Stories from Ruth #19

This week we have transfers and Sister Nunes will be leaving me for Ipswitch! For the last couple of weeks we couldn't find anyone. This week we saw many miracles! I will start at the beginning. Last Pday was really fun! We went up to Aylesbury with Elder Thueson and Elder Spragg to go bowling and I didn't lose! Elder Barfuss was a few points behind me. I made a strike bowling with my left hand and then the next two rounds I hit nothing. It was fun! Then we went back to Watford and played an epic game of volleyball!

Well for our miracles we are teaching this girl from Peru named Drau! She is living with a member, and was taught a little bit last year. Now that she is back for school she went to institute with Joseph (an epic returned missionary) and then agreed to meet with the missionaries. We have begun teaching her and she has agreed to prepare for baptism! She even came to church on Sunday and seemed to enjoy it! She even asked us when we were coming
over again next!

Sister Nunes called this less active on the phone called Fabricio. He doesn't speak any English, so when Sister Nunes talked to him in Portuguese he was excited. We had a lesson with him and Sister Carol. After that he agreed to came to church and even brought two of his friends! Both of his friends enjoyed church although they know very little English and we are going to be teaching them. They also asked for a Book of Mormon!
It has been a good week!

This Week at Our House #2 Snowmantopia and Rain

We got in all the school I like to get in along with some fun snowman making, and dancing in the rain, a fun birthday, and the A&E 6 hour Pride and Prejudice movie. The snow stayed until Tuesday afternoon, so on Monday when the weather turned warm, the kids went out in the snow first thing in the morning and then again in the afternoon when most of them made a snowman or two. It was a lovely sight. By Thursday it was quite warm and humid, and on Friday it was over 70 degrees and down pouring much of the day. The kids had a wonderful time in the rain, including Sam, who kept sneaking out the back door. Our sand pit, which used to hold an above ground pool, filled with water. The kids played in that a lot. They also jumped on the tramp every time it started to down pour. I ended up with a lot of dirty laundry, because they would all go out and play in the rain, come in and change their clothes, and then go back out, repeat, repeat, repeat. John even went out to play in the rain with the kids. I went out and played a basketball game called lightening with John, Johnny, and Adam. It really was a very pleasant week.

1. John is my favorite gospel teacher. Today I was thinking how I longed for a teacher with the boldness of Nephi during church, and then I realized that I have that in my husband and I get to hear him teach everyday.
2.  I went grocery shopping on Thursday and since it is a half hour drive to Sam's Club and Walmart, and costs a bit in gas, I decided to buy about 3 weeks worth of groceries, so we would not have to go back soon. It took 4 hours to go there, shop and get home, and then another hour to figure out how to fit it in our one fridge and freezer. I think, we didn't have dinner until after 9pm. I remember sitting down after the dinner clean up, looking at the clock and realizing that it was 10:24pm and we had not even begun family scripture study.
3. Ruth told me that she is missing the family. I expect that will come and go in doses.
4. Rachel said that Kate is very nice, but that she did not know that until after we moved out of Utah and they shared a room. Kate said, "Is that what you learned? I am kind of a jerk. I get it from my dad."
5. Johnny was very nice playing basketball with me. He kept giving me multiple tries to actually get a basket. 
6. Adam loves the outdoors. He was out in the snow, and the rain, and the cold, and the warm. He typically finishes school a little later than the other kids. He tends to sit by the window with his math book staring at the kids already playing outside.
7. Rachel hates math. She goes into hysterics every time I teach her a new concept, so everyone talks about how terrible she is at math. But she always gets all of her math correct, and she got the highest test scores in math last year when I did their school testing. 
8. Anya had her birthday and as a birthday activity she wanted to watch Pride and Prejudice. I loved that activity. We watched it over 4 days, and I think I love Anya even more now.
9. We have this funky door that separates the hallway to the kids bedrooms and bath from the dining room that does not reach up to the ceiling. Adam has been using it as pull-up bar and Joseph has been climbing up to the top and laying over it. He thinks he is spiderman.
10. Joshua had a better week. I was careful to give him plenty of hugs and verbal approval when he was doing things right. John was careful to spend time with him, and I think being able to get outside more helped him too.
11. Arwen's reading is starting to come along, so putting her with Josh seems to be helping and not hindering her. She is even starting to get words before Josh.
12. Susan doesn't wet her pants anymore, but she is only pooping in the toilet about half the time. While we were looking for a birthday present for Josh, Suzy kept insisting that it was her birthday. I told her she wasn't allowed to have a birthday until she always pooped in the toilet because I was not going to have 4 year old pooping her pants. She quit begging for her birthday after that, but she did do better for a couple of days.
13. Samuel loved the warm rain. The back door is by the laundry room. While I folded laundry, I had the door open to enjoy the weather and Sam started to go out and then walk a little further and then a little further until he was in the big water/sand pit with the other kids.

