General "Christmas"!

April 4, 2016

Abby Road Missionary Style!

Hello all!

This week has been SO great! The Britannia ward is the best. So to start out! P-Day last week was great, and even helped us see that the Lord is truly aware of us and in the details of our lives. :) Sister Kerr, and I, and Sister Griffeth and Sister Croft, went to Abbey Road to take some sweet pictures! Haha but the whole time we were wondering how we would take it, as we wanted all 4 of us to be there. We just figured we would ask someone. Well, we got there and were standing around waiting for a good time and trying to find someone to take it for us, when some people came running up and asking if we could take it for them! Turns out they were members from California and were also wondering how they would take it, when they saw us! Funny, how it all turned out. :)

Wednesday, was transfers so I packed all my stuff after having just finished unpacking it haha, and moved to the Britannia flat. :) It's great!! Probably my favourite flat I've lived in so far. The next few days, Sister Hannig was a bit under the weather, and so we did a lot of area book finding in the flat so that she could rest. But it was great because it gave me chance to get well acquainted with the area and people we are teaching!

So! A little bit about Britannia, it's the YSA ward here, so we have no boundaries. We are allowed to proselyte and go anywhere within the M25 (a big motorway that surrounds London), which means we can even cross the river and leave our mission! It's pretty fun. We do a lot of our finding near universities, or just on Exhibition Road because the chapel is right across from Imperial College. It's different now, because I'm not used to looking for a specific type of person when I'm finding. But now we stick with YSA people. :) I love it!! And the ward is amazing! Really diverse, and there are always activities we can invite people to. There are also a lot of new Chinese members. It's so cool to see how they grasp the Gospel so easily, because they have never heard of anything like it before.

Thursday, we went to the chapel and I got all set up with WeChat. (It's a chat/texting type of app that A LOT of Chinese students use, and so missionaries in Britannia are approved to have it because of the work we do with the Chinese. It's the easiest way to get in contact with some of them.) Then we had something called "cottage home evening" that our ward mission leader arranged. We watched "On The Lord's Errand" and it was meant to help investigators and new members get excited for conference and to learn a bit more about the prophet. It was great! It also gave me a great chance to meet members and learn more about the ward. :)

Friday, we saw our investigator Roger! He came into the VC, and one of the members, Kasper, helped us teach him. He is amazing!! He is on date for baptism on the 10th, and is really praying about it. He's nervous, but we talked about general conference and how he could receive an answer while watching. Kasper was a great help and bore a wonderful testimony of conference and how it could help Roger. I love teaching with members, because they are able to offer a spirit and experiences that we can't as missionaries. It was great. :) Roger really understands and takes things in. Afterward, we went into the chapel and knelt in prayer, and Roger said it in Spanish. :) It's true that the Spirit knows no language! It was a pretty powerful experience.

Quick insert, I just love being able to teach people in the VC! Whether they just walk in, or are our investigators, it's AMAZING. We have so many resources, and the atmosphere of being in a chapel is so ideal. I really feel so blessed to be able to serve here.

Then later that night, our investigator Min Tzu came! It had been a while since the sisters had seen her and talked about the Restoration, so we showed her the 20 minute movie and talked about that. Our recent convert, Wei Wei, also came. :) It was great! She is SO sweet and has such a desire to learn. We were able to extend a baptismal date for the 17th of April, and she agreed to pray about it. :)

We also played the best April Fool's joke on our district leader, Elder Burgess. So every Friday we have call-ins, where we report on who we are teaching, what we are doing, what we need help with, etc...and when he called we told him that EVERYONE had dropped us and told us they never wanted to learn again. He TOTALLY believed us and we had him going for a while. :)

Saturday, we had the coolest VC miracle online. So we were chatting on mormon.org, when someone came on and said they had just met a German missionary and wanted to speak to them again. They asked if we knew them, and the likely hood of that is very little. But we can look up phone numbers! So we asked where and it turned out to be in our mission! So we got their mobile number and called the elders and told them what had  happened. They were able to call right then and talk to this guy. It was amazing! The Lord is truly hastening His work, and how He truly uses us as His instruments. And how no effort is wasted and the guy looked at the card the elders gave him!

