200

200: Our mission ever since January has been working to have 200 people at church by the month of June. I think the highest we ever got was 180 a couple months ago. Our mission all fasted and prayed together last week to reach our goal since it would be the last week of June. And this week there was 203 people! I just love the combined and collective power of faith. The part member family we are teaching is the best. Phoebe is 11, Jack is 13, and Brad is 16. The three of them came to church yesterday and loved it. We had a ward picnic after and then a baptism of one of the members. We are really focusing on building and supporting the members in their missionary work and they are being so willing! 

DVD Contacting: We wanted to switch things up in our finding so we took the portable DVD player with some Mormon messages and went around asking people if they wanted to be uplifted by a short inspiring message. We had a really positive experience and met a man from Teignmouth who we referred to the sisters there!!!! I think we will be doing some more of that because I mean who doesn't want to see a Mormon message! Haha, I seriously love those videos so much. Who needs television when you've got those!? Even after the mish, I am going to always be watching those. mormonchannel.org is the best.

Shower: The rain drops in Bournemouth are GINORMOUS! I seriously don't remember them being this thick in Teignmouth and Bath. We were walking and randomly it just started pouring and we were soaked within 2 minutes. I don't even think a raincoat or an umbrella had a chance. I love rain though. You just learn to laugh when you get soaked, but honestly the weather is not as bad in England as everyone seem to make of it.

Funny things: There are too many too count. But there was this one man from Saudi Arabia who would not stop trying to ask Sister Sargsyan on a date. I mean relentless. He was not going to take no for an answer or an explanation we are missionaries or anything. So we ended up giving him Teignmouth's number so that will be a fun phone call for them :) 

God knows us: I was having a particularly hard moment one day and I got my first letter in this flat from my family and it is amazing what a couple words can do to give you comfort. My sister wrote something along the lines of try your best and do everything you can, but then leave the rest for Heavenly Father to figure it out. Those words helped me so much, and I also love how Heavenly Father gives us those reminders all the time in the scriptures. The gospel is all about remembering and so grateful to constantly being reminded that God knows us and wants to help us out all the time. 

I love you all so much, have an amazing week!

I'll forward the ones sisters sent me from our week :) 

On P-day we went to this waffle place. All I have to say is oreo. nutella. ice cream. bananas. and waffle= the greatest thing ever created!

This is a pic of a missionary who was in the mission who just came home and now visiting. So weird that Elders' have first names!

There is one room in our house that was left like this. It is pretty much a hoarder's room. 

Progression

Halloween: I really have learned to appreciate American enthusiasm for Halloween. People celebrate it here, but it is not as big and people are not so creative with their costumes. I asked all the kids in primary what they were and 90% said they were witches. Come on now!, where is the creativity there. But there is a holiday tomorrow, November 5th, called Guy Fawkes. It is something about someone trying to blow up parliament or something and they celebrate it by burning things and doing fireworks. so obviously a really cool day. The ward is having dinner and fireworks at the Turvey's tomorrow. And today (p-day) I'm so pumped because we are having an arts and crafts day with Sister Turvey who I love so much! 

Chris: Chris is progressing right along and is so excited about his baptism on Saturday!!!!! AND SO ARE WE!!!!!! We have taught him everything in a lot of different members homes and he has accepted everything with such enthusiasm! He even expounds on the doctrine. For example, we were teaching law of chastity and he went off about Elder Bednar's talk about Chastity in the Ensign we had given to him a couple days before. He is a natural teacher and is going to be such a strength to the church. We are having dinner and a lesson at the Pattersons' tonight so you can say it is going to be the best p-day ever!

Fasting miracle: As a mission we had a special fast for 35 or more baptisms in the months of November and December separately, and we saw the direct and immediate blessing that day! Sister Chamberlain and I were teaching gospel principles and out of the blue Billie, a uni student from London walks in. Her grandma is a member and she has been looking for a church to go to in Bath. We were talking to her and she was like this might sound weird, but is there anything I can read about the church. YA WE DO! Anyway we met with her that night and her flatmates were also interested! With all of them there and participating in the lesson, the Spirit was so strong and it was probably the most natural lesson of the restoration we have taught. I love teaching people me age. Billie is eager to learn more and loved church. We are meeting with her again on Tuesday. 

Bath: The Spirit hits me the most during hymns, and I just felt this incredible sensation of love yesterday at church during the sacrament hymn. I was reflecting on my progression as a missionary and a person in general these past 5 almost 6 months and the progression of the ward. The Bath ward is the most special ward I have ever been to in that you can just feel the love immediately as you walk into the chapel. Since July the ward has had 5 almost 6 with Chris baptisms (they hadn't had one for 2 years) and a lot of reactivation. I have been so blessed to experience my first months of the mission here and the Bath ward will always be so special to me throughout my life. I'll find out next Monday what the verdict is of moves. But anyways, life is great. It is winter here so I'm really starting to understand the power of layers and wool tights. 

I love you all so incredibly much!

Love,

Sister McLeod