It's just the spirit...

A lady from the branch told us a cute story yesterday. When she first joined the church she went to the doctors’ b/c she had this tingly sensation going up and down her arms and she kept feeling really warm inside all the time. The Doctor had no idea what to say. A member later told her not to worry, she was just feeling the spirit.

Is this normal?

We gave a man a Book of Mormon when we were in a random, remote village. It was the second time we'd been there, and we bumped into this guy who was visiting from Birmingham. We taught a brief restoration and he left with a copy of the Book of Mormon. The next morning we get this text/short essay, "Hello Sisters Pope and Rose. I met you yesterday at the bus stop in Honeybourne. After our brief encounter yesterday I was really intrigued by you. I put it down to you both being very nice. When I woke up this morning though, all I could think was that I had to read the book. It felt surreal, like I had to read it rather than wanting to. Is this normal? Have I been touched or chosen or something because I am not sure I understand what has changed in my mind but something has. Please reply." So we called him back and told him that the Book was God's words - that's why it's so powerful, and that you're Okay, you are just feeling the spirit. Ha. So hopefully we will see him tomorrow. He's read first Nephi now. The Book of Mormon is so powerful. It truly is.

A walk down memory lane....

So for Easter we went to visit an 88-year-old widow, a real rock of the church. She is the loveliest old woman in all of the UK. She shared with us something very special yesterday! When her husband was the stake president he invited President Harlold B. Lee to come speak to the saints, and he accepted! Halfway through the meeting she was passed a note to inform her that they were coming over for lunch afterwards! President Lee and his wife, along with Elder Gordon B. Hinckley and his wife all went over for lunch! Can you imagine feeding the prophet? She showed us the pictures in a little album she had, along with some letters of correspondence between President Lee and President Hinckley! I got to look at their signatures - how cool. While President Lee was there, they had to buy him a white shirt from Marks and Spencer’s. President Lee was so thrilled with the style and fit of the shirt that in his thank you note, he requested that if it wasn't asking too much, could they please send him two more of the same shirts? He included the sizes and a traveler’s check. How adorable. I didn't expect that when I read the letter!

One Year Mark!!!

It has been one year since the Icelandic volcano eruption - which also marks the one-year anniversary of my anti-climatic, failed airport departure to England. Well, I'm glad I'm here now!

So the other week we were out "finding". I felt prompted to go down a particular street. I felt kind of stupid because I seem to always get prompted to go down that street and I was thinking, "oh man, Sister Rose is going to think I'm crazy..." but I just went ahead and did it. Then this girl passes, and I ask if she wants to go to church with us and she says yes! Then I didn't know what to say, but somehow fumbled through giving her directions, a Book of Mormon, and our phone number. To add to my surprise she actually came! She’s a really cool girl - 23 years old, originally from Kent. She’s a hospice/respite nurse and was on call, so halfway through the gospel principles lesson, she got a call that she needed to go. We left a message on her phone afterwards and tried to call her again during the week, but got no response. I was really bummed and thinking, aw man she got freaked out. So later that week I get a prompting to go find her at her house, and I'm like, "no I don't want to!!!! I can't take the rejection!!!" but we go anyway, and she's there, and she says, "Oh, hey guys! wanna come in?" huh? Then we proceed to have a great lesson. John was telling me about how they do things down in Mexico for first lessons and I've been dying to try it out on an investigator (trouble is, is that all of them kept not showing up for their appointments...). Anyways, Sister Rose and I have been referring to it as “mexi-style”. Well, we bust out the mexi-style! and we ask her about what she hopes to get out of church and meeting with us, and she says, to be a better person; to have a new start. So we tell her how to achieve that (baptism) and she accepts! and wants to be baptized on the 8 of May! I was in a state of shock and awe for the rest of the night. THANK goodness this is the Lord's work and not mine! I felt very dumb and very humbled, and very grateful for the promptings of the spirit. It's so silly that I kept feeling like doing things I didn't want to do, but as I did them, we saw great success and felt great happiness. I realized that without the spirit, you really only take shots in the dark. Being able to recognize the promptings of the spirit has been the most valuable resource to me on my mission and Heavenly Father really knows what's best. Phew. So basically what I'm trying to tell myself is to quit dragging my feet about it and go to!

One year I've been here, and I miss you all at home, but the things I've felt and heard and seen have already changed the way I will see and feel and hear forever.

I am grateful for our Savior, He lives.

I love you!

Madie

Close your eyes and pray

On the way to our semi-annual mission football (soccer) game we picked up our district leader and his companion who work in Worcester, the next area over. An alarm went off on our phone at 9:50, which means it’s time for mission prayer. Everyday at 9:50 all of the missionaries get on their knees and say a mission prayer - we pray for our whole mission. I debated ignoring it since we were driving, but ended up suggesting we say a mission prayer anyway, (because we had forgotten to say a safety prayer as well!) Anywho, Sister Rose voluntereed to say it. Everyone in the car closed their eyes and bowed their heads, except me, because I was driving. As she began to pray, I came up on the other side of the hill and staring me in the face was a huge, obscene billboard of a woman. I looked in the rear view mirror to see the Elders, eyes closed, heads bowed. Prayer is protection.

We shall go forward!

Hello – hello, hello – hello, we welcome you today, hello!

England prospers. Oh wow, all of our appointments flogged this week! (Flogged is the mission term for when you are the only one that shows up for the appointment.) So I don't really know what to tell you except we did a lot of finding, and we took members cupcakes, did service, and watched conference! A new week in a new transfer begins, and we shall go forward! There is success and blessing all around us.

We had an appointment with an investigator and as he told us his concerns and problems, I had no CLUE what I could possibly say. I felt the spirit in my heart so I wasn't afraid, and when I opened my mouth, the perfect words came out. The Lord really spoke for me. I went away thinking, "man! I wish I could remember what the heck I said!" It was a right spiritual motivational speech, if I do say so myself. God is so good at those. I wish I could do it naturally, but I'm glad He did it for me, when I didn't know quite what do say, I only knew I had to defend the family in whatever it was I said, and it turned out well.

Our investigators are dwindling in numbers, but the recent converts of this branch are doing really well. They are keeping active and moving forward. There are some that struggle, but many have renewed senses of commitment and it's cool to see the gospel unfold in their lives. One came back from serving in the temple for a week. One is going through the temple this week. One made it to the priesthood session regardless of the fact that his motorcycle broke down. One is coming out teaching with us every Thursday and trying to introduce her friend to the gospel.

If there's one thing I like about the English, it's their hilarious sense of humor, which is mainly comprised of sarcasm. If they are teasing you, you know they like you. It throws off some missionaries who aren't used to sarcasm. You can usually always have a good laugh though.

Oh, did I mention I went to Worcester cathedral the other p-day and saw prince John’s (the phony king of England) grave from Robin Hood?
Weird!

Ta-ra love!

Madie