Week 23 in Rossendale...and Transfer!!

Hello!!! 

Well here is the low down!!! So transfers are this week and I am afraid I am now on the move. To LANCASTER!!!! It has been hard saying good bye. I love the people of Rossendale so much!!!! But I am excited to see what is in store for Lancaster. 

This week was a bit of a rollercoaster. We met so many people! One time we tried stopping by a members house on Cope Road and we didn't realize how long up the road she was. We ended up walking 2 miles up the road while a scarecrow festival was going on. When we finally went to the house, we knocked and they weren't there... But it was meant to happen, because on the way back we met a man named Rob who invited us back over. He was so nice to us!! And the walk up that road was gorgeous as well. So it was worth it!! 

We also had Charlotte and Lynne come to church this week!!! Charlotte is 14 years old and she and her mom are investigating the  church right now. Lynne is back from vacation!!!! We also visited her this week since i needed to say goodbye. I am definitely leaving her in a good place. She was talking about baptism and how she was going to invite someone from the spiritualist church to have a discussion with us. SHE IS A NATURAL MISSIONARY!!!! I will leave happy.

But Rossendale has seriously taught me so much. I think the main lesson is how I can rely on  Christ. I really have learned that no matter how good I want to be on the mission, it is nothing without the spirit and relying on Christ's help and atonement. I just needed to realize that the Lord is my strength and he is always there for me. 

Sister Sever

Week 22 in Rossendale

I had a pretty low key 4th of July... haha!!  Sister Pymm and I wanted to at least show our patriotism by wearing red, white, and blue that day. We did that...except those are also Great Britain's colors as well, so it wasn't as patriotic as we thought it would be. It has been hot in England, and hasn't rained in forever.  It definitely isn't as hot as California, but it is in the 70s to 80s. It's not ideal for walking for hours but it sure does make England look pretty. 

Yesterday we had a pretty special sacrament meeting. Sister Pymm and elder Santos(who is going home in a week) gave talks, along with the relief society president, and I played a musical number. It was a rendition of love at home and I only played it for the first time the day before. To say the least I wasn't very confident playing it; I was SUPER exhausted. But I played through it just fine and I had many people come up to me later that said they cried. A less active member came to church for the first time in forever that Sunday and said it was his favourite hymn. So I definitely think Heavenly Father was helping me with that one. 

But anyways, I love you and everything will be fine as long as I continue to be as close to the spirit as I am now. I have definitely gained a testimony of how trials can build you up as long as you let them and rely on Jesus Christ. When Brigham Young was faced with the adversary the morning the were about to baptised like 200 people he spoke to Joseph Smith concerned that it was because he was unworthy. Joseph Smith said that it was not because he was unworthy but because he was doing splendid work. 

Love, Sister Sever

Week 21 in Rossendale

Hello friends and family!!!

So sorry I missed my weekly email last week!!! And so much happened this week it's just crazy!! I will just share a few experiences. 

So I don't know if I have spoken about Michelle... probably not because she was the elders investigator from the start of my mission... But let me tell you. She is one of my FAVORITE PEOPLE!!! They took the missionaries in our district to the lake district and she spoils the sisters. She is not a member but her boyfriend is. The elders just handed her to us this week to teach and she is just.... I have no words. Also she has 4 pugs! The first time we went to her house it was just getting to know her a bit better and discovered she already has a testimony of the church and knows it is true. So we then focused on the baptismal date. Her and John are actually getting married in August!!! It is so exciting!!! She wants to be baptized after that but we can't put a finger on an actual date...so this Sunday we decided to fast over it. Also this Thursday she decided to give me all the things I haven't had in England yet. It was a really weird combination. She gave us some scotch eggs (bread, meat paste, and egg), tripe (you don't want to know), and black pudding. She gave us some salad as well and some sushi just in case we didn't like it. Whatever you do... don't have tripe. It doesn't taste good at all😝 

Also this Sunday was an AMAZING testimony meeting. To start the bishop gave an amazing testimony which inspired like half the chapel to get up and bear theirs. John, Michelle's boyfriend, got up to bear his testimony after 20 years!!! Becca got up after him as well and shared her testimony of how the Lord has blessed her in her life. After church we broke the fast with a relief society afternoon tea. No boys allowed😂 

Lynne was gone on a vacation for quite a while and the traveling has left her exhausted. However she is now back and we did go by to see her!! She is doing amazing and she was so excited to see us😊😊 I am so excited to continue teaching her. 

