Kisses under an umbrella

November 26, 2018

This week I got kissed!!! Yes I know its super crazy. Never thought I would be able to say that on the mission haha. So we were walking around in the rain as usual and I stopped this guy under an umbrella. He lifts up his umbrella and pulls me under. At this point I'm smiling at him and like wow thanks. He then proceeds to touch my teeth and say 'wow you have some nice ones'. SO weird. Would have back away except he was holding my hand. We had a handshake that lasted the whole conversation. Got to talking a bit and he was just so happy that I was out here being a missionary! He is Catholic. He wanted me to go get drinks with him. I had to decline. Now at this point he just starts getting really excited and blessing me. Then he asks for a hug, which of course I have to give. Hugs are great. Still trapped by the handshake haha. Then as the hug is done he pulls me and gives me a nice big kiss! Haha so bad. Now the way I wrote this makes it seem like I did not try to help myself at all. Trust me I did. My comp stood about 20 feet away just laughing his head off. Then my dear friend Frank asked for me to pray for him and loudly exclaimed that he was drunk out of his mind. I prayed a lot for him.

Lets see what else. Our friend Ray is my inspiration for life. He is the most humble person ever. Baptism is on Thursday, keeping the fingers crossed! We talked to him about the word of wisdom and he told us that he wants us to help him stop smoking. He has now gone 7 days straight without one!! So cool, he said that he threw his lighters away and so now its not even an option. haha He also said something I really liked, " Eat food fast, so it can't catch up with you!" Think that's my new motto. 

Ok what else. Thanksgiving was this week! I am very thankful for lots of things. We went and were able to clean a ladies house this week that needed help getting ready for her two boys to come for Christmas. It was very cool and a good reminder of all the things that I have. 

Our friend Gemma took us out to eat this week! She is so nice. Got these giant burgers and poutine so that was very good!! She also got a puppy who is my new best pal! He is so cute and so good. Gemma reminded me this week to just be happy. Remember the things that make you happy and share that with others. 

Then we got Archie. Archie has been meeting with the missionaries for over a year now! He is so kind. Sort of like a grandparent to me here! He had us over for dinner and also made a ton of food. SO even though Thanksgiving was funny, still had food this week! He made soup, a Scottish egg/cheese dish, pudding, mince and tatties, and then ice cream and fruit! It was super tasty and again just feel so blessed.

 Desire is really where it counts. I'm starting to realize that more and more. Once you have a desire to do good and follow the Lord He can and will take care of the rest. That is what all of these people have shown me this week. 

We went to a church with one of our friends David last night. He is a recent convert last year and has friends at this church who had some questions. We were invited along to their service. It was a great learning experience. 

Feel an overwhelming sense of love for the people that I am around. Really been working on seeing people and accepting them as the Savior does. No judgment. This has brought more joy and blessings then I thought were possible.

 We are meeting with four people from that church this week who want to learn more and come closer to God. Tons of miracles all around, just have to look for them!!

Got my English tag finally. Actually super weird but helpful so the Scotts know who I am.

This is Thanksgiving dinner!!!  So good, didn't have time or stuff to make anything fancy. 

This is my new pal bear!! He is so cute and makes me smile a lot:)

This is Pineapple man! Got a giant pineapple from Gemma, again so sweet! And can always count on some weird things with the zone leaders. haha love them so much

All the good stuff

November 19, 2018

This week was a good week. Lots of ups and downs but you know that is ok. Life is not meant to always be easy. When we are challenged that is when we are able to grow the most. Now, this is a choice. Growth is a choice. Really the difference that I have seen this week has been all attitude. 

Was walking on the street like I do a lot. J walking is legal here haha. See a lot of people who just aren't so nice. Don't say nice things, throw things, spit, all the good stuff. It's at moments like this that counting my blessings has helped me the most!

That is my invite for the week! aha Kind of fitting;) but count the blessings and share them with others. You never know the impact you can have on other people:) 

I love you all so much and hope that you are doing great! Let me know if you need anything.

Went to a car museum which was super cool! 

Visited a members house this week and they gave me some stuff to remind me of home! So nice, I am very blessed. Best candy ever!!

Glasgow has a lot of rivers, just a lot of water in general so that is fun. 

Everything is really green here. This is Loch Lomond from a distance. 

Loch Lomond and Glasgow. We got a blue day!

Also went to Rangers stadium with Elder Hylander. People love their football here, actually kind of a big war.

Loch Lomond and Curry

November 12, 2018

Kind of on a time crunch today.  We are going up to Loch Lomond today, like right now haha,  but I'll have some fun pictures. 

The run down, the work this week was hard, we had a lot of flappers, but at the same time seeing some really cool miracles! 

Teaching a Chinese guy named Ray and he is a beast! The guy learns so quickly and is willing to change right away to follow the things that he should. Such a great example to me!! Keeping him in the prayers. 

It was Elder Smiths birthday last night so we all went over to their flat. Elder James and I made curry and it was pretty good! Always a good time with the teams here in Glasgow!!!!

 I love the people here so much:) such a blessing.

Thought for the week, keep trying even when things get rough!  NO matter how hard it gets or how hard it will keep going! Trust in the Lord and He will help you.

Drawn on Eyebrows

November 5th, 2018

Hello, it's me. Sorry again for last week, things are so crazy here haha. We hardly get any daylight anymore cause we changed clocks and where we are we just don't see the sun:( Luckily we got a happy lamp that I keep on anytime we are inside haha. 

