Monday, March 28, 2011
Wharfe Valley
Mummy and Daddy! Spring is in the air! HALLE-FREAKIN-LUJAH! It's all fun and games here when the sun's out! It's still blooming cold, but at least I only have to wear one coat, one set of thermals and one jumper OH AND it's warm enough to handle a delectable ice cream cone! Blossoms are out! Daffodils are in full bloom...they are EVERYWHERE. Think of the craziest spot to have a flower and you'll still find them!! Heaven forbid you pick one! Apparently it's illegal here. It's illegal to pick any sort of wild greenery...note to self...This lady spat all sorts at me from across the car park when I knelt down to pick a teeeeeeny bloom for my button hole. "Sorry" (said like Gilly on SNL) What can I do? It's not like I can glue it back to the stem. :D Sister Taylor and I are seeing AMAZING things happen! We've spent a lot of our time this week focusing on finding newbies. We stop in the street all the time if we don't feel the spirit pushing us towards people and we plead with it to show us those prepared people. Then we trip, tumble, and step on those prepared people! It's amazing! I love when people say to us, "I've had this question my whole life, and no one has ever been able to answer it for me!" BAM! MIRACLE! I love when we explain the Book of Mormon and people ask, "Oh wow...how much is it?" "For you....it's our gift!" "For me!??!!??!" I am flabbergasted time after time how we just need to plead to find people and the Lord sends them to us! BAM! MIRACLE! I can't remember if I told you about Rose, but one particular night we were looking over the map and I felt soooo impressed to go to Oxford Road. We knocked it and Rose was the only one who answered. During one of the lessons, I felt impressed to tell her about how we picked her street to knock and that Heavenly Father was THAT aware of her and loves her so acutely that he sent us to that street just for her. She started bawling and she latched onto me, showering me with thanks. She came to church yesterday and loved it! She made so many friends in the branch, participated in the lessons, she's excited to come to branch activities this week and she's coming to General Conference! BAM! MIRACLE! Just give us time! Jonny came to church on his own! BAM! MIRACLE!!!! He's getting there....he's just really stuck on the drink. I hate alcohol so much I cannot even tell you. When we walk down the aisles in Morrisons and we pass by the wine aisles (yes aisleS plural), I just shake my wrists at the sky and "You infernal liquid! You plague! Get out of here!" anyways.....that's a whole other basket of unpleasantness that we won't go into. I just am so full of gratitude! I feel in my heart that this gospel is true!!!!! There are prepared people out there who are thirsty for this stuff! My only wish is that more people would open their hearts to this message! I wish they could understand the importance that this truly is the gospel of Jesus Christ.....that "this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God." 2 Nephi 31:21 It's true!!!! It is!!! I feel it so intensely I can't even handle myself! I see it work its magic every blasted day! AHHHHH don't you love the spirit...it's so good! mmmm! Anyways! I'm off to make more miracles happen, and do something about my b'thigh while I'm still 21! Sick! I'm almost old! No Bueno!!! :D I can't handle being and even age...where's the spice? Where's the flavor :D Anyways, thank you so much for keeping me updated with home! I love you so much! Love Always and Forever, Your Sister White
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Wharfe Valley
Mummy and Daddy,
Clarification for Transfers (I always figure I'm the last to know what things mean, so I just assume people already know what I'm talking about.) White-wash training means: an experienced missionary takes her greenie to an area that is unfamiliar to both of them, which translates into lots of knocking and street contacting. I on the other hand am "follow-up training" meaning: that a greenie leaves her trainer and comes to me for fun and joy and joyness :D I am "taking over" Wharfe Valley, meaning, I set up appointments and jazz, but I still don't know the members/ investigators very well. I'm still in the same flat, so please continue to send mail to the mission office. Hopefully that clears things up a bit.
