Week 7 Happy New Year

Merry Christmas I hope you all had a great one!

It has definitely been a crazy one here in Gloucester. It really
didn't feel like Christmas like we did Christmas things and we ate
Christmas foods but it just felt very different. 

One thing I loved is that my ward here in Gloucester does an annual 
Christmas concert on Christmas Eve and they get together for 1 hour and 
sang Christmas carols it's awesome. And then I realised English people 
are my people because they all watch the muppet Christmas carol every 
Christmas Eve, it's awesome! Obviously I didn't get to watch it but it was so 
awesome seeing all these people doing my absolute favourite Christmas
tradition! 

My companion and I built a fort in our living room and
slept in there throughout the Christmas weekend it was awesome we also
watched meet the Mormons which was great. I got to eat Christmas
pudding, trifle, mince pies and all other English foods. We got to go
be with a lot of different members during the week which was nice
being able to see different traditions and stuff and then Christmas
Day we woke up went to church and had an awesome Christmas dinner at a
members home and then we skyped our families which has become my new
favourite Christmas tradition. 

Life is going good out in the mission field! I'm coming to the end of my 
first transfer and my firstChristmas away from home is over so lots of 
milestones are crossed off this month! Oh also I got to ride on my first 
English train! Yes they do have platforms!

I hope you all have fun this New Years! Love you!

Week 6 - Merry Christmas

Merry Freaking Christmas!
Well this week has been just so good! I can't really think of anything
super spiritual that happened but there was definitely blessings but
mostly just sad and hilarious things. So because of the holiday there
has been a lot of drunk white men on the street and I think they are
becoming my favourite people cause they are absolutely hilarious. 

So Sister Vousden and I were walking down the street and this group of
drunk white men were just leaving a pub (it's about 3:00pm on a
Wednesday but you know Christmas) and there was this group of girls
leaning against a building talking and one of the drunks slapped the
girls butt and she screamed I'm 14 you pedo! Now to be fair she was
dressed in a way that a 14 year old should never dress but anyway the
man almost ran for the hills because he was just so horrified by what
he had just done to a little girl. (That's why we don't drink kids!)


Alright my next favourite drunk white man story! So we are on the bus
and it's probably 1:00pm And this man with a very festive Christmas
jumper and Christmas tree hat (with lights and all) yells from the
other side of the bus HEY! I awkwardly waved back! So of course that
means come right over. So we had a nice discussion about life and the
plan of salvation and he gave us his rendition of how life came to be.
Which was definitely a lot more theatrical then our version but hey
each to there own.


So I have been getting fed a lot of English Christmas treats like
mince meat pies (there's no meat by the way) so many non alcoholic
drinks because even Mormons need boozie drink during the holidays even
if there's no booze. We have been having a great time getting to know
Gloucester and just seeing all the different cultures I love it. Even
talking to super random people, I love hearing there stories and even
hearing more about there beliefs. 

So in Gloucester there is a cathedral and guess what movie uses it as the 
set....... Harry Freaking Potter! It was so flipping cool! So today I went to Hogwarts
and literally walked where Harry and the whole gang have walked! So I
can die now! 

Also besides really cool corridors the stain glass is
amazing! So before we went we were told by a senior missionary couple
that there is a part of the stain glass that people don't understand
what it means. But an apostle went there and said it is the baptismal
font with the 12 oxen around it so it's just so cool that we have that
knowledge and that so many people don't understand and it's in there
own church building so ya the priesthood is awesome that we are able
to receive that revelation and to have the interpretation.


Also on Sunday we though hey you know what would be a great idea
carolling! So we found a nice Christmasy neighbourhood and started
knocking doors we did about four doors and three doors slammed shut
and then 1 said come back when it's closer to the holidays! It's a
week away?? Ok England were sorry you hate Christmas! Haha


So ya life is going great here in Gloucester Christmas is coming and
life is exciting we have found an awesome family that we are going to
start teaching and we have other people we have found and have been
working with.


So ya merry Christmas! Lots of love! Peace be unto you!

Week 5

Well I have hit my month date! woo-hoo! Ha ha really sad but we got fish and chips to celebrate so that was exciting!

We have been walking our butts off tracting and GQing trying to talk with everyone and we have been doing lots with the members and with the LA's so we've been trying to build up the kingdom here in Gloucester! which is in England for those who were asking. 

