Machine Gazelle Shaft (Aug 28th 2017)

Hello again!! Well, I don't really have too much time today, but this week was good. It was really hard with the work and everything but I still love being a missionary and serving my Heavenly Father. On Thursday Sister Wamsley and I got to go down to Castletown and help one of the elderly women in the ward with her gardens (from and back yards)! she is getting ready to sell her house and the yards needed some fixing up so we gladly lent a hand! We found loads of slugs in her yard so we may or may not have poured salt on them to see what would happen... don't worry we repented afterward ;)

Today for p-day, everyone over in England got to go to the temple for the bank holiday, so I am kinda bummed that we missed out on that... BUT we had a really good day with some members. We went on this really neat hike to Dhoon Glen and it was so pretty! The trail ended us on this super gorgeous pebble beach and I loved it! 

Thank you all so much for the emails and the support! I love you all so much and hope you have a fabulous week! 

Xx

Sister Washburn

Snap crackle pop that's crazy! (Aug 21st 2017)

Just in case anyone is wondering... my 6-month mark is tomorrow!!! HOLLA!!! 

Okay, so the weeks are going by way too fast! I never know what to write home anymore hahaha!!! Well, this week nothing too exciting happened. We aren't reaching anyone at the minute which is really sad and it makes the days go by really slow! But hey just gotta keep putting in the hard work and I know that eventually, we will see the blessings! 

This week one of the members in the ward told us about this injured seagull they found in the car park of the church building. So her and her boyfriend took it to the vets so they could help it out. Then a few days later they got a call saying that they seagull was all fixed up and released back into the wild and that they had named it Thomas for them. They said, Thomas, because it was found at the Mormon church so they wanted to name it after our "leader" Thomas S Monson! It was so funny!!! Good ole Tommy!

Our bishop owns this place called the Manx Fun Barn. It's basically like a farm version of Amazing Jake's almost... But definitely not as good! So we had a meeting with him and he told us that we could play a game of laser tag. So just sister Wamsley and I played a game no joke, within 30 seconds of it started I tripped over my shoe and banged my head against the wall! Who knows how I got back up and started running but I did! And now I have the giant bruise on my shoulder but it's okay! At the end of the game they printed out the scores and we both got exactly the same score!! Companionship unity at its finest ladies and gentlemen! I had the biggest headache afterward but totally worth it!! 

We got our transfer calls on Saturday and Sister Wamsley and I are spending another transfer together here on the Isle! We are so excited and we have such high hopes for the area this transfer! It's going to be really good I can feel it! But I am so, so excited because everyone is saying that it's supposed to get pretty cold in the next couple of weeks. Winter is on its way and this AZ girl ain't ready for it! It's summertime and I'm already freezing so pray for me!!

I hope you all have a fabulous week! Love you loads!

Xx

Sister Washburn

Bling Bling dolla dolla (Aug 14th 2017)

Howdy folks! So this week was alright haha not too much happened! On Wednesday, the oldest son from a family in the ward got married and so Sister Wamsley and I helped out with that just a little bit! I seriously love weddings so much and it didn't make me trunky at all ;) 

This week Sister Wamsley and I made LOADS of sugar cookies for people. Most of my free time this past week went towards making dough or baking the cookies or making frosting and frosting the cookies! It was a lot of work but we loved it (and the cookies were amazing!!)

Friday our Bishop here asked us to do a YSA activity since there isn't a leader or anything for them and out of the 15 or so YSA that we have, 2 are active. So super last minute we planned something for them to all do at the church Friday night. We ended up just playing games and eating food with them and they all had a really good time and we got some of them to agree to start coming to church again! They're all really good kids and it was so nice spending time with people my own age and just having fun, and of course sharing a spiritual thought hahaha! ;)

Saturday Sister Wamsley and I ditched the car pretty much all day and walked all around Douglas to our appointments. I was so exhausted by the time 9:00 came around! I was sitting on our couch reading through the relief society lesson for Sunday and the next thing I know Sister Wamsley was waking me up and asking if I wanted to say prayers and go to bed! 

My life is actually really boring and I apologize! Today is raining pretty bad so we're just staying inside today and trying to think of things to do! I love you all so much and thank you for all that you do for me!! Have a fantastic week!!!!

Sister Washburn

Y'all are ace! (August 7th 2017)

Hello hello! So this week FLEW by!! It was so incredible! 

On Wednesday afternoon we got on the boat and went over to England and arrived in Liverpool at about 6. We were told by a few members and others to go to this Mexican food place called Wahacca in Liverpool that is supposed to be really good. So we went and it was delicious... I miss proper Mexican food, but everyone forgot to mention how expensive it was!! So we just bought one little thing and shared it, which was totally good with me! Definitely worth it for sure! 

Thursday, we got ready and got to the train station and traveled up to Chorley and we got to participate in a mission conference with Elder Ballard and other members of the Seventy and other church leaders. It was so incredible! We all got to shake their hands, which was so amazing!! Best 30 seconds of my life hahaha! Then we started the meeting with singing hymn 264 Hark! All Ye Nations and it was so loud and powerful! The spirit was so strong in that meeting listening to those men and women address us. Then that night we got to go to the British Pageant! It was soooooo good!!! I was in tears watching it because my heart is just so full of love for this country and for the people here. America is great...but England is so special! Thursday was a really late night with the pageant and everything and so we didn't get to bed u til like 2 am and then up at 6 the next morning. I was so exhausted!! On Friday when we got back on a train to Liverpool to catch the boat home, I was so tired and I passed out on the train and Sister Wamsley had to wake me up when we got there! The boat ride back was long and rocky. no Bueno! I got kind of sea sick, and we finally got home around 10:30 so I just went straight to bed and slept it off!

I have some really sad news... Vino text us while we were away and said that she doesn't want to be baptized anymore and has no interest in meeting with us. I wanted to cry!!!!! But all is well because she knows that we love her and we can't take away her agency. Maybe in the future, we can try again! But on a brighter note... Sophie (the 12-year-old friend of a young woman in our ward) has been reading the Book of Mormon!!! And she LOVES coming to church and youth activities throughout the week! Everything she sees us she rushes us and gives us big hugs. We went over the other day and met her parents and they were really nice and very open to having us teach Sophie! 

Today for P-day we went to Laxey and visited this Laxey Wheel which I guess is the biggest water wheel in the world or something like that... I don't know! It was neat and we got some good pics so that's all that matters! 

I love you all so much! Thanks for everything! You all are ace! Have a great week!

Sister Washburn