Mom,
This week has been quite intense, and filled with plenty of miracles :) I really don't know where to start, so I'll just mash it out.
Our missionary work has really been on the up and up lately. Elder Richey and I are making a lot of goals concerning how we use our time, and how we can be more effective with travel in our area. Apparently, we have some hidden logistics skills because we just knocked £80 off our area's needed travel money :)
Because of that we've been doing quite a large amount of walking as we restrained our travel to between major parts of the Berkshire area. Luckily, this also means we've been getting a lot more street contacting in. Our Friday was a miracle, and we ended up knocking on a street with four families with new born children. It was crazy! We're meeting with two of them on Tuesday, so pray us luck.
Those part member families we are working with are making progress, slowly and surely. A wonderful less active lady in our ward has begun to come back to church. Her husband, a great and humble man, is not a member. In our last teach we were making goals for getting Sis. M to the temple, and challenged her to invite her husband along. When he sat down to listen in on our lesson, Sis. M turned to him and said, "honey, we are going to the temple next week, and I'd like you to come. You need to come to church as well." We kind of just sat there in aw as he accepted the invitation and began driving his wife to church, and attending Sacrament along side her. Miracles happen when you are bold enough to ask for them.
Speaking of less actives, we bumped into a family that loves the church, but hasn't been in ages. A proper English family, who's father is the owner of an Audi dealership in Slough. We bumped into them as they were getting takeout, and they even offered to have us over and feed us right then and there. Oh my goodness, he drove us home in his car, which costs unthinkable amounts of money and drives at just as unthinkable speeds. Also, he gets a new car every 9,000 miles. The perks of being a car dealer. We're really excited to see this family back at church, and will be meeting with them this next week :)
I had my first driving lesson this week, in preparation for my exam next week! The English driving test is insane. There are all of these funny, nit-picky, little rules. For instance: you cannot cross your hands when turning; you must check your main mirror every 2-3 minutes; you must have two hands on the wheel if the vehicle is moving; you have to be able to back around a corner within a foot of the curb. That's silly :) In all honesty, a higher standard is understandable. Driving here is not like the states whatsoever. In the states I could drive passively, almost subconsciously. Driving is a very active thing here :)
In conjunction with this driving lesson, we began a lesson of our own with my instructor. He is Indian, and he is awesome. That statement may also be slightly biased, as I have loved every Indian person I've met since serving with Elder Ganta, ha. He was very interested in the story behind two strangely dressed young men who don't get paid. Hopefully we'll be able to share more of the Restoration with him next time we meet :) As an added bonus, this guy was hilarious, and we've been quoting him ever since:
"It is called a roundabout because you go around; please refrain from going through them."
"Please do not run over any future prime ministers." (as we drive through Eton College)
"If you are a cricket bat length from the curb, you are also a failing length from the curb."
"You're one of the first American's I've met that doesn't have terrible driving habits."
All the better with an Indian accent ;)
I love you all, and know that this church and work is true. It's a hard work, but it's also the most rewarding of any time spent on this Earth.
Cheers,
Elder Foster
This week has been quite intense, and filled with plenty of miracles :) I really don't know where to start, so I'll just mash it out.
Our missionary work has really been on the up and up lately. Elder Richey and I are making a lot of goals concerning how we use our time, and how we can be more effective with travel in our area. Apparently, we have some hidden logistics skills because we just knocked £80 off our area's needed travel money :)
Because of that we've been doing quite a large amount of walking as we restrained our travel to between major parts of the Berkshire area. Luckily, this also means we've been getting a lot more street contacting in. Our Friday was a miracle, and we ended up knocking on a street with four families with new born children. It was crazy! We're meeting with two of them on Tuesday, so pray us luck.
Those part member families we are working with are making progress, slowly and surely. A wonderful less active lady in our ward has begun to come back to church. Her husband, a great and humble man, is not a member. In our last teach we were making goals for getting Sis. M to the temple, and challenged her to invite her husband along. When he sat down to listen in on our lesson, Sis. M turned to him and said, "honey, we are going to the temple next week, and I'd like you to come. You need to come to church as well." We kind of just sat there in aw as he accepted the invitation and began driving his wife to church, and attending Sacrament along side her. Miracles happen when you are bold enough to ask for them.
Speaking of less actives, we bumped into a family that loves the church, but hasn't been in ages. A proper English family, who's father is the owner of an Audi dealership in Slough. We bumped into them as they were getting takeout, and they even offered to have us over and feed us right then and there. Oh my goodness, he drove us home in his car, which costs unthinkable amounts of money and drives at just as unthinkable speeds. Also, he gets a new car every 9,000 miles. The perks of being a car dealer. We're really excited to see this family back at church, and will be meeting with them this next week :)
I had my first driving lesson this week, in preparation for my exam next week! The English driving test is insane. There are all of these funny, nit-picky, little rules. For instance: you cannot cross your hands when turning; you must check your main mirror every 2-3 minutes; you must have two hands on the wheel if the vehicle is moving; you have to be able to back around a corner within a foot of the curb. That's silly :) In all honesty, a higher standard is understandable. Driving here is not like the states whatsoever. In the states I could drive passively, almost subconsciously. Driving is a very active thing here :)
In conjunction with this driving lesson, we began a lesson of our own with my instructor. He is Indian, and he is awesome. That statement may also be slightly biased, as I have loved every Indian person I've met since serving with Elder Ganta, ha. He was very interested in the story behind two strangely dressed young men who don't get paid. Hopefully we'll be able to share more of the Restoration with him next time we meet :) As an added bonus, this guy was hilarious, and we've been quoting him ever since:
"It is called a roundabout because you go around; please refrain from going through them."
"Please do not run over any future prime ministers." (as we drive through Eton College)
"If you are a cricket bat length from the curb, you are also a failing length from the curb."
"You're one of the first American's I've met that doesn't have terrible driving habits."
All the better with an Indian accent ;)
I love you all, and know that this church and work is true. It's a hard work, but it's also the most rewarding of any time spent on this Earth.
Cheers,
Elder Foster