Week 61

Hello beautiful people,

We are celebrating the District Leader or Elder De La Cruz’s last P-day in the mission field, and therefore we are travelling to Liverpool to party with the Beatles.

This week has been so busy with many hours of travelling to Chorley to see the British Pageant. It has been a wonderful performance to be a part of and I definitely have a greater love for the British Isles, the early saints and the opportunity that I have to serve here at this time. I think in total I have seen it and therefore performed in the Pageant five times, and I am surprised that I have not been credited in the program.

Furthermore, it could be my last week in Runcorn with Team Ready, SET, Go, it is time for a quick spotlight.
Sister Suzarte is from Lisbon, Portugal. She was born on the 10th September 1996 to goodly parents by the names of Antonio and Selma. She is a social butterfly, despises pink and can’t bake. This week she attempted to bake cookies for some of the members, but that wasn’t executed well at all. She was so happy with herself, dancing around the flat, but when we offered a cookie to one of our friends, Amanda politely threw it away. Unfortunately, she concludes her mission next transfer, so she will have to become domesticated outside the field. Fortunately, Sister Suzarte has the gift of charity. She always looks extrinsically to serve and always does all that she can. She is forever loyal.

Sister Estamante is from Dumaguete, Negros Island of the Philippines. She was born on the 18th of December 1995, is obsessed with David Archuleta and has a brother by the name of Leonel Ritche, as in Lionel Richie. I hope that she names one of children Daved.
This is not the first time that she has been featured in an email as she has served with me in Crewe for a few days. Sister E has served in similar areas to me in the mission, including Wrekin, Crewe and Runcorn. When I think of Sister Estamante, I think of humility. Perhaps, she is even too humble. She has such a pure heart that desires to put forth her best efforts.

I very much dislike trios, but I am very grateful for the companions that I have in Sister Suzarte and Sister Estamante. To be honest, I don’t think I would have been able to have done this if it was with anyone else, and I am forever thankful to call them friends. I love them both.

On a spiritual note, yesterday, during sacrament meeting I was asked to share my testimony of the Book of Mormon and some verses that have aided in my conversion. I remember before my mission I had some challenges and I wasn’t able to attend a certain devotional. A wonderful sister thought of me and proceeded to send a message via Facebook to share the following scriptures with me. They were the exact verses that I needed to hear at that time, and they are verses that I constantly turn to on my mission.

1 Nephi 21:14 But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me—but he will show that he hath not.

15 For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.
16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

I know that our loving Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will never forget us.Another poem that echoes the same point is ‘Footprints in the Sand’.

One night I dreamed a dream.
As I was walking along the beach with my Lord.
Across the dark sky flashed scenes from my life.
For each scene, I noticed two sets of footprints in the sand,
One belonging to me and one to my Lord.
After the last scene of my life flashed before me,
I looked back at the footprints in the sand.
I noticed that at many times along the path of my life,
especially at the very lowest and saddest times,
there was only one set of footprints.
This really troubled me, so I asked the Lord about it.
“Lord, you said once I decided to follow you,
You’d walk with me all the way.
But I noticed that during the saddest and most troublesome times of my life,
there was only one set of footprints.
I don’t understand why, when I needed You the most, You would leave me.”
He whispered, “My precious child, I love you and will never leave you
Never, ever, during your trials and testings.
When you saw only one set of footprints,
It was then that I carried you.”

I can testify that the Saviour knows and understands us perfectly, He knows how to help us and as we turn to Him and utilise the enabling powers of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we are able to be strengthened. I know that our prayers are answered, and we are always succored, perhaps not in the way that we want, but the way that we need. I am eternally grateful for this knowledge and it is through divine interference that I am able to continue to press forward with a steadfastness in Christ and perfect brightness of hope despite the challenges that are before me.

Much love,
Sister Turnbull