Monday 15 September 2014

Love the sisters!!!


Ello there!
I don't have much time! South Shields is lovely, we're by the beach, yay! I have 3 minutes so I have to go but if you could put on the blog that I'll reply to everyone's emails next week or something.
It's been hectic here though. Teaching and finding etc. The last sisters left us a legacy which was nice :) Lots of things to do! I'll tell you more about investigators and people later. The members are solid too!

My new comp/daughter is called Sister Ahola, she is from Finland (and very proud of it too!) She's got lovely long hair and speaks the 2nd most difficult language to learn in the world :)

There are some pics below of transfer meeting with some sisters, some going home, some still here. Love em all!  




Tuesday 9 September 2014

Transfer, Training and Finding Joy in the Journey..


Week 6, Transfer 11

Ah, we meet again blog readers!

So it was transfer calls on Saturday night. This is going to be hilarious. Ok, so it all started once upon a time when I came to the England Leeds Mission...I was out 9 weeks (1.5 transfers) when I got a call that I was being emergency transfers (ET'd) to a little place called Skipton where I was for 3 weeks and then I was called to train. So, out 3 months, called to train, fast forward 15 months and here we are, I have 3 months LEFT of my mission, and what happens? I get called...to TRAIN!!!!!!! So, for my last 2 transfers I will be training a new missionary. I meet her tomorrow at transfer meeting. I just think it's hilarious, but at least it'll keep me going because boy does your mind play all sorts of horrible tricks on you when it knows you're going home soon! 

On top of that, I'm moving (but still staying in the north) to a place BY THE SEA called South Shields, which I am very excited about indeed. I went on exchange there a few weeks ago thank goodness! Sister Zurcher and I will still be Sister Trainer Leader companions but she will stay in Darlo and get Sister Wynder up here. She goes home after this next transfer so who knows what will happen then, but Sister Zurcher and I will continue going on exchanges and we have some great plans for the sisters of the north! Including a sisters’ retreat where we will be able to have them all together and train them and do some unity activities. Oh it's going to be so good! 

I've sort of got it all smacked down on me all at once, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Heavenly Father knows me so well. I sometimes forget that. 

The last 3 months flew by, so I imagine the next 3 will go even faster, because I'll be so busy! 

I just know that Heavenly Father is so mindful of us, even when we think He's not. Especially in our trials and hard times, He's especially there. He just loves us so much. I'm almost finished the Book of Mormon again too. My insights keep getting deeper and my understanding grows so much the more I read them. I've really enjoyed my time in Darlo but I know that I'm needed in South Shields with my new companion. I know she is needed there also! I'm really excited to embark on this new adventure of my mission, the home stretch. 
Finding joy in the journey is something that I've been hearing and learning a lot about recently either in church, or in the Ensign or on lds.org etc. I just love President Uchtdorf's talk on it. If you haven't read it, go on lds.org, look it up and read it! We need to FIND the joy, search for it, and also remember that sometimes there is simply no joy whatsoever in some things that happen to us, but that's the time to remember that joy will come. It will. Remember that. 

Well, that's the main news for the week everyone, so I'm going to go now :) Gotta pack! 

LOVE
Sister Kuhn

The sisters in Billingham Zone! Sister Suss, Sister Nigido, Sister Zurcher, and me. Only 2 sets, but we were a force to be reckoned with! 
This guy! Elder Ormsby - tryna be a skuxx kid! Was in his district for a transfer. Aussies represent! 
Oh and while we were on exchange last week, Sister Kumire made us AFRICAN FOOD for lunch! We ate it with our hands! It was SO good I ate almost ALL of it!!
The lilies from the flowers my Mother and Father sent us! Loved em!! I put them next to my desk :)
             Hahahahahahaha this is my favourite photo of Sister Zurcher and I. We love each other.




