STAY HOLY

This email is going to be a little (probably more than a little) bit crazy because I can't remember what happened on which day. Everything just becomes mushed together in my brain & I end up confusing everything. Life is so hard sometimes.

We have an investigator on date for baptism! She has a baptismal date for the 25th of this month!!! She is so great. She is so prepared for the gospel. We taught her on Saturday about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the word of wisdom, and the sabbath day. She asked amazing questions & the spirit was so strong. She has no issues with the word of wisdom, and when we taught her the law of chastity on Sunday she had no issues with that as well! I love her ❤️❤️

On Tuesday, we had to travel to Northampton by bus for a zone meeting. The missionaries who taught us focused on chapter 13 in Matthew -- the parable of the sower. The parable teaches us that we can plant seeds, or the word of God, everywhere we go, but they will only grow if the condition of the heart lets it. If our investigators are unwilling to open their hearts to the word of God, they will not grow in faith nor understanding, like the seeds planted on the wayside. We, as missionaries, need to search for & find those people who have been prepared to receive the gospel with an open heart, the seeds planted in the good soil. As our investigators open their hearts to our message, the Lord will convert them. My mission president, President Jordan, once said, "The Holy Ghost is tilling the hearts of our investigators." The Holy Ghost is constantly tilling, or softening, the hearts of the people we teach so they can be more receptive to the message we share. I have gained a very strong testimony that the Lord is in the details of our lives. He is preparing people for every missionary in every country to teach. Sister Yucra Laura & I have found & taught people who have been so prepared by the Lord that we leave their house in total awe that a lesson could have gone that well. THE LORD IS PREPARING PEOPLE EVERYWHERE, our job as missionaries is to find them. 

Zone meeting

On Friday, we got to go to St Albans again to meet our new mission president, President Stevens. We started off the meeting by singing a hymn & I was asked to conduct the song. Okay guys. I've known how to lead music for my whole entire life, but for some reason I could NOT lead the song they had chosen to save my life. I don't know what was wrong with me, but I was struggling soooo bad. And there were 60+ missionaries all watching me fail so so so terribly. I lost where we were on the page so I pretty much just stood in front of everyone and waved my arm back in forth. There were 10 or so missionaries who were leading the music in the crowd to try to help me out, but they were all doing different things so instead of following any of them, I just stood there. Sooooo that was embarrassing, & for the rest of the meeting the missionaries sitting next to me kept making jokes about it. But I redeemed myself during the closing hymn. I didn't mess up too many times (insert the emoji with the girl with her hand by her face like 'I know, I'm perfect').  I was so proud of myself I wanted to bow after the song ended, but I'm pretty sure President Stevens wouldn't think it was funny & I was trying to make a good first impression. 

On Saturday, all of the Bedford missionaries got together to do banner finding in town centre. Banner finding means that we set up a sign that has Jesus & the Book of Mormon & people smiling & deep questions about life on it. Then we just stop everyone & try to find new people to teach. I have really bad luck with banner finding though. Every time we do it, something weird happens to me, & Saturday was no different. I sat next to this man on a bench & was telling him about the gospel & what not. I ended up setting up a time for us to come visit with him & got his phone number & address. Then things got weird. He started asking who all was coming & if I could come alone. I explained to him that I would bring two friends with me to teach him & he got annoyed & asked again & again & again if I could come alone. At this point, I was really freaked out so I stood up & told him it was good talking to him & shook his hand. Then he wouldn't let go of my hand & he said something really quiet so I leaned down to listen. THEN HE TRIED TO KISS ME. I jerked back but he was still holding my hand & wouldn't let go. He then kept saying, "just give me one kiss, please just one kiss" & wouldn't let go of me. So obviously I said no & yanked my hand away from him. But my district leader & companion were talking to people so I couldn't tell them what happened & I pretty much just stood by the banner in total unbelief of what just happened. AND THE MAN WOULDNT LEAVE THE BENCH, he just sat there staring at me. When I finally told sister Yucra Laura she told me I was never allowed to leave her side. And my district leader was super mad & wanted to go punch the guy, but he had left 2 minutes before I told him so he couldnt (darn). 

Random things:

- I was riding my bike, wearing my lovely helmet, & a boy said I was beautiful (insert the emoji I mentioned earlier). 

-Every time, without fail, I go on a bus or train I end up falling asleep. 

-I'm 99.9999% I will be 1000lbs heavier in 18 months. I eat SO much food. 

-Riding a bike in a skirt is still hard. 

-The other day we had a dinner appointment & they all they fed us was chips (french fries) & ice cream. (that's why I'm gonna be 10000lbs heavier) 

-I rode by bike into a bridge & almost fell into the river. 

-A man asked why I would come all the way from America just to talk about my church, & I told him it was because I knew what I was sharing was true & that I knew the gospel of Jesus Christ would bless the lives of those who would listen. He was baptised. 

-Just kidding, he told me what I was preaching was false & that I was wasting 18 months sharing it & the rest of my life living it. I meet people like him a lot more than I meet those willing to listen, but it's kind of crazy because i don't even get discouraged anymore. I know that what I'm sharing is the most valuable thing in my life. When people tell me no, I picture them saying no to £100000 & then I laugh cuz who would say no to that?! So I just move onto the next person with a smile, & with faith that I will find those people who's hearts have been prepared. 

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY WITH ALL MY LIL HEART.

I MISS YOU ALL SO MUCH. 

Do I look like a missionary yet?

 Sister Sydney Johannes