Wow What a Week in England!

WOW WHAT A WEEK IN ENGLAND!!!!!!

It all started very stressful. Tuesday we had a tie breaker for challenge week. So there were 3 challenges per day the previous week such as invite 100 people to learn about the gospel, put 2 on a baptism date, have 3 investigators at church, visit 3 new part member families etc. So me and sis ohanyan being super competitive got every point that week and tied with 4 other teams in the mission!!! Our district was so proud of us and said so many prayers on our behalf to win the final challenge hahaha.

The final challenge was to give away 3 leaflets, 1 Book of Mormon, and invite 50 people to learn more about the church, and the first person to text the APs that they did it won. (Prize was a dinner with Sis and Pres Leppard). The APs were going to text at a random time of the day to tell us to start. We were blessed because we were in Birmingham for interviews so after interviews we went into city centre and just street contacted for hours until they texted!!!! Unfortunately....... we lost....... but out of 200 missionaries we got 3rd place so I'm pretty proud:) AND BIRMINGHAM ZONE WON out of all 8 zones!!!!! so today we are at the mission home and get EBM t-shirts and a zone p-day which is totally not allowed except for today:):):)

We stayed in brum that night and had a sleepova with the STLs. Got to be on exchange with sister belnap which was so fun she goes home next transfer. :( The next day they took us to Cheltenham for zone conference which was Ssoooo good!!!!! It was fun seeing that beautiful side of England as well because I've been STUCK IN BIRMINGHAM MY WHOLE MISSION. It's okay tho I love it haha :) but ya it was so much fun seeing all my friends who were serving in Wales and Cheltenham and it was a very spiritually uplifting meeting:)

Thursday we finally got to work in our area.... woot woot!!!! Sarah had to have another baptismal interview by the 1st counsellor of our mission. He was so impressed by her!!! Oh my goodness she is the cutest person in the world. She texts us every day about her Book of Mormon reading and how excited she was to get baptised.

Liam, the cutie he is CHANGING!!!!!  Big time. He said that going to Sarah's baptism changed everything for him. He used to be on 20 cigarettes a day, but now he's down to 5. He said after the baptism he lit one and it didn't even taste good to him. He said that he felt something indescribable and he is going to work hard toward his baptism. He didn't even go out this weekend and get drunk for the first time in years because he wanted to make sure he was at church and the baptism. He's a legend!!!!!!

A less active (the Betts family) we've been working with for ages CAME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY!!!!!! The whole branch was shocked. Please keep this sweet family in your prayers. The branch needs this!!!! It's insane. In January there were only about 15-20 people at church. Yesterday there were 48!!!!!!

We had a family history workshop on Friday with Sarah and Ailsa. It was so sweet how excited they were to take their names to the temple.

Friday night we were STRESSED TO THE MAX putting together the baptism. (Still a last minute person, mission doesn't change everything......) anyways our cute kiddie elders and zone leaders brought us chocolate and ice cream..... what the heck!!!! I love them!!!! Seriously gonna die when I leave this district.

OKAY NOW THE BEST BIT:) SARAH WAS BAPTISED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is impossible to accurately describe the feeling when they walk out of the font with the biggest smile on their faces. She came out of the water and looked at us saying "I am cleansed!!!!" She is so excited to go to the temple and do the work for her ancestors and her husband. :) She said she could feel that her husband was there, and was proud of her. She always tells us "the best thing I ever did was run into you two." Oh my gosh I don't want to leave kiddie.

The closing hymn in sacrament yesterday was the spirit of God. "We'll sing, and we'll shout, with the armies of heaven hosanna, hosanna, to god and the lamb!!" Oh how great the plan of our God!!!! May we teach it, and may we live it, with "a sound of rejoicing!!!" It is something to sing, and something to shout about. We are apart of the greatest work in the history of mankind. I know that this is true. I have seen the change it brings in others, and in myself. Let the gospel change you. :) "Come as you are, but don't expect to stay as you are."

I love you all. Very very very very much.

Cheers,
Sister McEwan xxx

Sister Nelson!!!!!! Reunited at zone conference. This girl taught
me so much. Forever grateful for her.

Kidderminster town centre is dead by 5 pm. England is weird.

Half of my group. We are huge hahaha #august17. Ps) a year ago last
week I got my mission call.... how crazy?

Belnap my Girl

Sarah's Baptism

District lunch at the Pub

English Class

Love Like the Savior

This week was a mission wide CHALLENGE WEEK!!!!!!! The APs sent out 3 intense challenges each day and I'm proud to say that Sis O and I got every single one. :) we are tied with a couple other teams in the mission so the tie breakers are this week. :)

Here's some good storiessss.

