Nadolig Llawen!!!! (the extent of my welsh)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!! 🎄❄️🎀🎂🎈✨🍾🎁❣️🎅🏻 Or nadolig llawen in waaaales. 

2 christmases down in The uk. Less than 2 months to go! Holidays are so fun in different countries. You wouldn’t think there were loads of cultural differences haha but there definitely are. 

But this week was FABFAB because I got to go back to Worcester to see an investigator sister Baker and I found 6 months ago finally get baptised!!!!!!! We have been working so hard on sweet Regina. From the first day we met her we knew she was ready and that God had prepared her. We met her in town centre at an atm. I remember her telling us she was going back to Portugal for a month and would text us when she got back if she was interested. We totally forgot about her (you meet so many people) and a month later we get a text from a girl called Regina who wants to meet up haha we had no idea who it was but met for a lesson and then remembered once she rolled up! It was great:):) and she’s been to church every week since. 

It was one of my favourite baptisms on my mission. I got to play the piano so I was able to watch her face on the front row... She could not stop smiling. The ward has been the best at fellowshipping. The bishop even gave his closing remarks and testimony in Portuguese which was so special for her.:) I just was beaming!:) she was so emotional when she came up out of the water. She is such an example to me as well wow. She told her mom about getting baptised and she did not support her at all, but she still wanted it and went for it. A true convert! 

Regina’s baptism was the perfect Christmas celebration. (Best white Christmas;) It helped me gain a stronger testimony of Gods gift to us. Not only at Christmas, but every day of our lives. 

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” There is no greater gift. 

Couple other things.... 

We had 2 Chinese dinner appointments. One was the best DA of my mission. The other was the worst. So Chinese make this thing called hot pot (which I’ve never had a good one before bless me) bless this Chinese girl it was so spicy we were all coughing so bad. It was her first time cooking as well. She’s an investigator. And THEN oh my in England (and wales ha I always forget I am here) they have this thing called squash. (It isn’t the vegetable) it is a really strong juice they have loads of different flavours but you NEVER EVER EVER drink it without adding 90% water and 10% juice. Because it is just too strong and that’s what you’re supposed to do. So she didn’t realise it was like that and just poured STRAIGHT SUGAR SQUASH into our cups and we did not have the heart to tell her you had to add water. But on the bright side the sugar took away from our flaming hot mouths so it ended up being a blessing. 

We did Christmas carollin with our district and the zone leaders in a neighbourhood of bungalows where loads of old people lived. Every door we knocked the old people were trying to give us money they thought we were raising money for a charity or something. We would’ve made 300 pounds (not kidding) if we would have accepted all the 20 pound notes they were handing out. And we were only carolling for an hour! So ya I think I found myself a career, will nor be going back to uni. One door we Carolled at the lady rebuked us and was like ‘are you Mormons? You are not Christians’ we were like ya we are and she was like ‘no you are not. But it’s not a time to be controversial’ and closed the door. 

We left church with so much chocolate and so many presents from members. They take such good care of us!!!!!! I played the piano in our carol service on Sunday and I absolutely destroyed a couple hymns but the spirit was still there so that’s all that matters. Christmas Eve we spent with some members calleled the goulds. Sang carols. (Welsh sing lots better than the English you were right Linda) Love this ward. 

Welllll that’s all from wales. Sorry I won’t be able to respond to personal emails today don’t have time but will next week!

love u. Merry Christmas:):). See ya in a bit via skype! 

Cheers,

Sister McEwan xxxxxx

Pictures

1) Regina’s baptism:) all her sisters!

2) look at that smile! 

3) ray

4) best day:) 

5) going home! 

6) Cardiff zone Christmas ‘get together’  

7) shlœr haha as crazy as Christmas Eve got in Cardiff. 

8) sister Mj 

9) exchange with vogan. Love her.  

10) Cardiff missionaries Christmas Eve. 

11) me and lizzy:) with the rushworths this Christmas. Love this little girl! 

Spiritually Fed (Plus Yummy Cake)

CHRISTMAS IS EVERYwhere. The members gave us so many gifts yesterday everywhere I turn there are sparkles. Today I was buying a sandwich at the co op, whipped out my wallet, and loads of sparkles fell onto the counter hahaha I apologised to the cashier and she was like ‘you’re making it seem like raining sparkles is a bad thing’ lol guess not! It’s Christmas!

