Last Week of Transfer 2

with Sister Smith (mini missionary)

This is the last week of transfer 2! I cannot believe it. I have a feeling I'll be moving, so we will see what happens. Make a note not to send any more mail directly to my flat for now. [ Send everything to the Mission Home address on the blog]
     This past week was fantastic. We had another companion, Sister Smith from Doncaster, come with us as she's on a mini mission for two weeks. I love her, she's so cute and we only have one week left with her! I love having three of us, and a car. She was able to bring her car and use it. It is the greatest blessing in the world, it saves us so much time, and we get to jam out to Swedish Disney music. the Swedish stuff is more fun to listen to than the English by far, haha.

     Yesterday we had a Zone Conference and it was great fun. We took a coach to Billingham which took about two hours. I loved it because we just got to chat with other missionaries on the bus and I love the other sisters. We had to wake up at 4:30 though in order to get to Billingham on time.
     The Zone Conference was really focused on putting our hearts into the work, and not focusing on the numbers. This is something I am so grateful for because I don't want to be motivated by numbers, but by the people that I'm teaching. President and Sister Pilkington are so great. President Pilkington has made a few changes that have to do with that. He has more trust in us about being more responsible and policing ourselves with accountable hours and everything. Also, only one hour of e-mailing now...so we will see how fast I can learn to type.
   This week Dennis and Anthony both came to church! It was so so so great. Dennis wasn't sure if he was going to come, but he found the courage and came to Sacrament Meeting. He said that he felt very comfortable, loved how friendly the people were, and when I asked him if he felt the things we learned at church and the things we taught him were true, he said yes! Tight after e-mailing today, we are going to his house for a visit and we will find out whether or not he wants to be baptized. It is nerve-racking. I know how much the gospel could help him and how much he needs it. He said that his family is in support, whatever he decides, and I'm grateful for that.

Brother Jeff Powel

     There is an elderly man in the ward, Jeff Powel, who we visited last week and let me tell you, I could sit and listen to him for hours. He's hilarious and he has SO many stories. He was in the army and lived in Japan, Hong Kong, and I think it was Malaysia. His favorite was Japan. He worked with the artillery. After he came back to Leeds and settled down with a family, he worked doing autopsies and worked with some that had to do with pretty widely known criminal cases. My favorite thing though, is that on his 70th birthday (YES, his SEVENTIETH) he went bungee jumping! He said he'd do it again in a heartbeat but that his heart might stop...he's 83 now. He would also jump out of an airplane. He's always joking around and so energetic. Seriously, I would love for all of you to meet him. I will send a classy photo of him. His jokes remind me a lot of Grandpa Lybbert. :)
  I really love the work here. things have been going marvelously.
  Yesterday I got the big envelope from you all with your  VERY poo-oriented game of whatever-it's -called and I laughed so hard. So did all of the sisters I showed it to. I'm also so grateful for the lovely notes on the back and for Kyler's drawing of more poo. What is with you people? Haha I love your guts anyhow. :)
Thanks family and friend for all you do. I pray for all of you every day.
Love,
Sister Lybbert.