Speaking of our flat, Sister Taylor and I spent the entire morning today de-junkifying our lives! We took SOOOOO much crap to the charity shops today! We've cleared out years of dust and hair, and we've discovered that we have orange carpet....not gray....sick huh. Success! YAY for cleaning! More about Sister Tira (Teeeee rah not Tyra....much to my ANTM dismay) Taylor... She is from St. George, Utah. She has two older brothers and a younger sister. She wants to be a physical therapist when she grows up. Her favorite color is Deep Death defying Plum (I threw in the death defying bit to jazz things up a bit). Her biggest fear = spiders. Her favorite food = Cafe Rio pork. Her favorite article of clothing = her Audrey Hepburn black stilettos. Her greatest wish = to do ballet. Her thoughts about jello = She will only eat it if it's in jiggler form. We're really excited about our area...especially since the sun is starting to grace us with its presence!!!! We are bound and determined to find more of those prepared people who are itching to find the truth!!!! More to come on that I'm sure!
In other news, yesterday was the best sacrament meeting I've ever been to...why you ask? ... well there was a big stake conference in Huddersfield, so all the longtime members went to that, but we still had a little church service at our chapel. We only had a handful of people, mainly missionaries and recent converts in attendance and we all had a testimony meeting. K.....backing up....guess who blessed the sacrament for the first time......yep....Mick Bowman!!!!!! WHOOO!!!!!! Oh he did so well and it really set the tone for the whole meeting. Mick and Joyce both got up to share their testimonies and I was just a big fat puddle!!! BAM! MIRACLE! NEXT! I was SO HAPPY! I cannot tell you how INCREDIBLE it is to watch these people change! But to hear their testimonies.........bam! mind blowing!!!!! Wow! I just cannot tell you how strongly I KNOW this church is true! It just is!!!!! I KNOW that Jesus Christ is my savior! What an amazing feeling it is to have! I feel it so powerfully when I study, read, pray, and especially when I witness the changes the gospel makes within my English friends and within myself. Most days, I feel like I'm getting more out of my mission than anyone else I meet....which is probably true! I'm just SOOO appreciative that I get to immerse myself in this 24/7...even those difficult days when all I want is a dino nugget and a nap. I am so excited to be here.... right where Heavenly Father needs me...... Wow!
The End
I love you soooo much! Thanks for all you do!
Love Always and Forever,
Your Sister Stephanie White
Clarification for Transfers (I always figure I'm the last to know what things mean, so I just assume people already know what I'm talking about.) White-wash training means: an experienced missionary takes her greenie to an area that is unfamiliar to both of them, which translates into lots of knocking and street contacting. I on the other hand am "follow-up training" meaning: that a greenie leaves her trainer and comes to me for fun and joy and joyness :D I am "taking over" Wharfe Valley, meaning, I set up appointments and jazz, but I still don't know the members/ investigators very well. I'm still in the same flat, so please continue to send mail to the mission office. Hopefully that clears things up a bit.
Speaking of our flat, Sister Taylor and I spent the entire morning today de-junkifying our lives! We took SOOOOO much crap to the charity shops today! We've cleared out years of dust and hair, and we've discovered that we have orange carpet....not gray....sick huh. Success! YAY for cleaning! More about Sister Tira (Teeeee rah not Tyra....much to my ANTM dismay) Taylor... She is from St. George, Utah. She has two older brothers and a younger sister. She wants to be a physical therapist when she grows up. Her favorite color is Deep Death defying Plum (I threw in the death defying bit to jazz things up a bit). Her biggest fear = spiders. Her favorite food = Cafe Rio pork. Her favorite article of clothing = her Audrey Hepburn black stilettos. Her greatest wish = to do ballet. Her thoughts about jello = She will only eat it if it's in jiggler form. We're really excited about our area...especially since the sun is starting to grace us with its presence!!!! We are bound and determined to find more of those prepared people who are itching to find the truth!!!! More to come on that I'm sure!
