Week 21

Well new week and so many new changes! I left  for Boston, England and I
got there without a hitch so that was awesome I had so much help along
the way so that was great it took five hrs to get from Gloucester to
Boston so that was fun!

My new Companions are Sister Gjika who is from Albania (fun fact the
church has only gotten to Albania in the last 25 years she's a
pioneer) and Sister Stirm from Idaho just started her mission,
it's so weird to not be the youngest in the mission especially when it
feels like I just barely got here!

Boston is an adorable little city with so many canals and old, old,
old buildings gah I love it and then on top of Boston we cover 16
smaller city/ towns and farming villages so the car has been pretty
fantastic although I miss biking a lot but maybe in the future we can
do some biking in Boston. This area is very much a farming area which
is so fun because it reminds me of home it's a bit more hilly but it's
been fun to see canola fields again. Needless to say being in a car
with a limited amount of music I can now proudly say I have about 50
Disney songs memorised now start to finish.

A lot of people who live here are from the Baltic countries so there
are so many foreign food stores and stuff it's awesome Members gave us
Lays chips from Poland unfortunately the Polish flavours are pretty
nasty so not much of an improvement compared to the English flavours
so that's probably for the best. We are starting an English class so
that should be fun. The people here are so much nicer holy flip! I
think people who live away from the city are just way happier in
general. we went tracting and a man apologiesed to me for not being
interested hahaha oh my goodness I was in shock the first couple days
because of how nice the people were being we got offered tea so many
times it was such a big difference compared to Gloucester.

We have an Investigator they found a week ago who is seriously so cool
he is from Poland and he  is so excited about the gospel he has been
coming to church and meeting with the sisters all the time. The other
day we went over the commandments with him and he told us he has a
problem with cursing so we decided to come up with alternative words
for him to say. So instead of OMG he is gonna say oh my days (very
English) instead of holy Mary he is gonna say holy flip and instead of
SOB he is gonna say Son of a Gun so basically he is gonna swear like a
missionary haha. He came to General Conference and he
absolutely loved it, it was such a cool experience to see someone
watch General Conference for the first time in there life he said the
spirit was so strong and he just loved every second of it so that was
so cool.

We went to Nottingham to watch General Conference with our
Zone. I absolutely loved watching General Conference it's a bit
different here because it's not live so we started watching the 
morning session Saturday evening and the Women's conference
night and the afternoon session on the
afternoon and the morning session Sunday evening. President
Eyerings opening remarks were amazing because it felt like they were
so direct to our investigator. I was so worried that'd we'd have to
explain everything to our Investigator but they do an incredible job
of explaining everything for visitors or new people who come to watch
it. When I was at home I never noticed this because it didn't apply to
me but now I am just so grateful for the great experience that any
person in the world can have watching conferences.

I loved Conference of course I really felt like for me one of the
things thats stuck out is having a strong testimony so we can be a
disciple of Christ. And I just loved that cause that's pretty much my
role in life right now is to be a disciple of Christ and I felt like
all the talks talked about what we can do or change to get there so
that was perfect for me.

I have absolutely loved being in Boston this week and being with my
new companions we have had so much fun and laughed so much bed time is
kind of a struggle cause we get into bed and no body can shut up but I
am so excited for this transfer that we have together!

Love
Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧

Week 20

Holy Flip! Last night was Dodge Night! (Transfer calls!) and Sister Brown is being sent to ......... Boston! I literally don't know anything about the area except it's a big area so we get a car! of course as soon as I buy a bike I am given a car.... but on the plus side! England is about to enter into its even more rain season, and I'm gonna have a car for it! So God is good because I'm not going to be permanently wet this transfer! So as far as my companion I'm actually going to be in a trio so that will be fun, my companions are Sister Stirm, and Sister G (I'm calling her sister G because no one in my zone knows how to actually say her name or the correct spelling so until next week she is sister G) so Tuesday I leave Gloucester for Boston I take the train from Gloucester to Nottingham and then Nottingham to Boston to meet my new companions it's gonna be a total of 5 hrs travel!