So we've been having some dinner appointments and been taken out to dinner and Ive eaten some interesting things first off after the mission I don't think I will ever touch a roast or potatoes ever again because those are like the staples here. Also I tried this thing called crackling so basically its pig skin (not bacon) cut into strips and fried up and I'm pretty sure its called crackling because you crack your teeth every bite you take. But actually Im understanding why all these people are missing teeth. 

Also everything here is Roasted vegetables roast meat roast this, roast that and holy cow they use gravy like white people use mayo like dang I had a member tell me I was missing gravy on my food (I had it on my potatoes) then proceeded to pour half of it all over everything on my plate haha. Also they do drinking right they have cordyl which is super flipping fancy stuff that you combine with water super posh!

Sister Vousden and I had a cool moment this week, we had just come in from a long day in the rain (my month mark) had fish and chips and are heavy wet clothes  (they weren't completely soaked yet) and were about to sit down and have diner but as soon as we opened the door we got a phone call from a women saying she had found the elders phone and that we should meet her down town to pick it up. 

We dropped everything including our umbrellas (stupid) and raced down town as fast as we could, once we got to Poundland we called her back and then she told us oh sorry I meant tomorrow but we knew the elders would need it so we offered to go to her home and get it so then we had to cross town again and find this woman's house and get the phone but along the way a man came and sat behind us on the bus, he poked me and said hey I like your ear rings I smiled and went back to looking at the map then he poked me again and said are you a missionary for the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? ( oh ya I just about jumped out of my seat) we started talking to him about how he used to meet with the missionaries and then we gave him our number so hopefully he's going to contact us soon but it was really nice to have someone talk to us and know who we are. 

Any ways we found the women and the elders phone and were able to answer there worried prayers so that was awesome anyways at the end of that long night we were literally soaked to the bone and my Garments turned blue from my clothes I was wearing haha but any ways it was nice to be able to help some one and do some good! Life is going good here though mission life is hard but I know this is where I need to be.

Weeks 3 & 4

Ok so I'm in Gloucester England! My companion is Sister Vousden shes great! So we've been white washed into our area which is crazy cause we have to basically start from the begining and figure everything out on our own which is crazy but it's all good!

My last week in preston was awesome we went on a church history tour which was super cool we gotta see where the first saints were baptised in england in the river ribble and we gotta see where Gordon B. Hinkley's house was when he got the letter from his dad telling him to forget himself and go to work. The weather has been super nice here thank goodness so that's been nice for all the tracting we've been doing. A couple high lights of the week!

-A random guy asked me if Im from

Ireland! made my day!

-Realizing that pedestrians do not have the right of way here!

-English choclate is the greatest thing Im pretty sure there's crack in it!

-Smashing my I-pad screen on the streets of Gloucester on day 1

-Becoming a master of navigation

-Failing at becoming a master of navigation

-Riding double decker buses every day

-Cleaning the crap out of our apartment and finding things that expired in 2014

-Thinking that I could speak english and now realizing I cant even english

-Harry Potter is life here in the UK so glad I took the patroness test before I left because Ive been asked like fifty times what house I'm in and what is my patroness

Love you guys thanks for the emails!

Week Two

Wow I cant believe I've been here for two weeks It has been such an amazing week. Tuesday we went to the temple which is such a beautiful one! Then we went to Chorley and it looked like  walked in to a scene out of Pride and Prejudice!

On Wednesday all of us 2nd weekers were taken to downtown Manchester for a crash course on street contacting. We were there for two hours and there was an absolute down pour  of rain for about 90 of those minutes! I absolutely Loved it! It was such a cool experience we talked to whoever would give Sis Romero and I the time of day haha.

One person who stuck out to me was a girl named Katie she is a student going to school for microbiology somethin somethin. We waited with her until her train came, we talked about rain, life and God. We gave her a pass along card and I've been kicking myself ever since for not giving her a Book of Mormon, after her train came she said good bye and then she was gone.

Sister Romero and I just felt so much unbelievable love for her after wards which was so strange because she was a complete stranger but we are going with it being Heavenly Fathers love for her even thought we didn't teach her everything in those minutes we shared I hope we planted a seed and then maybe one day someone else can help it grow.

