Hello family!
This is crazy, I am actually in England. To be honest, it
doesn’t seem much different than America, or at least the area I am in.
It is different than what I was expecting at all, but I still love it.
So we flew here Tuesday (I think, the days are all a blur).
The flight from Florida to England was good. I took some melatonin right
before I got on so I was lucky enough to sleep mostly the whole flight, and I
had the window seat, which was so good! I did notice as soon as I got on
the flight that the people weren’t very friendly. No one would help us
get our carry on luggage in the bins; they wouldn't even look at us. But
that’s okay. They fed us on the flight. The food was nasty but it
was food. We flew into the Warwick airport, which is an hour outside of
London, so I actually haven't even seen London yet cause it's not in our
mission. But I do get to go into London tomorrow!!!!! Quintin L. Cook is
doing a mission conference at Hyde Park Chapel so we have permission to ride
the train into London for that. I am so excited. I'll talk more
about that later...
So we flew in and got through customs just fine. Then we
waited for the elders to come pick us up, they were late getting to the
airport. It was the office elders that picked us up in a huge van.
We spent the next 2 hours running back and forth from terminals to pick up the
other missionaries flying in. Then we had an hour car ride up to Staines
for transfer meeting. I was so tired by this point that I really don't
remember much of what happened. I did meet President Millar and he is a
great guy! He vaguely remembers Grandpa Robison, and he remembers Kirk
(grandpa Smiths brother) that he went to school with, so that was cool. I
also saw Elder Idso, and he is just as happy and great as he was before.
He told me before I knew who my comp and my area was that I have the best area
and comp, and let me tell you he is right!
My companions name is Sister Hickman, she is from Blackfoot, and she
is amazing! The new missionaries go through what’s called 12 week
training, so technically I should be with her for 2 transfers, but this is her
last transfer :( I was pretty sad when she said she go homes the end of
December. But that’s what the Lord wants and I am so blessed to have her
as a comp for this transfer. We are serving in Brighton, which is the
highest baptizing area in the mission! We have three investigators with
baptism dates in December! Hopefully we can keep it up! A little
bit about it here, it is very diverse, so that makes it interesting...It means
that no one judges though and everyone is accepting of everyone, so people are
open to listening to us. It is right on the coast, so it is super pretty
here. It reminds me a lot of New York City. Everyone smokes weed,
so it smells everywhere. It is kind of the party place in England.
But I love it! We ride double-decker busses everywhere, and they aren't
as great as you would think. But it is still an adventure!
It took me a while to get used to driving on the other side of the
road, I would get carsick if I thought about it too much, cause drivers here
are crazy! Kind of reminds me of Honduras and the weaving in and out of
cars. They are super good drivers though!
I got unpacked into our flat, it is pretty small and old, but it is
homey. And we went and taught some lessons at the chapel. We take a
bus there, and it is about a half hour bus ride.
Thursday we taught a lesson to an investigator in a cafe, and I
heard real music for the first time in weeks. It was weird, but I kind of
enjoyed hearing stuff from the outside world. I also got a bus pass that
day, so I can go on a bus anytime I want! woohoo #missionarylife
We taught a recent convert in her house, and she had cats.
They were climbing all over the furniture. But God loves her, and if she
loves her cats then she can love her cats. She is a really nice lady
though. We also got a full sized fridge on Thursday! I will have to
send pictures of our old fridge and freezer, they were Tiny! The elders
were moving flats and didn't need their fridge, so they gave it to us. We
are truly blessed.
Sister Hickman is a Sister Training Leader, and they had Missionary
Training Conference Friday in Staines, which is about 2 hours away from
us. We got a call from the office elders that afternoon saying we needed
to take a train up to Crawley and stay with the Visitor Center Sisters for the
night so she could make it to MLC. So we rode a train up there, which was
fun. Not what I was expecting, it is not like the trains in Harry Potter,
just kind of like a subway train. We went on splits for that night and
the next day. I was with a sister that got released yesterday, so the day
I was with her was her last day in the mission, and she didn't want to do
anything. We literally just sat at the VC all day I think. It was
nice to be able to just sit and relax though. We also helped the Mission
Office organize stuff. I organized all the passports, and we rearranged
the big board with all the missionaries, that reminded me of Grandma and
Grandpa Robison’s board in their house.
It was nice being in the VC cause I got to see Sister O'Grady, one
of the sisters that flew with us from the MTC. She is great and we get
along really well. I really hope we can be companions. It was nice
to talk to someone who understands what I am going through right now.
For lunch that day and ward member made us some rice with tuna and
vegetables. As soon as she said tuna I was worried. It was canned
tuna, but I decided I just had to think it was chicken, so that’s what I did
and I was able to eat it all. I am going to have to get used to eating
stuff like that.
Once Sister Hickman got back from MLC we had to take the train back
to Brighton. We got to the train station like 3 minutes before the train
was going to get there, so we were sprinting through the station in skirts with
our luggage trying to make it. Don't worry we made it, it was hilarious
though.
That night we had correlation with the Ward Mission Leader.
That is when we go and he talks about what needs to be done in our area.
Let me just tell you, our ward mission leader is amazing. He is only 20,
and has been a member for almost a year. His love for missionary work is
out of this world and he would do anything for any of us. We missed the
meeting because of the train ride, but he took me and Sis. Hickman out to
dinner to catch us up. His name is Lewis, and he works in London most
days. He found out I am in love with One Direction and GUESS WHAT!
