Emi's Eleventh Email! April 27th, 2015

I seriously can't believe that another week has gone by! It's crazy. We have been having such an amazing time and really getting places with our investigators. Ellen and Stan, Pan, Tin, and Peace are all really promising! It is sooo exciting.

So there's a grocery store round here called Iceland. We were at someone's house and they asked their son if they got the water from Iceland yet and I was like wow, how posh can ya get? So that was smooth. They cleared it up, don't worry.

I love love love the work and am more and more glad and grateful for each day! I love our purpose here and seeing how Christ in people's lives can change them for the better in so many unexpected ways. I just get so pumped on it all.

SIDE NOTE: If anyone ever feels like sending anything, they don't have good chip flavors here any brand would be delicious. Fritos, Cheetos, lays, sun chips. Anything! Or gushers... 

Top Ten

10) Went to Sweet four days in a row this week and went to Piccadilly- DT baby!

9) SO much success

8) Daughter in the ward got baptized! Hooray for Kate!

7) 6/7 days were sunny! The one rainy day would've been all for SD in a year

6) Pan came to church and is reading and praying!

5) An old man tried to kiss Sister Black! Almost died in open laughter

4) Taught the Law of Chastity... couldn't keep it together

3) FINALLY GOT MY MINI DICTIONARY- brace yourselves

2) Dolly is the best. Happy birthday to that country superstar

1) Peace is still preparing for baptism in t-minus one week! I say still b/c before our last lesson we ate w/ a member and I may or may not have bit into a wrap and had the tomato splatter all over his face.... Peace is such a trooper

 Picadil

 Sweet

 Huge pot

 Made this too difficult

 Dolly!

 Happy Birthday Dolly!

 They owed me one good one

 Accidental matching

 "Accidental" matching

 Be prepared

 Stay tuned for next week' A-line hair cut

...

Throwback to 1st 5 week sleepover

Emi's Tenth Email! April 20th, 2015

I literally can't remember anything we did. I can't believe it's been a week. We had many appointments, maybe that's what had to do with it? We are teaching people and going to dinner appointments and talking to everyone along the way. It's the best. Of course everything is 10x more enjoyable when the beautiful sun is out. Not hot, but everything is just so much more aesthetically pleasing and therefore enjoyable.

There are so many ups and downs to being here, but I'm so grateful for the basics of prayer and scripture study to strengthen us each day as we attempt to invite others unto Christ every day. Grateful for any way we can help strengthen testimonies. We truly have a Heavenly Father who knows and loves us all.

Top Ten

10) Jess is back home. Living life back as usual

9) BYU second semester is over this week, I wasn't even there for any of it- bizarre

8) Lost my voice, but found it. Sounded pathetic for a week

7) Stake Conference

6) Saw a cat that looked just like Little Whiskers this week

5) New Flat is decent

4) Bishop is back from Paris after politely keeping us informed on the nice weather and when his family was causally standing under the Eiffel Tower.

3) IT IS SUNNY OUTSIDE

2) Keeping busy

1) Peace's progression! T-minus two weeks til her baptism!!!!

Molly and her crew

 Molly warming up

 Johnny, he was not amused

...or impressed

 Molly is intimidating

 haha

Girl from our ward gave this to us. Accurate

 G-ma Hillie

 Hillie likes to have fun

 Coco?????

 If only it were really her

In the church building... stuff went down

 Food @ the Lee's

Reeally candid

 Saying "bye" to our old flat

 Movers providing entertainment. 

Coco stays there.

Awkward sister missionary standing 10 feet away from everyone

The crew

Emi's Ninth Email! April 13th, 2015

Hmm where to begin. These Mondays just come by too quickly, can't keep up. It was a very good week. I finally feel like a missionary doing balanced missionary work. Peace is progressing perfectly and is so so ready. She went to a fireside for recent converts with us and blatantly said how she wants to go on a mission! I tear up at all the perfect things she says, it's unreal!  And a family came to church as well! So the week prior we were talking to someone who was semi frustrating and I was wearing my glasses. They were literally fogging because I was "getting heated" that saying makes total sense haha.

Got letters from the Taylor Hall girls, so sweet. Good luck to those still at BYU. And happy birthday almost to Spring Beautiful Cullen. Love you!

So to better show how wonderful this week was, I have an analogy that articulates the process better as to how we got here: So we live (actually we're moving today, but bear with me) on the top of a flight of four stairs. Some days it takes forever to climb them, some days, it feels like they aren't even there. It all depends on us. On days when we are tired, lazy, or don't feel like it, we dread the stairs and tread up them. Sometimes we legit trip on them and fall. Should we stay down there and give up? I think not! We try to laugh at ourselves and get up or help one another get up. At night it is dark (obvi), but sometimes we don't bother with turning on the light switch. Why suffer more, just because we don't reach out even when we realize there is help? Or use the hand rails right when they are within our grasp? Don't focus on each step, enjoy them! Don't resent the work, see the ways it benefits you and others (getting in shape for this specific instance). Family and friends. I have been battling those stairs since day one and now I am going to miss them! I won't let that happen with my mission. Come home, just to regret the ways climbing those stairs could help these people in England. Reaching out to the handrails and getting back up (the Atonement) is something that I NEED everyday otherwise I would come home the same weak and resentful person, unable to overcome those trials in life. I've forgotten the rest of my points, but hopefully you get the picture-sorry if you don't. Basically we haven't had any success and Peace is the end result of what seemed like endless and unproductive work.