Some very ugly geese at Temple Newsam Estate

This pig was as big as 3
sister missionaries

Organ at Temple Newsam Estate

With Sis. Jodicke enjoying
icecream

I Hope You Never Have to Dust Your Scriptures

     Thank you for clarifying the story of how Aunt Maureen and Uncle Robert and Mary Walker all connect. Every time I think of it, it makes me so happy!
    That is great everything worked out with the Temple shutdown and that you can all go to Surveyors! I would do so many things to have a s'more or a cow pie right now. I had pancakes again this morning but they were pancakes you just buy already made. it was okay but it was too cakey. It was a banoffe pancake though so it wasn't so bad. People love banoffe pie, cheesecake, bread, etc. It's just banana and toffee flavor.
   Good luck to Nolan, and well done Ashy! [Ashtyn had to speak in church the day that Nolan Fisher had his farewell]. I printed her talk off so that I can read it later. I love that there are so many missionaries going out. I was thinking the other day how powerful it would be to have all of the missionaries gathered in one place, and to look out and see them. It would be like t he orcs coming to destroy Minas Tirith (correct me if I'm wrong...I'm not too worried at the moment for correct LOTR references) but instead of ugly, blood-thirsty orcs, it would be happy and smiling missionaries with The Book of Mormon in hand, haha.
     Congratulations Kyler on your excellent swimming! I waqnt to take up swimming when I am back. It is so good for you and so fun. That's good to hear about Kristy Noad as well, I love stories like that when people don't give up and they end up being successful at what they have worked so hard for.
   That's a great idea to have a gumball machine, but do you feel like your children, maybe, might spend all of their money on gumballs whenever they walk into the piano room? (Not that you'd mind...it does go to you I guess!)
     I really loved the lesson in Relief Society yesterday too. I love Sister Gough and I still pray that they may have peace and comfort. Being on a mission is such a great blessing because I have understood the blessings of Heaven so much more.
   I'm also SO happy to hear how Joshy is doing with his scriptures, and prayer and how he is looking forward to becoming a Deacon. Sometimes I worried that my little siblings weren't as solid with their scriptures, (just because I've been away so often for school, and being a teenager/young adult I haven't really been around all that much to see them read) and this makes me so happy to hear. I encourage them to never miss a day. Sister Lindley spoke to us when they were giving their farewell, and she told us through heartfelt tears, "I hope that you never have to dust your scriptures." That has stuck with me and I hope that it stays with me forever. We might have to dust other things, and clean other things in life but there is one thing we should never have to dust, and that is our scriptures.
     Ciana has her license? WHOO! That is so great. Just watch out for deer, and stupid people. Probably more stupid people than deer. That is super exciting though. I can't believe that she is 17. When people ask I want to say she's 15 or 16. My little sisters are so old!
     This week has been pretty excellent. Sister Jodicke and I have worked diligently, and although the numbers were weak, we feel good about our effort. We did have lots of fun finding, and on Saturday we went on a blitz with the Zone Leaders (Blits = you go finding with another companionship in the same area...because we can't exactly go on splits with the ZLs). Before we went finding with them though, they came over with a shiny, brand new can of RAID, and they destroyed the spiders in our back garden. It was so gross, there were giant spiders running everywhere. I did not feel bad in the slightest.
     On Thursday night, we had an appointment that fell through, and Sam was going to come out with us as a member present. Sam has been re-decorating her house she and her kids just moved into, and so we offered to help her out. It was so nice to wear pants and just help out with a service project. We repainted her kitchen, and we burnt off the old paint that was on the door frame in the kitchen. It was really fun, and I love her to bits. She is super and such a giving, loving person. She is like another long lost aunt (I LOVE my aunts!). Her sister recently passed aqway from a heart attack, but she is so strong and although she has so much on her plate all of the time, she is never thinking about herself. She has four kids and takes them with her everywhere. She is a star.
     On Friday, we went to Bible Study again! And it went pretty great. We were talking about our thoughts on the Resurrection, and Born Again's believe that only Christ is resurrected, but the rest of us just die and continue living as spirits. Anyway, this was one of those instances where Sister Jodicke and I relied very much on the Spirit, and we were able to explain things, and find scriptures to help Nathando's husband (I don't know his name...I'm terrible at remembering names when they are foreign) understand how we will all be resurrected and that we are all heirs to the Kingdom of God. I felt like we were able to open his heart a little bit.
     (I'm out of order, I know) but on Tuesday, and yesterday again we visited Dennis Row. I think I told you about him, he's that darling old man from Farsley. Anyway, we were able to open his heart as well. Yesterday after church we stopped by for a few minutes, and he was just leaving his house. He invited us in for a bit and he told us that he had an impression that we would come and so he delayed his departure from home for a few minutes. Well, we came! And he was so cute. He told us he has been a lot happier since we've been coming 'round and since he's been reading the Book of Mormon. He said we're like his grand-daughters. He reads the Book of Mormon every day and although he doesn't entirely understand it super well, he enjoys it. He also offered to take us on a P-day to Whitby. He said he loves going there because Winifred, his wife, lived there and they always went together. He showed us photos and it is gorgeous. I'm not sure if we'll have the chance, but that would be so wonderful if we could go there.
     Saturday afternoon / evening, we were travelling to Pudsey for a tea appointment and then it started pouring rain. The kind of rain that just makes you feel cold,  and wet, and like a monster becaue all of your makeup is running down your face. It was nice because we were heading to Sue Brown's for tea, and she had a traditional Yorkshire dinner all ready for us. :)
     There have been countless miracles this week and I am so grateful for every single one of them whether we noticed them or not. I finished reading through the Book of Mormon and have started on the New testament. I am really enjoying it. I finally bought some crayons to mark my scriptures and they are so pretty now.
     I love the gospel, and I know that his is the restored church of Jesus Christ. It is a blessing to have the church wherever you go in the world, and that the members are really like family everywhere too.
     I hope that you are all well, and I pray for each and every one of you every day. I love you lots!
Sister Lybbert

