Monday, October 30, 2017

"You're hot then you're cold"

Okay, so, about this title:

This week has been getting colder and colder, but also, we walked up to our flat on Thursday and there was ash in the air... it definitely wasn't coming from our flat, but we were a bit worried. Once we were in our flat, we looked out our window, and saw lots of smoke. It looked like it might be controlled, but we couldn't tell. We obviously didn't want the Fire to get any bigger, and we weren't sure what to do. We ended up calling the emergency department for help. We accidentally dialed 911 instead of 999, but we were still redirected, so all was well! The Fire brigade showed up, and informed us that it was just a man burning some trees and that it was a controlled fire. We then felt a bit dumb for getting the fire brigade involved, but hey, better safe than sorry. We left the flat, and when we came back, the whole street was full of smoke. Everyone is safe, but it just didn't seemed as "controlled" as we would have hoped. Other than the fact of my facing my fears all week... it's been really good! We have been progressing the work here in the Chester ward. There was a baptism that happened on Saturday and we were able to have 4 of our investigators attend. We also just had a new Bishopric called in the ward, and our new bishop, Bishop Marzal, said that he noticed all the good work we were doing in Chester and wants to coordinate with us in order to gain and keep new members. The Lord is definitely hastening his work here!
We now have three part member families we are working with, and there are SO MANY children that we are teaching! They are all very special, and I've been able to gain an even stronger love for children. Even when we are in members homes and I get to talk to them. They just have such amazing and innocent stories and they are so intelligent! Anyway, not much else has happened this week, but I want to share an insight I had while doing my studies this week.

"The greatest comfort in this life is the assurance of having close relationship with God. … The sacrament period should be a factor in awakening this sense of relationship... "There are three things fundamentally important associated with the administration of the sacrament. The first is self-discernment. It is introspection. “This do in remembrance of me,” but we should partake worthily, each one examining himself with respect to his worthiness. "Secondly, there is a covenant made; a covenant even more than a promise. … There is nothing more important in life than that. … A covenant, a promise, should be as sacred as life. That principle is involved every Sunday when we partake of the sacrament. "Thirdly, there is another blessing, and that is a sense of close relationship with the Lord. There is an opportunity to commune with oneself and to commune with the Lord. We meet in the house that is dedicated to him; we have turned it over to him; we call it his house. I believe the short period of administering the sacrament is one of the best opportunities we have for … meditation, and there should be nothing during that sacred period to distract our attention from the purpose of that ordinance... "We [must] surround this sacred ordinance with more reverence, with perfect order, that each one who comes to the house of God may meditate upon his goodness and silently and prayerfully express appreciation for God’s goodness. Let the sacrament hour be one experience of the day in which the worshiper tries at least to realize within himself that it is possible for him to commune with his God." - (Teachings of Presidents - David O. McKay - Chapter 4, Elements of Worship)

I know that when we truly take the Sacrament with meaning in our hearts, our entire outlook on the week changes. We will be able to "always remember Him" and to "always have His Spirit to be with [us]". When we make Christ the center of our lives and of our minds, everything falls into place, and we are able to overcome things with ease. One important thing I have learned on my mission is that we can do anything when we remember Christ and trust Him with all our heart. I hope that all of you can look at the ways the Lord is blessing your life, and that as you take the Sacrament, you can remember the sweet peace that the Saviour offers us as we turn to Him and rely on Him.

I love you all! Have a Wonderful week!
Sister Wilkinson :)


Photos of Chester




Monday, October 23, 2017

Attitude of Gratitude

Alright well, I'll quickly share a list of the funny/good things that
happened this week:
1 - We played a game of Monopoly with the District last week. ..
Basically, I lost... and then we related the game completely to our lives and our roles in the District, and it made perfect sense 😂
2 - We all matched in colour for zone Conference and wore green and pink :)
3 - I picked up and got to pet a beautiful black cat 🐱
4 - We crashed a party held by the Zone Leaders and got to eat some of Elder Jensen's cake and Ice Cream (which was AMAZING by the way)
5 - I improved my basketball skills 🏀

So, now y'all ready for a spiritual message? :)
This week was full of ups, but it was also full of downs. Every week will not end up perfect, and that's okay. I have learned a very valuable lesson this week which is to find joy in the little things. President Hinckley has given us a perfect example of this.

