TRANSFERS

I can't believe I'm already a week into the new transfer. 

(Sisters: Yucra Laura, me, Swann, Katrnakova, Elders: Toa, Jensen, Koehler, Alvey)

SEPT 1ST We had the missionaries from Huntington come visit us so we could be a district one more time before everyone left. We went to eat lunch & walked around town centre for a bit. Then we took pictures by the river & watched two geese attack each other & one almost drowned. Then they left & the Bedford Missionaries all went to go visit Lesley. She gave everyone gifts (except me cuz I stayed) & we all shared a message with her. 

SEPT 2ND Transfer day!!! We met the Elders super early in the train station & traveled to St Pancras to meet our new companions. After picking up Sister Top, we headed back to Bedford. The one thing I absolutely hate about transfers is the traveling part. Do you realize how hard it is to wheel three huge, heavy suitcases from train to train?! After that, we visited a less active & spoke to as many people as we could on the way home. We actually ran into a less active who hadn't been to church in 20 years & that nobody had ever met. 

SEPT 3RD We had weekly planning today, then we just found for the day. We also got to go to the Bishop's house for dinner! It was so fun & I absolutely love his family. He was trying to give me a calling as a ward pianist even though I'm rubbish at playing the piano. So now I have to practice piano a lot more. 

SEPT 4TH We had to wake up so early so we could meet the Elders at the bus station to catch a bus to Northampton for zone training meeting. Somehow we managed to get there even though I had no idea where I was going. Sister Yucra was there!!! At the meeting, Elder Evans & Elder Toledo (zone leaders) called on me for everything. Then we ate brownies & had a "man challenge." We all had to see who could do push-ups the longest & I didn't win (surprise, surprise hahaha). 

SEPT 5TH Today we had a lesson with an investigator (the one that was on date but dropped us right after) & we were supposed to get lunch, but we couldn't go in his home because of mission rules. So we had a lesson in the park & he was acting super creepy. After the lesson, Sister Top & I were talking & we both said that the movie 'The Lovely Bones' came into our mind when we were meeting with him hahahahahah so creepy. It was the Holy Ghost's way of telling us to get away from him. Later that night, he sent a creepy message to me on Facebook, so I deleted him. We also went to dinner at Heiry & Santi's home. I love them.

SEPT 6TH Today was all of the other missionaries' first time in the Bedford Ward & I had to introduce everyone to them. After church, we had to fix our phone & transfer all of our numbers from the old phone to a new one, which took forever. Then we went finding & met some really nice people & one of them was even a former investigator who has going to be baptized but changed her mind at the last minute. We will hopefully start teaching her again! 

SEPT 7TH We had a mission conference at the Hyde Park Chapel, so I got to see everyone from the MTC & the other missionaries I've served with! We were taught by Clayton Christensen from the Boston, Massachusetts area & his wife. The meeting was 6 hours long, so when we finally got home we had to rush to Lesley's house with the Elders to do service. 

This is from when Elder Holland came to speak to us: "This is not the Church of the Happy Families. This is not the Church of the Tabernacle Choir. This is not the Church of Steve Young. This is not anything, but the Church of Jesus Christ the Savior of the world, and we need to talk more about Him. We need to think more about Him. We need to love Him, a lot more. We need to emulate Him always and that will require some stress and some pain and a little anguish and some tears. Don't resist that. Don't say 'Oh me, oh my. What's happening to me?' What's happening to you is a mission! What's happening to you is a conversion. What's happening to you is a little redeeming Atonement in your own life. Where you start to understand who the Savior is and what price He paid. If you don't pay a little of that then somehow all these are going to be ships in the night that pass and your not going to get it. Embrace the anguish of salvation! Live with the highs and the lows and the justice and the injustice. The rejection as well as the affection."

Missions aren't easy, but serving a mission was the greatest decision I have ever made and I am so grateful for the time that I have to be serving in England. I am grateful for the miracles & blessings I see each day. I'm even more grateful for the difficulties & trials I have faced. They have taught me the love that our Savior, Jesus Christ, has for each of us. I know he lives & loves each of us.

Love Sister Johannes