beginning of each summer, our family went to our ranch in Wyoming. It was there with my parents and brothers and sisters, and a few cousins mixed in, that I learned about family loyalty; love and concern; birth and death; that one must finish a job once it is started; and, to quote my father, “There are only two things important—the family and the Church.”

One year my father was waiting for us as we arrived. He said he had a big job for my brother Clay and me to do that summer. I was about twelve at the time, and my brother was two years older. Pointing to the field by the side of the house, my father said, “Do you see all of these lambs in that field? I’ll share the money we get for the ones you raise when we sell them in the fall.” Well, we were excited. Not only did we have a significant job to do, but we were going to be rich! There were a lot of lambs in that field—about 350 of them. And all we had to do was feed them.

However, there was one thing that my father hadn’t mentioned. None of the lambs had mothers. Just after shearing, there was a violent storm that chilled the newly shorn sheep. Dad lost a thousand ewes that year. The mothers of our lambs were among them.

To feed one or two baby animals is one thing, but to feed 350 is something else! It was hard. There was plenty of grass, but the lambs couldn’t eat the grass. They didn’t have teeth. They needed milk. So we made some long, V-shaped feeding troughs out of some boards. Then we got a great big tin washtub, ground up some grain, and added milk to make a thin mash. While my brother poured the mash into the troughs, I rounded up the lambs, herded them to the troughs, and said, “Eat!” Well, they just stood there looking at me. Although they were hungry and there was food in front of them, they still wouldn’t eat. No one had taught them to drink milk out of a trough. So I tried pushing them toward the troughs. Do you know what happens when you try to push sheep? They run the other way. And when you lose one, you could lose them all because others will follow. That’s the way with sheep.

We tried lining up the lambs along the troughs and pushing their noses down in the milk, hoping they’d get a taste and want some more. We tried wiggling our fingers in the milk to get them to suck on our fingers. Some of them would drink, but most of them ran away.

Many of the lambs were slowly starving to death. The only way we could be sure they were being fed was to pick them up in our arms, two at a time, and feed them like babies.

And then there were the coyotes. At night the coyotes would sit up on the hill, and they’d howl. The next morning we would see the results of their night’s work, and we would have two or three more lambs to bury. The coyotes would sneak up on the lambs, scatter the herd, and then pick out the ones they wanted and go after them. The first were those that were weak or separated from the flock. Often in the night when the coyotes came and the lambs were restless, my dad would take out his rifle and shoot in the air to scare them away. We felt secure when my dad was home because we knew our lambs were safe when he was there to watch over them.

Clay and I soon forgot about being rich. All we wanted to do was save our lambs. The hardest part was seeing them die. Every morning we would find five, seven, ten lambs that had died during the night. Some the coyotes got, and others starved to death surrounded by food they couldn’t or wouldn’t eat.

Part of our job was to gather up the dead lambs and help dispose of them. I got used to that, and it really wasn’t so bad until I named one of the lambs. It was an awkward little thing with a black spot on its nose. It was always under my feet, and it knew my voice. I loved my lamb. It was one I held in my arms and fed with a bottle like a baby.

One morning my lamb didn’t come when I called. I found it later that day under the willows by the creek. It was dead. With tears streaming down my face, I picked up my lamb and went to find my father. Looking up at him, I said, “Dad, isn’t there someone who can help us feed our lambs?”

After a long moment he said, “Jayne, once a long, long time ago, someone else said almost those same words. He said, ‘Feed my lambs. … Feed my sheep. … Feed my sheep.’” (John 21:15–17.) Dad put his arms around me and let me cry for a time, then went with me to bury my lamb.

It wasn’t until many years later that I fully realized the meaning of my father’s words. I was pondering the scripture in Moses that says, “For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of [all mankind].” (Moses 1:39.) As I thought about the mission of the Savior, I remembered the summer of the lambs, and, for a few brief moments, I thought I could sense how the Savior must feel with so many lambs to feed, so many souls to save. And I knew in my heart that he needed my help.

You wonderful young people, from what we’ve observed, you’re not unlike our lambs. You, too, are hungry—hungry for things of the Spirit that will make you grow strong and keep you safe from the coyotes that are out to destroy you. You are capable and willing to do your part in building the kingdom when you are taught how. And we want to help you.

We know that you need someone to love you, someone to listen and understand. You need to be needed. You need opportunities to come together in a safe environment, a safe fold so to speak, where you can share with one another and develop wholesome friendships based on brother-sister relationships rather than romantic involvement. You need opportunities to experience the joy of sacrifice and service, of caring for and loving one another as our Savior loves us. Within the gospel we have what you need, but you will need to reach out and accept it.

It would have been far easier to save our lambs if the mothers had been there to feed them. Young women, you are the mothers of tomorrow. Young men, you are the fathers. Together, you are the parents, the teachers, and the advisers who will help nurture and feed young lambs and lead them home. Prepare yourselves now for that sacred responsibility. Study the scriptures. Develop your God-given talents. Learn all you can about the world around you that is clean and good. Prepare yourselves to enter the temple of the Lord and be worthy to receive the ordinances and blessings by living, teaching, and sharing the gospel.

Your Heavenly Father knows you and cares about what you are doing. He wants you to fulfill your divine mission, then come home and bring your family and friends with you. He wants you to be happy. Be on your knees daily and talk to your Heavenly Father. Share the happy times. Talk about what’s hard for you. Like my father, your Heavenly Father will understand. He’ll be there to walk with you, and to comfort and protect you, for he has promised to those who seek him, “I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” (D&C 84:88.)

Our prophet, President Benson, has said, “The symbolism of the Good Shepherd is not without significant parallel in the Church today.” The sheep need to be led by watchful shepherds. “With a shepherd’s loving care, our young people, our young lambs, will not be as inclined to wander. And if they do, the crook of the shepherd’s staff, a loving arm, and an understanding heart will help to retrieve them.” (Regional Representatives’ Seminar, 3 Apr. 1987.)

Parents, priesthood leaders, teachers, advisers, be “watchful shepherds”; and you, our noble youth, band together in the strength of the Lord and lead out in righteousness. Reach out with loving arms and understanding hearts to those who are weak or wandering. Help bring them back to the fold, where they can learn of the Good Shepherd and grow close to him. And please choose carefully the paths you walk, for others will follow. That’s the way with sheep.

Of our little flock, we saved only one-third. And what of the Savior’s flock? He has said, “Feed my lambs. … Feed my sheep.”

This I know: He needs our help. With more people to help, more lambs will be saved. A simple fact, but true. Of this I can bear testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I bawled when I read that...

The Savior NEEDS us... How amazing is that?!?!?

The greatest, grandest being ever to walk this Earth NEEDS you and me....

How humbling is that???

WAAAAAY humbling....

I know that this work is not just for missionaries, but for all men and women. For all children of God. <3

I love this work. And I love my Redeemer. <3

Have a wonderful week this week!!

I love you allllll!!!!!!!!

Love Always,

Your Sister AllyBoBally. <3

Definition of consecration: To make sacred.