So this week was a pretty great week, we stoped by a lot of people and did lots of tracting we were in a super Chavy area and we put our bikes up against the fence walked five steps and knocked on a door when a man walked up and started checking out our bikes and then he saw us and awkwardly said oh I thought they were scrap metal... bye. So funny we're pretty sure he was gonna steal them. 

This week I finished reading the Book of Mormon for the first time on the mission and I finished Preach my Gospel I really loved being able to read through both as a missionary this time around I have read them both before but this time around it has been so different I feel like I had the missionary part of my brain unlocked so Everything I read applied to missionary work in The Book of Mormon and Preach my gospel made so much more sense because I actually knew what they were talking about more. So ya that has been a great experience to have in my last week in my Greenie area to finish both.

This week we went to our investigators house he is Fijian as well we caught him at home and we talked him into coming to church on Sunday. On Sunday he came with our part member family we Baptised he stayed the whole time he downloaded the gospel library app and was reading through the material and highlighting stuff during church and started googling temples! During Sunday school they talked about temples and it reminded him that when he was younger in Suva he went to the temple open house! Sooo cool! After church we went to a members for diner they are seriously the sweetest people they helped me out so much the past four months. I'm really grateful for everything they've done for me. After diner we went to the Fijian/Tongan families house and taught our investigator the restoration and went through the Book of Mormon with the dad of our recent converts. It was sooooo good as we talked to him he just was getting it all and he said he loved it and started saying when I get baptised and can I go on a mission? it was sooo cool! After that our lesson turned into a islander farewell they sang us a farewell song in Fijian and I seriously cried the whole song we also closed with singing God be with you till we meet again. Holy flip I absolutely love these people so much they became my family here I am so grateful for them. At church we also got asked to bare our testimony but I locked it up and didn't cry I definitely lost it the rest of the day but I made it through my testimony so I've grown a Little! 

The past four months in Gloucester have been crazy, I have loved the area and the people so much I can't really tell if I've changed much yet but spiritually the mission has been so great I am so grateful for the past five months I feel like my love for the gospel is so much stronger and my gratitude is getting a lot better, I'm just realising how truly blessed I've been in my life so far. So Gloucester has been great I have loved it, it's been hard but it's been great. I love this gospel and this area and I am so excited for Boston and all the good things to happen there.

Love,
Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧

	10:19 AM (8 hours ago)

Week 19

This week the weather was so nice Monday-Wednesday we did lots of painting and stuff which was sweet cause we gotta be outside lots especially with biking and a few times I didn't even have to wear a coat so that was magic! But then after that it got super rainy and windy. 

We had the 175th relief society party which was fun we helped set up for that and then we gotta go to the party which was fun they had tacos and they even had refried beans which is sad cause you can barely find it in Canada but they have it all over here but it freaks out most English people so sister Swasey and I gotta eat most of it.

We have been visiting a sister in the hospital and on Sunday we were able to go with the Elders to bring her the sacrament and I just love that we have the priesthood and that the sacrament can be taken to all those in need of it. It had been 7 weeks since this women had been able to take it and it was so special to be able to be there and see her take the sacrament after so long she was so happy and the spirit was so strong. 

This next week is most likely my last week in Gloucester unless they have found us a new place to live I'm pretty sad to leave my greenie area behind though I feel like it's my home and now I have to pick up everything and leave it again so I'm pretty torn about the whole situation.

Sister Swasey got her wallet stolen this week so we went searching for it at the police stations and stuff on St. Patrick's day. Fun fact don't go outside on St. Patrick's day especially if it's a Friday people be stumbling in and out of bars that whole day, we were only in the high street for the morning till noon and people were walking around completely smashed most of them were old men thank goodness there was no pinching that happened! 

The part member family I have been working with started temple prep on Sunday! The mom came and sat by me in relief society and she was absolutely beaming she said sister Brown I can't stop smiling we just took our first temple prep class! We are one step closer to the temple! That was honestly the best moment so far on the mission just hearing this beautiful mum talk about how excited she is to have her family sealed in the temple for time and all eternity! Gah it was so good! They also dropped us off a ridiculous amount of food the other day!We are so blessed to have met this family!