That Night Sister Romero and I had the best lesson with out investigator buddy the spirit was so strong it was such an honour to have the holy ghost present even if it was just a mock lesson. I feel so blessed to have Sister Romero as my Compy we've only known each other for 2 weeks now and it's like I've known her all my life she has this thing now where she likes to hangout in my bed I'm not sure why but we are all about bunk bed life there is something so fun about it.

She also showed me her Canadian shirts she has because her love for Canada is so real it's hilarious. we have this thing where we walk every where with linked arms but it's starting to get us into trouble with door ways because we keep smacking each other into them trust me we have the bruises to prove it. Also one of the first things sister Romero told me is that she has never seen snow.. so a morning this week I was eating breakfast and glanced out the window and saw some patches of SNOW!

I grabbed sister Romero told her to close her eyes and follow me I guided her through all the table and missionary's it was kind of a scene of laughing and tripping when we got to the window I told her to open her eyes she was so she started at a minute not understand what she was look at until I sang to her "Do you wanna build a snowman? it doesn't have to be a snow man!" then she screamed and we ran out side and had a snow ball fight.

Another thing that happened last night we taught one of our Investigators Roxanne about the plan of salvation it was such a game changer lesson for me because by the end of the lesson we were all in tears because the spirit had been so strong I have loved being able to have spiritual experiences so often it has helped grow my testimony in so many ways I just feel so thankful!

There is so much that has happened this week so many amazing devotionals so many fits of laughter so much rain, snow and hail! so many powerful moments I have absolutely loved every second here I cant believe I leave in one week!

Week One

Well I did it I've been in the MTC for 1 whole week! I realize the MTC is way different then the mission field but I can honestly say I freaking love it! I'm feeling super blessed right now because flying went off without a hitch, and I have the most amazing companion sister Romero from Australia! 

She is 20 from Sydney a foot shorter then me and she is such a power house in the gospel we only met a week ago but it feels like we have been friends for years! soooo cool! And thank goodness she feels the same about me! when she found out I was Canadian she got so excited because she is obsessed with all things Canada and has always wanted to go and I've always wanted to go to Australia so needless to say we have a trip planned after the mission where we spend a week with each other in each others home lands!

 My other mates are Sister Rippley from Edmonton AB and Sister Howland from Utah they are super nice and both serving in the London South mission. I haven't been outside a whole lot but we have gone on walks on the grounds and from what I can see England is freaking gorgeous! My hair is loving the English humidity!

 The food is super good and I've been sleeping on bunk beds which is seriously the best thing ever I dunno why but I'm really digging sleeping 6ft in the air! In the MTC we learn, learn, learn and then we teach, teach, teach! I honestly feel embarrassed by how much I love it all! even getting up early in the morning is super awesome, I was only Jet lagged for like 2 days and now I'm good to go! 

On Sunday we got to hear from a seventy, Brother Homer he was super cool and he talked to us personally and it was just so awesome to hear him speak! I got some letter's and a package which were so awesome! Today we are going to take on the town and then latter we are gonna do a session at the temple so I'm super pumped for that! 

We also watched a devotional on Sunday by Elder Holland! in it he said (while slamming his fist) the Saviour didn't have it easy so why would you think you should have it easy! Amen! I feel like so often I used to think this is so hard but now I feel like an idiot because my life is a dream compared to what Jesus Christ went through for us! 

I am so grateful to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ for providing me with a way that I could gain a body and have this earthly experiences and have Joy! and if I mess up it's not over I can work hard and repent my life would be a mess with out the atonement and for that I'm so grateful. I feel like everyone should have an MTC experience because I have never felt so immersed in the Gospel before! 

It is such an honour and a blessing to eat sleep and drink the gospel at all times! I also realized how cool our gospel is! I have been meeting people all over this amazing world and they know the church just as I do because the gospel is the same whether it's in Dutch, French, Mandarin, Hungarian or English we are still on the same page! I love the MTC I love being a missionary for this church God is Good life is Good!

2 whole days left

Monday night I get set apart as a missionary. Tuesday morning I start the Journey to England. Wednesday I spend my first day in the MTC. Then it's nothing but hard work, accents and fish and chips for the next 18 months! and I am so Excited for all that to start!

It's been real Canada!