We met a guy named Aaron. He told us he would think about coming tochurch and if he ran into us again he'd let us know if he would. SO ofcourse, the next day, we saw him again in the streets. We said Aaronisn't this a sign from God??? Haha. He said ya ya if it happens againthen I'll come to church. And then u know how God works we saw himagain the next morning when we were walking to an appointment. Hahahacoolest thing ever.

On Wednesday our challenges were to invite 100 people to learn aboutthe church and give out 10 Book of Mormons....... FLIP maybe in Birmingham... but in Kidderminster???? The Redditch elders and the Kiddie elders were in town finding people as well so in total we hadto stop 300 people and give out 30 Book of mormons in town centre. Everyone HATED us. We were stopping people for a solid 3 hours. Finding for the long can be so discouraging haha. But we met some of the greatest people. One of which is named KARL. We met him in thelibrary, taught him resto, and invited him to be baptised and set a date for the 20th of may. :) go Karl!!! We need some more priesthood in Kidderminster branch

Last week there was a raging party in the flat above us. Tons of drunk chavs started a huge fight right outside our door and we're throwing eachother down the stairs, punching eachother, and tons of girls were screaming and crying so we did have a nice visit from the police (nice of them to show up this time, Britain is the worst) but ya then yesterday morning someone was trying to open our door again. I think it might be just a confused drunk person who thinks its their door but really live on the floor above? Who knows.

Sarah George PASSED HER BAPTISMAL INTERVIEW!!!!!! And will be baptised on Saturday!!!!!!:) Oh my days she is golden golden golden. She was like a proper member today reading the lyrics to them hymns before sacrament meeting started haha bless her!!!! She's telling everyone about her baptism and the story of how we found her and aw man we are just so excited for her. :)

A less active that sis nelson and I started working closely with went to the TEMPLE idk if I forgot to tell you guys but ya we got to meet with her this week.

Another less active we've been working really closely with her name is charly. Her kids are the ones who were in Cannock. She took us to lunch this week and we ate with her mum and dad and her for Easter Sunday. So on Easter all the missionaries gave talks and I also played a musical item so we asked her to come. She hasn't been to church in 5ish years so it was really cool because she came and stayed the whole 3 hours!!!!!!!!:) and she really felt the spirit in gospel principles and I hope she will come again. Her mom was so happy.

Another miracle. When sis nelson was here we both had a prompting to tract a street called broomfield Close. We never got to it. Anyways we asked a member this week to pray for a street we could tract and she said Broomfield Close!!!!! What the heck!!!!!!! Should have listened to that prompting the first time. :) first responders!

SICK MIRACLE!!!!!! Sis o and I traveled to stourport to visit a less active. We were about an hour early and were starving. We saw a little Chinese take away but weren't feelin it so we said okay we will keep that in mind but keep looking. so for 20 minutes we walked around trying to find something else then all of a sudden we both really wanted Chinese hahaha. So we went back and ordered our food. Right when sis o had gotten hers a woman walked in and saw our badges and started asking us questions. We taught her the resto right there to her and all the little Chinese workers and she just sat down and started sobbing. We were confused and tried to comfort her and she said I have never felt this overwhelming amount of peace in a very long time! We gave her a Book of Mormon and she said we could come over and talk to her more :)

I loved Easter. I really do have such a greater appreciation for it now. I missed celebrating it with my family, but it was so sacred for me.

During a week filled with remembrance of the Saviour, I studied his attributes, and became overwhelmed by how much I needed to do to become like him. I was writing down lists and things I could do, but in the end, crossed it all out, and wrote LOVE like him. When we love like the Saviour, the rest will fall into place.

Thomas S. Monson once said, "Love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our exemplar." He goes on to say how His crowning expression in mortality, of him demonstrating his love, was said at the end of his life. "Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do."

I love the Saviour. And how grateful am I to have his example, and the chance to practice and learn how to love like he did over an eternity.

Cheers,
Sister McEwan x

Sweet less-active ward member. She gave me this vintage dress, 
there are buttons down the whole back like the ones on the sleeves!

Our "Missionary (not) hugs"

Lady we helped get to the temple!

The Favorites

Sheena

Elder Falconer

England for ya

Birmingham Zone Meeting

Let us be First Responders

Lots of exciting things happening in Kidderminster!

We started the weeek with KEBABTISING!!!. In England at every chippy (fish n chip shop... also they have 0 fast food restaurants here, if u want something quick, it's the chippy). Anyways they also sell kebabs which is Indian food. Not sure what's in it but it's some type of lamb inside flatbread I'll send a photo.... but yeah in the EBM it's\ mission culture to be kebabtised so we had to do it for elder dastrups boy and sis ohanyan. It's really disgusting but you gotta do it if ur real. :) some missionaries like it but ya I'll pass hahahaha.

