Emi's Forty-Seventh Email! December 28, 2015

At the throne I intercede;
For thee ever do I plead.
I have loved thee as thy friend,
With a love that cannot end.
Be obedient, I implore,
Prayerful, watchful evermore,
And be constant unto me,
That thy Savior I may be.

This is from hymn 185. It really helped strengthen my testimony yesterday.

Christmas week is always crazy and being on a mission is not exempt.

Monday we moved! And had Christmas dinner at the Bishop's! It was a
nice way to spend a birthday!

Tuesday we helped decorate for the mission party and unpacked  our house!

Wednesday we had our Chiratmas party! As a white elephant gift I gave
someone the mold of my teeth from the orthodontist, they are so lucky!

Christmas Eve we went to one of our regulars and had a ham feast, it
was delicious. They didn't want to go and serve people with us because
it was cold so we watched Mircle on 34th St instead!

Friday was Christmas! They had a lil service at the chapel in the
morning where the missionaries all read dif accounts about the Savior.
Then we went to the Carrots for a bit then we ate at the Teals! Best
Christmas ever! It was so good! Then we went to the Porroges for the
rest of the evening and Skyped! My family is the best! Can't believe
how sunny it was!

It hailed a bit here on the eve and sister N asked me if it was snow
haha almost.

Oh I did the challenge and memorized 40 scriptures! My goal is to have
100 total by the end of the mission.

I'm really grateful for my mission friends, all the help decorating,
all the support from home and for the members who are such an amazing
example to me in so many ways.

Our house hasn't had heating so I've been sleeping in my winter coat haha.

Oh for tea we had some Arfrican food, all the African members are
excited to get to know her.

Marybeth and the Richmonds sent the best packages, thanks so much! I'm
so bad at expressing gratitude and love, but you're all the best! If
you've ever even just smiled at me once in your life, it's
appreciated, thank you! And members got us such kind gifts! And helped
us (we also have no washer or fridge but the house is cold enough we
don't need one!) and spent time with us.

"If you can't believe, if you can't accept anything on faith, then
you're doomed for a life dominated by doubt."-Miracle on 34th Street

From It's a Wonderful Life, it reminded me that we never know how much
good we do.

From the Best Two Years, I have a whole renewed vision of the
missionary I want to be and become in 2016.

Speaking of visions, sister N had a dream that she was leaving Oldham.
I think I'm training here after this transfer. I've never had a
companion shout at me before, but maybe that's why.

Christmas decor not so grand without a General authority, sorry

still fun

Candidates

Games at the Seals

We read stuff

Christmas crackers! No crackers inside! Just a joke, party hat and a toy and a large crack when you pull it apart!

he's the best

Eating Makisti

First time seeing the beach in 10 months

Hood

Christmas present yaya 

Ticked off for how nice the weather was

Love them

hi momma

Elder Cossa haha

African food with the Brazillian ball things

Emi's Forty-Sixth Email! December 21, 2015

"Another attribute described by Peter as being part of the divine nature is temperance. [A temperate person] is restrained in his emotions and verbal expressions. He does things in moderation and is not given to overindulgence. In a word, he has self-control. He is the master of his emotions, not the other way around. …"

Another one I'm working on

These weeks, just going going...we went to a few members this week. I love them all and am grateful. We still had street displays and worked but didn't find a tonne with more people falling through, just a trough we're going through. We did see Caul and Paroline.

Bishop's family had a Christmas Party they invited us to! I don't know if anyone has seen those hover board type things that you just stand on and make move, but I tried one of those at the party and fell. Good times.

We were suppose to be moving and have been living out of a flat that is all packed up, I won't go into details because it upsets me, but pray that this circumstance doesn't continue for Christmas! We might be moving today which is really inconvenient!

Oh, and apparently we are decorating for the mission Christmas Party!

We did have one appointment! This anonymous person is a bartender, loves coffee, is gay (not that that matters), was late to our appointment/had to leave early as well, and apparently lives in my old ward-Hyde not to return to Oldham for another month! 

The street display on Saturday was bonkers. There were festivities put on by the town, which is good for the hustle, bustle and energy, but then half-way through, a Born-Again Christian sets up a massive speaker next to us and starts rapping about having "J-j-j-j-Jesus in my life" to the tune of popular rap songs. The Spirit wasn't so strong, but we were able to talk to a lot more people. Either way, it was hilarious. We meet so many different kinds of people...