In other news, yesterday was the best sacrament meeting I've ever been to...why you ask? ... well there was a big stake conference in Huddersfield, so all the longtime members went to that, but we still had a little church service at our chapel. We only had a handful of people, mainly missionaries and recent converts in attendance and we all had a testimony meeting. K.....backing up....guess who blessed the sacrament for the first time......yep....Mick Bowman!!!!!! WHOOO!!!!!! Oh he did so well and it really set the tone for the whole meeting. Mick and Joyce both got up to share their testimonies and I was just a big fat puddle!!! BAM! MIRACLE! NEXT! I was SO HAPPY! I cannot tell you how INCREDIBLE it is to watch these people change! But to hear their testimonies.........bam! mind blowing!!!!! Wow! I just cannot tell you how strongly I KNOW this church is true! It just is!!!!! I KNOW that Jesus Christ is my savior! What an amazing feeling it is to have! I feel it so powerfully when I study, read, pray, and especially when I witness the changes the gospel makes within my English friends and within myself. Most days, I feel like I'm getting more out of my mission than anyone else I meet....which is probably true! I'm just SOOO appreciative that I get to immerse myself in this 24/7...even those difficult days when all I want is a dino nugget and a nap. I am so excited to be here.... right where Heavenly Father needs me...... Wow!
The End
I love you soooo much! Thanks for all you do!
Love Always and Forever,
Your Sister Stephanie White
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wharfe Valley
Mummy and Daddy,
This week was so good. Why?...you ask....well. Guess what we had this week! Sisters' Specialized Training!!!!!! What in the world is that!?!?! Well only the best two days of my life! All 18 sisters gathered together for two days for a Question and Answer session, instruction, sing alongs, the "Work and the Glory" film, and food like you wouldn't believe! ha HA! SUCCESS!
During one of the sessions, I must have been deep in thought, brow furrowed and whatnot. President singled me out of the crowd saying, "Sister White, you look like you have something on your mind." "I'm sorry, President. The only thing I can think about is cotton candy." The room erupted with laughter....I was just being honest. Everyone is all sorts of dramatic all the time. I don't see why people can't talk about glitter and beef jerky more often.
Let's see...what else...oh! At the end of the first evening, President and Sister Lindley squelched all us sisters across a field that turned out to be a mud hole so that we could light/ send off paper lanterns that represented our problems. "What's holding you back, sisters, from reaching your full potential and being the missionaries you wish to be. Let go of it and let it fly away with this lantern." Well....we let the lantern go and it plummeted to the ground....not inspiring. Sister Rausch dove out to save it....and slipped in the mud like Bambi on ice. I saw the need and I raced out! I got it! I got it!... So I ran about a hundred yards chucking this lantern into the air, commanding it to "fly and be free!" Finally a gust of wind took pity on me and swooshed it into the air!!!! BAM! MIRACLE!.....especially that I didn't A) biff it B) get stuck in a sink hole! It was soooo good to be around girls! I didn't have to worry who I accidentally bumped into or who I sat by...or having someone hold my hand whilst I went to tinkle pot! It was great!!!! :D
In other exciting news, Amanda Jane Kelk was BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOO!!!!!!!! BAM! MIRACLE! President Lindley came and from the pulpit, he challenged Amanda's husband, Johnny, and her daughter, Sophie, to get baptized as well. We saw Johnny a few days later, had a really good chat with him and scheduled him for the 26th of this month!!!! BAM! MIRACLE! We'll get them....one person at a time ;)
You might be wondering why I'm writing on a Tuesday and not a Monday....one word....Transfers. We got transfer calls last night and MUCH to our surprise, Sister Lamb is white-wash training in Redcar and I'm.........*drum roll please*...........I'm follow-up training Sister Taylor! (more to come in later entries). I love that I'm taking over an area that I don't even know myself! Whoo! Yeah! That's what I'm talkin about!
Another funny tidbit. In District Meeting I bore my testimony and at one point, I talked about the missionary I am now and the missionary I want to be. I mentioned a talk I read that says, "You can either change accidentally or you can change deliberately!" Everyone's planners whipped out and they took notes on what I said....Let me tell you...It's unnerving to have someone write down what you're saying.....It throws off your groove. The end. I really am SO grateful for the chance I have to be out here and learn how important the gospel really is. It's not just a way of life, but it's the ONLY way that we can return to live with Heavenly Father again! It's so incredible to watch people consciously decide to change their lives. It's incredible to see someone identify what they don't like about their lives and do something about it! Watching the Spirit flood someone's eyeballs.....wow.....why don't people do MORE to feel this way?! I know this church is the true church of Jesus Christ. How do I know this? It just is. I've felt it through the phenomenal power of the Holy Ghost and I've witnessed it change people's lives!!!! Wow! Bam! MIRACLE! NEXT!
