Wow sometimes I promise, I feel like I am living the dream. The missionary life dream. Our new area, Northampton is gorgeous. I thought that it would be hard to adjust from being in London, but it is so posh here. It's so nice!! And my new companion is so amazing. Sister Moraes (pronounced like More eyes:) She is from the North of Brazil (just like my other daughter!) We understand each other 50% of the time. I love being with language missionaries, the spirit always surrounds them so strong and it helps so much to be able to focus on what is really important in missionary work and that is the spirit. Basically we just Proselyte around all these posh streets and let the spirit guide. I've never had more fun in my life! The members here are incredible and gave us a huge, warm welcome. They are excited to have sisters back in the area. Our first day here, as we were speaking with people we found a girl that came andsatright down in the library with us and had a lesson right then and there. The next day, we had interviews in Bedford and so we had a Skype lesson with her and she accepted a date to be baptised! We also met a wonderful guy, S, this week who has been a huge blessing! He gave us chocolate when we met him and was so excited to come to church. He cameyesterdayand absolutely loved it! I was so humbled and grateful for these miracles. The work is going well here and I am super excited to continue all of these good things in Northampton. I know that there are so many blessings that Heavenly Father is just waiting to give us, all we need to do is to simply ask. I am so thankful for his truth and I am thankful to be a missionary!
Christ has no hands but our hands To do His worktoday He has no feet but our feet To lead men in His way He has no tongue but our tongues To tell men how He died He has no help but our help To lead men to His side
Greeting my loves! This week was my last in Enfield and I will be receiving my new greenie in the morning and traveling out to the boonies of Northampton. Goodbye London:) Sister Pail and I are spending the day in a place called Camden Town in central London, it's a super colorful and fun place, there are pictures below. And also pictures our ward mission leader in Colchester sent (they came and surprised us with their cute girls this week) and also a sneak peak of our finding (in the SNOW again! But we won't talk about it. . .) There were many miracles in Enfield this week, we met a guy on the street that wouldn't set up a return appointment with us but ended up being super solid and coming to church. He is Jamaican and ended up totally bonding with our Caribbean bishop and all the rest of the amazing members. He told me then minute he walked in that he would stay for an hour ONLY. But he ended up staying for all 3 hours:) I guess that's just what happens when you find the true church. My testimony was really strengthened this week of setting goals and involving the Lord in achieving them. Heavenly Father is always here willing to help us and work with us. It's something that I never understand before but it has truly changed my mission and my life. I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ with all of my heart.
Hello friends and family! This week we were visited by Elder Paul V. Johnson, General Authority Seventy and the Area President of Europe and he shared so much with us. I felt so inspired and instructed on how I can be an even better missionary. The spirit was so strong. One of my favorite things that he talked about was how in the Olympics there is a podium, and only those that won gold, silver, or bronze get to stand on the podium because there is only room for 3 people. It doesn't matter if someone performed the better than they ever have in their life, if they are not the best, there is absolutely no room for them on the podium and they don't get a metal. He compared this to how sometimes we feel this way in the church, we feel like if we aren't the best or if we don't have that one calling or if someone's testimony is more progressed than our own than we will not get to stand on the podium and get a metal. When in reality, there is no one that can knock us out of getting into the Celestial Kingdom. If someone does better, if they fulfill a calling, if they progress in their testimony, that has nothing to do with you or your salvation. There is room for everyone in the Celestial Kingdom. The only person that stops you from going there is yourself. And the person that makes it all possible is our Savior Jesus Christ. I just love Him so much. Being His Representative out here in England is truly the best thing I have ever done or will ever do in my life, I can't say it enough!! It has warmed up and feels a lot like spring!:) We extended so many baptismal dates this week to some amazing people. It was really fulfilling. We are excited for them! We also were able to participate in Stake sports day! It was THE biggest treat for me because I got to be reunited with all of my friends from Watford and Hayes. It was awesome. Such an epic reunion. Members over here just love with all of their hearts, I was so happy that they all remembered me so well from serving there a year ago. And there were some recent converts as well that were SO good to see. All day I would hear, "Hey it's Sista Bahhhns!!!" (Now I almost don't even respond when someone says my name and it's not with an English accent because it sounds so foreign when it is said differently) It was all around a wonderful week and I am so thankful for my lovely companion Sister Pail and all of the work we have been able to do here in Enfield! We are living in a 4 man flat and so we have 2 other Brazilian sisters with us and it is the funniest thing ever!
Sorry for being so negligent, I just have really had no time! Transfers came and although I wasn't expecting it President told me that he had a special assignment for me. . . It was the most intense transfer call of my life, we were with our Bishop and he was so enthralled listening to it haha! But I will be training a new missionary from Brazil who is learning English, she comes into the mission in 3 weeks, so for now I am with Sister Pail (from Austria and from my MTC group!) in Enfield. In 3 weeks I will go open up a new area in Northampton with my greenie. Pretty crazy stuff! So this week I said goodbye to Sister De France and all of the amazing families and people in Colchester and headed to London again! I have LOVED this week in Enfield. It feels so good to be back in London with the awesome bus system and a super African ward. It stormed really hard this week, there was actual snow in England and a lot of it! Apparently we got some cold air front from Russia or something that hit us, they called the storm "beast from the east". To be very honest, it was the coldest I have ever been in my entire life. It was FREEZING! Heavenly Father blessed us so much and we were still able to find people that were willing to talk with us when we went finding. That says a lot because the world shuts down for English people when it snows, they really hate it and don't know what to do. This week there were so many miracles, I think one of the biggest ones was when we met a guy at a bus stop who basically came up to us and asked us what we were doing. We had like 5 seconds to talk to him because our bus came right at that exact moment (thanks satan!) so we quickly got his number. And then he came to church and brought his brother!!!!!!! They are both super good and they loved the service, we are seeing them again this week! Also in the midst of "beast from the east" we met this other guy and it felt like we literally had to force him to talk with us. But, after churchyesterdayhe came for a lesson and is now progressing towards baptism. Miracles have not ceased my friends!
