Never weary of good works

President Preston,

I want to thank you so much for talking with me yesterday. I was feeling quite overwhelmed and as I was praying I felt like I should call you and I am sure glad I did. I took your advice and took a small nap then I felt ready to go after that.

Please let me tell you about the lesson we had with Lisa Nazir at the Cooks home last night. Well, we were there about 10 minutes early to the lesson so we decided to tract around Tauntin Lawns even though most people would have seen missionaries many times before. As usual it was the last door we knocked on that someone actually wanted to talk and was willing to listen. The man we spoke with said he's been to the church before for the Christmas Carol concert, however didn't make it this year. He was very warm and even agreed that we could come over again some time to share about what the church is all about. Once we started setting up an appointment though he said he needed to talk with his wife first. We are just praying that his wife will be just as prepared and open as he is. We may even invite one of their many neighbours that are members to go and invite his wife to an enrichment activity. I just love how this work moves forward in the Lords way and in His timing. It feels so much better than thinking it came from me, because no way could it.

With the lesson we started by finishing up teaching the last parts of the Plan of Salvation that we couldn't fit into our last lesson. Sister Dunn did such a wonderful job leading us out in the lesson. She is really progressing quickly in her ability to teach and find. When it was my turn to talk about the resurrection and the judgement I was prompted in what to say. We started talking about something that we had spoken about before, daily repentance, which then led me to share how the only way to be truly completely cleansed from sin is through baptism and confirmation by someone holding the correct authority. The spirit then had me extend the baptismal invitation... I was scared President. I didn't know how she would respond, but as I did it, she really thought about it. She said if she knew that a wide-spread apostasy truly occurred then yes she would. Our lesson then went a completely different way. We spent the next 30 minutes talking about the apostasy and the priesthood authority. The spirit again prompted me to do something drastic. I started rummaging through my bag to find my white handbook. I always have this with me and when I really wanted I couldn't find it. I then realized I must have left it at home. I asked to borrow Sister Dunn's. I opened it up to the ministerial certificate and showed it to Lisa. I then read it replacing Sister Dunn's name with my name. I had her read the signature of President Monson. I then shared of how I felt when I was set apart and how I know that I was called of God and was called to serve here in the England Manchester Mission to meet people like her, to walk beside them and help them in their journey. The spirit was so strong. My eyes started watering as I felt of the truthfulness of what I was sharing. Lisa felt it too, and she too became emotionally. She then committed to put in an even more dedicated effort to know that the Book of Mormon is true, to praying with all her heart, and to come to church, which she hasn't done yet since we started teaching her. President this was such a sacred experience for me.

I love this gospel and am so grateful to be here on my mission and to have you as a mission president.

Love Sister Longmore

An instrument in his Hands

The greatest feeling is to be worthy to be an instrument in his hands and then feeling that your being used for good to help bring his work forward.

 

Yes we do sometimes get a little twisted around but thank goodness we have a "sat nav"  sattelite navigational system. That saves us a lot of time that would be wasted. We have had so so so many amazing things happen this week that I will try to share a different one with you mom and Cassie and then you can tell each other about them....

 

On Monday we had FHE at a members home and we invited our investigator. We asked if one of our members could give her a lift but he didn't get the message until literally right before he was about to come. We felt though that our investigator, her name is Margaret, needed to be there. One of the mission rules is that we are not allowed to give lifts to non-members and we can only give members lifts if they are coming to or from a teaching appointment with us. We really struggle to get our investigators to church because there aren't too many members with cars and the buses start running too late to get people to church on time. .... We had no idea how to get Margaret to the Bradley's for FHE so we prayed about it and I thought what if we order her a taxi? So that is what we did. I didn't care how much it costed, I would pay for it, she for some reason needed to be at this FHE I just felt it. The taxi ended up being £8.50 which really isn't too bad and Margaret was able to get there. During our lesson we went on this massive diversion from talking about how everything denotes there is a god to talking about forgiveness. That was why Margaret needed to be there. She is a 23 year old girl who is pregnant and she is having the hardest time forgiving herself. During the middle of the lesson I had the prompting to go out to our car and get a CD and play a song. It was the song by Hilary Weeks called Come in my Friend or something like that. It was amazing the spirit that was there. I love how no matter what we plan Heavenly Father's plan rolls forth. This was an amazing experience Dad. Margaret plans to be baptized on the 9th of February.