Pictures

 

Stories from Ruth #18

Monday we went to the ward mission leaders house and had some of the best salmon I have ever eaten. Also they had a fat orange kitty who loved me. Apparently he never lets strangers pet him. Haha!

Last Tuesday we went to visit this lady we gave a Book of Mormon to. When we got to the door she immediately tried to hand it back. We asked her if she had read any of it. She hadn't. We read some with her and referenced parts of the bible. We taught her that we needed not to just search for a church we feel like we fit in, but the church of God. She kept the Book of Mormon and agreed to read and pray. Then on our way home I was feeling very sick. One hour after we got back to the flat. I threw up. Thankfully I had bought a lot of rice cakes the day before. Turns out one of the Elders was sick as well. Sister Nunes was sick last week and she helped take care of me which was sweet. Sister Carol, who is like out mother away from home, bought me some medicine and made sure I was well. The Lord blessed me thankfully and the very next day I had even more energy than I had the entire week and ate like normal.

We went and painted the house of a members friend. Thursday was exchanges and we went with the STLs to Hatfield! Sister Adams had served in Watford and gave me several less actives and investigators to visit. 

Later we went and played football with a recent convert. It was probably the most fun I have had on my mission so far. It had rained that morning so the ground was mud. All of us got covered from head to toe in mud whether by slipping or getting splattered. Afterwards we got changed really quick and went finding! We found this really cool guy who was interested in reading the Book of Mormon! 

That night Sister Adams made us the best smoothie. There is no place to get smoothies out here, and I really miss it! The elders in our area had to leave the week for Wembley, because their flat was being painted. Saturday morning we got a call from a random number and Sister Nunes answered. It was the Elders. They had locked themselves out of the flat in Wembley and had left their phones in the flat. We called Elder Reese (the Reeses are a senior couple who are in charge of this kind of thing) for them who said he was aware of their situation and was taking care of everything. A couple hours later we got a call from them saying asking where Elder Reese was. We called Elder Reese and Sister Reese answered and said they were on the way to Canterbury which is on the opposite side of England! Well they gave us the landlord's number and we gave it to the Elders who called off of their neighbor's phone. It was funny but we felt really bad because the Elders slept outside in cold in the panda which is a really tiny car they have to use while their car is getting fixed.

This week I have been thinking a lot about scripture study. Many people are always saying that they don't have enough time to read the scriptures. The scriptures aren't something you have time for. You make time for them. It is a commandment from God to read them which are his words. So, read them! Pondering for five minutes in a day is not good enough. Sitting down and actually reading them is what we need to do! No excuses! If we are always asking God to bless us and help us and are getting at him when something doesn't go the way we expect it to, but do not even follow the simple commandments of praying and reading our scriptures. Why do we expect him to bless us? Why should we? The least we can do for the life changing miracles we ask for is to sit down and read for an hour! 

 In 2 Nephi 32:7 it says: "...for they will not search knowledge, nor understand great knowledge, when it is given unto them in plainness, even as plain as word can be." We do not understand great

knowledge even when given to them plainly. The gospel is great knowledge and those who are unprepared will never understand or receive. Part of this is because they will not search and seek to learn. They do not "feast upon the words of Christ." Why do we not? 

President Spencer W. Kimball warned us, “The cares of the world are so many and so entangling, even very good people are diverted from following the truth because they care too much for the things of the world.” If you spend any time on the computer, a phone, tablet, etc. You could be reading the scriptures. If you watch tv you could be reading the scriptures. 

