December 10
How many missionaries will our ward have? (Note from Marne': Currently our ward has 24 missionaries in the field and 9 with calls preparing to go) We should be in the New Era!!! Just kidding. I would be so embarrassed. Because it's not a race...I'm curious about all my friends. Do you happen to have heard if anyone I know from BYU has decided to go? How about Susannah Crump and Haley Giblette? I want them to get sent to England London South so I can be their trainer :) That would be sooo cool! I got a letter from Camille Dahle this week with an adorable announcement. My goodness. I hope it's a lovely wedding, as I'm sure it will be. WHY IS EVERYONE MOVING ON WITH THEIR LIVES?????
What are your Christmas plans? I would tell you mine, but I'm not sure. I won't know till tomorrow morning, so I'll have to tell you next week. I have no idea what will happen. A few weeks ago President told me Sister Yapi and I would probably leave, but that was logic speaking and who knows what will really happen. I would love to stay here for so many reasons. And I have lots of people "praying" for me to stay, so we'll see what happens. Everyone take piano lessons and learn to play!!!!! It makes people like you when you're a missionary :) I feel like I really do contribute quite a lot to the visitors' centre and this area. But missions are teaching me so clearly that I am never irreplaceable. If this were a real job, I know they would keep me and I might even be proud enough to consider myself as indispensable at the visitors' centre. But as a missionary, I know the Lord can take me out of any area and that area will be just fine. Because this isn't my work, this is His. Ya I make a difference and people want me to stay, but they'll be just fine if I leave, because whoever replaces me is the person that needs to be here now, not me. It's pretty humbling, and kind of scary, and kind of cool. Missions have a way of showing you who really is in control. And it isn't me, it isn't the other missionaries, and it isn't even President.
Oh, dear. look at me being one of those missionaries that sends home sermons. no. I wanted to be the one who sends home cool stories. hmmm.
Friday we showed the Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert with SISSEL!!!!! It was sooooooo phenomenal. Her voice is like magic and gold and all things wonderful. I have missed musical nourishment for my spirit. It was soooo lovely being able to watch that and filled my soul with such peace and happiness and I haven't even felt much anxiety over transfers since then--and before that I was already freaking out about transfers...Because change and uncertainty scare me. But right now I'm okay. Maybe because I'm just not letting myself think about it. I'm pretending like I'm going to be with Sister Cabrera and Sister Yapi and the visitors' centre forever. That's be pretty cool.
It is so cold here. Another reason I love being at the vc :) So cold. It snowed a bit one morning and it was very beautiful, but then it melted and we were sad. I'm hoping it'll snow tons tomorrow night to stop the flights because I don't really want Sister Howard to go home. But that would be sad for her so I actually don't hope that happens because I don't want her to miss her sister's wedding.
Well, as always this is super scattered and I'm out of time.
Love you all loads!!!!!!!!!
-Sister Ruth Reneer
Monday, December 10, 2012
December 3
Yesterday we had stake conference which was wonderful. It was fun because I got to see a few people from Eastbourne. I wish they had all been there, but it was so fun to see the few who were. I also talked to a missionary in my zone named Elder Martin and found out he is from Heber! So I asked if he knows the Hickens and he said, The Hickens? like THE Hickens who practically own Heber? or something like that :) he knows all the Hicken boys and I felt so proud to say that I'm a Hicken. That made me happy. I also have connections to Elder Holland and Mit Romney here at the visitors' centre that I should tell you about.
The Carpenters, as you know, are the directors of the visitors' centre. I found out a few weeks ago that Mit Romney is Sister Carpenter's cousin. So they were very disappointed about the election.
The Terrys are another senior couple at the visitors' centre. They are soooo wonderful. I hope you get to meet all these wonderful people some day. Elder Terry's sister is Elder Holland's wife, Patricia Terry --and apparently she taught him everything he knows :) They often talk about 'Jeff' and tell us sometimes about that family.
This has been an exciting week with lots happening. But being a missionary is sure exhausting. I know I'm supposed to enjoy the moments because they disappear so fast, but I honestly feel like there isn't even time. I enjoy moments, but not like I did in Provo. Because there is always the feeling that I'm a missionary and I need to be making the most of this time I've been given so don't stop and enjoy too much because you've got to keep working and doing stuff! and I'm always worried about the next transfer, which I know is stupid and I shouldn't worry about it, but I do because that unknown is scary. Future trials are scary. So maybe pray for me to have more faith and more courage to love. Because sometimes loving people scares me too because I know that eventually I'll just have to leave them too. I don't like pain. But I guess I should take a line from the brilliant Flint Lockwood, "It's okay...it's just pain." haha ya.
