I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE

I LOVE TO SEE THE TEMPLE

Tuesday 26 January 2016

Notice the little miracles...

Dear Family and Friends,

This week has been so good! Sister Gaffney was feeling a lot better so
we were able to go out way more, and members were able to take us as
well -  which was AWESOME! Thank you thank you for the prayers, it really
is helping! :)

Monday - we had a pretty chill pday, we just emailed, went to town for
a bit, and then went to the Bernard's that night for dinner! We had a
fun family home evening with them, which was wonderful. I love going
to family home evening as a missionary, it is so much fun! We then
came back to the flat, and I did some paperwork and sister Gaffney
rested.

Tuesday - We were able to have a lovely lesson with Ben, a recent
convert who married Lynne, who is a lady in our ward. They are
AMAZING. I was so impressed with how much he already knew about the
gospel....he has studied a lot and really tried to learn more so he
can understand more, it was wonderful to learn from him! I love being
able to hear recent converts stories, it just reminds me how great the
gospel is! We then went and were able to see Rosemary, and to help her
with her personal progress! She just looks after us so much as well, I
feel like she is my Rhiwbina grandma :) she is amazing as well. Her
family is going through a lot and she just has so much faith that
everything will work out.

Wednesday -  We went out teaching with Vicki!!! She is amazing!! We
hadn't been able to see John, the blind man we teach for a LONG time
because he lives in one of the farthest parts of our area, and with
sister Gaffney ill we couldn't go bike there, so she came and we were
able to have a wonderful lesson with him! Vicki was amazing to go
teach with, she is such a good teacher! And she doesn't even know it!
Then we went out teaching with a Lauren, YSA girl in our ward who is
putting in her papers soon, and she came out with us and we ended up
getting two return appointment while with her, which is AWESOME! I am
so excited to go back this week, and hopefully she can come with us
again :) she is going to be an amazing missionary.

We then had the world wide missionary conference thing, which was
AMAZING! Basically, it was a broadcast for ALL the missionaries in the
world, and was just focused on helping us all become better. It was so
good!

Thursday - We went to a funeral of a lady in our ward, she was almost
91, and she was amazing! The funeral was so good, it was wonderful to
hear all the stories about her, and everyone was just so...not happy
per say, but glad that she gets to be with her husband again, as he
died many years ago. We also finally met a member we had tried
stopping by before and they invited us back!! I got to play the organ
for the funeral as well, which was wonderful. I love being able to use
my talents to help the ward! We then had the Holcombes for dinner that
night, and had the last supper with them (as sister Gaffney goes home
in a week, so she won't have another dinner appointment with them) and
they are just the funniest family. I love them!

Friday - we had district meeting, which was WONDERFUL! I love my
district, and I love learning from them. We mostly talked about the
big  meeting we had on Wednesday and what we learned from it, and it
was just so good to review with them. We then went to see our friend
named Wendy, and her husband Lewis, and....they are both quite old,
and so they tell us just the funniest thing. But it was really good to
see them and to teach them for a little bit. We then had the Liassides
that night for dinner, I love them so much! AND we are doing this
thing with the members, where each family writes their testimony in a
Book of Mormon and then gives it back to us to use as we teach people.
we got the Book of Mormon from them, and so we get to use it this week
and I am so excited :) we then went to basketball that night, and I
had to play on the serious side cause they had uneven numbers...and I
will have you know, I played hard and SCORED TWICE. During the game,
which is a bit deal cause I am not the best at basketball at all haha.
So that was fun!

Saturday - we weekly planned for awhile, and then went to the Cardiff
missionaries baptism! They were having two, and it was SO cool to go
to my first baptism as a missionary! The spirit was so strong, and it
was good to support the other missionaries in our zone as well. I
loved it! We then went and saw Marilyn, and had a good little lesson
with her. She is just the sweetest thing.

Sunday - we had church, which was FABULOUS as per usual, and then went
over to the riders for dinner! They are so wonderful, and they really
do look after us. It was so nice to be able to spent that time with
them. we then tried stopping by a few people as we came home and no
one was in, but that's ok! We left loads of notes :)

Spiritual thought and challenge!! 

So this week I have been reading in what is called the "war chapters" of the Book of Mormon. The bad guys try and kill the good guys, the good guys trick them and end up getting ahold of the cities they want, etc...it has been exciting! I actually love reading these chapters, because the world today is just a bit crazy sometimes and we are living in war zone, in our own way. 
I was reading about a man named Moroni, who is probably my FAVORITE scripture hero ever! (not that we should pick favourites, but...I have..)

