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

Week 16 in Rossendale

Hello fellow Americans! Maybe... unless you aren't. Then I'm sorry. 

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!! 

This week was absolutely incredible. A lot happened. So in the beginning of the week we went to the Nashville Tribute Band concert with Lynn and it was AMAZING!!!! It was such a good thing to take an investigator to. Plus the Elders investigator and her bonded a lot. So much so that they even started joking about when they get baptized!!! Yup that's right she is already thinking about it. I know this for a fact because the day after we had a lesson with her and we happened to pop the question. And she said YES!!!! She said that she wants both of us here for her baptism if it does happen though... which is a bit risky especially since transfers are this week. She even came to church this Sunday(for all 3 hours) and a member broke to her the word of Wisdom. I wasn't there since I was talking to someone else and so when I walked into gospel principles and asked her if everything was ok. She said she was in shock since she had to give up tea. So hey she is already planning on giving it up!!! 

I will make sure to take a picture with her and her many dogs this week so you can all have a visual.

Also this week there was an event going on called 1940s weekend where everyone dressed up and there was music everywhere and cars displayed. There even was a plane that flew over. Funny thing was that there were more American uniforms than British. One of them I went up to and asked where he was from in America and he said Stockport. While there we stopped by our investigators restaurant in Ramsbottom and she gave us free drinks. It was Victoria Elizabeth. We are meeting up with her this week for a lesson which we are super excited for especially since her daughter is making us cakes.

I feel like these past few weeks we have just found so many prepared people. I just have such a strong testimony now of how much the Lord blesses us for our efforts. 

We also had the chance to go to Chorley this week for district meeting. It was a special one since President Mcreynolds did a training with all of the zone. It was so nice. He expressed the importance of the Book of Mormon and how we should teach from the Book of Mormon as our main source not from Preach my Gospel. It really is true. I love how my mission is really stressing on the importance of the book that really makes our church true. 

I love the mission and I love this gospel. The more I learn from it the more I have a desire to share of it's truthfulness. I love you all and hope all is well!

Sister Sever

1. Pictures at the temple

2. Chorley Zone picture

3. More pictures at temple

4. Elder Doria is dying this transfer so that's us.... killing him.

5. More temple

6. Our missionary ward leader's daughter Phoebe

7. Spot the difference, America and England version

8. Just cause

9, 10 and 11. P-day in Burnley

12. Just cause

13. Picture with Sister Hawkins who is from Clovis, California!!!! And some Filipinos in the background-haha!

Week 15 in Rossendale

Wow hey this week I hit my 4 month mark!!! So weird. Time flies when you're having fun I guess.

This week was pretty amazing! I had the chance to go to zone conference again! My 3rd one! I only have 2 weeks in this transfer😣 That is so weird. Sorry back to zone conference. Yeah it was great. I really love going to it every time because I  get so spiritually pumped up for the rest of the transfer. Something that really stuck out to me is just how powerful the scriptures are in teaching.  I can try to be as persuasive as I want, but the scriptures will bring the spirit and understanding far better than anything I could ever say. My mission president issued a challenge for us to read the entire book of Mormon in the month if May and it has substantially increased my testimony in the truthfulness if it. I have learned that I don't want to be a persuasive speaker but an effective teacher.(That rhymed)

We had a lesson with Lynn this week and it was pretty great. We went over to a members house and we taught her about how she was a child of God and she has a Heavenly Father who knows and loves her. She says that she didn't know she was a child of God but I just knew that this wasn't unfamiliar to her. The spirit was so strong in the room it was incredible. I really felt like we should have asked her to be baptized right then, but we didn't... I really wish we did though. We are taking her to an event this week in Manchester. The Nashville Tribute Band is playing. So we are really excited about that as well. She also came to church thus Sunday and it was so good. They talked about Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost a lot which was PRETTY GOOD!!! 

Sooo, a tiny thought about some of the food here.  So far I've raved about the yummy stuff, but you don't know how jealous I am of the tacos you have in the Americas. The Mexican food here is..... non-existent. So sad. I cry whenever I think of it. I Hey, guess what!??  I did not lose anything this week!  Except I did get lost on the way to a tea appointment... But we did get SMARTPHONES!!!  It's super weird having one though and all the missionaries look like ignorant teenagers whenever they are on it. One sister I was on exchanges with actually tried to disguise it with a book of Mormon haha. will have no tolerance for spicy food when I go home.

And we had exchanges this week! They were so good, we had so much fun! We were walking to our tea appointment when there was this family outside of a pizza place that just came up and started talking to us. The dad was just sitting in his car watching us so I walked over and was just talking to him outside of his car, which was sort of awkward. But we got that family to go to a temple tour! So hey! 

We had a pretty good p-day today! We just went to a park and played on the basketball court haha. We also had a picnic which was pretty great. 

So we visited Victoria Elizabeth this week as well and her daughter is interested in learning more!!! They are so good and Victoria said that if we got to Ramsbottom this weekend she will give us free food. Its this big 1940s weekend there and there are going to be airplanes flying over and everyone is going to be dressed up. Lots of pictures next week.

Anyways love you lots and hope you have a fantastic week! Remember that God's loves you and wants to speak to you!

Sister Sever

Week 13 & 14 in Rossendale

Hello family and friends!!!

As you all probably know! I am getting terrible at my group emails. But anyways let me just catch you up. ...Still in Rossendale! But I have a new companion (😢missing Sister Limb).  But it's ok because it's Sister Pymm and she is pretty incredible!!🎉🎉 😊

So these last 2 weeks have been pretty good. It's different getting used to a new companion but she really is so motivated and positive! I am looking forward to my time with her this transfer. 

We had a good 2 weeks so far, what with our finding and everything. We had one person come to church!!! I was so excited. Her name is Lynn and she is amazing. She is a spiritualist that is interested in our church. She said that she would come to church and she did! She really bonded with one of the members because she thought he was hilarious. At the end of sacrament, he asked if she was coming again and she said she was coming next week!!! But that's not all... Her car was blocked in and she ended up staying for gospel principles!! She just said, "guess I was meant to stay". She didn't stay for relief society though because we found a way out for her car but it was enough that she now loves it and we are teaching her another lesson this Sunday.The first time we came over to her house she gave us really nice hot chocolate and cake😍

I have had many miracles these last 2 weeks but one that has stood out to me was when we were tracting one day and we were not having ....the best success. It seemed like everyone just slammed the door in our faces. I remember praying so hard in my heart that we would just find one person. And after about 20 houses Victoria opened the door. She immediately invited us inside and proceeded to tell us how she went to our church in Rochdale. Not only that, but she moved into Rossendale 6 weeks ago and was lacking reading material ...but she did have one book in her house.... the Book of Mormon. So BAM! the church is true right!?  We are super excited for her and are hoping to see her this week.

Anyways, I love you all and hope you are all doing fabulous! 

Sister Sever