Vino!!!!! (July 31st 2017)

Hello hello hello!!! It has been such a wonderful week here in the Isle of Man! Like I mentioned last week, I STARTED DRIVING ON FRIDAY!! Yay!!! It has been a lot of fun, and so far no accidents!! 

So this week Sister Wamsley and I were super busy! We have been teaching Vino a lot!! She called us in the middle of the week and told us that she wanted to be baptized on the 19th of August!!!!! That will be a very special day for many reasons (happy early anniversary mom & dad❤) and we can't wait! She is the funniest lady ever I love her so much! And then this week we also got to teach that girl Sophie who came to church last week with her friend! She is the sweetest girl ever and just adores us (I mean who couldn't? Hahaha kidding). We taught her the Plan of Salvation at the members home Saturday night and she came to church again on Sunday and asked us some more questions and said she had been reading the Book of Mormon! She's incredible! 

Tuesday evening we were at a member's home for a tea appointment and they have twin boys that are 10 years old and we did a lesson on missionary work and we had made them some missionary name tag to wear. Well, we had finished the lesson, and one of the boys named Mika was sitting at the table and said: "Missionary work will always be apart of me!". And sister Wamsley and I were thinking that is the cutest thing ever!! Then he goes to eat the name tag!!! We were laughing our heads off!! Not so cute anymore😂😂 

Thursday we had a zone conference that we got to Skype into! It was really good! With having a new mission President it has been really good because slowly we are starting to see some changes! It was really weird to be there at the meeting, but not really... The whole conference was really good! The McReynolds are amazing and I love them so much!!! They talked a lot about how we can set all the goals we want in life and in missionary work, but they mean nothing until we create a plan to achieve them! 

This week on Wednesday we are leaving the Isle of Man and sailing back over to England for a few days!! I'm so excited! We get to see Elder Russell M Ballard speak to our mission on Thursday afternoon and then that night we get to go to the British Pageant! I can't wait to tell you all about it next week!!! 

Thank you all for your endless love and support! If you're ever bored, drop me an email! I love emails ;) Have a great week!!!! Ta!

Sister Washburn 

If you love me, fill my mailbox!!!! ;)

Sister Kaelyn Washburn 

57 Spectrum Apartments

Central Promenade

Douglas

Isle of Man

IM2 4LL

Pray for me... I start driving on Friday (July 24th 2017)

Wow, what a week of miracles on our little island! One of them is actually kind of a funny story. So Sister Wamsley and I were walking on the prom (the boardwalk) trying to talk to people and this man was walking past us and we tried to stop him but as soon as he saw we were missionaries he said he was busy and literally ran away from us. So weird but we just kept walking and then this man standing off to the side yells over to us and wanted to know why that man was running. So we went over and talked to him and his name is Jerry and now Jerry is meeting with us and is really interested in what we have to share with him! 

Another miracle that we saw this week was on Friday we got a random text from this woman that the sisters have been teaching that she wanted us to go over that night to see her. But apparently she has been super stubborn and refused to keep any kind of commitments, but when we showed up she starts telling us that she wants to be baptized! Her name is Vino and she is the cutest and funniest woman ever and I am so excited for her!! We are just working on setting a specific date for her but she is so good! And then today at church one of the young women in the ward brought a friend to church and she came up to us and asked if we could teach her (she's like 12) because her parents aren't really religious but she wants to start coming to church. She is so sweet and Sister Wamsley and I can't wait to go teach her and stuff! Miracles everywhere!!

On Saturday I hit my 5-month mark in the mission!!!! Holla! And it was so cute because I actually completely forgot about it but we went running in the morning and got home and did our planning and then I went to take a shower and when I got out, Sister Wamsley had made this super cute sign for me and she made me pancakes for breakfast! Best. Companion. Ever! She is so cute I love her! 

So this week I came across a poem that I really loved and thought I would share with all of you! 

The Road is Rough ~ Leona B. Gates

"The road is rough, I said. 

Dear Lord, there are stones that hurt me so,

And He said, dear child, I understand,

I walked it long ago,

But there's a cold green path, I said,

Let me walk there for a time. 

No child, He gently answered me, 

That green road does not climb. 

My burden, I said, is far too great;

How can I bear it so?

My child, He said, I remember its weight. 

I carried my cross, you know. 

I wish I had friends with me,

Who would make my way their own. 

Ah, yes... He said, Gethsemane

Was hard to face alone. 

And so I walked the stony path,

Content at last to know,

That where my Master hath not gone,

I would not have to go. 

Strangely then I did find friends,

My burdens grew less sore. 

