09.09.2014 -- Crazy Good Week!!!

Hey family!! 

Oh man so this has been a crazy good week!!!

So I was studying this talk by president Monson called Consider the Blessings.  It is really good and you should all read it!

In it he says ''Our Heavenly Father is aware of our needs and will help us as we call upon Him for assistance.  I believe that no concern of ours is too small or insignificant. The Lord is in the details of our lives!''  

I have really seen how true that is this week! I have seen the Lord's hand SO many times! It has been SUCH a good week!!

He then said ''I have found rather than dwelling on the negative, if we will take a step back and consider the blessings in our lives, including the seemingly small sometimes overlooked blessings, we can find greater happiness. I would recommend this exercise to you-that you take an inventory of your life and look specifically for the blessings, large and small you have received.''

So some of those blessings/highlights this week!

Well first of all- it is the last pday of the transfer and we have really fun plans!  Our district has matching shirts and we are going to the chapel to say goodbye to everyone, but when we got to the library to email with the elders, the computers weren't working!  We tried and tried but nothing was working. So Elder Hays was like ok guys we need to say a prayer! So we said a prayer aloud and yes the computers started to work!!! So miracle that I could talk to you guys this week!!

On Monday I got a surprise phone call from Sister Morris!! She heard that I had been ill so she got permission to phone me!  We were talking and I was just so touched, she said that if it wasn't for me she wouldn't have come back on her mission.  Now I don't know if I really did anything, but I love that girl so much- and I love the mission so much so the whole time we were together I just shared good times and good things about missions. She has been back for a transfer now! and she is doing really really good! and it just really really touched my heart that she would say that!!!  

There is this less active called A., she is AMAZING! she is an angel to me!  On Wednesday I had said a really specific prayer, it was after I studied that talk from President Monson, this whole week actually I have been studying about prayer- and really trying to improve the quality of my prayers.  Well when we visited A. this week, she said the exact thing I needed to hear. It was completely inspired of the Lord and in that moment I knew that God loved me so much, that I was His daughter and that He wanted to give me answers to my prayers!  It was a really simple thing that meant the entire world to me!!!  Then on Sunday A. bore her testimony, it was the most amazing testimony I had ever heard!  The love that she has for the Saviour and the sincerity of her beliefs touched everyone in the room, there was a light that was shining from her!  I am going to miss her SO much!!!

We were in Haworth, a little village outside of Keighley contacting, and as we were waiting for the bus to come back home this lady walks up.  We started to talk to her and we were having a wonderful conversation.  She plays the fiddle, and busks around different cities!  Her family is very very religious but when she was 18 she stopped going to that church, she has been on a search for truth ever since.  As we were on the bus I invited her to the baptism that Skipton was having that week, and she was excited and said she would come! She did end up coming!! We gave her a chapel tour and she really loved it!! It was a miracle!!

We were teaching our investigator D., we showed him the restoration dvd- we had a member Brother ONeill with us, it was so powerful!  At the end he was so excited to hear that we have a prophet on the earth today! He was so excited about the Book of Mormon and his closing prayer was wonderful, so very sincere!!

So remember when I was telling Bert that I don't move a lot. . .  . Well for the 5th time in 4 transfers I am packing again.   .   .  . I'm getting transferred to Huddersfield!!! I am so excited! I have never been to the south of the mission before, but this is where Sis Robison served for like 11 months and she LOVED it!!! I'm serving with Sister Decker and I AM SO SO SO EXCITED! She is amazing!!! I have met her a few times at meetings and she is just the cutest thing! I have NEVER been so excited for a new transfer!!

Well I love you! 

have a good week :)

<3 Sister Monroe  

09.01.2014 - Happy Are We, Happy Are We

Hey family!!!  

Ya I am doing so much better than before!!  Thanks so much for your prayers and fasting because I have felt it for sure!!  :)

Hey it has been a great week! We have been able to go out for a pretty good chunk of everyday :) so that is happy!!!  I have actually learned so much this week! 

I was reading a talk from President Uchtdorf  and he said ''external circumstances don't really matter or determine our happiness.  We determine our happiness, we are ultimately in charge of our own happiness. . . No matter our circumstances, challenges or trials, there is something in each day to embrace and cherish!''  and I have really come to see how true that is!  It is crazy but I honestly have NEVER been happier!  I have the gospel and a MILLION other blessings! Now I really appreciate this sacred time as a missionary!  When I am out, you better believe I am trying to make the very most of every second!!

