So this week i had to Adult, I had to take our car in and get it serviced and repaired so I had to make the appointment I had to talk to our insurance people then I had to get everything in order so the car could be serviced and then go to another place to get the side mirror fixed (previous accident not my fault!) and also I had to arrange for the car we were going to be driving in the meantime. Then I had to drive us to the dealership. So everything was working out perfectly I got everything payed for I filled out all the paperwork just like a big girl and I picked up the keys and we went out to our rental car. This is where my adulting ended. So I put all our stuff in the car that the car repair people dropped off for us at the dealership sat down in the car went to drive and realised oh no! this is a manual car! I can't drive manual! So then I had to make a few calls and arrange for the car repair people to bring me an automatic so an hr later they brought us an Automatic and I filled out new paperwork for the new, new car moved all our stuff again then the guy took off and we got in the automatic then I went to drive again and looked down and saw the most messed up shifter ever the gears were R, N and E and then a - and + sign for all you car people I literally had no idea what the heck it meant so I had to call about five other missionaries before we could figure it out what the heck we needed to do to drive that thing. So ya I used my Adult powers to the extreme that day.
Our Investigator is doing so great we have been teaching him and helping him lots so it's been going really good with him. He is seriously so prepared he came to Gospel principals this week and he seriously crushed it the whole lesson he just answered every question and asked if he could read scriptures and ya it was amazing it's just so cool to see him make so much progress so fast. I love it.
This Sunday we had our first sacrament meeting in Skegness it was a success 16 people went to it. Good things are happening in the Boston area.
So last night sister Osele and I were downstairs just talking and sister Alayon was upstairs the phone rang and sister Alayon answered it and started talking to one of our assistants to President and the last time we got a phone call from them it was because Sister Gjika was being Emergency Transferd so naturally I started Freaking out because I thought someone was going to be leaving. So then Sister Alayon said oh you wanna talk to Sister Brown and I almost started crying because I thought he was gonna tell me I needed to pack. So I got the phone and it was just him telling me that I have been called to be a trainer by President Leppard so After I got over the shock of don't worry you aren't really leaving and then I got really excited because I'm gonna be a Momma! Well at least in the mission haha so ya I getta go to Birmingham this week for a trainers meeting and then my baby should be coming in about three weeks I think so I'm super excited.
This week was just super busy with traveling and teaching and just doing the work. It makes me sad that my trio life is ending though in two weeks but I'm excited to get my own little greenie and to introduce her to missionary life.
Love, Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧 68, Norfolk St Boston PE21 9HQ England
Well this week I'd say we fully recovered from our crazy weekend with being robbed it seriously felt like it was so long ago now but it was kinda rocky in the beginning. On Tuesday when I went to study and stuff I realised my pencil case was gone with all my study stuff in it which really doesn't matter but as a missionary I feel kinda heart broken that my stuff is gone haha I loved my markers and stuff... and they even took my lotion bottle from off my desk so that was really annoying cause I have to replace really tedious Items. They also took Sister Osele's white handbook we counted to see if they took any Book of Mormons sadly none were taken dang it!
So we decided that since we were put out that meant Heavenly Father had a miracle waiting for us so we got to work and honestly It kinda seemed like Heavenly Father started pouring the blessings to us at first we tracted into a young man and he said we could come back and seemed like we taught him 4 times got him to come to games night and also to church on Sunday .he is now on a date for Baptism so please pray that he will continue to stick and have the desire to keep working towards baptism he is honestly so prepared it's amazing his mother recently passed away and it is just so amazing to see how Heavenly Father prepares people to receive the gospel and just sends the missionaries at the right time.
We also met with a mother and Daughter who came to church the day we got robbed with some members of the ward they liked the teachings so they came back this Sunday and we were able to meet them finally. They are so awesome the mother is a friend of some members and her daughter told her that she wants to start going to church because she wants to believe in something. The mother started to look for a church that she liked for her daughter to start going too. She talked to her friend who is a member about our values and beliefs and liked them so they have started coming to the Boston ward so we are gonna start teaching them now which we are super excited about.
This week we had to set sometime and clean our flats front yard and back yard out so the landlord will take care of some problems we have with our flat. We asked the elders quorum if they could help us so that morning we answered the door and all the men in our ward came to help it was so awesome we felt so loved that they would come take care of us they also put a bunch of dead bolts on all the doors and gates on our property so we are basically Fort Knox up here.
Today we went to Wollaton Hall and for those of you who don't know what that is just think Batman! It is a sick mansion it's being used as an exhibition for wild life. And there were so many amazing murals every where in it, it was super cool. The ground were absolutely breathtaking English people know how to do lawn care FYI. Everything is so green the trees are huge cause they have been there for centuries it's amazing I love how old everything is here!
