Transfer day to Louth

                                                    Brother and Sister Allen with Sister Staheli
                                                        on transfer day!  A tearful goodbye.

I've been Emergency Transferred!!!

Well hello my dear family!!  Oh my goodness it was so amazing to see your faces, it seems like it was forever since I've seen you and it was so nice to see you and talk to you guys!!  So it has been a weird/crazy/unexpected week.  So it was Christmas eve, Christmas, and then boxing day, so were hardly able to work this past week.  And then as you guys already know due to Sister Allen emailing you, on Saturday President called me and explained to me that a sister had to go to get surgery and he needed me to go to Louth.   And he needed me there the next day.  AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh.  So that was a complete shock.  I may or may not have shed a tear or two when I realized that I'd have to leave Sheffield. But I packed my things and we cleared our day so that we could go say goodbye to people and members.  Luckily I was able to go to sacrament meeting yesterday so that I could say goodbye to all of the members.  There were a few that were on holiday, so I couldn't say goodbye, but I have faith that I will serve there again:)  The bishopric asked me to share my testimony about the things that I have learned so far on my mission, and as I was bearing my testimony, there were a few people that were crying, and that made me even more sad.  Haha not to mention that Sister Allen would cry every time I was around her.  It was hard to leave Sheffield cause of all the close friendships I have made with the members, other missionaries (sister beesley, sister and elder allen, my companions), and people I teach but I'm SO EXCITED TO BE SERVING HERE IN LOUTH.  Louth is the most southern part of the mission, and it is right along the coast.  So its pretty cold and windy here. haha.  And other missionaries call Louth the outer darkness, because its so far away from anywhere else.  Its like 1 hour and 45 minutes away from Sheffield, and like 2 and a half from Leeds ha.  And it is a branch instead of a ward, and there are about 50 members, and like half of them are elderly??  So I have a lot of work that I have to do!!  Um, my new companions name is Sister Sewell.  She came out the same time as Sister Beesley, so since April?  And she is from Texas, and she is 26 years old.  She is great.  From what I have heard so far, the public transport system here is a joke.  There are 3 buses that run, and they travel to about 3 of the 25 villages that are  in our area.  So it makes it really hard to travel to those areas.  From what I understand, those areas have never been worked ever.  But there is no way to get there.  OH ya I almost forgot.  So  since the buses are really inefficient we have to walk most places, but we have.......BIKES.  They bought them from an auction or something, so we will be riding those as often as we can with the rain/wind/snow. ha.  But its kinda fun to change it up.  When President called me, he said he didn't know what would happen to me at transfers, which are next week (so p-day will be on tuesday), so I'm interested to see what will happen if I will stay or if I'll go somewhere new all together, which is kinda what it sounded like on the phone.  But I don't know.  But Sister Sewell has been here her whole mission.  But yeah, Louth is gorgeous, it is what everyone pictures when they think of England, just with 50 more pubs haha.  But it is super old buildings and cobble stone and its so cute.  I'm excited to get to work!

Nicola will be getting baptized this Friday, so I'm so excited for her!!  And Meha and Anand are so close to baptism, so I'm so happy for them!! 

KIM MARIE BISHOP- I hope you had a fantastic birthday on the 20th, and I hope that you got lots of presents.....coughandycough.....

Anyways, I love you all so much, and I'm so grateful that I was able to see you guys.  I have the best family ever!! Oh and for now, just send all letters and things to the mission office, cause I don't know what will be happening!! I love you all and have a great week!!

                                       

Ho ho ho hoho.  Hiya love!  I think the Yorkshire accent is rubbing off on me, or at least I hope that it is!  haha.  Okay so this week has been a crazy one as usual, and it has been so much fun!  All of the weeks kind of blurr together, so I'm not exactly 100 % confident that I can remember everything that happened this week alone, but I am having a really great time!!  We have been so busy lately. 

-I am still in the trio, with Sister Hedstrom and Sister Boldbaatar, and things are going great.  We are basically like an international companionship.  We are all very different, but we have the same goal and we are finding a way to work together and have fun while doing it!!

