Week Nineteen: Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day

Typical England. Umbrellas serve no purpose

Hiya from your long-lost friend SISTER JONES!! It was a chilly week in Pontefract but it's just going to get colder... today is Remembrance Day. We wore red poppies all week in honor of those who have died in the wars. It's touching to see the efforts that the English make to remember the soldiers and their families.

Door 600

We had a week full of finding. The difficult thing about our little village is that there are not many people out to contact. Even the town center only has 3-4 people after 2pm and they tend to be...well, a little tipsy. Ha!

We are continuing to teach our lovely friend Al and his daughters Sophie and Emmy. Sophie is 9 years old and has the biggest heart. I don't think I've ever seen a little girl so excited to go to church. On Sunday her father's foot was injured, but she wanted to go so bad that he made rearrangements for one of his friends to bring her to church. She reads the Children's Book of Mormon every single day. She is so dear in my heart.

I made this for Sophie

On Thursday we went to McDonalds with an elderly man in our ward, Brother Huby. He has been a member for 3 years and shared his incredible conversion story with us. It took him 42 years and 26 missionaries before he was baptized. He is now serving in the bishopric and is one of the strongest members in the ward. His story inspired me to not give up on people we find and teach!

Brother Huby

This week I decided to read about an ancestor. I researched which relates were born fairly close to where I am serving, and found that my 4th Great Grandmother, Mary Turpin, was born just 17 miles from where I am living now. I read about her childhood, her journey to America, and her experience traveling across the plains. I felt the spirit so strongly as I read about her life. I felt so close to those who came before me, and I know that they are not far even though they have passed. How beautiful it is to have the knowledge that we will be with all of our family after this life. This week I challenge you to research 1 ancestor. I hope you can feel the same spirit that I felt as I read about Mary!

Lastly, I wanted to share something from my personal study this week. In D&C 19:23 it says that if we "walk in the meekness of [his] spirit, we shall have peace in [him]." What does it mean to be meek? While humility is recognizing our dependance on the Lord, meekness is being willing to submit to him even when we think we know better. When we are meek, we recognize that we cannot see the full picture and continue to turn to the Lord for guidance. As we do this, he is able to bless us to be able to feel peace...even in the most chaotic and difficult times of our life!

In 2008 April General Conference, Elder Bednar said that meekness is also being able to "learn from people who may seem less capable, experienced...or who otherwise may not appear to have much to contribute" (E. Bednar). This resonated with me. Some of the major lessons that I have learned on my mission have been from people I did not expect. Regardless of the difficulties of a mission, I am so thankful for the variety of people I meet who teach me valuable lessons. I am far from a perfect missionary, but I am sincerely trying my best to represent Jesus Christ. I love him, and I know that he lives!

Sister Eliza Jones