Lots of Happenings and Pictures!

Judy and Denise at her baptism

Wow what a lovely week! I am just filled with gratitude for the love I feel for evey person I've met in Teignmouth and Newton Abbot. My eyes have been annoyingly leaking. I took pictures of a lot of people who have made an impact on my life. I didn't get everyone, but here are a million pictures.

Bourenmouth: Presdient called Saturday morning and asked me to pinkwash an area and train a new missionary. Pinkwash means that the area used to have elders, but they have closed it down for a bit and are now opening it to sisters. I am excited/scared, but more on the excited part to begin this new adventure. It will be fun to train and to come into the area together knowing nothing about the place or ward. I think what awaits me is a lot of prayers, getting lost, but seeing a lot of miracles as well. I guess I can't get out of the southwest of England haha, but I am blessed to be going to a seaside city again. 

Judy's baptism: I have been teaching Judy since December. It was really cool how it all came to be because we felt prompted to go by a older member Denise who lived at the very top of Teignmouth when I was with Sister Andersen. Me being a novice to Teignmouth I thought it would take 15 minutes to walk there, but with the hills it ended up being 50 minutes. I am proud to say when Sister Schmidt and I walked there a couple of days ago it only took 30 minutes, so I'm getting in shape with all these hills :) But during that time with Denise the Spirit was very strong as we got to know her and when we asked if there was anyone we could go by, she told us about her beloved friend Judy whom she has known for 30 years. We stopped by and once every 2 weeks turned into once a week which turned in to 2 then 3 times a week. Judy cannot lie, and it has been so fun teaching her because she will say exactly what is on her mind and ask wonderful questions. She has a heart of gold and does anything for her family and friends. I love her so much. The baptismal service was so special as Denise spoke about friendship. They were both in tears and it just made me tear up as well. Charlotte, her grand-daughter sang "Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing." At the last moment she got scared she couldn't hit the high parts so we offered to sing it with her. Man we, or more me, made her look good because of my not so good voice, but it was special and she is the cutest and has made me braclets and a little smirf for a good bye present. What a special memory to end in Teignmouth.

Miracle teach:  I want to talk about this miracle of a teach we had. We met Christina on the street a month back. She is 17 and we have been meeting her at this little bench/pavilion right by the sea when members aren't able to have her in their home. We came to the teach with Elisa, a member who just got called to the Adelaide Australia mission (fun fact for you all), and turns out Christina brought her friend Louise who is interested. It gets better. We start teaching word of wisdom and law of chastity after a brief overview and how to begin teaching for Louise when a lovely girl turns around from another bench and says "Hey! I am really interested in what you are talking about, can I join in?". It was such an amazing experience and we are now meeting with both of those girls as well as Christina. Christina's mom let her finally come to church and so that was another miracle as well!

Teignmouth: I have loved this place and people with all my heart and I've really learned on the mission that home is where ever the gospel and love is. I am grateful to have seen the incredible progress of this area and see Kieron, Paul, Judy enters the waters of baptism. Things are conitnuing to progress and hopefully when I visit in a couple years there will be a Teignmouth ward.

I love you all so much, and appreciate your love and support. It means a lot.

Heather, Rebecca, Oliver, and me. I don't have time to write about her, but I know one of the reasons I needed to be here was to be with Heather during this really difficult part of her life. She said you are like a sister to me, and I feel the same way. There have been so many ups and downs, and I am so blessed to know this family.

 Judy, charlotte, me and Smirf

Vousdens = Amazing family, I don't know what we would do without them. That is Bishop and his wife Susan (I think she looks like Aunt Anne), his son Joe who returned from his mish 2 weeks ago in Leeds and Shannon, the prettiest 16 year old ever!

Maxie, she is also like another sister and she is planning on being baptised, she is just waiting for the penny to drop on a few things. She is pretty much a member already though and we have been through a lot together.

This is one of the many meals we have had together and it is so cute they always just give me a fork because I am American and am not the best with the knife/fork approach of Europeans.

Elisa Zuchic is the sweetest person ever. She is from Croatia but moved with her Mom 6 years ago to England and joined the church. She got her mission to Adelaide Australia. How cool is that!

Miracle teach. Emily had to go before the end, but here's a pic of Christina, Louise, me, and Elisa.

Dohertys. They an an Irish family who moved into the ward last year. They came pretty much with nothing and I am so grateful for their example of stalwart faith. We go every Thursday to them for dinner and they are hilarious in such an English dry humour type of way. 

My choir family!!!!!! Love every single one of them sooo much!

Sara McGuiness is the mom of 8! Can you believe it?. She just had little cute oscar, who is already being so musical

Hilarious Sister Schmidt: We were doing Judy's garden and Sister Schmidt was frustrated her fence wouldn't fit and she was like find me a saw, and I was like sister come on, it is alright, but no she would not leave it like that so we find her a saw and she just keeps sawing for a good 20 minutes. 