I am actually very grateful for this trial! And I am so glad it came when it did, not any earlier in my mission, but towards the end to remind me how exciting it is going out to talk to people, how wonderful it is to follow the daily schedule and how blessed I am to be a missionary!!

There are simply too many blessings in my life for me not to be happy! And I am just too full of joy, I cannot keep this happiness all to myself!

In a very real sense I have come to value my time SO much more!! Happy are we happy are we!!

Sunday, the ward went CRAZY when they saw me hahaha and we have a tea appointment every single day this week :) the elders are very jealous! hahaha 

We have been able to go out and mostly visit the less actives we are working with.  It has been great :)

I'm glad to hear Spencer is doing really well!!  

Today we are having a pancake party and transfer calls come in this saturday, weird! It will be the last transfer call that matters. .  . that is the weirdest thought in the world!

I love you so much!!

<3 Sister Monroe 

08.26.2014 -- Crazy week full of Doctors :(

Well there is never a dull moment in Keighley!  It has been a crazy week full of doctors and the A&E.  Since I last emailed home I have got to talk to you one the phone, rode in an ambulance, had district meeting in our back garden, President and Sister Pilkington came and visited us in the flat, slept- a lot!, oh and gave a talk in sacrament meeting :) and I am still alive to tell the tale so I feel like that is pretty good :)

 

Hey but we have seen a lot of miracles!  I have definitely seen the Lord's hand a lot this week!!  The first huge miracle is that I got a cardiologist appointment!  In this public health care system it usually takes AGES, so Helix (that is the church's private health care) doesn't mess around!  And Helix has been amazing, they have nurses that call me almost everyday to check on me see how I am doing and all that jazz :)

 

The zone leaders came to our flat Tuesday and Elder Crabb gave me a wonderful blessing! In it he promised that I would see miracles in Keighley and that I would be able to go out continue to do the Lord's work :) So that blessing has really help put me at ease :) 

 

The cat scan came back with nothing serious to worry about :)

 

My district leader Elder Hobby, the Keighley elders, and Sister Staheli and Peck are all taking such good care of me!  I am so blessed to have such great friends in the mission!!

 

President and Sister Pilkington call everyday :) and on Sunday they came to our house and came to check on me, it was really nice of them! They are the best!!  Elder Stevens, he is the medical adviser of England he calls every few days.  So I am really being looked after :)

 

And Brianne Burge is fabulous!! She bought groceries for us, and has arranged for the relief society to drop food off for us every day :)  This ward is amazing!! She is calling and giving you updates and arranging lifts for us, she really is the best!!!

 

I'm on 3 prescriptions right now and they are helping a lot with the pain! 

 

So I think that means that things are looking up :)

 

Thursday was district meeting and President didn't want me to leave the flat, so we asked if we could have district meeting in our back garden, he thought that was a great idea!! It was SO much fun! It rained the whole time, but it was perfect because we were talking about attitude and patience so it fit :) and we had set up a tarp and umbrellas so it was kind of like a tent over us. 

 

Sunday we went to sacrament meeting and Bishop comes up to me and says well I'm in trouble one of my speakers backed out will you give a talk for us? and I said well I'm not positive I can stand for that long but we can try :) so all of his talks ended up backing out so all 4 missionaries got to talk, it was fun!  I got up there and started my talk by saying ''well I am on a lot of pain medication right now, I hope that you understand my talk because my thoughts don't even make sense right now!'' but I think it ended ok :) I talked about obedience and the Wizard of Oz with 1 Nephi 17:13 as the main scripture.

 

Well I love you so much!  I am so happy to hear spencer is doing well :) Hope you have a good week! 

 

<3 Sister Monroe

 

08.18.2014 -- "Apple my Pretty?"

Well we have had a good week here in Keighley :)

 

Yay I am so excited for spencer!! I brought his farewell invite to our district meeting to show everyone :) YAY!

 

So this week has been crazy!!! We have had so much success knocking!!! We were out in a village and we talked to this old lady for like 20 minutes, we were having a great conversation and she invited us back.  At the end she was like hey would you like an apple?  Well I love apples so I am like oh thanks that is so sweet! As we walked away, all I could think about was Snow White little old lady ''apple my pretty??'' but I ate it anyways :) I figured if there was anytime I would be able to eat random apples from people it is while I am on my mission :) 

 

Also we were knocking this one street that we felt impressed to knock and in the space of 1 hour we got 4 return appointments!!!  It was the best thing ever! We met amazing people and had amazing conversations!! It was amazing to see how the Lord guided us there! One of the guys is friends with a member in the ward! YES! instant fellowshipper!!!  :)  And another guy we talked to looked just like the actor on the Restoration DVD! And he even said that he is confused right now looking for truth. He said he believes in a higher being but everyone says different things about what is out there so he doesn't know. :)  ''Ask the Missionaries, they can help''' :) it was so exciting!!!!!!!!!

