Week
4, Transfer 13
What a beautiful day! The sky isn't blue and it looks like it's going to rain but I don't care! I'm happy after a positive week! We had Sammy, a young Iranian guy, come to church on Sunday. We were knocking just before we went to see Angela and John (the retired Church of England minister and his wife that we visited who we LOVE going to see. They're like our parents in this area haha) the first door we knocked, Sammy opened. This huge, solid guy with a big smile on his face. He's a gentle giant. It was his uncle's house but he was visiting. Before we could even ask for a return appointment he asked when he could meet with us to know more. He came to church on Sunday. We're praying that this is his time to accept the gospel because he would be such a kingdom builder and it would just bless his life so much.
Here's a great story though: Brother David Spedding and Brother Brian Mahoney (home teaching companions. I like to refer to them as 'Alma and Amulek'). They were just out doing their home teaching like the faithful home teachers that they are...and they talk to this African lady from Malawi along their travels. They ask if she's Christian and she asks if they're Mormon, both replying in the affirmative. They ask if she'd be interested to have the sister missionaries over to her house, they proceed to get her contact details and address and even SET UP a return appointment. We then get a call later that night with the news of them finding a lady called Thoko, 2 kids (one 7 year old boy named Thompson and one 7 month year old baby called Matthew. Single Mum). We went to see her the next day when they scheduled the appointment, she was happy to see us but found herself quite busy with her kids so she asked for us to come back the next day, so off we went...we had a good short lesson with her. She told us her cousin goes to church down in Bristol. She's been taught by missionaries in Middlesbrough as well for 10 months a few years ago but apparently they didn't teach her anything and she was never able to get to church. We asked if she came to know if this was true if she would be baptised and of course, she said yes. We then confirmed her from church and committed her to read The Book of Mormon. She accepted. YAY!
Saturday night rolls around...the only person in her area where she lives that can pick her up is Brother Spedding (assistant ward mission leader), but he had coordination meeting with the missionaries at ward missionaries at the chapel at 9.30am so he would have to pick her up at 9.15 and that was too early for Thoko for she didn't have enough time to get the kids and herself ready and fed. We found ourselves in a small predicament. No-body could pick her up. They were all picking other people up or had meetings. Thoko called and told us we should call her cousin and talk to her about the situation because Thoko wasn't understanding that well. So we called Grandy, her cousin. Turns out she's been going to church for SEVEN years but hasn't been baptised because her partner doesn't want to get married. She has 2 kids, they're baptised and doing their priesthood duties. Long story cut short: we'd arranged for someone to go after Sunday School and pick up Thoko and her kids so she could at least come for sacrament meeting. Done. Thoko was SO excited. I've never seen someone so anxious to come to church. Sunday morning, she calls and tells us her son has a football game which she forgot about..so she can't come to church. I think she was more devestated than us! She was so looking forward to it. She made sure we were still coming around Monday evening and that we can come around as much as we wanted to teach her. She will be at church next week. Thoko is a wonderful, faithful woman who is doing the very best she can. Pray for her! Her cousin said that she knows if Thoko gets to church, she'll feel the spirit and she won't want to leave.
They are the 2 top miracles for the week. Member missionary work - I love it!!!!
Other
than that, the week was fab! Poor Sister Ahola is dying of the plague but
she'll be ok because she's Finnish and they're tough!
I'm
just trying to enjoy every last second of this :) of being able to be set apart
to serve and to preach the gospel. What a great opportunity.
For
P-day today the whole zone is gathering at the Newcastle Chapel and the senior
couple Elder and Sister Marsh are putting on a thanksgiving feast for us and
we're watching ELF :) I'm so privileged to be able to spend BOTH my Thanksgivings on my mission with Americans..because they obviously know WHAT
IT DO wid dem thanksgiving foods!
Oh I FORGOT TO ADD the other best part about the week!!! THE SISTERS MEETING!!! So on Tuesday we had a sisters meeting with all the sisters in the northern 2 zones and 1 companionship from Harrogate. They all came to South Shields. Sister Zurcher and I did a whole 2 and a half hour meeting. We started at the beach and I did the 'be a little bolder' thing you sent me aaages ago! It was a nice little side note for what we were sharing :) All the sisters said it was a really good meeting. They're still thanking the zurch and I for it now. I think they needed it. Sisters are so hard on themselves, and we work differently to Elders..Elders can't seem to understand that. We're sisters in a mission built for elders..because that's all they've had for the majority for so long. It'll become more sister friendly over time no doubt. Anyway, so it was a really nice meeting. We got a photo at the beach and at the member's house we went to to do a bit of a Q & A session and a doctrinal discussion. It was great :)
We saw Talya and Abbie last week for FHE..and after the lesson they wanted to play a game..they asked me first if I wanted my coffin measured..( I'd never played this GAME before) so I said yeah alright go on then...so they get you to lay on the floor of the kitchen at church and close your eyes. Talyia starts to basically give me a pat down on my arms and legs and feet and head..and then after like 30 seconds or so of 'measuring' they POUR WATER ALL OVER THE FRONT OF YOU!!!!!! Hahahah it was hilarious. I then stayed in the kitchen and cut up Tal's coconut she bought so Sister Salcedo couldn't see the water on my skirt. They did the same to her, and then the same to Sister Ahola..and then we got this photo. I think Sister Ahola got more water than all of us but my splash was definitely bigger. Sneaky little rascals they are!! Haha
And the other pic is of Sister
Dragoti dressed up as an Albanian Santa. Haha I love that crazy motra (that's
'sister' in Albanian)
Love you and goodbye
Sister Kuhn
