The Promised Land

The Promised Land.

Talofa lava

This has been the most wonderful week of my mission. I just feel so happy. I love my companion ( She is from New Zealand but originally from Samoa) we just have so much fun. She is teaching me so so much about the work. We live in a little village called Leighton Buzzard a little ways from Aylesbury which is where the chapel is. The ward members are so so lovely. I just love my whole life. Our flat is gorgeous and our view is just full of trees which reminds me of the cabin and brings me joy. I'm just so happy and we are working hard. 

Sis. Obley and Sis. Coleman

Miracle: We were walking to go see a member when Sister Obley and I both had a prompting to stop the man walking towards us. We did and had a short conversation with him but he had to hurry off to work. As we turned around, a man in a wheelchair (who had gone past us while we were chatting) came up to us. And he asked us about the Book of Mormon. He said he had seen us talking to the other man and had wondered if we were Mormon. He wanted to know how the Book of Mormon worked with the Bible. We answered his question and then testified of the Book of Mormon and read 2 Nephi 25:26 with him. He invited us to come over and teach him on Tuesday!! What a miracle!!! 

We are teaching a woman from China who doesn't speak any English. NONE. Our lesson was us typing on Google translate and her reading it. I was able to use some of the Chinese Sister Chou taught me to help the lesson along. It was amazing how powerful we could feel the Holy Ghost even though none of us were really speaking!  The lady we are teaching has been baptized in a different church and communicating about priesthood authority has been quite difficult. We got permission from the AP's to call sister Chou and set up a facetime lesson with her :). 

The other day I felt prompted to study Alma 30 and Mosiah 24. As I read Alma 30 I noticed that Korihor (the anti-Christ) used the same strategies of demeaning other's faith as the devil does today. He told the people they were foolish and deranged in their minds to believe in Jesus Christ. I noticed that the way the Chief-Judge responded was not to argue but to 'answer him nothing' and send him to talk to the prophet. When Alma sees him he just testifies and invites him to change but he chooses not to. - When I was reading Mosiah 23-24 I noticed that it perfectly answers the question, 'Why do bad things happen to good people?'. Answer 1 is that people have agency to make choices and we can be affected by those ,but I loved answer 2 more. Answer 2 is that sometimes Heavenly Father allows things to happen to us to 'try our patience and faith'. and then if we turn to him for help during our struggle he will strengthen us that we may 'bear up our burdens with ease'. The result of this is that we can stand as witnesses of God thereafter. 

Experience:  We were out tracting and the first door we knocked on I barely said ,'Hi! We are missionaries!...' when the lady began to yell (and she really yelled) that if Jesus existed the world wouldn't be so horrible. And told us not to ever come back.  Then she slammed the door. As we walked away she opened the door again and yelled at us that we were deluded for believing in Christ. She then slammed the door a second time. If this had happened to me 3 months ago I probably would have felt really shaken but I just felt so sorry for this poor lady! She must have just had the most terrible day! Sister Obley and I carried on and hummed some hymns. The last door we knocked on that day was a family that just found out that the Dad had a cancerous brain tumor. They wanted to know why that would happen. Sister Obley and I were able to read some of Mosiah 24 with them and testify that if we turn to Heavenly Father in our hard times he really will strengthen us. It was so cool to see how Heavenly Father had prepared us for the experiences we had that day. He really is in the details of our lives <3 . 

I love the rain. I have jumped in a few puddles :) 

He lives. Jesus Christ is real. He loves us. I have felt his love. He is in the details of our lives. 

I love You all!! 

oute alofa ia te outou uma. 

love, 

Sister Coleman

Questions from Mum:

Have you ridden a double decker bus yet? hahaha Yes. Almost every day.   Which level?  I love riding on top but it depends on how full the bus is and the companion (Sister Wai didn't like riding on top). Here in Aylesbury we walk almost everywhere.  

I am really curious how a transfer works?  Do you travel to the new area by yourself? No I travel with my companion and meet either at Hyde Park chapel or at a train station and then switch.  Do you figure out the route by yourself? Yes :).

Daddy mentioned your email about some training you lead?  Every week we have a district meeting. Different missionaries give the trainings at the District Leaders request. Sometimes we will have a 'district lunch' and find a cheap food place. 

