WHAT UP WHAT UP WHAT UP WHAT UPPPPPPPPP!!!

You guys. Last week I said it was the best week ever but I lied! This week was the greatest!! Ever ever!! Oh man it made me smile so huge to be able to talk to you guys. It's good to know that you are all still as hilarious and absurd as ever-- I hope I wasn't too awkward😉😉😉😉😉😉

God really blessed us this week and I'm not quite sure why but I'm just accepting it and saying thank you a lot. A few examples:

On Wednesday night we were finding and I had a feeling that we should call our recent convert, Ben, and try to teach him. So we called him and he goes yeah, I'll be at the church in 10. So before we even say the opening prayer with him, this guy that I met the day before comes waltzing in and goes "I would never break my appointment!! Here I am!!!" Hahah I totally forgot about our appointment because our new area Book planner app sometimes deletes things. It was such a major blessing that we were there AND with a member. Heyo!

Then he proceeds to tell us how he wasn't going to come to his appointment but then something told him this was a good thing and how he couldn't pass up a good thing from God so he ignored everything telling him not to and came anyway. AND also a week and a half ago he quit drinking and smoking all of his own volition. Miracle. He's working toward baptism for the 29th. Here's a pic of him with his Swahili Book of Mormon. (Other miracle: we just had a Swahili BoM lying around the chapel)


(Hahahahahahahahah)

We found 10 new investigators this week and that almost never happens
We had so many people come to church on Christmas which was just basically the greatest feeling ever and made us so thankful!
We almost had to walk home from Dagenham on Christmas (like a 1.5 hour walk) but a member came and picked us up and then invited us to her house to Skype you guys which is 5 minutes from our house instead of a 20 minute walk to the chapel
A whole lot of other things that I don't remember right now.

Anyway it was just a great week and I am so happy and I love you all and I hope you had the best Christmas EVER!!!!!! thank you for all of the cards, notes, money, presents, and prayers. I love you guys you are the BEST!!! Here is an absurd amount of pictures.

Me when all our inv come to church 😇

I went on exchange with sister Cobabe, my old companion! Such a cutie.


Thanks mom!!!! We loved it!!!!!!!

We watched tangled on Christmas Eve!!! Bless!!!!!! Except it made my eyes hurt halfway though and I realised I am not used to TV

The real Christmas present: James came to church in a full white suit....... even better Christmas present............

OUR WARD MISSION LEADER WAS MATCHING HIM. check out brother osaghyies shoes



Then we went to the old guys house for Christmas dinner and it was max delicious

Love you guys SO MUCH!!!!!! My New Years resolution is to try to exemplify this quote from President Gordon B. Hinckley. I just want to be the epitome of this quote (which is basically aunt Michelle lol)

"I come . . . with a plea that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that we “accentuate the positive.” I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort. I am not asking that all criticism be silenced . . . . I am not suggesting that our conversation be all honey and blossoms. . . . What I am . . . asking is that we turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good in the land and times in which we live, that we speak of one another’s  virtues more than we speak of one another’s  faults, that optimism replace pessimism, that our faith exceed our fears."

So good huh???  I'm tying to be more like it. Love you all!!!!!!!

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

"Why are you so ugly" -a recent convert to me

Haha just kidding he said why are you so early but he's Indian so it sounded like why are you so ugly. Haha lolz had a good old laugh with that one.

ANYWAY. YOU GUYS. HOW ARE YOU ALL?!?!?! Man I am still loving my life so stinking much. Ok I have decided to tell you some crazy miracles that happened this week.
-it hasn't rained at all. AT ALL!!! How amazing is that. It has been so warm and not rainy seriously God loves me. The other day it was 8 degrees which apparently is super warm for December (still sounds max freezing to me but what can ya do)!
-this guy walked into the chapel one day and asked us to teach him English and teach him about Jesus. Lolz yeah we can do that!!
-EVERYONE who is on date to be baptised came to church. For two weeks in a row!!! Seriously what the heck so blessed. That never happens.
-we found the cutest tiniest Christmas tree in a janky cupboard in our flat. Which doesn't sound like a miracle but it is!!!! Cause it's so cute and I LOVE CHRISTMAS.

This week I got to go on an exchange with this sister from Malaysia who I love SO MUCH. She is so good and sweet and just awesome. 

 (Our investigator bought us lucozades. Bless.) 

Then we woke up super early and went to MLC!!  Man it was so good. I learned so much. I really am focusing now on how I can constructively help sister missionaries and investigators progress spiritually, and it is helping me progress so much in the process!! 