Our sweet Syrian family fed us more Syrian food and it was actually good this time!!!! Hahaa. No idea what it was but I'll send photos.

SARAH GEORGE!!!!!!! Miracle woman. Wow. Most prepared person I have ever met on my mission. She is willing to give up anything and everything to be a member of this church. She said that she reads the Book of Mormon every morning and night she's already in alma and we gave it to her a week and a half ago!!! She's telling EVERYONE about her baptism and texts us all day updating us on what she's been reading and how she's been drinking juice instead of tea hahaha bless her. She comes to every branch activity aw man she even quit her job so she won't have to work on Sundays...... what the golden!!??!! Seriously amazing. She is getting baptised on the 22nd :):) the branch is so excited.

After teaching Sarah we knocked some doors around her and showed the prince of peace several times. Sis O and I have really been working on stopping every single person we see on the street and we have seen many miracles from it!!!!  Even if they're not going to accept the gospel, god places them in our path so we can invite. The work is to continually be inviting!!!! That is our purpose, to invite.:) but we've been able to use this incredible initiative to do so. Share it on your social media!!!! Met a cool guy this week who had already seen it because a friend posted it..... we need to utilise the technology we have been blessed with!!!!!

Saturday was pancake breakfast. Our investigator Liam brought a friend who we are teaching now!!!! She has a little girl and was really interested as she has seen how happy the church has made Liam. So we are excited for that:)

Afterwards we went to Birmingham airport to do a Family Search / ancestry booth!!!!! There was a huge family history convention going on there. It was so nice speaking to people from the home land hahah. American accents sound sooooo hick to me now hahaaha. But it was really neat. Felt like the parade of homes..... don't miss that ;) One guy came over to us and told us he has been through the Provo temple open house. We were able to have a good discussion with him and after much convincing he decided he would just try meeting with missionaries;) he lives in Germany!!!

COOLEST MIRACLE!!!!!! We got super lost on our way to the convention. The airport is just outside Birmingham but we had to go to a different train station once we got into the Birmingham (there are several in brum anyways unimportant) so ya we got to the airport (the station is in the airport) and we thought it was in a different building so we were walking outside around the airport for 45 minutes trying to find it hahahaha such losers. Anyways while we were lost a man approached us and said "Excuse me can I please have a leaflet about Joseph Smith?" We were like uhhhhhhhhh ya!!!!!!!! So we got him a leaflet and a Book of Mormon then he said "I was baptised 10 years ago in Nottingham but moved to Birmingham several years ago and lost my way. So we got his number so the missionaries in harborne could go over and bring him back!!!!!:) I just love that the Lord went through all of that effort to find one of his children. The convention was literally down 1 hallway. We didn't even have to leave the station. But the Lord had a different plan!!! He sent us out to find his lost sheep:):)

Ate fish n chips drenched in salt and vinegar sat outside a pub the other day. Never felt so English in my life. I'm going to come home putting the weirdest ish on my food btw. Baked beans on toast is my favourite breakfast.

SPIRITUAL BIT.

Still reflecting on general conference. Seriously can't describe how good it was. Note to my family: I know you were on a cruise, don't be wasters, watch conference please and thank you. :)

I loved when Elder Rasband talked about how we are "Spiritual First Responders."

"First promptings are pure inspiration from heaven. When they confirm or testify to us, we need to recognize them for what they are and never let them slip past. So often, it is the Spirit inspiring us to reach out to someone in need, family and friends in particular. “Thus … the still small voice, which whispereth through and pierceth all things,” points us to opportunities to teach the gospel, to bear testimony of the Restoration and Jesus Christ, to offer support and concern, and to rescue one of God’s precious children."

The last week I've been thinking about how happy sharing the gospel makes me. I never want that happiness to go away!!!! But I have been thinking that we don't have to be a missionary to save people and just because we live in Utah doesn't mean we can't teach the gospel! I feel as though my spirituality at home was just the same as an investigator unaware of the church. There are so many people that need our help, that need YOUR help. And when we listen to the "whisperings" of the spirit, God will lead us to those people. His precious children who he trusts us with!:) NOW!!! Not later...... the first time he tells you:) we are FIRST responders to his FIRST promptings:)

Find someone who is having a hard time, and do something for them.

I love you all. X

Cheers,
Sister McEwan xxx

Pictures:
1) The district ❤️️❤️️❤️️
3) u know ur a missionary when ur toes start to bleed
4) daily life of a missionary
5) our sweet Sarah George
6) the saddest photo I have ever taken #rip my soul
7) family history, I am doing it!!!!
8) stressed life lost on a train in Birmingham
9) closest I've been to a boy in 8 months
10) I did a training at district meeting and did a role play on always
be finding. So we fake Street contacted some really weird elders;)
(access to costumes was limited)
11) the youngest 85 year old I've ever met
12) breakdancing on pday

King of Kings, Prince of Peace

WHAT A GREAT WEEK IN KIDDERMINSTERRRR!!!!