Today I got my UK license in the mail so I'm all legal now and ready to go!
Trio life is still pretty great I love my companions it is literally always a party which makes life just so much fun it also makes the work easier. The best is when we have to do road trips then there is just so much car singing and just such random topics we talk about haha.
The other day Sister Alayon said after our appointment with an investigator everything is just falling into pieces sister Osele and I looked at her like what?! And then she realized opps I mean place! Haha we love our little Asian! But seriously though so much love last night sister Osele asked can I stroke your arm for you and sister Alayon rubbed my back haha so much touching! But I'm getting over it more and more I think they are just so sweet no one could not love them.
So things are getting better again we have been able to sleep normal again and we have been getting lots of love from members and also back from the work so life is good again!
Love, Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧 68, Norfolk St Boston PE21 9HQ England
This week was kinda messed up to be honest started out good and ended good though.
So I celebrated being out for six months on Tuesday so that was sweet president McKee pointed out to me that I'm one third Done my mission... I cried a little bit after that, both good tears and sad tears even mix.
We had a zone Conference in Nottingham so it was the trio's first road trip together it was pretty successful we learned a lot and sang a lot. We gotta meet more people in the zone and we're also able to eat some Taco Bell! Finally! Not gonna lie I have been desperately missing my Mexican food. Anything with flavour really, I don't think I'll ever eat a potato again after the mission. We also made a pit stop at Costco! It was magic sister Alayon had never been to a Costco before so it was really nice showing her the place and the food! We picked up Costco brownie mix and Popcorn! English popcorn does not taste nice some how they made it so bland! But the Costco stuff tastes just like the stuff at home so I have about fifty bags to get me through the next leg of my mission I think!
The rest of the week was chill we worked hard going tracting and running activities and stuff for the ward and also for none members to come to. We had our first ward correlation with our new ward mission leader and stuff so that was good we gotta share lots of ideas for the ward plan and stuff.
So saturday night we went to bed all excited for our Skype call to our families after church. That morning we woke up at 6am and started getting ready for the day I was upstairs saying my morning prayers when I heard sister Alayon yell oh no! Check your wallet! I ran down stairs and saw my companions looking through there wallets. After taking a moment and looking around I saw that our flat had been turned over and the back door was open. So pretty much someone broke into our flat while we were sleeping and went through all our stuff and stole my companions money and electronic valuables. Honestly I think that was the worst day of my mission so far even though I didn't lose anything it was such an incredibly sickening feeling knowing someone entered into our flat while we were sleeping and unaware. So we had to call the police and miss church as they went over the flat and swept for fingerprints which was creepy. So ya that was a struggle that morning and honestly it was scary but I'm still grateful for the companions that I have and for being able to sleep through them trashing our flat and also being able to talk to my family the day it happened because honestly there was no one else I would have wanted to speak to besides my family after that. And I do feel like we were protected because if we would have woken up during it I don't know what would have happened so I'm glad we weren't able to hear it.
Talking to the family was awesome and we were able to spend the day with some members so we felt safe. We have gotten a lot of love from the ward so I feel so loved and cared so that's helping. Last night was rough and we couldn't really sleep because we were jumping at every noise but. It will get better. On the other hand it has caused for some funny stories because we are all so jumpy.
When ever Sister Alayon has to walk around anywhere in the flat the hammer is in her hand. Last night Sister Osele reached over me to open the window while I was sleeping and It scared the heck out of me and I just about Karate chopped her face haha. We have a middle of the night bathroom pact so if anyone has to use the toilet we all have to accompany that person. I walked into the kitchen and then came back through the study and sister Osele was sitting there but she wasn't before so I had a minor heart attack.
So ya it's been a crazy week but life is still good.
Love, Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧 68, Norfolk St Boston PE21 9HQ England
Love, Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧 68, Norfolk St Boston PE21 9HQ England
Well trio life truly is the best life. I waited at a members home for my new companions to come and then I picked them up at the train station. And it's been nothing but snorts and giggles and cussing in different languages ever since haha.
So my new companions are Sister Osele from Zurich Switzerland who has been out for five months and Sister Alayon from Macau China who has been out for three months. Between the two of them they speak English, French, Tagalog, mandarin, Cantonese, Portuguese, German, Swiss-German and Italian. And I'm over here barely able to speak English myself. There favourite fraise to say is "Freaking" "English isn't my first language!" and "Uhh?" Haha I seriously love them so much it has seriously been such a party in this first week we have had together.