There are a couple scriptures in Alma 48 that talk about the kind of person he was,

"11 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man; he was a man of a perfect understanding; yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed; a man whose soul did joy in the liberty and the freedom of his country, and his brethren from bondage and slavery;

 12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell with thanksgiving to his God, for the many privileges and blessings which he bestowed upon his people; a man who did labor exceedingly for the welfare and safety of his people.

 13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm in the faith of Christ..."

I was just thinking about the kind of person I want to be, the example I want to be for my family, and friends, and for other missionaries, and I want to be like Moroni! I want to be strong and mighty (as much as I can haha), and a person whose soul delights in the freedom of my country, a person whose heart swells with thanksgiving to God, and all the other things it says!

So this week I am focusing on being grateful for all the little miracles I see every day. There are so many miracles that happen in my life, and so many things I should be grateful for so I want to give thanks for them to God and to the people around me :) My challenge this week is to just notice the little miracles in the day, if it is a flower blooming, a bird singing, someone smiling at you while you are walking down the street, whatever it is! Notice the miracles!

I love you all! Thank you for the support and the love I feel from all of you!

Sister Emma Beazer

FYI - next transfer is February 3

send real mail to:
Sister Emma Beazer
44E Heol Llanishen Fach
Cardiff, Wales
CF14 6LE
United Kingdom  

or the Mission Home Address:
Sister Emma Beazer
England Birmingham Mission
187 Penns Lane
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
United Kingdom
B76 1JU

e-mail anytime:

Beautiful Sister Missionaries in Wales!

Sunrise

Our District.......


































On a train....
























Waiting for a bus..



























A video of Wales.....

Tuesday 19 January 2016

Do the BEST you can do.....

Dear Family and Friends,

So this week hasn't been too eventful, cause sister Gaffney was so ill BUT good news, she has been starting to feel better the past couple days! So thank you to everyone for the prayers :)

Monday - Sister Gaffney was feeling a tiny bit better soooo we went out to a further away grocery store, Azda (which is WALMART) and then came back cause she was feeling pretty rough....so we weren't able to do much sadly. I got a lot of tidying up and cleaning done though! So that was good.

Tuesday - We went to see Rosemary!! We are really working on personal progress with her and she is doing SO GOOD!! It was so fun to work with her. We tried to stop by some other people but they weren't home, and Sister Gaffney was feeling awful so we came back and I did a load of paperwork and went through some things, and tidied even more. We had ward council that night and just spent some time studying...

Wednesday - We saw Vicki! We went to just read some scriptures with her cause she wanted some help studying for sunday school (she is amazing) and we tried to stop by someone on the way there, and then tried again on the way back but they weren't home...everyone just seemed to be out and about this week! But not on the streets either...it was weird.

Thursday - We had district meeting, and INTERVIEWS WITH PRESIDENT! It was so good to see President and Sister Leppard again, I love them so much! Interviews were good, president talked about how I am now about 1/3 done my mission (AHH.) and how I have grown since I came out. It was good to just talk with him, and to have some questions answered and things. And district meeting went wonderfully as well! Sister Gaffney wasn't doing so well after having been out for so long, so we came back and let her rest and I did more paperwork, and then we went out to the Winters for dinner! They are so wonderful! Their daughter, Sister Kay and her kids were there as well and her boyfriend, and they are just so wonderful. We did a fun spiritual thought about drawing birds and prophets (which was awesome) and then came back home and did more paperwork!

Friday - Sister Gaffney really wasn't well so we were stuck inside all day....soooo what did I do?  CLEANED AND TIDIED AND DID MORE PAPERWORK! I went through our whole flat pretty much. It was very exciting to see things missionaries had left here...and I studied a lot as well. It was really good to go through stuff though.

Saturday - We went to the chapel and I worked on typing up our ward list that I made up (organized by areas....with map coordinates and stuff.) and then we went out to visit a dear old lady named Mrs. Thomas, and then went and saw Vicki and her family! We then went to basketball, and I played whilst Sister Gaffney sat cause she still wasn't feeling well at all :(

Sunday - CHURCH! Church was fabulous :) Poor sister Gaffney was still ill so we came back and listened to a bunch of talks by John Bytheway (he is hilarious) and just studied for awhile, and then went to the Maizeys and have a lovely dinner with them, and the Green family AND the Gros family! There were SO MANY KIDS THERE! It was nuts, but so fun for me to get out a bit. Being inside so much has given me a bit of cabin fever the last couple days especially...

