I returned to London yesterday morning at about 7 a.m. (GMT). It was a long flight and as usual on a plane, I couldn't sleep. I did however get to watch some movies. I decided to stay awake all day in an effort to get back on schedule here. I had a friend over and they convinced me to take a little nap before dinner. I slept for about an hour an a half and when I woke up, the clock said 7:24. I freaked out thinking I was late in getting ready for work. I started panicing and went to my bedroom to find clothes to wear. My friend came to my room and asked me if I was okay... I told them that I was running late to which they laughed and let me know that it was 7:24 p.m. Let me tell you, that was a BIG relief.
I am very happy to be back in England. Back to a routine... Vacations are nice, but I am such an anal person that I really enjoy having a schedule and routine.
I was a bit disappointed to find that I would be traveling in to London for work today. I was really hoping to work in West Byfleet, but I have made plans to be there Friday after work if nothing else.
All of this to say that for now I think I feel a bit more at home here in England than I would have imagined in such a short time. I missed England while I was gone and am very happy to be back.
Enough rambling for now.
Cheers-
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Friday, June 20, 2008
Pray for Ayumi
Hey everyone,
Please pray for Ayumi (pronounced I-You-Me). She is a Japanese student that is staying in the Christian college house here in Utah this summer. Last night she asked me tons of questions about what it means to be a Christian and how you become a Christian (until 2 a.m.) . It was amazing! I am not sure how much she understood because of our communication barrier, but she is seeking and wants to know the truth. Please pray that God will use my words and make them understood in her heart. I have bought a Bible for her in Japanese and hope that she will be able to read it and understand the love of God in her native language.
I thought I came to Utah to talk to Mormons, little did I know that God was persuing a beatiful Japanese girl in the next bed. Praise Him!!! Who is like the Lord our God?
Please pray for Ayumi (pronounced I-You-Me). She is a Japanese student that is staying in the Christian college house here in Utah this summer. Last night she asked me tons of questions about what it means to be a Christian and how you become a Christian (until 2 a.m.) . It was amazing! I am not sure how much she understood because of our communication barrier, but she is seeking and wants to know the truth. Please pray that God will use my words and make them understood in her heart. I have bought a Bible for her in Japanese and hope that she will be able to read it and understand the love of God in her native language.
I thought I came to Utah to talk to Mormons, little did I know that God was persuing a beatiful Japanese girl in the next bed. Praise Him!!! Who is like the Lord our God?
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Relaxing, Colds, and Pageants
Sunday Greg, Serena and I spent a lovely day at Fairview Canyon where we were actually able to play in the snow on the mountain. It was a day of relaxing and just enjoying God and one another. It was a really great day.
Monday, we headed back to Salt Lake City to the temple. Nothing really eventful happened this day. No one got thrown out, nothing over the top, but I pray that God will use our conversations and time there.
Beginning Monday both Serena and I began to feel a bit under the weather. I think we both caught a cold.
Yesterday we both continued to feel rough. Luckily both of us were able to take a good nap in the afternoon and are hopefully on the mend...
Last night we had another good night at the pageant. Please pray for us as we continue through the rest of the week. To God be the glory.
Sorry this is so short, but I am low on words today.
Love you all-
Monday, we headed back to Salt Lake City to the temple. Nothing really eventful happened this day. No one got thrown out, nothing over the top, but I pray that God will use our conversations and time there.
Beginning Monday both Serena and I began to feel a bit under the weather. I think we both caught a cold.
Yesterday we both continued to feel rough. Luckily both of us were able to take a good nap in the afternoon and are hopefully on the mend...
Last night we had another good night at the pageant. Please pray for us as we continue through the rest of the week. To God be the glory.
Sorry this is so short, but I am low on words today.
Love you all-
Sunday, June 15, 2008
One of 34...
Last night I joined 33 other woman who dressed as pioneers to represent the 34 documented wives of Joseph Smith. We were recieved with many varied responses. Some thought we were part of the mormon pageant, some called us "anti's". Many, many people just stopped in their tracks and stared... others tried to walk by and read our signs without us noticing... They did a really bad job at that. Our signs said which number wife we were, how old we were when we got married, and if we had a living husband when we married Joseph. The ages range from 14-57. 10 of them had living husbands when they married Joseph.
When we tried to enter the temple grounds, we were told we were not able to come in. The police were called but because we were on a public street, no action could be taken. It was intense.
Some people were angry, some were confused... it was madness. Many wonderful conversations came from this... May the Lord use it to draw many people to himself... The town in still buzzing with it today.
Please keep praying! The battle is won on our knees.
Lots of love-
When we tried to enter the temple grounds, we were told we were not able to come in. The police were called but because we were on a public street, no action could be taken. It was intense.
