Roseberry Topping, Capture the Flag, and a Dead Bunny

Hello!

This week went by so FAST! I can't believe my first transfer is almost over! Weird. . . :)

Sorry about how short last week's email was, we were having our zone p-day and our zone leaders made it sound like we had to be SUPER quick with our emails. We ended up having like 45 minutes to burn afterwards, hahaha.

We went hiking at a place called Roseberry Topping, and that was pretty fun. It was so steep though! When we got to the top we just hung out for a while taking pictures and stuff. Then we went down the . . . mountain. . . no it's more like a big hill. But, yeah, once we were off the big hill we played capture the flag, which was fun as well! Except for the part when I was running and then I saw this dead bunny and it was bloody and gross and very DEAD so I had to LEEEAAAAPPPP over it and I landed funny on my knee. I was running after one of my zone leaders afterwards and my knee started to really hurt and I kind of fell. . . and he was like, 'Oh! Man down!' and we was acting like he was gonna see if I was okay. . . yeah right! He came up to me and said, 'Are you okay?' then he ran around me and grabbed the flag and ran to his side! Unfair! But I was still on the ground nursing my knee after he got to his side and he came back over and made sure I was okay. So all was well. I showed him where the dead rabbit was and he picked it up and started to chase people around with it. The maturity level of some Elders is astounding. :) But it was funny. And disgusting. We all got bored of capture the flag and for the rest of the p-day we just threw rocks at the rabbit. Very exciting.

My knee hurt that night, a LOT, but since then my knee hasn't hurt at all. :)

The rest of this week has been kind of a blur. We had a fireside at our mini chapel on Saturday and President Lindley spoke. It was good! More people showed up then we expected so that was nice! But one of our investigators came to it and he was drunk. And after it was all over, he kind of made a scene. Luckily our Branch President was there to help us sort it all out. But all in all, it was a success. 

That same investigator said he was going to come to church yesterday, but he didn't show up. So we kept trying to get a hold of him, but he was kind of ignoring us. I think he was mostly embarassed about the whole situation. So Sister Smith and I went by his flat yesterday and we knew he was in, because his curtains were moving and he lives alone, but he wasn't answering the door. So I yelled through the post slot. Sister Smith was going to do it, but then I was like, 'I want to do it.' But then right after I said that, I regretted it. I didn't want to do it. But I did do it, because she woudn't let me not do it after that. :) She is such a fantastic trainer! :) 

I think that's all I have left to talk about for this week. . . :D

THE END,

Sister Stout

I LOVE YOU ALL SOSOSOS MUCH!

(Ali send these pics along with some others, but some wouldn't download for some reason.  I'll add them later if I can get them downloaded.)

"My Zone! :D"

"My District on P-day"

"Sister Smith and I at our District P-day"

"Our victory picture for winning the Billiham Belt thing for most investigators present!" (I have no idea what that means exactly, but she and her comp were pretty excited about winning it :)

Such a Great Week... I'm Speechless

Dear Spectacular People!

 

My week has been fantabulous! Hahahah, so GOOD! The investigator that was having suicidal thoughts got an ANSWER and now wants to be baptized as soon as possible! YESSSSSSSSS.

 

Hahaha, I cannot stop SMILING! :D But this week has been great! My thoughts are so incoherent right now. We had so many lessons this week. SO MANY.

 

Okay, gathering thoughts. We had District P-Day on Tuesday and that was fun. We almost got killed . . . hahah, not really, but it felt like it. We let another set of Elders drive and . . . yeah. That was fun. Crying from laughter.

 

But, yeah, nothing too exciting has been happening. We have a baptism set for the 28th of September, for a different investigator, and it's going to be epic!

 

I don't have much time at all to email today. . . I wish I did!  We have a zone p-day today and we are going hiking, so that should be fun. I love everyone and miss you all as well! Time is starting to FLY haha.

 

<3,

Sister Stout

ps - I'm so sorry this email is rubbish.  My thoughts are just all over the place today :) 

Here's What's Up!

Weeellll, this week should have been a 'bad' week. Considering I have been sick for exactly seven days today. SEVEN! Yes, I am still sick. But it hasn't been that bad. It's helping me to find out just how tough I am. Normally at any signs of illness I just get in my bed and watch telly for a couple of days. But here. . . I just want to work work work! Hahaha.