So, Martin is a big fan of the Darlo football club "The Quakers". He showed us their catalogue or news or whatever it is with all the players names. I made a comment about this guy, Leon Scott..next thing I know, Martin thinks I am madly in love with him. Last week he texts us saying 'I got you a present'..it was a signed photo of the player hahahaha I keep telling him Leon Scott works in Willy Wonka's Chocolate Factory as an Oompa Loompa. MAH-TIN (that's what we call Martin, in a really posh English accent) if you're reading this with Trish, tell Trish she's NAUGHTY! Haha love you guys! I'm Leon Scott's No#1 fan now apparently! Hahahaha

And there's a progression drawing I've been doing for a while whenever I get a spare moment. It's looking pretty cool! Note the Inca Crosses with the pink middle! Nice touch ;)  

Monday 1 September 2014

Running Club and Roman Ruins


So, funny story, last week we went to a park in Darlington that we haven't had a chance to go the whole time we've been here. It's called Skerne Park. Now, if you know anything about Darlo, Skerne Park isn't the MOST desirable place to live. So we weren't that bothered going into the actual recreational park itself. Nevertheless, we did. And luck we did because it was beautiful! We frolicked around and chatted to random people and soaked up the sun like lizards. A notice board with a piece of paper on it caught Sister Zurcher's eye. It was an advertisment for a running club every week. She's a runner you see, so this sort of thing sticks out like a sore thumb to her. We decide to try it. You need to think out of the box when it comes to finding ladies and gentlemen! Especially towards the end of your mission, 'same old same old' just doesn't do it for you. So we met up with this running club and went for a run. There were about 8 of us, different ages but we were the youngest by quite a bit :) Everyone was so friendly and kind and welcoming. So off we went, for an hour run (Dad you would be so proud!) If anyone knows me, they'll know I'm not a huge fan of running. I need to be tricked into my cardio! Hence why I've done boxing and Insanity workouts and circuits and Crossfit and skipping etc. keeps it interesting for me! Running, however, has never interested me. Nonetheless, I went on this run (mostly for Sister Zurcher, because she's a runner and has done a half marathon and she's just got runner's blood). It was actually really nice. Who'd a thought?! We met this lovely lady called Geraldine from Ireland, she's Catholic. Haha oh man..she's so funny. Really kind hearted and gentle lady. We had a right old chat. She offered to take us to see this Roman fort not too far away and a castle as well that she'd never even heard about in the 14 years she's lived in Darlo! (That explains the pictures - because she actually took us to see it all! What a babe!). We also had a good chat to the team leader. And because we wore our badges, it was so easy to strike up a conversation about the church…and we never had to bring it up first! Love when that happens :) We also talked to this older, but quite fit, lady! She lost her husband a few months ago so we had a little chat about that. It's amazing the people Heavenly Father puts in your paths. Who knows if we'll have any immediate success with these people, but we're planting seeds, reaching out and extending support to people who need it. 

So that was our funny little miracle for the week! Running clubs for finding…because all you do is talk for an hour while you run anyway! Genius! AND we don't have to be fat either! What a master plan! 

That explains how we met Geraldine. So the photos are of the fort (which was super cool) and the castle - also very nice and luxurious. The Romans were so advanced, did you know back then they had tweezers?? Tweezers?!?!  AND, their bath houses were so legit, they'd spend HOURS in them every day. They had it all figured out.








In other news, Martin (recently baptised) had his interview with the bishop about the priesthood on Sunday - he's receiving the Aaronic Priesthood next Sunday! Which will be great because I'll be here! I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm leaving at the end of this transfer, which ends in about a week and a half. So it'll be really nice to see him get the priesthood in case I do leave :) So exciting!!!!!!! If you're reading this Martin, you better be as excited as I am!!!!! Haha proud of you buddy!

We also had 2 wonderful ladies come to church who haven't been in awhile. It was SO good seeing them there. They are so Christ-like and humble and kind and we need more like them in the world. 

That's all from me. I'm sure other things happened but it's all gone over my head at the moment! Plus, Sister Zurcher and I are off to see Durham Cathedral today (the joys of being Sister Trainer Leaders..being able to go outside of our area/zone to whatever zones we go on exchange to without needing permission..what a blessing!) I've heard Durham Cathedral is the bomb diggity too so I'm dead excited about that. 

Thank you for all your prayers and love and support and letters and emails. You know I love you!

Sister Kuhn x