-I have been having nightmares lately, because transfers are coming up and I kind of think that its going to be me leaving, but I don't want to leave!!   I LOVE SHEFFIELD, and I want to stay here my whole mission!!  Seriously, I never want to leave.  I love the people here, plus this is my home. 

-Last monday we had our Zone Christmas party and that was a blast!!!  And then on thursday we had our mission Christmas party, well at least with everyone from the southern part of the mission.  Which was a blast, cause I got to see some high school friends.  And it has been such a fun week cause I have been able to hang out with Sister B a bunch.  She's great, and we have both started praying that at some point we will be companions. 

-The ward is so amazing, I love them so much!!  They have spoiled us so much this past week!  They have given  us so much presents, but most of them are like nice chocolate stuff.  So instead of eating them all, we are re-gifting them hahahah.  It is a win-win situation.

-Oh yes, this is a question for you mom and dad- Do you by chance have a picture at my baptism??  If you have it, then I would really love it!!!  Also, if dad has any baptism pictures from his mission, then I would love those as well. 

-NICOLA:  Nicola is doing so great and she has progressed so much!!  Honestly.  I can literally see the physical change that this gospel has made in her.  And that is what this gospel does to people, it changes them.  For the better.  But she has given up smoking, and her nicotine spray, and she came to church yesterday and she is so excited for her baptism.  haha.  She even went out and bought a new skirt to wear to church.  She already asked Brother Allen to baptize her.  The date for her baptism is still up in the air, because she may or may not be giong to Spain at the end of this week.  But if she doesn't go to Spain (WHICH IS WHAT I HAVE BEEN PRAYING FOR) then she can get baptized next Saturday.  Which would really be great, cause then Sister H can I could have a baptism together before transfers.  But she is so cute, and she reads so much from the Book of mormon, and she understands it which is a big deal.

-We met this man named David and he is from Ireland.  He met with missionaries, (only 2 times) about 2 years ago, but then they just stopped coming.  When we met with him, he told us that his son, who is 13 and lives down in London, is a member, and is gathering some family history so he can take it to the temple.  He is so great.  We have only met with him twice, but I have a really good feeling about him.  Plus the way that God works in other peoples lives is so amazing.  It blows my mind.

-We were finally able to meet with M and A again after them being away for a while, and it was great.  They really benefitted from hearing Sister B conversion story, as her background isn't a Christian one either.  They told us that they believe in Jesus Christ and accept him as their Savior and the Son of God, but they face heavy family opposition.  So that's a bummer.  Please pray for them.

-I have to say that I am becoming a really good english teacher!!  I have 3 students whose english has improved so much already:Sister H- her english is so good now, Sister B work in progress, but getting a lot better, and Sister G-I have been helping her with her grammar, and it is tons better.  haha I think my english is getting worse though.

As it is coming up towards Christmas, I have had the opportunity to really think about the birth of our Savior quite more frequently.  And it has been so amazing.  I love to read the stories in the scriptures about Jesus Christ, and about the miracles he performed.  I have been trying to really imagine Jesus Christ as my personal savior and older brother, rather than just a story that I preach to people on the street.  The story of his birth is so amazing, and it has built my testimony so much.  Without Christ we are nothing, and we couldn't accomplish anything.  He is everything to me, and to all of us.  I love in Luke 2 where it tells the story of his birth.  My favorite part is in verse15 and 16. 

