Sister McEwan in England: Suffer the Children to Come to Me

Hiya you alright mate (I'm so sick of this phrase) I love England. Just wanted to give a quick shoutout to my favourite Kiddie Gal Sarah Hall. I just love you sooooooo much (say this in my super American accent). She makes fun of me on the daily. Love you though xx

K so wow another great week!!! Monday we had an exchange in Birmingham so I stayed there with sister infanger. We were challenged to ask someone to walk their dog and we had literally 5 minutes until we had to go in so we were just shouting out the window to this random dude if we could walk his dog and then he was like sure and then we talked to him more and he was interested in the church haha who knew.

We taught a lot of formers this week. We have had so much success here with formers!! And they've all been street contacted it's crazy.

Highlights of the week..... Ailsa, obviously. :) She is doing so well and studying her BOM, praying daily, coming to church and activities. She is so ready and prepared. She participates in church it's just incredible. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR HIS PEOPLE. She is getting really excited for her baptism on the 4th. Solid. Golden. I love her.

We had another incredible lesson with Mandy. It honestly was the best night of my mission so far. It was the 2nd time we've seen her. The first time she was a disaster and wasn't leaving her house staying in bed all day. She's had a really hard life. She cried and cried to us that whole night. But the 2nd time she told us the best thing she's ever done is opening up the door to us and letting us in. The day after she took a 360 degree turn or her life. She literally LOOKED different. She said that she's been thinking about the refiners fire video we showed her all week and even tattooed a rose on her leg like from the video (oops hahah). She went back to work this week and has been praying every day!!! I can not explain how happy I was.

Friday we had district meeting and interviews with president at Harborne. On the bus on the way there we met a woman named Bal. she is a major alcoholic and needs some serious help. We showed her because of him I've never seen someone cry so hard in my life. She was SOBBING and just chugging alcohol it was crazy. But she wants to change but she's out of our area so we had to pass her to the zone leaders.

Next Wednesday there is a world wide mission conference I guess they're changing the schedule and everything so we have more agency with what we want to do with our time so that should be interesting. We've been doing so much traveling to Birmingham it's crazy. Saturday we taught English again to Ahmad and Rasha we are teaching them how to read children's books to their little girls. :)

On Saturday night we last minute went over to see the sweetest member. Her children went to church in Cannock and I love them so much so I already loved her so much ANYWAYS we have become sooooo close with her. She hasn't been to church in several years but her parents are in the branch. ANYWAYS we went over and she is like the cutest retro/vintage clothing collector and gave us so many dresses!!!!!! We had a huge dress up party it was so fun haha we had such a laugh I will send pictures.:) but we had such a good gospel discussion with her and her mom after and the spirit was so strong. We invited her to come to church and she told us she'd come to support me play my musical item so she came it was so cool. :)

Sunday was incredible. Words can't describe. Our tiny little branch looked almost like a tiny little ward;) but seriously. We had so many people there. First of all, there is no Primary in Kidderminster. We had to have an emergency primary / nursery set up because THERE WERE 6 KIDS THAT WERE THERE!!!!!!!!!!!!! Even the Betts came the less active family we've been working with and they haven't been in years it was INCREDIBLE!!!! Ailsa is amazing and is learning so much and her sweet little girl Sheena got to be in the primary. Wow it was the best.

Funny experience on Wednesday we went into Debenhams to pick up some face wash cuz I was breaking out bad lol and I really wanted to buy some Clinique but #expensive so I was like meh not worth it. But then the lady saw our badges and asked us what we did and we told her and she was like wow... I respect you so much... and then she gave us SO MUCH FREE CLINIQUE like just got us each bags and was throwing so much product into them then just gave it to us. It was the best.

Something that was hard for me this week was seeing my education on hold. Every time I walk past a primary (elementary) school I get sad and wish I was there teaching. I was studying the life of Thomas S. Monson. He has one story where he put a stake conference on hold in Louisiana just to give a little girl a blessing miles away. "Suffer the children to come to me." It taught me that I can still help and teach children even if it's not in an elementary school. Seeing the primary in Kidderminster branch brought me so much joy. I hope and pray we can find and teach some more families soon.

Another thing I learned a lot this week is that the worth of souls is great in the sight of God. God has such a plain and specific plan for each of his children, and helping them to realise that is the best feeling. "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!"

I love being a missionary. It is the most rewarding thing.

Sister McEwan xx