As he has taught, "With gratitude in our hearts, let us not dwell upon the few problems we have. Let us rather count our blessings and in a great spirit of gratitude, motivated by a great faith, go forth to build the kingdom of God in the earth. Let a spirit of thanksgiving guide and bless your days and nights. Work at it. You will find it will yield wonderful results. The Lord said: “Wherefore, lift up thy heart and rejoice, and cleave unto the covenants which thou hast made” [D&C 25:13]. I believe he is saying to each of us, be happy. The gospel is a thing of joy. It provides us with a reason for gladness. Never forget who you are. … You are in very deed a child of God. … He is your Eternal Father. He loves you. … He wants His sons and daughters to be happy. Sin never was happiness. Transgression never was happiness. Disobedience never was happiness. The way of happiness is found in the plan of our Father in Heaven and in obedience to the commandments of His Beloved Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Regardless of your way of doing things in the past, I offer you a challenge … to square your lives with the teachings of the gospel, to look upon this Church with love and respect and appreciation as the mother of your faith, to live your lives as an example of what the gospel of Jesus Christ will do in bringing happiness to an individual. ...“Life is like an old-time rail journey--delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders, and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed. “The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride.” (Deseret News, 12 June 1973.)
..."Let there be something of a light tone in your life. Let there be fun and happiness, a sense of humor, the capacity to laugh occasionally at things that are funny. In all of living have much of fun and laughter. Life is to be enjoyed, not just endured."

Although this life may be an old-time rail journey, it really is all about enjoying the ride. Looking for those little rays of sunshine that come through the stormy clouds of life. So, although this week was a bit of a rollercoaster, it ended beautifully and we could clearly see that the Lord was in our lives.

So, we were on this street, and two men passed us. We stopped them and introduced ourselves and he showed us his interest in learning about the gospel. We gave him a Book of Mormon and a Mormon.org card, and then when we got home that night, we received this text:

'Hey there, it's Louis. Was lovely meeting you both. Do you live local or do you travel the UK teaching Christ ? I found the closest church to me, St Davids Park, is that right ? 'Sorry for all the questions, I'm just really intrigued on what your role is over here but I've done some research so I know a bit more about sister missionaries. You're both roughly over here for 18 months if I'm right... I hate making long distance friends, I'm an emotional person at hear and very chatty as you can see haha. I typed in Utah in google as well. It's a beautiful place, Salt Lake, etc. and the Mormon church there is just breath-taking. You're very lucky to have been brought up there, I've been to a few places in the States. Love the place, got a lot more places to tick off my list yet, also heading to Australia to see my sister soon. Tell me to shut up if you want. I'm just a chatter box and I've only known you 5 minutes haha !

He clearly looked up the website and was interested in what we are sharing! It was amazing to see (and also a bit funny!) and we were glad that the week ended so well for us. We also have a dated investigator and also have one other friend who called that night and wanted to come to church. We are having so much success in our area, and it's just incredible! Goes to show that when we pass through hard times, there is always something good on its way. Things will always work out, and our trials will always pass. As we press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, we all can gain so much strength and wisdom. I have learned so much about my Saviour, Jesus Christ, and my relationship with him grows stronger and stronger each and every day. I love the lessons that I have come to learn on my mission and the sweet peace that the gospel brings to us all.

I love you all and hope that you have a wonderful week!
Love from Wales (Cymru) ❤️
Sister Wilkinson :)










Wednesday, October 18, 2017

99 Red Balloons

Okay, we didn't really count how many of the balloons were red balloons, but there were quite a lot of them! Highlight of this week?
We blew up 180 balloons for our District Leaders birthday! (And it still wasn't enough to fill their flat). Our original plan was to fill each room with balloons... but their flat was much bigger than we thought it was. But that's alright, because we still went crazy decorating his flat. It was his 21st birthday, so we figured we had to spoil him. We decided to buy a gift for each room, and decorate the flat. What did we do for decorations? Well, the 180 balloons (that made both our hands swell, ran us out of breath, and also destroyed my poor companions finger). Was it worth it though? I'd like to think so.... We also stuck up 6 banners that said "Hooray! 21 Today!" And we sprinkled little plastic stars all over Elder Ogbeide's bed (which he probably hated us for), AND - the best part/finishing touch: We got them a disco light for both their study room and bedroom! The flat looked pretty great by the time we finished! (I'll be sending photos as well for visual aid - the bathroom looks hilarious) As far as the gifts for each room, I'll list them below:
Dressing Room - A nice navy tie
Bathroom - Body wash / Deodorant
Bedroom - All those glitter stars, plus a happy birthday card signed
by the people in our district (that said "Penblwyd Hapus" - Happy
Birthday in Welsh)
Kitchen - Crunchy Nut Cereal and Milk (his favourite)
Study room - Smart Water (because it improves your intelligence), Lion
bars (candy), a Welsh Book of Mormon, and some pens.
Was he spoiled?

Yes....

Also...