I love you so much! Thank you for all you do for me!!!! Thank you for your prayers...they are felt like you wouldn't believe!
Love Always and Forever,
Your Sister White
This week was so good. Why?...you ask....well. Guess what we had this week! Sisters' Specialized Training!!!!!! What in the world is that!?!?! Well only the best two days of my life! All 18 sisters gathered together for two days for a Question and Answer session, instruction, sing alongs, the "Work and the Glory" film, and food like you wouldn't believe! ha HA! SUCCESS!
During one of the sessions, I must have been deep in thought, brow furrowed and whatnot. President singled me out of the crowd saying, "Sister White, you look like you have something on your mind." "I'm sorry, President. The only thing I can think about is cotton candy." The room erupted with laughter....I was just being honest. Everyone is all sorts of dramatic all the time. I don't see why people can't talk about glitter and beef jerky more often.
Let's see...what else...oh! At the end of the first evening, President and Sister Lindley squelched all us sisters across a field that turned out to be a mud hole so that we could light/ send off paper lanterns that represented our problems. "What's holding you back, sisters, from reaching your full potential and being the missionaries you wish to be. Let go of it and let it fly away with this lantern." Well....we let the lantern go and it plummeted to the ground....not inspiring. Sister Rausch dove out to save it....and slipped in the mud like Bambi on ice. I saw the need and I raced out! I got it! I got it!... So I ran about a hundred yards chucking this lantern into the air, commanding it to "fly and be free!" Finally a gust of wind took pity on me and swooshed it into the air!!!! BAM! MIRACLE!.....especially that I didn't A) biff it B) get stuck in a sink hole! It was soooo good to be around girls! I didn't have to worry who I accidentally bumped into or who I sat by...or having someone hold my hand whilst I went to tinkle pot! It was great!!!! :D
In other exciting news, Amanda Jane Kelk was BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOO!!!!!!!! BAM! MIRACLE! President Lindley came and from the pulpit, he challenged Amanda's husband, Johnny, and her daughter, Sophie, to get baptized as well. We saw Johnny a few days later, had a really good chat with him and scheduled him for the 26th of this month!!!! BAM! MIRACLE! We'll get them....one person at a time ;)
You might be wondering why I'm writing on a Tuesday and not a Monday....one word....Transfers. We got transfer calls last night and MUCH to our surprise, Sister Lamb is white-wash training in Redcar and I'm.........*drum roll please*...........I'm follow-up training Sister Taylor! (more to come in later entries). I love that I'm taking over an area that I don't even know myself! Whoo! Yeah! That's what I'm talkin about!
Another funny tidbit. In District Meeting I bore my testimony and at one point, I talked about the missionary I am now and the missionary I want to be. I mentioned a talk I read that says, "You can either change accidentally or you can change deliberately!" Everyone's planners whipped out and they took notes on what I said....Let me tell you...It's unnerving to have someone write down what you're saying.....It throws off your groove. The end. I really am SO grateful for the chance I have to be out here and learn how important the gospel really is. It's not just a way of life, but it's the ONLY way that we can return to live with Heavenly Father again! It's so incredible to watch people consciously decide to change their lives. It's incredible to see someone identify what they don't like about their lives and do something about it! Watching the Spirit flood someone's eyeballs.....wow.....why don't people do MORE to feel this way?! I know this church is the true church of Jesus Christ. How do I know this? It just is. I've felt it through the phenomenal power of the Holy Ghost and I've witnessed it change people's lives!!!! Wow! Bam! MIRACLE! NEXT!
I love you so much! Thank you for all you do for me!!!! Thank you for your prayers...they are felt like you wouldn't believe!