Oh, wow... This consecration week... My body is shattered... But, my testimony is soooo much stronger than it was before... :)
I HAVE LOVED THIS WEEK!!!!!!
I really have!!!!
And to sum up the miracles we have experienced this week (which there are aaaa looooot) I'll talk about my favorite one...
LIIIIZZZZIIIIEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, Sister Y and I decided to do a lot of bus contacting... :) Because we take the bus for about an hour to get to our actual area (mainly Bordon and Farnham.) So, what we did was Sister Y sit on one side and I sit on the other. And we start talking to people! :)
So, Sister Y was in the backish talking to a woman from Thailand and I was towards the front talking to a woman from Brazil... Now, the woman from Brazil wasn't all that interested... But, I noticed a woman on the other side of me listening to everything I had been saying! The woman from Brazil exited the bus and I turned to the woman on the other side of me.
We started to talk and I noticed our bus stop was next... I wanted to have just a quick gospel conversation with her and I was about to start and then she asked, "Are you a nun?"
I said that I was a sister missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, otherwise known as the Mormons.
She asked, "What is a Mormon?" right when we stopped at our bus stop... :(
I gave her a pass along card with our number on it and told her to call us so that we could give her more information...
Most missionaries know that when you leave a card without any contact information from them, you most likely will never hear from them... :(
I prayed and prayed in my mind that we would hear from her!
Well, that night, it was freezing and a member refused to let us go home on the bus. We asked her if we could go finding for one more hour and then she could come pick us up!
It was 8 o clock at night, absolutely freezing, and we were in a sketchy part of Bordon....
We kept knocking and talking to people and about half an hour in, we got a missed call from an unknown number...
Sister Y and I were freaking out.... We prayed and prayed as we called her back.....
A woman answered and we said that we had gotten a missed call from this number and were missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
She said, "I'm that woman from the bus you talked to!"
AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I silently squealed and jumped up and down!! :)
She started asking questions like, "Do you believe in eternal marriage?" and "Do you believe in having children?" and "Do you believe in eternal families?" and "What is a Mormon?"
We were ecstatic!!!!!!!!!!!
We made a return appointment with her for Thursday and then hung up the phone...
Sister Y and I knelt down right there in the middle of the street at 8:30 in the evening in a dodgy part of town and said a prayer of thanks with absolute tears streaming down our faces....
WE FELT SOOO BLESSED!!!!!!!!!
Well, then on Thursday morning, we give her a call to confirm our appointment. She doesn't answer, so we sent her a text!
We get a text shortly after from her saying, "Good morning I won't be meeting you today as I have read up about what you believe in and unfortunately it does not appeal to me as I love coffee, my best friend is gay and I have used drugs in the past. I wish you both well on your missions. Xxx"
WE WERE SHOCKED AND HEARTBROKEN.
So, we sent back pleading with her to meet up with us so that we could clear up any misunderstanding...
We knelt down and said another prayer, and right as we said 'amen,' our phone vibrated...
IT WAS LIZZIE!!!!! All she said was, "Ok. :)"
AHHHH!!!!!!!
If Satan is trying this hard with her this early in her learning process, that must mean she has a haa-uge part to play in Heavenly Father's plan.... <3 !!!!!!!!!!!!
Life is great!!!
Of course, there were mannnny more miracles worked by our gracious Lord... And some of them, I felt we didn't deserve, simply because of their miracularity!!
But, I KNOW that our loving Father in Heaven, His Beloved Son and our Redeemer Jesus Christ, and the Comforting Spirit of the Holy Ghost have made this week the way it has been..... <3
The tender mercies of the Lord are unimaginable!!!!! <3
One of my favorite songs about the Savior is "I Can Only Imagine..." <3
"I can only imagine what it will be like, when I walk by Your side...
I can only imagine, what my eyes will see, when Your Face is before me!
I can only imagine. I can only imagine.
Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah! '? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!

I can only imagine, when that day comes, when I find myself standing in the Son!
I can only imagine, when all I will do, is forever, forever worship You!
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!

Surrounded by Your Glory, what will my heart feel?
Will I dance for you, Jesus? Or in awe of You, be still?
Will I stand in Your presence, or to my knees will I fall?
Will I sing 'Hallelujah! '? Will I be able to speak at all?
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!
I can only imagine! I can only imagine!! Only imagine!!!
I can only imagine.

I can only imagine, when all I do is forever, forever worship You!
I can only imagine."
I can only imagine that when we are at our Savior's feet, we will be able to fully recognize the things He did for us in the past life, this life, and the next life... <3
What He did for us is and should be everything to us because we are everything to Him.
He loves us.
Or else He would not have died for us. <3
He didn't do it because it was expected of Him or because He was asked to.
He did it because He wanted to. <3
Have a wonderful week!!!
-Sister Vande Merwe

Photos I (mom) received from a photographer in ALDERSHOT today....

Don't know what they're for..... but sure do love em'!

In the email she thanked the sisters for being her models and cc'd the parents also.

**Found out they're copyrighted..... didn't ask if I could post them, doubt I could.

"Inspired by the fire." -C (one of our investigators... )

We taught M on Tuesday!!! She is AMAZING!!!! She brought her friend with her to the lesson!!! Her friend's name is J and she is from the Middle East!!! :) She believes in Sikhism!! Which is cool!!! We started the lesson again with How To Begin Teaching for J... When we talked about peace, J said, "I really want peace in my life...." <3 Awww... We found out a couple of days ago that J is going through a really hard time right now so it really isn't any coincidence that we came into her life at this time!!!!! <3

L is an AMAZING missionary!!!!! His friend's son, B, just moved to England and L referred him to us!!! It was an amazing lesson!!!!!!!!! We introduced the Book of Mormon to B and then L came in like a super hero and started explaining and testifying of the Book of Mormon... It was A-FLIPPING-MAZING!!!!!!!!! L really is an incredible missionary!!!! He, like Paul, "Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches." Even though he lives a hard life, he never stops preaching the gospel.  He is completely unashamed of the gospel of Christ. <3

M..... Poor M..... His doctor has lessened his medication (He is on medication for his drug addiction) and M was completely out of it on Thursday and Friday... :( And he wasn't able to come to church on Sunday because he was throwing up... :( BUT, amazingly!!! On Thursday and Friday, the Spirit was sooooo strong.... <3 Even though he was in pain and super tired, he really tried to pay attention to what we were saying... <3 He is praying now though!!!!! He says just simple little prayers like, "God, are you there?" or "God, help me out right now." They are simple, BUT "of small and simple things GREAT things are brought to pass." <3 M is amazing!!!!!

I found a VERY COOL scripture this week...

So, I don't know why, but I have a strange obsession with light... I just LOVE light!!! Or anything that shines!!! I just LOOOOOVE light!! :)

In Isaiah 60:19, it says:

"The sun shall be no more they light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: But, the Lord shall be unto thee an EVERLASTING LIGHT and thy God thy glory."

I KNOW that as we continue towards God, He will give us the light that we need to continue!!!

My favorite Mormon Message now is 'Hope of God's Light...'

www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3701964025001

Wow.... :) "And they prayed over the hot dogs...." hahha!!! I love it!!! It really is what Heavenly Father does with us!!!

So, one thing that EVERYONE seems to associate the church with is the Osmond Family!!! :)

My favorite song is by David Osmond... It's called 'Not the Only One.' :)

I LOVE THE LYRICS...

It really gives you the perspective that we aren't doing ANYTHING alone... :) Christ faced everything with courage, humility, and steadfastness BY HIMSELF so that we would NEVER face ANYTHING alone. The Atonement helps us to face EVERYTHING with courage and humility and steadfastness!!!!!

The lyrics:

There's a man who is trembling at the edge of the sea
With thousands of people leaning on him
And the enemy's gaining, there's no place to hide
So he raises his staff and he runs
Into the mists of the water that followed the will of the Lord
Into the place where you're living on faith that's
Stronger than fear, stronger than swords
I am not the only one who has ever been cornered
When suddenly God splits the sea
I am not the only one who has needed a Savior
And prayed for the One who could save me
I'm not the only one
I have never had water from the center of a stone
I have never tamed lions or lived in a whale
And the fiery furnace surrounding me now
Is only my doubts and my fears
But deep in a heart that is hurting, I still have to trust in the Lord
But the words of the ancients tell of a God who is
Stronger than kings, stronger than swords
I am not the only one who has ever been friendless
Or lost in a wilderness place
I am not the only one who's been rescued by mercy
In exchange for my slivers of perfect faith
I'm not the only one
So many people changed by the truth through the ages of time
So many miracles amazing and new when I hear them for the thousandth time
I am not the only one who will worship my Maker
On the day that I fall at His feet
I am not the only one who will cherish the heroes
Who lived all these stories that saved me
I'm not the only one
I am not the only one
I am not the only one who has needed a Savior
And prayed for the One who could save me
I'm not the only one
I'm not the only one

WE ARE NOT THE ONLY ONES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE YOU ALLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I pray for you alllll thhheeee time!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Sister Vande Merwe

Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!!!

