We Made It!!

EW SAM. Why the heck did you even send that to me!? Hahaha

I'm glad you guys got through the week okay. Sounds so busy! Way too many people are getting married haha. Hopefully this week and the next will progressively keep getting better. I bet it's a mad house with the boys! So fun though. I miss my nephews so much. Tell them all that I love them!

Richard Guyman emailed me again! He asked if he could message me on messenger, but that's not allowed, and he also asked for "spiritual messages and pictures" hmmm

Anyway, right now we're on the bus back to Cumbernauld. We had a really nice walk around Loch Lomond and a nearby castle, then went to a chippy to get some food. And as we waited for the train to leave it started raining. God held the skies shut while we were enjoying our bit of nature! A tender mercy :) I can't send a weekly to everyone because I won't be able to get to a computer, so I'll just tell you about the week. It's been so great mom! I've loved it!

There was some pretty bad moments still, but they helped me to grow and learn more I think. I heard some hard news on Tuesday that Shane, the guy Sister Wilkinson and I found and saw baptised in Derry, has requested that his records be removed from the church. I'm still so confused about it. He was so ready, his testimony was so strong, and he seemed so converted. You know how happy and excited I was for him and how close we were. He also had wonderful friends within the ward. I don't know what happened, but I was struggling, and all I wanted to do was talk to you. I couldn't though, and because of that, I went to my Father. And He helped me! And it feels so good to really rely on Him. Ahh, prayer is such a wonderful thing.

I've been pondering about three specific things since yesterday,. The first was how much my confidence in God and myself, and my self-image has grow over the past year. I still sometimes beat myself up over certain things, but I don't do it much anymore. I've been learning more about patience and humility, and I'm putting my trust in God and Christ, knowing that if I continue doing all that I can to be obedient and diligent, He will help me in my weaknesses.

My second realisation came from the thing with Shane. My reliance upon God has grown so so much over the last almost 14 month!

And then I had another one! Our returning member came to church again and he told us that the chapter we had given him to read (Alma 32) really moved him, and it helped him to finally pray again! That made me so happy. And it made me think about other moments during my mission that I later realised that I had been led by the Spirit. There have been so many! And the coolest thing about the Spirit, that I've been told my whole life but never really internalized, is that He really is so subtle. I don't need voices in my head or crystal clear thoughts. I just need to act on the tiny little seeds that come into my mind. I've always wanted those experiences where I'd know without a doubt that it was the Spirit speaking, but I've realised that most of the time, it doesn't work that way! You just need to do what you think is right, latch on to any little good though that you have, and there you go, you've acted on the Spirit.

We had an amazing experience this week. We wandered about a bit, trying to pay attention to our feelings as we looked for a place to chap. We found a street that felt good and chapped a few doors. Not many answered or reacted well. The next day we went again to continue. And we met such a sweet lady who let us in to take our survey. We had such a cool discussion with her and her partner about their beliefs and ours. They don't realise it yet I don't think, but we and they believe in very similar things. They invited us to come back again. Then after church the next day, we saw this lady in the parking lot! Turns out she's super close with a daughter of one of our Sisters in the ward. She's almost like family to them, and I guess she was helping to pick her up or something?

We also had a man text us out of the blue asking to meet. We saw him yesterday. He's had a hard life and really needs the hope that the Gospel needs. He wants to keep meeting with us. Woot! Yay for miracles!!!

Really Mom, this week has been miraculous. I've loved it so much. There were lots of hard moments, like with Shane, and heat exhaustion (super sunny and hot one day/moment, then cold and rainy the next--dont know how I'llsurvive the St. George heat! ) and my dumb sore back and neck, but God is just so incredible and loving and so MERCIFUL. I LOVE Him.

My studies have also been so good. I don't have my study journal with me right now, and I can't remember exactly the impressions I've had and things I've learned:/

Anyway, I love you so much mom! I hope this next week is good for you and dad and the rest of the fam! Send my love to everyone else!

Loafy