Joseph Smith said: "Let the saints remember that great things depend on their individual exertion and that they are called to be co-workers with us an the Holy Spirit in accomplishing the great work of the last days; and in consideration of the extent, the blessings and glories of the same, let every selfish feeling be not only buried, but annihilated; and let love to God and man predominate, and reign triumphant in every mind, that their hearts may become like unto Enoch's of old, and comprehend all things present, past and future, and come behind in no gift, waiting for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ." TPJS 178-9

May we all strive to give God more time. The first commandment is to love the Lord. Do we really love and know him if we do not serve him and keep his commandments? One question I always ask those I teach is what will they do to prove to God that they love him?

Happy Birthday, Anya

Anya is now 10!!! Anya is our cute little bit of sunshine that we all love and esteem. She is always kind and generally very obedient and anxious to please. She's a best friend to Rachel and Joseph. She loves to build legos, play outside, run, and play ball. She loves animals. Anya has always tortured Kate by catching bugs, bringing them into the house and accidentally setting them free. Now she goes for bigger things like frogs and geckos. Anya does not like history and math, but she is a good reader and loves to make up stories, write and draw. Anya is our little peacemaker. We are so glad she is part of our wonderful family,

This Week at Our House #1 2018

It was a great week! We had our family New Year's Party last Sunday, and really enjoyed that. I didn't get all the junk food I usually do, and that turned out very well and more delicious. We had giant homemade hamburgers, root beer floats, and just a few chips, and that was all, but it was all we needed or wanted as there were plenty of left overs. We ended of long holiday break and started homeschool up once again. I switched some things up and it came together very well. Then, we got a big storm and nearly a foot of snow, which is practically unheard of where we live. I went grocery shopping the afternoon just before the storm hit, and we have not had to leave the house since. Because it froze after the storm, Church was cancelled so we have today as a quiet day at home. If our home can be called quiet. Kate said it is a good thing we are an interesting family or we would be really bored staying home so much.

1. Unfortunately, John is still looking for some employment. He has had plenty of rejections. Hopefully, he will hear from places soon. The jobs economy is a little better than it was 2 years ago. John spends an hour or more a day reading scriptures with the older kids. The older kids really do gather around him with excitement to have him open up the scriptures to their understanding.
2. I was very pleased with how school went. It can be difficult coming off from a long vacation. This time I think we were all rested up enough and ready to jump back into learning. I decided to put Arwen and Josh together for reading and that is going very well. Josh is well ahead of Arwen, but having her there is helping him move along. I am hoping that having Josh there does not make it so Arwen does not learn as well. Arwen is more precocious than Josh, so hopefully they will go as well together as Joseph and Anya do. I started the story club as part of school. We all have to write a story between Monday and Thursday and then we gather and read them together Friday morning. Our first week of story club went well. I need to gather some of their stories and post them here.
3. This week I was thinking just how much I miss Ruth. She always served in the home. I never had to ask her to do things. If there were dishes in the sink, she would go and wash them. If there was laundry to be done, she would just do it. I am sure her willingness to serve and help in the home is blessing her as she serves in the mission field.
4. Kate ate two huge hamburgers New Years eve! I was impressed, so I insisted we get a picture. Kate really enjoyed the snow and spent a lot more time outside this week. She cleaned the snow and ice off from our front porch and steps and seemed to enjoy having an outside chore rather than an inside chore. Kate is teaching a Shakespeare course to Adam, Rachel, Anya, and Joseph. She is really enjoying it, and so are her students!
5. Johnny does not like the cold. He enjoys playing in the snow and throwing snowballs, but he rarely stays out very long. As soon as I can, I need to buy him a couple of sweat shirts. The poor boy is always cold and always walking around with a jacket or a blanket on. In the summer, when the rest of us are hot, he wears long pants.
6. Adam LOVED the snow and has been out there more than anyone except maybe Joseph. He made a snow fort and had a snowball fight with Johnny and Kate.
7. When Rachel woke up Thursday morning and saw the snow, she went and put on a a beautiful skirt, winter weight tights, and very pretty sparkly sweater. That is very Rachel. I made her change into a pair of jeans, which still looked quite cute. Rachel wrote a really good story. I was quite impressed with both her creativity and ability to write clearly and well. 
8. Anya too had a really cute story. She was excited for the story club and got her story written earlier in the week. I don't think Anya likes the cold any better than Johnny as she is always walking around with a blanket on her shoulders.
9. Joseph could not spend as much time outside and so he was jumping around and climbing up the walls again. On Friday, I found him on the very top of the kitchen cupboards. He climbs the doorways too. 
10. Joshua is not doing as well as we would like. He will be turning 7 in a week and a half and he is still biting, pinching, and hitting. He will scream and yell and cry like he is a baby, and now on top of that he is telling lies. It's interesting as a parent of many how you have to focus on one kid or another as needed. Our focus needs to turn to Josh. He needs to learn now to keep the commandments of God, so that when he faces the stronger temptations he will be prepared. 
11. Arwen likes the snow quite well. She has gone out playing in it everyday since it fell. But she is funny because she does not like to wear pants, even under her skirts and keeps trying to go out in bare legs. Once, I just let her go with the caution to come in as soon as she was cold. She came back in less than 10 minutes. 
12. Susan liked the snow this year. The last two years, it just made her cry and scream. This year, Susan was out playing in the snow just as long as the most hardy of our kids. She did not like getting cold hands and feet or snow stuck into her gloves, but she enjoyed being out eating and sculpting the snow.
13. Sam seemed to like the snow quite well. I didn't dress him up and take him out, but we let him wander out onto the front porch. He picked up the snow and ate it and played with it. He is more hardy than most of our babies when it comes to the cold. I wonder if he will then have a harder time when the weather is hot in the summer.