Ello Guvnas from the land of Mary Poppins!!!!!
This week has been FULL of Mary Poppins!!! hahhha
1. We called a member the other day (some of you MIGHT know him, his name is M..... hahahah he's a riot....) and I left a message in a, as the English call it, "Dick Van Dyke accent...." Dick Van Dyke is supposedly the worse English accent to ever walk the earth..... And it's true!!! He sounds NOTHING like them..... hahahahhahahah I know he is trying to pull off a Londoner accent but he is honestly WAYYY off.... hahah Sorry Mr. Disney.... hahahhah :)
2. The other day, Grannie A., the EIGHTY year old woman we live with was helping Sister Y with her English by making her say, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!" hahahhahahhahah!! Funniest thing ever!!!!
3. We went to Windsor Freaking Castle last week for Pday.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And guess what.... We were there the same day as the queen was!!!!!!!!! But, alas, I did not get a picture with her... Cause she left literally RIGHT before we got there...... dang it.... But anyways... It hit me that I am in Mary Poppins land!!!!!!! It's nothing at all like the Mary Poppins movie but hey, I'm still here right!??!

Well, this week has been fantastic.......

We had zone conference on Friday and Elder Adler from the Chorum of the Seventy came and spoke to us!!!! how blessed are we1?!?!??!

Just some things from my journal that I learned:

"You are entitled to blessings as long as you prepare fro them."

"Don't be number monkeys."

"You don't ask for referrals. You don't beg for them. you don't plead for them. you don't nag for them. You EARN them."
"Start a conversation, instead of, "Hi, we're missionaries and we are sharing a message about...."

"We're not Jehova's Witnesses... We're happier than they are."

"Try to teach them something different."

"I'm sorry I'm a little scattered today, but this is what the Spirit wants me to say."

"Idleness is the Devil's time. Idleness is destructive."

"We thank Thee, Heavenly Father, for the labors of the day that occupy our time."

"We do not stop finding. Nothing happens in missionary work until we find someone to teach."

"In teaching others, you teach yourself."

"You're here to find people. And you want to prepare them for baptism.... But, you want to see them kneeling in the temple."

"You have stood on the water. You have taken a step towards Christ. But, like Peter, we still drown... Remember what it felt like to stand. Remember what it felt like to walk towards Christ."

"When they reject you, forgive them. For they know not what they do."

"Give yourself to your calling. Focus on your mission. When you do this, He will mold you, carve you, and seal you up to be more than you were before."

"We are not here because of who we are, but we are here because of who we can become."

"Missionary work should begin and end with our minds focused on the blessings of the temple."

"What would've happened if I had given up?"

"It really strengthened my relationship with my Heavenly Father because He was there the entire time.

This week has been great!!!!!!

M is one of our new investigators!!!!!!

SHE'S FROM.....

ROMANIA!!!!!!
Everyone cool is just from Romania!!! hahahhahahha

We had a cool conversation about religion and how she is looking for a religion that doesn't force.. hmmm... who would that be?? "We're not the Jehova's Witnesses. We're happier than they are..." hahahhah!!!!!

She told us that she HOPES that there is a God. <3 She HOPES!!!!

That is music to my ears!!!!!!!!!!

We also had something a little disheartening happen.....

G asked us to cancel the baptism.... :(

BUT, not for good!!!!

He still wants to be baptized he just isn't ready... And that's okay!!!

Because remember? We do not force. We invite. <3

But, I know the blessings will come as we faithfully respond to Heavenly Father's call to find. <3

I want to share my favorite hymn... Most people should know this....

"There is Sunshine in my Soul Today"
My FAVORITE line is:

"And Jesus listening can hear the song I cannot sing."

"He sees weaknesses different than rebellion."
-Richard G. Scott. <3
Because we ALL have weaknesses!!! And Heavenly Father loves us for it!! Because He gave them to us!!! But, He doesn't like rebellion because that is when we are leaning a little more towards Satan. ..
But Heavenly Father loves us for our strengths AND weaknesses.... <3

We all have a weakness that keeps us from singing the song of righteousness.....

And that is why the Atonement is needed. So at the end of the day, we can ALL sing the song of righteousness... <3

IL OVE YOU ALLL!!!!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!


Love, Sister AllyBoBally

October 13

October 6

September 29, 2014

September 22, 2014

September 15, 2014

HOLY NUTCASE!!! This week has been amazing!!!!

The Lord and His tender mercies are in complete abundance!!! He is sooo generous and is always tending to our every need!!
I feel so blessed and so honored to have witnessed the week I have witnessed...
So, the first miracle is the change in the key indicators... We have been asked to no more count lessons that we have on the street!! The only lessons we count now are scheduled lessons and lessons in homes!!! WHICH I LOVE! I think it is genius idea to keep missionaries from being competative, too focused on the numbers, and not focused enough on the people behind the numbers!!!
It is an inspired idea!!!
President Millar said in his letter this week to not let the smaller number of other lessons discouage us! Because the numbers are important, but it's NOT what furthers the work. What furthers the work is the want to become better in those numbers!
"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved!" -Thomas S. Monson Oh, isn't that the truth??
I think sometimes, as missionaries, we become unfocused and let the numbers drive us more than anything else. Which is not the Christ like way in missionary work. Of course, numbers are there to motivate us in becoming better because, once again, our wise wonderful prophet has said, "When performance is measured, performance improves. When performance is measured and reported, the rate of improvement accelerates." So, numbers are there to further it all. But, they aren't the meaning of missionary work. The meaning of missionary work is the people behind those numbers! And helping those wonderful people know that they are very much loved!
Sooo, the week we had was AMAZING!!!
We started teaching the R family, the Napolese family that let us in last week....
We taught the Plan of Salvation! And oh my goodness, how amazing it was!!!!!
At first, the spirit was not there whatsoever! Because they're two five year old twin boys were going NUTS. So, while Sister Y continued teaching, I sat the boys next to me and said, "Boys, if you keep SUPER quiet, I'll give you chocolate." And, lo and behold, I happen to have a chocolate bar in my bag that day! :) I didn't know why, but earlier I had a feeling to bring it with me... There is reason behind everything!!!
So, after that, the boys sat down on either side of me and listened. And then, the miracle of the spirit was witnessed... The spirit came into the room like a wave. You could FEEL it soooo strongly.
As we continued teaching, the ten year old daughter, her name is S... She asked questions. "So, will we be with our families after this life?" "Can we say we are sorry for things we've done?" "When we say we are sorry, does Jesus forget that thing we did?" "Will we ALWAYS be together?"
HOLY FLIP. We were sitting there stunned. So we taught about the temple as well! And the dad, in very broken English, pretty much said, "We want to be married in the temple."
They BEGGED us to come back....
AHHH!!!
So incredible!!!!!
We showed them a picture of the temple and they were in awe!!!!
I looove being a missionary!!!
I have learned that my purpose as a missionary is not to get everyone baptized. My purpose as a missionary is to get people to the temple, and baptism happens to be a VERY important step along the way!
Sooo many more miracles were witnessed but that one was my favorite!!!!!
And I have learned the true meaning of family! Being a missionary, you see A LOT of different family situations... And a lot of those situations are broken families.. I am soooo grateful to be part of a family that is married and sealed in the temple and part of the gospel!! And I also have learned the true meaning of motherhood... I feel like a mother to all of these members and investigators... Because I am!! Heavenly Father trusts parents with one of His spirits as a newborn baby just as He trusts us missionaries with one of His spirits as an investigator...
I have sooo much respect for my mother and all the mother figures in my life....
I am grateful for them!! At the start of my mission, I was kind of grumpy about not being able to talk to them all the time. "If family is number one, why does that not apply to missionaries?!" Well, I think it's to help teach us how important families really are!
I am eternally grateful for these past 5 months and I am eternally grateful for the next 13 months that I have. "You had eternity to prepare, and you'll have eternity to reflect, but you only have EIGHTEEN months to experience." Sari, my sister, sent that to me my first week out.
LOVE YOU ALL!!!!
L<3ve, Your Sister Als