15 :And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepards said one to another, let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us./

16: And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

The sheperds made their journey's with haste to bedside of the baby Jesus.  And that is perhaps one of the best models for me in my life.  We all need to hasten our journey to the side of Jesus Christ.  We need to be there to be his followers and his supporters.  Christmas time is the best time of the year, we all need to have more of the CHRISTmas spirit.  I love my Savior Jesus Christ, and I am going to hasten my journey and help hasten other peoples journey as well.  I am so grateful to be a missionary,and to be helping out in this great cause.  I love you all and I hope that you have a very happy Christmas (its how they say it in Harry potter)

-Sister Staheli

Caroling on the Streets of Darnall/ Ward Christmas Party

Ward Christmas Party

Sis Allen,  Sister Staheli, Sister H.  Sister B

These pictures are courtesy of Sister Allen 

Dec. 16, 2013

HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!  OH MY GOSH THIS WEEK HAS BEEN SO CRAZY!!!!!! 
-So lets just start off by saying.....I'M TRAINING!!  Yep you got that right, on Tuesday night we were in a lesson with one of our new investigators Kennedy, and we got a phone call from President, and he was just calling to tell us that we were getting a new companion that we would be co-training, and that she would arrive in the morning.  So we were like freaking out cause its mid-transfer and we were so surprised.  Anyways, the next day at the mission tour ( mission conference where someone high up in the church comes and talks to us all day- this time it was someone from the area 70) we were sitting down and we were pumped, and then we got our new companion!  Her name is Sister B, and she is from MONGOLIA.  She just barely got out of the MTC, her english is getting there, and she looks like Mulan. :)  Anyways, she is so great, and it is really a great experience training someone.  It was a little stressful, cause Sister H has to go on exchange quite a bit, so she is like coming and going and coming and going all the time, and its hard to plan our crazy schedule around exchanges and train sister B (I can't really say it that great, so I just call her sister b hahahah).  Anyways, my bbg ( sister b cause she is my daughter) is hilarious.  She is great, and she has only been a member for 3 years.  She is amazing and I love her.

-The mission tour was amazing, it was so great and so inspired.  I love being a missionary!! 

-Here are some questions that you keep asking me mom, and I keep forgetting to answer you, haha so here they are:  Sister Pilkington is so sweet and nice, they are super busy with everything, but they are so amazing.  There are no homeless people here in England, because of the way that the government is set up.  Everyone gets benefits, even if they don't work and are immigrants.  So ya, no homeless people.  Majority of the buses are double decker buses, just like in HARRY POTTER, especially here in the city.  We usually ride buses, trams, and trains.  And thats all I can think of off the top of my head, so I hope that answers some questions mom.

-I have had a cold this week, so I haven't been feeling all that great.  i think its cause I'm kinda stresssed about training, plus its like freezing and the wind doesn't help.  But i think i should be getting over it soon.

-On Saturday we had our ward christmas party and it was a MIRACLE.  Listen to this!...So we had our investigator N come, and she came! #miracle.  We had our investigator H come, and we had a great lesson with the members with her, and the members LOVE HER. #miracle.  We had one of the less-active members that we have been working with-S- come and bring her daughter who is not yet a member, and they had a great time. #miracle.  One of the ward's recent converts brought her neighbor Jan who we have been working with a bit, and it was great, and she wants to see us this week. #miracle.  And last but not least, another less active woman came who we have been working with-T- and she brought her friends with her, and we have been talking with them a little.  And they told us to come by on Wednesday.  #OHMYGOSHITWASAMIRACLE.  But really, Heavenly Father blessed us so much this week, and so we have a lot of work that we have to do in the next few weeks!!!

-N is progressing so much its so great!  She is going to Spain for a week and half for the holiday., but she will get baptized on the 11th or something of January.  She's so great!!

-We went Caroling on Saturday morning with some other missionaries, and it was so much fun.  I mean I'm no singer, but it was so great!!  

-Today we are having a Zone Christmas party, and it should be great!!

-This Thursday we are having a mission Christmas party, so I'm pretty excited for that!

-FAMILY:  What time would be best to skype on Christmas?  Because of the time difference, it will probably be early in the morning for  you guys, but what would be the earliest that we could skype??  I'm excited to see your cute faces:)

-I think that I may want to be an English teacher when i go home, because I am teaching both of my companions the ways of English. :)

-Anyways, things are going so great here!!  I love Sheffield, and I love the ward that I am serving in, and I love training!!  Being a missionary is the best, especially during this Christmas season, I would want to spend it no other way then spreading the love of my Savior Jesus Christ.

