God is in the Details

So. Wow. I feel like I have aged about 10 years this past week... and also for the fact that another Elder here said that he was born in 1996. What.

I just keep learning so much, about myself and my life, the beauties of the plan of Salvation.. and most importantly I am coming to know my Savior more and more every day. I have such a hunger and thirst for knowledge that I almost wish I could just attend University for the rest of my life. HA.

That was a joke.

But really, I love to learn. Who knew?

So this week was full of miracles and heart ache and hilariously awkward moments, and really just the best of missionary life!

So here goes nothing!

Awkward never ends..

So I was in line to get some food last week during p-day. Sister Gjikaj had ordered first and then went to find a table to sit at just about 5 metres away.

Well, I was still in line and behind me were these two men just loudly talking about football and lacing swear words into every other statement. Ah. The good stuff.

Well anyway, I finish ordering and step to the side a bit so they could step up and I'm minding my own business and everything when I hear "Sister Reed..?" well naturally I look at the men and they just stare at my name tag.. so with that great moment of silence I stupidly say "hi there" and that was it. No sign of intelligence out of my mouth. I think they just ignored me too actually... one of them muttered something but they just went back to their conversation haha

There was such an awkward silence and eventually I turned and again asked a brilliant question "Are you talking about football?"

I know. I'm such a smart cookie. What else would English men be talking about?

They just said yes and then turned back around.

HA. Who am I kidding? You'd think that I'd never left my flat and had met thousands of strangers before...

Oh well.

Oh and later that night we were walking the streets and I went to give a man a pamphlet but then he just started to growl at me... then pointed to my other hand and continued to growl haha so I ended up giving him like every different pass along card and pamphlet that I owned until he was satisfied and stopped growling.

So that was interesting.

Also. Last p-day I was waiting for my companion to write letters to her family and I got bored so naturally I began to draw on the board...

We have this saying in the YSA area called "riding the Ox" because we do all of our meeting people on the road called oxford road. And sometimes it can get pretty crazy! Much like riding an Ox... haha and so I started to draw an Ox and some missionaries riding it... It was just a silly doodle.

Well fast forward.

We had a zone meeting at our building and President and Sister Ulrich were doing interviews during the meeting... Well they happened to be using the room that I had drawn the picture in and what was worse, they didn't even take it down! Sort of embarrassing.. oh well. Maybe it will live on the white board forever.

Hopefully it didn't kill the serious nature of any of the interviews :)

Miracles

we are teaching some truly incredible people here. But there is one person that I feel a particular bond with and a special love for.

I just think she is the greatest!!!

She's been attending the YSA ward for almost a year I think with one of her best friends whom she lives with. She goes to all of the activities and classes and well, everything. But she isn't baptised yet. In fact, I don't think she's ever been really sure about it.

Missionaries have been around to teach her every so often but without too much success.

But I just love her! And to be able to get to know her background and where she comes from and I just know that the spirit has been guiding our conversations.

She doesn't come from a religious background at all and really hasn't been able to find an answer to her questions since being here and meeting with missionaries before. But within this past week we've been able to find out her needs. It's incredible! She comes to EVERYTHING here and the entire ward knows her. The only thing holding her back from getting baptised is that she "Just wants to know that it is true"! And I think this is the most sincere that she has been since she's been coming to church and during our lesson after church yesterday we were committing her to read and to pray specifically about the Book of Mormon, but something was keeping me from extending that commitment. I don't know why but I kept thinking about baptism even though she's been asked hundreds of times.

But we talked more and we realized together that to receive a witness we need to do an act of complete faith. And if she knew the church was true, then getting baptised wouldn't be a complete act of faith. And as She realized what I was saying, or rather what the spirit was saying,we were able to commit her to a baptism date. We then promised that if she moves forward with the intent of being baptised, then by her act of faith she will receive her witness! The spirit was so strong. And you know what? She accepted to have a date for baptism! And even now as I am writing this I feel that this is truly the Lord's work. And He will fulfill the promise that we have extended to her.

Lessons Learned

Well, I love being a missionary.

I've learned that hope is real. But it's not just a silly notion or idea, it truly is a powerful force. There are so many influential people, literary works, television documentaries, historical accounts.. that will define hope as being a force to achieve something great. A force to move forward.

Do we realise that? I certainly didn't.

But truly, when we have a hope for something it enables us to achieve the great.

And I learned this past week that to have faith in Christ to have hope. And that moves us forward through our most difficult times.

I also learned, that having a hope for something gives you a reason to smile. And we all know how powerful a smile is.

If you want to cure any of these things;

Sadness

Madness

Illness

Laziness

Emptiness

Seriously though, a smile can move mountains. And if we can go through our toughest days with a smile on our face then truly, we will have become something great. I love smiling.

I'm trying to think of something interesting that I can tell all of you...

I can't wait for summer to come! Also, seeing as this week is the week of the valentines... I just want to tell you all how much I love you!!!!

England is still cold.. and rainy... and the people are still crazy english :) And I love it!

I wish I could ship you all over here to experience these things with me... but I guess you will all just have to wait until I get home to hear more :)

Much love!

~Sister Reed