I've been having a few members ask how long they think it will be till I get transferred back to Gloucester gah it just about breaks my heart when I have to explain we probably won't be moved back when they get a new flat for the sisters in Gloucester... 

Life in Gloucester has been good we are trying our dang hardest to stay busy and to work hard!

Love,
Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧

15, The Courtyard
London Road
Gloucester
GL1 3PS

England

Week 18

Spring is almost in full swing it's so exciting! The trees have great big buds on them just waiting for the right day to pop. And the flowers are ridiculously beautiful! Oh my gosh and I've seen so many bunnies and lambs! It's seriously so fun seeing different seasons in a different country. The rain has definitely been interesting on a bike but it's pretty fun zipping around on a bike instead of a gross smelly bus!

So this weeks drunk white man story happened while sister Swasey and I were riding home for the night we were passing through a dodgey part of town and sister Swasey was a bit ahead of me and I went passed this group of Chavs (dodgey white males dependent on the government) and one of them spanked my butt! And all I had was the chance to say was what the Heck man!? And then another one slapped my butt and I just kinda yelled some words at them and rode off so that was both terrifying and hilarious.

This week also while walking home someone yelled at us and threw a bottle at us but they had pathetic aim so it missed by a lot.

We also tracted a door where the people just laughed at us and mocked us for a solid minute... wow now writing this week out it kinda sounds like the most awful week but it was actually super fun there were definitely times where it was like holy flip this is kinda the worst but we had so much fun and we served so many people and that was the best part!

We moved a couple people in the ward which was so awesome because they really needed the help at this time. And we painted this woman's kitchen for her and I think it meant more to her that she had people willing to help her and make her home nicer for her. I absolutely love service holy flip it is my absolute favourite thing thank goodness for spring cleaning right now because we have been asked to help with lots this next week as well.

We also went to Cheltenham a couple times this week for interviews with president and then for zone meeting so that was fun I love going and seeing other missionaries cause it's just nice to get revamped for the week and know that we can do this because we are all working towards bringing people unto Christ!

This week we also had a lot of fun riding around this city, though I am definitely not fast but I am starting to love biking more and more! Sister Swasey explained it as getting a bit of a adrenaline rush through out the day because it's pretty crazy the fast pace of traffic here so it's kinda hard for my heart to not be racing but I'm definitely still praying all the time and I haven't died yet so thank goodness for that! 

We have been stopping by a lot of people who have been taught in the past and we finally caught this one family at home (there Fijian!) they of course invited us right in and we talked for like an hour about Rugby (sick!) and the gospel of course! and got another appointment so I'm excited to hopefully start working with them more I freaking love Islanders! They are the best kind of people! 

The weather was super warm this week so that was soooo nice! Today was beautiful we went down to the Quays and looked at the boats and stuff and then went to the cathedral again. I finally gave sister Swasey a proper tour of this city! We went through the stores and tried on some proper English lady hats as well! Because we're posh! 

So basically life is good, the gospel is good, and England is good!

Love,
Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧

15, The Courtyard
London Road
Gloucester
GL1 3PS

Englnd

Week 17

Well we're moving! Haha Sister Swasey and I got the awkward phone call from our landlord confirming that we were leaving at the end of the month! We then called the mission home and said what the what? And they said they were done with our ghetto flat and the crap they were having to go through with it so we asked where are we moving to then? They said they didn't have a flat yet in Gloucester sooo we don't know anything till transfers so they may just have to take the sisters out of Gloucester until after they find a flat for us so ya I dunno what's happening but either way we are packing! Fun!

This first week of march has shown me what all those school rhymes were actually talking about. England is the land of spring there are seriously flowers everywhere the daffodils are all over the place and the snow drops and other flowers that we'd buy at Home Depot at home in June. So that's been really cool there are cherry blossoms all over the place now too I'm just waiting on the trees to pop now. And of course who can forget the Spring Showers..... turns out what I thought was a lot of rain is actually nothing compared to the rain fall that England gets in the spring and I swear the clouds are just mocking sister Swasey and I every time we go outside it will down pour for 5 minutes and then stop so we are always soaked. 

