Posh. Everything is so...posh

This place reminds me of Utah. Except it smells like mushrooms and everyone looks like they want to hurt me."

If anyone can name that movie I will send you some sort of English treat. Maybe. Probably not. (also, the ZL's made a Christmas themed zone calendar and assigned everyone a quote. That was mine. :))

England is fantastic!! I love it here to much! I don't think it was quite hit me yet though that I am currently sitting in a chapel on Exhibition Road in South Kensington. It's surreal. We walk to the chapel every morning (our flat is about five minutes away) and it still isn't real that I'm walking on the streets of London. 

So, my companion/trainer/momma is...Sister Beck!! She is utterly fantastic and I love her so so so so much. I couldn't ask for a better companion. Really though, she is so encouraging and uplifting and sincere, and I love her. 

President and Sister Jordan are the best. I don't even have words to describe how much I already love them. Just the vibe they give off is one of love, trust, and dedication. I'm truly blessed to be serving with them as my leaders.

Wow, so much has happened and I don't know where to start!

So we got on Front Runner in Utah at 5:00 to head to the airport, where we caught our flight to Minneapolis and then from there to London! The flight to London was SO empty. So we each (there were five missionaries) got our own row and we could lay down and sleep! I fell asleep over Canada and woke up over Ireland. Then we got there and met Elder Davies (one of the senior missionaries) and then drove to the chapel/mission home! We were so tired but it was only 10:00 in the morning here. So we had a full day.....that was hard haha. Anyway, we met the missionaries from the Preston MTC and had some training meetings, then we went on Exhibition Road and went finding. That was an adventure. Then we had another meeting and met our trainers!!! :) Really, I have the best trainer in the mission. 

Also, this first day I was a bit of a celebrity haha. While we were waiting for the other missionaries to arrive, we got a tour of the visitors' centre and every sister knew who I was. They even had my picture and blog bio printed out and pinned to the board in the office. :) Then we went back to the flat and showered and slept! 

We wake up at 6:15 everyday and run to the chapel, where we exercise until 7, with the whole zone. It's so fun! We do Insanity, yoga, basketball, futball, etc! (Also I am fully embracing British spellings and words and such.)

We share a flat with two other VC sisters who are in Hyde Park 1, Sister Van Der Leek and Sister Pagofie. It's basically a giant party and I love them so much. All of the elders and sisters here are so close, nice, and fun! I love it. "I'm in love, I'm in love, and I don't care who knows it!" But with being a missionary and England. ;)

So how it works in the VC is there are two shifts. 9-3 or 3-9, and two companionships on each shift. then the other half of the day we have a proselyting area that we go to. I am in the Hyde Park 2 Ward so that is our area. :) The first day, we had a Chinese lady wander into the visitor center, wondering if we had a mass service on Sunday. We took her into the chapel and explained to her a little bit. Then she said she would come on Sunday! How crazy! She is visiting her son who is going to Imperial College (right across from us) for two months. We tried to get her information but she didn't want to give it to us and then she left. We didn't think much of it, but sure enough, she came on Sunday! It was the primary program and she loved it. She said she is coming again next week and will be coming to a culture night we are having on Saturday.

The first lesson I taught was with a recent convert, 'D'. I love him so much! He is the funniest, goofiest, nicest man ever. We love talking to him. Then we had a dinner appointment at the 'M's. The parents were out of town, but another sister in the ward ('C') was babysitting and she brought her nonmember sister-in-law 'L'. The missionaries have been meeting with her for a while, but we are at a bit of standstill. She wants to be baptized but doesn't seem to be very welcoming to our teachings. But she came to church on Sunday and we are working with 'C' so we have faith that it will work out. She is so sweet and fun to be around! So we taught the Restoration and ate Papa Johns pizza. Yes, my first dinner appointment was Papa Johns. :)

So! Ah I have so much I want to say and so little time/energy. ;)

We met a man on the tube who seemed interested and set up a time that he could come to the chapel. Unfortunately, he texted us saying he couldn't make it and won't respond to anything else. But he seemed so open! So we are praying that we will be able to come in contact with him again. 

We have an appointment tonight with a referral from one of the members. We are meeting him and wife and the tube station in Swiss Cottage and will teach him lesson one! He is a taxi driver and seems SO OPEN. We have a really good feeling about him. It's going to be awesome. I'm so excited! :)

I experienced my first bashing.....Sister Beck and I were on the bus traveling to a less-actives home when we got into a fantastic conversation with lady! It was going great. She was a Jehovah Witness and wasn't interested, but so nice to talk to. When the man next to us piped in...oh boy. He was Muslim and immediately jumped down our throats, asking us to show us scriptures where Christ said he was a God. (cough cough 3 Nephi 11 cough cough) He was claiming he had read the Book of Mormon and there wasn't any and that we needed to do our research and he respected us but only to an extent, etc...It was frustrating, but we just stayed quiet, told him we respected him, and then got off the bus. I guess that happens a lot so I am in for a whirlwind of fun haha :)

There was a YSA Chinese Convention this weekend so the VC was so busy. We talked to so many of them, mostly members, but a few who weren't! We were able to show them films and talk to them. It was awesome! 

I tried this delicious fruit Teriseeta, a less-active, gave us. SO GOOD! She first called it a sharon fruit, then a persimmons. I don't know what it was, but I loved it. Also, she was the sweetest lady in the entire world. 

Today we are going to a winter wonderland. It's held in Hyde Park and I'm so excited. :)

Well, I love it here. It's hard though, don't get me wrong. Talking to random people, giving them our phone numbers, starting conversations on the tube, it's all so scary and hard. But it is so worth it. I have never felt the Spirit like I do here. I know without a doubt that this is where the Lord wants me and that I am an instrument in his hands to bring the world His Gospel. I promise that as you continue to pray and exercise that faith in Christ, he will bless you in ways you never thought possible.

Anyway, I love you all so much. Thank you for your prayers and support. You're in mine as well. :) 

Love forever,

Sister Moody

P.S. IF YOU WANT A CHRISTMAS CARD, EMAIL ME YOUR ADDRESS!!!!

 

Here are some pictures...