Are there sister missionaries in London proper?  or only Elders? I think I heard a rumor that only elders serve in the city. ---The only sisters in London are the Visitor Centre sisters and the London North Sister Training Leaders. 

Will you be able to go to the Harry Potter area on a P-Day? Yes!!! And We are going to Wicked in London!! :D

Is there one ward in your new area? Yes. 

Is the new area more rural? Yes. 

We are on the top floor of our flat. I can hear birds when I wake up. It smells like rain. Our dishes have red flowers on them. and yaa....

I went to a Canal Festival and asked about the boats in a way Penny Lee Tippets Coleman would have :) 

My Birthday and transfer to Aylesbury

Thank you so much for the cards and love and the package!! I had a
wonderful birthday. We went to a stake sport activity where I got
really sunburned. But it was fun! We had an investigator come with her
friend and we played net ball. (SO fun! I think I like it more than
basketball).

Natasha had us for dinner. I walked into the house and there were
Disney princess napkins and balloons and she had driven into London to
pick up my birthday package. That is such a big deal. Driving into
London is expensive and long and stressful but she did it to help me
have a special day. She had the gift laid out beautifully. I just
cried. Xxxx I love her so much. And I love all of you!!! Each card
made me smile:).

Okay for reals. You expect me to carry the stuffed pig puppet around in my suitcase for a year and a half? I just keep laughing.  I cant just leave it and it doesn't fit in my cases so its in my side bag. This little pig next to my Book of Mormon. You are so funny. 

I love my huckleberries!!

The funniest thing about the pig is that it reminds me of when Emily and I would hide a piggy bank in each others rooms. Neither of us wanted it so we would hide it in each others rooms. We even took the da-gum pig to girls camp and hid it in each others tents. I feel like the pig puppet is piggy bank #2 except you sent him all the way across the atlantic!  I guess I'm just going to carry him around and take pictures with him. Because I just don't even know what else to do with him.

Yes, I like my apple pyjamas (I cant remember how to spell that word like an American. pijama pyjama jammies? has it always been spelt like that? weird word.)

I'm moving! To Aylesbury in Watford Zone (........which is where HARRY
POTTER STUDIOS is!!) my new companion is Sister Obley!
I am going to miss Sister Chou and the Colchester ward so so much.
There are so many people here that I have given my heart to and I
don't think I'll get it back.

" I found the Tree of Life and the fruit!!"

Miracle: Today, my last day in Colchester, we found a family and they
are coming to church on Sunday. We shared the Because of Him video in
their home. They have one little boy! It is such a miracle and
blessing.

I had an interview with President Stevens 2 weeks ago and basically I
just begged him to tell me all about being in MoTab. He shared some
cool experiences with me of being a 'musical missionary'. He also
talked about how it had always been his dream to be in the choir but
he didn't know much about music theory. Some miracles occurred and he
was able to pass his theory exam. This is my dream. Maybe one day :)

Well ,I love you all!

Love, Sister Coleman

With all thy might.

Well I just love you all to bits. <3

I cried over every single email. But it was a good cry. Because I love you so so so SO much and I could feel how much you all must love me too. thank you for the Birthday wishes :) 

I just love this ward so much. There are no words for the love and the support and the encouragement and the shoulders to cry on (Its been a watery week), and the counsel that the relief society sisters of Colchester Ward have given me. I am forever grateful for the promptings they have recieved and followed in my behalf. 

This week we went finding. Street Contacting, and eventually on the latter end of the week resorted to tracting. (But it was positive! Tracting isn't as bad as I recalled it to be.) We found three new investigators. 2 of them just want to date us and keep sending us creepy text messages and the other isnt answering his phone ...... :) So we made a new plan to tract in all of the fairly recently built neighbourhoods where there are lots of young families who possibly haven't met missionaries yet. :) 

We did have one cool miracle where the person we were planning to visit had moved house so we were heading to a different place when I saw house number 125. and I couldn't stop thinking about it. SOO we HAD to knock. The guy who answered we had a great conversation with and found out he is a former investigator of the elders. We testified to him that Heavenly Father really wanted to be a part of his life again. His house was the only door we knocked on in that neighbourhood. It was really cool that Heavenly Father led us to him. 

We had another miracle. 

We went to the doctor for Sister Chou and on the way home I had the thought: 'I should call Gabrielle right now' (P's mom). So I called her and she answered! She said, 'I can see you right now! I'm just across the street. I'll be right over!' 

