We Keep on Teaching - Happy in Harborne

Dearest momma and papa, and family!


I’m jealous of your Utah trip! It sounds like it was lots of fun! You should just go to Utah every time papa does. Then you can visit with everyone. And see me when I get home too! That would be so much fun. I wouldn't oppose to that. You could help me practice! I would love to take many lessons with Linda - maybe weekly.

Your week sounded like SO much fun! I’m jealous! I can't believe that the swimming pool had that crisis. What a mess! And it sounds fun to just be able to be with everyone. Projects are the best. It sounded like so much fun.

And I can't believe that Lacey and Jaclyn graduated from high school. They are still so young! Oh goodness, I’m old. What are they doing now? BYU??

The blunder in Banbury. President Ogden was very understanding, and didn't blame me at all. Apparently he gets a few of these calls a transfer. What a mess! Usually they are girls liking elders though. Oh well. (Some guy was writing Annie letters.)And Craig, hopefully I’ll be able to go to the temple. If I am still on the mission. And it works out. But I’d be allowed to go. That’s the privilege of baptizing someone before your 6 month mark. Then you can go to the temple with them. Awesome!

So I’m SOOOO glad we stayed in Harborne. I love it here. And I want to stay here for the rest of the mission. Really. It’s just the promised land. So many people. And so many blessings. I love LOVE love it here!!!! And we have had some awesome miracles this week.

So we had another referral, Frank, who also lived in Great Barr. He requested a Finding faith in Christ DVD, and so we delivered it. And he is awesome. Apparently an elder had given him a pass along card, and so he called the number. I love that. That’s the first time on my mission that someone has done that! Great. So we went to his house and watched the DVD with him. And we talked a bit about the church. Just an introduction. And right away, he asked about baptism. So we read 2 Nephi 31, and it was great. And then he asked more awesome questions. He’s sincerely interested. We invited him to church, and he said that he'd rearrange his schedule to come next week. And he said he'd read the Book of Mormon every day. Frank is from Ghana, and has been here for 10 years, and getting his MBA and he just seems super smart. He’s awesome. And he is so interested! Wow. Great Barr is awesome. It’s SOOO far away though. We had to request more miles, so that we can get to him and to Rebecca. But it's all worth it. The best is that both of them have cars. If they didn't, I don't know if we would have been granted the extra miles. Ha-ha. But president is so good.

Edwin is doing very well. President Ogden has all his information, and is sending it down to Malawi so that they will be ready for him, and get in touch with him. He’ll get it from all sides. And he so badly wants us to come visit him in Malawi some day. So if I’m ever just passing through...I better stop in. Ha-ha.

Charlotte is AWESOME. She invited us to go wedding dress shopping with her. So we are going with her today. And we are thrilled. And hopefully we'll get her to get a very modest dress. Hopefully that's what she wants, bringing two sister missionaries with her wedding dress shopping. Who ever heard of such a thing!? Ha-ha. I love it. Just down my alley. I love all things wedding.

This week we got a random text from someone named Jack (later we found out it's a less active) and this is what it said "Hi missionaries. I wondered if there are any elders in the Birmingham area I can talk to about the Book of Mormon? Thanks." First, we thought this was the most golden investigator coming our way. But we called back, and met him, and he's actually just a golden less active. When he was baptized about two years ago, the missionaries found him and taught him and baptized him in 3 weeks. And so he didn't really know what he believed. So he wants to be re-taught everything. And he's awesome. He came to church yesterday! Hallelujah!

While we were on our way to an appointment with Mapfumo and Julia, we stopped a Chinese boy. And we gave him a Book of Mormon, and he was awesome. He walked with us, and we talked with him about Christianity. And he said he'd like to learn more. I think that was Heavenly Father knowing that we have to have Chinese boys to teach. Because our Chinese boys, Daniel, Taylor and Biyu, are going back to China for the summer this week.

And we are so sad. But exciting news about that is that Taylor decided that when he gets back, he wants to get baptized. So that will be on the 15th of October! Awesome. We made them all three month Book of Mormon reading charts to fill out while there. And at least Daniel and Biyu will be able to go to church while there. So that's good. But oh, we'll miss them. They are brilliant. They told us that they were the top in their class. And we asked how big the class was, and they said 115 people. And these three boys are the top three in the class. And they are best friends. And they are awesome! We teach some really awesome people. But we sure will miss them.

Every week, we have a lot of YSA girls come out teaching with us. But we are so sad, because term is over, so they are all going home for the summer holidays, and we have very few people to use now. We are sooo sad. I’m going to miss them all so much. They are awesome. The YSA center here is amazing. The best YSA ever. It would be so fun to be an YSA here. (YSA = young single adult. just so those of you who don't know LDS phrases are aware ha-ha)

Anyways. Life is great. We have had so many miracles. The sun is shining. It was 29 degrees here yesterday. I think that's like 85 degrees. That’s SOOO hot for this country. Whew. We are not equipped for that type of weather. But it was nice.

Let’s see, what else. Oh, I got my hair trimmed. Finally. It’s needed it. And it feels much better. But maybe I can set an appointment in advance for Eliza Ogzwalla for when I get back to Utah please?

Ok. Long awaited question that I’ve wanted to ask but each week I forget. You remember that packet of pictures you sent me? Well in that packet is a picture of you, mom and papa in front of the Oakland temple. And you are holding like a paper doll? What’s that? And why? I keep the picture in my scriptures with a few more of the family. But I just don't know how to explain that. Ha-ha.

Hmm. What else? Sister Pope is now white washing Sulihull. That’s right next to us! That means that we will be in each other’s zone conferences! Yay! Happy days. I miss her.

We tried to make rice pudding. Epic failure.

We were pretty much out of food last week. And somehow our bishop found out. And he gave us the most ridiculously large can of tuna. And it's lasted us for like two weeks. It’s been awesome! I love tuna! And we sup it up! It’s great. He also gave us the largest can of baked beans in the world. We have yet to tackle that.

We have senior missionaries in our ward. The Tufts. You’d LOVE them. They have a blog. I told them to email you mom. She is adorable. You’d LOVE her. They are awesome. And they are like our parents here. It’s great!

Anyways, this week has been awesome. My testimony grows daily. And I’m so grateful for this gospel. READ THE BOOK OF MORMON! I love you!

Love,
Annie