I think this week I really have been focusing on how everyone is here on earth for the same purpose, which is to come closer to heavenly father. Life on earth is not supposed to be easy. In fact, it's good when it's hard. Hard circumstances are amazing learning experiences as long as we use our agency for good! The mission definitely is not all sunshine and rainbows but it is an amazing experience when focusing on the right things. I love England and it's people so much and I know that it will forever change me as long as I let it😊

I love you all and hope everything is well!!

Sister Sever

Picture key:

1.  Jeffrey Holland prayer tree

2.  Elder Godfrey with sheep

3.  Just because

4.  Companion pic

5.  Silly comp pic

6.  New English food we tried  (including black pudding, scotch eggs and tripe!!)

Week 20 in Rossendale

So...I totally spaced and I forgot to write a weekly email!!! But...here are some pictures!!   I will write something 

next week sorry!  I love you all!! (mom note:...looks like she is visiting pretty places again, haha!)

Week 19 in Rossendale

Hello friends and family!

Wow to all those father's out there... props to you!!! You do good work. I know without my dad I would probably not be out in England right now so you all do amazing work and influence your children in so many ways. I just want to take a moment to say thank you.

Anyways, this week had so many miracles! Here are the highlights.

Last Monday after all the emails and p-day stress, we went into Bacup. We got talking to a woman on the street named Sharon and let me say... That conversation was COMPLETELY led by the spirit. It went so smoothly into the gospel that I am absolutely sure I had no part in it besides the spirit working through me. Inspired questions were coming in left and right! I think the discussion did turn around after she was asked if she thought she had a relationship with God and if she thought that Heavenly Father knew her. She said no. We then asked her if she would like that relationship. She said yes and we set up an appointment with her!

Another miracle was when we were walking in the bus station when Sister Pymm felt impressed to talk to a woman named Katherine. She saw us and didn't seem interested at first glance but as we were talking with her she told us she has always wanted a book of Mormon! She loves learning about other religions and she agreed for a return appointment! That really just increased my desire to talk with everyone! You never know who is interested until you talk with them and everyone can benefit from our message. 

Also today just happens to be the day that England is playing in the world cup! GO ENGLAND!!! I was talking with a member the other day about how many touchdowns they might make for the game. He didn't think it was as funny as I did haha. (Football doesn't have touchdowns in England, it's weird). 

Also funny story. I seem to have this knack for losing things quite often... so on Saturday we last minute decided to visit a less active while we waited for a bus and they were more than happy to allow us to visit. They even gave us some pizza. I started to tell them funny stories of times I have lost things on the mission when they were taking us home when I realized.... I left my jacket at their house. They laughed and told me they will bring it to me on sunday(score since they usually don't go to church). We went to the flat and then we realized..... i left the keys in the pocket of my jacket. We called them and they came to give me my jacket. They still came to church on Sunday(double score). 

I think I really have gained more of a testimony this week of revelation. This week for church we had an amazing lesson on how good inspiration comes from good information. Everyone can receive revelation but it doesn't just come without any action. We receive revelation by constantly striving to learn more about Jesus Christ and His gospel. Revelation is so important, especially when I am out on a mission because we rely on it CONSTANTLY. Without it, we would be blind. 

Anyways I love you all!!! Hope you have had an amazing fathers day!

Cheers!

Sister Sever

Week 18 in Rossendale

This week was pretty amazing! Chock full of miracles as every week is. Also I didn't go to the hospital which was nice haha.

