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 :)