She came over and we started to chat. She had a cute wagon she was pulling her youngest son around in. While we were talking a member drove past with her friend that she has been planning to introduce to us! They honked and waved. 

We helped Gabrielle pull her wagon to a clinic she was going to and talked the whole way. Then when we helped her pick up her kids from school a former investigator family said 'hi' to us. We helped her get her kids home and then she asked us to come over next week and read some scriptures with her. It was a miracle day. 

Theme of my life right now. This is the gate outside of Colchester Castle. I noticed this for the first time and it really stuck with me. It reminded me of he 'where er thou art act well thy part' except this was a Chloe one. So now I'm going to find out what my might really is. :)

Colchester Castle Gate
'Do It With All Thy Might'

Lessons that I'm learning:

I need to just trust Heavenly Father. 

This is HIS work not mine.

He loves me even though I make silly mistakes everyday

I need to love and accept myself 

I love you all!! 

love, 

Sister Coleman

The Book of Mormon

Hiya!

Family History.
On Monday we went to the Horrigans and Sister Horrigan helped me
search my family history. We were trying to find the parents of
Lindsay Coleman and we searched some Wills from London. I enjoyed it
quite a lot:)

Meeting president.
We had a conference with President Stevens on Tuesday. It hadn't
really hit me that the Jordan's were gone until the Stevens walked in.
It was bittersweet. I'm excited to work with them :)

Subway and Gill.
We got subway on Wednesday for lunch(best sandwich ever) and on our
way out we ran into a member Gill Collings. We gave her big hugs and
chatted and left. She told us later that after we left, her friend
walked up and asked how she knew 'those girls with funny badges.' It
was a great missionary moment for her. I also learned that everyone
really does notice us.

Hot.
Hottest day of the year this week! Sister Chou has had some heatstroke
so we have been just drinking SO much water. I have a really funny tan
line on my feet! Haha

Finding in the park.
Castle park is gorgeous. There are so many families! I love finding in
the park:)

4th of July.
We bought root beer from the American candy store and went to Burger
King for lunch haha. We also had dinner at Natasha's house. It was
steak! And fries! Haha. I stopped people and asked them about freedom.
We had a miracle and saw Nikola one more time! I bought her a root beer :)

I fasted and prayed that church would be full of the Holy Ghost
yesterday and it was. It was beautiful. Katie Greig who I love, was so
cute and took her baby up to the stand with her to bear her testimony.
Sister foster had her daughter and grandkids over.. She told them I
was Belle. Those little girls could not stop looking at me haha. I led
the music and bore my testimony and their eyes were as big as the
moon. Haha. After the meeting the came up to me and I told them that I
use to be Belle but I came to England to tell everyone about my
favourite book. :)
I really felt the Holy Ghost as these wonderful members bore
testimony. I loved it.

I love the new family in the ward the Buenos. They are from Brazil and
are just so so lovely.

We haven't found anyone to teach yet but  I'm still happy:). I feel
good because we worked hard. Thank you for your prayers and emails :).
The strength I found came directly from the Book of Mormon. I have had
several days where I just read and read. I know it's the truth. I have
felt the Saviour reach out through the pages and wrap his arms around
me. I know He lives. I am so grateful for the love I can feel :)

I love you all!!
Love,
Sister Coleman

Voiceless

Hiya! 

This week I lost my voice. It was an adventure. mostly because Sister Chou, bless her heart, is still learning English and she couldn't really 'take over' on the lessons. And so I thought to myself, 'if Ariel  (the little mermaid) could make a man fall in love with her without a voice, surely I can help some people fall in love with the gospel without a voice.' haha It didn't happen but my voice recovered very quickly and I was able to stop and talk with people almost like normal. 

We watched Meet the Mormons with some investigators and they really liked it.  

One investigator family had to leave their house and we helped them clean and pack. They wanted us to give them money to pay rent on a new house and it was so so so so awkward.  One investigator started smoking in our lesson haha. It was an interesting week. 

We did a lot of OYMing (or stopping people on the street) and it was pretty fun! I'm not so afraid anymore. Its good. :) Sister Chou taught someone all about the Book of Mormon in one minute. It was fantastic. I love her so so much. 

This week our goal is to 'Be excited'. We are going to excite people into the gospel! It going to be grand! The sunshine is fantastic :)

I love you all! 