We had a fun dinner together at their flat that night with all the missionaries in our ward (which is us, the District Leader companionship (Elder Ogbeide and Elder Stiff), and the Zone Leaders (Elder Jensen and Elder LeSueur). Elder LeSueur made us all Fajitas! It was great to have Mexican food once again - don't get it very often in England). We had great conversations as we ate and got to know each other. It was really fun, and he had a good birthday!

In other news, I have found a new favourite Conference talk (to be honest, it probably changes every week). So, I was going through a challenge, and this talk helped me immensely this week, and I thought I should share some of it with all of you.

"Hard makes us stronger, humbles us, and gives us a chance to prove ourselves. Our beloved handcart pioneers came to know God in their extremities. Why did it take two chapters for Nephi and his brothers to obtain the brass plates and only three verses to enlist Ishmael’s family to join them in the wilderness? (see 1 Nephi 3–4; 7:3–5). It seems the Lord wanted to strengthen Nephi through the struggle of obtaining the plates. "The hard things in our lives should come as no surprise. One of the earliest covenants we make with the Lord is to live the law of sacrifice. Sacrifice, by definition, involves giving up something desirable. With experience we realize it is a small price to pay in relation to the blessings that follow. Under the direction of Joseph
Smith, it was said that “a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation.” ..."Hard is part of the gospel plan. One of the purposes of this life is for us to be proven (see Abraham 3:25). Few have suffered more undeservedly than the people of Alma. They fled from wicked King Noah, only to become slaves to the Lamanites! Through those trials the Lord
taught them that He chastens His people and tries “their patience and their faith” (Mosiah 23:21). ..."hard is the constant! We all have challenges. The variable is our reaction to the hard. "At one point, some Book of Mormon people suffered “great persecutions” and “much affliction” (Helaman 3:34). How did they react? “They did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation” (Helaman 3:35). Another example occurred after years of war: “Because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, … and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God” (Alma 62:41). We each choose our reaction to hard. ..."In whatever we do, we should not decide nor act out of a spirit of fear. Truly, “God hath not given us the spirit of fear” (2 Timothy 1:7). (Do you realize the idea of “fear not” is emphasized throughout the scriptures?) The Lord has taught me that discouragement and fear are tools of the adversary. The Lord’s answer to hard times is to go forward with faith."

I know that when a hard time comes into our lives, we can move forward in faith as we focus on the Saviour. The Lord is always with us and he is willing to help us. When he suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, he gave us the enabling power to repent and to also feel comfort. No matter what we struggle with, we can find strength when we acknowledge the Saviour in our lives, and let him take our burdens. He is my light, my strength, and my song, and he will always lead me along. I have grown a strong appreciation for Jesus Christ and the things he has done for me. And I know he can help anyone through any trial.

Hope you all have a great time this week! :)

Sister Wilkinson






















Monday, October 9, 2017

It was a blustery day in the Hundred Acre Woods...

Oh, how I love the smell of Wales in the Morning! 🐮🐄💩🙊😳
That's not very true... it's definitely farm land over here! And all you can smell in most parts of Wales is cows... also, there's lots of sheep here too :P
But, it's still a BEAUTIFUL countryside!! :)

Also, going along with my title, Blustery is right! It's been getting quite cold here! It's been nice to experience my few weeks of summer in England! Elder Quentin L. Cook said it correctly when he said that, "British summers are relatively short and unpredictable. As one author in a low-key way said, “I love the British summer, it’s my favourite day of the year.” A favourite British cartoon character of mine was pictured in her bed waking up late in the morning and declaring to her dogs, “Oh my goodness! I think we’ve overslept and missed summer.” There is an analogy in this humour to our life on this beautiful earth. The scriptures are clear that our precious mortal existence is a very short time. It could be said that from an eternal perspective, our time on earth is as fleeting as a British summer." Summer heredoes end quite quickly! It's just getting colder every minute! ... And I also really loved his inspired counsel to us all :)