Connecting with Old Family Friends

     This week has been great. Last Monday we had a barbecue, and then played volleyball for Zone P-day. I was too lazy to bring a bag with my sport outfit so I chose the classy option and played in my dress. I also came up with a superb way of backhanding the ball instead of serving it. (The ball was not a real volleyball, so, no that didn't break my hand.)

Waiting for the bus

     Tuesday evening Sister Jodicke, Fiona, and I went to Carol Mitchell's house with cake to have a little farewell get together for Fiona. I love Sister Mitchell. It is adorable because every time we go to her house, she constantly has friends popping in and out, and she always leaves her living room window open and she has cats of all sorts also come for visits, then leave. I forgot to mention that there is not a single window with a screen here. I find it so weird because then bugs can get in, and the windows on the tower apartment buildings open wide enough for a grown man to fall out of and there aren't any screens. Scary, but with Sister Mitchell's cat friends it isn't so bad. Anyway, Carol is an absolute doll and I feel so happy whenever we get to visit her. I could spend all day every day at her house.
     Wednesday was SO GOOD. We had a mission-wide conference in Huddersfield at the chapel. Because of the British Pageant that was in Chorley (Sadly, we weren't allowed to go...it's in the Manchester Mission) there were a few apostles in the area. Elder M. Russell Ballard came to speak to us! Elder Jeffery R. Holland and I think another one, had a conference with the Manchester mission. It was so neat, and I hadn't seen all of the Leeds Missionaries together. When we sang the opening song, 'Guide Us, O, Thou Great Jehovah,' it was incredible and so powerful. I was sitting front and center, all of the sisters were sitting in the first two rows. Two members of the Seventy spoke first, and then Elder Ballard. I can't remember the names of the Seventy (they were foreign names...) but they spoke on how this church isn't split into a church for missionaries and a church for members, but it is one church where the missionaries are to teach, and the members are to find. Then Elder Ballard talked about motivating things for us missionaries, and this basically sums up what he said, "You want to baptize more? Talk to More!" and he spoke on Wilford Woodruff's experience with Joseph Smith after Joseph had passed away. Joseph and others were walking into the temple and Wilford was wondering why they were going so fast. Joseph replied, "We are in a hurry." Elder Ballard said that if the people in the Spirit world are in a hurry, we need to be in a hurry; everyone. [We need to be] in a hurry to find more people through family history; in a hurry to find more people to teach the gospel to. Everybody, every member, should be in a hurry to spread the gospel. Time is becoming shorter and shorter until the work needs to be fulfilled.

