Good mourning!
I like it here. It's really easy to get distracted by boats boppin' past our window during district council, the church is haunted, and there's a really good sourdough place that isn't open on Mondays but it is on six whole other days! It's so cold here but the people are so friendly and warm. There are so many babies, we make them hats with little pom poms on top!
We've been doing restoration lessons with all the members lately, we love it and they do to. We mailed our district banana muffins and the Ramraj's made us crab curry that we smashed with a hammer. We had three friends at church yesterday -- a man from Poland who likes to come to church but won't actually meet with us, a man named Patrick 1 who likes to meet with us but doesn't like church, and an in-between guy named Mark who kinda likes to come to church and kinda likes to meet with us!
One of my favourite lessons this week was with Edwin, who actually lives in Mexico. He's moving to Ireland soon though, and has already had so many positive interactions with the church in his home city! God has been working on him for a good long while and he's so prepared! Remember my good friend Jose Vinicio, also from Mexico? I haven't actually talked to him since I left Dublin but he sent me a Mexico football (soccer) jersey and I love it so much hahaha even though I can't kick a ball in a straight line for the life of me.
We made apple spice donuts and brought them to returning members in the snow last week and it changed hearts! I have a testimony that calories convert. We also set up a miracle lesson on FB with a woman named Liz, thinking she was super catholic (there's a lot of that around here) but she's actually a member of the church who hasn't come in a good, long while! She lit up at the familiar spirit of the Book of Mormon and really loved the verses in Ether 12 we shared! Honestly the returning member miracles we've had through FB have been some of the mightiest miracles of my mission. It's incredible how many times (ok like 4) that I've accidentally messaged someone who turns out to be a member who hasn't come to church in YEARS and then they flip their whole life around and start coming again and most importantly praying and reading scriptures again and are HAPPY. Again. It's a beautiful thing!
I really, really love the missionaries I am serving with right now! They are spiritual giants, scriptural vending machines, just SO kind, and they are miracle workers. They are some of my best friends in the world! I'm so, so grateful for the kindred spirits I've met on my mission and the things they've done to lead me to Christ. This life really is all about people, isn't it? My mission is all about people. I'm so grateful for the relationships I've developed over here, as well as those over land and sea. Thank you, thank you for existing and choosing to be my friend. Or maybe you didn't choose but thank you for being my friend anyway!
A few things to end with today:
I haven't said this in a while but I know this is all true. I know this is the church of Jesus Christ and that this is His work. I know there is a God in heaven who loves you very very much who just wants you to come home safe and happy. He really does. There is NOTHING that can separate us from that love (Romans 8:38ish) Your happiness, eternally and now, matters so, so much to him. He knows you perfectly and knows exaclty what will help you find the most joy now and in the life to come. Which is why it's so sad that we are sometimes so reluctant to do His will for us! It's His will for us because He knows how much joy it will bring us and others, even if it seems hard at first!
A few days ago I was freaking out in the car to Sister Cragun about how I have no idea what to do with my life and weighing various options outloud and right in the middle of my rant I got a little email from my grandma that was one line long -- all it said was "Accomplish the impossible!" Even though she didn't know what conversation we were having, God did. And He knew I needed a little reminder that all things become possible through Him. We just need to be willing to choose the harder right rather than the easier wrong. What are we waiting for?
Sister Southworth (my Italian Sister Training Leader) and I are doing a Bob Ross themed Paint Night on the Come Unto Christ in Northern Ireland page Thursday at 7 Ireland time (12 noon UT time) and we would love for you to join us! I remember once the prophet said every home needs a picture of Christ in it, so that's what we will be painting and you can follow along! We'll be posting the template this week! (THE CUTEST LITTLE LADY AND HER WEE GIRL JUST WAVED TO ME FROM THE STREET BELOW AND IT MELTED MY HEART)
OK THIS IS KINDA CRAZY --- We have been doing comp studies and joint teaching with an Irish girl named Sister Noble who just finished the online MTC and was waiting for a temporary reassignment (she is assigned to labour France but can't get her visa) BUT THEN SHE WAS REASSIGNED TO OUR MISSION AND IS OUR NEW COMPANION!!! WHACK!! She's coming in like 9 minutes, this week is going to be craaazy!! I'll tell you about it next week maybe probably if I feel like it!
Gotta fly but remember that all the answers you are looking for are in the message of the restoration,
Sister Allen
PS. A common Irish saying is "May the road rise to meet you" and I don't really know what that means but I would say the road has definitely risen to meet us and I wouldn't trade my time here in Ireland for the world.
PPS. Enjoy these pictures lol proud of myself for remembering to attach them