Conference has been AMAZING! Now that the talks are on the LDS Gospel Library, I am able to quote a few of them for you all and share my insights :)
One of my favourite talks was actually the first one given in General Conference. It was President Uctdorfs talk in the Saturday Morning session. It goes along quite well with the one I quoted earlier, talking about our eternal destination of living with Heavenly Father. President Uctdorf says "The sublime message of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is that God is our Father, that He cares about us, and that there is a way to return to Him. God calls to you. God knows your every thought, your sorrows, and your greatest hopes. God knows the many times you have sought Him. The many times you have felt limitless joy. The many times you have wept in loneliness. The many times you have felt helpless, confused, or angry. Yet, no matter your history--if you have faltered, failed, feel broken, bitter, betrayed, or beaten--know that you are not alone. God still calls to you." He reminds us that we are never alone! That God is always near us no matter what. To quote my favourite British Football (soccer) Team, "You'll never walk alone" - LFC (Liverpool Football Club). There is some wisdom in this phrase! When applying that in a religious way, it's true! Jesus is walking in the very path before us leading the way. He wants us to look to Him and Follow Him. President Uctdorf continues with, "The Savior extends His hand to you. And, as He did to those fishermen who stood long ago on the banks of the Sea of Galilee, with infinite love He speaks to you: “Come, follow me.” If you will hear Him, He will speak to you this very day. When you walk the path of discipleship--when you move toward Heavenly Father--there is something within you that will confirm that you have heard the call of the Savior and set your heart toward the light. It will tell you that you are on the right path and that you are returning  home." When we turn to the Saviour, we receive complete joy and I know (especially with things that have happened this week) that when we choose the path of Jesus Christ, we receive peace, comfort, and happiness. "I testify that when we embark upon or continue the incredible journey that leads to God, our lives will be better...God will be with you. He will direct your steps. He will walk beside you and even carry you when your need is greatest. You will experience the sublime fruit of the Spirit: “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, [and] faith.” These spiritual fruits are not a product of temporal prosperity, success, or good fortune. They come from following the Savior, and they can be our faithful attendants even in the midst of the darkest storms". - President Uctdorf This inspired counsel has helped me so much this week! I know that this is true! And I can testify of it in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Also... in other news, we had tea with a member, and guess what they had? And GAVE ME!? GHIRARDELLI BROWNIE MIX!! :D so... that made me quite happy! ;) they also had some Tim Tams from Australia for my companion. What a wonderful treat for us both! Also, we spent many times with the Elders doing various things like tracting, street displays, and also, surprising one of the zone leaders for his birthday! We decorated his back garden and left him some sweets :) it was lots of fun! :)
Well, I hope you all have had a lovely week!

- Sister Wilkinson
England Manchester Mission ☔️

I HAVE A WELSH BADGE! :D 😁 Also, a pic of some things I got at a Welsh store :)





CROESO I CYMRU- That means welcome to Wales in Welsh ;) Look! Books and Games in Welsh! This Welsh store was AMAZING!




My American Treasures
Look what I found here! #bestdayever

 The closest thing we have to Girl Scout Tagalong cookies

Just a new outfit I have :)


What we did for our Zone Leader (Elder Jensen)'s Birthday:




Monday, October 2, 2017

Look beyond what you see

Hello wonderful group of email contacts!
Transfers have happened, but the only change has been the internal change inside of me as I have viewed Conference. So, I am still serving in Chester with Sister Turnbull.
This area is treating me well and I'm very grateful to be staying here in the beautiful roman city of Chester and the beautiful hills of north Wales. Since I have been here, I have decided to learn a bit of Welsh. But, according to DuoLingo, I'm only 2% fluent. So, my favorite phrase so far is "Bore Da, Draig". Which means "Good Morning, Dragon" :P I enjoy how "dragon" is one of the first words you get to learn in Welsh! Also, the members are wonderful here, and I get along well with them -
even to the point where I attempted to eat a members fish when we all ate together 😂 long story, but basically, we were all painting for a service project, and got hungry, so this member went to go get us something from the Chippie. He came back with some fish and chips, and while I ate mine, some dropped on the floor, so I trapped it to throw away, and then came back and started pulling apart his fish because I thought it was mine! Haha it was so funny! It's okay though, because
earlier, he tried to drink my can of coke. He's been teasing me all week about things and we get along really well. Basically, the members here are just the best! I'm making great friends and I love it here! We are also now working with two families who have children over the age of eight, so we have been working with them. It's been fun to teach children more about the gospel in such simple terms. Hearing their testimonies always strengthens mine! They are such pure hearts and love Jesus. It's been great to work with them and see them progress towards baptism. Also, as I mentioned previously, conference was AMAZING! It's incredible to think that we have the opportunity to listen to modern day apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ twice every year. This conference really helped me. There were so many things said that
touched my heart and I felt that God knows who I am and what I need. Let's all take the advice of my favourite Disney film that has been quoted in Conference and "Look beyond what you see". Once we look past our spiritual eclipse enough to see the light behind, we can hold on to that light, no matter how big or small it may be. Christ is my light, and he will lead me back to my Heavenly home. Conference was a spiritually uplifting time for me. If you haven't watched Conference, you should! Right now! What are you doing reading my email when you could be watching an apostle of the Lord! Go! Watch! Wilko out...
-Sister Wilkinson

A library they went to today