Hola! 

Hola means hello in Spanish.  

English Culture

"trump" = toot. (You're welcome Brock)

People like custard here. So do I :)

"pram" = stroller 

Hope everyone had a great week! I'll tell you about some of mine.  

On Tuesday, Elder Rix and I went to mutual. I went with the Teachers (14-15 year old guys) and helped them make a Mormon Message (of sorts) about the Word of Wisdom. It's more of a skit than a Mormon Message... but that's alright. It was fun to work with the Teachers, although they don't have the longest attention span in the world :) 

Elder Rix and I also made a funny video of us lip synching to a voicemail that the Sister Missionaries left us.

So here's a sad story: I bought some trousers from Primark AKA PriMONEY (because it has some cheap items) for £10. They were English trousers. And they were wonderful. On another occasion, I bought another pair of £10 trousers. The first pair of trousers I purchased ripped, so they are currently out of commission. And the second pair are a poor fit. Which would normally be okay, because you could just return them. But I threw away my receipt, so that's not really an option. Good times. 

On Wednesday Elder Rix and I had dinner with the Freemans. After dinner, we helped Brother Freeman with his house. (He's extending it). He has a pullup bar in his back garden! I gave it a try, and was able to do some pullups. #StillGotIt 

On Saturday, we served the Amos family! We did some painting for them. Then they gave us lunch. I love the Amos family! They're so great.  

Last night, Elder Rix and I had the wonderful opportunity to teach a seminary catch up lesson! The Hitchin ward has some good kids.  

Seminary is such a great place to be. I'm grateful that I had the lovely Sister Alred as my seminary teacher! Feeling the Spirit and studying the scriptures before I went to High School was such a blessing. There are some scriptures that I still have memorised! Those scripture mastery songs are magical. :) 

I know that Jesus is my Saviour, and that He loves me and all of His children. I'm grateful for Him.  

Have a wonderful week! 

Love,

Elder Withers

 

[from September 21, 2015]

 

Hello!

English Culture:

"I can't be bothered" is something people say

It was a good week! On Tuesday, Elder Rix and I went to mutual. We played volleyball, basketball, a variation of cricket, and chair football (soccer) with the young men. I think my favourite game that we played was actually chair football! It was actually more fun than when we played basketball... And I played basketball in high school... I've been brainwashed! ;)

Back to chair football: Basically, everyone has a chair and they position their chair around outskirts of the room. Everyone starts out the game standing. If the football hits your chair, then you're out and you sit down. If the person who gets you out, gets out, then you're back in. The winner is the last man standing! It's a great game :) 

Elder Rix is a great guy! He's a good cleaner as well. I like it when other people clean :)

We had a dinner appointment scheduled for Wednesday with a really great family in the ward. But, I was going to go on an exchange with one of the Zone leaders on Wednesday, and I was going to be in St. Albans with him. So, I was going to miss the dinner. I saw the mother of this family on Tuesday and basically I told her that I was going to miss the dinner. And guess what! She totally rescheduled the appointment for Thursday night! Cha ching! AND, when I went to St. Albans, we did some service and were given lunch, AND that night we had a dinner appointment with a member family in St. Albans, AND later that night we got hot chocolate and biscuits in the home of a member family, AND the very next day (Thursday), when I was in Hitchin, I was privileged to go to the home of a wonderful family from our ward, and have dinner with them. The Church is true :) 

On Friday we had interviews! I love President and Sister Stevens. They're so great. Sister Stevens made some really great brownies. 

On Saturday, we had a miracle of sorts. I was going through the phone and calling former investigators. I called a man named Leslie. We had correlation meeting with our Ward Mission Leader (as well as dinner in his home) on Saturday, and after the appointment we were able to go with our Ward Mission Leader and meet with Leslie! He's a really great guy from Zimbabwe. He's in his 20's. We taught him the Restoration on Sunday night with a really great member. 

On Friday, Connor (recent convert), Lewis (he's meeting with the Sister Missionaries), Elder Rix and I had a pizza dinner together in Connor's flat! That was fun. We asked Connor to teach "Follow the Prophet" and he did a great job. Elder Rix and I taught about the 10 commandments. Connor is doing really well! He's such a great guy. He received the Priesthood on the 13th of September, and he accepted a calling (opportunity to serve in the church) on Sunday the 20th.

On Sunday, Elder Rix and I were in charge of teaching Sunday School for the Sunbeams (3 year olds), and we were in charge of teaching Teachers Quorum (14 year old boys). What a great day for church!

Love you all! 

Have a wonderful week. 

Love,

Elder Withers

Elder Rix and Elder Withers

Hello!  

Greetings from Hitchin. The ward here is great! It's a blessing to be a part of it. 