First week in ALDERSHOT

AHH!!! I thank the Lord soooo so much for sending me to two FANTASTIC areas... IN A ROW!!!!! I looooooved Haywards Heath and I looooove Aldershot!!!! oh, Sister Y.... IS AMAZING!!!!!!! She has such a powerful testimony and she is such an amazing example in the kind of sister I want to be!!!!!
My first Sunday in Aldershot was sooo awesome!!! The members are sooo warm and welcoming!!!!
I was able to meet one of the less actives my second day here!! hahha His name is A..... He is adorable!!! He carries a notepad with him and a bunch of pens everywhere he goes hahah!!!!
So, A hasn't been to church in four years so we are trying to get him back in to the swing of things by reading the Book of Mormon and such!!!! <3 He wrote down: "I promise to read one verse a day in the scriptures" and gave it to us with his signature... hahhahhahahha!!! He's so cute!!!!
And since he couldn't pronounce our last name, he has decided to call me Sister Blond.... HAHAHA!!! And he even wrote me a note!!!! Which says: "To Sister Blond- Welcome to England. I think you are very nice. For Sister Nice." (He switches from Sis. Blond to Sis. Nice every so often... hahahha) The entire lesson he would turn to me and say, "Sister Blond, I like you. You're funny. I love your sense of humor. Thank you for being so funny and nice. You're very nice. And funny too." hahaha.... He's a riot!!!
And then we have another member who is 24 years old.... His name is M... His mother's name is J and dang does she live up to her name!!!!! ahhaha But M calls me Sister Tough Boots hahahha and when he first saw me he said, "CRIKEY SHE'S TALL!!!" hhhahhahha!!!!!!
I have had such an amazing time teaching here!!!!!!! I loooooove it here!!!!!!!!!!
L is INCREDIBLE!!!! And sooo is G!!!! L is soo amazingly prepared to hear the gospel and G is sooo humble and willing to submit!!!
I loooove teaching them!! And Elder P is sooo goood with them!!!!!
Sooo I was blessed enough to be able to meet V and V (progressing investigators!!!) !!! They are from FIJI!!!!!! V and V are AMAZING!!!! The first time we were supposed to meet up, they forgot, so we knocked the flats around theirs! We knocked this one flat with a Napolise family!!!! They are Christian and... wait for it.... INVITED US IN!!!!!! Miiiiirrrraaacccllleee!!!!!!!! They asked us to come back!!!!! Ahhh!!!!! Soo exciting!
Well, the next day, we visited V and V again! We taught them the first part of the Plan of Salvation!!!! We asked Vee what she was thinking and she said, "This is AMAZING!"
OH, my goodness soooo cool!!!
So, since we were in the area, we decided to continue knock the flats around V and V's!! :) As we were knocking, we saw a guy walking his dog! He looked around our age!! :) We approached him and we asked him about his dog... And from there, it was soo natural to talk to him!!! The conversation went from his dog, to when he adopted her, to how he had just gotten married and how he loved her tons, and then the miracle of the teach.... I asked him, "Do you want to be with her forever?" And he said, "If I could, I would."
We told him that we talk more about how this gospel creates a happy marriage in this life and the next!!!
And he BEGGED us to come again!!!!
AHHH!!!!!!!!
So amazing!!
I just want to finish with one scripture! Doctrine and Covenants 50:24 - "That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth, brighter and brighter until the perfect day." SO TRUE!!!! may we alllways reflect the light of Christ with all our hearts might, mind and strength!!!! how blessed am I to be here!!!!!
ILOVE YOU SOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Please let me know if there is anything I can pray for!!!!!!! <3<3<3
Love, your Sister Blond. <3

ALDERSHOT!!!!!!

Mah familia!!!!!! I HAVE MADE IT SAFELY TO ALDERSHOT!!!!!! Since I was only able to email for a little while, I'm able to send out a quick email to let you know that I'm alive!!!!!!!!!!!! Soooooo, Aldershot is bomb dig!!!!! hahhaha my new comp is FREAKING ADORABLE!!!!!! She is from JAPAN and her name is Sister Y!!!!  I call her Sister Yoshi... hahah she is HALF my size!!!!!!! hahahhhhhahhha
I just wanted to express my love for you!!!!!!
TODAY WAS COOL!!!!!
Soooo, we have an investigator here in good ole Aldershot named L, from Romania and his friend G, but they can't speak a WORD of English hahhaha soooo the Zone leaders in Redding, one of which is a really close friend of mine actually, travel all the way to teach him because Elder P. is from Romania!!!! Elder M. is from Utah though soooo a lil piece of home right dere!!! hahhaha and even though the whole teach was in Romanian, the spirit was SO strong!!!!!! GOD SPEAKS ALL LANGUAGES!!!!!!!
And then, these 10 year old boys came up and started swearing and all that, so Elder M. and I took them aside for a minute so that the teach could go on. I dared them to go find treasure in the forest (so we could have peace and quiet), and ten minutes later they come back with a bunch of tires hahhaha they started being distracting again so Elder M. and I took them aside again... hahahah.... I dared them to go build something with the tires, so they did!!!
One of the boys then told me to "f--- off" and Elder M., like the cool cat he is, stepped up and said, "Hey, you do NOT speak to a woman like that!" And then the boys friend stepped up and said, "yeah, man. don't swear in front of a lady."
THERE IS SOME GOOD IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!
But, I can testify to standing in holy places!!! And standing firm when it's hard to feel the spirit!!!!!!!!!
I love you all!!!!!

Last few short emails from Haywards Heath

The Lord and His tender mercies.... < 3

When Heavenly Father says, "I have a plan for you," He isn't saying, "You have a plan for you!" He is saying, "I have made a beautiful plan FOR you. It is especially made FOR you. I designed to fit YOUR personality, YOUR dreams, YOUR desires." He fits it TO us in a way that we can gain ETERNAL HAPPINESS!!! And eternal happiness is living with Him again!! He just has different ways of getting us all there!

And when you go on a mission, you understand what He truly means when He says, "I have a plan for you!" Because you're teaching it A LOT.

There have been several times on my mission when He puts someone into my life I KNOW I needed to meet. I KNOW that I knew that person in the Pre-Earth life and I promised them, "I WILL find you and I WILL teach you the gospel!" And when you live up to that promise, Heavenly Father guides you to those people! Whether it's investigators or less actives!

England is AMAZING. Holy cow!!!! I will be witnessing my FIFTH baptism this week!!!!! HOW BLESSED AM I THAT THE LORD THINKS I'M WORTHY ENOUGH TO WITNESS THAT!!???

N AND D GOT BAPTIZED THIS WEEKEND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAMMMMMMAAAAZZZZZIIIIIINNNGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <3<3<3<3

 I can only think of one word to describe my mission so far: HUMBLING.

 Before I left, I was sooooo confident in who I was and who I wanted to be. And, at times, I think I was TOO confident.

My mission has really taught me who I really am through the Lord's tender mercies and who HE wants me to be.

My life isn't mine. IT'S THE LORD'S.

This life isn't about what I want. IT'S ABOUT WHAT HE WANTS.

It has taken me four fetching months to forget myself. And not just forget myself, but LOSE myself.
Matthew 10:39 says, "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."

When you LOSE yourself in the Lord's cause, you FIND who you really are, who HE wants you to be, and who you are MEANT to be.

I have learned LOADS so far on my mission.

But one thing in particular sticks out to me..

A mission is hard and isn't fun sometimes.  It's  not meant to be. Because if you go on a mission to have fun, you're not going for the right reasons. A mission IS meant to be hard.

It's  hard because I have left my friends, my righteous desires, my dreams, my goals, my family, my LIFE. But, I have done it so that others can have their friends, their righteous desires, their dreams, their goals, their family, their LIVES for eternity.

