Moments That Make Missionary Work All Worth It

English people are like M&M's. That is one thing that I have especially learned this week. They are hard and stoned faced on the outside, but once you get to know them, they are sweet and delicious and chocolatey! 

Like for real we say hi to everyone we see because... well.... we are missionaries. Most of the time people just look at us weird and wonder why we said hi to them..... For example... the other day we said hi to this lady and she stopped and looked at us excitedly trying to figure out where she has seen us from, and I just said "hi what is your name!" Then she looked at both of our badges and her face immediately turned from happy straight to fear.... then she said "gotta go sorry!" and turned and ran away.... hahahhahaha it was hilarious.

My favorite compliment is, "Wow you sure are happy!" Well yeah I am! And here is why! I have an all loving God! Who has a plan for my happiness and for the happiness of my family! And he still speaks to us today! And I have the evidence of this right here in my hands! Here read it! It will make you happy to!

I wish I could say that the response was like how the people responded in Mosiah chapter 5 to King Benjamins address.... 

(Click here to read Mosiah Chapter 5)

We went to London again this week!!!!!! For the 4 week meeting!!! I love going to London! Except the tubes are scary because there are people everywhere running around trying to catch the trains and it is madness I tell you. But all is well and we made it safe and sound with just a few drops of sweat on our foreheads.

The street sign from the street that I live on

So this was a meeting with all of the new missionaries and their trainers with President and Sister Jordan so naturally it rocked! And was super inspiring!!!! 

Let's just say I am really starting to get the hint that I am a little loud for England people... hahahaha. At this meeting we did a role play where all of us greenies had to pretend like we were on a bus and we were going to sit by an old English man, (President Jordan was playing as the old English man...) and each of us, one at a time, in front of everyone, had 30 seconds to sit down next to him and start a conversation and get to the point where we could relate the conversation to some kind of gospel topic or principle.... So when it was my turn I was really nervous because everyone was watching and I went in a little too loud...... just being myself...... haha and I asked if I could sit by him really loudly and he looked at me weird and said, "uhh sure." Then I tried to start a conversation.... and anyways... let's just say after that President Jordan gave me the same advice that he did last week to tone it down from a 10 to an 8.... hahahha. It was bad. But really funny as well. 

I had another "moment" in the middle of the night..... So I woke up in the middle of the night randomly and was on my knees in the middle of a prayer...... I was half awake and was so confused about what was going on, and couldn't figure out why I was praying, but I finished the prayer anyways and said "amen," then I hear Sister Hernes say "amen" and I got even more confused and looked over at her and she was laying in bed.... Then I was MORE confused. The next morning she said that I said a prayer in the middle of the night.... hahaha seriously what is going on with me. I must be a real missionary now that I legit pray in my sleep. Kneeling down by my bed and everything! hahaha....

This is my zone! Elder Kashari from Albania, Elder Elder Wright from California, Elder Jones from Utah, Elder Nolan from Manchester England, Elder Kendall from Utah, Elder Wentzel from South Africa, Sister Maurer from Switzerland, and Sister Mochahova from Czech Republic!

My District at District Lunch

OKAY COOL STORY. So on Thursday we have district meeting in Aylesbury so we take the bus there in the mornings, but this Thursday it was 45 minutes late, so we were going to be late to the meeting. So it finally came and we made it to Aylesbury, then as we were walking to the chapel, a lady stopped us and said she used to be a member of our church, and started explaining about how she stopped coming because she didn't have any money to buy dresses or skirts, and how she felt looked down upon because she has tattoos. Then she started crying to us and was saying how she was really struggling because she has 2 15 year old twin boys with autism and she struggles to feed them every week and is barely scraping by. She said that before bumping into us she was praying for some kind of peace, then she saw us! UMM MIRACLE. And here I was complaining cause the bus was late.... But God was up there saying, "you just wait and see what I have in store for you!" Seriously that was amazing.  After, when we had to go she just thanked us and said that she felt so much better now that she had talked to us!!!  She is the sweetest lady!!! We are going to see her on Thursday this week. The Elders said they saw her the next day and she said that she just loved us! She is great.  Moments like that make missionary work all worth it.

This is the mission home/visitor 

center/hyde park chapel!!!

Okay I LOVE my district. Next week is transfers and I am so sad that half of us will probably be gone.... Everyone is sooo fun and funny!!! We had district lunch this week and we just went to a grocery store to buy some food and then we went out by the car to eat and turned on some music...... And guess what the Zone leaders were listening to in their car.....  MY FAVORITE MISSIONARY CD!...... "I'm gonna go on a mission and I want to..... be ready......." Yup it sure was a party rockin' out to church music in the parking lot eating out lunch. haha

OKAY ANOTHER COOL STORY!!!! So we have an investigator who is struggling with depression and he drinks and he is just not doing so well. We met with him on Friday and we taught him the Word of Wisdom and helped him to set goals to stop drinking, because he really wants to stop! And this is the best part.... We challenged him to go home and pour all of the alcohol he has in his flat down the drain...... and we told him we were going to give him an hour and then call him to see if he did it. So we call him......... AND HE DID IT!!!!! WOOOOO!!!!! I AM SO PROUD OF HIM!!!! Seriously he is the greatest and wants to build a closer relationship with God really bad!!!!! He also has a hard time praying... he always says... "okay I will pray in 5 more minutes."........5 minutes later...... "okay 5 more minutes!" So we told him that we were going to call him every morning at 9 am to pray with him and so far that has been going super well!!! He stopped working for 3 weeks because of his depression but has started working again this week!!! He is doing so well:) Now he just needs to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon then the next step.... baptism. WOOO. Man I love him so much already!!! He is seriously so great.

Yup. Jeffery R. Holland may or may not be coming to my mission in the next few months. He is the apostle I would want most to come. He is also the apostle I would want least to come if you know what I mean.... We are going to all be called to repentance that is for sure... haha. #bejealous.

We are reading the Book of Mormon as a mission and we are in 3 Nephi right now. AKA THE BEST PART OF THE BOOK OF MORMON BECAUSE WELL DUH THAT IS WHEN CHRIST VISITS THE AMERICAS. SUCH POWERFUL CHAPTERS! 

London rooftops at sunset

So I was reading in 3 Nephi chapter 12 vs 2-12 (Click here to read it), and I was writing down the different attributes of God, and things we need to do and become as it says in those verses, and then I would write down next to it the associated blessings. As I was doing this, it just kind of struck me what great blessings God has in store for each of us!!! It reminded me of a quote and forgive me as I no longer have the luxury or time to search for quotes whenever I want so this is straight from memory and I don't know who said it.... But it goes something like this... :

"Some blessings come soon, and some come late, but for those who embrace the Gospel of Jesus christ, I testify to you, they come."

May we all strive to look for the blessings of God in our lives each day. And as one of my new favorite scriptures says....:

"Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of god, and for his arm to be revealed." (D&C 123:17)

God is everywhere if you will just look.

Thank you for the love and prayers. 

ONWARD AND UPWARD.

Sister Ranck

Rockin' Out with the Elders and Sisters at Lunch Time