For I remembered long ago,

He walked the way before."

I love my Saviour Jesus Christ and I am so grateful for this time and opportunity I have to represent Him and share the message of His gospel and His love for 18 months!! There is nothing else I would rather be doing!

Today for p-day we went put to Peel and walked around the castle there and got some nice pictures! This place is SO PRETTY I can't believe it sometimes. Pictures don't even do it justice... Thank you all so much for your emails! They seriously mean the world to me! Love you all and I hope you have a fab week 😙 Ta!

Sister Washburn 

Can I get a whoop whoop? (July 17, 2017)

Hello from the Isle of Man! This little island is paradise!!! I sometimes forget that I am on this really tiny island, until the other day when we drove from our house in Douglas (the east coast) to Peel (west coast) in about 20 minutes. It is so so so pretty here! My breath is constantly being taken away! Since our apartment is right on the beach, Sister Wamsley and I go running every morning on the promenade! I mean, I kind of want to die every morning BUT I love it at the same time! Just trying to keep fit ya know? Especially now since we have the car... oh my days its a struggle. 

Being with Sister Wamsley is the best! She is seriously so nice and a really good missionary! We are already such good friends and it's a good refresher from last transfer. Sister Hunt was challenging but I learned so much and grew a lot as a person and as a missionary. At the time I hated it, but I look back now and I am so grateful for the time I spent with her. Sister Wamsley hits her year mark in like a week on the 27th of July so that is super exciting!! I want to so something special for her but I am so not creative so if you have any ideas let me know!!

This week we had a few really good lessons. We are teaching this woman named Alexandra who is so sweet! She's in her late 20's and just lost her husband a few weeks ago so we have been able to teach her a lot about the plan of salvation and eternal families! They have a little girl named Alexis and she is so dang cute! Whenever we are there she always tells us that we bring such a good and warm feeling into her home so we are definitely excited to keep working with her! We also experienced a miracle yesterday at church! This man (Ahmed) that the sisters met a few weeks ago just walked into the church building during the last like 30 minutes of church and started talking to people! He said he comes to the church every now and then but the doors are always locked and no one is around. We are seeing him tonight to teach him some more about the restoration! It should be really good!!

Sister Wamsley and I were told this week that Elder M Russell Ballard is visiting our mission on the 3rd of August! But since we are far out in the middle of the sea on a little island, we are trying to convince our mission President to let us go over and see him! And it would be perfect because they are doing this thing called the British Pageant (something a lot like the Easter Pageant at the Mesa temple every year) and it tells the story of the first members of the church here in England in the 1830s. It only happens every 4 years and it's going on the same week that he will be here! So I am crossing all of my fingers and toes and praying really really hard that we get to travel over for that!!

Yesterday we got to teach the lesson in Relief Society and it was really good! It was all about losing ourselves in the service of others. And just a quick little thought I wanted to share was something from the lesson manual that said:

" Your skills can change the lives, in a remarkable and wonderful way, of those who walk in need. If not now, when? If not you, who?

May the real meaning of the gospel distil into our hearts that we may realize that our lives, given us by God our Father, are to be used in the service of others."

I know that as we seek for opportunities to help and serve those around us, that our lives will be truly blessed. As we give of ourselves in the service of others, we get far more in return! Each of us has something incredible to offer and I absolutely love the line "If not now, when? If not you, who?" Be the miracle someone has been waiting for in their life this week! 

Today for p-day we went out to this Glenn and do some exploring! It was so nice!! Definitely one of the prettiest places I've been! Sorry that this has been super long but I guess it kind of makes up for all of the really rubbish emails I have sent in the past. To all of you that have actually made it to the end of this email...I love you! 😂 I hope you all have a great week!! Ta for now!

Oh and congrats to the best big brother on returning home from his mission today! Sad I can't be there but I love you! I'll see you in a quick 13 months! 😙❤

Sister Washburn

"Isle" miss you Lancaster!! (July 10th 2017)

Well as you can probably tell from the title of my email...its transfer week and I left Lancaster this morning and moved to the Isle of Man!!!!! Crazy stuff! I left early this morning and traveled to Liverpool and hopped on a fairy by myself and came over here! 

My new companion is Sister Wamsley from St. George, UT and she is amazing!!! So cute and I already love her so much! 

I don't have much time today and things are pretty crazy with moving and stuff but I will for sure try my best to send a really good email next week! Go look up a picture of the Isle of Man flag... it's pretty funny looking but a good motto goes with it. "Whatever way you throw me, I'll be able to stand." Love it! 

