Week Twenty Two: Soggy Pumpkin Pie

Very cold, foggy and wet. Typical day in Nottingham, England

Hello all! Thanksgiving was a bit different this year since the Brits don't celebrate it. My companion and I decided we'd go all out. We took ages to collect all the ingredients to make a pumpkin pie (canned pumpkin is a novelty here...) Anyways, we made the pie and decided to deliver slices to a few people in the ward. As we went out to deliver it started pouring rain (go figure), and the people we were trying to give slices to weren't home. We went to a bus stop, the bus didn't come, and the pie was soaked from the rain. So we sat at at the bus stop for over an hour, ate the soggy pumpkin pie, and talked about what we were grateful for.

Thanksgiving Dinner at a Carvery.

For our Thanksgiving dinner we made a reservation for a Carvery and had a roast dinner: Yorkshire puddings, pork, potatoes, peas, carrots and lots of gravy. Thanksgiving English style!

Eastwood at Christmas!

This week was pretty difficult in the missionary work itself. As I came into the area two weeks ago, we had no one to teach. We still are in the process of looking for people, but finding all day every day can get pretty tiring and discouraging. One day I was praying earnestly about where to go and what to do for finding. After pausing to listen for guidance, I heard these words: "Just go and get to work." So we did. We took a bus to who knows where but ended up having two very quality conversations. One with a woman who just moved to Eastwood and was looking for a church to go to, and the other was a teenage boy who met with missionaries a few years ago.

Nativity my comp and I are painting at the Chapel

This experience reminded me of the scripture in D&C 80:3 "Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss."

Sometimes we imagine promptings from the spirit being direct and specific. When we ask, "Lord, where shall I go? What should I do next?" He may answer, "It's up to you." Or, "just go out and get to work." The next time you pray for guidance, be open to the idea of the Lord leaving the decision up to YOU.

Nottingham Christmas Market

One more thought on Thanksgiving...I decided in my personal study that I'd write a thank you letter to God. It was such a neat experience. I thanked him for the little things he's given me to make me happy: meatballs, stickers, cheetah print, gingerbread men, crafts, pianos, lemonade.

My Companion Sister Whitby loves crafts and stickers.

I thanked him for the gifts I've been given, for trials, for my family support, and for his son and His Atonement. It really made me reflect on the blessings in my life, and how truly blessed I am to have the knowledge that I do. This week I challenge you to do the same. Write a thank you letter to Heavenly Father, and it will help you to remember how blessed you are too!

Go light the world this week!

Sister Jones

(Ps: fun fact of the week: they call ornaments baubles, ha!)