Chickens and Honks

This week was good! It was pretty slow, and not much happened, especially since we were stuck in the house for a lot of the time. Sister Peterson has been suffering through some pretty bad shin splints, so we had to take it easy this week. Also, speaking of leg pains, my giant bruise from over a month ago is still there! It hurts whenever I walk and touch it, and it's still swollen a bit and feels hard. I don't know what to do! It's driving me nuts!

Like I said though, this week was still really nice. We were able to visit a few members and get to know them more, and offer our service. And what do you know? They actually used us!! On Saturday, the world-wide day of service, all four of us went to the Relief Society President's home to wash windows, dishes, and work in her garden. The elders did the outside stuff, and we did the inside :) Hannah also fed us, and boy was it good! I don't know what it is, but almost everyone here in the UK knows how to cook! I've been too blessed with it. I'm getting wider and softer everywhere. 

This whole week, we've been trying to meet with Anthony, our recent convert. He's been swamped with school and work, and so we were only able to talk with him at church. He always has so many questions, and I'm just grateful for Sister Peterson's talkative personality, cos I would probably have no idea what to say half the time. He's confused about a few things, but is trying to do everything that's asked of him and be obedient. He's so awesome.
We've also been trying to meet with Patrick. He texted us this week, telling us to wait until he contacted us. Then he would text us the following couple of days, saying that he would probably be able to meet, and then would cancel on us. He's being a bit of a stinker, but Sister Peterson called him Saturday night, and found out that he was a little scared of me. Wott! That was a bit of a sad moment. Sis Pete made me feel better by saying that he was just really bad with change, and was nervous with all new missionaries. He doesn't like to be pushed or interrogated, like some previous missionaries did with him, so he's a little wary. I was able to chat with him on Sunday, and he seems to have warmed up to me a bit. So hopefully we'll be able to meet this week!

And here's a crazy thing! We're going on the radio today! It's just a local station, so it's a pretty small thing. Actually we'll be heading over there in just a little while, so I need to hurry. We're going to be talking about the Light the World initiate and encouraging the community to participate in some different ways, and it's going to be good! I'm relying on Sister Peterson to do most of the talking. Aaah! I've been asked to stretch and go outside of my comfort zone so many times in just the past week! There's the radio thing, I've been asked to lead the music during sacrament meetings (I hate stand up there alone), and the members are expecting me to sing a song SOLO during the special Christmas sacrament meeting (I'm going to die)! Lots of scary things going on here in Derry.

Funny thing. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but when Sister Peterson laughs really hard, she starts honking. I need to find a way to get it on video sometime. It's hilarious and I cry laughing every time. Last night we were shooting these rubber chickens on our walls and ceiling. They would stick every now and then, and she was start honking. The funnest times of my life have been with her. I love her so much.

I'll close with a spiritual experience. I was studying in the beginning of Chapter 4 in Preach My Gospel a few days ago, and I read a scripture that it gave about sanctifying ourselves. A little background, my whole mission I've felt a little frustrated because I don't feel I'm really sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit. I just feel like I don't know how to receive inspiration! So I was praying for something, and as I read the verse about sanctification, and how we will be blessed with power as we become sanctified, I became frustrated again because I wanted to know the how, and it didn't tell me! So, I went to the footnotes, found it referring to another scripture, went to it, and it TOLD ME! Right in the footnotes again! And it was so simple! This experience was so small and seems so inconsequential, but it was so powerful. I asked a question, and I got my answer a few seconds later. That had never happened before, and honestly, I just started to cry. It felt amazing. I still feel like I have some spiritual problems and weaknesses, but that morning was a little miracle. I love how Heavenly Father loves us enough to send us even those tiny, minuscule tender mercies. It's easy to bless people with grand gestures and miracles, but those small ones that are tailored specifically for the person mean so much more. 

Love you all! Light the World this week!

Sister Syphus

 Our chickens

 Nasty looking snow man I made out of icing. Hope it doesn't make you sick. 

I thought it was fun though.