Mom,
It's been quite the two weeks, let me tell you about a few of the exciting goings on in our missionary lives :)
Temple - We got to go to the Temple! It was so wonderful, we went with all the Elders in our Zone. What a blessing a respite from the craziness of Zone Training, iPad Training, and the million other training's that we are a part of these days.
Zone Training - We put together our Zone Training and pulled it off without a hitch this last week. I'm really happy with how it went, because it calmed a lot of nerves in our Zone. With the iPad training coming up, it seemed that our Zone may have become obsolete or would be dissolved, but we were able to let them know that we would continue, acting as experience driven leaders as the rest of the mission learns how to be missionaries in a digital age.
iPad Training - What a change this is going to cause. We're making a HUGE changeover to digital everything. No more paper, no more planners, everything gets transitioned then shredded. It's going to be an exciting few months here as we as a digital zone and office staff try to handle the support side of these new tools.
Ashdown House (on exchange) - Elder Wolfgramm and I were out in a very peculiar part of our area, a little off the map, knocking basically what I imagined I would be knocking before I actually arrived in England. It was a long, dirt road in the middle of the flowing hills of England's countryside. The houses that adorned it were massive, and we weren't seeing too many humble hearts, until the very last house (ha, it's always the very last house, isn't it). It was by far the largest house on the road, named after the forest that it resides in. We had to sidestep a car gate to get to the door, and we had knocked about 3 times before we heard a response. A YSA aged man answered the door, who ended up inviting us in and excitedly taking a Book of Mormon to read. There are truly prepared people in all places.
Sam's Homecoming - Oh, an elder returned home to East Grinstead ward this last week, and I love him dearly. None of Sam's family are members of the church, we've served them over the months I've been there, and him coming home has been wonderful. He is a stalwart example of strength to us. He's so excited about the work, just as all returned missionaries are, but he also exudes such a pure love, like I imagine the Saviour would :) I love returned missionaries so much.
Eden's Baptism - There was a child of record baptism this last week at the chapel. It was pretty much the best, and I was privileged to sing at it. What a blessing :) We've become really close friends with the family, and it was such an uplifting event to us and the investigators who came. Eden is just a light to the ward, one of the most clever and intelligent children I've ever met. She built my testimony of the age of accountability, and the ability we can all have to understand and enjoy our covenant of baptism.
Traveling all over the GORGEOUS country - We've been blessed to travel all over the country during the most beautiful weather I've ever seen in England. We've gone from flat to flat, picking up the most random assortment of furniture and kitchen items, as we finish up with the wave of young missionaries and close down many flats and areas. The rape seed is just blossoming, which causes the hills to turn yellow. When you get cloudless days like we've had recently, England is a place of exquisite beauty.
Jonny Mission Call Opening - The COOLEST recent convert ever, and one of my good friends, got his mission call!!! He's going to the Scotland Ireland Mission!!! It was like re-experiencing my own mission call opening. I remembered the excitement and drive that brought me out here; oh how worth it those simple steps of preparation were.
Singing at a Fireside - I was asked to sing at a fireside just yesterday evening, and I am always so grateful for the opportunity to do that. It was a beautiful arrangement of I Stand All Amazed. I've gained a sincere testimony of the power of music on my mission. It's amazing the thoughts and feelings music can provoke that nothing else would. It's also a powerful way of bearing testimony and teaching simple truths. For this reason have I come to truly regard the Hymn book as scripture, as well as the book of Psalms in the Bible. There is more to those words than meets the eye, for only with the ear and heart can we fully understand what they teach.
We're working hard here, and really trying to find the one person who is ready to join the East Grinstead ward. We've done it before, so now it's time to put in the effort, be patient, and do it again.
I love you, you're in my prayers. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and not only testifies of Joseph's prophetic calling, but more importantly, it testifies of the calling of the Christ.
Love,
Elder Foster