Consider the Lilies

WOWOWOWOWOWW IT IS SO GOOD TO BE BACK ON THIS SIDE OF THE COUNTRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is so much to say this week.

Oh man. It all started early Tuesday morning when I had to take a
train with all my luggage back to BIRMINGHAM. my love. I was panicking
when we got to new street station... I was nervous about moves and
everything, didn't wanna miss my train. Etc. Anyways we get down to
the platform and there was one other sister on my train to Hereford.
An elder helped us get all our luggage and bikes onto the train way
fast cuz it was just about to leave. We sit down. The door closes.
Then I proceeded to ask the elder which area he was headed to and he
said "Leicester." Definitely on the opposite side of the mission. So I
was like "hey mate, just so you know, you're on the wrong train." He
then pointed to the front of the train which read "Leicester". So ya
my heart dropped to the ground. I quickly threw my bags off the train
and BOOKED it to the Hereford train which was leaving in 30 seconds.
Made it. Barely. All passengers were laughing at me and my attempt to
get 3 luggage and a bike onto the train in a pencil skirt. Thx 4 the
help.

The stop before Worcester was Kidderminster I was SO tempted to just
get off there.... But I didn't.... Got off at Worcester and a bird
pooped on me as I stepped off the train. The greatest warm welcome
back to Worcestershire. Man it's SO GOOD TO BE
BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've already ran into 4 members from
Kidderminster oh my days the best reunions ever. HAHA it's hilarious
cause whenever I tell people here i served in kiddie they're like "wow
I'm so sorry" hahahaha everyone thinks it's such a hole (it is lol)
but I love it.

Anyways this place is basically kiddie 2.0 but WAY bigger WAY more
diverse and it's a ward not a branch and the members are on fire ready
for missionary work!!!! I know I'm going to love it. Definitely the
biggest area I've served.... so there's been NO walking. Biking all
day every day and my body is killing me hahah. They took out elders in
Worcester so there are 2 teams of sisters which has been
interesting...... we have a 2 hour bike ride ahead of us this week so
pray for my legs. I have come home dead every day. I can barely walk I
have some nice new blisters also sprained my ankle which has been such
a pain. Mission life my feet will never be the same. :):)

Okay here's a crazy story:
We were at the chapel on Wednesday evening for coordination when a man
with long hair and a beard walks in. We asked him if we could help him
and he said "yes, actually. No churches are helping me." So we said
"okay what can we do for you???" He said "Everyone in England says
that I am Jesus and I need your church to do something about it. This
is the biggest thing since Jospeh smith, it is a major biblical
event!" We were like uhhhhhhh what. He was convinced he was
jesus......

So many crazy people here I've missed it.

Also taught a lesson to a guy who wouldn't commit to live the word of
wisdom because he "was trying to cure lepracy" (the correlation
between the 2???? Not quite sure....) he said the closing prayer for
us and for 3 mins was going off about cats sis baker and I were so
confused. Then in the middle of his 10 minute long prayer he got up to
get his tobacco and coffee and gave it to us. He changed his mind and
wanted to commit to keep the word of wisdom mid sentence haha. Power
of prayer? Sure why not. We met him again a few days later and he just
had drool dripping from his face the entire lesson (withdrawals) I
don't think he got anything out of it... but he's clean!!!

EXCITING NEWS!!!!!!!!!

Dean the recent convert in Nottingham got the priesthood
yesterday!!!!!!!! Oh my I am so happy for him. :) and Sarah George RC
in kiddie got her husbands baptism done in the temple and is taking
family names now!!!! She's a family history addict I love it.:):) she
also gave a talk in sacrament last week (a member told me) she said it
was soooo sweet as she included her conversion story. Aww I love her.

My birthday was weird!!!! Hahaha it was like my 2nd day in Worcester
so nobody knew. I didn't tell anyone haha but that night I got a sweet
call from some members in Notts :) but ya spent my 20th knocking doors
in a downpour. :) what could be better!!!!?? (Also taught drool man)
taught he most AWKWARD WORD OF WISDOM LESSON to a guy with literally 3
of his neighbours smoking right next to us hahahaha it was soooooooooo
awkward we were rebuking them through the scriptures indirectly they
kept giving us dirty looks hahah so awk.

