Horbury

Mummy and Daddy,

I must dash about again this week, but I had to tell you about a few things. This week we met Phyllis....who is how old?.....Guess......nope.....guess again.....You'll never guess so I'll tell you....She was 103! Hahahaha She even had the official plaque from the Queen congratulating her on her century of life AND she was on the front page of the local newspaper saying, "Phyllis Turns 100!" Oh Phyllis...she's great. She's both deaf-ish and blind-ish. We communicated by writing GIANT on a white board. Bringing the board an inch away from her nose she yelled, each word and waited for some sort of confirmation on our end.
Phyllis: DO?
*nod*
Phyllis: YOU?
*nod*
Phyllis: BELIEVE?
*nod*
Phyllis: IN?
*nod*
Phyllis: GOD? NO! BECAUSE I PRAY EVERY BLASTED NIGHT THAT I FALL ASLEEP AND I NEVER WAKE UP, AND EACH MORNING I OPEN MY EYES, LOOK AROUND AND SAY.... (I'd best not say what she said :D) YOU SEE, THERE IS NO GOD.
Us: HE WANTS YOU TO GET BAPTIZED FIRST! WILL YOU FOLLOW THE EXAMPLE OF JESUS CHRIST AND BE BAPTIZED BY SOMEONE WITH THE PROPER PRIESTHOOD AUTHORITY OF GOD?
Phyllis: NO! I WILL NEVER DO THAT. YOU CAN'T EVEN PAY ME TO DO THAT!

:D hahahha....well.....can't say we didn't ask.

I also got to see Mick and Joyce last Monday. Mick put his teeth in especially for the occasion :D We entered the train station and I saw them afar, and said, "Man, they are just too cute!" They are so special to me! We shook hands, we embraced, we laughed, Mick cried :D. We had just a normal, lovely natter in Greggs over a cup of hot chocolate. The whole time there was this wonderful feeling there with us. They're doing so well! Then came the time to part ways again. We took pictures, embraced, shook hands, we laughed, Mick cried :D Then Sister Sorensen and I walked away, arm in arm. In that moment, my little heart had this surge of gratitude.... I love these people so stinking much!.....even now...I'm having an issue! I'm just so grateful they are in my life. If I came on this mission of mine, and only met them.....my mission would have been worth it. All these wonderful people I've met have made such a lovely impression on me. It's hard to explain, but it's a very humbling experience to have someone thank you profusely for changing their lives. I feel like they did it all themselves. They were just ready. I'm so grateful to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to be a part of their story! I'm getting all worked up so I'll kick over this chair and laugh instead! :D ha ha.

In other news, we celebrated Sister Sorensen's 22nd birthday today! My baby's growing up! We played games with the zone, sang songs, ate Costco cake....they have Costco here believe it or not.....and build GIANT pyramid of chairs (pictures to follow in the near future). All in all....a successful day!

We have a big fireside coming up this Friday all about the Savior's life. We've invited the whole of Horbury so hopefully we'll have a good turn out.

I am so stinking excited for General Conference I can hardly handle m'self. How lucky are we that we have a prophet on Earth. UGGH! We are so dang lucky all the day long! Heavenly Father is so good to us! I wish I had a bit more time today to expound on everything, but I do want to tell you: I love being a missionary. Thank you so much for letting me be here.

Love always and forever,
Your Sister Stephanie White

Horbury

Mummy and Daddy,

Good news. Hurricane didn't blow us away. It definitely gave it a good go though. My goodness! I think I may have finally combed through my "Nest."

We had some beautiful things happen this week.