  Anyways, I love you my dear family and friends, and I'm so grateful to be a part of God's kingdom here on Earth.  We are all so blessed.  Have a great week!

Dec. 9, 2013

Ho ho ho ho.  Today Sister H and I put up our Christmas tree, that Kim Wilson gave us.  Its so cute, and it looks like the one that Charly Brown has:)  Anyways.  Hello:)  How is my family and friends doing??  Man this week was crazy and cold hahah.  A good combo. :)

-So I have been totally trying to write this home to ya'll, cause I know how much you want to know about the words that they use here, but I usually forget.  But I wrote  them down this time, so I wouldn't forget.  okay lesson number 1: They use the words PROPER and RIGHT like all the time.  For example:  that presentation was RIGHT depressing.  next example: That picture is PROPER BRILLIANT.  I don't really know.  Haha but I think it is pretty catchy and I find myself saying them all the time now.  So there ya go dad.

-So a miracle happened this week, and its pretty funny.  So like 3 months ago we met this man in town, and his name was P.  He was pretty interested so we set up an appointment with him right then.  But he never showed.  Sister B and I waited for like 15 minutes and then we left.  So anyways we ran into him again last Sunday night, and he said that he was bummed cause he was late from work and he was like 20 minutes late to our appointment, but we weren't there.  So then we set up another appointment for Tuesday.  Anyways, haha he was like running to  our appointment cause he didn't want to miss us again.  Bless him.  And then he like really really really wanted to buy us something to eat for some reason.  But we told him we weren't hungry, and we just wanted to share our message with him.  Anyways, some how he convinced us to allow him to buy us some drinks, and he really wanted us to get coffee, and he was like super offended when we told him that we couldn't drink it.  Haha he is a great man, and we are meeting with him again on Tuesday for some more drinks.  He seems pretty interested.

-So I am not sure if I have told you about our new ward mission leader?  Anyways, his name is Roger Stanton, and he is super enthusiastic about missionary work.  Last time he was the ward mission leader he had 54 baptisms.  So ya.  But I came up with this idea where we get a picture of a ward member and their testimony of the Book of Mormon, and we hand it out with our Book of Mormon's.  And so Brother Stanton has gone crazy with the idea, and has made us like these laminated bookmark things.  They are super effective and really cool to hand out.  Great idea.  #pointtostaheli

-Oh yes mother and father, I got the fleece tights and under armour and the orange and the green scarf like 2 or 3 weeks ago, I just forgot to tell you.  They work great, and I'm obsessed.  I have to use them like every day:)  So thank you.  And also I recieved my Christmas package, and it took all the self control that I have not to open it, but I did.  And I'm proud of how strong I am. hahah jk.  But I just shoved it under my bed so I didn't have to look at it.  but I'm excited:)

-Oh yes mother this ones for you:  could you get into my gmail account and forward me any emails that seem important or that I'd like to have?  Thanks:)

-CHELSEA, ARE YOU OUT THERE??  This one is for you.  So the Allen's, their cousin was the Doctor at the Jerusalem center around 3 years ago.  And his name is Doctor Allen.  Is that when you were there?  If so, the Allen's were there the same time as you.

-Speaking of the Allen's.  They are great.  I love them so much, I feel like they are my 2nd parents, cause they are always feeding us and looking after us, and I just love them so much!!

-So I still go on exchanges with Sister G in Rotherham, her new companion is Sister S (she is from sweden as well).  And Sister B is training.

-The mission has now started handing out the Ensigns each month, so there is no more need to mail them to me any more.  Thanks though kim:)

-There was a HUGE rain/wind/rain/wind storm this week and it made it hard to go out.  A bunch of the buses stopped running cause it was so bad.  It was pretty fun. 

-So things with K have been a little hectic.  She is now back together with her partner, who is totally against the church.  And he is like possessive of her, so it makes it hard to see her regularly.  But she is still cutting down on smoking, and she should be ready to be baptized on the 28th of this month.