Later, we went to this really good Indian restaurant with our recent convert, Simon! It was SO good. And we were able to have a nice chat and lesson with Simon. Then we headed off to conference!! SO GOOD! Ahhhh I just love conference, it's like Christmas for missionaries. :)

Then Sunday was filled with more conference! It was sad though, that at last minute Roger ended up not being able to come. BUT he watched it at home and we will talk to him about it when we see him. Prayers for him! He is so close to being baptized, he just needs to feel ready himself. :)

But our friend, Qian came! She is great. :) We were able to have a lesson after, and she had a lot of questions about baptism because of Elder Bednar's talk. :) We extended a date, but she said setting a date stressed her out. But she wants to keep coming to the activities and is even going to the temple on Saturday to sit on the grounds. It's going to be an amazing experience for her. After the lesson, the member, Helen, suggested we kneel and pray and Qian was amazed. She really felt the Spirit and was excited to go and kneel and pray for herself. :)

Wasn't general conference GREAT?! I'm just so grateful for the chance we have to listen to the brethern, and hear their counsel, and the counsel from God, through them! One of my favourite parts was Bishop Waddell, when we said that listening to the Lord and walking with Him means that we accompany Him to Gethsemane, Calvary, and the tomb. Hard times will ALWAYS come. But that doesn't mean we can't find peace through and in our Saviour, Jesus Christ. :)

Well! I love the Gospel, and love conference, and I love being a missionary. There is nothing better. :) These next few weeks will go fast, but I'm excited to make them count! Have a great week!

xx

Sister Moody

SURPRISE!

March 29, 2016

Hello everyone!

Wow, it has been one whirlwind of a week! First, I will start off with transfer news, as this week is transfers. No one expected it at all..but...I'm moving!! It's been an amazing 6 weeks with Sister Kerr in the Hyde Park 1st ward, and I am SO grateful for the lessons I've learned, and the amazing members here. I will spend my last 6 weeks in the Britannia YSA ward, and I am SO excited! It's going to be the best. :) My new companion will be Sister Hannig from Provo, Utah! I'm pumped, and I know this is where the Lord needs me. It's going to be a great transfer number 13. :)

Well! Now to tell you about my week. Monday, we spent moving, and then that night Sister Kerr and I went to a dinner appointment with the greatest Italian family ever. The Sorrentinos! Ah it was the best. They even made me gluten free pizza. :) And Brother Sorrentino told us all about when he was the branch president in Ragusa, Italy, and how they doubled the sacrament meeting attendance through member missionary work. It was incredible to hear his story! It just really showed, and we can't do anything in missionary work without member support. It was great. :)

Then things slowed down a bit, and Tuesday we had to get some last minute things for our new flat, and then had A LOT of phone calls to make and messages to send before we were on shift at the VC.

Wednesday, Jane came into the VC and we showed her "Only a Stonecutter" and talked about the temple, general conference, and sacrifice. She went to the temple last week for the first time, and was able to be baptized for both sets of grandparents. :) She's INCREDIBLE. I love her so much. :) After that, we had dinner at a members’ house, from Mongolia! Muugi and Hudree, and their two kids. I don't know how to spell or pronounce their last name... :) But it was great! We made little missionary name tags for their 2 kids, and watched #Hallelujah video. They are both converts, and shared their stories with us, and the spirit was so strong. I'm so grateful for the people I've been able to meet here, and the many testimonies I have heard that have strengthened my own.