Love Always and Forever,
Your Sister White
Monday, March 7, 2011
Wharfe Valley
Mummy and Daddy
I don't have a lot of time today. We had quite the zone p-day today. We just got back from Malum Cove!!!! Malum Cove = Cliffs so all I did all day was billy goat my way about. I'm just glad nobody died.
Exciting News Blips:
Amanda Kelk passed her baptismal interview this week and she's all prepped and ready to go for this Saturday, March 12th!!!! Whoo! BAM! MIRACLE!
Mick got the priesthood this week BAM! MIRACLE! I was all a blubbler in the corner... "Don't mind me....I'M JUST HAPPY DAG NAB IT !" :D Being able to witness his ordination meant the world to me. He and Joyce framed a copy of their baptismal program and speech for both Sister Lamb and myself....AND....they showed us the design of the tatoos they both wanted to get to commemorate their baptism (before they were told tatoos are a no no)....two birds flying out of a cage with the words: Sister White and Sister Lamb scrolled underneath it! haHA! Is it bad that I kinda wanted them to get it? :D How many times is someone going offer to tatoo your name on their flesh?! :D I ask you?
What else? Sister Alidi told me that this lady we sang for whilst on exchange, said that she thought A LOT about our song and thought to herself, "Self, why don't I go to church more often? Why don't I read the Book of Mormon?" So she got herself up, went to her preacher and said," I'm going to read the Book of Mormon!" and walked out! BAM! MIRACLE!!!!! Oh! AND Sister Lamb and I had a few minutes to knock before tea one night, and we knocked on this lady's door who told us that her sister died 38 years ago to the day! She told us she's been thinking A LOT about the afterlife lately. "My lights have been flickering and things have been falling out of cupboards......oooh....Linda? Is that you?" We taught her an amazing mini lesson and she was relieved that we were going to come back! BAM! MIRACLE!
Everything's going well here! I'm fed, I'm cold, but I'm happy. I'm so grateful to be out here. I just hope I'm becoming the person I need to be. :D Thank you so much for letting me be out here. I can't think of any place else I would rather be. I love you!!!!!
Love, always and forever, your,
Sister White
I don't have a lot of time today. We had quite the zone p-day today. We just got back from Malum Cove!!!! Malum Cove = Cliffs so all I did all day was billy goat my way about. I'm just glad nobody died.
Exciting News Blips:
Amanda Kelk passed her baptismal interview this week and she's all prepped and ready to go for this Saturday, March 12th!!!! Whoo! BAM! MIRACLE!
Mick got the priesthood this week BAM! MIRACLE! I was all a blubbler in the corner... "Don't mind me....I'M JUST HAPPY DAG NAB IT !" :D Being able to witness his ordination meant the world to me. He and Joyce framed a copy of their baptismal program and speech for both Sister Lamb and myself....AND....they showed us the design of the tatoos they both wanted to get to commemorate their baptism (before they were told tatoos are a no no)....two birds flying out of a cage with the words: Sister White and Sister Lamb scrolled underneath it! haHA! Is it bad that I kinda wanted them to get it? :D How many times is someone going offer to tatoo your name on their flesh?! :D I ask you?
What else? Sister Alidi told me that this lady we sang for whilst on exchange, said that she thought A LOT about our song and thought to herself, "Self, why don't I go to church more often? Why don't I read the Book of Mormon?" So she got herself up, went to her preacher and said," I'm going to read the Book of Mormon!" and walked out! BAM! MIRACLE!!!!! Oh! AND Sister Lamb and I had a few minutes to knock before tea one night, and we knocked on this lady's door who told us that her sister died 38 years ago to the day! She told us she's been thinking A LOT about the afterlife lately. "My lights have been flickering and things have been falling out of cupboards......oooh....Linda? Is that you?" We taught her an amazing mini lesson and she was relieved that we were going to come back! BAM! MIRACLE!
Everything's going well here! I'm fed, I'm cold, but I'm happy. I'm so grateful to be out here. I just hope I'm becoming the person I need to be. :D Thank you so much for letting me be out here. I can't think of any place else I would rather be. I love you!!!!!
Love, always and forever, your,
Sister White
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