Emi's Seventh Email! March 30th, 2015

The weeks seriously go by so quickly, but sometimes the days feel sooooo long. But that's kinda how life always is I guess! Ah I can't believe Jess is heading back and I won't get to see her. Happy days for the 7th ward though!! 

We had a skills workshop last week with a lot of other missionaries- so fun! Just like the MTC days, meaning it was the best! At the workshop I finally got to pick up my mail (meaning don't bother with express shipping, because I'll never get it faster) and oh my goodness. Jenny Nafrada hooked it up! She got me sooo many nice things perfect for this weather! Thank you thank you thank you! The Elder who works in the office said "that was the most packages I've ever seen anyone get" just from Jenny, I was sooooo so happy. I love her. The rest of the week was good. Still just pushing through.

I'm grateful to be able to trust and rely on this church even when people shut us down so much everyday. Every aspect just makes sense, all you do is have to find out more and more for yourself and more and more I know it's truthfulness! You get out what you put in. The church is true and it is the best!!

Top Ten

10. Found a pound on the road

9. Finding at the park

8. Cadbury chocolate is not just those Easter eggs. Check out their site!

7. Conference coming up!!

6. Pretty clouds, refreshing from the gross ones

5. Missing every bus by 10 seconds

4. Dinner (tea) at Bishop's

3. Skills Workshop

2. My sweet (sun)glasses

1. Jenny Nafrada

 Workshop. Don't worry, people already asked if I do kong fu

 Bulgarian Sista

 THANK YOU Jenny Nafrada!!!!!!

 Fried rice for days. 

Thanks Bryan Ward

 Don't know how or why this is in the canal. 

Been there for a solid week

 A brother in our ward...

 Service for Patty

 It's a long story...

 Wait for it

That's right. Take it in.

 Needless to say, we won

 Fancy Friday brought to England

 Oreos... in Bishop's office

 Her puppy!!

 The Lees are the best ever!!!!!

Better believe it

 The booths, not so common as you'd think

So good

Emi's Sixth Email! March 23rd, 2015

This week went by so quickly! Felt like we were in here writing emails just yesterday.

So even though it felt like this week flew by, not much has happened-yet. That makes things feel kinda difficult sometimes, but nobody said this was easy!

Fun Fact: There's some rule or law here that doesn't allow new homes to be built out of anything but brick to match the rest of the country. So even new houses= brick.

So we're starting to run on a more consistent basis, which is good. However, we run up a hill. It feels like Fat Camp with Brandon (Richmond) all over again, but Brandon would never leave me behind. Thanks Sister Black. Only joking, it's probably torture for her to wait for me, she has a track scholarship waiting for her back home.

I was thinking, Christie would be such a good missionary. All this talking to people who don't want to talk to us. I'm sure she could just go on from one person to the next without any issue.

I think I'm getting more accustomed to the different British dialects, definitely find some people more understandable than others.

There was a Stake roadshow this weekend. Sister Black helped write the script and it was actually pretty clever, but when it came to the actual day, I wouldn't say our ward was 100% prepared...It was a one-of-a-kind show. They won the "Never say die" award. Our Bishop handled the situation very admirably though. I really look up to him. He reminds me of Ray and if you know how much I look up to Ray, that says a lot.

It snowed in San Diego again!? So gnarly, does anyone have pics?

It's a good week, we worked hard.

HAPPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY BROTHER PETER 21!!!! utz-ah-utaz -ah (rave music).

Does anyone have cooking recipes?

I'm grateful for the Lord for helping us pick up the rest after we continue to do our best. (Or whatever the saying is). Because it is so true! There is only so much we can be doing, and we're doing it regardless of the outcomes! The Atonement becomes not only so true for you, but seeing so many people, you know how it applies to them and how it could help them make their lives so much better! The things all just add up so well in this church and I'm so grateful for it!

Because He Lives video comes out soon!!! Show it to everyone!!

Top Ten

10- "Magic" for saying something is wonderful?