 

The Still Small Voice

I am so glad that you had a good activity full of revelation it sounds like. We had ward conference yesterday and it was incredible. The stake presidetn is truly inspired as Iam sure president Morgan is too. Here President Ireland talked about the spirit and how when we recieve spiritual promptings and acton them immediately the Lord will trust us more and we will recieve more spiritual promptings andmore and more. And the opposite is also true. President Monson is a great example of this. He recieves many promptings then never hesitates to go and do. Durring this combined priesthood and relief society lesson I recieved a prompting to go and visit a less active woman. She had only joined the chrch 1 year ago. She lived at an appartment complex that you have to ring a buzer first before you can get let in. These are really hard because people can more easily just hang up on you and not let you with out feeling too bad about it verses having to physically answer the door and then shut it in your face. That is a little bit more difficult on peoples conscience, yet some how it still happens. Well I had a prompting to go and stop by this girl and as we did the door into the complex was left open by someone so we were able to get in and knock on this girls door. As we did she started off all cold saying, "how did you get in here. I had concerns that never were answered and I took that as my answer. blah blah blah." We told her honestly that the door was left open and we were just new and wanted to get to know here. We showed gratitude for her and her kindness in talking with us she softened. I complimented her on this really great lego heart neclace she was wearing and she started to open up. She even started laughing with us. It was amazing. She then realized what had happened and all the sudden got all cold again. It was absolutely a front. She then said I'm not interested and shut the door. We then slipped a nice note under the door thanking her for talking with us and complimented her on her smile, because it truly was beautiful and we left our number. The spirit is an amazing thing. It is something we have with us as we are obedient and it truly changes hearts. I am so happy we went to see this girl. Heavenly Father guided us right to her.

Driving Crazy Style

Our week in Chester has been pretty good. It was sister Milbin's first time driving over here and no one gave her any instructions or anything. it was trial by fire. Luckily we have angels surrounding us looking after us. We only have hit one curb going about 40 mph. but we were ok as was the car. It just made me really nervous but the great thing was that I was able to talk that out with Heavenly Father and he somehow helped calm my nerves. Sister Milbin really is doing so great now. She just had to get used to it. It helps a lot that we now have a "Sat Nav" satalite Navagational system. That is what the call a GPS. We have had some amazing experiences. TThis Sunday we had a surprise visit at the end of church from president and sister Preston. They just wanted to make sure we were doing all right. I was so happy that they came. I needed a president and sister Preston hug. Not because I was sad or anything, we just have had a lot to do with having a baptism and trying to figure out a brand new area and moving into a house where there have been missionaries living for the last 26 years but never sister missionaries there and it looks and smells like it, the elders did the best they could but we just have a lot to do along with being a full time missionary, I was just getting a little stressed so it was  just nice to feel the support and love of our mission president.

Love you, Love Sister Longmore

Transfer Date-Morton

Thank you for up dating me on all that is going on. I love hearing about it. I can't believe that there will be 18 and 19 year olds out here serving missions. WOW!!! If that is not a sign that the work is hastening I don't know what is.

So I bet you are wondering if I stayed in Chorley or not. Well, I was transferred as was Sister Hanson, Meaning Sister Ballantyne will be staying and getting a follow up trainer. I am white washing another area called Chester. It is sort of by Birkenhead. In fact I am in the  Morton, "or Birkenhead" district. We are whitewashing the zone leaders. I am serving with Sister Milbin. She was trained 3 transfers ago by my old companion that I served with in Birkenhead, Sister Hoffman. Sister Milbin was born in Haiti and  lived there till she was 16 then moved to ontario Canada and then went to Uni in Alberta and lived there for the last 5 years. She is wonderful and so gentle and kind. This area seems to be great. I am really excited to work with the ward. The bishop, Bishop Goble, served his mission in Draper and said he was there when the temple was being built. I will have to talk with him and see if he ever visited our ward or any place we know. Bishop wants us to get involved with the youth council, which I am so excited for. I really loved it when I was doing that. It helped me to stay involved.

As for leaving Chorley and my 2 companions, I was really sad about it. I loved that area and loved the members and miracles we were experiencing. I may have shed a tear or two a few nights before leaving. I love being out here. Missionary life is one of a kind. We get once in a life time opportunities that will never come up again. I wish it could last forever but I know that there will be a lot of other really great things to come in my future as well. I will just enjoy the moments I have here.

Merry Christmas from England

Christmas #2 in England

Alyssa talked to us via Skype while Taylor spoke to us via FaceBook Time---so we turned the computers to each other and Taylor and Alyssa got to see & talk to one another.  It was amazing.  Alyssa skyped from a church book store that a member of the church owns.  She is so happy and doing great.  She is thinking of extending her mission, but hasn't decided for sure.  There will be a lot of new sisters coming out soon that will need trainers.  Sister Longmore may be needed.