All in all the week has been ok....I feel like we have been inside a LOT which is hard to get to see people, but we were able to have some more phone lessons which was good! And Sister Gaffney is starting to feel better! So I am really excited about that, and to be able to go out and work some more.

This week it has been hard to see how I was able to fulfil my purpose as a missionary and teach and invite other to come closer to Christ. I had been really hard on myself, even though there wasn't much I could do about the situation, cause Sister Gaffney really was just so ill. But I felt like I want to do more, and there wasn't enough that I was doing, etc...

BUT then we were listening to some talks and I just realized I needed to stop beating myself up for not being perfect, and for not being able to control what I physically COULD NOT control. That is just silly! It is ridiculous to beat yourself up for things you cannot control. All we have to do is do our best :)

There is a scripture in 2 Nephi 25:23 "it is by graced we are saved, after all we can do" ALL WE CAN DO. You know what all we can do is?

In Alma 24:11, it says
"And now behold, my brethren, since it has been all that we could do (as we were the most lost of all mankind) to repent of all our sins....and to get God to take them away from our hearts, for it was all we could do to repent..."

All we can do is repent. That is all God asks of us. Do our best, and repent and get better! And just keep doing that. Cause God is always there for us to help us to get better. Perfection is not necessary right now, just our best. And that is something I really realized this week.

My challenge is to just do the BEST you can do, at something that is hard for you. If practicing the piano is hard, just practice a bit more than you normally would. If math is hard, do some extra problems and do your best! If reading your scriptures and praying is hard, just do a bit each day. All we can do is improve and do our best and repent!

I love you all lots, thank you so much for the support and love that you give me!

Love,

Sister Emma Beazer :)

send real mail to:
Sister Emma Beazer
44E Heol Llanishen Fach
Cardiff, Wales
CF14 6LE
United Kingdom  

or the Mission Home Address:
Sister Emma Beazer
England Birmingham Mission
187 Penns Lane
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
United Kingdom
B76 1JU

e-mail anytime:

visit Sister Beazer's blog for more pictures:

SNOW!
We actually had some frost this week.
WOW.
I saw it at like 
7 am when it started getting lighter out,
and then it had melted by 
7:30...
but I took a picture for proof haha!
I am doubting we will ever get snow here :)
Which is wonderful.

Sunrise


We got your package!!

Thank you!!!

Walking Home...

After Basketball...

























Here are a couple of videos of my #skillsnotreallythough and #funbasketball.. 

not sure why the videos aren't working - technical difficulties #tobefixedsomeday












Monday 11 January 2016

I really am a missionary!


Dear Family and Friends,

Monday - We emailed, got some groceries, and then poor sister Gaffney was so ill, so we came back to the flat and I just wrote some letters and did random things around the flat! We then went to the Bernard's for dinner, and then came back and sister Gaffney rested, and I studied some more!

Tuesday - I cleaned all morning, as sister Gaffney really wasn't well still, and then we had flat inspection and went out to see a couple people, who all as well happened to be ill, and them sister Gaffney had to come back to rest, so I have been working on our ward list and organizing all our missionary things and our map!

Wednesday - we had zone meeting! It was weird, we had it in Cardiff chapel rather than Rhiwbina, but it was good! The chapel in town is in like..an office block, which is interesting! Sister Gaffney had to give her departing testimony, as it is her last zone meeting...weird! Zone meeting really wore sister Gaffney out as she is quite quite ill...and we got a doctors appointment for Thursday, which is good! We went to the Liassides that night, and I got to use some of my pent up energy from being stuck in the flat to share a fun spiritual thought with the kids and play with them :) Which was really good! I had a lot of energy haha.

Thursday -  we had a lovely district meeting, and got some interesting training from Elder Jones (picture will be coming) and then we went right to the doctor, and found out that Sister Gaffney has labarynthitis, which is what I had when I was really ill for a few weeks with Sister Lowder....so that will be interesting. We definitely cant bike right now, and go only go out for an hour or two at a time before we have to come back in so she can rest, so that is proving to be a challenge, but its ok! we are working through it and finding good things to do in the flat, that are still doing missionary work! We went to the Holcombe's that night, and my goodness..I love this ward! Everyone is a bit nuts in the best way. They are so wonderful and take care of us.

Friday - We went with Sister Liassides to visit a few people in the morning, which was REALLY good, and then came back so sister Gaffney could rest, and then went to go see Vicki! It was a lovely day and we were able to see more people than we have so that was really really good!