Weelll. I’ll start with something exciting! Do you remember Regina from Worcester!?! Sister baker and I found her street contacting in Worcester and we’ve been working with her for 6 months and on Friday she is getting BAPTISED!!!!!!!!! And president gave me permission to go to her baptism!!! I AM SO HAPPY! White Christmas:):) 

Speaking of WORCESTER Bernard and Val Haw some of my very favourite members came all the way to Cardiff to visit me!!! It was such a special afternoon I couldn’t stop smiling! They are like family. :)

Thursday we had zone conference in England which meant we got to wake up at 4 to travel. Super fun! But it was good I only have 1 more until I go home! Had a cool experience on the way back though:) there were about 10 missionaries on the train back to Cardiff but it was quite full so we all had to sit in seats next to random people. I started talking to the man next to me, and then I heard sister fahl talking to the woman next to her, and then elder Johnson was too, it was a chain reaction everyone started talking to their neighbour!!! At one point I was teaching the resto to 3 guys next to me at the same time it was sooooo cool. We were joking that the whole coach was going to be converted haha. Afterwards sister fahl told me that she was really feeling prompted to talk to the woman next to her but was too scared, but when she heard me talking to my neighbour she wasn’t so scared anymore. The guy I started talking to was not in the least interested but I know it was still meant to happen:):) 

One day we were in the post office posting a parcel and it was crazy busy because almost Christmas. Anyways from across the post office we spotted a crazy less active (I’ll tell you about her when I’m home I literally can not email about it) anyways she screamed across the office ‘I NEED TO TALK TO YOU IM LEAVING THE MORMON CHURCH!’ It was really awkward lots of confused stares all around. 

Saturday was our ward Christmas party. Us and the elders were really hungry but it wasn’t going to start for another hour. Some members offered to give us some leftover COSTCO CHOCOLATE CAKE okay I repeat COSTCO CHOCOLATE CAKE which I have not tasted in over 16 months. We hid ourselves in a room behind a whiteboard with 4 spoons and just pigged out hahaha we were all joking about how it was definitely the most life changing and spiritual moment of our missions. Bowen even said it was the highlight of his life. (Sad lol) 

I keep gaining a testimony over and over of how good it feels to be spiritually fed. (Didn’t realise I put this right after the chocolate cake bit) Yesterday morning right when I woke up I read a conference talk and all day my perspective on life was happier. That evening was the Cardiff stake Christmas choir concert. The spirit was so strong! I was on a high. 

At zone conference this week president shared a story of his son returning home from his mission. They all made banners and didn’t realise a spelling error on one of them... it had said “Retuned with honour” instead of returned. This has stuck with me all week. He related it to a piano. I feel like I came into the mission field out of tune. But over the last 16 months I have been retuned for my return. I am so, so, so thankful I could come on a mission. I couldn’t imagine my life without it. I view life in a completely different way. A better way. And I still have 2 more months of refinement! (And a lifetime that will follow) 

I will send my bus driver story at the end of this email for those who don’t have access to Facebook:)

Love yous! Can’t wait to skype next week 😜😜😜😜😜

Cheers,

Sister McEwan xxxx

Photos

1) rosemary an old lady we visit. Look how tender she is looking at me! Love her so much. Although she loves me a little too much lol in church she just stares at me and smiles the whole time. Can be uncomfortable at times lol. 

2) LOOK WHO CAME TO VISIT!

3) MEMBERS from WORCESTER came too see me this week! Best day ever! 

4) Merthyr Cardiff and Cheltenham Christmas zone conference 

5) zone conf 

6) tender mother father and son pic

7) SIRI-EK such a good reunion we were crying. 

8) naughty! 

9) lovely gift (OF FOOD) from members 

10) Christmasssss 

11j Gloucester cathedral from the train. 

Seeking Christ at Christmas

Right fam you only have to hear from me 10 more times (Still a lot but oh well lol better than what you have to hear from Amelia;))

Sooooooooooo this week. 

Met with Georgia the recent convert here who’s 16. She wants to go on a mission so we asked her to tell us about the restoration:) she did so well! Even included Alvin and Hyrum haha bless her! After the lesson we were doing some online proselyting in the library and some random guy came and sat by us and asked about our name tags and we taught him the restoration and then after 30 minuets he left and then 3 minutes later ANOTHER GUY sat down by asked and asked about our badges and we taught the restoration again! It was amazing. Even when sitting down god gives us finding opportunities:) 

Tuesday evening we were with the elders. We were gonna go tract a street together.  So we started walking outside of city centre and we were all kinds arguing about where we should go to knock doors and finally I saw a bus and was like ‘ok everyone we are just going to get on this random bus and wherever it stops we we will tract’ Hahahaha. So we got on and ended up by a street we all agreed on. I felt a very distinct prompting that we needed to tract one specific side and the elders needed to tract the other. It’s crazy how it all worked out. We were able to show the light the world video at almost every door we knocked. And we found an amazing new investigator called Anna who’s cousins are Mormons in utah! So she knew all about it and was totally interested in learning more. It was great we were able to go over on Friday night and teach her:) but it’s funny because the side the elders knocked they got let in several times but they were all male and were smoking weed..... god protects his sister hehe but they found some new people as well:)

Wednesday morning we had interviews with pres. Wednesday evening was AMAZING! Some non member friends my family and I met on a cruise 6 years ago came to take me and my companion to dinner! They drove all the way from Leeds to see me spent 5 hours in the car bless them! It was so special. Got to answer so many questions they had about the church and teach the restoration to such dear friends. :) it is a lot more scary teaching the gospel to your friends! I don’t know why that is... But I loved every second. A day I’ll never forget. 