We had a lighting ceremony at the temple last night to turn on our Christmas lights. It's not quite temple square, but it's beautiful in its own way. We had a nice little program and I think angels must have been helping with the music because everyone said it was good but there's no way it was because it was soooooo cold. We had the program outside because there were so many people. I played the piano for the soloist. The songs were kind of hard, but with practice I got them down and it sounded so lovely when we practiced inside before the performance. But then I had to play on this dinky, short keyboard in the freeeezing cold. literally. I'm sure it was below freezing. by the end of the first two pieces my fingers started to hurt so bad and then I just kind of lost feeling. And the amps were weird so I couldn't really hear myself playing, but apparently everyone else could hear. I never want that experience again! But I guess it makes a pretty good story. and like I said, I think there must have been angels helping out because everyone said it was lovely.
Our tree in the visitors' centre is sooo beautiful. I'll need to send you some pictures. It's so exciting that it's Christmas time. I just set up a little tree in our flat as well. Yay for Christmas! and yay for skype....
I hope things are going well for you all. Remember I still love letters :)
I love you!
Ruth
The Carpenters, as you know, are the directors of the visitors' centre. I found out a few weeks ago that Mit Romney is Sister Carpenter's cousin. So they were very disappointed about the election.
The Terrys are another senior couple at the visitors' centre. They are soooo wonderful. I hope you get to meet all these wonderful people some day. Elder Terry's sister is Elder Holland's wife, Patricia Terry --and apparently she taught him everything he knows :) They often talk about 'Jeff' and tell us sometimes about that family.
This has been an exciting week with lots happening. But being a missionary is sure exhausting. I know I'm supposed to enjoy the moments because they disappear so fast, but I honestly feel like there isn't even time. I enjoy moments, but not like I did in Provo. Because there is always the feeling that I'm a missionary and I need to be making the most of this time I've been given so don't stop and enjoy too much because you've got to keep working and doing stuff! and I'm always worried about the next transfer, which I know is stupid and I shouldn't worry about it, but I do because that unknown is scary. Future trials are scary. So maybe pray for me to have more faith and more courage to love. Because sometimes loving people scares me too because I know that eventually I'll just have to leave them too. I don't like pain. But I guess I should take a line from the brilliant Flint Lockwood, "It's okay...it's just pain." haha ya.
We had a lighting ceremony at the temple last night to turn on our Christmas lights. It's not quite temple square, but it's beautiful in its own way. We had a nice little program and I think angels must have been helping with the music because everyone said it was good but there's no way it was because it was soooooo cold. We had the program outside because there were so many people. I played the piano for the soloist. The songs were kind of hard, but with practice I got them down and it sounded so lovely when we practiced inside before the performance. But then I had to play on this dinky, short keyboard in the freeeezing cold. literally. I'm sure it was below freezing. by the end of the first two pieces my fingers started to hurt so bad and then I just kind of lost feeling. And the amps were weird so I couldn't really hear myself playing, but apparently everyone else could hear. I never want that experience again! But I guess it makes a pretty good story. and like I said, I think there must have been angels helping out because everyone said it was lovely.
Our tree in the visitors' centre is sooo beautiful. I'll need to send you some pictures. It's so exciting that it's Christmas time. I just set up a little tree in our flat as well. Yay for Christmas! and yay for skype....
I hope things are going well for you all. Remember I still love letters :)
I love you!
Ruth
November 26
Everyone tells me that the closer you get to the end, the faster time goes. Each transfer is shorter than the one before. I believe it, but I can't understand how it can get faster than it is now! Each day slips away so quickly and the weeks even faster.
I wish I could tell you everything about this last week. It was so marvelous. As a week, it was probably the best I've had so far. I didn't know if I'd ever love an area more than I loved Eastbourne but, wow, I love this area a lot. We went to a ward activity on Saturday. It was a Scottish night, so I tried a teeny bit of hagus and the ward learned how to do some Scottish dancing. I felt so at home and so comfortable and so happy. I still don't know everyone in this ward because it's a very big ward, but the people I do know I love very much. It was unique because there were 7 missionaries there, too, which you don't get very much here in England. I love being part of the visitors' centre family and becoming part of the East Grinstead ward. It's nice to feel that I belong.
We have seen some great miracles this week and got to teach a lot of people (relatively speaking). The work is moving forward in East Grinstead and I am so grateful to be a part of it! I wrote more about this in my email to Mazie.*
It is raining so hard today! I love this English weather. At least today I do. It helps that I know I'm not going to be out knocking in it all day :) Being at the visitors' centre has it's perks :)
We're in the library and I can hear the rain hammering down on the roof. It's pretty cool. Yay for umbrellas!