9- It really hasn't rained much since being here, even if I'm being dramatic about the weather

8- We working

7- Meals at member's homes

6- Roadshow (it was overall all hilarious performances)

5- The Elder couple Lees (got us some yummy shakes from Sweet)

4- Cashmere, wool, and furs. Sorry P.E.T.A. but so warm

3- Imagining Caleb DeSpain speaking Japanese haha

2- They have meerkat lawn decorations everywhere- so cute. "Meerkat Manor" for life

1- Bishop Holt (he uses the word "Fab" as in Fabulous consistently hahaha)

Starting to rub off on her- most of that food is gone already

P-day "hike" w/ a Staly Bridge backdrop

Home

Gravestone pathway? 

Kinda eerie

R.I.P. Willard

Somebody had to move him

Gotta take advantage of Sister Black's Dr. appointments. 

Quote from the doc, "Well that's a first."

Stairway to truth

Authentic Gabbit Farms meal... in Bishop's office

Posting up

Waiting for dropped appointments everyday

Juan, a recent convert, he's amazing. 

We speak broken Spanish to one another.

Emi's Fifth Email! March 16th, 2015

So last week Sister Black had a doctor's appointment for one of her many medical issues, so we went to this fancy hospital that had free hot chocolate!!! At said hospital we went to the restroom and I walked in on someone, whoops. Sorry, but you didn't shut the door properly. That was fine, but then afterward I pulled a cord which I assumed was a fancy toilet flusher in the fancy hospital. Seconds later people are knocking on the door asking if I'm alright. Yup, some emergency cord. I didn't think I was embarrassed til I looked in the mirror and saw a tomato looking back at me. Do I turn red easily? How horrible. No wonder people can always tell when I like a guy... good thing that won't be a pressing issue for a year and a half.

So 8 hours of sleep is too much for me and I keep having really bizarre dreams from dozing back to sleep at 5 in the morning. It's very restless and I hope my body doesn't start relying on that amount of sleep too much.

We were talking to this lady on the bus and she started showing us pics of her cats and we're saying how cute they were and then she shows us her favourite one saying "She's proper cute" hahaha.

So people here call me Sister D., Don, Donch, or California. Sister Doncheva is just too much. Someone asked if I was Native American- obvi not, but it kinda got a convo going.

I taught a lesson for the first time this week, yaya! They were Muslim but very open to listening. 

Later they told us to take our Book of Mormon back because it had nothing to do with Jesus... so not sure where I went wrong but safe to say that ended.

"Carry On" is an actual saying here, not just a trendy Pinterest slogan that we overuse in America. For example: how do we get to Rose Street? Turn left, then carry on. ETC.

Are baptism certificates a thing? Why have I never received one?

So when we go door-to-door, it feels a lot like trick-or-treating, but this time we got the treat and nobody wants it. A lot of our work includes "plating seeds" and man are we planting a whole field but people rarely give us the opportunity to water said seeds so there is little progress. But hey, we're learning, and working, just gotta keep going.

We have a George Forman AND a Crockpot- can someone please please please send us recipes- I want to learn how to cook. Also, I want to learn how to play the piano, but it may be too late for that one.

I spoke at church yesterday for UK Mother's Day. The people in the ward are too nice and claimed to have enjoyed it. I attribute any of my success to the fact that I actually enjoy public speaking. Future career?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO AUSTIN RICHMOND.  CONGRATS TO BRANDON RICHMOND AND HIS CALL even though everyone goes to South America, so mainstream. Just kidding, that is so amazing!

I'm super grateful to be out here. So grateful for all the experiences. But more so, I'm glad to be learning more about this church. At first a lot of the information is too much to take in so you have to rely on faith more than you realize. However, the more I have been learning here, the more and more things seem to even logically make sense for every aspect of this gospel. I'm grateful to know each aspect is true and for the relationship I get to strengthen through our Saviour Jesus Christ and I know He can help everyone because He truly loves everyone.

Top Ten

2. Brandon's Call!!!!!

2. Austin's b-day!

6. Granny Millie in our ward gives us candy every Sunday

7. Enya - we get to listen to her music haha

3. Apparently my blood will literally thicken after enough time- can't wait

5. Weekly emails from amazing friends like Jennifer Barba

4. Sister Black

8. Just working hard

1. Taught first lesson

10. Not so tired anymore, bit by bit

9. "Proper Cute"

 Tastes like black licorice....