Happy Independence Day! 

. love, Sister Coleman

Scriptures, Trust and Fathers

Hiya!

This week Andrews story of praying to know if he should proceed with
an amputation and then reading Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon has been
on my mind. I keep thinking about it and reading the scripture and I
have shared it with a couple other people. Heavenly Father really does
hear and answer our prayers. When we open the scriptures with faith
that we will find answers. We will find them.

This week was really strange. Based on our numbers, it looks like we
had a fantastic week. But for some reason I felt like we didn't do
anything. And I just wasn't feeling happy. As I have pondered and
prayed the conclusion I have come to is that I haven't been trusting
Heavenly Father. And I need to trust him. President Hinckley once
said, 'it will all work out'. That is a promise from a prophet of God.
A promise from Heavenly Father, that when we trust him and love him
and strive with all that we are to follow him, it will all work out.

Fathers.
 There are many men in my life that have influenced my life for good.
Who have taught me a bit more about my Heavenly Father. The first of
course is my Daddy. Who has taught me countless things about myself
and life. He has been my protector and teacher. Someone who has taught
me about unconditional love. He is my first example of Christlike
love. He has given me the tools to my relationship with Heavenly
Father.
There are other men like my uncles, my bishops, my stake presidents
and my best friends dads who have taught me what it means to be
respected and cherished and showed me a bit more of how my Father in
Heaven must love me. I would like to add to this list my mission
father. My mission president David Jordan. He has taught me how to
work. How to continue to try better.
Heavenly Father loves us but also expects us to choose the right. He
will not let us settle for less than our greatest potential. He will
push and pull us to do the things that will shape us into 'heirs and
joint heirs with Christ' Ephesians 2: 19-20.Heavenly Father loves us.
He will never EVER abandon us.
I am so grateful for this knowledge and for the peace and hope it gives me.

This week I am going to work like a dragon to find and teach those
people that are searching for a relationship with God. I can't wait to
find them :).

Please pray for E and O that they will have the courage to set a
date for baptism. Please pray for G that she will recognise
that only Heavenly Father can help her life get better. Please pray
for L hat she will feel the Holy Ghost when we teach her.

I love you. I am so so grateful for you all. You letters always arrive
just when I need them most. I love you!

Love,
Sister Coleman

Apostles, Ships and Angels

This week I met Elder Holland. 

He came to speak to all the missionaries in the England London South and England London missions at the Hyde Park Chapel. 

Just before the meeting started, President Jordan asked me if I would conduct the music... oh boy.  Sister Pan (saying the prayer) and I went up to sit on the stand. We were so nervous! I was just praying that I wouldn't mess up. And then we saw him in the hallway talking to Sister Jordan. As he entered the chapel, Sister Pan and I were among the first to stand. He walked up to the front and shook our hands. Then he went down to the front with Elder Texiera and President Kearin and proceeded to shake 500 missionaries hands. Sister Pan and I actually got to shake his hand twice. Later in the meeting he said that handshake was our Apostolic missionary interview. 

 

He was so fantastic. He is an apostle of Jesus Christ just like Peter, James, and John. He is a servant of God. 

 

I read through the June Ensign yesterday for studies and I loved the talk about a ship. There was a painting of a ship in a harbour with the sails tied to the mast, the caption said: 'A ship is safe in a harbour, but that's not what it was made for.'  It reminded me of the 'Ivory Tower' lesson I have been learning since leaving home for university. Heavenly Father never intended us to live life being afraid. He never intended us to grow up in our parents homes and never leave. Thats why he sent us to earth! To get us out of his 'house' so we could have the learning experiences we need in order to grow. This is our adventure. There will be storms and hurricanes, but there will also be tranquil waters. there will be times when the wind does not blow and we seem to just drift. But it is all a part of the personalised journey Heavenly Father has laid out for each of us to become our best selves. Men and Women that are like Him. I am so grateful for the voyage I have already had, and for the adventures that are to come. Particularly this one that I am having in this land where the speak in accents, and the rain pours, and the sun shines, and I trip over cobblestones :).

 

We went to Young Women's this week. They had a bonfire. I burned a hole in my favourite skirt. 

BUT! Our investigator Nix came with her daughter! that is such a HUGE miracle!

 

We went to a ward barbeque with Ellie and Ovi. they loved it. They are progressing so well. please pray for them.  