Some people were angry, some were confused... it was madness. Many wonderful conversations came from this... May the Lord use it to draw many people to himself... The town in still buzzing with it today.
Please keep praying! The battle is won on our knees.
Lots of love-
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Utah
Hey everyone,
I arrived in Utah a few days ago and since then I have been spending my mornings and evenings in training sessions on how to share your faith with Mormons. I have also gotten to meet a lot of really neat people from all over the U.S. who are here to ministry to Mormon people.
Today we went to Temple Square in Salt Lake City and boy was it an interesting day. I spent the day with Greg and Serena, the two students who are on my team. We began at the Church History Museum. On the outside of the building there are several things carved into the stone above the entrance. Some of the symbols include the a sun stone, the all seeing eye, and two pentagrams. In addition, there are several other symbols. We asked a gentleman named Charles on the sidewalk to explain them and he gave us a lame explanation. We were able to continue the conversation however. He told us that he wasn't sure if he would get to be with God when he died, but that he was trying his hardest... It's kind of the theme among Mormons... I can never know, but I am trying.
Next we entered the museum and walked around looking at the different displays. Interestingly enough we were actually witnessed to by some other Christians there :) Anyhow, I was able to get into a conversation with Gerald. He is a genuine sweet older man who was in the museum. I asked him to explain some things that were on display. From there he told me about the different kingdoms of heaven and explained to me the concept of eternal progression. I asked him if one day he would be a god and he actually said yes... My heart is still breaking for this man who believes that one day he can be god. He believes that the children he fathers in the afterlife will one day worship him in the same way we worship God. Unfortunately Gerald had to lead a tour and was unable to finish his coversation with me. I feel however, it was the best conversation I had all day...
Moving on in the museum I met Eugene. He was working in the room where items owned by former presidents of the church are on display. He told me how they decide who the next president will be and about how revelations come through the prophets. Unfortunately this man was very racist. We talked for a while about how until 1978, black people were unable to be members of the LDS church. He told us that while he was on his mission, some 40 years ago, he was assigned to Tennessee. He told me that he and his companion would walk through black neighborhoods, but they had been instructed not to talk to the black people. Yikes!!! Does that sound like a church you want to be a part of?
Next we headed to the childrens' area where there is actually a wall that has a pentagram on it and the children are encouraged to rearrange the colors of the pentagram and play with it, then color a picture of the pentagram they created... That was one of the creepiest things I have ever seen.
Finally it was time for lunch and that went well. :) Next our group went on to the Beehive house, Brigham Young's house. The man who stalled while we waited for our tour, was talking about the extermination order given by the govenor of Missouri and when he talked about it he made a sign of having your throat split that used to be a part of the temple serimony. Unless you have seen or studied this, it probably won't be significant to you, but the Greg and I, it was absolutely bone chilling. We just looked at one another like, "can you believe he just did that?" The rest of the tour was less eventful :)
After leaving there, we cruised through the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, then into Tabernacle. Upon leaving I had a brief conversation with a gentleman about the many symbols on the temple. It is decorated with sun and moon stones as well as many, many pentagrams. He tried to explain that they represented the different levels of heaven. He quickly ended our discussion when I started to challenge this idea...
Next we went to the visitor's center where we got on a tour with Sister Powell and Sister Martinez. While on the tour one of the temple goons (security at temple square) came and talked to Sister Powell. We had officially been flagged as anti-mormons who were there to ask contentious questions from the missionaries. I will explain that in a minute...
Anyway- Sister Powell was really emotional and on the edge of tears several times during our tour. Each time it was over something non-emotional.
After leaving the tour with her, we were heading back across the street out of Temple Square and a few interesting things happened. We saw some Temple goons across the street and not knowing that two were right behind me, I made a comment about the KGB across the street. :)
Well, little did I know the KGB on our tails were on their way over to talk to a big group of people we had come to Salt Lake City with. They essentially told them that they were not welcome at Temple Square if they were going to ask contentious, argumentative questions. Greg, Serena and I watched the whole thing from across the sidewalk. Can you believe it? We were not allowed to ask questions about their religion at their headquarters!!! In the mean time while we were crossing the street with the goons behind us, I had asked Joe, a fellow Christian, what time we were meeting to leave. Because Greg, Serena and I had been flagged, when Joe and his friends walked into the Temple Square they were immediately asked to leave. Does this sound like a church with nothing to hide?
A few thoughts on the day in addition to what's above...
1. At Temple Square I saw multiple statues of the Angel Moroni as well as Joseph Smith, but I only saw 2 renderings of Jesus.
2. We were there for 6+ hours before anyone even mentioned Jesus to us... and this is supposed to be the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!
Please be praying for Gerald, Charles, Eugene and Sisters Powell and Martinez as well as the other Mormons who were talked to today. Pray that God will use our words to penetrate their hearts.