 Emma's!! Partyyy (not a real party)

 Curry in Bishop's office

 Two sided cones! Bringing it back to the States

 Just how it should be. Eat one row at a time

 Roger

 Looking for "the one" (investigator)

 More food in Bishop's office

 Hummus. Not as chill as the other cat

The competition

Emi's Fourth Email! March 9th, 2015

I really never know where to begin. So back home I had a "rule of 5". Meet someone 5 times or go somewhere 5 times, then I'll have it down. But that doesn't really work well here, so basically I'm lost and confused all the time. We went on exchanges and I was with Sister Niatau (pronounced similar to Night owl) and she's great. So last week I was tired ALL the time. They say the first two weeks are the most difficult, but I think we're fine and dandy now. So in the winter I heard it gets dark at 3... how depressing, that's primetime beach-hour in the Summer. Oh well, the tan line is fading fast anyway.

So does anyone know how reliable Timex is? I need a different watch and I'd rather learn how to tell time by looking at the sun (if it makes a guest appearance- we take vitamin D supplements...) than getting a watch that isn't accurate.

I got an idea for feet staying warm. You wear a pair of nice warm shoes and then get a pair of shoes that will fit over those! I've got you beat England! Gotta figure something out for the hands though because it's too hard to be dexterous with that kind of approach.

Does anyone have good and easy fried rice recipes? If I wanna be a good mom one day, this is the place to learn how to cook. So lay it on me if you have any suggestions!

They have a cookie here called "Digestives." They're real cheap (not a laxative, don't worry) and delicious as an Oreo substitute.

Kids here all wear uniforms. It's really funny. All going off to Hogwarts. A lot of people have rando piercings too. Imagine Jack Circuit with an earring- that's typical here. Also, the roads here are tiny. A nice lil scoot-scoot like the one I had at home would be very efficient but most people (including us) use public transportation so the streets are always very cramped. 

The gift of tongues is real. I have no idea what people are saying half the time and the accents vary too greatly. Pray for me.

SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHERE BRANDON RICHMOND IS GOING.

So our ward is AMAZING. They're kinda quirky, so fun, and strong in faith. A lot of the strong members are converts so obviously I really respect that. My kind of people. Our bishop (Holt), he is really amazing and goes the extra mile for all the missionaries. You can tell how much he cares for the work and for the ward. He also does something with writing the prophet pamphlets? Not sure. Haha, the ward mission leader said I had "the most worldly bag" that he's ever seen, he doesn't even know what Kate Spade is (a lot of people here don't so we're chill), but it'll last the whole mission so "wha'er". Also a man does profology- the study of handwriting. It is so fascinating-possible career???

There was a crazy guy on the bus who was all kinds of up in our grill, that was funny. 

One day I was commenting on how I look like a grandma not wearing makeup all the time and Sister Black was like "at least you have an alright natural face" haha,  I'll take it as a compliment- she meant well.

Also, does anyone have less of a businessman approach to talking to people, we're not super successful YET.

CONGRATS TO ALL THE 2015 7th warders:

Connor, Holden and Arik to BYU!!! Lauren committed to the U of U to run, and Ladd and Robbie are going to BYU Hawaii!! SO GNAR!!!!


Top Ten

10) Lined tights

9) The candy

8) Studying

7) Trying to talk to people (could also be bottom 10 haha)

6) Letters, emails, and packages

5) Sister Black

4) Safety

3) Meals

2) Bishop Holt

1) Hyde Ward

$15 twinkies, had to explain

Senior missionaries, the Lees, so funny

 District meeting

 Can't take pics

 20 is plenty- so funny

 Told her to take a candid

 Not so candid

 Kinda just like being home

 Nice family randomly fed us delicious Indian food

 Sister Naitau

 Chuck Norris R.I.P.

YW fed the missionaries w/ Bishop Holt

 1st chippie

 Bishop's office

 A baptism (not ours)

 Louis Thomson

 Followed us the whole neighborhood

 "Redemption Eggs" I really farmed it the first attempt

 MAKO

Why has no one told me how easily I blush

Bishop's daughter on da bus