Chapter 20: Helping Hands and Wearing Trousers

Hellooo everyone!

Well this week has been pretty busy actually! We have had lots of fun and lots of wonderful exciting things! 

First off - The World Cup... yeah, England didn't do well at all and so the overall mood of the country has been rather sour. But I think the US won one of their games so, Go USA!! If I said that out loud here, I'd get punched or something, so I don't think I'll do that.

Secondly - updates on Ting Ting. Well, she has literally progressed so much! She is ready for her baptism next Sunday (the 29) which was different from our original plan but oh well. She passed her interview, (yay!) and the coolest thing happened at church this week. Relief Society was over, Sis. Huang and I were trying to chat up people to get them to come to the baptism and Ting Ting just turns and says to us, "I really want to be baptised." We were like - Woah, what?? Uh, yeah, okay, we can totally make that happen! It was amazing because she has been struggling to have a desire to be baptised. All this week she has told us that every time she prays, she gets a confirmation that she needs to join the church and then that response in RS- basically WOW. It's been a great week teaching her and preparing her for baptism!

This is half of my zone. There's my district, the zone leaders (Elder Trassierra and Elder Baird)
who are in our ward and we work with a lot, and the sister training leaders who are both so wonderful.
 There's also some elders from Beverley.

Next up- this past Saturday was our ward's Helping Hands day. We went to this outdoor adventure centre/camping place and pulled out a bunch of stinging nettles and then laid new woodchip down on the paths. Let me tell you - stinging nettles flipping hurt!! Like you barely touch it, you just look at it and it stings you. There was also a swamp that I'm pretty sure were the dead marshes.  I swear I saw faces underneath that murky water... *shudder* But we had lots of fun and we took Ting Ting with us and she loved it AND I got to wear trousers. (Translation: pants.) It was wonderful and fun and did I mention that I got to wear jeans? :) 

Me on the rope swing, hard at work... haha.   I'm really cute.
  Me and Joann Wileman, my best friend.
Again, I'm hard at work. Okay i actually worked! I promise!

 So this week I've really learned a lot about getting to work! If you want to be able to run a marathon, you can't just watch videos or read books about them and then expect to run a full marathon, you have to actually go out and run! Likewise with missionary work, and anything in life really: thinking about it or studying it will only take you so far. You have to actually practise and do it to get things done. 

Here is the Liahona I got for this month... in Chinese characters.
Seriously, who do they think I am? I'm not THAT good yet. But it made me feel nice inside :)

For just a few Rather English Things:

• Trousers = pants. Pants = underwear. I've already embarrassed myself several times by mixing them up. "Hey, I like your pants!" 
• Weird flavoured potato crisps. Like prawn cocktail, roast chicken, worcester sauce, etc. And those are like the normal common flavours. 

I hope you're all enjoying the summer! I've learned to enjoy every moment of sunshine I get because I never know how long it will last... Be nice and remember to read your scriptures. Love you all!

Love,

Sister Larson