 

We have also met some CRAZY people! It has been so fun! We were waiting for a bus after a tea appointment and this older guy walks by, obviously drunk... . my favourite type of people. . . . He says to me ''hey are you waiting for the bus''  ''yep, we are. That's why we are standing at the bus stop :)''  he turns to me and says ''hey you should walk into town with me.'' I turn and look at him and say ''Ya, not this time sorry love'' and he says ''I can give you a piggy back ride!'' and I just started laughing and was like ''ok BYE!!'' old drunk men, they are hilarious- but I try to avoid them if possible ;) 

 

Then we went to the bus station and we weren't sure which bus it was we were supposed to take, so Sister Howard has the map and asks this lady sitting there if it was the right bus.  The lady then starts to cry.  So sister Howard comes back to me, I thought it was sad but pretty funny. Then the lady yells ''I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!'' and I was like oh man what the heck happened!??!  But she was yelling over us at this man, then they start to fight. Classy because there were quite a few people in the bus station. Hahaha it was hilarious!

 

So we found 2 new investigators this week! One's name is D. and the other is J. :) We also started teaching the daughter of a less active, her name is E. and she is 12 :) what are the odds of that ;)

But ya it has been an exciting week :)

 

Oh so mom, I have been getting frequent headaches lately and I was wondering if you could send some crystal-light with caffeine in it, the energy one.  I have found the only thing that helps my headaches is caffeine and I am trying really hard to be healthy so I'm trying not to drink too much soda.

 

Thanks so much! 

 

good luck to Spencer! I love him!! He is going to do amazing!! 

 

<3 Sis Monroe 

08.11.2014 -- Week full of Miracles!

Hey family! Wow sounds like such a good week!!! I am so happy and excited for Spencer!!!! WHOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I LOVED the package you sent!!!! I loved how you got to see the Robinsons! They took really good care of me while I was in Darlington <3

 

Well this week has been great! It has rained a lot!!  and I had to bring my winter coat out again. . . I almost flogged it in Leeds because I was sick of packing! I am so glad that I didn't!!

 

Well it has been a week full of miracles!  This week I have really learned that there are always 2 ways of looking at things, you can make it miserable or you can look for the good!  And I am choosing to see the good and so even though we got rejected a lot this week, the few investigators we had dropped us, and it rained a ton-- I had the best week ever! I also know that I am more resilient because of rejection :) Really though never been happier!! :)

 

I got a package with your scrapbook in it! We have met some amazing potentials!  

We were knocking in a village called Silsden and we met this really old man, he was crazy!! He invited us in and gave us a tour of his house. . . . It was the funniest thing ever. He couldn't hear a word we said but he really wanted to show us this figure he had of the Savior on the cross. 

 

We were knocking yesterday and this guy was like sisters come in! So we were excited and went in. Turns out somehow he has met missionaries before and we were in there for 40 minutes having the best conversation about how we know God is there and about prayer.  He said we could come back and talk about the book of Mormon! :)

 

Some times I feel like Ammon in Alma 17:13-16 Keighley is a more rough area and a lot of people struggle with the idea of a God.  But ''this is the cause for which I had undertaken the work, that perhaps Sister Howard and I can bring them unto repentance!''

 

I am doing the Lords work, why wouldn't I be happy :)

 

Do you remember M. from Darlington?! He is Trish's boyfriend that we were teaching, well he got baptized!! Yay!! and Sister Morris is back in the mission! She is in Leeds B zone, so not too far away!! When she came in President called me and let me talk to her :) I was SO happy!!!!! 

Well good ole Keighley is going to whip me into shape with all the hills that we walk up and down! It is so good :) and we are helping a lot of less active at the minute, as well as always finding new people to teach!

 

I love you all so much!

 

Good luck to spence at his farewell! I love you! <3

 

<3 Sis Monroe

 

 

08.04.2014 -- Blessed to see so many Miracles!

Hey family! So back in Keighley part 2 :) So far it has been really good!! We have been blessed to see so many miracles!  and guess what!!! SISTER MORRIS IS COMING BACK TOMORROW!! I just got an email from her and I am really hoping she comes back here!!  :)

Ya so we have met SO many potentials!!  We have done a lot of finding since we have been here but the best miracles have happened!