-N.  I don't know if I have told you about her.  She is one of our investigators that we have been teaching for a while now, and she is so accepting of everything that we teach.  She is amazing.  And she wants to get baptized on January 3rd.  

-M and A have been in Bradford all week, cause A family live up there.  But I still love them, and they are great.  And they have started a great relationship with Brother and Sister Wilson.

-Anyways, I am short on time today, but I love you all so much!!!  Things are going great here in Sheffield.  And its even better that its Christmas time.  What better way to spread Christmas cheer, then spreading a message of Jesus Christ?  I love you all and I want you all to know that I know that my Savior lives and that he died for us.  I love you!  Have a great week!

Dec. 2, 2013

Yo yo ho ho ho.  So this week was pretty great!  It flew by as usual, and it was pretty busy.  So i'll just get straight to it.  

-So i'd say that the biggest miracle that happened this week was yesterday at church.  So we have been working a couple named A and J (i'm not sure if I've told you about them or not?)  Anyways, A served a mission, but he has been less-active for a couple years now.  And he is living with his partner, J-who is an investigator.  Well we have been working with them for quite a long time now, with the Allens.  And they always tell us that they will come to church, and then they never do.  BUT last week, they both came so that was great!!!!  And so we weren't really expecting them to come this week, but just as Sacrament meeting was starting, in walks J.  We expected A to walk in beside her, but he didn't.  It was just her that came.  WHICH IS GREAT.  Cause we want her to find the gospel for herself, not for her partner.  So that was great.  And then the lesson in gospel principles class was on ETERNAL MARRIAGE hahahahahahahahaha so that was just what she needed.  Anyways, it was a miracle.

-K also came to church, and it was great.  She has picked Christmas day as the last day for her to smoke.  She has already cut in half the amount she smokes per day.  But i'm a little worried, cause she just got back together with her old partner (the one who hates us and looked up a bunch of anti-mormon stuff online, and he thinks we are a cult) So i'm a tad worried, but I know it will all work out.

-M and A, are doing so so so great.  We had a great lesson with them this week on the Plan of Salvation.  Which was really important to them.  I'm not sure how much you know about Hindu's, I still don't know all that much, but Ido know that they believe in reincarnation, so it was a really spiritual lesson, and they had a ton of questions about the animals and spirits and resurrection and stuff.  I don't know how well we answered all their questions, but they are great.  They have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior, and they read all the chapters in the Book of Mormon that we leave for them.  And I honestly just love them so much!!  Seriously. 

-The Allen's are awesome, they bought me a new watch cause mine broke:)

-So it was thanksgiving this week, and we had like a brunch meal at Brother Stanton's house (he is our new ward mission leader, and he is great) and so he fed us some turkey.  But then we had like a super crazy crazy day and so we didn't have time to go back to our flat and get some food, so we decided to just try one of the dodgy little restraunts.  So Sister H wanted to try some chinese, and it looked pretty good so we did.  But it gave me food poisoning:(  At least I think it did, cause it kept me up all night throwing up.  I am not sure what it was, but the next day I felt great, and I feel just fine now,  but ya no more chinese for me. 

-Since we are the only missionaries living downtown in Sheffield, we meet soooooooomany chinese students, and we keep hooking up the Chinese speaking sisters with refferals.  They are great, and one of them this week asked to have her picture taken with me. :)

-I have been thinking about my mission so far and kinda reminiscing a bit, and I have learned so much!!!  I really have learned more than I ever thought that I could.  So much about myself and about my Savior.  But I have kinda narrowed it down to 2 major things that I've learned so far. 

1.  I have learned what kind of role this gospel will play throughout the rest of my life. 

2.  I have learned what kind of role I play in this gospel, and will play throughout the rest of my life.  

This gospel is so important, and it is the only thing that we can really count on in this life.  Our Savior Jesus Christ has given us all the ingredients to receive exaltation.  Its up to us whether or not we are going to act with the ingredients we have received.  Keep going, and in this Christmas season, go to the temple: :) :) :) :)

-Sister Staheli