 

P

Sis. Coleman on the stand far left.

isnt ready to be baptised yet. We are going to try again. Reteaching everything with his mom there. 

 

I love the Relief Society President so so so much. Her name is Nicole Watling. She is one of the angels in my life. 

 

Sister Chou is awesome! She is from Taiwan, been on her mission for 6 months. She is such a great missionary. I am so so so excited to work with her. She is teaching me chinese. The church is true! The book is blue! I love Colchester! 

 

Thank you So much Aunt Lorene for that letter!! Thank you for your history! I could feel the Holy Ghost testify as I read it that this is Jesus Christ's church! He leads and directs us today through a living prophet and apostles. 

 

I love you all! 

love, 

Sister Coleman

Baby steps, Disney and crepes

Hiya!! 

Well transfers are around again and I am....... Staying! In Colchester! My new companion is Sister Chou. Sister Wai and I are sad to be saying goodbye. We really have helped each other to change so much. We are different people today than we were back in March. After each transfer I think, 'okay, NOW I know how to be a missionary.' and I get so excited to go to work. And each transfer I learn more than I ever thought. But I keep getting better, and I am learning so much about who I really am and who I want to be. It's a good thing :). 

We had a crazy week. It was so fun. Riccardo accepted a baptismal date!!! Thank you for your prayers! We could FEEL them. That was the smoothest lesson I have ever been a participant in. Heavenly Father directed us. 

Church this week was so stressful. We had to get our Friends to Ipswich by car with anyone who could take them. We had people say they were coming and then cancel and then decide they WERE coming and we had to find lifts for them... Super stressed. But we got them there, and some didn't come, and it was a pretty noisy meeting, but when Elder Holland spoke, as well as the other speakers, the Holy Ghost testified. So many things were said and were unsaid that instructed me and lifted me. He is an apostle of Jesus Christ. He is a servant of God. 

Funny Story: 

It was a VERY windy day and we were sitting at a bus stop when a man on a bike rode past singing, 'I need a back-wind, I NEED a back wind!'. It was funny. We laughed so hard. :) 

We keep buying crepes from Riccardo. We have seen him almost 5 times this week. He is awesome. 

Phoenix is on date for next friday night. He has asked me to speak on the Holy Ghost and also to sing. The other day he said, 'Have you seen disney movies?' 

us, 'Ya?'

Phoenix: 'You sing like that.' 

.........................made my whole life. 

One of our investigators, we have had to take the tiny-tiniest baby steps with. Her name is Nix. Sister Mahaffey and I found her AGES ago. But we have kept seeing her (we thought about dropping her once but then we ran into her a couple times and we got the message Heavenly Father was sending us). It has been 4.5 months since we first met her. And yesterday we were able to give her a Book of Mormon and she's going to read it. It is a miracle. Heavenly Father has his own timetable. :)

We met two girls the other day who were so surprised by our standards.( They were 18 and smoking and one had a child). They were so shocked at the way we live (Ex. Law of Chastity, Word of Wisdom). They wanted to know if we had ever made a mistake. As I thought about how to respond, my initial reaction was 'Of course I have. I have made millions of mistakes. everyday.' But as I thought about it, I couldn't think of an example I could give them. I could think of how I have changed and I could think of lessons I have learned but I couldn't remember an example.

 Repentance is real. Heavenly Father has promised us that when we repent (have a change of heart and mind), we are made clean. We are forgiven. He says to us, 'Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord:though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. (Isaiah 1:18) We can be made clean every time. And more than that, He promises to not hold our mistakes against us. He says, 'Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.' (d&c 58:42) He remembers them no more, and we don' t have to hold on to them either. 

I make mistakes and sin everyday. But I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ I can be forgiven. I can start over. I can 'remember them no more.'  This is what the church of Jesus Christ is all about. turning guilt into peace, sorrow into joy, and trying again when we do mess up. I am forever grateful for my Grandparents for their choices to listen to the missionaries. I am forever grateful for their courage to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ whole heartedly. If they hadn't I wouldn't be here today. Sitting at a computer in England. Wearing a skirt and a name tag that identifies me as someone who believes in Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I have received witness after witness that there is a God above who loves us. Who wants to be a part of our lives and who sent His son to atone for us so that we can be clean.

I love you all! 

Love, 

Sister Coleman