Well let me tell you about yesterday. There we were, in the foyer at church, sitting....standing.....shaking peoples' hands.....then the chapel door closed......still no Stacey and Amy. Do you remember Stacey and Amy? Amy is the seven year old we taught about the Plan of Salvation and she lapped it right up. The Spirit was so phenomenal! Stacey is her mother. When Stacy was a little girl, she believed in God, but her parents didn't really approve of that belief, so she stopped believing. She vowed if her daughter wanted to learn about God, she'd let her. Anyways...no Stacey and clan. The clocked ticked on.....still no Stacey and Clan. We went in for the Sacrament with the attitude: If it's meant to happen, it will happen. As the Sacrament was passed....I saw a flick of green out of the corner of my eye. I whipped towards the door and saw.......little girls!!!!! THEY CAME!!!! Stacy and Amy came to church!!!! AND they enjoyed it! BAM! MIRACLE!

There was a feeling around this home....we had to knock on it. "There is a good feeling about this home.....not to mention they have a pirate tree house out back! These are my kind of people!" It looked like no one was going to answer so we turned to leave. "Circle this house. We have to come back." Then the door opened and this lovely Irish lady opened. "I'm on my way out right now, but come back. You're welcome anytime!" Miracle! So we did. We went back. She let us in straightaway. Come to find out, she's recovering from cancer. She has a beautiful family and her faith is incredible! We're so excited to teach her! BAM! MIRACLE!

We met Linda and Graham this week. I don't know much about them to relate to you, but what I do know is that Linda believes in God and Graham does not. We taught them all about who God is, who Jesus Christ is, and how they restored the gospel to the Earth again. I love the Spirit, because every time I felt a *ping* Linda said, "hmmm...that's interesting. I think I can agree with that." The interesting part of the lesson was the fact that it was bright and sunny the moment before we went into their home, but the moment we were inside, it started chucking it down! AND it continued to chuck it down until the moment we said the closing prayer. "That's strange isn't it? Now that you're on your way out, the rain stopped. What a coincidence." "Coincidence? I think not. Coincidences are just when God wants to be anonymous." BAM! MIRACLE!

One evening we went to Kenneth's for a little lesson. He opened the door. "Hi Ken!" .......he just looked at us for a minute......"What's wrong?" Then he smiled.....a big toothy smile. He got teeth! "Ken! You have teeth!" He has new found confidence! It's cute. The jury's still out....I've grown accustomed to his toothless grin. We'll see :D

In other news....I got a card in the post the other day from Mick and Joyce saying they wrote a letter to President Lindley requesting to visit me....He got in touch with them and said they could!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!! MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!! I'm seeing Mick and Joyce today for lunch! What can be better than food, fun, and friendship!?!

I love being out here! I love those opportunities just to exercise faith. Isn't faith an amazing thing? You don't know what will happen, but you say I know what's meant to happen will happen. I know You're in control. I love my Heavenly Father so much! He's so good to me all the time! I know this is his work! I know the Spirit is real! I know I'm exactly where I'm meant to be. I love being where my feet are....not bugged about the past.....not worried about what's next, but just enjoying where I am. I love it here! Thank you so much for letting me be a missionary. I can't imagine my life without this experience.

I love you so much!
Have the best day of your life!
Love always and forever,
Your Sister Stephanie White

Horbury

Mummy and Daddy,

News in Horbury. A hurricane's a brewing!!!!! Apparently we are expecting a hurricane with 80 mph winds, rain, etc. A storm this bad hasn't happened since the 1980's :D.....perfect. I love how all this crazy weather trash decides to act up the moment I enter the country. I swear....it's my personality...it's far to large and colorful for this land sometimes ;D
I'm sitting in the Library right now, and amidst all the click clacking of keyboards, it sounds like the tree outside the window might decide to make a grand entrance any minute now. I wish you could see my hair at this moment. ;D I think it might make a small rodent a lovely home.

Today we're cleaning our flat with Q-tips and toothbrushes. Elder Donaldson of the Seventy is coming to inspect our flat......I'd best borrow our neighbor's vacuum. Ours died....may it rest in peace. We have enough hair ground into our carpet to make wiglets for the whole of our elderly friends..... :) .....living with four girls.....what can I say? La la lala la :D Elder Donaldson is doing a tour of our mission, and we're getting a visit from him tomorrow...so we're excited! AND we're doing yet another musical item. I swear I've sung at more people and more events in these short months than I have in my 22 years of existence!

