Domingo en Londres

So today started out somewhat bad. I just wasn't feeling that excited to go to church at the Spanish and I was pitying myself for having church at 2 in the afternoon. But after a prayer and some perseverance I really feel like the Lord turned my day around for me. I am so grateful for the opportunities and blessings I have in my life and I am constantly taking everything I have for granted. The members in my branch are so humble and inviting and they have so little material possessions but they are the happiest people with the strongest testimonies. I love it. I feel so blessed not only to be there but for the blissful life I have lead and I wish I knew more ways to express that gratitude. I hope these next few months of attending the Kennington Branch will provide me with some chances to give back. At church there is this young man named Leo. He has been a member for two years and he knows French, English, Spanish and Portugese. The first week we were there he came and introduced himself to Alyssa and I and he translated for us. This week he found us again and he is constantly introducing us to others and showing us the ropes. Today I am grateful for him.

Today I am also grateful for Claudia. She teaches Primary with me and after feeling so useless today because I have such broken Spanish she came up to me and so humbly asked me if I could do her a favor. She wanted me to look over this letter she had to write for her English course. She has a test for her English in two weeks and she just needed some editing help. It was the smallest thing I could do for her but I felt so good for being able to just help her in the littlest way. I can't explain it but I felt like for the first time in that branch I was able to serve someone else instead of the members constantly serving and lifting me. Claudia is here from Peru only for a year so she can learn English and then she has to go back. Her English is wonderful and she has only had one year. I have had courses in Spanish for seven years and due to my lack of motivation or effort I still struggle. She is amazing.

Today I am also grateful for the tube. I love the tube. Without it millions of Londoners would be without such a convenient mode of transportation. I used to be bugged by the winds that would sweep through the underground. It used to make me feel dirty. The screeching noises the train made irked me. The diverse people riding intimidated me. But I love it now. I was standing on the edge of the platform today just thinking, and the train rushed up and blew the air around my face and I realized how utterly happy I was at that moment. I most certainly will miss my thinking time on the tube when I get back to Utah.

Today I am grateful for my mom. Riding home from church today I sat down next to a British lady who was knitting something with four tiny needles. It looked difficult and precarious but she seemed quite skilled at what she was doing. I thought of my mom and I wanted to know what this lady was knitting so I asked her. She responded that she was just starting some gloves. She then asked if I knew how to knit and I said "a little but my mom is a wonderful knitter." her response: "you are lucky to have a mum who is a great knitter. My mum was wretched at it." she giggled a little and our conversation ended there. But I thought about my mom and how good she is at everything she does. I am lucky to have a mom that is so skilled but not just that. I am lucky to have such a wonderful mom. So today I am grateful for my "mum" back in the states.

But most of all today I am so grateful for the gospel. Sometimes it's hard being here apart from so many things I love, but I know that Heavenly Father has helped me through every day here. Without this gospel I would be nothing and I would never have the wonderful family and opportunities that I am so blessed to have. Also, this gospel not only gives me so many blessings but it instills a desire to reach out to others and to be better. I love that feeling. I hope that while I am here I can build on it.

So Happy Sunday to all who read this post!

The little chapel where my branch meets.