Happy Birthday Dad!

Hello! and HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DAD AND SISTER JODICKE!

This morning for Sister Jodicke's birthday we had French toast and all kinds of fruit and ice cream and golden syrup and everythin'. It was delightful!
This week has been a good one. There are days where I feel like whitewashing is the devil, but at the same time it isn't so bad. We have met some lovely people this week, and we love our ward.  We are going to be getting the members SO excited to be involved in missionary work. There are over 200 less actives here, and there is not a chance the four missionaries in the ward can bring them back. It is the member's job to re-activate people. Missionaries come and go, but the members are the fellow-shippers. So, if you are giving the missionaries less-active families to visit, go visit the families with them! There is no pint if the missionaries just go on their own. Eventually, the missionaries will not be t here and the less-active people will still be less-active.
    We had some fantastic miracles this week. We were going to visit Marie and Betty, and we got off the bus too soon and had to walk up the hill more. I wasn't too thrilled about that, but there wasn't anything we could do. We walked past this guy, said hello, and then he started to ask us questions!  His name is Dan, he's 30 and he wants to know about what we believe. He has some pretty strong opinions about things but we were able to tell him a bit about the Restoration.  We asked him if he'd come to a baptism that the Keighley Elders were having on Saturday, and he actually came!  Not only that, but after the baptism, President Pilkington talked to him for an hour!  It was great! We then had a lesson with him and he actually let us talk. Usually he's pretty chatty.
     Yesterday morning, President phoned to ask if he'd be able to come to further lessons with Dan, and we are so excited. It is a bit intimidating, but I love President and Sister P and it will be fantastic.
A few days ago, we were walking in the pouring rain and our feet were soaking wet. (My black shoes don't have a sole any more, I need to buy new ones... I thought they'd last longer but I guess not...haha.) It was somehow so great though. We were walking in Riddlesden, and it is beautiful there with the rain, the front gardens of some beautiful houses, and the scenery of the hills. We visited a member from the ward, Sister Ratcliffe, and she made us hot chocolate and crumpets with lemon curd and then we shared a spiritual thought. I love days like that.

     There have been such wonderful things happening in the area and I'm excited to continue teaching the new investigators we found this week. We found a man who's in his 60's who likes to talk a lot about life, and about how the world is going downhill and he loves talking with us.  We were able to open his heart a little bit but he's still pretty stubborn and won't read the Book of Mormon or pray. I never understand how people say they won't read things after stating how open-minded they are. It will eventually happen with him, but will take a bit more time I think. He just needs to open his heart to the Spirit. I love it here, and I love the members as well. they are great!
Tell Baby C I love him!
Thanks for all you

We ate at a legendary place called "Chicken Cottage."
It's the greasiest, cheapest chicken in town. It only cost £2.00!
Whoo!

do,
I hope you have an excellent Birthday Dad,
Love,
Sister Lybbert

Last P-day we went to Haworth and went to the Bronte Parsonage. It was absolutely lovely! I saw so many great things, including the first edition of Wuthering Heights, and Charlotte Bronte's dress she wore while travelling to her honey moon, and so many other great things. It is a beautiful little place.
[Sister Lybbert added that her camera had died so she was unable to send the pictures this week]

On to Keighley

This  week has been pretty crazy. On Tuesday for P-day we went to Kirkstall Abbey and threw a Frisbee around, which was really nice. I will send you some photos of it. It was built in the 1200's. It is all just ruins now, but very pretty ruins.

During transfer calls Monday night, we were informed that neither Sister Jodicke or I were moving. To be honest, I kind of wanted to move just to experience something new. I felt like the work in the area wasn't really going anywhere, and I wanted to have a fresh start somewhere new. It was NOT that I wanted to leave Sister Jodicke though, she's the greatest.

The next day we had a P-day and Sister Smith was still with us. She left that evening. It was insane because 6:30 Tuesday night the phone rang, and it said it was the Assistants. Before I answered the phone, I said, "I bet this is them telling us we're both moving..." I was completely kidding. When I answered the phone, to my surprise, it was President Pilkington. The first things he said were, "Hello Sisters, we are transferring you out of the area." I was stunned. I was also pretty excited because we both got to move together to Keighley.

It was nice that we did say good bye to everyone the week before because we felt we were moving. I was able to get pictures with quite a few people as well.

We went to transfer meeting but didn't move that day because we had bought a whole week's worth of food thinking we weren't moving and we couldn't exactly get on the bus with our 5 suitcases and all of the food, and because there were problems with transporting everyone else's suitcases with the coaches, we didn't end up getting moved until Friday night. When we moved all of our things in the new flat, it was pouring rain and we were so tired. I love the new flat, except the room with the shower and the sing is upstairs, and the toilet is in a room by itself downstairs...weird.