No, it's not fun sometimes, but, I can testify, if you go on a mission for the right reasons and you forget EVERYTHING about you, the Lord will make sure you have fun... :)

-Sister Vande Merwe

Oh, this week has been incredible... There were very trying days and very awesome days!
Soooo... WE SPOKE AT ZONE CONFERENCE!!!!!! I don't know if I've told you this, but Sister S and I bought ukuleles and are playing them and singing hymns for people on the street!!!! We have told President Millar about it in our weekly letter and so we were asked to talk on finding and teaching through music!!!!! I felt soo blessed that we were trusted enough to speak at Zone Conference!! Using music in our missionary work has been an absolute blessing!!!! I know that we are given certain talents and abilities to do certain things!!! Because have you ever noticed in a movie, it's not the scene that makes us emotional, but the MUSIC?? The music makes it intense or sad or happy or scary.... MUSIC IS MOOD!!!!!!!!! One of Satan's most powerful tools is music..... Imagine if we used music with the Spirt... IT WOULD BE TWICE AS POWERFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Soooo, A was confirmed yesterday!!!!! Now, A was very nervous to be confirmed in front of everyone in sacrament meeting, so Bishop Gilboy suggested that he be confirmed before church... So that's what we did!!!! And in his blessing he was told that he would SERVE A MISSION!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Oh, it was amazing to hear that in his blessing....!!!! By the end, Brother R,  the one giving the blessing, was SHAKING. The Spirit in the room was sooooooo strong!!!!!! Both Brother R and A were in tears!!!!!!!!
Oh, I soooo wish every missionary could have the experiences I've had so far on my mission. And most of them are because of Big A and Little A.  Big A is absolutely incredible.... The other day, we were scheduled to teach a man in the park who seemed not exactly all there.... Big A said he would come along to make sure we were safe and protected!!! He is the most caring man alive!!!!!!! He feels like family to me!!!!!!!!!! And I KNOW when he is baptized, he will be the MOST SOLID member EVER!!!!!!!! Little A is just altogether a miracle!!!!! Everything he has experienced in his life has led up to him joining the church and considering a mission..... THEY ARE BOTH AMAZING!!!!!
Sooooo, we are teaching... Drumroll please... A family!!!!!! OF FIVE KIDS!!!!!!! Literally every missionaries dream!!!!!
It is N's, one of our baptisms this week, family!!!!! Oh, they are amazing!!!!!!!! :D N, the dad, is ready to receive God into his life. After teaching the Plan of Happiness to them, N said, "If this is true, I wanna join..." Ahhh!!!!! It was amazing!!!!!!!!!!!!
N is setting such an amazing example to her family!!!!!!!!! I know this is the right decision for her!!!!!!!! And even more importantly, she knows it too!!!
IIIIIII LOOOOOVVVVVEEEEEEE THHHHIIIIISSSSS WWWWOOOOORRRRKKKK!!!!! Doctrine and Covenants 121:23, "Let the mountains shout for joy, and all ye valleys cry aloud; and all ye seas and dry lands tell the wonders of your Eternal King! And ye rivers, and brooks, and rills, flow down with gladness. Let the woods and all the trees of the field praise the Lord; and ye solid rocks weep for joy! And let the sun, moon, and the morning stars sing together, and let all the sons of God shout for joy! And let the eternal creations declare his name forever and ever! And again I say, how glorious is the voice we hear from heaven, proclaiming in our ears, glory, and salvation, and honor, and immortality, and eternal life; kingdoms, principalities, and powers!" EVERYONE NEEDS TO HEAR THIS GOOD WORD!!!!! If even the mountains are shouting for joy and the sun is shining His light and all of His creations are proclaiming testimony of this work, WHY ON EARTH WOULD WE NOT!!!!!????
I LOVE YOUALLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!
I feel soooo blessed Heavenly Father trusts us enough here!!!!!!!!!! <3
Love, Your Sister Bobally.... <3 <3

Those who are hardest to save need saving the most.... < 3

I FEEL MY SAVIOR'S LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE LOVE HE FREELY GIVES ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!!! Plus.. Maybe someone's three month mark....

OH, MY GOLLY GEE!!!!!!! THREE MONTH MARK!!???
Okay, I will make this very quick. :)
P GOT CONFIRMED YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!
Oh, the glow on His face was incredible!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
A is amazing!!!!!!! He is progressing soooo well!!!! Everything he has EVER experienced has led up to him being baptized!!!!!!! The other day, we all prayed about when he should be baptized, and after we did, he said, "How about the 23rd?" Yeah, it's a Wednesday, but that's what he felt. We asked him why and he said, "That number has ALWAYS stuck out to and never understood why. But, now I do. Because the 23rd is the day I'm going to be baptized." AHHH! So cool!!!!! When we taught him about family history, he got soo excited!!! We had a member with us, Brother R.  He said, "A, you are the key to bringing your ancestors to Christ." And A burst into tears.... "I had a dream about a week before I met you. I heard the words, 'you will be the key to the sun.'" Sister S and Bro. R didn't really get it at first but I was like, "HOLY FUNKY FRESH! ANDY! The Celestial Kingdom is compared to the sun!! Through temple work we can go there!!! YOU ARE THE KEY TO GETTING TO THE SUNNY KINGDOM!!!!" Oh, goodnes... The spirit was sooooooooooooooooooooo strong!!!!!!
And then N prayed about her baptismal date........ SHE KNOWS SHE NEEDS TO BE BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
N and another investigator (C) are BEST FRIENDS and want to be baptized on the SAME day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LIFE IS AMAZING!!!!!!!
What a comfort it is to me that Jesus Christ told me that He needs me out here! And even more so, how comforting it is to me that He is doing this work right along side with me!!!
I had a very cool study this morning...
After I read the Book of Mormon, I read the beginning of "Our Search for Happiness" by M. Russell Ballard. He talked about how Christ's mission was so short. And yet, He accomplished so much. In the Atonement, Christ was able to do what He did because He was touched with immortality.
He had the power to give up and say no. He had the power to overcome those who humiliated, bruised, abused, threatened, and crucified Him. But, He didn't. Because He wanted all of us to be able to have the same immortality that He did.
And I realized, that is my mission. Yes, it is .000000000000000000000000000000001% of what the Savior did, but still, that is my mission. I leave my friends, my righteous desires, my dreams, my goals, my family, my LIFE, so that others can have their friends, their righteous desires, their dreams, their goals, their family, their LIVES for eternity.
Yes, it's not fun sometimes. But, we do it because someone needs to.
Have you ever seen how they make olive oil? The press all the olives until the oil comes out. Only through pressure can you experience the sweet goodness of the olive.
Well, the meaning of Gethsemane is "olive press." Through the pressure of having our salvation, our sins, our pains, our guilt, our sorrows, EVERY NEGATIVE THING in our lives upon Himself, the Savior bled from every pore. In order to Atone for us, He needed to be pressed. The only way to achieve the Plan of Salvation, the happiest plan in all the world, He needed to be pressed. In order for all of us to taste of this sweet goodness, His body needed to be pressed to the point that He bled from every pore.
We ALL have our own olive press. And it is only through pressure that we can experience the sweet goodness, the "fruits of our labors."
I KNOW I CAN DO THIS. And I know it's going to be very hard for me to go home in 15 months.
THIS WORK IS INCREDIBLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
God be with you till we meet next monday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love, Sister AllyBoBally!!! <3

Another side note from mom...

We are sooo blessed here in good ole England!!!!!

Don't leave His gift at the desk....

Find joy in your mission!!!!!!!!!!

Two months.. Today... Holy Schnikes!!!!

I WAS BORN TO BE A MISSIONARY.

*Side note*

Thought I should note that I (Liz) won't always be including everything Ally writes in her letters... some things are too personal, not only for Ally, but also for her companion or the people she teaches.... and some weeks are filled with them.  So, some times her letters will seem choppy, brief, etc.  Ally is pretty much an open book.... her experiences and letters are incredible and bring great joy to us!  But we also want to respect the people she is with.  

Mucho love to all!

FAMILY!!!!!

Oh, good gracious!! Do you know how thankful I am for you!!? Really!!!! When you start to live on your own and experience new things, you realize how much your family impacted you!!  You have taught me so much and most of what I use when we approach people on the street is what I've learned from you!  I am constantly thanking God for putting me in such a wonderful family!!! You are constantly in my prayers!!!                                                                                                                                                            
Oh, my days.... what a week!! First of all, I'm almost to my two month mark!? What blasphemy is this!? IT IS GOING BY WAAAAAYYYY TOO FAST!!! We have little moments where the spirit is so strong and then it's all of a sudden time to go to bed!! :((((  Seriously, this transfer is over this week! TOOO FAAAASTTTTTT!!!!! SLOOOOOOOOW DOWN MISSION!!!!!

Well, you will be pleased to know that I am LOVING Haywards Heath more and more each day!!  And it's cool because this is home!! This is my life!!  How cool is it that all my life is right now is talking to people and relying on the Lord!!  What a great combo!!! That is my whole life for the next 16 months!!!  I really never want this to end!!!!!!!!!