Saturday - We went and saw deb that night, and were able to have a lovely lesson, and then dinner with her! I got to see Beazer, the cat that is named after me, which was lovely :) And we are probably going to start teaching Deb's lovely neighbours this week! I am so excited about that, they are the sweetest girls ever! And Ruby came to church with Deb on Sunday as well so that was amazing!

Sunday - church was lovely! The Elders spoke, and we are really getting excited about our ward mission plan and working with the members with that, so that will be amazing!
Also, like I said, Ruby came and it was her birthday the day before so she got a card and got sung to in primary which was so fun for her :) And then we went to the Riders that afternoon for lunch, and just had a lovely time there, and then had a meeting at the church! Sunday was good, we were able to be out for longer than we have, which was good. Sister Gaffney is still quite ill though, poor thing.

This week has been interesting. I am feeling a lot better than I have for some time, so that has been a blessing, and with Sister Gaffney being so ill I have had a lot of time to study and ponder and learn...which has been REALLY good for me. I think this week it really hit me that I am a missionary. As we were teaching someone, and I was bearing testimony and sharing the gospel with her, it just hit me that I really am a missionary, and that I am sharing the gospel in an amazing way! As missionaries we are so blessed to bear testimony every day, and I think it is something that as member missionaries, we need to take more advantage of. As members, we can all share the gospel and share our testimony every day, even if it is just by example!

There are a lot of people who have been examples to me who aren't full time missionary, who have never been, but who have helped me SO much. just the example of someone who is living in a way that their faith and testimony shows is amazing! 

So my spiritual thought and challenge this week, is just to take the time to write your testimony down for yourself to remind you of everything you know! YOU KNOW A LOT. Even if you don't think you do, what you do know is powerful and can change lives. Write your testimony down, and remind yourself of the wonderful things YOU know. Each testimony is different and unique and that is amazing! God loves us all so much!

Thank you for all you do for me! I feel so loved and supported, and I am so grateful for that! THANK YOU!

love,
Sister Emma Beazer

Enjoy the pictures from this week!

I did Sister Gaffney's hair

Having fun during a lesson.....

.......After a long day I was very tired!!






Sister Gaffney With Deb!

All 3 of us!

With Beazer the cat :)




Our training from Elder Jones

My new name tag  #wales




Our district....

:)

crazy missionaries!




Pictures from Deb's Facebook page!  Thank you Deb!  We love the pictures!




Sister Gaffney, Deb, and Sister Beazer

This one is from Gilean - lovely






Monday 4 January 2016

Getting to know God - again.

Dear Family and Friends,

Here starts the wonderful new year - I get a good full year of missionary work! 2016 is my year, and I am so excited for it!

I am also SO excited to be done the holidays, which is weird, but it will be so nice to have a regular routine again. Missionary work has been HARD during the holidays because everyone says "come back after the new year" and so it has been really hard to teach lessons. But now we will have a routine again and will be able to see everyone hopefully! 

Clara told me the spirit was amazing at the temple...ah. I miss the temple a lot. That is one of the hardest things about not having the temple in the mission boundaries. I miss going. BUT I will just have to make up for it when I get home, so its ok. 

Our investigators are doing ok, we will hopefully be able to see them all this week if Sister Gaffney is feeling up to it. I am hoping the new year is good for finding people as well. We shall see :)

I am glad that you were able to use part of my letter in your lesson, I think I needed to write it more than anything, so thank you! I love you lots :)

My weekly email :)

Monday - we had PDay in town again, came home and we were both really not feeling well....I was really frustrated, cause my whole mission I've just been ill it felt like. So we rested and finished weekly planning..

Tuesday - we were both VERY ill. We slept/studied all day, and I was still frustrated but started studying about Job, and just felt very comforted to know that even though I wasn't well, I still was not yet as job. Which made me feel a bit better, and also a bit humbled
because I had been so upset at being ill again.

Wednesday - I was feeling WAY better, and Sister Gaffney was a bit better, so we were able to travel to Pontypridd for district meeting (we usually have it in Rhiwbina but the Ponty elders had a set appointment after so we travelled to them) and we had a wonderful district meeting. As we were travelling back sister Gaffney started feeling unwell again, but we stopped by a couple people (as she got worse...) and then came home.

Thursday - Sister Gaffney was still quite ill so she rested, I studied, cleaned, made brownies for the elders...took down all the Christmas decorations, cleaned some more, studied, called people, and just tried to keep as busy as I could in the flat.