HE WAS IN LONDON ON THURSDAY AND SAW LIAM JUST WALKING AROUND. I freaked
out when he told me that, and he has met 3 of them in London. So
jealous. And he always teases me about it and starts singing their songs
in front of me...its so apostate (that is what missionaries use when something
is bad haha). But dinner was great, we had some good pizza. One
thing that is weird here is that you have to ask for the check when you are
done eating, people go to eat and sit, not eat quickly and leave, so we sat
forever and waited until he got the courage up to ask for the bill. And I
had a diet Pepsi, There isn't much carbonation in it. But it was still
refreshing.
Saturday was laid back as well. We had 2 appointments
scheduled, but they both either forgot or cancelled on us. So we did
weekly planning/12 week study instead. Weekly planning takes forever,
like 2-3 hours usually. We didn't even get it all done. I also
finished the Book of Mormon that day (yes finally, I did it) I would suggest
reading Moroni 7, it is an amazing chapter about Faith, Hope, and
Charity. I learned a lot from it and how we wouldn't have faith hope or
charity if it weren't for the atonement. That night we went back up to
the Visitor Center for a Fireside. The sister I was comp with the day
before is extremely talented and wrote 22 songs while on her mission. Her
family came to pick her up, so she did one last musical fireside with them
there, and it was amazing. Her songs are so good. Then we traveled
back to Brighton.
Finally to Sunday, sorry this letter is so long! So we got to
church and it was the Primary Program! I was so excited cause I missed
ours back home. The only difference is there is only 6 kids in the
primary here...so it was a lot different. They all did so well though and
they are all so cute! We had 3 investigators at church, and one of them
was terrified to come, and he finally came, so we were pretty happy!
After church we ate lunch at the chapel and did more planning (cause
we were so booked we had no other time to do it...), then we had an appointment
with 2 old ladies. They say English Ladies talk a lot, but they really
do. They just talked for half the time we were there. Neither of
them is too interested in the gospel though, which is too bad. But it was
still a good lesson.
Then we had a dinner appointment in New Haven, which is an hour bus
ride. Luckily a ward member offered to drive us so we didn't have to be
on the bus for so long. The dinner was delicious. A lot of food
though. If I come home fat it is because
of this. They served us: chicken, 2 sausages (like little smokies),
roll. carrots, stuffing, broccoli, cheesy cauliflower, potatoes, and a big
slice of chocolate cake. It was funny though cause this family has 2
little boys, and one of them kept farting, or fluffing as they call it here at
the table. Rebecca’s the mom kept saying how she wanted her family to be
a part of the gospel cause member families are always put together, I had to
laugh cause I was thinking of our family, and we are not put together at all
haha.
But that was Sunday, it was crazy busy, but it was so good! I
have learned that when you are busy the days go by faster! I also learned
that I need to take the mission one day at a time, I can't sit and think about
when I will be seeing you guys again, cause then I just get down cause it seems
so far away. So one day or one week at a time is what I have to do. I do
miss you guys’ a lot, and always think about what you would be doing back at
home. But that comes with being a missionary I think.
Something super frustrating here is that no one is married.
Everyone just lives with their boyfriend or girlfriend, which means they can't
get baptized. We have 2 investigators that want to be baptized so bad,
but they aren't married so they can't be. And neither are planning on
getting married until like June. So frustrating.
But I may be here for it still, everyone tells me I should plan on
being here like 6 months. I do love it
here!
Some cool stuff me and my comp are doing this month. We
decided we need to be more grateful for what we have. So every night
before we go to bed one of us says a pray of just thanks, it is super
hard. Try it. You have to really think about what you are saying so
you don't ask for anything. We have only done it for a few days now, but
it is amazing to sit down and really think about what you are grateful for and
how much you are blessed.
Another thing is the Church is doing a Christmas campaign, a lot
like the Easter #becauseofhim one. They have stuff in Times Square and
everything, which is super exciting. So from now until Christmas we are
studying Christ. We are sitting down today and writing our testimony of
Christ, then spending a little time everyday until Christmas studying about
Christ and his life. We will rewrite our testimony on Christmas day, and
then read them both and see how much it's grown. I am super excited to do
this, you should all do this too.
Well there is my week. It was definitely crazy, but it was a
good one. I need to work on bus contacting more and talking to everyone I
come in contact with, because I'm not good at that.
And tomorrow we go to London! My comp has only got to go to
London once the whole time she has been here, so I am super blessed to have
been able to come into the mission when I did. It will be so good!
And we have Thanksgiving dinner at the chapel Thursday, which I am excited
for. I miss America. Everything is so expensive here.
Me and sister Hickman only have like 8 pounds right now...we have no
money. She only had 4 left from the last transfer, and they gave me 40
when I got here. But that money was used to buy my bus and train
tickets. So we are so poor right now. We just have to last until tomorrow
though, then hopefully we will have enough money to buy food and stuff. haha,
don't worry though, we aren't starving.
My address is;
30 Bourne Court
London Road
Brighton, Sussex
BN1 8QQ
England
You can send letters to that address, but send packages to the
mission home.
I had my package with my bedding when I got to the transfer meeting,
but somehow my packages from Preston ended up at Presidents house. So I
am getting those in 2 weeks at Stake Conference.
Well I love you all so much and miss you all. You are in my
prayers everyday. Sorry, I haven't read your emails yet, so I may not
have answered all your questions...but I will get to that. Have a good Thanksgiving
and tell all the family hi for me if you see them! I love you all; this
is what I am supposed to be doing with my life. There are so many people
without the gospel in their lives that need it. I am happy serving the
Lord.
Love,
Sister Robison
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| My Flat |
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| Sister O'Grady |
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| My trainer Sister Hickman |
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| Waiting in Salt Lake City |
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