So we got a notification last week saying basically everyone needs to get off there butts and bike instead of bus.... so this week I bought a bike... it's funny because my first two transfers I thought wow I've never prayed so much in my life.... oh silly sister Brown... let's just say that I know what it means to have a prayer in your heart... so ya I haven't crashed yet, I've literally felt the lords hand while biking because I swear there were so many moments when I thought I was gonna die. English roads and drivers plus riding a bike in a skirt is a terrifying experience. Plus... I'm very out of shape like wow my butt and my legs have never been in so much pain Haha... and I get a Charlie horse every hour cause my muscles or whatever I did have are being ripped a part... so ya! But other then that I love biking! its the best! I'm excited for the day when my calfs are bullet proof!

Also along with the spring cleaning people are moving or painting or doing lawn care so we are doing so much service it's the best! Not that I don't love trackting but dang I could do service all day everyday!

Also with my bike it was super short notice to need to get one and have it be good to go but one of my favourite families in the ward seriously helped me out and found me an awesome bike on eBay now I just have to chav proof it so it won't get stolen!

Also Tuesday was world pancake day and sister Swasey and I so badly wanted to be apart of it but unfortunately we could not find any pancakes in Gloucester! So we had waffles! And they were amazing! Thanks Kaspas! 

Oh and sister Swasey almost died on my watch we were doing weekly planning and hating doing it so we were eating candies and she started laughing and in haled a mike n Ike and she seriously choked for 5 seconds and I just laughed at her and then realized holy flip she can't breathe... don't worry she pulled through she only had a mildly uncomfortable throat afterwards.

Oh and I found a sick VW van

Week 16

Nothing but good times and rain clouds this week!

On Monday I finally gotta go see Gadfield Elm! It is the oldest Chapel owned by the church. In 2004 President Gordon B Hinckley came to dedicate it after it had been renovated. Back in the hay day Wilford Woodruff and John Benbow were missionary's here in Gloucestershire, they met a group of people who went to a Gadfield Elm for church at that time owned by the united Brethren. They of course converted the congregation to the LDS church and then the members donated the building to the church as a place to worship together. So it is actually the oldest and the first chapel owned by the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Fun fact My Bishop in this ward is apparently the only bishop in the world to be in charge of two chapels. I love this story of the church here in a Gloucester because it's so amazing to hear of there success and the fact that these men once walked where I'm now walking. Yes call me cheesy but I think it's so stinking cool.

Life here is pretty dang good I love Sister Swasey, we've been having fun navigating Gloucester. Also I have not gotten us lost yet so that alone is worth celebrating! Sister Swasey just celebrated being out 9 months! The big half way mark! So crazy! So we went out to Nando's and ate chocolate as you do in this country. 

This week we were able to have our first lesson with our new investigator! We went tracting last week as perusal and after like a solid hour and a half we came to literally the last door ( that's usually a sign that something good is about to happen) we knocked once nothing, twice nothing, then in a funny helpless attempt we knocked a third time like the pathetic psycho  I am. And a woman came to the door. She was very kind and listened to us, we asked her if she would like to learn more and she said she did! So we came by the next week on Thursday and taught her the restoration this was also sister Swasey and my first legit lesson being taught together. The spirit was so strong as we went through the lesson she told us that she had been praying that God would send her in the right direction of a church because she had been feeling out of place at hers. Isn't it funny how Heavenly Father answers prayers by sending two missionaries! At one point she asked us if she could come to church with us on Sunday! Asked us! Holy smokes sisters Swasey and I were both a bit shocked and then recovered and told her of course she could come to church with us! As the lesson progressed we felt the need to invite her to be baptised on March 26 and she said YES! I never really understood how there can be people who are prepared to learn the gospel and that missionaries are just kinda there along for the ride to the baptismal font but this girl is completely that case. She came to church on Sunday and it was like she'd been coming her whole life, and the members came up to her and loved on her which was so wonderful. I am so excited to work with her over the coming weeks she is completely amazing. And I am so grateful for the opportunity that God has given me to see that there are actually people out there who are completely ready for the Gospel they just need a knock on there door to set them in the right direction.

