I LOVE LONDON YSA!!! :)

Mum, Pah Pea, family, and friends!

 

Why hello!!! so this week was just awesome! We are getting to know the area, the members, leaders, and absolutely loving it! Cute Allie, our investigator from the 2nd ward, gave a letter to me for my birthday with a "forget me not" package of flower seeds. so cute. :) which reminds me, thank you SOOO much to all those who wrote and prayed for me to have a great birthday! it definitely was the greatest one yet!!!:) Love you all!!!

 

oh...and sorry about the lack of pictures. my usb thingamajigger isn't working....sorry!

 

Alright, Let's jump right into....QUESTION TIME!!!

1.  Describe your new apartment

white. left by spanish elders. blueberry waffles. mmmhmmm. (!) :)
2.  How has Sister Dyer adapted to being a Full-Time Missionary? 
WONDERFULLY!!! Honestly, she is such an incredible missionary!! She LOVES the Lord so much and it is so obvious when she talks to people on the street that she treasures the Truth that she has, it's beautiful!! She said this morning that she already feels more comfortable with talking with people. She said "before I came out, I thought that missionary work was going to be super hard and it would be hard to find out what to say to these people on the street, but it's not. It's simply testifying to them of what I know to be true, it's so simple and so great!" eyup. I like her a lot. :) She's teaching me SOO much about how to be a better servant of the Lord simply by her example. She's going to do some incredible work here in Canada and wherever else she goes throughout the rest of her life!:)

3,  Do you see Sister Zerkle on Sundays?

Sure do! Her and her cute trainee, S. Stoddard are doing so well! I also see S Larsen and her companion S Fullmer, E. Yu, E Francom, E Parker and E Rodriquez. it's quite a missionary-filled building on Sundays!:) A few of the 2nd ward members also saw me yesterday and ran up and gave me huge hugs!! haha they're just so cute. :)
4.  How many wards are in London?

hmm....I'm actually not sure. I know how many missionaries there are though! haha let's see...there's the 1st ward, 2nd, 3rd, spanish, YSA branch, um....I'm probably missing one. But that's most of them. As for number
5.  Any updates on Jordan?  (I'm assuming he is not in your teaching area, is that correct?)

correct. He's in Sarnia which is about an hour West of London, and they white washed the area, so now there are 3 elders in that area, so most likely, I won't hear anything of him unless I see his name on a weekly baptism list. Either that, or we'll all meet him and have a party in the Celestial Kingdom. I vote that. ha just kidding. but seriously. I do. :)

6.  Who are you teaching these days?

POLLY ANNA! so she was found by S Larsen and S Fullmer at a bus stop and they asked her what she thought the purpose of life was and she answered, and I quote, "exploring my faith". Well, my dear polly anna, that's an EXCELLENT answer!!!:) So we taught her last night and taught the Plan of Salvation more in depth with her. She LOVED it! When we gave her a copy of The Book of Mormon, she literally jumped up and down and was SO excited to read it. She was afraid she made us think she was weird so quickly apologized for being so excited. We reassured her that we were quite excited ourselves to see her jump up and down. like really. we were so excited. :):):) We made another appointment for wednesday and friday night and she's VERY excited to start reading it and learning more! We had planned to invite her to be baptized, but didn't feel right about it, so we'll be doing so on wednesday, if the Spirit tells us it is right. :) We also have a few appointments with potentials within the next couple days and they are all AWESOME! Charles, in particular. We met him behind our apartment building and told him about The Book of Mormon. we told him didn't want him to believe the things we were saying but that he could read it himself and ask God if it is true. You know how when surprise your little children with a cookie or a trip to disneyland or your husband just told you he's going to take you to Hawaii? Yeah, that's seriously how Charles reacted. He was SOOOO happy and sincerely wanted to know more about how he can be eternally happy, so we got his information and we're teaching him tomorrow!:) I absolutely LOVE that God puts you in the path of others who are ready who hear the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ! It blesses ANYONE and EVERYONE who truly implamens the doctrines into their life!!!

7.  How big is the YSA branch?

well...because it's the summer and most went home...there's about 20 people all together. there were about 6 or 7 people in Relief Society. including us. :) haha but we're working hard and efficiently to find those who will help build the Lord's Kingdom here upon the Earth!!!:) What a great work to be involved in, eh???:)
8.  FAVORITE moment of the week....

Coming in contact with Charles. There is nothing that gives me more joy than seeing the message of the Truth touch a soul and give them hope. Sincerity is simple, but simply beautiful. absolutely beautiful. 
9.  FUNNIEST moment of the week...

so that one time when our fire alarm went off at 5 in the morning. both of us didn't say a thing, hobbled out of bed and just stared at the fire alarm, wishing it would go off. once it did, about 10 seconds later, we went back to sleep. safety first, eh? haha 
10.  BEST COMPANION bonding moment of the week...

eating happy hipppos together. have you ever had them??? oh my goodness, I must submit that they are the most delicious things in the whole wide world. that and buenos. mmmhmmm. :)
11.  BIGGEST "A-ha" scripture reading experience of the week...

Moroni 7:40-42 Faith. Hope. Charity. & Love. It just bore witness to me about the importance of holding fast to what you know to be true, or belief to be true. Elder Holland said in this past conference that there is nothing wrong with 'only' believing something, but to let that belief work within you. Alma 32:27 I don't know everything, but I know enough. and as I continue to do the Lord's work, I will learn more, and as I do so for the rest of my life, I will continue to learn more and more. If it were not necessary for us to learn, we would have never come to this Earth. There is a purpose for everything, but if you don't know that reason, keep moving forward, and it will make sense in the future. Just do the things that your Lord and Savior has commanded you to do, let this belief work within you, until it grows to a knowledge. That's why we learn line upon line, and precept upon precept, until the day of our Savior comes. and then we'll keep learning. :)

 

Well, my lovelies, I must be off. But I want to end with a thought about the precious Truth we have been blessed with, to hold fast to it. Let us not take for granted what beautiful gift we've given, that so many others search their whole lives to find for a glimpse of hope in their life. Think of all of your friends who you love dearly and want to have this happiness, but they don't know where to find it. and then realize, you've already found it. You have it! Please share it. They need it. and most likely want it. All it takes is a little bit of faith, love for the truth, and opening your mouth. It's the simplest equation to the happiest solution. And who doesn't want to be happy? Nothing gives me more joy than being happy and inviting others to have that happiness as well! How GREAT is our calling!!!

 

Love for now and for ever,

Sister De Groot:)

 

Missionary Inviation: Take it down to the basics. Take note of what you know, what you believe, what you want to know and believe, and then make the plans to get that knowledge. Realize that true happiness comes only in and through our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Temporary happiness comes from temporary things, but eternal happiness comes through Jesus Christ, an eternal Being.