May 13, 2013

Dear Mom,

     I could've talked with you two for hours about all the experiences I have had on my mission. Sadly though we are only allowed about an hour max to speak. Maybe it was destined that we shouldn't see each other on Skype for whatever reason, we tried everything! So today I found out that God must have a different plan for us down in Brighton. The second flat that we had signed for turned out to be taken and it was a miscommunication that we were able to get the flat in the first place. That means the second set of missionaries will not be coming this next transfer. We have been told to keep looking for a new one, but for whatever reason (maybe God wanted the missionaries to be safe or for the work to be focused in a certain way, or maybe for one of the new missionaries that would've been sent there to go somewhere else) they wont be coming this month. The zone leaders had us lower our goals for this week, but we are still determined to hit the original mark. Nah I dodn't have steak and kidney pie for dinner last night, just more pasta (that was what the Powers had for us) and also a mothers day cake! I make stroganoff and pasta bakes a lot at home. I want to get a recipe book from you guys though on easy-moderate level recipes to whip up on a daily routine. I'm so excited to hear how all of my friends are heading out for their missions! It makes the world a lot smaller of a place, and the Mormon world even tinier! The University of Sussex campus here is not nearly as beautiful as the BYU campus, but the surrounding countryside is tough to beat! President Millar has got to be pushed to the max right now; changes are being made a breakneck pace. Can you believe that the it has been 12 weeks since we last saw each other? Soon it will be longer than the time I was away at college! On a different note though, miracles honestly happen all around me, I just have to recognize them! I feel as though things are being prepped for us here. The circumstances here are just the most unique they have been in years for the work of the Lord. As for the letter I sent you, you can go ahead and share it to my brothers and sisters, whoever is interested. There will likely to be more spiritual ones coming through as the mission progresses. Its kinda like when we first enter the gospel, we are babes. In the mission, we start out as babes and move into greater and greater stature in the faith.

    This morning I was studying in Alma 26. It was so inspiring, you must read it! Besides the classic verse where Ammon declares that he boasts not in his own strength, but in God, I read about how they were (in verse 27) about to turn back home! Can you imagine that? But what happened: the Lord told them to be patient in the hard times and go back to the field, and said that He would give them success. That was a promise, because God doesn't lie. Then in verse 30 Ammon says that they would have been content with just getting a few converts, but we see that God gave them THOUSANDS. And how was this achieved? In verse 22 it says "he that repenteth, and exerciseth faith, and bringeth forth good works, and PRAYETH CONTINUALLY...yea unto such it shall be given to reveal all things...yea and it shall be given unto such to bring thousands of souls unto repentance." I have to remember to pray always throughout the day and not to be guilty of the same sin the Brother of Jared was chastised for. Often times we think since we are doing God's errand that we overlook praying for it! Besides those usual daily prayers, I need to pray at the start of each new activity and focus my mind on the Lord to see success. 

    I also realized I just need to be more personal with people. Like Paul in the New Testament, I need to be a Jew for the Jew and a Roman for the Roman. These things I will work on.

    To Heather, I am getting better and impersonating British accents now: it's just that there are so many different accents here that you can't really pick up one! As you heard yesterday, I still enjoy a pure western accent. Hope you like the pictures I send!