We also stopped some man on the street and he just said "I believe in Jesus Christ, but I don't believe in God. Think about THAT one!" It was strange haha. :)

Thursday, Sister Kerr wasn't feeling to well, so we did a lot of area book finding and we were able to get in contact with a lot of people. We then had district meeting, and I was supposed to give some training. But due to some unexpected events, it was cancelled and I got out of it. ;) Then Sister Kerr and I embarked to London North for an exchange! I was with Sister Rodrigues and it was so much fun. Exactly what I needed! We shouted to someone #Hallelujah on the street, and I've never felt the spirit like that before. It was cool. :)

Friday, Sister Rodrigues and I went to visit a member, and it turns out he was baptized by my former companion, Sister Falcao! It was a great tender mercy for the both of us. :)

Then Sister Kerr and I were reunited, and we went to teach a referral from the Britannia elders. So back in December, this 16 year old came into the VC with her friends and watched the Christmas video. This was one of them, and since she wasn't YSA, but lived in our area, they referred her to us. Well we show up for the lesson, and her friend was there! Turns out her friend is a VC referral that we have been trying to contact for a LONG time, but she's never been home. It was cool! We taught lesson 1, and they were great. She is really looking for a religion and started reading the Book of Mormon on her own. :) They are going out of town this week, for 2 weeks, but then we will see them again. :)

Saturday, the VC was the most miracle filled shift I have ever been on. So it started with Maria, who walked in and said "I want to meet with missionaries." And so Elder Hulet handed her off to us. ;) Turns out she was couch surfing about a month ago and met a less-active member who started to tell her about the gospel. She stayed in contact, and when she was in Norway on holiday, he told her to find the church. She got on mormon.org and found the missionaries number and met up with them. She got a Book of Mormon and immediately began to read. Then a week later, she came to us! She had already read SO much and was eager to learn. She already started living the commandments, and is just the most prepared person I have ever met. We were able to teach about baptism and put he ron date for May 1st. She lives in Stratford, so we will be referring her, but it was just INCREDIBLE. :)

 Then, we had the Easter devotional that night and Ada, our miracle tour from a few weeks ago, came! We've been in contact via Facebook, and she's meeting with the missionaries in Clapham, but it was just INCREDIBLE to see her again. Such a wonderful night! And the devotional was amazing and so spiritual.

Sunday's are always good, and crazy. It's day light savings time here, but all of us sisters in our flat forgot and so we woke up late and was *almost* late to church. But we made it! We had a combined sacrament meeting with Hyde Park 2, and Maria came! She loved it, and after we showed her Finding Faith in Christ. It was cool too, because a member and his son who were visiting joined us and helped us teacher her. The son is waiting for his mission call, so it was cool to give him that experience.

Afterward, we went to one of the Filipino members’ house for lunch and it was the best. We watched #Hallelujah, and talked about how Jesus Christ has helped us. It was amazing to go around and hear everyone's testimonies. It truly was the best Easter I have ever had.

That night we went to the Ramos' house for dinner, and met their two friends, who we were able to teach and commit to come to church. :) It was just a miracle filled day!

Well, I am so grateful to be a missionary. I'm excited for these next 6 weeks, and I know they will be fantastic. I'm grateful for Jesus Christ. I'm grateful for the gospel and the opportunity I have to testify of his Atonement, every single day. Love you all!

xx Sister Moody

IT'S ALL GOOD IN THE "NEW" HOOD!

 March 20, 2016

Hello everyone!

This has been a fantastic week!

So on P-Day, we saw the queen which was pretty great. And then that night, our new investigator, Maya, came into the VC, and we showed her the new Hallelujah video, and talked to her about that, and we were able to put her on date for baptism. April 10th! She's so great! She was taught by the sisters last summer, and she's really eager to learn again. We already love her a lot. :)

Tuesday, we did a lot of finding through the area book. At one point, we called a former investigator, he answered, said nothing, played some creepy music, then hung up. It was....different haha. But we were ablet o get in touch with a few people and schedule some appointments or times to call back, so that was good. :)