The comp is great, he is very funny. So I am one of the blessed people who is in a city center. This means that I see a lot more missionaries than just my companion. Which is super cool, we do lots of stuff together. Two other sets of elders, zone leaders, district leader with another trainee which is cool! We are all in Glasgow. I'll send more stuff about that! Quite interesting. 

The teaching is great! Some days all we will do is teach and others all we will do is find. Mostly Chinese people but we have a few Scottish friends. The Chinese are so funny.

 Guess that kind of leads to the language. It is going well, still very hard of course but I am getting to use it a ton so that is a huge blessing!! 

We live in a flat off of Great Western Road. Our flat is good haha. I'll take a video this week and give a tour even though it's super small. But is has everything we need so can't really complain. Also has weights so that's nice, been working out which is super fun! 

The members are very cool. Kind of interesting because once you are one on one they are the nicest people ever and will do anything for you but they are all very shy, standoffish people so you really have to push to be their friends. 

Quick story, so we went biking yesterday for the first time because we wanted to go chapping! Our focus on Sundays is to find families so we tried to go to houses. The houses are limited here and are about a 30-minute bike ride away, so that was super fun, riding in the cold and rain haha. I actually enjoyed being on the bike though, felt like a little kid. 

Anyway went out and visited a member first and they gave us a bunch of candy and soda that they got from America!! It was a good little taste of home. 

Then we went chapping which we don't do a lot and met a Muslim family who is interested, and meeting up with us this weekend so that is really nice!! 

It's cold here now which is always fun. Lots of people wear scarves and jumpers. Might end up getting a few. 

The food is good, we have been made Chinese food which is the best, and then we have also gone out for it a few times which was good. Other than that it has been random stuff that us missionaries make so you can imagine its quite special. We do a lot of chicken. And I mean a lot, which I actually love so that's nice I guess. 

 My favorite parts of the day sometimes is when I can just sit and read. Whenever we are sitting, which isn't often, I try to be reading!

Thank you all for your prayers, they work a lot. At times I'll just stop and think, 'this is hard' but I got peeps rooting for me, so thank you!

Let's see so last P day quite literally ran around Glasgow which was pretty fun. Was with another trainee Elder Hylnader and we went shopping for food and then to as many other shops around that we could just to look because we walk by things all day but can't go in.

They are filming part of Fast and Furious here so we got to watch that for a second which was funny. They closed off some roads and crashed some cars and bikes! Spoiler alert! It was pretty cool!

For FHE we carved pumpkins " orange bell peppers" and decorated cookies with our friends and the YSA. That was very entertaining and it was very good in helping our friends meet more people in the ward.

 So for Halloween we had to be in at 6 because it was Halloween, people are crazy in Scotland. We spent the night with Elder Heggie and Hylander at their flat that night because we had exchanges with them the next day. That was also very entertaining, we ordered Chinese food and watched The District.

Kind of more random things, I was asked this week if I got my eyebrows drawn on, that made me laugh a lot! Also was told a few times that I sound British which is also super interesting! I sound so strange these days between the Chinese, my apparently British English now and all the random Scottish lingo!!

Spiritual notes for the week. We taught a friend named Ray! He is a beast, he is from China and doesn't speak the best English but we taught him the plan of Salvation and then he taught us back in English! it was so crazy, he said that it all just makes sense and he wants to do what he needs to follow this plan.

That leads into my second part. Was reading Alma this week and really enjoyed King Lamonis father. He was so willing to give up anything and everything to follow the Lord! This got me thinking about my own life and what I am willing to do to follow Him. It is really inspiring to see examples in the scriptures and makes me want to change and become who He needs me to be that much more!
So my invite for the week is to think about what you are willing to do to follow the Savior and then to do it!! Now this might not happen all at once, often it won't but try to take at least one step in following closer this week and I will be doing the same. I know that as we do this the Lord will help us, and help us become more than we ever thought possible! Don't ever forget how much strength comes when doing what He needs from you!:) I love you all so much and keep you in my prayers!!!! Have a blessed week

My friends 'pumpkin'

My Zone leaders

Casting out demons and Indiana Jones

October 29, 2018

Super sorry, we are so busy. We have to go meet some friends at FHE and walk home and change real quick and eat dinner on the way. Missionary life is so great, gonna kind of do just bullet points today because I actually have no time. I promise I will write more next week. Promise and pictures. Its so crazy here, life is crazy all day everyday.  

Rundown of the week I guess, just gonna be scattered and make no sense, bullet points 

-caste out demon 

-fed Chinese food twice in a day

-teach lots of lessons and talk to tons of Chinese people

-went to Costco with ten other missionaries and a lady in the ward, so funny, a bunch of 18 and 19 year old kids with a mom

-went to a park to play football, really big here

-went on exchange with zone leader Hoaldrige! he is so cool

-travel on subway, kind of like the Indiana jones ride at Disney land haha

-spent the night with the district elders

-always super cold, love it

Thought for the week, been really trying to live by this one. 

" NO excuses. Only adjustments!!"

Its been doing me well.

Thank you for the prayers they do work and are really needed.

This work is the best and this gospel is so true! The Savior lives and through Him we all can become who we need to be!!!! Love you all and have the best week! :)