Looking forward to these next few weeks!!! Also! Some exciting news is I get to drive on the Isle!!! Crazy it will be so different driving on the other side of the road and on the other side of the car, but it will be good. Hopefully, I don't die lol! 

Love you all have a great week!!!!! ❤❤

Sister Washburn

Sister Rae (Lancaster England)

New Dress

Spiritually Drunk (July 3rd, 2017)

Happy Monday everyone!! Another week has flown by! This past week was a roller coaster of emotions! Sister Hunt and I are having a really hard together but just trying to work through it! Just keep us in your prayers haha!!

Funny story from last Monday (because what is an email from me without one?) Well we live kind of on the outside of town so most weeks, the Elders normally drive our grocery shopping home and put the cold things away and then leave our keys in a bin by our front door. Well, last Monday night we got stuck out in Heysham which is like an hour away by bus for us so we got home late and when we got back to our house we couldn't find our keys to get in!!! We called up the elders and they had to drive across town to drop them off to us and when we finally got inside they forgot to shut of fridge door and almost all of our stuff went bad! I wasn't too mad but it was just like one thing after another and instead of being upset I just tried to laugh about it. 

On Friday we got our new mission president!!! I am so excited to get to know them and everything! I met them briefly last night at a fireside the mission had in Liverpool which was really good! Some of the people who were recently baptized in our mission shared their testimonies and experiences with the missionaries and it was really powerful and then President and Sister McReynolds spoke for just a minute! Love them already!! 

Today for p-day our whole zone is getting together and playing sports and having a potluck in Preston! Should be fun!!! I love any chance to wear jeans lol

Love you all and I am grateful for all your emails and letters and things! I love the gospel and I love my Savior, Jesus Christ! It is because of him that I have been able to keep going these past couples of weeks because he takes away all struggles and all hurt. Get to know him and apply his teachings in your life and feel of His love!! Always remember that Heavenly Father is just a prayer away ;) LOVE YOU!!! Ta!

Sister Washburn

I scream! You scream! We all scream for ice scream! (June 26, 2017)

Hiya everyone, hope you have all had a fantastic week since I last emailed! I feel so bad that every week I say that I don't have much time but it's hard when we only get 2 hours to email and at least 45 minutes has to be used typing an email to our mission president... I can just learn how to manage my time better hahaha! 

This week on Tuesday we were knocking doors with all the elders and it was really hot and this ice cream truck parked down the road so we all took like 10 minutes to eat some ice cream. It was so good!!! And then the next day it was freezing cold and pouring rain! Crazy English weather! 

On Friday we had a meeting with all the missionaries in the northern part of our mission and said goodbye to President and Sister Ulrich since they go home this coming Friday. It was sad but it is exciting at the same time. My new mission president is from Scottsdale AZ, so us Arizona folk will get along great! I'll get to meet them on Sunday night because we have a meeting in Liverpool and I am so excited!! 

Crazy story from this week that has a lot of parts and its hard to explain but to keep it kind of short we thought we found this golden investigator this week but when we showed up to our appointment with him, he's fat and shirtless and hanging out the third story window asking if we were ready to come up. And then it just got worse from there. I felt like I needed to shower for like 5 hours when we finally left his home 😷 it was so sad and I really thought that he was so good but we were totally wrong! I can tell it better in 14 months when I get home lol

Love you all and hope you have a great week! Don't forget to email me and sorry if it takes me a while to email back but just know that I do read them and they make me so happy!!!! Ta for now!

Sister Washburn

Summer in England? (June 19th 2017)

Mondays are such special days! It seems like I blink and I'm sitting down trying to think of what to type for this weekly email... it's tough not gonna lie ha-ha! This week Sister Hunt and I traveled down to Warrington for a baptism of a man that she taught when she served there and then we ended up getting stuck there for an extra 2 hours because before we were getting on a train to come back to Lancaster, we realized that she lost our phone!! It was awful and then when we finally got on our train, it was BOILING HOT!! I was sweating it was so gross! It's actually been pretty hot here the past couple of days! I never imagined experiencing a hot summer in England lol! The other day I was wearing some super cute flats that have some criss-cross straps on them and we were out all day and it was really sunny, now I have some pretty rad tan lines on my foot! Love it 😁

Today I was baking some chocolate chips cookies for some members in our ward and it was so nice! But baking here is like so different than in America! I don't even know how to describe it, but just know that its weird ha-ha! This week we get to travel down to Manchester for a multi-zone meeting and I am so excited (mostly because I get to see Sister Menlove). I love getting together with all the missionaries it's so good! The England Manchester Mission is the best in the world ;) 

I don't have loads of time today so I am really sorry but know that I love you and I appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers on my behalf! I seriously have the greatest support system out there! Have a great week everyone!! Ta!! 