We had a miracle this week. We made our way out to this area that we never go....buses make it difficult. We felt very impressed to knock on this street. The very last house we knocked on we met this lady that we see on the bus all the time. She gets fed up sometimes with her life. She just has a lot on with her autistic kids, bills, stress etc. We tell her all the time to meet with us, but she refuses. We said, "Ok...if we see you again...will you make an appointment with us." "Yes, I will." So there we were on her porch! Come to find out....it wasn't even her house! AND a half hour earlier she almost left, but she felt like she'd stay for just a bit longer!!!! BAM! MIRACLE! That was NO accident! What more do you need? She still didn't make an appointment, but I felt that feeling from the Spirit that we were exactly where we needed to be. BAM! MIRACLE!

I'm so grateful to be a missionary! It's amazing to go back, read journals and hear changes in think and respond. Missions are everything I thought they'd be....and nothing that I ever expected....it's strange really, but I'm so appreciative of my Heavenly Father and how every experience I've had on my mission was tailor made for me. He knows so much more than I do. I know He's there. I feel him as I pray. He really is...I know it. I still have a lot to learn, but I've learned quite a bit that I could never learn without this experience. I'm so lucky!
Thank you so much for letting me be here!
I love you so much!
Have the best day of your lives!

Love always and forever,
Your Sister Stephanie White

Horbury

Mummy and Daddy

This week we had quite the experience. SO....Horbury....like many of the Sister Areas....is a villiage....just a little guy....not many people. So lately we've been struggling to find people to teach. All the people in the area honestly have talked with us before. For many we're on a first name basis....for the majority, we have nicknames for them like the "The Unfortunate Bearded Fellow filled with Rage" and "The Unfortunate Bearded Woman bent on Revenge." etc etc. etc.. Bottom line is: People aren't too keen on us here.....which I will never understand because I am nothing but pleasant, personable, and filled with good news. In any case we had something beautiful happen.

One night, as we planned the next day's desperation, I thrust the map onto the floor, and in a cloud of debris, pleaded with Heavenly Father to show us where to go. There I was pouring over this map, brushing off stray crumbs, going street by street. Meanwhile people brushed their teeth, picked their toes, breathed loudly, yet there I remained. Show me please! This street, Fearnley Drive, made my heart pound. Oooooh! I pick that one. I traced this street with my pencil....my heart burned....oooooooh....I will go there.....on that side of the street....at this time. So that's what I did...In the torrential downpour. :D We knocked that street till we turned blue in the face. When all hope seemed lost I said to myself, "No! I felt it! He told me they're here!" So we knocked on this door, and this woman answered. She was so happy to see us saying that she is dear friends with half of the Horbury Ward. She's never had a gospel discussion with members of the church, but she has all these doctrinal questions she's never asked. If she were to join a church, she would choose ours! She accepted the invitation to be baptized and was so excited to feel relief from bitterness that she still holds on to from her past! The only reason we haven't found her in the past is because she's been on holiday and recently moved into the area. BAM! MIRACLE!!!! See....what did I say?! Heavenly Father ALWAYS answers prayers!

I am just so grateful for sincere prayer. I am so appreciative of my growing perspective of why we go through difficult things. Every difficult thing we go through really is an opportunity for us to refine ourselves....to become more like the Savior....to be happier....to put on divine nature. I am learning more and more this lesson: Don't resent the very things that help you become what God knows you can be. More often than not I want more knowledge, I want to be better, I want to do all these things, but I expect them to come without struggle or discomfort. :D Growth does not and cannot come an easy route. It just doesn't work that way. :D I'm so grateful for the trust God has in me, and for the changes I get to make whilst I'm on this mission. Thank you so much! I love you so much!

Love always and forever#

Your Sister Stephanie White