We found 7 new investigators this week with the coolest backgrounds.
Tell ya about them next week though cuz this is getting too long:)
just have to say again.... man I've missed being here. THE FIELD IS
WHITE ALREADY TO HARVEST.

This week I studied Doctrine and Cov. 84. Thanks to Sarah hall

"Therefore, take ye no thought for the morrow, for what ye shall eat,
or what ye shall drink, or wherewithal ye shall be clothed. For,
consider the lilies of the field, how they grow, they toil not,
neither do they spin; and the kingdoms of the world, in all their
glory, are not arrayed like one of these. For your Father, who is in
heaven, knoweth that you have need of all these things."

The most important thing is the task at hand. Heavenly Father KNOWS
what we need. And now, I need to give my all to this and nothing else.
And that is what I will do.

Speak SOON!!!!!

Cheers,
Sister McEwan xxx

Photos:
1) goodbye nottingham! Some of my favourite members
2) Everyone on the train hated us and all our luggage..... haha! There
were 7 missionaries. Not pretty.
3) a fave from Kidderminster!!!!! Love Morris!!!
4) BIRTHDAY!
5) me and sis Baker. Shes from North Carolina btw. Love her!

Sis Mc takes WORCESTER

Hey fam!!!!!! I'm moving!!!! Already! 😭

I am going to Worcester! (Pronounced Wooster @ Americans)

Pretty excited... as it's only a 10 minute train ride from
Kidderminster.... back to Birmingham I go! I've missed that place!
Can't seem to get away from it... ha!! (ALL YOU FROM KIDDIE BETTER
COME VISIT ME!!!!!!!! No excuses!!!!)

Anyways yaaaa worcester! Lots of church history so less go!!!:) I'm
follow up training again. a girl named sister Baker or something not
quite sure. The ward is sad I'm leaving, but probably only because of
my piano prelude music hahah... I have gotten so many music books from
everyone! And 2 members bought keyboards to learn because I "inspired
them" lol. :)

This week was probably the hardest of my mission. I was feeling quite
down... always hard before you leave an area. Elder Wallace gave me a
blessing which was really special. The spirit floods the room during
priesthood blessings. It is my favourite.

My favourite day was Friday. We had to go to Birmingham for a meeting
for my companion. So I got to be with Sister Jacobs for the day and
knock doors in Birmingham and it made me miss that place soooooo much.
Can't wait to go back. But yessss. Sis Jacobs has been in the mission
for a month! She is the sweetest and I really hope I get to serve with
her one day. We met the weirdest people and had a lot of fun together.
:) One guy, upon finding out I was American, said that if we returned
he would "just have to throw himself off the balcony." #English pride.
Another man answered the door wearing a red onesie zipped up to below
his chest with long slicked back hair. We were trying very hard not to
laugh. England is so weird!!! Actually no, Birmingham is so
weird!!!!!! Awww man it made me miss Kiddie. :) excited for worcester.

I'm grateful for trials, and hard weeks. (Don't wanna say that too
loud though cause I'd rather they didn't come very often....) but it
helps my testimony of the saviour become more powerful. I hope that
what i am going through now will one day help someone else.

Jesus Christ lives. And because of him, we can overcome ALL things.

Cheers,
Sister McEwan x

Pictures:
1) The boys last ward coordination
2) the death of elder Wallace HA!!!!
3) The district
4) NOTTINGHAM for lifes.
5) Trunky meeting / Finding for 7 hours groupies
6) Rydalch
7) BIRTHDAY PACKAGE AMERICAN CANDY!!!! And on the phone with a recent
convert lol

Melek vs. Ammonihah

Already emailing??? The weeks are flying. Today is my 11 months....
what is happening!?!

This week started out amazing!!!! We got to go to Stamford for
exchanges which is PROPER ENGLAND. Lol.... love the midlands. ;). But
yes it was gorgeous I will send some photos. Exchange was great!!! Got
to be with sister Carson and Nkomo for 2 days so I loved it.

There is a member we went to visit in Stamford who is the carer of an
old woman with Dementia named Pat. I have never been kissed so much on
my mission haha. She kept going for my mouth as well so I had to
quickly move my head so she'd go for my cheek. It was actually really
sad she was just so out of her mind.