Friday - Sister Gaffney was feeling much much better so we went to Taffs Well! We haven't been there for AGES, and we were going to train there but the trains weren't running as it was New Year's Day, so we just walked through the forest all the way there! It was an adventure for sure, and then we were finally able to stop by all these people that we had wanted to see, and ending up meeting two people who wanted us to come back, and one who wanted to come to church on Sunday! It was a miracle day for sure. Sister Gaffney started feeling unwell again after the long day of walking and teaching, so that night as we
went to weekly basketball she didn't play, poor thing...and I had to play...with ALL MEN. It was terrifying. They were all like 6 feet tall and...yeah. Basketball is not my favourite sport. I played though! And I am proud of that.

Saturday - Sister Gaffney still wasn't well, but we went to see Rosemary and Lisa, and then came home and had lunch, and then as we were out going to see people and just talking with people, Sister Gaffney got WAY worse and we came home, and called sister Leppard (who helps us when we are ill) and she said she'd set up a doctors appointment this coming week for her. Poor thing...she is so ill.

Sunday - we had church, which was AMAZING, and then came home and let Sister Gaffney rest, and then went to Bishop's and she got a blessing, and then came home and rested again.

Sister Leppard thinks she may have Labrynthitis (what I had when I was ill for so long and had vertigo and stuff) so that will make the next few weeks interesting if it is what she has. We are praying that it isn't, and that she will get better soon though.

Spiritual thought and challenge :)

So with this week being a week full of illness for Sister Gaffney, and being stuck in the flat. I had LOTS of time to think and study. I am reading in the Old Testament, and studying all about Job at the moment. I have been reading with the institute (which is basically just a scripture study Class for those who don't know) study manual, and I loved this part that is talking about job 27, specifically verses 2-6.

"2 As God liveth, who hath taken away my judgment; and the Almighty,
who hath vexed my soul;
3 All the while my breath is in me, and the spirit of God is in my nostrils;
4 My lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit.
5 God forbid that I should justify you: till I die I will not remove
mine integrity from me.
6 My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall
not reproach me so long as I live."


"Job’s statements about himself indicate an important reason why he continued to trust the Lord. He knew that the course of life he was pursuing was pleasing to the Lord. He also knew that he had maintained this course under considerable stress, which he also regarded as being a test from the Lord. Thus, Job, as a God-fearing man, maintained his integrity not only to God, but also to himself, knowing that the two of them were in complete harmony. At the same time, his continuing trust in the Lord under such intense stress says volumes about the quality of the knowledge he had about the nature and character of the Lord whom he served"

Later on it talks about that the better we get to know God and to build our relationship with him, the more we will trust him. The more we understand that God loves us, and cares for us ALWAYS, no matter what, the more we will want to turn our lives over to him. I loved
this, especially during this week when I was so frustrated that I was ill, and then that everyone around me was getting ill, and that I wasn't able to work as I wanted to....this thought as I studied made me think about how well I know my Saviour and how well I know God. Was I really trusting in Him and his timing, or was I just thinking that if things went MY way, it would be best? I decided this week that I needed to learn more and strengthen my relationship with God, so that even when things are HARD and don't seem to by going my way, I can know that God has a bigger and better plan for me. His plan is ALWAYS the best one, because he wants us to be happy. He wants us to have a good life, we just sometimes need to go through trials to get there.

My challenge is....to read or listen to the story of job. You don't have to read ALL 42 chapters (unless you have loads of time to study)but just read it and think about it. I absolutely loved reading it this week, and I just know that it strengthened my faith, and my
desire to come to know God better.

I love you all, and am so grateful for the love and support that I have gotten and continue to get while serving a mission! Thank you, thank you, thank you :) I will be 6 months out soon ðŸ˜¬ which is crazy, but the time has flown and having been supported and loved by so many has really helped me! So thank you:)

Wow. I feel so blessed. People have donated to my mission fund? thank you thank you to whoever it is. That is such a blessing.

Also, a fun fact I forgot to mention  - I finished Jesus the Christ a couple weeks ago! WOW. I feel like I have grown so much closer to my Saviour over the last few months. That is an amazing book. Absolutely amazing.


Love,
sister Emma Beazer

send real mail to:
Sister Emma Beazer
44E Heol Llanishen Fach
Cardiff, Wales
CF14 6LE
United Kingdom  

or the Mission Home Address:
Sister Emma Beazer
England Birmingham Mission
187 Penns Lane
Sutton Coldfield
West Midlands
United Kingdom
B76 1JU

e-mail anytime:

Late night studies. (Aka after planning)

Graveyards!

Graveyards

Waiting for a train that never came...

Walking to Taff's Well

Taff's Well