I woke up at 4AM today with Sister Ntambwe singing happy birthday to me and then in one of her native languages, how sweet?! Haha, she's the best.

This special season is soooo humbling to think of the Saviour and what is possible through Him. Which is all things. Just imagining a world without Him, leads us further and further away from God and happiness. But He is here, He lives with God and so can we.

Top 10

10) Made loads of Christmas cards (look out for them)

9) 2 years of being a member tomorrow..so much has happened since

8) Saturday St Display

7) Bishop's Christmas party

6) Game night!

5) Caroling at a hospital with YSA missionaries!

4) 4 days til Christmas!

3) Winter solstice today, meaning tomorrow the days will be longer! (Dark at 4 in case you were wondering)

2) Ward Christmas Party (Bishop makes one swoll elf)

1) I'm not too bothered about my birthday with it being so close to Christmas, but everyone in this ward has been sooooo kind in cards and wishes and presents. Very undeserved, but very grateful. Oldham Ward is a very special place, I cherish these 7 1/2 months here.

I completed my reading goals for the year finally finishing Doctrine and Covenants

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes and have a Happy Christmas!

Happy birthday on Boxing Day Linds Heap

-Sister Doncheva 
Christmas.mormon.org

 I think I'm so funny

Thanks Santa!

 Singing at the hospital (E. Illori use to be a model if you can't tell)

Haha, Bishop

Emi's Forty-Fourth Email! December 14, 2015

We are in the midst of the 12 days of Christmas! Most wonderful time of the year! Seeing Sister Beard off was sad but it was fun seeing friends at transfers! Lots going on in this mission, missions are weird! 

Sister Ntambwe whose name I can't pronounce at all is 25, spent 6 months of her mission in the Congo (so we are in the same group) and is a machine! So many lessons in so little time! It probably helps that preaching is the main English that she does know. And boy are there culture blocks! Like wow, no boundaries haha! This is going to be a very humbling transfer for me haha but we are going to work hard and it will be fun! She is super nice and I will get to bake during language study. And apparently she has a fiancé who is 30 back home who served in her stake!

Sad when people you actually know leave at transfers...

There was a crazy man telling me to look into his crystal ball after not giving him a cigarette..

Wow. I need this gospel so badly. I cannot do life on my own. I'm grateful for our Heavenly Father who loves us soooo much that He gave us His son. So we can live again, be happy and really get by every day. 

Top 10

10)Last few days with Sister Beard

9) Unfortunately I'm still a really awkward person! Sorry world! I don't know why but some people is just takes me FOREVER to feel comfortable around, maybe why I stayed here so long haha

8) Going to Bishop's for my birthday! No one believes how I made it on this ward so long haha

7) New district/transfers-Sister Black got me the nicest bday/Christmas presents!

6) Demolishing it at St displays

5) Seeing some of the Holt crew at the concert

4) Relief Society activity, I am so blessed to know literally all of them!

3) Christmas Carrol concert with the couple my momma met in SD

2) Having tea at their place! (See number 3) 

1) Brother Seal giving me the nickname sunny D because I smile so much and my last name and probably something to do with being from sunny SD, made my week! Didn't know I smiled much at all

 Matching

 We Hunters

 We had communication issues...basically, I had to eat her pudding

Sister Saylor!!!

Emi's Forty-Third Email! December 7, 2015

Bible dictionary: Knowledge- "one progresses only as fast as he gains knowledge" 

If only we were better at retaining it.

First thing's first, I AM STAYING IN OLDHAM FOR CHRISTMAS!!!! Seriously so happy! Unfortunately, a companion is leaving me again and I am getting a sister whose name I don't remember! She is from the Republic of Congo and just gone done being trained and also is learning English- just like Sister Barbaro! I was going to be so much nicer to Sister Beard this transfer, but I hope we will still be friends when we're back at BYU. Seriously, I could've been a much better friend and companion. I will miss her.

Other than that, we had a really good week and there will definitely be work enough to do whence the new sister comes, hopefully I remember everything!

I finished The Book of Mormon again! Now I can read it really slowly and in Bulgarian and hopefully get some new insights with the reading. Anyone could or should read it. Even one verse a day. So worth it and so good, it'll change your life for the better as it has mine.

