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.

Miracles

Some Miracles of the Week:

1. The elders met a man named Deon for literally 20 seconds in Newton Abbot, but in those 20 seconds he said he had faith, but dint have a church to go to and gave them his phone number and told them he lived in Teignmouth. The elders then called us to let us know about him and to give him a call later that evening. Literally an hour later, we were walking in Teignmouth and stopped a man. Turns out it was Deon! We proceeded to teach him, and set up a time to meet again. I think the Lord really wants Deon to be taught and we are excited about him.

2. We watched Finding Faith in Christ with Alan, and it was one of those teaches where the truth just clicked. The Spirit was there and he was able to understood more fully about who our Savior really is and what he has done for us. He was tearing up, and although he was feeling awful he came to church on Sunday. There was some drama between him and a less active member that he actually knows, but thanks to the elders and another member they were able to calm him down in a classroom and his whole demeanor changed from the beginning of church to the end. The blessings of coming to church are real, even when we feel horrible.

3. Maxie has not been feeling good lately, but she was driving around the roundabout by the church one evening and saw the lights on and remembered that it was choir. She felt like she needed to just sing to feel better, and lo and behold right as we are walking by the chapel we see her and is like is that Maxie!? We never usually go to choir on Wednesday, but we felt like we should that day. We were late, and it seriously was just meant to be that we could just see her since we hadn't been able to for a few days. After choir there was a relief society activity that she stayed for, and it was so good to see her smiling and happy and participating. Yet again the gospel, the members, the chapel, and the Spirit uplift those in need. I love seeing it repeated again and again in so many lives.

Calming down and focusing on the person: So we are really busy lately in teaching and going on exchanges and what not, and there was one time I realized that I was stressing about getting to the next appointment during a teach with someone else, and I stopped and pondered afterwards: what am I doing? I need to just focus on this person and their needs at this moment, and trust that everything else that day will work out how it is meant to be AND NOT STRESS. I was reading in 3 Nephi today about the Savior visiting the Nephites in the Americas and I love how He was about to leave them after speaking and teaching them, but there is a moment where he just looks at them. He sees they have tears in their eyes, and he feels their faith. He is moved with compassion, and even though he needs to go, he stops to help those in need. He heals those in need, blesses the children one by one, and prays a beautiful prayer to Heavenly Father with them. They are filled with joy, and he is filled with joy. It is this circle of reciprocated love that really brings joy to our lives. BUT, this opportunity and joy that happened could have been easily missed if Jesus was stressed about time. I am learning that everything works out how it is meant to be, and we just need to stop and focus on the person that is right in front of us. I love the quote that goes along the lines that, a problem to be solved should never take priority to a person that needs to be loved.

I love you all,so much.

Love,

Sister McLeod