Wednesday, we taught Maya again! We went over the restoration and she is SO good! There is a bit of a language barrier (she is from Thailand) but she tries so hard to understand and is always asking questions to make sure she gets it. She's wonderful!! Then we had dinner with the Bishop and his family! They are the greatest. It was so much fun, and I really look up to them and the spirit that is in their home. It's such a privilege to serve here. :)

Then we went to stop by a former investigator, and it turned out that he had passed away. So that was a bit sad and awkward...but we had some great conversations with people along the way. :)

Thursday we had district meeting! Then afterward, our investigator/referral that came to church last week, came into the VC. It was funny though, because he was super late, and we caleld him and he said that he had come, but was afraid to come in. So he left. Then he turned around and came back...haha well it was good though. We referred him to the Portuguese elders so he can be taught in his native language, and he is doing really great!

Friday, one of the members had a little late birthday celebration for Sister Kerr. :) So we went to that, and then traveled to Acton where we were abel to teach Jefferson with Brother Clark! It was a pretty exhausting lesson, as we really had to lay down the line with him. He had been having some trouble showing commitment, so we had a bit of a "do or die" lesson. But it was also a really

good lesson and it ended with a strong spirit. So we will see what happens!

Then we had dinner with the Smiths. :) They are the best! It was so much fun, and they were so kind in making sure everything was gulten free. Ahhh I just love the members so much!

Saturday, we had the VC meeting, and President Stevens came! It was really great, and we were able to talk about ways to improve the environment in the VC and how we can be the best that we can be. :) That afternoon, Kasper, one of the members, took us to Nandos! It was great and we are SO grateful for Kasper! After that, we went on a blitz in Earls Court (so the way blitzes work here, is an elder and sister go on one side of the street, while the others go on the other and you talk to everyone! But you still always stay in site and sound of your real companion. :)) Elder Cook and I talked to AT LEAST 15 people from the Philippines. It was cool! We also talked to a great man from Lebanon, who was really excited to hear that we believe in God. We are seeing him again this upcoming Friday. :)

Then that night at the VC, was incredible! We just had a lot of prepared people come in. We gave a tour to a couple from Argentina, who spoke very little English, but they felt the Spirit and agreed to meet with missionaries in Argentina! Then a lady named Lisa came in, who had some Mormon friends, and had found and bought a Book of Mormon at a charity shop. We taught her lesson 1, and explained prophets, Adam and Eve, and a lot of other subjects. She isn't ready to meet with missionaries yet, but we have her email and will keep in touch. She was SO great and the Spirit was so strong. Then we also had a young girl come in and start looking around. I started talking to her and we ended up having a great conversation about what sets Mormons apart form other Christian churches. She ended up agreeing to meet with missionaries, so the YSA Elders will call her this week. :)

Sunday was great! Sister Kerr gave a talk about coming unto Christ. :) Then that evening we had to pack up our whole flat! The lease is up, so we moved flats today! Now we live in West Brompton, and it is SUCH a cool area. So all of today was spent moving and unpacking and shopping etc....It's been busy!

Well! I love this gospel. For those who haven't seen the new Easter video, go watch it! And for those who have, watch it again! I'm so grateful for Jesus Christ and how He has given me new life. I would be nothing without the Gospel and I'm so grateful I get to testify of that every single day. :)

Have a great week!

Xx Sister Moody

YES, YES, I DID SEE THE QUEEN!

March 14, 2016

HELLO!
 

Wow. This has been one of the best weeks, ever.

