Laughing is GOOD for the soul!

I just got a surprise visit from the WILLIAMS! All the way over here

in Leicester!!!!! Aahhhhhh!!! It was absolutely wonderful!

Dearest fam, 

 I have decided to put this weeks email in the form of bullet points... Enjoy! 

English 3 wheeled space cars

FUN FACTS ABOUT OUR WEEK AND BELOVED ENGLAND:

- Sister Swasey and I have laughed until we cried nearly every day this week! Oh yes, laughing is good for the soul!! :) 
- We had to give up 3 of our investigators to another area, because of boundary confusions; one of them being our Callum who was on a date for the 21st of August. It was very hard to say the least, but we knew it was exactly what needed to happen with reguards to their progression. Callum will still be getting baptized and we will get to attend! So all is well.
- We just received a crockpot from a member yesterday and we are so excited to use it!! 
- The toilets are taller and wider in the UK.
- "Can I use your toilet?" over "Can I use your bathroom?"
- We say 'Good morning' they reply 'You alright?'
- 'Cheers' instead of 'Thank you'
- It is incredibly diverse here, but everyone seems to get on great.
- We almost got killed on a roundabout twice this week.
- We are finally getting there with the ward, which is SUCH a blessing.
- The English love their dogs. 
- The accents change from town to town. 
- Public toilets are not a thing here. You either have to pay or pray that you find someone that will let you in to use the facilities. 
- The showers here don't have curtains to cover them. You just do your thing!
- The atmosphere here in England is laid back and quite fast paced. 
- We see nice cars everywhere; Bentley's, Lamborghini's, Mercedes Benz's, Ferrari's...on the daily.
- The people dress pretty posh here, but there are also a lot of styles that I can't tell if they are a UK thing or if it's world wide?
- The 'English Reserve' is very real. When we say hi to people, it takes them by complete surprise. They have a hard shell, but once you've cracked it, you've got 'em! :)
- There is a lot of weed here. Like a lot. Bad news bears. 
- You don't get free refills in this country. :/ 
- Being a missionary is the coolest calling on the planet. 
- I was asked out on a date this weekend by a nice guy in town centre. I nicely turned him down after I explained my situation, then put my hand out to shake his and he just walked away.. Haha.
- I got a flat tire on Tuesday night, but we were able to fix it all by ourselves! Holla! 
- We eat some awesome food over here. Always filled and satisfied. 
- Food that I eat now that I didn't before my mission: parsnips, turnips, sweet potato, fish, cucumbers, collard greens, jello, and Nutella.
- I received 5 letters in the mail this week! That's a record!! Thank you! 

Jerry! We found this wonderful man by asking him what his favourite sauce was. Following that we indulged in some McDonalds and taught him about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon! His favourite sauce is ketchup BTW.. :)

Biking selfie. Mom, I am getting SO tan! 

He was trying so hard to make me laugh by shoving a whole slice of pizza in his mouth and as you can see, I was having none of it. :) I won the stare off!

       This week has been a good one. It is almost as though we have to start from the bottom and build up again, but I know that all will be well. We are constantly improving and growing together here in Leicester. The blessings are magnified as we show the Lord our faith. It is incredible to be so removed from the world and to see everything going on around us, but then to still have one focus in mind; bringing souls unto Christ. I am so grateful to be here and to be growing in so many ways. 

my 'brother' in the mission, Elder Zegarra

Pickachu. Everyone here is addicted to that new Pokemon game. We've about hit 75 people this week who had their eyes glued to their phones, looking for the next Poky! Silly game.

      I cannot fully express how thankful I am to be here. There is absolutely no where I would rather be. I am so grateful for the support that I have received thus far and for the prayers that I feel daily. Your examples and never ending love is something that I hold dear to my heart. Thank you for helping me to serve the Lord! What a blessing you all are to me. 

We drew the Plan of Salvation in town and talked to people as they passed. Such a cool finding opportunity!

 My challenge to you all this week is simple; LAUGH! Goodness me. I have thoroughly enjoyed just laughing this week at everything! I truly believe that laughter breathes life into our souls. Without a little bit of laughter, this work would be 10x harder than it is. I know it is possible to be a great, hardworking missionary and to have fun while doing so! When I get old, I want my wrinkles to be from smiling and laughing rather than worrying and frowning. Life should be enjoyed, not just endured! :) 

 Have a blessed week and stay safe! ❤️
Sister Sydney Jones

There was a huge Caribbean festival in town centre. Thousands of people..we left quite quickly

Us with a member from Scotland named Will! 

Sister Swasey's new best friend.

Sister Swasey went into a members bathroom and came out with this picture. At first she thought it was a bar of soap! The member left it there after using the toilet and later gave us the explanation that she was really hungry, then forgot about it. HA! We had a good laugh about this one... :)