Surprise, Surprise!

*A small part of Syd's letter to me*

So exciting to hear about your planned road trip!   Will you stop in Nauvoo? Are you going to visit Katelyn's mission too? That will be so fun! I am excited for you! 

 It was so good to see you yesterday. As soon as you all came on the screen, I was just like dang! I feel like I just saw you all! It's crazy how quickly time flies! So good to see you all though. I was so grateful that gram Renee and Bai could be there too. That meant so much to me. Especially for Bailee to share that news with us all. So special. 

 

 I am doing very well here and am enjoying the few weeks that Sister Selwa and I have together. It is a great privilege to be with a sister that I can be an example to. It makes me want to try harder; especially to be more exactly obedient. I am truly grateful! 

 What are your plans for dads birthday? How old will he be this year? 43? Can you believe a year ago I was crowned prom queen? Talk about crazy sauce. Everyone in the ward keeps telling me that they love my blog, so keep it up ma! :) I'll give you the info and you give it to the world :) 

 Thank you for all that you do and I hope you have a wonderful week with work, you are beautiful and I love you!

Mother's Day is clearly the best holiday of the year!

 

Beautiful pano picture on the top of Abertridwr! 

Evening ladies and gentlemen! 

       I hope you have all had a beautiful Mother's Day weekend! I had the wonderful opportunity to Skype my family and best friend this weekend and it was glorious! As soon as I saw my family come up on the screen, my first thought was "Dang, didn't I just see you?" Wow! Time has absolutely FLOWN since Christmas! I just passed my 5 month mark and it is hard to comprehend how quickly my mission is going. It was lovely to see the fam nonetheless! They gave me great strength and the sound of my mothers voice seemed to sooth any and every worry in my heart! Boy am I grateful for modern technology! 

District meetings are the best!

Our faces before walking up a huge hill

       This week, nothing at all seemed to go as we planned.. Like nothing. Surprise, surprise! BUT, we had the privilege to see many miracles come forth as we were led by the spirit when nothing was working out. I know that the Lord places little hurdles in front of us constantly for us to grow. The moments where we are frustrated are the moments that God is asking us to jump a little higher or to look a little farther. Whether it be to find the correct path to take, to make the best decision over a good one, or simply to see if we are willing to follow Him. I know that when we trust Him and jump, that we will find ourselves on the other side of that hurdle, on our knees, thanking Him for His trust and love for us. He has a plan. And I know that all will be well! Because God is good, all the time! And all the time, God is good! 

Squad pics of us ballin today.

 

       Miracle of the week! I received an email from an unknown address on Wednesday and as I began to read it, my heart stopped! It was from a woman named Jenny who I sat by on my way to Manchester from Newark, New Jersey five months ago! She said that she has been following my blog ever since and still has the little Mormon.org card that I gave to her. She thanked me for getting her through the flight and back home to the UK. But really, she helped me to get through that traumatizing moment of leaving my family and entering the new strange world of being a missionary. I was so thankful to hear from her and plan to keep in contact for the rest of my mission! :) Tender mercies are everywhere!

The one and only Sister Selwa.

Beautiful path in Blackwood.

      Andrea and Lowri came to church yesterday and we're looking as beautiful as ever. The ward is wrapping their arms around them and it has been such a pleasure to see them grow in this gospel. Sister Selwa spoke in church about the importance of acting on our faith. It's nice that we go to church on Sunday's, but what are we doing every other day of the week to strengthen our faith? I challenge you to look at the areas of your faith that could use some strengthening. None of us are perfect, therefore we must continually be striving to change ourselves and come closer to Christ. 

Meet Flynn. He is Andrea and Lowris pet tortoise. He scares me so bad. But he's nice.

The Caerphilly food festival.

Us by the library.

       Something else that I learned in Relief Society that really stood out to me was about tithing. A sister brought up how every time she pays her tithing, she is putting a deposit on her mansion in heaven. How cool is that?! We are promised that we will be given mansions in heaven if we live righteously and do all that God has asked of us! So I challenge you to do your part in paying your deposits on your beautiful mansion in heaven! Can you imagine the blessings that would come if everyone in your home, ward, or stake would pay their tithing? Can you imagine how quickly the church would grow? I know that much comfort and peace comes from paying our tithing! I pray that we can all heed this council. 

          A beautiful tree and me. (:

       I am so grateful for the blessing of being a servant of the Lord. Seeing people change and come closer to their Savior is an unspeakable feeling. It is such a privilege to be here in Wales, serving with Sister Selwa. I know that there are many miracles still to come to pass in the next few weeks. I am so grateful to be here! I know that this church is true! The Book of Mormon is the word of God! Jesus Christ is our Saviour! 

5. Hahahahaha. This picture makes me laugh. "I shot the sherriff"

       I hope and pray that you all have a wonderful week ahead of you! Thank you for your thoughts, prayers, emails, and letters! I cherish them! Forgive me if I haven't gotten back to you, I am working on that! :) 

I will talk to you all soon! 

Taa-daa lovelies, 

Sister Sydney Jones