St. Bartholomew's Church

My favorite spot

    It was a really amazing conference. After the conference, and elderly sister missionary from the South somewhere in England was walking through the crowd and she happened to say hi to Sister Jodicke, then me, and naturally asked where we were both from. When I replied Canada, she held up her handbag, which surprisingly was a giant Canadian flag. I told her I was from Southern Alberta, near Lethbridge. She said, "I know a man from Lethbridge." I thought I'd just ask who, in case I might, by a small chance, know them. She told me, "Rasmussen, Bob Rasmussen." Then excited, I asked if she knew anything else so I could make sure it was Uncle Robert. She said he married a lady named Maureen. Anyway, it made me so happy to have a connection to my family. She said she knows him because he served his mission where she lived, in Hull, and she even said that his companion was George Donald Durrant, a famous LDS author of one of the books in the approved missionary book list. It made me so so happy . Small world. Oh, and the lady's name was Sister Mary Walker.
  Then yesterday, there was a missionary farewell for Callum McKeown and a baptism of the Leonard twins so there were a lot of people in sacrament meeting. Anthony came to sacrament which was really good, and I'm so grateful to Sam for bringing him and Amy, his little daughter. Sam sacrifices so much but she does it with the biggest smile on her face. Sister Jodicke and I helped prepare the food for the munch and mingle that happened after church, and so Sam, Fiona Roberts ( not the new convert, Fiona, but a lady from the ward) and the two of us had fun getting the food all ready.
     Another small world story: Callum's grandfather, Alex Stewart, is from Scotland (I forgot where..) and he knows Doug McLeman and dear Uncle Keith! (I don't know if Keith would remember him, but he said he knows who you are!) YAY!
     Oh, and on Tuesday we visited with a man named Dennis Row. He lives across the street from the chapel, and we accidentally went to his house one day instead of the lady's whose we were looking for. We got a return appointment and went there with John Cook. Brother Row is the most adorable old man. His house is the classic English house, with family heirlooms and bookshelves and everything in his house. In the living room he even had a little table with wine glasses and some schleor (I can't spell..) and there was the fireplace with a rug in front of it, and then old and quite lovely black and white photos, and then some paintings on the walls. I could have spent hours there just because it was so perfect. Brother Row lost his wife last year, and he had so many pictures of them from when they were young everywhere. The photos were so precious, he spoke of his wife, Winifred, so wonderfully too, and it all just made my heart melt.
     Today for P-day, we went to the Royal Armouries Museum and looked at...yep, armour! It was really interesting, but after looking at a few floors of armour, we felt we could come e-mail. It was realy interesting and neat to see it all. Oh, and we went shopping too. I have never been in such a classy mall. I will send photos. ;)
     Anyway, thanks everyone for your love and support and letters! In the past few weeks I've received letters from Aunt Katrina and Nicole Williams, and possible others... I can't remember. Also, I am sorry if I don't reply to all the letters. It is hard to have time to write, and postage is pretty pricey. I try my best though and it doesn't mean I don't like getting them. :)
Love you, and praying all the time for you,

Trinity Leeds Mall

Brother Townsend and his
2000+ car collection

Armour made for
King Henry VIII

Queen Elizabeth I and me

Sting

lots of war stuff

Helmet given to King Henry
VIII by Emperor Maximilian I
 of Rome

The Sword of Griffindor...Harry could have
just bought it, how daft!

At Trinity Leeds Mall

Shops at Victoria Square

Sister Lybbert

First Baptism

     This week was great, Fiona was baptized! It was an amazing experience and I am never going to forget it. She is so wonderful and I can't wait to hear how she does spreading the gospel in South Korea. The Elder that baptized her was Elder Paczensky From London, and then Bishop Davison confirmed her in sacrament meeting yesterday. She said she feels like a brand new person, and I know she is ready to be at this point. I love it when people start to recognize the power of the Holy Ghost in their lives, and now it is given to her as a constant companion. It is all really incredible that we are able to have that gift. I don't know what I would do without it, especially in missionary work.

     This week we did quite a lot of finding, and visiting members. For some reason most of our investigators and potential investigators were away on holidays this last week. It was a bit more difficult because we worked hard but as far as the numbers go, they were not as great as usual.

     I don't really know what to say about the week. I  think as time keeps going it is gettting hardera nd harder to remember the individual weeks, they just blur together.

     Oh, but we did have a Zone Training Meeting and interviews with President Pilkingon. I love getting together for meetings because there is always loads of inspired council that is given on how we can improve our missionary efforts and how we can improve ourselves. It is so wonderful to be surrounded by people who are all devoted to serving the people and bringing them to Christ.

     The weather this week has been pretty undecided on what it wants to be. It will be rainy, then sweltering, and now it is rainy. I actually prefer the rain. It is all the nicer to show up at someone's door wet from rain rather than from sweat.

   Today as we were cleaning there was a really big spider (REALLY) in my suitcase. We got it with the vacuum cleaner though, don't even worry about it. I am getting more used to it, and I don't mind as long as they aren't in my clothes, hair, mouth or my bed.

     I'm sorry this is so short. My mind is blank today.

Elder Paczensky, Me, Fiona and Sister Jodicke

Love you! 

Sister Lybbert :)