Sister McEwan in England: Miracles in Kidderminster

So yes I have been transferred to carpet world. Literally the carpet capital of the world. Kiddie carpeted the White House and Buckingham palace. But I love it here. It is sooo much bigger than Cannock!!! Haha. Not the branch though. There is no primary or youth program in this branch because they don't have any at all. So sad. Working on it though. We met the coolest people this week and hard so many miracles some I couldn't even believe actually happened!!!!

So first of all on Monday night I got a call from a member in the Cannock ward who's kids live in Kidderminster. He told me "I totally understand what it's like to transfer everything to a new area" and because I was only going from Lichfield to Birmingham I was gonna have to take everything by train. So he offered to bring it all for me and just drop it off at a members house that morning - MIRACLE!!!!!! The McCall family is such a blessing. The McCall children are my absolute favourite we would eat with them at their Nan's and I love them soooooo much. Their mom is less active and lives in Kiddie so they always go to church in Cannock with their dad. ANYWAYS Sis Nels and I decided we would go visit the mom our first night together and see if we could get in and teach a lesson. We said a prayer and knocked but they weren't in.... so we went to visit a former investigator next door. He let us in and was absolutely bible bashing us for an hour and would not let us leave. He was like "I would beg you to reevaluate your lives and go home you are sinning and going to go to hell for this" he was super nice. After the lesson we walked down the street and THE MCCALL FAMILY WERE GETTING OUT OF THE CAR!!!! All the children ran up to me and gave me a huge hug and we got to make an appointment with the mom to come over:):):):):):):):):) it was SUCH A MIRACLE because everyone had been telling us hours before that getting her to talk to the missionaries was impossible. I couldn't believe it i was so happy. And then her mom is in the kiddie branch and when we told her about it she was so excited.

Thursday was the best day. the zone leaders texted us and challenged us to get 5 potentials, teach 5 street lessons, get a new investigator and invite 5 people to church. We creamed them and now they have to make us lunch. We met the coolest people this day. There was one woman we met in town centre who was actually a former!!! She wanted us to come over and teach her and her daughter. There was another guy who stopped us and was like "I respect you guys so much keep up the good work." He was super cool we are going to meet him next week!!! That night we met with a less active family called the Betts and they are SO CUTE!!!!!!! He is a return missionary but it's part member because she hasn't been baptized. Then they have 2 darling children. The lesson went well and we committed them to praying together as a family! They also came to the branch activity on Saturday!!!! And we are eating with them next week!!!! Miracles.

Friday we met another less active part member family. Her name is Divinia and she is from Canada. It is strange to hear American accents. They all sound soooooo hick to me now. Anyways we were talking to her and asking if she would ever want her husband to take the missionary lessons and she said well of course but I want it to be up to him. Then perfect timing in walked her husband!!!! So we talked to him for a good while about it and he said he'd think about it. It was so cool because yesterday Divinia texted a member saying that that day she was feeling super low and sad and that she knows the Holy Spirit lead us to her home.

On Saturday we had an American pancake breakfast at the chapel. So Sister Nelson and I decided to make some fliers for it! The day of the breakfast a random man strolled in and said he had been really thinking about investigating the church and then got a flier and knew he had to. So the elders and branch president taught him right then and there for like an hour and he had a chapel tour and he wants to learn more!!!!! Such a miracle!!!

Sunday there were like 12 people in sacrament meeting total. The branch has no youth or primary programs because there aren't any! But every person is so wonderful and I can't wait to get to know them all more. The branch president is incredible and knows president Preston from the MTC so we instantly clicked! He is such an amazing guy.

This week was crazy!! I've never been told so many times on my mission that I am worthless and need to go home hahaha like it was probably 5 times a day. But it only made us stronger!!!! Hahaha I love Sister Nelson SO MUCH!!!!! She is the sweetest most positive person I have ever met in my entire life which is exactly what I need!!!!

We just came from Birmingham for p day as it is in my zone now. It was so much fun. On our way back we talked to a woman on the train and she was explaining how she is strong enough to get through life alone and doesn't need God. I thought that my mission would be a lot harder in the rejection sense. I thought that I would feel more alone I guess. This week it really hit me within every difficult time how God is with us, because I could NOT do this on my own. President George Q. Cannon said: “No matter how serious the trial, how deep the distress, how great the affliction, God will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character to do so." I have never been so thankful for this knowledge and it breaks my heart every time I come across someone who doesn't believe it.

It was a great week!! I love you all!!! Ta bit!!!

Sister McEwan xxx