Oh wow... What else??  I got to go to BRIGHTON this week for exchange with someone I met in the MTC!!  Sister D! WHAT A ROCK! She is incredible! I learned a lot and I missed home a ton!! (Haywards Heath home... haha) 

Everyone knows us! It's so cool when you are talking to someone and people across the street say "ey Sister S and Sister V!!" No one can pronounce my name!  Hahaha

Saturday, we met a man named P who’s Catholic.... I told him about the First Vision and he said "Here is my Rosary. Take it. I want the Book of Mormon..." So I have his Rosary Cross sitting right next to my mirror... BUT HE WAS WILLLING TO GIVE ANYTHING TO HAVE THE BOOK OF MORMON. Oh, what a blessing it is to see the Spirit convert!!!! I FEEL SO LUCKY TO WITNESS ALL THESE THINGS HAPPENING!!!

Last night, we were scrambling to reach our goal of 40 teaches (we reached 42.. THANK YOU HEAVENLY FATHER!) We taught N. She is from the Philippines.. And SHE IS CRAVING FOR A BABY. We said a prayer with her and I prayed that she would be able to have a baby soon... she started to cry.... :) 

THIS WEEK HAS BEEN A BLESSING!!!! Love you all!!! I am always praying for you!!!!!

"Christ stood by me when I needed Him. I will stand by Him now that He needs me." -Elder P (Assistant to the President)

HE NEEDS US!!! STAND BY HIM!!!!!!

Love, Sister Ally Bear

Holy Mother of Pearllllll!!  Family!!! I love you sooooo much!!!  I feel so blessed that I'm related to you!!!  I am always praying for you!!  I am sending you oodles and oodles of love all the way from good ol Haywards Heath!!!

Good gracious.... Where do I even start!?  THIS IS GOING BY WAAAAAYYYY TOOOOOO FLIPPPING FAST!!  In two days I've been in England a month!! It feels like last weeks P-day was just yesterday!

Sooo, this week was DAZZLING!  The sun was out, the bees were hummin, the flowers bloomin, and it was just too darn pretty!  Spring/Summer here is funky fresh!  There are daisies EVERYWHERE!  And it is sooo radical to be in the sun all the time!  And I'm not getting sunburnt!  MIRACLE NUMBERO UNO!  But, I did get quite the burn, which is information I will disclose later in this technological mail to thee...

Soooo, last last last week, while walking through Wivelsfield to Burgess Hill, we met a homeless man named R.  We invited him to church, he said no. Later in the week, WE SAW HIM AGAIN. We invited him, he said no. A day later, WE SAW HIM AGAIN. We tried to schedule an appointment with him. He said no. Later that DAY, we saw him AGAIN. So, we taught him right there. We had prayed with him a couple times, but this time, we tried our very hardest to apply this gospel to how it could bless him. The spirit was SO STRONG. We invited him to church, he said he would try his very hardest..... AAAAANNNNNNNDDDDDDDDDDDD!!!!  He never came.. But, WE HAVE PLANTED A SEED!!

We have been teaching an 87 year old woman named E.  She is as cute as a jellybean!!  She loves learning new things and we invited her to be baptized, but she said it was too late for her to change.... Which is her choice!! We can't force anything upon her! I just love her desire to learn more!!! :)

Oh, my goodness... On tuesday, we met a man named H. who is from Jamaica!  YA MON!  He is the cat's pajamas!  He looked about 23 or 24.... HE'S 40 FREAKING 2 YEARS OLD!  Mind. Blown. HE LOOKS MY AGE!   Bahahha, but anyways we told him about how our message makes us happier! He was sooo excited!  We taught him the Restoration yesterday and he was FILLED TO THE BRIM with questions!  We gave him a Book of Mormon, and he said, "I will read dis and will call you if I have any questions." SO AMAZING.

So, Sister S.  LOVES black people. Every black person we see, she wants to approach hahah so we approached this black man sitting on a bench in Victoria Park... His name is S. from Nigeria. We asked him what makes him most happy.. He said money. And we had a member with us. Her name is S.  OH MY GOODNESS S.  She is from Zimbabwe... She got baptized in February and is planning on a mission!  SHE IS 17!  She is a powerful Daughter of God!  Her testimony is absolutely astounding!  But, S. talked about how money was what made him happy, S. piped up and said, "We have been asked to be in the world. Not of it. Money is of this world and will NEVER make you happy." S. kind of snapped back and talked about, "Have you ever not had any bread on the table!?" And S. said, "Yes. I am from Zimbabwe. We had no money for a very long time. And so I understand how you feel. But even after that happened, I have no desire to have money." SHE IS INCREDIBLE!  We scheduled another teach with S.  As we were teaching him about Christ's earthly ministry, S. says, "You know, I was supposed to be baptized into your church." Uhhmm... SAY WHAT!!? He talked about how he wanted to be baptized, but he needed to learn more before he would. THE SPIRIT WAS SOOO STRONG. We have set a goal for baptism for June 14!

On Friday, we were working in Burgess Hill with less actives and holy canoli!  MIRACLE DAY!  We visited a woman named D. who has been baptized for a very long time. BUT HER TESTIMONY IS SO STRONG. You walk into a room and you FEEL her faith and her testimony. She has been smoking for 40 years and has terminal COPD. We said a prayer the first time we vistited her (we have visited her twice) and we promised her that she will quit!   We know she can!  We plan on taking her to the temple grounds as often as possible, and at some point, she will go through the temple to receive her endowment!  Spirit mental note: ALWAYS KEEP THE TEMPLE IN YOUR SIGHT!!!  Thinking about going through the temple has given her a little 'umph' to stop smoking!  I shared with her my favorite church song "Strength Beyond My Own." It's about the temple.... I know I listened to that song OVER and OVER  right before I went into the MTC, but PLEASE listen to it ONE MORE TIME. Listen to the lyrics.... I can feel the POWER of Heaven as I stand on Holy Ground. And the spirit whispers what I long to learn. Eyes are TOUCHED with understanding, I can see BEYOND this world.  I am reaching towards Heaven, and it REACHES in RETURN. I told her how the temple gives us strength WAYY beyond our own. We are standing on holy ground.... It's like charging our batteries up. I was reading something about Personal Progress for YW... "The purpose of the Young Women's organization is to help young women become worthy enough to make and keep sacred covenants in the Temple of the Lord." Let's change a couple words in there.... "The purpose of missionary work is to help children of God become worthy enough to make and keep sacred covenants in the Temple of the Lord." The Boise, Idaho Temple is 10 minutes away from where we live... Where S and T live, there are temples in every direction, but the closest one is SLC which is 5 minutes away. The London Temple is 20 minutes away from Haywards Heath. BUT, the nearest temple for Sister S. is the temple in Sweden. EIGHTEEN HOURS AWAY. They get to go ONCE A YEAR. How blessed are we to have temples so close? SO BLESSED. Do we treat it as a blessing as often as we should? Probably not... I LOVE THE TEMPLE. I have been so blessed that I have been able to go TWICE in the last month and a half of my mission!!(That's right. I've been out a month and a half.... OH, MOTHER OF TROY IT'S GOING FAST!!)

Saturday was probably our hardest day though.... FOUR TIMES IN A ROW our investigators didn't show up for lessons... AND MEMBERS CAME FOR MOST OF THEM!! :( The fourth time it happened the man (D) gave us the wrong addresss.... Probably on purpose.... But as we waited, I said, "Let's go see R."! R. is from Maldova. He is married and trying to get his wife over here, but it's hard with the visas. We had taught him the restoration and he was soo full of questions!! He would say, "Why do we change ourselves when God created us to be like this?" He is sooo amazing!! Well, right as I said that, he popped his head through a window and said, "I am right here!" D HAD GIVEN US R'S ADDRESS!  R. was about to leave for work so we taught him a quick two minute lesson about the power prayer and encouraged him to keep reading the Book of Mormon and pray about it!  SO INCREDIBLE!  We received a referral from a ward member for the other side of town. A family from Zimbabwe... We didn't know their exact address so we knocked the whole street. TWO PEOPLE LET US IN AND ONE NEW INVESTIGATOR!!!!  MIRACLES IN ABUNDANCE!!!!

