EB Mission Blog: Obedience is Key

Bore da Family and Friends (good morning!),

Look at me, learning some Welsh. Anyways

Yes, my week has been good! I am feeling a LOT better, Doctor Maizey did get me on some medication and I rested a LOT. I don't think I have ever slept so much in my life. I rested a LOT as per doctors orders. And I am feeling way better because of it! :)

I didn't get to see Layne and Stacey, as it is against mission rules to have visits from anyone from home...and I want to be obedient, so I didn't see him, but he did call and also told me about his moms cousin who needs to hear the gospel, so I am going to try and get missionaries sent over there! He left me her address and everything so it is going to be possible to get people sent over there, which is cool. I hope he had a lovely trip over here as well, and I am sad that I didn't get to visit with them, but obedience is key as a missionary, so I am being obedient :)

We hear a LOT about rugby from everyone over here. If we want to start a conversation, two things are key: 1. Rugby, and 2. Weather. Wales is out of the world cup now though so everyone is crushed over here...

Also Mom, just so you know, the normal amount of biking we do each week is about 30-40 miles a week. I didn't last week obviously and we won't this week BUT I thought you would be proud of me for that :)

So this week will be a bit less exciting than others, as I was quite ill BUT I shall go by day by day anyways :)

So on Monday the Morgans took us grocery shopping as I was not allowed to bike at all, and then we emailed and I wasn't feeling well so I slept for awhile, and then we had dinner at the Bernard's, a family in our ward and then Sister Bernard and Ffion (the daughter, she is about 9) came teaching with us to visit Deb! We had a lovely visit and played with her kittens, one of whom is named after me (the cutest one is named after me...just saying haha) and we had a good visit and were able to still get some work done, although I really wasn't well so it was hard to stay for long.

Tuesday we had district meeting, and the zone leaders came! Elder Salehian from New Mexico and Elder Myrtaj from Albania, they are wonderful zone leaders and teach us so much. We learned some more about using family history, which was really good as one of our investigators is really focused on family history right now, and it was also good as we used family history a lot this week to do missionary work!

Then we went with Sister Morgan, the primary president to go teach dear old blind John! This lessons was SO cool, we went in and were talking to him and Sister Morgan shared her conversion story, she used to be Methodist, and then converted and LOVES the gospel and missionary work so much. As it turns out, Johns wife was Methodist, so they connected through that (John LOVES talking about his wife. It is so sweet, he just loves her SO much) and she just really shared how much the gospel has helped her, especially to know that families can be together forever as she has had a son who died in an accident. The spirit was SO strong, and then I felt impressed to tell John exactly how we came to find him and come to teach him, and it was amazing. He ended up telling us that he really does feel the spirit every time we come visit him, and he ALMOST committed to come to church which is a HUGE step for John. He is really old and is progressing SLOWLY but is still progressing! It was a wonderful wonderful lesson.

Wednesday was doctor day! I went to Dr. Maizey and got some blood tests done, she just wanted to make SURE that she hadn't missed anything AND my blood is good (we got the results back on Friday) so that is good! We also went to the Liassides for dinner and shared a spiritual thought with them, and they took good care of us and drove us to ward coordination that night (as I wasn't allowed to bike) and it was a good day!

Thursday, we taught Marilyn again and really helped her with her family history, also, we just gave her a book of Mormon last time and didn't even commit her to read and she told us she had been reading from it #miracle and we gave her a chapter to read and pray about (alma 32) and invited her to the Primary Presentation on sunday! She didn't end up coming, but yeah. still miracles! It was a really good lesson.

We then went for dinner at this old couple's home, the Parry's...they are the most interesting people I think I have ever met. They both paint, like VERY well and the husband does cross stitch and tapestries and they collect spoons and the wife has VERY life like dolls. It was an exciting dinner...they are hilarious though and we had a really good spiritual thought with them and learned about their conversion story, which was amazing. I LOVE conversion stories! LOVE THEM.

On Friday, we did some planning and serious studies, and also had a really good dinner with Sister Webb (yw's president and Ward mission leaders wife). We learned a LOT about Welsh...I can now say good morning, good night, hello, and I am sister beazer! So that is good :) Welsh is such funny language. It is beautiful but also....funny.

On Saturday we did a lot of weekly planning, and then went to a Gymanfa Ganu - like a welsh sing along music festival - which was REALLY cool. So basically you all just come together and sing hymns and welsh songs and the chorister does whatever she wants and repeats verses or anything, and the pianist changes key and does other things according to whatever they feel. And people add in random harmonies and it was AMAZING. I love it. I love it SO much. Also, lots of Welsh people are REALLY good at singing which makes it even more fun. Also, me singing in Welsh...probably made it more fun for everyone around me. I loved it though. I love learning about the Welsh culture - it is REALLY interesting.

Sunday was the PRIMARY PRESENTATION. So one thing I forget to mention was that we had been texting Dennis all week, we hadn't been able to visit him but we invited him to the Primary Presentation and HE CAME! The spirit was so strong during it and he loved it and said he wanted to come to our church again. YAY FOR CHILDREN AND THE SPIRIT THEY BRING! It was amazing. I absolutely love Sunday.

All in all, this week was REALLY good. Something cool that our mission is doing this transfer (well..till Christmas) is that we are doing a Come Unto Christ transfer, and each missionary individually picks things we can do to work to come closer to Christ personally. As we do this, it will help us bring others closer to Christ as well, which is our purpose - so I am excited to start working and having a focus on this even more. The following quote is from a talk called "The Challenge to Become"

"All that I have I desire to give you--not only my wealth, but also my position and standing among men. That which I have I can easily give you, but that which I am you must obtain for yourself. You will qualify for your inheritance by learning what I have learned and by living as I have lived. I will give you the laws and principles by which I have acquired my wisdom and stature. Follow my example, mastering as I have mastered, and you will become as I am, and all that I have will be yours."

This quote is based off of a parable of a father talking to his child. As it says in the talk, "This parable parallels the pattern of heaven. The gospel of Jesus Christ promises the incomparable inheritance of eternal life..." as we live the gospel and learn what Christ learned and live as He lived, we WILL receive the inheritance and all the God has to give us will be ours.

My challenge for you is to ponder how you can best learn and live as Christ did, and make a goal to really strive toward becoming more like our Saviour Jesus Christ. I know that as you do this, your life will be blessed and enriched as God pours out blessings upon you :) Because He really will as your strive to become like Christ.

I love you all SO very much and am so grateful for the support and love I feel from you. Thank you, Thank you, Thank you.

Love,

Sister Emma Beazer :)

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