Tuesday, we updated our area book, as we were SO FAR behind. So we did that and made phone calls. I ended up having a 45 minute conversation with Jefferson because he was confused about how church was structured, and had A LOT of questions. He cancelled on us a bunch this week, and was supposed to come to church but didn't. So we will hopefully see him tomorrow. Then, a former investigator called US! Her name is Maya, and she is from Thailand! We were able to have a little lesson on the phone, and set up a time for her to come into the visitors centre. She's coming in tonight and we're so excited. :)

Wednesday was Zone Conference and it was INCREDIBLE. The theme was the Atonement and the spirit was just so strong. We talked about having the courage to change, but how we don't have to be perfect. We also talked about how the Atonement fits in with missionary work and how we can become missionaries after the manner of Christ. It was probably the best zone conference, I have been to. Weird to think though that it was my last! But it ended on a good note. :)

Thursday, we visited a member and her husband, the Barkers, and it was THE BEST. They are the sweetest couple. They welcomed us in, and immediately you could feel the Spirit. You could also just feel the love they have to one another. We showed them Mountains to Climb and it was honestly, one of the best lessons I've had on my mission. I love them so much and we should be going back this week. :)

Friday, we taught Jane! Well, more like she taught us. We had given her a lesson 1 pamphlet and committed her to teach us. Well, she pulled out like 3 pages of detailed notes, and began to explain the restoration in one of the most eloquent and beautiful ways. It was SO great!! She is also going to the temple to do baptisms on Wednesday for the first time, and we are so excited. :)

After ward, we were doing some phone calls and our friend, Aleksandar, finally picked up the phone! We hadn't heard from him in WEEKS, so it was a miracle! He told us that he was going to be at the chapel in 10 minutes, with a friend! So they came, and watched Meet the Mormons, and his friend became a new investigator. :)

Then we taught Charity with some members, Anjum and Jesu! It was a great lesson! We taught the first lesson, and talked a lot about the Book of Mormon. The members bore beautiful testimony, and the spirit was strong. Charity is great, just very committed to her church, but she agreed to come after Easter. :) She is SO sweet!

Saturday, we had the VC meeting, and we talked about the Easter Initiative. It's INCREDIBLE. For those who haven't seen the videos, you need to watch them. #Hallelujah

Then we bought Ben's Cookies and delivered them to some members, and found a long the way. :)

Sunday, we had ward council! Man, I just really love this ward! Honestly, the members are just so incredible to work with and so supportive and willing to help. The area is SO cool, and I just feel very blessed to  be in Hyde Park 1. :) Church was great, and we had a media referral come! It's actually a pretty funny story. So we got this referral a week ago, called him and had a lesson on the phone and invited him to church. He came, loved it, and we taught him after. We should him the new Easter video, and he got emotional. It was incredible. Then we were talking to the Hyde Park 2 sisters, and they told us how they had an media referral come to church, but they weren't able to find him. We asked his name and they told us Miguel, just like ours. So we did some more talking and found out that THEY WERE THE SAME PERSON. Hahahahahahaha it was hilarious! We're not sure how we both got the referral, but we must have confused him a lot! But we got it all figured out. We are referring him to the Portuguese elders anyway because he doesn't speak a lot of English. :)

After church, we visited a sweet member, Sister Santa. She is the best and we also shared the new video with her. :)

Then we had dinner at the Larsons! It was GREAT and SO delicious! Then we watched some Bible Videos, and their little girl knows them all by heart. It was the sweetest thing ever.

Today is SISTER KERR'S BIRTHDAY! So the zone surpised her with Chipotle and lunch in Trafalgar Square. After, we took a lot of pictures and walked to Buckingham Palace! While we were there, Elder Cook noticed that the police were coming and blocking the road, so we looked over and.... HER MAGESTY THE QUEEN DROVE BY. NO JOKE. Hahahaha we were like 10 feet from her! She even smiled at us and Prince Phillip waved. Best. Moment. Ever. We were all freaking out and made some people from Belgium laugh really hard. But yes, we are the coolest and saw the Queen. And got pictures. Life complete.

Well! Today I feel in love with London all over again. I feel SO blessed to  be able to serve here, in this area, with these missionaries, with this companion, in this ward, in this city, in this visitors' centre. I love it so much. The Gospel is true, and Heavenly Father shows His love in so many ways, everyday. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to serve. :)

Have a great week, everybody! Love you all!

Xx

Sister Moody