So car singing has been interesting because we have three different languages singing along to like every Disney song or hymn or whatever we're playing. The first time Sister Osele put in her Swiss-German Music it was a bit late and I started singing along and she asked "Sister what Language are you singing it in?" I'm over here like " oh this isn't English.... I have no idea what I'm saying"
We went to a diner appointment and as we were all sitting around the table and the Toddler was STARRING at Sister Alayon after about fifteen minutes of this kid starring down sister Alayon she finally leaned forward and said " what's wrong have you never seen an Asian before??" Sister Osele and I and the parents literally peed our pants and we're crying from laughter.
We went to an appointment this week and we're talking to this man who proceeded to tell us how if he could talk to God he would explain to him how he would have done things much better. Sister Osele proceeded to tell him that she didn't like how he was speaking about Heavenly Father later in that same conversation she told him that he is "lazy and prideful" because he wasn't willing to do the simple work to find out if God truly is there. FYI no body messes with God when Sister Osele is in the room.
On Pday we went to Lincoln castle and the Cathedral it was so Gorgeous and super cool to see everything and go on the castle walk we took a billion photos. I'm finally out of a relief society district so we've been doing lots of stuff with the Lincoln Elders which has been a lot of fun!
We did some service for a member in our ward and we did some sewing so I broke out my sewing skills for the first time in forever. Sister Alayon had never used a sewing machine before so the member showed her what to do, as she started instructing her on how to use the sewing machine pedal the member said it's kinda like driving a car Sister Alayon said but I can't drive! the member looked at her and said oh my and didn't leave sister Alayons side again after that haha no trust.
Oh so I saw a Delorian... we were walking up to the cathedral and then I started Freaking out because it's not every day you see one especially when your in front of a cathedral in England and not in California or Orlando. But then I felt kinda dumb cause I felt like I was the only one who knew what the heck it was. Needless to say I kept my eye out for Marty and Dr. Brown.... no I didn't see them but when I got out of the cathedral the car was gone so the Delorian lives guys!
So I don't have sisters at home so I'm kinda new at this whole sister bonding thing and by that I mean I don't know what to do. So it's about that time that I like to start going to bed so I'm chilling in bed pondering life watching some Mormon messages when Sister Osele comes in and sits right next to me and starts talking to me about all things and I'm just kinda like oh ok we're gonna talk now haha later in companionship inventory she told me that her favourite part of her day is bugging me right before bed haha my companions are so incredibly sweet there melting my sister-less heart.
So life is pretty great in the mission field right now.
Love, Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧 68, Norfolk St Boston PE21 9HQ England
Wow I've been out for 25 weeks gah almost 6 months thats crazy! This week on Pday we went to the Lincoln castle and cathedral and it's so big we only saw the magna carta and the prison haha so we have to go back and see more but it was so cool to see. I love seeing all the historical stuff in England it's really cool they had a museum in the prison of all the stuff they used back in the day, so cool!
Weve been pretty busy just trying to see people and get stuff done so I love when we're so busy it's definitely harder when it feels like the only thing we can do is go tracting. We've been doing lots with the less actives and working on building a branch in Skegness which we are super excited about.
This week we drove to Lincoln, Nottingham and Birmingham all in one day! If that wasn't the most stressful thing I don't know what else would be gah. It was six hours of uk driving so that was fun but we were able to get all my license stuff done and sent off thank goodness so even if I never drive again after this area at least I will have the souvenir for it!
I was able to go on exchanges this week in Stamford, stamford is gorgeous it's known for the white stone the buildings have been cut from it is seriously the prettiest area I've been to yet on my mission while I was there I also gotta take my lunch on the grounds of Burly House the mansion used in Pride and Prejudice for Mr. Darcy's home it was so gorgeous and it was really cool living the pride and prejudice dream for me and my mom.
This week we had dodge night and sister Stirm is leaving me I'm so sad I have loved serving with her but she will do awesome. As for me apparently I didn't learn whatever lesson I was supposed to in my first trio because president is putting me in another! So hopefully I will learn whatever lesson I need to from being in a trio again.
I seriously love Boston though I'm super excited to be here for another transfer! It is a gorgeous place and the people are wonderful. Especially the ward they show us a lot of love it's great.
Life has been good here it's getting warmer but raining a lot more so days like that I'm grateful for the car.
I'm really grateful for the experience to serve a mission and for the people I've been able to meet so far. I'm starting to understand that challenges aren't meant to be a punishment but something to mould us and and make us what Heavenly Father wants us to be. It still sucks going through challenges but it's kinda exciting and terrifying to see how you will come out the other side of the challenge.