Yesterday, Sunday, I forgot to turn the iron off (Silly Sister V...) and I burned my arm... Like really bad. Grody pictures to come!  But, I was in soooo much pain and when we went to church, ALL of the church members stepped up and helped. One woman left church to go get emergency burn cream because they said it could be a third degree burn. I mean, I'm pretty tough and I've been burned before but this was PAINFUL.... It's huge!  BATTLE SCARS!

Spiritual lesson for the week: BE WHO GOD CREATED YOU TO BE. I have so often been adapting to the culture here, but BE YOURSELF. OPEN YOUR MOUTH. BE KIND. PUT OTHERS FIRST. REMEMBER WHAT CHRIST DID FOR YOU.

I LOVE YOU!!!!!! UNTIL NEXT TIME!!

lOVE, SISTER V

Let's Baptize Some Fleas!!!!!‏

Yalright, errbody!? (Yalright is how EVERYONE greets us)... Hahaha

WE GOT TO SKYPE HOME YESTERDAY!!!!!! Oh, how joyous!!!!! I loved seeing my family's beautiful faces!!!!! HAPPY MOTHERS DAY TO MY AMAZING MOTHER!!!!! She is Heaven Sent and has been SUCH a support to me my WHOLE life!!!!!

Oh, my goodnesss... This week... Where to start!!? Well, I'm just going to list it out for sake of time...

1. We have three bapstimal dates now!! N, who is 16 years old, started reading the Book of Mormon yesterday and when we taught her the Restoration, she said, "My heart is pounding!" Oh, she is a bundle of joy. Her and I have bonded a lot. She calls me her "chummy." bahahha And then, T, who is from South Africa! He loves Jesus and can't wait to go home and share this message with his family!! And then S..... Who is homeless and we can't get a hold of..... We are sooo worried.... PLEASE PRAY FOR THEM.

2. My companion and I have FLEAS. DIS. FLIPPING. GUSTING. But, absolutely hilarious.... We went to an in active's house on Thursday. She has three cats who all have skin diseases. They were crawling all over us. We sat on the couch and I SWEAR something bit me. We get home and we are itching like crazy. My calf started to swell up and Sis. S. asked me to look at her back. Her back was COVERED in bites. And I put it together like a fetching puzzle. "Sister S., go take a shower. We have fleas." She SQUEALED. I started laughing, cause it is actually REALLY funny, and she said, "Why are you laughing!!?" Well, cause I never thought I'd have FLEAS on my my mission!!! I feel like a dog....... We have stripped our flat CLEAN. hhahahha when we told the elders, they were like "NO. WAY." It is actually VERY hilarious hahahhahha

3. My voice was gone this entire week. I caught something when I first got to England and I slowly started to go down hill. This entire week, I haven't been able to talk!! HAhahahha! Poor Sis. S!!! She is amazing for putting up with my non vocal preaching! hahahhahha it has been very humbling and very testimony building though!!!! I mean, it goes to show you that you don't need a voice to bear your testimony. Most of everyone knows that "There Is Sunshine In My Soul Today" is my favorite hymn. LET ME TELL YOU WHY. My dad tells this story alot better than I can... I can't remember who.... President Kimball...? Well, he went to visit a woman who was paralyzed from the nose down. She could only answer yes or no questions by one blink=yes two blinks=no. He started asking her questions and then he got to "do you have a favorite hymn" she blinked yes. He started going through the hymn book asking if that was her favorite hymn. All she blinked no. Until 'There is Sunshine in My Soul Today'. He asked if she had a favorite line. She blinked yes. He went through line by line and she kept blinking no. Until he got the line, "And Jesus listening can hear the songs I cannot sing!" AMAZING STORY. And sooo true. Although I had no voice this week, Christ knows I have a testimony. And He helped me bear it through everyone we taught feeling the spirit this week. Sooo incredible!!!

4. Miracles do happen!!!!!!!! On Friday, we were having an absolute RUBBISH day. One of our investigators didn't show up to the lesson. FOR THE SECOND TIME. People were swearing in our faces. People were threatening us. We were being made fun of. People stared, pointed, and laughed at us. It was ridiculously humiliating. We went back to our flat to pick something up and we said a prayer ON OUR KNEES. We always say a prayer before we leave the flat, but never on our knees. So we decided to try it out. We prayed we would witness a miracle. Well, lo and behold, did we get one!!!! We have a Phillipino family living right across the hall from us and we have been trying to figure out how to approach them in a natural way without ruining our chance... Right as we open our door, the mom is opening hers!!!! We started talking and asked if we could come over sometime to share a little more about what we do.... She said yes!!! I could list off all of the tender mercies the Lord bestowed upon us that day, but that would take ages.... All I can say is "Ask and ye shall receive" isn't just an uplifting thought of 'Oh, yeah. Heavenly Father answers prayers...' IT'S A PROMISE!!!!! ASK. ASK. ASK. ASK. ASK. ASK. And you will receive A LOT more back in return!!!!!

5. It's fun telling someone that says you're going to hell that you're not scared of them... The look on their faces when you say, "I fear no man," is absolutely priceless!!

6. I feel HONORED to be a missionary. We have been given authority to work in HIS NAME. WHAT A PRIVILEGE!!!! And I feel even more blessed knowing that Jesus Christ was a missionary too!! And He knows what I feel on a day to day basis times 20 billion. He was humiliated. He was mocked. He was doubted. He was threatened. He was sweared at. He was yelled at. He was laughed at. But, He was also courageous. He dared to stand alone. He was faithful. He feared no man. He stood His ground. He never faultered when it would have been easier to give up. HE ENDURED. He wasn't a missionary just because He was teaching and preaching; He was a missionary because Heavenly Father asked Him to do something and He did it. He was called to be our Savior, and He saved us ALL. Not just a few children. But, ALL of us. Jesus Christ isn't clumsy and lazy. He didn't miss a couple children when He suffered. HE SAVED US ALL. That was His mission. When I got my call letter, I was asked to work in His name. We are all missionaries not because we have a black badge and a white envelope in the mail. We are ALL missionaries because we have been asked to be. Doctrine and Covenants 100:7 "But a commandment I give unto you, that ye shall declare whatsoever thing ye adeclare in my name, in solemnity of heart, in the spirit of meekness, in all things." Jesus Christ was asked to be our Savior. He obeyed. We are asked to be missionaries. SO LET'S BE MISSIONARIES!!!! WE CAN DO THIS!!!!!

I love you all!!! Thank you for your uplifting emails, letters, and prayers!!!!!!! God be with you till we meet again!!!! I testify of this work!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Sister V. <3<3<3<3<3

P.S. Be happy!!!!!!!! Smile!!!!!!!! "To be a missionary means to be yourself." I LOVE YOU!!!! HOPE I CAN HEAR FROM YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!

People of Hayward's Heath

"To be a missionary means to be yourself."‏

Hei alla i hopa!! (Hello in Norwegian...)

Holy cow!! Amazing week this week!!!! I have felt and seen God's hand in my life so strongly!!!! I don't even know where to start!!!!  Well, you remember K and D? We had to hand them over to the elders in our district because K was being very inappropriate and flirtatious and D said it would be a lot easier to learn the gospel with men because us being girls was way too distracting.... At least he's honest I guess.. lol. S has gone missing though... he was our other baptismal date... he is homeless and isn't answering his phone and we are so worried.... but we also met a man named T. We were talking to a Bulgarian woman and we were talking about our beliefs in Christ. While we were talking to her, I noticed a man watching and listening to our message. And I had the feeling to go talk to him. She rejected us and as we started walking away, the man started yelling and said, "Ey! You Christians!?" We said yes and we walked over to say hello! His name is T and he's from South Africa!!!! "I bring my whole family to church on Sunday, yes!?" We were floored!!!!!! We scheduled another lesson with him. When we taught him, the spirit was SOOO strong. All he could say was "that makes sense.." and he accepted a baptismal date for may 31st!!!! I LOVE teaching the first vision because it is so powerful!!!! It is just amazing to know how much God really does love us...