(Greatest moment of my life the other day, an old man said cheerio to me after we chatted for a few bit! It was a dream come true!!!!!) 

Sister Washburn 

British word of the week: the Boot (the trunk of your car)

Cheers my dear (June 12th 2017)

Friends and family, it has been a very wonderful week in the special land of Lancaster!!!! Last Monday I mentioned that we were going to the castle and that was really good! Sadly, as we were walking up, my camera died so I'm really sorry and very depressed :( But we also found out that if you take pictures inside the castle, you can go to prison for 2 years! Rubbish right!? 

Sister Hunt and I are doing a lot better this week! It is amazing what a little prayer and effort does for a relationship. We have been able to get over a lot of our problems and grow closer as friends this past week. Now it's just going to keep getting better (hopefully lol). We have been really putting in a lot of work this week and we have seen so much success! This week is full of appointments so I am praying it all goes well!! 

Today for p-day, we went out to the Lake District as a district and that was so fun!! We hiked a really big "hill" and now my legs are DEAD but I love it! We got some pretty nice pictures. England is just absolutely beautiful! Wayyyyyy different than anything from back home that's for sure lol! 

I love being a missionary and I love this church and all that it teaches! I know that our Saviour Jesus Christ lives and he loves us dearly!! Being a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is hands down the biggest blessing in my life and one of my greatest decisions I have ever made! Always remember that God loves you and he cares about you!! And know that I love you and care about you as well! Have a great week and shoot me an email if you're ever bored, ;) Ta!

Sister Washburn

British word of the week: Cheers!

People here say cheers instead of "Thank you" so try it outIt'sts super fun!!!

Always Look On The Bright Side of Life (June 5th 2017)

Hiya everyone!!! 

So I don't have much time today... surprise surprise! We only get two hours each p-day to email so it goes by fast!! 

This week was pretty exciting, I got my new companion, Sister Hunt! She is from Simi Valley CA and she is such a good missionary! But we clash...hardcore! We have had some struggles but we are working on it! Just looking on the bright side of life which is ironic since it is dark and pouring raining outside currently.

We are getting ready to go to the castle with Brother Holden in our ward to do a tour. It's supposed to be super fun! I'll send some pictures next week! 

Sorry but I really can't think of anything to say... I love you all so much! I bought some really neat postcards so if you want some royal mail, send me your address! ;)

Have a great week!!!!!! 

Sister Washburn

Would you love me if we took a bath together? (May 30th 2017)

Hiya everyone! It's going to be a little short today because we're about out of time! Big news today about transfers!!! My heart is shattered because Sister Menlove is leaving to be a sister training leader down in Oldham (pronounced oldum) so I have to say goodbye to her tomorrow!! 😭 My new companion is Sister Hunt and she's from California but that's all I know! Excited to meet her!! 

As always, a funny story from this week! Friday night we were walking to the bus station to head home and this drunk man stopped us on the street (what is up with us and drunk men!?) and he was just talking to us and then his friend calls and he goes "yeah I'm here with a sister Washburn and Sister Menlove... yeah it's here real name she's a real person and i think I love her!" And then he kept asking her if she loved him and we're trying to leave so we wouldn't miss our bus and then he just yells "IF WE TOOK A BATH TOGETHER WOULD YOU LOVE ME!?" I was dying..... and then we started walking away and he yells "Remember Jesus doesn't love you and he doesn't love me either!" Oh, it was so good! Made my day! I love drunk people... but I guess if you want to take something away from that pointless story, remember that Jesus DOES love you! 

I'm sure some of you have heard, but Monday evening here in Manchester there was a bombing and Tuesday we woke up and we got calls from all sorts of people checking if we were okay! I'm about and hour and a half drive from Manchester so I am okay and we know that all the missionaries serving in the city down there were unharmed as well! Sadly, there were people who lost their lives and many that barely walked away. But thank you all for your emails and prayers!! The world is crazy and it's getting crazier and we wonder why bad things like this happen, but never forget that Heavenly Father loves you! He loves each of us, and there is a much bigger plan than we even have the capacity to understand! Have faith in Him, love Him, follow Him, and your lives will be truly blessed because I know mine has! 

Sorry but I am all out of time! I hope you all have a fabulous week and I love you all so much! Stay classy my friends! Cheerio! 

Sister Washburn

Perry Family. They feed me my first-night ion the mission field and feed Sister Menlove and me our last week together

 

Sister Rae in the Lancaster Ward

Same Braid in our Hair.