Sister fahl has officially gotten my illness! Bless her..... we had to take another trip to the doctor.... Saturday night was so bad for her I was up all night with her trying to treat her haha. I felt like a mother. I made this blanket thing (with a towel) put it over her head and melted some vapo rub in hot water for her to inhale lol bless she couldn’t breathe so we listened to music and chilled till about 5 am when she finally went to sleep. I’ve been so sleepy! 

Ate dinner with Lilly and Lauren and got to teach her again. She’s still keeping commitments, reading and praying. She’s got a little bit of a road block at the minute but nothing she can’t overcome:):)

Church was cancelled this week because it started snowing (stupid UK don’t know how to cope with snow lol). I was really sad actually.... I haven’t missed church in 16 months! But that’s ok it helped my testimony grow of how much we need church. I felt so spiritually low yesterday. Church really does refill me and get me started for the next week. I read lots of talks and watched several videos on the lds website and that helped but there is just something about going to church on Sunday! :) 

Was weird seeing snow for the first time since being out! Haven’t missed it! But it was a good change from rain falling from the sky! The uk hasn’t had snow like this in years. Facebook is only pictures of snow haha I’m like wow let’s send em to utah;) 

Sorry this letter has been so long. The weeks are flying. Every week I learn something new. Sometimes I have to learn the same thing twice.... but god is so patient with me and for that I am so grateful. President uchtdorf came out with a recent message called seeking Christ at Christmas. At the end of his message he talks about king David and how at a difficult time of his life he wrote “o god, thou art my god; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsting for thee, my flesh longeth for thee.” This is the attitude we must have. A yearning to know him and become more him. President uchtdorf later says that this truly defines who we are as Christ’s disciples. 

Let us be true disciples. 

Cheers,

Sister McEwan xxxx

Pictures 

1) sending letter to mom and dadddsd

2) baking cakes with a recent convert called bicky named after a biscuit LOL

3) Callum! 6 years later n

4) the Gater family 

5) Great times :) 

6) broke my nail....... ouch! Missssssssh life 

7) 4 am sick sister fahl hiding under my contraption 

8) comp love 

Happy Bunnies 🐰

Hey mates 

Can’t be bothered to write lots so here’s the good bits! 

We taught Lilly and she fed us one of the best meals I’ve had on my mission! We brought Lauren a returned missionary in Cardiff and she literally doesn’t even have to try to fellowship they are already really good friends and are going to hang out during the week! She asked so many incredible questions. Shared some amazing experiences. 3 weeks ago she didn’t even believe in god, but she’s been reading and praying daily and has found that there is a god. Her experiences she has had are so sweet and remind me of when I first gained a testimony of his omnipotence 

Sister fahl and I are having so much fun. I love her already way too much! I really hope we stay together for my last transfer. We’ve gotten a lot of time to get to know each other this week because I went to the doctor and have a bad chest infection so between appointments I’ve been resting. 

I GOT MY CHRISTMAS PACKAGE I WAS SO HAPPY!,!,! Especially because I got some of Amelia’s stuff by accident LOL I love you mom xoxoxoxxoxoxxooxxoxoxoxox

We had stake conference this weekend which was nice. It was all based on families. Made me so excited to see mine in just over 2 months. Woooo! So exciting. 

A favourite member from Worcester sent me this lovely quote he made up: 

The most important things in life are to love your family, to follow the Saviour, to love the gospel and to follow your football (soccer) team. Then you will be a happy bunny!!! LETS BE HAPPY BUNNIES 

So true! Go wolves! ;) 😊 (and Leeds?) (@joe)

Hey do the light the world challenges pls!

Cheers,

Sister McEwan x 

Pictures 

1) in a trio while waiting for my new companion..... SO WEIRD 

2) district meeting 

3) district meeting 

4) district meeting 

5) ironing baby clothes 

6) MAMAJANYAN 

7) Love her 

8) look over and she’s KNITING!!!!!! 

9) my beautiful trainer sent me this! 

10) CHRISTMAS PACKAGE 

11) ready for Xmas