We met another woman named E. We knocked on her door and she started to cry when we told we were representatives of Christ who wanted to pray for her. She didn't have time because she was running out the door, but she asked a special blessing on her family. We asked to come by later and she gave us her number. We called and asks  if we could stop by and she said yes. We taught her the plan of salvation. She was bawling. She said "I love Jesus Christ!!!" She told us her family was struggling:  E has become our mama away from mama!!! She is so kind, compassionate, loving, selfless, and patient. Whether she gets baptized or not, I feel so much love from her and I am just dazzled by her willingness to serve. I love letting  people know that you do NOT need religion in your life to be a good person. You do NOT need to be baptized to be a good person. But you can be the happiest when you're baptized by the proper authority in the name of Jesus Christ.

WE WENT TO THE TEMPLE TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pictures will come next week!!! I feel so blessed!!!!!!!!!!!!! And going there thinking about our investigators dressed in white sends shivers down me shins... in a funky fresh way of course!!!

Well I went with our investigators in mind. But on a more personal level, I went with a question for the Lord. Before I went into the MTC, I made a promise to the Lord to be the best missionary I could possibly be. But this week I have felt I wasn't really living  up to what I'd promised. So I went with the question, "how can I, Sister Alexandria, be the best missionary that I can be?" I realized that I had been adjusting to the culture of Haywards Heath, which they are a little  bit cold, but I realized that I was holding myself back because  since they aren't  used to someone absolutely FULL of energy coming up to them and saying hello, (including the ward members) I changed my approach. I felt unhappy and not like myself. One morning last week, I even looked in the mirror and said "I don't remember who I am anymore." So when I went to the temple today, I realized we are ALL children of God. It doesn't matter what culture, what colour skin, what language, what gender, what dreams we all have. We are ALL children of God. And each of us is unique. Each of us has been blessed with gifts and talents. Heavenly Father expects us to use those talents. ESPECIALLY on a mission. And what I feel I have been blessed with is sort of against how the people here in Haywards Heath treat people and believe in. Yes, England, I am an American. Yes I am loud. Yes I dress very brightly. Yes when I say hello to you, I may scare you. Yes I am a Mormon. I LIVE it. I LOVE it. I am me!!!! We can all be the best missionaries for God by BEING OURSELVES!!!!!!! God created you the way you are and expects you to use your personality, talents, gifts, and dreams in missionary work. To be a missionAry means to be yourself!!!!! We all have a bit of Christ in US... BE YOURSELF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!

I'm praying for all of you!!!! LOVE you oodles and oodles!!!!!!!!!

companion

First email from Haywards Heath

Monday, April 28, 2014

Re: YOU KNOW YOU'RE A MISSIONARY WHEN YOU PRAY IN YOUR SLEEP!!!!!  Hahahha

I'M IN ENGLAND!!!!!!!!!!!!! So incredible!!!!!! I love it here!!!!! My first week was amazing!!!! So many blessings!!!!! I have witnessed so many miracles!!!!!!!! So, I flew to England, got there, got assigned my companion (Sister S., who is an absolute BALL OF SUNSHINE!!!!) and instantly went to work!!!!! The very first door we knocked on the woman slammed the door in our faces. I kind of felt hurt, but Sister S. yells through the door in a cheerful voice, 'Have a good day!!' I've gotten used to rejection and people saying no because they have free agency for a reason!! All you can do is love them! :) The next morning, I woke up with THE FLU!!! :( My goodness what a trip that has been. I'm finally starting to feel better, but it was very difficult to walk and talk everywhere!!! Soo, our first day out, we went to go see referrals and knock a street called America Lane here in Haywards Heath. That was interesting.... It was sort of uneventful, but it's the Lord's work!!! The second day (Thursday) we went to Victoria Park (which is right in the middle of our village of Haywards Heath) and saw a woman sitting alone. Sister S. said we should talk to her but I had a feeling we shouldn't. We went and sat on the bench next to her and started talking to her. Turns out she was deaf. We went and sat next to her and told her what we do. She refused but wanted to talk to us a little more. So we sort of managed to orchestrate the gospel into our conversation, and the Spirit was SO STRONG! She told us she was very lonely. We offered to do some service for her and she started to cry. She explained how hard of a life she has had and how she wants to not be lonely. We taught about the gospel and Heavenly Father's love for her. We extended an invitation to be baptized and she accepted!!!!! We said a prayer, hugged and she kissed us on the cheek. We left after scheduling another lesson with her. We started walking and then a man (who looked drunk and homeless) ran up to us and said 'Girls, be careful. That woman (B) is a lesbian and a pedophile.' Our hearts sunk... We found out later that the Sister missionaries before us (about EIGHT OR NINE YEARS AGO) had a VERY bad experience with her. So, we dropped her unfortunately... So we started teaching the man who ran up to us!!! He believes in God and has faith in Him, but has no faith in himself (his name is D.) He is an alcoholic and a smoker and wants to stop and doesn't know how!! We taught him the Restoration and invited him to be baptized... HE SAID YES!!! May 31 is the date!!! THEN we were walking around America Lane (Miracle Lane as we call it) and went up to a man. He was drinking and smoking. He told us he is homeless but feels so blessed because he knows God loves him and is watching out for him...... WHAT FAITH!!!! We taught him (S) about the Book of Mormon and he accepted another lesson!! The next day (Saturday) we taught him the Restoration and invited him to be baptized... HE IS ALSO ON THE 31 OF MAY!!!! So since I've been really sick, we've been resting at the flat (apartment) calling all the former investigators. We scheduled with a man named K. After we taught S, we taught him back to back and it turns out, K LIVES WITH D!!! (our first investigator) So we are teaching them together. K has already given up drinking and is working on the smoking part. We taught him the restoration and has accepted baptism for the 31 as well!!!!!!!!

Both K and D came to church yesterday. The elders showed them the baptismal font. K says 'This is where I am going to be baptized on the 31st of May!' Love him!!!!!!!
Last night, when we were knocking on doors, I was starting to feel a little homesick. Right as I thought that, we knocked on this one door and a Maddy dog ran out and jumped on me.... I knew God was looking out for me to give me a little push to get my desire and my faith back. I know Maddy is walking right along side me everywhere we go to preach the gospel. She has seen the others and knows what we have to look forward to. And she refuses to let me feel like this isn't worth it!!!!!
'God will always push you to the edge of difficulty until one of two things happen: you jump into His arms or He teaches you to fly.' LET US ALL JUMP OR BE READY TO LEARN HOW TO FLY!!!!!!!!
I love this work. I know this isn't about religion or baptism. This is about living a lifestyle like Christ did. HERE WE GOOOOO!!!! We can do it!!!!!!!!!

Oh, BTDubs, the whole 'YOU KNOW YOU'RE A MISSIONARY WHEN YOU PRAY IN YOUR SLEEP' thing, Sis. S. woke up one night to me ACTUALLY praying my in my sleep. VERY LOUDLY too. ahhahhaha just saying hahha apparently my voice is ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE here in Europe because Sis. S. makes me sing her to sleep every night hahahha just a funny thought. :) It just reminds me of when Momma would sing Sari and I to sleep hahahah :)

I know I'm here for a reason.... My companion is EXACTLY like Aubrey K., like the Norweigan version of her. hahaha I'M LEARNING NORWEIGAN!!!!!!! hahahhahha

*I asked Ally about her mission president and this was her reply*
He is VERY strict. We aren't allowed to wear pants on p-day.... But, I have accepted a call to obey with exactness so with exactness I will obey!!!! :)

*She also told Rob that she is on foot... no car*

*As to where she's living*

It's a cute little village hahaa B (the lesbian) is the town nutcase apparently... Which makes me very sad that people treat her like that but some people only the Savior can help... Like SAUL! :)

*Other things Ally said*

The two investigators we had come to church on Sunday both dressed pretty raggedy and smelled like smoke.... We had a man come up to us after church and said, 'You brought some pretty interesting investigators to church today...' Sis. S. told me later that she was about to ask him which investigators he brought to church.... I told her, 'It's important not to judge others, but it's even more important not to judge the judgers.' She is an excellent trainer!!!! I think we have taught each other so ooo much!!!!!!