I met a guy from Texas this week when I was on chat and we had an awesome conversation and I've started teaching him online. This is the first time I've had success with this way of finding and it is sooo exciting. It's amazing how the gospel is reaching people in so many ways.
I'm almost out of time.
Thanks for all you do. I'm excited to talk to you soon. I love you all sooo much!!!!!!
love,
Sister Reneer :)
* Ruth's email to Mazie:
My Thanksgiving was surprisingly awesome. We had so much to be thankful for. We worked in the visitors' centre, taught an awesome recent convert who is preparing for a mission, had dinner with a family, finally visited some potential investigators who are wonderful and came to church yesterday which was sooo exciting, then we visited a less active family we've been working with and had a really special lesson. It was such a full, wonderful day. Oh, AND, after teaching the recent convert and before we left the vistors' centre, we all went to feed the ducks! We have a few ducks that live on the temple grounds (but some of them are uuugly). I haven't had a chance to feed them yet, and it was so much fun, even though they didn't really like the garlic tortillas we were feeding them.
Oh my days. I'm glad you want me to come home with a British accent, because it might happen. My companions and I talk about this all the time. Don't worry. I've definitely been practicing :) my favorite is the word "water." None of us can take that word seriously anymore. I'll have to perform when we talk on Christmas :) and I've integrated a few English phrases into my vocabulary--like oh my days which I can't even remember what it was like to not say. This recent convert we taught on Yhanksgiving always says, "That's well good!" so that's the new phrase my companions and I have started trying to use. It's funny how many different words and phrases they actually do have. We all thought I didn't have to learn a new language, but I am! English and American are not the same. Do you think people will look at me funny and think I'm silly if I come homing speaking British? I think it might be kind of embarrasing.
I wish I could tell you everything about this last week. It was so marvelous. As a week, it was probably the best I've had so far. I didn't know if I'd ever love an area more than I loved Eastbourne but, wow, I love this area a lot. We went to a ward activity on Saturday. It was a Scottish night, so I tried a teeny bit of hagus and the ward learned how to do some Scottish dancing. I felt so at home and so comfortable and so happy. I still don't know everyone in this ward because it's a very big ward, but the people I do know I love very much. It was unique because there were 7 missionaries there, too, which you don't get very much here in England. I love being part of the visitors' centre family and becoming part of the East Grinstead ward. It's nice to feel that I belong.
We have seen some great miracles this week and got to teach a lot of people (relatively speaking). The work is moving forward in East Grinstead and I am so grateful to be a part of it! I wrote more about this in my email to Mazie.*
It is raining so hard today! I love this English weather. At least today I do. It helps that I know I'm not going to be out knocking in it all day :) Being at the visitors' centre has it's perks :)
We're in the library and I can hear the rain hammering down on the roof. It's pretty cool. Yay for umbrellas!
I met a guy from Texas this week when I was on chat and we had an awesome conversation and I've started teaching him online. This is the first time I've had success with this way of finding and it is sooo exciting. It's amazing how the gospel is reaching people in so many ways.
I'm almost out of time.
Thanks for all you do. I'm excited to talk to you soon. I love you all sooo much!!!!!!
love,
Sister Reneer :)
* Ruth's email to Mazie:
My Thanksgiving was surprisingly awesome. We had so much to be thankful for. We worked in the visitors' centre, taught an awesome recent convert who is preparing for a mission, had dinner with a family, finally visited some potential investigators who are wonderful and came to church yesterday which was sooo exciting, then we visited a less active family we've been working with and had a really special lesson. It was such a full, wonderful day. Oh, AND, after teaching the recent convert and before we left the vistors' centre, we all went to feed the ducks! We have a few ducks that live on the temple grounds (but some of them are uuugly). I haven't had a chance to feed them yet, and it was so much fun, even though they didn't really like the garlic tortillas we were feeding them.
Oh my days. I'm glad you want me to come home with a British accent, because it might happen. My companions and I talk about this all the time. Don't worry. I've definitely been practicing :) my favorite is the word "water." None of us can take that word seriously anymore. I'll have to perform when we talk on Christmas :) and I've integrated a few English phrases into my vocabulary--like oh my days which I can't even remember what it was like to not say. This recent convert we taught on Yhanksgiving always says, "That's well good!" so that's the new phrase my companions and I have started trying to use. It's funny how many different words and phrases they actually do have. We all thought I didn't have to learn a new language, but I am! English and American are not the same. Do you think people will look at me funny and think I'm silly if I come homing speaking British? I think it might be kind of embarrasing.
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