Pictures

Kate and I decided to attempt making Chicago style deep dish pizza. This one was made in the spring-form pan, so it was very deep. They turned out fairly well, though there is certainly more we can learn on how to make them good.

John's brother put together two kits with John's lego sets from his childhood, so he gathered some kids and built them on New Year's Eve.

We started a 1000 piece puzzle. This is a good house to do so because we have big bar that we use for eating, so the table can be used for projects and puzzles.

Stories from Ruth #16

Ruth sent me this:
Write on your blog I want to say thank you for all my Christmas presents because I forgot to send it to everyone and I don't know who sent me them.

Well happy New Year everyone! I honestly cannot remember what happened this week. We visited a lot of members and I love the members in this ward. They are really fun and I am definitely putting on weight this transfer. The elders don't want to eat as much, because they don't want to gain weight, so I think a couple people like to feed us more, because we don't care about the weight gain. Haha! The elders do get fed more because they have a car though. 

We have a couple members who live in our area so we visit them often. One of them is like our mother away from home, and her two boys are the cutest little kids! They are from Brazil and know a little English so they are teaching me Portuguese! 

One of the highlights of my week was actually remembering enough French to speak to a little French girl and her brother from a part member family. It is interesting how I feel sometimes we are put in a place to help certain members. Often times the spirit prompts me to know what to teach them clearer than that of some investigators. 

Missionary work has been rough with the holiday season. Everyone is busy and I understand since many people have family over but goodness you would expect everyone to be more loving around Christmas and the Christmas season to be easy missionary work. Let me tell you: it is a lie. Goodness! Most people are even grumpier. Haha! But it was fun! I am excited for this new year! 

Do you know how many appointments we had to make for after this new year? Like all of them! I love seeing the difference the gospel makes in the lives of people though! They relax and are happier, because they are coming unto Christ which is joy! They have the light of Christ in them and are learning to recognize God and his answers to them. 

Our recent convert Michael is doing amazing! He reads the scriptures every day and attends church.

He reads more scriptures than He did and there is a recognizable light about him since he received the gift of the holy ghost. I love when he tells us that he was reading scriptures and he felt so good and so he kept reading more and is doing better understanding them. He is even sending us scriptures he likes and why. He is doing so good! I am so happy! The Elders also had a baptism this week! His name is Ade! It was awesome to be there! I love going to baptisms! They give me hope! So do people's conversion stories!

I have become good friends with several of the girls my age here and even some of the guys. They are really good. Two are returned missionaries from the Scotland-Ireland mission. Katie is amazing! She is hilarious and is always taking care of the missionaries. Joseph is awesome. He just got home two weeks ago we we met him that Thursday. He is always going to scriptures and is befriended Michael. Thank you! I love returned missionaries! I abhor how people tell them that they need to be like how they were before or adjust. Stop it! No! Keep going! God did not send you on a mission just to have you return to the way you were before!