Merry Christmas 🎄 (Dec 19th 2017)

Merry Christmas!!! So crazy that Christmas is 6 days away! Sorry that I forgot to maybe mention that this week, p-day is on Tuesday! Yesterday was transfer day so it got changed around. Sister Schulze and I are staying together another transfer! That means spending Christmas together!!!! We are so excited! 

This week we had a lot happen! ELI IS DATED FOR BAPTISM!!!!! Wednesday evening we had a lesson with him and it was super last minute to the zone leaders came and fellow-shipped with us at the church. We taught him the plan of Salvation and he loved it! As of right now, he is dated for the 20th of January! After that lesson, he was telling us that he just wants to learn everything, and quickly! He is so prepared! He has an issue with smoking, so we taught him the word of wisdom Friday evening with a member who also struggled with it before her baptism. He was really nervous at first and wasn't sure if he would be able to five it up, but he said Sunday at church that he is already down to smoking a quarter of what he used to. That's incredible!!! We are so excited for him!! 

Tuesday afternoon Sister Schulze and I felt prompted to tract a certain road in the dead of the afternoon. When we first got started, we got no answer after no answer at the doors. Then on the rare occasion that we did find someone in, the usual "I'm not interested" and the slamming of the door or they were rushing back to work from their lunch break. But we felt like we needed to stay. So we were getting towards the end and we were knocking on this door and suddenly a car pulls up. My first thoughts were that it was going to be super awkward when they got out of the car so I was bracing myself a little bit, but they quickly welcomed us into their home! We sat down and started talking and this woman, Angela, was going on how much she admires Mormon missionaries for all that we sacrifice to come out and to share the word of God! It turns out that in the previous transfer, the zone leaders had tracted into her parents and they loved the elders! She and her husband, Paul, also told us that they had just recently left the Catholic church and were praying for what they needed to do. Paul left to go run an errand but we kept talking and Angela said a prayer for us and the spirit was so strong!! We taught her the Restoration and she LOVED it!! She was so eager to learn all that we had to share! She is honestly so golden!! We walked out of her home and we were grinning from ear to ear for the longest time because it was such a blessing and a miracle!

Thursday we had a Christmas party for the South Zones of the mission here in Stockport. It was great!!!! Since we live across the street, we were kindly asked to wake up at like 6 and head over to the church to help clean everything and set it all up with President and Sister McReynolds. We ended up not leaving until like 8:30! Then we rushed home, showered and got ready then went right back. We just hung out all day and played games and we had a "talent show" that was more of a variety show but it was so good! My mission is the best I live them all so much. EMM for life!

Okay, so I'm going to keep this story short and censored because it was nasty! On Sunday we went to tea at a members house and we have all heard stories. It's not healthy there.... But she made us a nice roast dinner and I couldn't eat it. Like there was dirt and stuff in my good with like hair and I wanted to puke. Then she made this strawberry trifle dessert. It's normally my favorite thing ever....but not that day! As soon as we left her house and we were walking down the street, I made sick all over the road. I look back now and it's a hard pass next time she offers to feed us, but in the moment it was the worst thing in my life. I love members and the service they give us! 

I hope you all have a very merry Christmas and a wonderful new year! I will talk to you next week! Keep the Christmas card coming I love them!!!! 

Springwood Suite G5

Booths Park, Chelford Road

Knutsford WA16 8GS 

United Kingdom 

Xx Sister Washburn