Conference

Good afternoon!

CONFERENCE!!  It was stellar!  We got to watch 3 sessions, Saturday and Sunday morning!  So much!!  

Conference is a little bit different in England.  The earliest session we can watch starts at 5 pm! And the only way we could watch it was to connect it to the computer.  We are so lucky to live in Salt Lake City.  Multiple people asked me if I had ever been even once to the conference center.  They couldn't believe there were so many mormons.  hah little do they know.  Brother Hubert (one of my personal favorite members) said, "Can you imagine?  Saying to someone, hey you want to go to the temple today?  Yeah sure why not?  And then just get in the car and go?  Crazy! We have to plan our trip weeks in advance to get down there!"  They are in awe when they hear we can actually go to more than one temple in an hour.  

And super happy you watched and so now I can check up on things?  How is FHE?  And great news--everyone can continue to get a testimony of the Book of Mormon!  Wahoo!!  So exciting!

Conference is so crazy on the mission. The whole time you are trying to get everyone and their dog to watch so it is hard to focus in the sessions.  We did a little though and what a blessing it is that we get to have IPads to read talks later!  Superb!

This week was super, super busy!  One exchange and MLC and conference.  Lots of things happened.  

We went on an exchange with Sister Cobabe and Sister Daines who are currently serving in Cambridge.  Those two are such good missionaries.  They are doing super well in Cambridge and on their missions.  The exchange was really fun!  I went with Sister Cobabe.  We stayed by the chapel most of the day.  In Ilford the church is right in the middle of everything--it's placement is perfect!  Everyone knows where it is.  So all of our investigators come to the church for lessons and if any of them hose, we can go out finding on the front sidewalk to bring friends in.  It is so great!  At one point during the day Sister Cobabe and I taught two lessons back to back with the same member and both were Plan of Salvation.  That was super weird.  

MLC was good!  I got an update from the Colchester stl's that Dino is done smoking.  :)  Happy days!!!!  SO excited for them :).  I can't remember what happened in MLC oh this is so bad.  My brain is dying.  We were given a training about asking questions and helping the investigator become spiritually reliant.  Basically asking them what has changed in their life at the beginning of each lesson.  hmmm wonder where I have heard that one before.  And now there is a super big push to see investigators 3x's a week because it has been proven that they will more likely be baptized.  So have contact regularly.  hmm wonder where I have heard that one before too.  

On another note our flat is slowly deteriorating.  One of the knobs of the stove broke off and now there is a hot plate that is stuck on the hottest setting possible as soon as you turn the heat on.  But we still have 2/4 knobs working, so it's fine.  And the oven only has one setting--scalding--perfect for frozen pizza.  Got to love the mission diet...eh.  Another thing I have trained myself to do is to not look up while inside the flat.  Don't know if I have already mentioned it, but there are at least one or two spiders who call our place their home.  The worst one is right above the kitchen sink.  Doing the dishes quickly has a whole new meaning.  Sister Swann pulled a massive spider the other day.  Thank goodness she is from Australia and has no problem grabbing it with her hand.  She had it in a big cup and it was going crazy.  Also she came carrying the spider from upstairs where our bedroom is.  And now she refuses to tell me where she found the spider.  .........   AHHH.  I thought I was safe being called to England!  And I found out who blew the fuse to the light in the hall!  None other than Sister Cummings.  Goodness me.  She is to thank while we fumble in the dark.  

Alight siblings pay close attention to this lesson learned.  The other day a miracle happened and I thought, "Wow I can't wait to tell Heavenly Father tonight what happened!"  I know, probably a little strange.  But really cool, because it shows changing desires.  Consistent prayer every night and every morning (for 8 months now?? Well, except for that one time that I fell asleep during my morning prayer for a good amount of time, but that doesn't count) has changed my feelings, testimony, conversion for prayer.  Because of this small act done consistently over time, my relationship with God has gotten closer. I understand the purpose of prayer greater, and I love it even more!  It is Alma 37:37.  Furthermore, consistent scripture study and trying to listen to the Spirit has somewhat (hey I still have a lot of months to learn plus eternity) taught me how to recognize when God is speaking to me.  On the mission we are really lucky because we don't have to deal with distractions and can enjoy the Spirit in greater abundance and it puts me in an easier situation.  However scripture study and trying to recognize the Spirit strengthens our relationship with Heavenly Father.  Over time, it becomes easier and easier to recognize His voice.  Now we don't always hear His voice because we are not meant to be guided every step.  There would be no point in being here and no point in agency.  But we have a greater ability to understand when He does speak!  It is something so amazing I can see on the mission.  Our relationship with God is SO important.  It makes life so much better.  I have had the opportunity to learn every day how the Spirit works with me personally because of daily prayers and scripture study.  There is a TON of power--Alma 37:6.  And you can see it in your life too!  