So, last Monday, something very exciting happened! In the morning we got a call from one of Sister Smith's former investigators. She was very surprised that he called! But he said that he had to talk to us that night. Sister Smith told me that the reason he was a FORMER investigator was because she had a dream that her and her comp should drop him. So they did. But now, about six months later, he calls us up and we met with him and then . . . he asked US if he can be baptized! Haha. It was amazing! He said that once the sisters stopped coming by that his life went down the tubes. And once he knew what it was like to have that faith in his life, he didn't want to live without it! It was incredible! It was a miracle! Haha, Sister Smith was inspired, the time that he had to learn on his own was exactly what he needed in order to fully commit himself to the gospel!

On Tuesday, I FELL DOWN A FLIGHT OF STAIRS. Oh my goodness, it was terrifying. I just lost my footing, fell on my bum and slipped more than half way down. Hahaha, I have the grossest looking bruise on the top of my foot. But I'm okay. It was more scary then anything. I'm so clumsy. :) The stairs were very narrow and steep though. . . .

I am feeling much more comfortable every single day. It was hard at first, and it is still difficult, but seriously, every day it gets easier and easier. I love that. The Lord is most definitely carrying me. I couldn't do it without him!

I don't have quite as much time to write today, as we are going to Middlesbrough to pick up the Elders serving there and then going to Hartlepoole (sp?) to go to the beach for our district p-day (we're just eating and playing sports. . . no water for us :). Also the reason we didn't have p-day yesterday was because we had a mission tour. It was spectacular! So inspirational.

LOOOOOVE,

Sister Stout

I've Snipered...Haha

Hello EVERYONE!!!!!! :D

This week was pretty intense here. . . one of our investigators texted us Tuesday night and was saying he was gonna end his life. So we dropped what we were doing and spent nearly two hours telling him why that was not the right way to handle things. So, that was something I never thought I would experience. He is still alive, which is a blessing. But he is very depressed. But apart from that experience, things have been good! We scheduled three more for baptism. Oh, one of our other investigators was telling us about how since he has been investigating the Mormon church . . . a mole that he's had for as long as he can remember and always gave him problems, has mysteriously disappeared! IT'S A MIRICLE! I guess the Lord really does work in mysterious ways! :D :D :D

I have been experiencing some mild home sickness. . . but I know that it's just because I'm scared to push myself out of my comfort zone. Haha, but the missionaries here are quickly curing me of the dreaded 'comfort zone'. Two days ago, our zone leaders came down to see how we street contact and knock. At the end of street contacting, Elder Pahrem said that we couldn't leave until I had snipered someone. Which is to see someone who is far away from you, then yell out to them to get their attention, then you run up to them and start talking to them. Ugh, I did NOT want to do it. At all. But I did. . . .and it wasn't as difficult as I made it out to be. :)

Lucky, getting to be at the cabin. :) It sounds fun! I can't believe that I've been in Redcar for almost two weeks now. Oh my goodness. It feels like it's been way longer then that. Haha, but also shorter, at the same time. I keep getting told that the time will speed up . . . kind of looking forward to that moment. Oh, tell Aunt Ashley congrats! Also, send me a picture of the baby! I love that you sent me a picture of Cassie and Whitney. . . NEVER hesitate to send me pictures! :D Oh my goodness, I love Cass and Whit. . . and I miss them. And I miss all of you. Pictures are wonderful things.

NO! I have not driven yet. . . I have to take two lessons first. . . and I'm actually slightly terrified of driving . . . hahah. I'm sure it will be good though. I will eventually! But not many areas use cars. We are lucky that Redcar covers so much area, otherwise we would be walkers. But I'm sure I will learn how to drive eventually!

I love everyone and I LOOOVVVVEEEE getting letters! Oh my, I got five this week and it was GREAT!

LOVE,

Sister Stout

ps. Oh! I got a letter from Elder Davies mom! It was so sweet! It warmed my heart! :D

pps. I got letters from Cabel and Whitney as well, and tell Whit to send me a picture of her new hair! I want to see it soooooo bad! I bet it's amazing!

ppps. MOM! I love you with all of my heart! :D