We went on exchanges with our sister training leaders this week which is always a party I love it because I feel like I learn so much when I getta serve with other sisters and get to see how they put there own unique spin on missionary work. I took sister Christie tracting in Gloucester haha people in Gloucester are not very nice and it's a bit of a rude awakening for people the first few doors. One door we knocked on this 17 year old punk answered we started talking to him and explaining what we are and mid sentence without warning he slammed the door and locked it and walked off and I literally burst out laughing so hard because it was seriously the most hilarious thing ever. I was laughing so hard that tears started to come haha Sister Christie was in shock she said she had never had that happen before haha I'd had that happen twice earlier that week.

On Sunday the Girls were confirmed and received the Holy Ghost it was so good! There dad and uncle did the confirmations. A sister in the ward had the idea to sing I feel my saviours love but we did it in English/ Tongan. It was so fun as we started singing it in Tongan the family all looked up at us and the girls started waving and getting excited! Now who knows how well we did but the family said we got the Tongan right! And we made the Auntie cry so in my books we nailed it!

Sunday night was a bit of a gong show haha sister Swasey and I were planning on stopping by less active members, in a more run down area of Gloucester and not one person let us in or was home so we walked for a few hours in the rain and got completely soaked but we found a super nice car so that was fun. Also I have died another pair of garments blue from the rain.

I love Gloucester and I love serving here I'm gonna be sad the day I have to leave.

Love,
Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧

15, The Courtyard
London Road
Gloucester
GL1 3PS

England

week 15

This week has been a blur of adventures, transfers, doors, sheep, baptisms and men yelling at us! So I'd say it's been a pretty successful week!

On P day we went to the Forest of Dean and gotta see some beautiful scenery and explore puzzle wood where a lot of movies and TV shows have been filmed, so that was really cool unfortunately the Elders lost the phone in the woods so that thing is lost but on the up side maybe someone famous will find it!

On Tuesday I said goodbye to Sister Vousden and hello to Sister Swasey she's awesome, she's from the land of Ogden Utah and has been out for 9 months so needless to say she is a boss missionary. We have been working so hard and meeting a lot of cool people so we are so excited to see things get moving in Gloucester. Our second door we tracted together we got screamed at by this sad old man, doesn't he know we are trying to help the brother out?! Any way we got over that real quick cause we just were able to meet so many solid people, it has been so cool.

Sister Swasey and I were stopping by people's homes and while we were walking a big heard of sheep were just walking around and people were acting like it was no big deal so we got very touristy as we took a a few photos and videos with them, Typical white girls in a foreign land. But still I was pretty excited about finding those sheep even though they weren't necessarily the Lords sheep.

I was kinda freaking out for the baptism on Sunday but it honestly went beautifully nothing went wrong and the girls looked so beautiful I was so grateful to be able to be apart of this moment with them I remember small bits from my own baptism but I don't think I ever really understood what a big deal it is and was until yesterday. Needless to say the spirit was so strong and the chapel was packed with people which I am so grateful for to our ward here in Gloucester just reaching out and showing there support. I know it left an impact on the family the dad was so happy all day yesterday. The girls sang I know when I am baptised and I balled my eyes out, then latter in the program when they bore there testimonys I totally lost it again poor Sister Swasey I've been using up her tissues. The girls said that they were thankful for missionary work and it just made me so happy because me and every missionary who has worked with this beautiful family has been able to help and I am so excited for the day when this family gets sealed and the girls go on missions and get married and have children gah it's just so amazing to see how the gospel changes and blesses lives.

After the Baptism we went and ate so much Fijian and Tongan food oh my gosh it's the best! She made my favourite I think it's call Otta holy cow so good it's fish chunks in coconut milk with chillies and a bunch of other goodness anyway it's like the spiciest thing I've had while I've been in England! You put it on rice and it's served cold it's like heaven!

I have absolutely loved my time here in Gloucester I have loved meeting people and growing and just learning so many new things it's so cool to see all the changes that take place in your own heart when you are in the service of others. God is Good.

Love,
Sister Talia Brown 🇬🇧

15, The Courtyard
London Road
Gloucester
GL1 3PS

England