"But my pudding belly is empty." (Oct 30th 2017)

Happy Hop-Chu-Naa everyone!!! This week was great! Sister Watt and I worked really hard and saw loads of miracles! Recently, our mission has had a really big focus on getting our friends (investigators) to attend church! And so we went crazy this week and invited EVERYONE and went above and beyond to make sure that we had as many people as we could, commit to coming to sacrament meeting on Sunday! Sacrament meeting is a great place for them to really feel the spirit and be taught. We have a pretty small teaching pool at the minute but we had 3 people commit to coming and they all came!!!! There was one man that sort of committed but he didn't show up...it's alright we'll get him this week ;)

Saturday was a really special day! President and Sister McReynolds came over the visit the Isle!! We picked them up from the airport Saturday afternoon and then they took the car to go do some of their own stuff then we met up for dinner. They took us to this really posh restaurant to eat and it was so good but I felt really bad. Then we were able to go visit some people with them that evening! Sunday was church (obviously) and then we had a munch and mingle afterward! Sister Watt and I made sugar cookies and they were gone in the blink of an eye. But then we had to get them back to the airport for them to go back to Manchester so after we did a couple of things and got to have interviews with them, we drove them back down south to the airport! We took a nice selfie together and said our goodbyes. It was SO GOOD having them here and we were literally spoiled because it's just the two of us. Never again will I ever get that much time with them hahaha.

Today for p-day we went with a member and her daughter to this little village called Cregneash and we picked turnips and carved them! On the Isle of Man, the Manx people celebrate Halloween (Hop-Chu-Naa) differently. It's really interesting but so fun getting to know different cultures and practices. 

Nothing really that exciting but I love you all!! Thank you so much for all of your love and support! I really need it right now lol. Have a great week! 

xx

Sister Washburn

Dropping President, Sister McReynolds off at the airport. With Sister Watt.

Agglish Yeesey Creest dy Nooghyn ny Laghyn Jerrinagh (Oct 23rd 2017)

Hello, my wonderful family and friends!! I hope you have all had a great week! I don't even know where this week has gone! On Tuesday we got to sail over to England and spend a few days there as go to our Zone Conference in Manchester! I love going over but it was especially good this time because we got to stay with Sister Wamsley and Sister Lim! Sister Lim goes home at the end of this transfer and obviously sister Wamsley is one of my best friends so it was great to see them and spend time with them!! Early Wed essay morning we set off from Liverpool to Manchester for the day and it was crazy! It took us something like 3 1/2 hours to get there when it normally just takes about 1-1 1/2 hours. Crazy train traffic and they were crammed full of people! But we made it and it was good! 

Thursday we did a little bit of an exchange before heading back on the boat to Douglas! The boat ride was really good on the way back. When we went over on Tuesday, because of all the storms recently it was super rocky!!! Thank heavens for motion sickness medicine! But the boat got in around 10 Thursday night and then we had to walk home.....in the pouring rain..... Good times though!! 

Saturday we went to go see one of our "eternigators" (eternal investigators) named Iris. She is this 79-year-old woman who is super bitter about life but we just try to serve her and help her feel God's love. But this time we went over and ended up teaching her more about the book of Mormon, completely different to what we had planned earlier! But the spirit was so strong in that lesson and I know it touched her heart! Every time we see her, we invite her to read the book of Mormon and pray about it but she never does! Super frustrating sometimes, but this time, she promised us she would read it and pray. It made my heart so happy and I know that none of it was possible without the Holy Ghost there to help each of us! 

Today for p-day we don't really have anything exciting planned. Sister Watt doesn't really like going and doing stuff and we have a lesson this afternoon with an American that we found a little over a week ago! So that kind of interrupts p-day a bit, BUT you do what you gotta do for the people! 

This weekend President and Sister McReynolds will be coming over to the Island and we are SO PUMPED! It's going to be great! But I hope you all have a fabulous week and thank you so much for the letters and emails, you're the best!! Keep it coming ;) 

xx

Sister Washburn

Vino and me. Last night with her before she moves back to 
Sri Lanka! 😭 

Sister Watt and I with Vino.

Love getting letter thank you ❤

Changos Burrito bar in Manchester. SO GOOD!! 

Believe in Miracles! (Oct 16th 2017)

Hello everyone!!!! What a wonderful week on my wonderful island in the Irish Sea!! The Isle of Man is expecting the effects of hurricane Ophelia so people say we should be getting some really harsh winds and lots of rain the next couple of days. I don't really see how that is different from any other day here in the wonderful British Isles but.... 

Sister Watt and I just found out about 2 minutes ago that we get to go over to England this week for zone conference in Manchester! The sisters in the past never got to go over this often so we are truly blessed! Pray for us and that we will be able to have smooth sailing tomorrow!

Last week I mentioned a lot of miracles! Well, sadly all of our dreams were crushed. Sister Watt and I were blessed to find so many new people that we were excited to meet with this past week but as we called to confirm appointments or called by their home when we said we would, we haven't been able to contact anyone! Yay!! And we also got dropped by an investigator of ours that was golden for the gospel out of the blue. I mean, everyone experiences hard times. I changed the wallpaper on my tablet this week to a quote from President Monson; "So much in life depends on our attitude." 