(This is where we all met up and talked about nail varnish. SIKE WE TALKED ABOUT HOW TO BE BEAST- MODE SISTER MISSIONARIES). Man this was my favourite part. Seriously this is where I learned soooooo much about how to improve and how to help others improve. This meeting only lasted for like an hour but it was so constructive. 

Then we went home and I was so exhausted I just wanted to sleep for 3 days. But what can ya do. 

 Man this is one of my fav inv. she is from Brazil and she is SO normal and SO beautiful and has the sweetest little baby boy that she always brings to church über wrapped up in like this big fuzzy onesie thing it's so cute. But her house is SO CLEAN and organised!!! Seriously if you knew the people we teach you would realise what a miracle that is. Ahhh I just love her. She lives all of the commandments and loves the Book of Mormon and is great. Our only problem now is helping her get her answer that this is the one true church. That's what a lot of our inv. struggle with. I think it's something we all struggle with. Sometimes we just want to KNOW. We are doing the right things and asking with sincerity and trying so hard to know what God wants us to do and it feels like He isn't answering. But something that I'm learning is that He does answer, we just need to make sure we can hear it when He does. So I am working on that as well--- recognising how God answers me. 

 Then we had zone meeting and sister soulier and i had to give trainings but I wasn't even nervous! Blessed!! 

 OH MY GOODNESS THIS WOMAN IS MY FAV. Taiwo joined the church when she was 16 and then went on a mission 3 years later. What a beast. she gave the best talk in church. Seriously I love her so much. Man church was so powerful this week. I think it was my favourite block of meetings that I have had on my whole mission. The talks were all incredible and I only fell asleep twice! (That's how you know it's real). 

Then to wrap up the best week we had dinner with this old Welsh man who made us Welsh cakes with the Welsh flag in the middle. Naturally it has a dragon on it. Duh. Hahah who even knew that was a thing?? Not me. We talked about dragons for a good 20 minutes of this dinner.  He was so cool.

This is the name of his town!!!! Not even joking!!!! That is a real name!!! Hahha he is just so funny and sassy and hilarious. 

He and his wife are the best. 

Also this African member made us Jollof rice and I spilled so much of it on the floor lols whoops can't take me anywhere

Getting Called To Be an STL.........

ILFORD CHILLFORD

Oh my goodness. You guys. Welcome to my favourite area hands DOWN. hahah I cannot tell you how much I love Ilford!!! East London is just a gigantic party. Let me tell you how many white people I have seen since I've been here.... my companion, (sister soulier from Utah aka the nicest person I have ever met in my entire life), one guy from Australia, and two people born in England. TWO. ok like I might be exaggerating a little bit but maybe not. Everyone is from Portugal or Africa or India. Man I love it SO MUCH!!!! I have learned how to say hello in like 5 new languages and I meet so many people from Ghana and I love it so much. We are teaching so many people that we have no time to eat but that's ok because we have so many cool people preparing for baptism/ progressing so well/ families we are meeting.

Here are some pictures from the week

This poor woman has to deal with her craziest companion yet!

OH MY GOODNESS THIS WAS OUR WARD RELIEF SOCIETY PARTY!!!!! I have never laughed so hard in my life these women are so incredible. The one in the back with the furry coat was a prosecutor for the royal court but now she designs handbags. WHAT. hahaha seriously I love these guys so much. Oh my days.

THIS IS NDIAYE (the tall one in the coat) and HE IS SO GOOD!!!!! He is the nicest man I've ever met. He's from Senegal and he is getting baptised on the 18 of December (please please PLEASE pray for him. Seriously). He calls us his angels. And he just says the most profound comments in gospel principles class and he is just sooo good. 

The little boy on the left is getting baptised soon. He's so funny. His mom is from Sri Lanka and cooks us the SPICIEST food every single time we go over to teach them. Oh my goodness. Literal tears. 

Man you guys I am so happy. God is so good. I have been amazed how much he qualifies us and helps us to do the really hard things that we need to do (like waking up on time or talking to scary people or not punching your zone leaders in the face) (hahah just kidding love our new zone leaders). 

I have really seen Heavenly Father helping me so much this week. Not only with actually qualifying me, but with helping me to feel calm and qualified and just ok with everything. Life is so good. I love you guys so so much and want you to know how thankful I am for you!!! Have the BEST CHRISTMAS SEASON EVER. 

funniest quote from this week: sister soulier on the phone to our CRAZY recent convert  "Ben no. Ben. Ben you cannot walk home from Leeds. That will take you five days." 

Love you all!!! 

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxox

Sister Daines