 

We had a lesson with a less active one evening and we had 30 mins to knock before the lesson, as we were getting close I felt a really subtle feeling that we needed to knock this street, as we were deciding where to start I felt the slightest tug to the left. Well the guy answered the door and he had a huge picture of the Savior on the wall, which by the way is rare- I just found out yesterday that there are more practicing Christians in mainland China then there are in all of Western Europe, crazy huh!

So anyways this guy says oh I'm not interested, but then we got him talking. We ended up having an amazing conversation with him!! We talked for 30 mins about the plan of salvation, he told us to come back on Sunday and we left him with a plan of salvation pamphlet! 

 

Then we made our way to the less active, and she ended up flogging us. So we were deciding what to do and I looked straight ahead at this one road and I had the strongest desire to knock! So we went and knocked this street and found 2 potentials on it!  One guy said we could come back!

It was a huge testimony builder to me about how the Spirit guides us in our work!! It was very subtle both times but I know that the Spirit guided us to meet them!

 

Unfortunately both of those potentials flogged us last night, but that ended up being a miracle because we were able to go to a different area and we stopped by one of our former investigators. We read a scripture from 1 Nephi 17 with her about how as we keep the commandments of God, our Savior will be our light and guide us through the wilderness! So we talked about the scriptures. Then we told her about the gospel library app and she was SO excited! She was like help me download it now!!! And she is going to put what we said to the test! She is going to read everyday for a week and see if there is any difference in her life! It was so good!!! :)

 

Then we went to stop by this really nice guy sister Morris and I had met, he is really involved in his church but he already had a copy of the Book of Mormon so we asked him to read 3 Nephi 11. Well when we got there he let us in. He said he didn't want to talk about religion but that he had some questions for us and wanted us to meet his wife and his daughter. So 2 days after we had met him there was this show that came out called Meet the Mormons, and it is all about Elder Field who is a missionary in our mission now.  So the show is ridiculous, it only shows him crying at the MTC and the interviewer hounds him on questions about garments. . but anyways it has been good because people start talking to us or feel bad for us :) hahaha

 

So he asked us all of these questions about our missions, did we really not choose where we go? do we pay ourselves? do we really not see our parents for that long? why would you do this?

:) Well David I am so glad you asked! I got to tell him why I CHOSE to come on a mission and how spencer is leaving on one soon! I felt like I needed to testify about prophets so I threw that in there as well.  

 

We then started talking about family history, I showed him my 'My family' book and my 4 generation chart :) and then we told him about familysearch.org and we talked to them for about 30 minutes :) at the end I thanked them for letting us come in and asked if I could leave them a pic of the Savior, so I gave them one of the pass along cards with the Savior and the articles of faith on back :)  It was really good because he kept saying over and over again how much he appreciated and admired what we did!

 

So overall good week! It rained SO hard on Saturday!! I was singing Just keep swimming!! :)

 

Love you so much!

 

<3 Sister Monroe

07.29.2014 -- Another exciting week!

Well this has been a great week :)

We got to go to York on Tuesday for a mission tour where Elder and Sister Dyches of the 70 came.

 

It was really really good!! I loved them!!  Elder Dyches talked about how we have to 'make our own weather in life' and Sister Pilkington talked about how the key to success in this life is learning to listen and follow the Holy Ghost.  It was a powerful day!  I always love those meetings, I feel so empowered as we all come together as missionaries and the Spirit is so strong!

  

It was also great because I got to see Sisters Neilson, Lybbert, and Nigido! and everyone else from up north :) So I was really really happy!!  :)

 

This week we went on member splits, I got to go with a university aged recent convert from China, her name is J. We went street contacting and it was the funniest thing in the world!  We met this girl named L., she is from Taiwan, we ended up talking to her for 30 minutes!  She said she has friends back home that are Christian and they are really good examples and always happy, she said she really liked that about them.  Then she said that her friends 'talk to the God, and He helps them to make decisions' and she asked us if God would do that for her too.  It was a really cool experience to have J. there teaching with me and we promised her that God does hear and answer every single one of our prayers!  

 

We had a ward activity on Saturday and she came to that! It was great!  

 

Transfer calls came in, and I am going back to Keighley :) with Sister Howard, I don't know who she is I have never met her but it should be good.

 

One things for sure I am SO sick of packing! It was just this time last transfer I was packing to move from Darlington to Keithley, then a few weeks ago Keithley to Leeds now back again, good job I didn't unpack I've just been living out of my suitcases for the past 3 weeks :)

 

And good news about Sister Morris's foot, she has the clearance to come back really really soon! So that is exciting!! :) 

 

Well I love you have fun in Tennessee!!!

 

<3 Sister Monroe