Stella and Kids: They were baptised in September, and they are just so great. Stella is AMAZING! So much respect for everything she has done as a single mom with everything that happened in the past. They are just so loving and fun.

Sam and Bryony: Love these two.

Musical

Musical: It was amazing how it all came together. There were little glitches with sound and what not along the way, but that's what I loved about. All of us amateurs coming together and trying our best. Overall though it was very powerful and emotional. The songs sounded so beautiful, and they will be stuck in my head forever. It was a really cool experience for ward members and everyone who came and saw it. I just love this ward so much, I really feel like I am apart of it. Jasmine, Judy, and Maxie's families all came and a lot of friends and family of members. I love the process of events like these, and the actual performance itself is just a cherry on top. All of it and Maxie and George being apart of it was so inspired and a lot of special moments I will cherish. It is cool to see how these events help bring so many people together, less actives, investigators, and members.

Year Mark: Sister Schmidt is the cutest and got a little candle and sang happy birthday to me. She saw a mermaid little bubble bath thing one p-day and thought that it looked like me and so that was my gift:) It was the best. She is hilarious.

Blur: This week has been such a blur of events of zone conference in Poole, exchanges, musical rehearsals, and the musical. A lot of great things happening here. Teignmouth is just the absolute best. Jasmine is just loving praying and church. Christina feels like she is on the right path, and Judy is getting closer and closer to baptism. There are great things happening, but there not without some trials for them along the way. I just love the optimisim of the prophet's example of how things will work out. They always do, and I am so grateful for that.  

I love this gospel and I love the Book of Momon. It makes more and more sense eveytime I read it. I love you all so much and keep doing doing those small and simple things. They make the biggest difference.

Love,
Sister McLeod

 Sister McMurtey holding Sara McGuiness's baby who was born on Wednesday. So presh, his name is Oscar. 

 Some pictures of the musical rehearsal and year mark.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day: I spoke at church, and though it is not Mother's Day in England I said that Moms should deserve 2 days. Anyway so I wished everyone another Happy Mother's Day:) Bishop Vousden's son, Joe, got home from his mission from Leeds and spoke as well. I love how he said toward the end of his mission that he started to only write people that he met that day in his journal because those are the memories he wants to remember forever. I want to start doing that as well. I loved skyping to some of the fam and meeting Elliot! He is my nephew I have never met him and I seriously wish technology was that progressed where I could reach my arms into the computer to hold him. One day! It just made my day that he knows my voice now and smiled :) I'm grateful for the ability to adapt to situations on my mission. My ward mission leader and the elders and ward missionaries were in the other room when I finished skyping and they were all ready correlate about the missionary work. I just had to take a moment and be like wow, thank you Heavenly Father for letting me talk to my family, but now help me just focus on the people and work here. And boom went into the other room and was fine. This is a tremendous blessing because I know how hard it can be for a lot of missionaries.

Temple and Family History Miracle: The Martins in our ward hold a family history event twice a year for anyone who is interested in the community and gave us flyers to pass out. We were determined to find someone to bring to it and on Monday we met Joy. Sure enough, she was super into family history and recognised the church's name from past experiences. We ended up being able to teach her twice that week and she came to the event. It was amazing to see the connection family history has with the gospel.

Jasmine and Christina: I love genuine, thoughtful, and inquisitive young people. Jasmine is Kieron's granddaughter and is so sweet and sincere. She has seen the gospel bring so much happiness to Kieron and had been inside the chapel before for his baptism, a musical fireside, and his talk. She said that she felt such a peace and as we met with her twice this week she continued to feel it and said how much she wants to feel apart of the church. When we extended a baptismal date, she was just smiling and we asked her how she felt and she said excited. She has no religious background, but it is amazing to see that it is our feelings that really helps us know the truth even if our mind can't understand yet. She has such a willing and open heart. The same applies to Christina, who is a student. After meeting with us last week, she was saying how there were so many things that suddenly made her realize how much God was a part of her life. A poem about repentance she had to annotate, a sign on the street about God. She said she felt like she was on the right path and also accepted a baptismal date. I love the sincerity of an honest seeker of God. Both these girls are so humble and striving to be the best people they can be in life. I feel uplifted every time I talk to them and so grateful for this opportunity to share the gospel.

I love you all, it was such a blessing to see your smiling faces yesterday. I hope you have a lovely week!

Love,

Sister McLeod

Pictures: Dartmoor p-day, we stopped at Pixie land, this cute little place where there are a million little pixies and gnomes

On the way back from MLC, Sister Godard recieved a package from Hawaii and got li hing moi flavored thing---best thing ever!!!!!!!!!! We were excited!