Knocked loads this week. Lots of angry people. :) Had little if any
success but saw miracles in other forms of missionary work!!! We
stopped a guy named Matthew on the way to a lesson and scheduled to
meet him at the library the following day. We had such a great lesson
with him and he's willing to read and learn though a little sceptical!
So please pray for his heart to be softened. :) Shawn is being weird
and won't meet with us because he doesn't trust us as we are only
19..... ?? Also said there is a "trust gap" because we don't go by our
first names.

There's a girl who took her name off the church records several years
ago who asked to meet with us this week. We got to teach her and her
step dad and it was AMAZING. We have taught her dad before and he is
atheist. But when we told him we had a living prophet he was blown
away and became more interested!!. But the daughter is great and has
just had the most humbling experience which led her back to the
church. It strengthened my testimony of trials and how they bring us
closer to God. We are excited to see where things will go with her!

Went to follow up with the Russian woman who wasn't in... we wanted to
leave her a note so we popped out the good ol google translate and
took 15 minutes to try to somewhat legibly write some Russian
characters.... hopefully she understood. Thought my mission was
English speaking but clearly it is not.

Got the best early birthday surprise this week from my Grandma and
Grandpa!!!!!! Seriously exactly what I needed after a day full of
slammed doors. :)

Saturday we knocked doors for the last 2 hours of the night and didn't
get even 1 potential. We barely even got a word out before we were
rejected. In Alma 8 It talks about Alma going to Melek, having lots of
success, and then going to Ammonihah where he was rejected by
everyone! (Kind of like Kidderminster to Nottingham hey??) Here is the
scripture....

"Now Satan had gotten great hold upon the hearts of the people of the
city of Nottingham; therefore they would not hearken unto the words of
Sister McEwan and Sister De Capite."

I think that's how it goes;););) But anyways..... Alma really
struggles in Ammoniahah and decides to leave!!!!! But an angel appears
to him and tells him to return. Turns out the Lord was preparing
Amulek just for him, so they could go and preach together! And they
saw many miracles.

"Nevertheless Sisters McEwan and De Capite labored much in the spirit,
wrestling with God in mighty prayer, that he would pour out his Spirit
upon the people who were in the city of Nottingham; that he would also
grant that he might baptize them unto repentance."

Sometimes it is hard not to give up. Even Alma, one of the Book of
mormons greatest missionaries, gave up!!!! And after he did, he
returned. We must return! We must keep trying! To "press forward with
a steadfastness in Christ!!!!" to "wrestle with God in mighty prayer."
Are our prayers as thoughtful and meaningful as they should be? Do we
feel as though we are talking WITH our father in heaven? Developing a
better habit of "mighty prayer" has been something that I have prayed
for on the mission. I have prayed about what I should pray for!!!! And
I have seen my relationship with my father in heaven grow. It has
given me the strength to keep going even when all I want to do is give
up. We will be blessed according to our faithfulness.

The church is true. I can not deny that. And I will do all I can to
share it with others, even if they choose not to accept it.

I love you guys.

Cheers,
Sister McEwan xxx

Pictures
1) STAMFORD
2) STAMFORD
3) Best Friends ❤️️❤️️❤️️
4) Service for this disaster of a yard
5) Love her so much
6) Pat my new BFF
7) My attempt to leave a note for a Russian investigator hahaha

PUB GRUB 🍔🍟🍻

Early Birthday present from Nan!!!

NOTTINGHAM, City Centre

Depth of our Conversion

Ey up me duck!!! 🐥

This week was full of good things!!!! here is the low down of the high lights.

There was an Emergency transfer which was kind of exciting hahaa
because ELDER DAINES WALLACE came to my ward / district!!!!!!! Friend
from high school. :) it has been really fun reminiscing about the good
ol Lone Peak. I feel like we are old talking about high school "back
in the day" and unable to remember the names of people lol. He goes
home this transfer. He was serving here when I got my mission call!!!
I remember seeing pictures thinking "wow I hope I get to serve there!"
:) elder Willis is now an office elder. We miss him! Willis, Wallace,
and Williams. The ward is very confused!!!!! There are 2 Elder Louis's
serving together in Birmingham. I think they're up to something????

During our weekly planning session we gave Shawn (the doctor guy) a
call and he was wanting to meet right then at the library. So we said
we would be there in 10 minutes. He was feeling very defeated and had
loads of questions about God and why he didn't feel like he was
answering his prayers. He expressed to us that he wanted to have
energy and a change in his life. Right after he spoke those words I
thought about Dean and his change. I began to tell him his conversion
story and guess who walked into the library.... DEAN!!!! Who better to
testify of the effects of the gospel than a recent convert???? It was
AMAZING. He shared with Shawn his testimony, and when Shawn left he
said - I need that enthusiasm in my life.