Okay thanks for paying attention :)

Now I want to tell you about the people in Ilford!!!  I have spent a month here and I think by now I have a grasp on who is here :).

Investigators!

- Muscle Mark.  We love him.  He is just the best in so many ways.  I really should record him saying hi.  His nickname is muscle mark because he is a body builder and because we were teaching two marks and it was really confusing.  (But the other Mark is dropped so now it is just muscle mark).  Sister Swann and I met Mark on the street our first week together.  His family is from Jamaica but he has lived here is whole life.  He is the sweetest person you will ever meet.  He often says, we are brothers and sisters, God is our Father, and Jesus is our big brother.  Whenever we teach him on an exchange he is so happy and always says to the visiting sister, "Hello!  You are my new sister!  I am so happy that my family is growing."  Awe just melts your heart.  He is super good.  It is so neat teaching him verse teaching others who are scholarly in their religious knowledge.  He understands so much better.  The gospel is not overcomplicated.  He understands his relationship with God and Jesus Christ.  He said the funniest thing yesterday in his slow deep tone.  "Fishes comes from fish, and monkeys come from monkeys, and we came from our Father in heaven, so we will be like our Father in heaven one day."  YES WE WILL!  Bless Mark he is great.  He is on date to be baptized October 23rd and has been to church twice and has been taught l1 and wow.  Not much has been taught, because we didn't get to start teaching him until recently.  (ah grammar)

-Joe.  I think I might've already mentioned Joe.  We met Joe the first week.  Actually right after we met muscle mark!  We stopped Joe by asking him his first name.  Which just goes to show you, doesn't matter how you stop someone of the street, if they are ready, they are ready!  Joe is from England and his family is from Africa.  He has two daughters (4 and 2 yr olds) and is divorced.  He works with computers and is super intelligent.  His friend's sister-in-law cousin or something is Mormon.  Joe wasn't too interested--he doesn't believe in God or religion.  However Sister Swann pulled some of her magic out on the street and at the end of the conversation, Joe agreed to participate in a month "experiment" with us where he tries to grow his faith in God and Jesus Christ.  Conditions that we set were, meet with us 3 times a week for 30 mins, reading scriptures daily, pray daily, come to church every week and follow commandments.  Oh you should've seen the first lesson!  I swear it was almost like we were trying to drop him!  We were just checking to see if he was really committed or not.  And so far, looks like he is committed!  It is very hard to see where he is at though because he is very reserved and very sarcastic.  Our word of wisdom lesson started off with his talking about how he was getting ready to go out drinking with his friends later.  ha ha.  No more joe!  But to my pleasant surprise, he agreed to live the word of wisdom!  Even to the point of having more fruits and vegetables in his diet.  Wow!  He accepted it saying, well I better see changes in my life to see if this is actually from God.  He will.  Hopefully he can recognize the changes.  He is super different from Mark though and thinks of things very intellectually and complex.

those are the two main ones I will tell you about for now.  Others include, Basilio from India (who is a bit of an eternigator but he should be baptized on the 16th!  Pray for his heart to soften so that he can be baptized then!), Ben (wants to be baptized but it might be for the wrong reasons-long story and needs to be interviewed by President and approved by the First Presidency so that may take awhile), Jane Omoruyi a part member family who knows the church is true but is unsure about baptism.  She is on date for October 23rd and we told her she had to know by conference if she would be baptized then or not.  I'll give you an update next week)

I think that's good for people though.  And hopefully there is a semi flow to the email.  Okay that's all folks.  See you later!  Ahhh 8 months is ridiculous I feel uncomfortable.

LOVE AND MISS YOU!

Sister Soulier