We had some brilliant miracles this week. We met with a new investigator called Sarah George! Sis nelson and I found her a month ago in town we said we were going to stop anyone wearing a hat! so we stopped her, she said to contact her in a month, we followed up and now she's progressing rapidly!!!!! She even came all the way to Birmingham to watch general conference with us and she lovedddddd it!!!! She would vocally agree with anything the speakers would say haha. She is getting baptised on the 16th and was telling everyone about her baptism:) aw man I love her she is the sweetest.

A member from Cannock took me and sis o to lunch it made my week. Miss my greenie area.

Wednesday we decided to do some street contacting in town and met a woman named Elaine and she told us her husband was really interested in our religion and they've been trying to search for truth for a long time. It was cool because before we started street contacting we prayed that we could find someone who was "seeking the truth but knew not where to find it" so she told us to come over that night!!!!! We went over and her husband was slightly crazy but all his beliefs coincided with ours (except that he doesn't believe in a virgin birth and was trying to convince us for 30 minutes that the earth was flat) ......what the heck. But ya were hoping to meet with them again this week and he wants to come to church on Sunday:):)

Jess is really progressing as well. It's rough cuz she just got back with her boyfriend so they're living together..... they fed us again this week though and we were able to teach jess alone. She felt the spirit and loves coming out to church. She will be baptised just might take a little bit of time.

We met with Sheila twice. She's slightly crazy... bless her.... she always calls us to ask us what she can do to keep her mind off "bad thoughts" so we told her to draw us a picture I will attach it its tender. She's 80 and is just really lonely so us coming over is the highlight of her week. She tells us "I love you" at least 100 times while we are there. After teaching her I am always so drained.

Another cool miracle.... we found the coolest girl from Hong Kong street contacting and had a lesson with her at the library. She loved the resto and is really interested and is going to come to church in a couple weeks after she gets back from Hong Kong. She is such a sweetheart and so prepared. Anyways during the lesson it was down pouring. I am so sick of rain hahahah FLIPPING England. But it was rain I've never seen in my life just sheets of it. We had to walk to the train station to go to Birmingham for gen conf so we were just like ahhhhhg we are gonna get soaked. So in the closing prayer sis ohanyan prayed that it would stop raining and I kid you not.... we opened our eyes and it was GONE and there was SUNSHINE. Nora, our investigator, was like wow! There really is a god! Hahahaha it was so cool.

General conference man...... over and over again I was just reminded that this church is true!!! I get confirmations of it at least 10 time a day and I hope it stays like that when I get off the mission because it makes me want to work harder and harder and be the best Madeline I can be.

During sessions a couple of us went out and knocked doors. 6 elders and me and sis ohanyan took one street and it was so weird watching missionaries get rejected hahahaha seeing it from the other side haha I feel honoured to be a missionary.

My favourite talk was by Gary B. Sabin. I'm not going to say I enjoyed it because Jeffrey r holland once said "I don't appreciate when people say they enjoyed my talk..... I didn't give the talk to be enjoyed!!!!" Hahahahahaha. His was great as well. But my favourite story shared was the one of the sleeping bag... how the boy at scout camp didn't sleep in his sleeping bag because it would save 5 minutes of rolling it up after, but all night he was freezing cold because the fire went out. I loved how he related it to a "spiritual sleeping bag" how taking the time to pray, read, and go to church will protect and keep us warm!!!!!! This is (one of) the greatest lessons I have learned on my mission.

I also loved hearing from our Dear Prophet, Thomas s monson. His testimony touched my heart. It is so pure, and so true. Wow, I love this church. And I love the mission. And since I am a missionary.... I'm going to extend a commitment to you all....

Will you review and and study the counsel given by our prophet and apostles over the coming weeks??? I promise, if you do, you will be spiritually protected. It was also said (I forgot by who I left my notes at home) that if we study and pray and do all those simple things it will help us in aspects of our lives we didn't even think it could!!!!! Man there's just so much I can say about conf but ya just go read it all again and it will bless you:)

Also watch the Easter initiative!!!!! He loves!!!!!:)

Love you guys!!!!!

Cheers,
Sister McEwan x

Photos
1) Sheila's photo
2) Pizza Hut with Cannock member
3) district meeting
4) some girl hitting on our ZLs HAHAHAHAHAHA
5) gen conf
6) gen conf
7) McDonald's. We prayed before and the entire place was staring at us
8) bye elder pace going to Lichfield
9) bout to do breakdancing for pday.... will send more photos next week.