He had questions concerning the word of wisdom as well as the law of
chastity when dean left. We had a great lesson / discussion and he
knew the those things were true and came from god! Excited to see
where things go. :)

Saturday we were finding all day and FOR THE FIRST TIME ON MY MISSION
I GOT TO USE MY SPANISH, NOT ONCE BUT TWICE!!!!!!! And wow I was just
getting a feel of what Amelia is going to be experiencing in 3 months.
:) it was so great!!!!! I couldn't believe how much I remembered
hahah. One lady was from Argentina and one from chile. Both agreed we
could come and teach them. (The difference between English people and
foreigners lol amelia u are blessed.) aw man it was so fun using my
espanol. I didn't have much difficulty saying things but understanding
what they were saying back....... lol...... that was quite the
experience... we also knocked into a Russian woman and all my Russian
my Ukrainian comp taught me in the MTC came in handy!!!! :) (hello,
How are you, good, thank you, elder, pencil, and bird) all the
essentials. ;) we are teaching her next week!

Saw the woman who was excommunicated. We showed up when they were
eating dinner and i kid you not there was spaghetti all over the
floors walls ceiling and on every inch of each child (4). Whenever we
go there the children just crawl all over us. And sure enough they did
that day as well... covered in spaghetti!!!!!! so that was not an
experience I will cherish forever...

There is a less active older woman called flora from Iraq whom we
visit about once a week. It is her culture to give and give so much
even if you say no she still gives it to us. Last time she basically
forced us to paint our nails haha, and then when we were leaving we
told her we had to go eat dinner. She asked if we wanted her to make
us pizza and we said no. She immediately went to her kitchen and made
us pizza, beans, peaches, cookies, hot chocolate, (even though 80
degrees outside) apple strudel, and ice cream. Every time we go over
she asks us if we have a boyfriend and when we say no she goes "why???
You have face?? You have legs??? You have feet and feet fingers?????"
Haha bless flora.

Still working with our sweet little part member fam with the husband
on a baptism date!!!! They are doing really well. :) we also have a
less active who told us her daughter wants to meet with us this week
so that was just what we needed after a week full of rejection haha.

This week I finished the book of mosiah!!!! I love the "mighty change
of heart" within alma the younger and the sons of mosiah. My favourite
verse is Mosiah 28: 3 "Now they were desirous that salvation should be
declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human
soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should
endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble."

Right after their conversion, they wanted to do whatever it took to
preach and help be an instrument in the hand of the lord toward the
salvation of others!!!! I love this. The depth of your conversion
reflects upon your desire to help others!!!! And you do not have to be
a missionary to do this!!!!:) I want to invite you all to read mosiah
27 - 28 and read about "the mighty change" and think about what you
can do to be more deeply converted!!!:)

Cheers,
Sister McEwan xxx

Pictures:

1) Pretty shortcut we take to walk to the chapel
2) Besties
3) England in one photo lol. Love me the chippy
4) chillin in the library enjoying all the lessons who have FLOGGED us. :(
5) When this happens........ :(
6) High school mates :)

Cheers! God Bless! Happy 4th! 🇬🇧🇺🇸

Hey guys:))

So first things first. Today the missionaries serving within
nottingham are celebrating the Fourth of July with STYLE!!!!!!!! Even
ones from Ecuador, Canada, and Sweden. :)

We are having a BBQ and it's dang good. Just missing the swimming pool
but that can wait. :)

It rained most the week. I came home soaked from head to toe on the
daily. I gave up on umbrellas.

Monday:
Threw a surprise party for sister Carson:) was her Bday so they did a
sleep over / work over.

Tuesday:
Work over with sister Nkomo. One of my greatest blessings of serving a
mission. Seriously one of the best friends I have made whilst being
out here. She will be an eternal friend!!!! We have way too much fun
together. Served together for a week in kiddie, it just wasn't long
enough!!! But anyways. We stopped by this less active and got ATTACKED
by her dogs. When we knocked the door both of her ginormous dogs
jumped up and just threw their bodies at the door and slammed to the
floor barking aggressively over and over and then she opened the door
and we were on the ground being attacked it was quite horrifying to be
completely honest. She gave us each a squirt bottle to spray the dogs
away from us. Such a traumatic experience but it ended up being a
great stop by (not sure if that's a good thing cause now we have to go
back next week????) but we were able to talk for a good hour with her
husband as well who isn't a member. Good stuff.