More to come soon-
I arrived in Utah a few days ago and since then I have been spending my mornings and evenings in training sessions on how to share your faith with Mormons. I have also gotten to meet a lot of really neat people from all over the U.S. who are here to ministry to Mormon people.
Today we went to Temple Square in Salt Lake City and boy was it an interesting day. I spent the day with Greg and Serena, the two students who are on my team. We began at the Church History Museum. On the outside of the building there are several things carved into the stone above the entrance. Some of the symbols include the a sun stone, the all seeing eye, and two pentagrams. In addition, there are several other symbols. We asked a gentleman named Charles on the sidewalk to explain them and he gave us a lame explanation. We were able to continue the conversation however. He told us that he wasn't sure if he would get to be with God when he died, but that he was trying his hardest... It's kind of the theme among Mormons... I can never know, but I am trying.
Next we entered the museum and walked around looking at the different displays. Interestingly enough we were actually witnessed to by some other Christians there :) Anyhow, I was able to get into a conversation with Gerald. He is a genuine sweet older man who was in the museum. I asked him to explain some things that were on display. From there he told me about the different kingdoms of heaven and explained to me the concept of eternal progression. I asked him if one day he would be a god and he actually said yes... My heart is still breaking for this man who believes that one day he can be god. He believes that the children he fathers in the afterlife will one day worship him in the same way we worship God. Unfortunately Gerald had to lead a tour and was unable to finish his coversation with me. I feel however, it was the best conversation I had all day...
Moving on in the museum I met Eugene. He was working in the room where items owned by former presidents of the church are on display. He told me how they decide who the next president will be and about how revelations come through the prophets. Unfortunately this man was very racist. We talked for a while about how until 1978, black people were unable to be members of the LDS church. He told us that while he was on his mission, some 40 years ago, he was assigned to Tennessee. He told me that he and his companion would walk through black neighborhoods, but they had been instructed not to talk to the black people. Yikes!!! Does that sound like a church you want to be a part of?
Next we headed to the childrens' area where there is actually a wall that has a pentagram on it and the children are encouraged to rearrange the colors of the pentagram and play with it, then color a picture of the pentagram they created... That was one of the creepiest things I have ever seen.
Finally it was time for lunch and that went well. :) Next our group went on to the Beehive house, Brigham Young's house. The man who stalled while we waited for our tour, was talking about the extermination order given by the govenor of Missouri and when he talked about it he made a sign of having your throat split that used to be a part of the temple serimony. Unless you have seen or studied this, it probably won't be significant to you, but the Greg and I, it was absolutely bone chilling. We just looked at one another like, "can you believe he just did that?" The rest of the tour was less eventful :)
After leaving there, we cruised through the Joseph Smith Memorial Building, then into Tabernacle. Upon leaving I had a brief conversation with a gentleman about the many symbols on the temple. It is decorated with sun and moon stones as well as many, many pentagrams. He tried to explain that they represented the different levels of heaven. He quickly ended our discussion when I started to challenge this idea...
Next we went to the visitor's center where we got on a tour with Sister Powell and Sister Martinez. While on the tour one of the temple goons (security at temple square) came and talked to Sister Powell. We had officially been flagged as anti-mormons who were there to ask contentious questions from the missionaries. I will explain that in a minute...
Anyway- Sister Powell was really emotional and on the edge of tears several times during our tour. Each time it was over something non-emotional.
After leaving the tour with her, we were heading back across the street out of Temple Square and a few interesting things happened. We saw some Temple goons across the street and not knowing that two were right behind me, I made a comment about the KGB across the street. :)
Well, little did I know the KGB on our tails were on their way over to talk to a big group of people we had come to Salt Lake City with. They essentially told them that they were not welcome at Temple Square if they were going to ask contentious, argumentative questions. Greg, Serena and I watched the whole thing from across the sidewalk. Can you believe it? We were not allowed to ask questions about their religion at their headquarters!!! In the mean time while we were crossing the street with the goons behind us, I had asked Joe, a fellow Christian, what time we were meeting to leave. Because Greg, Serena and I had been flagged, when Joe and his friends walked into the Temple Square they were immediately asked to leave. Does this sound like a church with nothing to hide?
A few thoughts on the day in addition to what's above...
1. At Temple Square I saw multiple statues of the Angel Moroni as well as Joseph Smith, but I only saw 2 renderings of Jesus.
2. We were there for 6+ hours before anyone even mentioned Jesus to us... and this is supposed to be the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!
Please be praying for Gerald, Charles, Eugene and Sisters Powell and Martinez as well as the other Mormons who were talked to today. Pray that God will use our words to penetrate their hearts.
More to come soon-
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