Time Flies!

  

Well! This has been quite the week. Time literally flies here. I have a hard time remembering what we did each day, but we always do so much that I feel like I could sleep for a week straight. :)

So Monday, we went to a bar. Haha :) Slug and Lettuce! It was Sister Beck and I, Sisters Ferrell and Rodrigues, Elders Hein and Torbit, and Elders Torgesen and David. So fun! I ate fish and chips for the first time! Wow. It was so delicious. I didn't think I would like it so much but I loved it! Now I just need to be kabaptised. (You can get lamb kababs here and supposedly it is something that everyone has to experience. I'm terrified.) Then we went and walked around Oxford Circus, Piccadilly Circus, and Regent Street. OH MY DAYS. Being here for Christmas is magical. I felt like I was in a dream. The pictures don't do it justice, but it was POSH. 

Then after we had a hot chocolate appointment with an investigator, Lisa, and her sister-in-law Cierra (She's a member). We brought along a recent convert, Veronika. It was so good! We talked and shared He is the Gift. After, we brought up baptism. And L was able to open up about her concerns and questions. We were able to talk to her and figure out what the next step would be. We are so excited for her! Hopefully, she will be baptized in the upcoming months. She is so good and so ready. :)

Tuesday, Sister Beck had to get a flu jab. I was lucky since I got mine before I left. :) She hates needles so that was an adventure! Then we had dinner at the Bishops. It really felt like I was right at home. They are just so nice and fun and warm and it was great. :) Then we caroled with the Elders on Exhibition Road to try and get people to come watch He is the Gift. That was...interesting haha :) 

Wednesday was the 3 week meeting! So all the new missionaries and their trainers came to the chapel for some training. It was great! I really love President and Sister Jordan. They are so...inspired. And filled with so much love. They're the best. :)

Thursday was district meeting!! I have the best district. It was soooo good. The main theme was...Christmas!! The Spirit was so tender and strong. I am surrounded by some of the best missionaries. I'm truly so lucky to be born into this district/zone. :) After, Elder Hein (our district leader/my father) made his famous Father Hein's hot chocolate. Ohhhh my days. So so so so so so so so so good. He won't tell anyone his recipe BUT he did say he would maybe pass it along to his daughter. SO! I will get it out of him. :)

Friday was pretty normal. We had a lunch appointment with a less-active, Rebecca. I love her so much!! She is the sweetest. :)

Saturday was FANTASTIC. We started off the day with an online lesson with an investigator in the London South Mission. We were able to have a member present (A recent convert from Alaska). She was able to bear her testimony about baptism and how she was able to show her parents it was what she wanted. It was BEAUTIFUL. And Axl, the investigator, was so encouraged. :) Then later that night, we had just finished eating dinner, and as we were grabbing our coats to head out and do a little finding, a member stopped us. He had brought in his friend and asked if we could show her around. We agreed and showed her the chapel. She told us that she was spiritual and didn't necessarily believe in Christ, but was open to it. So we showed her He is the Gift! Then had an amazing discussion after about Christ and how we feel His love and Atonement working in our lives. She was so interested and so we gave her a Book of Mormon! Then, the best part? She came to church the next day! She is out of our area, but is YSA age so she comes to our building. :) She was SO sweet and so nice and ah! It was so uplifting. :)

Sunday!! Zita, our Chinese investigator, came to church. She is the sweetest little lady! She came into the VC my second day here and has been to church every Sunday! She is going back to Hong Kong in January and doesn't want to be baptised yet, but, she is taking the lessons and has such an incredible spirit and nature about her. I love her so much. :)

So, this is where is gets fun. After Church, Sister Beck and I wanted to head out to St. Johns Wood to contact a referral. So we go the the tube station, and it's closed. Weird...so we just jumped on the 70 bus. But traffic was SO BAD. And half way through it changed routes...so we just went with it! Pretty soon we saw why..there was a HUGE Islam procession down one of the main roads. They were chanting, had signs, drums, and there were THOUSANDS of Muslims! It was pretty cool. I tried taking a picture but it was hard to on the bus. We got off at Marble Arch and tried to find the nearest tube station. Not going to lie, we were a little intimidated. Here we were, clear on the opposite side of Hyde Park, probably the only Christians around. Surrounded by yelling and chanting and drumming. We quickly asked a nearby tourist if they knew where the tube station was. She pointed across the street and through the procession. Then chuckled and said "Go around the procession...and try not to get killed." (She saw our name tags.) We took one look at the throng of people we would have had to go though, and just decided to walk through Hyde Park back to our flat. (Probably a 20-30 minute walk) So! We did. It was so interesting and so different.

So I finally feel like I am starting to get the hang of this whole London life. It didn't hit me until today, that I am so comfortable walking down the streets of London, riding the tube, taking the bus, and that I already know the area around the VC so well!! I love it so much.

Also, this week I have been thinking a lot about Christ. With it being the Christmas season, I realized how truly lucky I am to be able to testify of His life and sacrifice every single day. I've been trying to imagine what life would be like if I didn't have that knowledge of who He is. And that's the thing, I can't imagine that. There would be no life without that knowledge. I wouldn't know who I am or what life was all about. I am so incredibly blessed to be able to serve in the beautiful city of London, England, teaching people how to come to know their Saviour on a personal level. He was a man, who lived as we all live, but sacrificed His life so that we could live again. The Saviour is my best friend and because of Him, I know that I can overcome everything put in my path.

I love you all so much. :)

Love Always,

Sister Moody :)