On Sunday, we had dinner in the Bishop's home. Bishop also went with us and we stopped by the home of a less active man. He wasn't home, but his wife was. She let us in after a talking a little bit at her door. They have a lovely home! It's an old home, but it's beautiful. We sat down and talked with her. Her husband, who served a mission, is less active. They both were previously married, and he has two children, one of which is a daughter who is a return missionary, and the other is a son who is preparing to leave for his mission. Bishop's wife actually met this less active man while she was on her mission in Leeds! And Bishop met the parents of this man while he was on holiday. The wife isn't a member. We had a nice conversation with her, and we shared two paragraphs of "The Family: A Proclamation to the World."  She is prepared to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ. However, she wouldn't want to join the church unless her husband was going to come back to church. Hopefully we can help both of them! It's such a blessing to be a missionary :)

I'm grateful that Heavenly Father is mindful of me. I know that He is there. I know that He loves me. I also know that "...the tender mercies of the Lord are over all those whom he hath chosen, because of their faith, to make them mighty even unto the power of deliverance" (1 Nephi 1:20). Heavenly Father will guide us and help us overcome our trials. He wants us all to return to live with Him! As a wise woman once said, "He will lead me home." 

My mission so far hasn't been easy. I've had some struggles. Yet, I know that Heavenly Father and my Saviour will support me as I turn to them. Having gratitude for trials is a great way to overcome them. Also, having hope is important! In Preach My Gospel, it says "When you have hope, you work through trials and difficulties with the confidence and assurance that all things will work together for your good."  

In the Gospel Principles Book, in Chapter 8, it says, "All of our thoughts, our words, and our actions are influenced by our prayers." Wow! That's quite the quote. It's a great reminder to improve the quality of my personal prayers. For if my prayers are poor and insincere, it'll have a negative influence on all of my thoughts, words, and actions. On the other hand, if my prayers are sincere and uplifting, it'll have a positive influence on all of my thoughts, words, and actions. If we "pray always," and do so earnestly and sincerely, blessings will flow into our lives, and we will be guided on the path back to Heavenly Father. 

I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week! Say a good prayer tonight :) 

Love,

Elder Withers

Zone Conference

[From September 8, 2015]

Hello!

English culture:

"Pudding" = dessert 

I don't know if it was the same one, but I touched a ginger cat this week. Thus the subject of this email. 

 

 

So i have a new companion! His name is Elder Jared Rix and he's from Bunbury, Australia. He has three sisters and two brothers. He's 22 years old! He's a kind, friendly, humble, and worthy Elder. And he's really clean! Which I like. 😁 it's a blessing for me to be his companion.

Investigator, Elder Rix and Elder Withers

On Sunday, a girl named Bella was baptized! She's 8 years old. Her mum asked me to play the piano at her baptism! I played "Come Follow Me", "When I am Baptized", and "I am a Child of God" 

Today we had a zone p day! We played football, "never have I ever", and "do you love your neighbour". Fun times. 

I had an ice cream cone from McDonalds today. Good times.

We have Sister Missionaries in our ward now! They are in the flat in Letchworth. 

On Sunday I had a big lunch. We are at a members home, and it was so good. Later on Sunday we visited a less active member and she gave my companion and I a really good fajita with rice. I love food.

Also, I don't want to get fat.

Love you all! Hope you have a great week. 

Love,

Elder Withers

 

FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 2015

Hello!                                                                                                   
 
English Culture:

"Till" = Cash Register (did I say this one before?) 

I'm staying in Hitchin! My companion, Elder Mabingo, is moving to another area, and I'll get a new companion tomorrow! 

In one of the songs my mom wrote it says, "Though he may not calm the storm around you, His arms will hold you in the storm." So far on my mission, it hasn't been sunny and 75. Yet I know that Heavenly Father is watching over me, and he won't give me anything that I can't handle. The best way to get through the storms of life is to turn to my Father in Heaven in prayer and to rely on the Saviour! For "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13). 

Something funny: Elder Mabingo and I were meeting with a guy in the ward, and he said something about a section in the church near the back, calling it the "child care area" LOL gotta love it. I can't wait for the day that I have children :). One day... 5 little mini-me's running around :P 

On Sunday after Church, Elder Mabingo and I were the last ones in the parking lot, along with a woman who has some struggles. We talked with her, and set up an appointment for us to come and visit her, and we eventually parted ways. We were walking away, and not too long after we separated, I felt like we should walk with her as she biked. So we did. An important part of missionary work is strengthening the members of the ward, and I think this Sister appreciated us talking with her. 

It was also Connor's birthday on Sunday! He's a recent convert. I wrote him a little note, using the "Thank you" cards mom sent. On the Cover of the card it just says "thank you", so I added "for having a birthday". Ha. I'm so funny. And I gave him a small candy bag I bought from Poundland (a store where everything is a pound). What a great store for missionaries. I like cheap and free things. 

I bought some English trousers today along with 2 English dress shirts! I'll have to send a full body picture at some point of me in my English attire, and you'll have to let me know what you think.  

I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week! 

No matter how hard life gets, remember what's really important in life! i.e. Faith in God, family, friends, and so forth. When we have an eternal perspective, things work out for the best eventually, even though they may be hard. 

Have a great week! 

Lots of Love,

Elder Withers