So Sister Watt like I said last week is really good at exercising!! So I am proud to announce the progress I have made in the past couple of days! We have been waking up early and running for an hour on the promenade and I am up to about 4 miles without stopping. It kills but it feels oh so good at the same time! We even went out one day this week while it was "raining"! It was just a mist so we thought we were okay but by the end of it, I was dripping wet. But all is well, it was a good exercise!

Sunday evening we had a Europe Area broadcast with Elder Ballard and Elder Clayton. It was so good!!!! I love listening to the leaders of the church and their counsel! One of the favorite things that Elder Ballard talked about was seeing miracles in our lives. He talked about how he went to Ethiopia one time and they were experiencing a big drought but he felt impressed to bless the land with rain. Oddly enough, about 3 hours later the skies cracked open and it was pouring rain and it rained the rest of his time there. Crazy!! Then he said, "Miracles begin on our knees". I have so much faith that if we ask our Father in Heaven in faith, that we will be able to see miracles in our lives and in the lives of others! 

Sorry that I don't have any pictures this week! We have been so busy that I have just totally forgotten! I hope you all have a great week and always remember that I love you and keep you in my prayers! 

xx

Sister Washburn

Welcome to Hawaii!! (Oct 9th 2017)

Another p-day! wow!! So last week was really good! Sister Wamsley and I made it down to Manchester in the car safely! We had train the trainers that night and it was really good!! Funny thing... I hate chicken enchiladas! Like, I don't know why but I just can't eat them! And so Monday with all the traveling I really didn't eat much and by the time I got to the mission home, I was starving!!! And they feed you dinner so I was so pumped. Then my dreams were quickly crushed when they said we would be eating.....you guessed it! CHICKEN ENCHILADAS!!! no thanks! but I was so hungry I ate it anyway. Heavenly Father really does bless his missionaries! haha. But we had a really good time there and I got to see Sister Menlove one last time before she goes home at the end of this transfer!! And then we also got a new car!!!!! It is so nice! And it smells like brand new and it's only like 3 months old or something.. super sick ride!

Tuesday we got up early and started our track to Liverpool to drop off Sister Wamsley and her stuff then we headed to Warrington to pick up Sister Watt then onto Heysham to get to the ferry to get us back onto our quiet, little island free of big scary motorways and traffic! I love it!

Sister Watt is great!!! We are having a lot of fun together and have seen so many miracles the past couple of days! Seriously she is great! AND she is super healthy so we have been waking up early and exercising really good and eating super healthy. Praying for a miracle and I get my cheeks to shrink back to their normal size and my muffin top to fade away ha-ha-ha-ha TMI sorry.

It has been really cold and rainy and windy so I'm breaking out all my winter gear and the locals are saying it's not even bad yet so PRAY FOR ME!!! This AZ girl is going to freeze to death this winter! 

But yeah I hope you all have a really great week! I love you all so much and appreciate the emails and your prayers for me! You rock!! If you're ever feeling crazy, feel free to send me a letter or an email! I love hearing from you and seeing your beautiful faces!

xx

Sister Washburn 

Pictures!!

1) Sister Watt and I doing face masks her first night!! 

2) us and the new car

3) I have no clue... we're cute though 

4) Sister Menlove!!!!!!! 💗💗💗

5) Elder Barker ruining our pic 

6) quick stop at the temple last Monday on our way down to Manchester! 

7) the new whip 😍🚗

Motherhood & Conference (Oct 2nd 2017)

So much has happened the past couple of days! Life is so crazy (but oh so good!!!). As you might guess from my subject, I'M TRAINING!! (For those that are mega confused, when a missionary trains another missionary, they're referred to as their mum). Sadly, this means I have to say goodbye to my beloved friend and companion Sister Wamsley. She's ace and I'm going to miss her so much. BUT thankfully she is only leaving me to go be my STL in Liverpool!! Tender mercy from Heavenly Father that's for sure! 

So yeah this week.... it was so cold and rainy most days but we made it through! Tuesday afternoon we got a call from the member that signed up to feed us that night and she said that they wanted to treat us and take us out to eat instead. So their whole family took us to this place called Barbary Coast for dinner. It was so good!! The Clagues are my favorite! 

My mind is kinda going crazy at the minute so I can't remember too much but Friday afternoon we got a call from President McReynolds and he asked me to followup train a sister who is coming from Warrington, just outside Liverpool. Her name is sister Watt and I am so excited! Freaking out.....but excited for sure! So we are currently making our way to Manchester for a meeting for the trainers and then I'll get Sister Watt on Tuesday and bring her back to the Isle! The mission is switching the cars we use so we got to bring the car over on the boat. Driving over in England and is a lot crazier than our tiny little island! 

This weekend was General Conference and it was A-MA-ZING!! I love hearing the words of the Prophets and leaders of the church!! I know that we have a living prophet on the earth today, Thomas S Monson! And I know that he has been called of God and speaks the loving words of our Heavenly Father. We sadly didn't get to hear from him this conference, but I encourage you all to accept his challenge from April; read the Book of Mormon every day!! Henry B Eyring talked about it in the Sunday morning session. He mentioned something about how he has read the book of Mormon every day for 50 years! But yet, he still took that invitation from the prophet! You can NEVER get enough of the good word of God! I know the Book of Mormon is true and it will bring peace and love into your life as you not just read it, but study it and apply it each day!!!

Have a fabulous week!!! Love you all

xx

Sister Washburn