Keighley is amazing so far. We have met some wonderful members and less-actives, and we have had a good time finding. Whitewashing again isn't the nicest thing but I really can't complain. Sister Jodicke has only ever whitewashed, and she was training after week 5. It has been splendid. Keighley is very beautiful. There are SO many hills, but it looks gorgeous with the mist and the trees and all of the housetops.

Oh, and last Saturday we had another baptism! I don't really count it as ours (not that it matters anyway) but it was a girl named Natalie who has a four year old son, Lewis. She was being taught by the Elders and then they decided having her with some Sisters would be nice for her and so we taught her the last couple of weeks before her baptism. She's so cute.

Sister Smith is going to come back and work with us because she loved the two weeks so much. I am so excited because we all have such great fun together.

Yesterday was Stake Conference and Elder Dallin H. Oaks came. It was incredible and he spoke to the members about how it is their responsibility to help the missionaries find people, it isn't the other way around. He stated that the keys to preside over the missionary work in the area are actually with the Stake President, and that President Pilkinton has the keys to preside over, teach, and direct the missionaries so that we can work with the wards we serve in better. It was nice because members seem to think they don't have to do anything except bring their families and themselves to the gospel. It is everyone's responsibility, so, please family go out  on exchanges/splits and be member presents for the missionaries! They will LOVE you. I know it's probably hard in Magrath, but missionary work is still somewhat possible.

Before the meeting, everyone was greeting each other and we were sitting in our rows. A man was shaking the lady's had a few people down from me and kept coming down the row. It wasn't until he got to Sister Jodicke that I realized it was Elder Oaks. He did shake my hand. This is the fourth apostle I've seen I think. President Uchtdorf [before he was in the First Presidency], Elder Scott, Elder Ballard and Elder Oaks. Unless I can't remember one from when I was little, I think that's it.

Things are great and I'm loving the missionary work. The Lord loves every one of His children and He will bless them as they put their trust in Him.

Love you,
Sister Lybbert

p.s. today our oven was not turning on so I had to microwave the batter for German pancakes. It actually turned out okay...haha.

Surprise!

Surprise!
Very unexpectedly Sister Jodicke and I are both being transferred to Keighley, SO don't send any post to the other flat but to the mission office ;)

Love,
Sister Lybbert

Just Continuing the Work

     This week has been fun. It is weird because the weeks fly by and I can't even remember what happened in which week.

with Joyce

     Transfers happened, and I am staying in Leeds! I have mixed feelings about it, but I won't go much into detail. Just that I'm happy Sister Jodicke and I can be companions still. I don't know what I would have done if  I was to lead the area. I could have done it, but it's nice that I don't have to.
     Sister Smith and Sister Jodicke and I have had SO much fun these past two weeks. I can do a pretty convincing Scottish accent, and Sister Smith's is so good. this past week we have been reading all of the signs on the buildings in Scottish and it has been really entertaining. Oh, and I'm getting pretty good at singing in Swedish. It's hilarious.
     This week we have been assigned to teach Natalie, a girl who is being baptized this Friday in another area in Leeds. She's so sweet and has the cutest little boy. I'm excited to work with her before and after her baptism. I love baptisms!

Mushy peas...I don'w know why
they are so popular here but they are!

     It was weird because I really thought I'd be transferred this time around but I wasn't. I said my goodbyes to everyone and now I get to show up at their house and feel awkward, haha. It will be good though.
     President Pilkington spoke at the Mission President's Fireside that happens every month and we were able to go to it on Sunday. He talked about how the blessings of the gospel far outweigh the "happiness" the world seems to entice us with. He said he'd like to gather all of the world's greatest minds, celebrities and scientists, etc. and tell them to come up with the way to make people the happiest. And he then said nothing they could come up with in a mil;lion years would be greater than what we are offered because we have faith, and a knowledge that God exists. It was a remarkable talk he gave. It made me think a lot about how I really don't care about what the world knows about me in the future. As long as I develop my talents, and I do it for me and not for the rest of the world, I will be the happiest.
     I don't know what else to say really, but things with Dennis have been progressing. He is really seeking to know whether this is the truth that we teach him and I know he has felt that it is, he just needs to realize it.
Things are good, just continuing the work.
Love you all,
Sister Lybbert

She loves her cat ears and wears
them all day and EVERYWHERE! 

My pudding package. Thanks
Cammie, Mom and J.P. We made
chocolate pudding last night!

Elder Alforque (Birmingham/Philippines) Elder Leavitt
 (Las Vegas)Elder Walter (Utah?) Elder Paczensky
(London) AND us sisters