I know this church to be true for so many reasons. But seeing the reasons why for others was so uplifting at the fireside. Their pure testimonies. I tried justifying myself for how I acted because I'm a convert. For shame! These people have gone through so much more than me and are so strong. It shows how we can all change, but need to work for it. The Atonement is real. We all need it in our lives regardless of who or where we are in life. I love Christ and getting to know Him and our Heavenly Father more and more. We can all do so. "I love this church" is an understatement but nonetheless factual. It is the true church, find out for yourself and remind yourself why. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen

Top Ten

10. We stumbled upon Sean Kimball's "Mormon Message" hah

9. Service- such a treat

8. RIP Stalybridge flat

7. New District

6. Kari and my momma sent packages! Thank you!

5. Springtime!

4. My legs got to see the sun twice since being in England! Holla at the decent weather we kinda had

3. The strong spirit at the fireside with Peace

2. Investigators- specifically Peace and Hyde Ward being so welcoming

1. Sister Black. I was short with her more than once this week and apologized. But the eternal struggle between Brat Emi and Sister Doncheva is real and is a roadblock for who Emilia Doncheva can become. She is kind and tries her best, that should be good enough for me, but I'm culpable for a bad temper. She is wonderful to me though and I need to get over any other nonexistent "issue".

 That's right, even Dolly likes the shades

 Got to take advantage of the sun

 Don't worry, skirt is longer when standing or sitting

 Party flat! Coco is a hit w/ everyone

 Crashed Dolly's son's sweet 16...

You know how everyone is obsessed w/ Stacy Circuit, 

that's also how we feel about Dolly...

 Patty's husband Mike, wears this every time we come over. Rep it

Love my map

 Throwback to Sis Black's B-day

 Throwback to wall scaling

Throwback to looking like a clown

Emi's Eighth Email! April 7th, 2015

Hopefully all the pictures can say more than I can. Getting kinda over emailing unless anyone has specific questions. 

Anyway, we have a real investigator!!!! Like we've actually gotten past the fist lesson and everything! She is even committed to a baptismal date already!!! She just is already so prepared. I could write a novel on how perfect she is, but basically, she had 100% made this one lull-month worth it! Her name is Peace and we really are praying everything works out with her, so promising! 

So we had a mini reunion for a thing called first five weeks to see how everyone who left the MTC at the same time was keeping. So fun. I sincerely alwaysss pray to be companions with Sister Schwab again one day. Conference was greatttttt. I'm still obsessed with the "Because He lives" video. It's like 2 mins long, go watch it now or just close my blog, He's the whole reason for this anyway. (To see the video she is referring to, go to http://www.mormon.org/easter)

We went to Lyme Park yesterday where some movie/show was filmed? "Pride and Prejudice" it was a blast! This whole week was just so amazing. I feel like a real missionary finally and have learned so much and can't wait to keep learning more!

Ah, I just love being out here and couldn't imagine life elsewhere. Everything is just so perfect. This church is true. A simple fact that we are trying to get people to grasp. We know it, we love it, and we live it. Everyday I feel His love more and more, but not only for me, but everyone, especially people like Peace. "I know that my Redeemer lives. What comfort this sweet sentence gives."

Top Ten

10. Safety on a mission (long story)

9. Our beautiful flat

8. Sister Schwab

7. First 5 weeks!

6. Jessica is returning home with so much honor ah so happy for her

5. Giving out Book of Mormons

4. Lyme Park

3. Peace

2. Conference

1. Easter- Christ

 Lunch w/ Dolly in Glossop

Food... not in Bishop's office

 Don't know, don't ask

Our faith must be deeper than these roots

 Another one bites the dust

 Nice park

 Candid

 Really candid

 Wild wolf- pretty gnar

 Alvin

 We got lost

 Really lost..

 Conference at the Petersens'

 Easter feast for the ducks

 Conference, also not in Bishop's office

 Why is this a real thing

 FAVORITE PICTURE

 The man, the myth, the legend. The hero. Bishop

 Pride and Prejudice place

 Posh

 Such a hard-working man

Last part of Conference

 Should probably delete this one whoops

 Glossop is beautiful!

There she is again

 Self-timer pulled through

 SISTER SCHWAB!! REUNION

 I'll never let go

 Ahh

 Elder Tuvai, too much respect

The ward