On that stood out to me was when we were walking down the road and we stopped him and gave him a card. He said that he would call us, his name was Gary and he was church if England. So naturally thought he would "Call us". But.... lo and behold...... HE ACTUALLY DID! It was actually a couple days later. We were actually at a tea appointment and the phone started ringing. The family was just like it's ok take the call so I went into a separate room. It was Gary.... He said he wasn't happy with his church, even though he said he was c of e, he didn't agree with what it taught him. I just said... GREAT!!! I told him we would call him back for a later appointment. Later that day we went to my missionary ward leader's house for a meeting and I told him about Gary. We talked about how we would need another fellowshipper besides Brother Munday to come with us for the appointment. We called him right then to ask when would be the right time and.... lo and behold.... Gary answered and said his friend Steve was also unhappy with his church and wanted to listen in if that was alright.... WAS THAT ALRIGHT!!! 

Wow is God good. 

Another story. So we were visiting a member after church named Doreen and we hadn't been to her house before. We finally got to her house. It was kinda strange because Doreen was a pretty old woman so we didn't think she drove. But in her parking lot she had a car.... weird. So we went to the door and knocked. The door opened and a huge man opened the door. I just said.... "you aren't Doreen." He wasn't Doreen. He was John. We ended up talking to him for 50 minutes about the church. It turns out we were in the street below the one we were supposed to be on. He is so good though and he has this thick scottish accent. 

It just amazed me how much miracles I see in only a day of work. I know that even when I wasn't doing missionary work I was experiencing miracles but I just never was aware. I want to see the Lord in the details of my life and be more appreciative of what he puts in place for me. I truly love this gospel and what it is teaching me every day.

Sister Sever

Week 17 in Rossendale

Hello friends and family!!!

This is the new transfer! Already up to transfer 4!!! And I am STAYING IN ROSSENDALE!!!! That's right. They just couldn't let go of me. 

So I definitely have some new goals for this transfer. I have to be honest, I did think I was leaving but I am actually really happy I'm staying. I think I can still learn so much from Rossendale and especially Sister Pymm. I'm excited to make this transfer the best one. I have decided to make very day in the mission a good day. I have been reading some of Gordon B. Hinckley's teachings and he said that after every single day he would shake his companion`s hand and say that today was a good day. I want to end every single day knowing that I tried my best. 

We met with Lynn this week in order to watch the Restoration with her but it turned out that we didn't watch it at all. Instead we had a discussion about tithing... I really didn't do very well at directing the conversation because her real problem was that she just wants to know what entails to being a member of our church. After our lesson we both didn't feel to well about it. I later received revelation about how we just need to explain to her that she will understand a members role through time. It can't come all at once. That we are constantly learning about our roles in the restored gospel throughout our lives here on earth. She didn't come to church today as well since she said she was sick. I am excited to be able to see her on Wednesday though and grow her knowledge of the gospel.

We also had a miracle this week! Except there were a few losses involved. We had an investigator named Lynne Hardy(yes 2 Lynne's) and we went to her house and she wasn't there:( As we were on our way back Sister Pymm lost her bus pass but she kept the receipt. She looked for it anywhere but she couldn't find it. So we needed a new card so we headed to Burnley to get a new one. We got lost a few times... But the miracle was that on the way there we ended up on the same bus as Lynn... crazy. She then told us a ex partner was in the hospital and so she couldn't make it but she wants to meet again. So we are excited about her.

Also this week I went to the hospital.... It was pretty pathetic. It was in Tuesday. I have had this pain in my side for a couple of weeks but I just thought it was a tight muscle so I just ignored it. But on Tuesday morning I sneezed and I was in a ton of pain.... that's right. I sneezed. I just tore a muscle on my side so I'm fine and everything I just can't carry heavy things, reach too high, or breath too hard haha. But it really doesn't hurt too bad so it doesn't affect the work at all. But I really sounded ridiculous explaining it to people. "I sneezed and I tore a muscle"😂 The ward knows me well enough that they weren't too surprised haha.

Well I love you all and hope that you are doing amazingly. I will talk to you next week! Also I took lots of pictures of members just in case...

Sister Sever

1. Dinner(lunch) at the fig tree which has the most delicious hot chocolate in the world

2. The spencers, members from Rossendale

3 And 4. The Mundays, brother Munday is the mission ward leader

5, 6, and 7. Just cause