Scotland is Up for Grabs!

Just kidding.

We get to keep Scotland! Wooo!! And by we, I mean the UK. Thank goodness. I was going to be spending the majority of this email expressing my sadness over the fact that the men in kilts won't get a free pass across the border to visit us here in England.

And the simple fact that I love Scotland and I just want them to stay.

But no worries! Because the votes were cast and Scotland is NOT up for grabs! YAHOO!

Alright, so my sincerest apologies, again, for slacking on the weekly email.

Let me just tell you, this has been one of the most hectic and stressful weeks of mah lyfe.

REALLY though.

So I'm a trainer, right? Right. I'm also in my first new area. I'm also opening the area.

Did I forget to mention I'm training?

Who ever thought I could do all of that is having a good laugh right about now because clearly, I have no clue what I'm doing.

But it is true. This is not something that I can do, it is not something that I will EVER be able to do. And maybe that is the lesson that I need to learn right now.

I need my Saviour. I cannot do this alone but with Him I am able to finish this task and come out of it changed and forever full of gratitude for the opportunities that I am given to learn and to grow.

And so, I am doubling my prayers.

I cannot do this alone and so I need to give it all to the Saviour; He will make up the difference. And then somehow.. my companion and I are going to make it out of this changed.

So on the exciting things!

Besides getting lost a thousand and one times, we also were able to find our way to a few places! Yay!

Our first Saturday we walked up to two Students leaning up against a fence and asked for directions. They didn't really know where the streets were that we were looking for either, BUT we were able to show them the path to eternal life!

Alright, that was really bad.

But we gave one of them, Adam, a copy of the Book of Mormon and invited him to be baptised! He was Christened when he was younger but he did accept the invitation to learn more about the Book of Mormon.

So fast forward a few days, and we taught him the Restoration and it was incredible! We were just sitting on a park bench and afterwards he even offered the closing prayer. We're meeting with him again this tuesday night :)

The members here in Runcorn are absolutely incredible! And so is the food they make haha Seriously, it's a good thing we get lost everywhere because we need to do all of the extra walking just to balance out the incredible meals they make for us. They are such a blessing and are SO good at missionary work!

SO many of them are inviting their friends to learn about the Gospel and it is such an example to me about how I want to be when I go home and am no longer a full time missionary.

Speaking of a crazy week... on transfer day I had to bring all of my luggage of course and then it was all loaded onto a bus to be taken to the Chester train station. La di da.. there we are just travelling to our new area and then unloading all of our things into our flat when I suddenly realize I'm missing two things. One. My bag full of my stuff.

Well what else would it be full of? Yeah, I know. But I mean, this was my STUFF. Like, my scriptures and all of life's essentials. I'm sort of freaking out.

And the second was my England football (soccer ball). I'm really sad about this one.. because I got it during the world cup and it was only £4!! So yeah.. I was really sad about that one.

So long story short... the office elders didn't know where my football was.. but the Assistants to the President did find my bag! Best day ever!

Except I left it at the Manchester South Chapel. Sad day haha

I only had to go a week without it though.

AND!!! Here's the good news.

All of the Elders in the mission had a sports day on Wednesday and that night I got a call from the Office Elders.

"HI Sister Reed, was it you who said that you had lost a red england football? Well, we found it. We used it today to play sports so thanks for that. Oh, and we pumped it up because it was a bit flat."

HALLELUJAH.

I got my ball back AND it was pumped up! Talk about tender mercies haha

Wow. This email is long. I apologize for that...

kind of.

So yeah, I'm kind of a football lover now! We have investigator sports every Saturday morning and we play football! I think the ward was a bit surprised when we turned up because the Sisters never come and well, we're girls. But hey! I may be rubbish at it but I still like to play!

This is embarrassing.. I swear I'm more coordinated than this. At least I am with my hands..

I went to go and kick the ball and somehow, I think it was a strong wind, ended up on the floor. I looked around thinking maybe someone had knocked me over but NOPE. I had done this all by myself! I even scored myself a nice battle wound on my elbow. I would send a picture but it's pretty sick looking.

Runcorn is fun. We got lost in Liverpool on Tuesday. That was a neat experience.. haha

We're right next to some canals and rivers and things and the accents here are so interesting. I love it!

There aren't as many people on the streets for us to talk to, but we've had some good conversations on the doorsteps!

It's starting to cool off here and it's getting a bit darker earlier too. Here we come winter! I am so not ready for it.

I'm also going to be starting my drivers lessons soon... so prayers just for that would be much appreciated. I'll need them all, trust me.

Quotes of the Weeks

"Testimony is a point of departure; it is not an ultimate destination" ~Elder David A. Bednar

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it!" ~Elder Hill

"Rosie says, 'Why do they have to be so mean? Even my teddies are sad!' They don't want you to leave" ~Family in Crewe

I love you all!!! Please, if you are preparing to serve a mission, or are just thinking about it. DO IT. It will be the greatest investment that you will ever make.

I can promise you that. And so can President Gordon B. Hinckley :)

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers

Much love!

Sister Reed