Top 10

10) We a are getting a house to move into!

9) Picadil again

8) Eileen spoke at the fireside

7) Singing Christmas songs at Street displays

6) Helped Eileen decorate her Christmas tree

5) Finally taught a lesson! And they came to church!!!

4) Ran into some Hyde members in IKEA!

3) Brazilian fam had us over, love them and the food!

2) Exchanges with Sister Burgess (she's the bomb)

1) STAYING IN OLDHAM YEEEEEEEEES

Sister Allen goes home, sad

Sister Emi Doncheva 🇬🇧

PS Family,

for Christmas / Brirthday, if anyone insists on getting me anything.

Teeth whitening strips, I dont' care if they came from an old pack

and plain earrings that wont infect my ears, can be second hand, im not bothered. MB gave me some nice jewlednes, but I'd rather save the bling for Sundays and wear more simple ones during the week

 Don't mind the fact that I look like a monster. Pawn and Senny from Hyde at IKEA!

Emi's Forty-Second Email! November 30, 2015

"I'm no saint, unless you think a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying." -Nelson Mandela

Wow. Do I keep on trying, but my word. Patience. I have no patience. So much animosity for no reason. It's a really positive effect (in the science meaning) in that I get impatient, frustrated with myself, frustrated with others, angry at myself then angry at others. It's a vicious cycle that needs to stop. It's like when I was mean to Sister Black all over again, poor sister Beard. Poor each of my companions! Seriously, you hear stories about getting companions you don't like, I've loved all of mine, but have a funny way of showing it, mainly by being a jerk! And I only act that way with people I really care about, that's the worst part!

We had a meeting this week throughout the mission, long story short, I mentioned I don't want to get married in the future and everyone thought it was funny, but I'm serious! I don't want to get married if I'm going to get mad at my husband and kids and be so nasty to them! I'm pretty open about it too, so I told Sister Beard to try three steps, which will be hard for the both of us, but I'm desperate to change

1) Acknowledge when I'm being rude and tell me to stop

2) Hug me and don't let go til I stop being mean

3) Stop what we are doing to have me pray then bear testimony to her

I would hope step one would be enough but we'll see. 

But yeah, good week. The decorations for the Thanksgiving meeting were a success! We had a £20 budget and did it with £11-holla back girl! I'll send pictures. 

The meeting was with Elder Paul V. Johnson of the 70. It was so good and I love spending time with other missionaries. 

We also went to Picadil Monday. The Christmas markets are super quaint. I feel like that brat from Wily Wonka and the Chocolate Factory because "I want the world, I want the whole world" haha but that's not happening.

Hyde crew wrote Peace a bday card...

Oh mama, I bought a bag of kale for only a £. I eat it raw and in crisp form.

We are still working hard each day to find someone solid to teach.

1) Mission Conference 

2) Packages from MB and Kari!!!! So so so kind. Like too kind. Please I don't need any more packages, feed homeless children or something, or Brandon, I think he's dying. I really appreciate it and love them but don't deserve it

3) Bishop hooked it up with some winter gear. More and more grateful for how prepared I am for these dark and dreary days

4) Decorating

5) Service with the Bescotts (stripping the walls in their new house and having Costco pizza after-yum) their new place if off the chain.

6) Thanksgiving

7) Stake Conference (different 70 spoke)

8) Got some lettas

9) The Porridge's understanding

10) Street Display in the freezing rain but it was actually really good! 

Watch this, Merry Christmas: https://www.mormon.org/christmas

Sister Emi Doncheva 🇬🇧

 Rugby Round 2

 Why

 Creepy Bridge

 This hill is massive

 Dovestone Round 3

 Electric

 Indian Head Back There

 90 Degree Tree

 River?

 Hidden Lagoon

 Crazy Windy

 Body of Water

 Haha, I tried

 4 times

 Pretend like all these photos are with me

 We herding. But actually we did

 CULTURE NIGHT WAS THE BEST (Haka going on)

 There is a massive tree behind us, I swear

 Get it, Sister BEARD

 Hard Rock

 Markets

 With Laura Herself

 The Decor

 Update on the Crib

 THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. EOS is like £100 here

 HAHAhAHAHHAHA

My new fav apron and a lump o dough ££££