Wednesday:
District meeting. We also decided to journey to Stapleford which is an
hour walk from Long Eaton. To see one less active. Who wasn't home.
#blesssss. So we went to see a Hungarian member who struggles with her
English which was exactly what we were meant to do. We got to help her
with her prayers and reading aloud because she is always nervous to do
it in gospel principles. Every time she prays in class or relief
society she always does it in Hungarian but this Sunday she started it
in English, got a little nervous, and switched languages but we were
really proud of her and her husband is not a member so YAY more PM
work!!:) Also taught dean a good lesson with the coulsons.

Thursday:
Went tracting with the sweet American girl who's planning to serve a
mission. Straight rejection for 2 hours which I was kinda sad about
cause wanted to get her excited and not more nervous haha but that's
okay. We had a dinner appointment in the evening and were on our way
back to the flat on the bus. We had 30 mins left and were gonna go
back and call some people / work on the area Book. I had a prompting
to get off the bus when we reached town but kinda pushed it away cause
I was sick of finding and getting rejected the whole day. It was
pouring rain and I just wanted to go home. But then I said "right,
fine, I will go if I count to 10 and the bus is still here." And sure
enough god found a way to make the bus wait 10 seconds. So I told my
comp ok we have to get off right now. She was so confused. We talked
to 10 people and they all weren't interested. The town was really
quiet, no one was out and there was one more guy left we could talk
to. He was smoking outside of subway. He was solid. Super interested.
We have a lesson with him tomorrow that we are excited about. :)

Friday:
More finding. Also went to see a less active who wanted us to go with
her to pick her kids up from school. The elementary made me really
miss being at elementary schools for uni. But ya that just reassured
my desire to be a primary school teacher. :) when her kids saw me they
tackled me to the ground haha. I love them. Oh my also a kiddie member
told me today that one of the less actives kids was asking where I was
today 💔💔😭😭 I miss Kidderminster so much. :(

Saturday:
Finding. Finding. Finding. We knocked doors the entire day. Met so
many people, have some great return appointments set up for next week.
So I'll let ya know all about them if they don't flog us:)

Sunday:
All our return appointments flogged us:) but saw the parrot lady. So
funny. She just speaks to them like she knows their language then
translates for us. Reminds me of my mom and the dogs. ;) love you mom.
We ate with another American family, quite a few in nottingham. Weird
being with Americans. Now I understand why everyone tells me "ur so
American." Dean bore his testimony at church - TENDER!!!!!! He wore a
white shirt, tie that an elder gave him, aw man it was so great. His
testimony was so sweet as well. Seriously just like he'd been a member
all his life. So proud :'). Ended it with: "cheers! God bless! in
Jesus name!" haha love him so much!!!

My "spiritual bit" is going to be taken from something my beautiful
nan sent me:)

In a recent talk to new mission presidents our wonderful Elder Holland
said, “ Every missionary twosome should be a threesome, and the third
companions should always be the Holy Ghost.  And just as I should
never do anything to offend or hurt my mortal companion, so should I
never do anything to offend or hurt my divine companion, the Holy
Ghost.  I need that guidance with me all the time, in every way.”

I have gained such a special testimony of this divine companion.
Missionary work would be impossible without the witness of the Holy
Ghost. He warns, testifies, brings us to remembrance, and helps us
feel closer to the best missionary of all - the saviour.

Happy 4th of July!!!!!! Enjoy the fireworks and pool for me please. :)
God bless the USA. (And God save the queen) :)
🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧🇺🇸🇬🇧

Cheers,
Sister McEwan xxx

Pictures:
1) me and sister Nkomo.
2) attempted district meeting photo
3) cemetery in Stapleford. Idk why I took a pic. Kinda cool.
4) this brought back so many childhood memories I must say
5) district finding in long eaton
6) zone leaders thought it'd be funny to silly string attack me......
but they brought me my favourite English chocolate so I think I'll
forgive them:) #galaxygirl shout out to my Cannock momma Linda Mawle.
Xxx
7) Nottingham chapel
8) Dean in his church getup bless!

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