April 23 letter!!

hiiiiiiii,

I am doing a lot better!! So everything is good! and yes tell me everything that is going on at home :) but things are getting a lot better! My companion is amazing so that helps and I pray like all day everyday and I can see that it's working!! So don't worry!! The mornings are the hardest but by the end of the day I am so happy and I love it. Even tho I feel like I don't teach or anything that much I still love it and hopefully I will be able to talk more. I just get so dang nervous but that is getting better as well! The district leader and comp. give me a lot of comfort and good advice. But really I am fine and I am adjusting. I am also getting to know the members so that's good as well. We go to their houses a lot for dinner so that is a lot of fun and then we don't have to cook. The bishop and his wife are great and they have 7 kids. They are planning to move to Utah in the next few months so I hate talking about that with them cause it makes me miss home haha. but they are all so nice.

I forgot my little list of things that i wanted to write to you about so sorry.. Basically all we do is just teach teach teach!! There are so many people that we are teaching that we can't even see everyone. This week we taught 30 proper lessons. My comp was telling me that that is pretty good because some people get 0 but this area that we are in is just full of people that want to learn so there is a lot of good opportunities to teach. My favorite is when we find families to teach.

A lot of people think we are nuns so that is funny!! And one cool story is the other day we were just heading to a cafe to talk to a recent convert and we met a bus driver. We were just talking to him and asking him about his faith and if he believed in God and at first he was really hostile towards us and asking us how we could believe that there was a prophet today and a lot of other things.  We talked about prayer as well and he said that none of his prayers were ever answered and we explained that sometimes we don't get the answers we want and that there are a lot of different ways He answers prayers.. and anyway by the end he said that he kind of had a chip on his shoulder towards God and that maybe we were an answer to his prayers and that thru us he could find God. We then got his details and we are going to start teaching him.. We see so many miracles everyday and I just can't even believe it. It's amazing. So that right there makes me love it here. That is what keeps me going. Hopefully we can just help people stay strong and progress towards baptism. There are so many people that it's hard to be with all of them.

I am learning to be bold and just talk to people and that is slowly coming along. Also I have a new thing for you guys to do. Something that me and my companion do is write a miracle down everyday and it is awesome. You are so much more thankful and realize how blessed you are. So write down a miracle everyday :)

I am excited for Nathan to get his blessing. I wish I could be there. and about baseball that's hard. Just tell him to keep practicing but I am sure he is and I am sure he is doing good. I think the weather here is getting colder. haha we had a bbq the other day at a members house and it was freezing. It was probably like 40 degrees and they were telling me that that was good weather to have a bbq. haha

Also we started teaching these two chinese girls who don't know english very well but luckily we have a Chinese member to help us translate. We committed them to baptism on the first lesson. They said they want to learn more but they really have a desire to learn more and they really want to become a member. They are so sweet and amazing. There are so many different races here. I meet someone from a new country everyday so that's pretty cool.

We went to dinner at the bishops house yesterday and a Polish guy came and he is a recent convert as well. He can't even speak the language but he still comes to church and stuff every Sunday and you can just tell how much he loves the gospel and how strong his testimony is.

I am glad that they were able to catch some fish:) Also I got all of you letters and Dads as well and I am really excited to get my package haha. even tho it's just sweats. Mail is my favorite and I get really excited :) I love you all so much and miss you like crazy! tell Karli to write meeeeeeeeeee!!

love you all so much!!

love syd

April 16, 12 Letter

Hey London is good except I am not i London haha the area i am in is called Exeter!! It is close to the coast. It's so weird because there are palm trees! Pres and Sister Shamo are awesome, I love them already!! They are so loving and I feel like i could talk to them whenever.. They know the Davis' like Whitney Davis i played vball with.. They go to bear lake and stuff all the time!

      I am having a real rough time!!It's so different and soo hard!! we got to the mission home safely and stayed there that night!! Then next morning we went to the London temple so that was really fun!! My new companion is sister Binnie!! she is from Scotland and she is a convert! She is amazing and I am learning so much from her.

       The first few days here were so hard. All Iwanted to do was cry and come home!! I didn't imagine it would be this hard! !I have no idea what I am doing and I didn't know any of the investigators, so I just felt like I was following my companion around. Also I never talk to them cause I don't know them and I haven't studied for like 4 days because there has been no time!! The first day we came back to our flat I just burst into tears and cried to my companion!! It's weird cause I don't do that but it sooooo hard. The next day we traveled to Plymouth for zone conference and had a meeting and we got to see President!! So I went and talked to president Shamo and bawled my eyes out again!! He said it's normal to feel this way and feel overwhelmed and homesick!! He is amazing!! He gave me a blessing and I felt a lot better just to be able to talk to him and to get a blessing!!

      That night we came home and taught a guy named Vivaldi! it was amazing! we were sitting in McDonald's and who knew I would be able to feel the spirit so strongly in the middle of mcds!! But we asked him to be baptized and he committed!! It was just what I needed!! The next day was hard but not as bad and I am getting to know the investigators so I don't feel helpless so things are looking up and getting better.  Just those first two days were miserable so I was glad I could talk to President!!

      I am adjusting and beginning to love what i am doing. I knew it would be hard, just didn't think it would be this hard. It has been better tho so don't worry I just have to get in the groove of things and I will be fine. :) I am so grateful that my companion is so amazing and is helping me through.

Yesterday we went to the Church of England service!! hahah it was interesting! the music was good but the sermon was confusing!! We went with a guy named Andy that we are teaching. He said if we came he would come to our church so... when we go to other churches with our badges they like to call us out!! It's a good thing sister Binnie is there because i wouldn't know how to handle the situation yet!! haha but i really am starting to love it.

Sydney's 1st apartment

my new address is

Sister Sydney Pitcher

42 A Glasshouse Lane

Exeter, DEV

EX2 7BS

England
UK

So send stuff there or else it would take me forever to get it if you send it to the mission home. I am about four hours away from the mission home! On the way to my area we got to pass Stone Henge so that was cool it was hard to get pictures so i only got one!!

        I miss you all so much and it sounds like everyone is doing good!

      I have an invitation for all of you :) look at me being all missionary like.. ha but read the book of mormon as a family and pray as a family daily and I know that you will be able to see the difference it will make and it will bless you all!! don't just read it but talk about it afterwards so that you understand it. it is an amazing book and i took it for granted. so yeah do that and i know you will all be blessed :)

umm i probably could have emailed but i honestly didn't have time.. we are running constantly and we could never get to a computer! sorry! also my straitener and hair dryer don't work i think it's just because of the wattage so should i send them home or what? i got a hair dryer from the mtc lost and found so i don't need to buy one and i will probably just buy a curling iron instead of a straitener!! so everything is good there! send me more downeast undershirts.. the white ones if possible!! oh and i need true science the one i have bben using since december ran out! 

anyway i love you so much and i miss you all so much!! i look forward to dads letter!! send corrine my love and tell her i am glad the surgery went well!! good luck to you and dad with work and i hope it slows down. lv will come along just keep with it! it's a good thing and i love it!! talk to you next week!! love you so much. also put my address on fb again. looooovvve youuu!

April 10, 2012 Letter

hey

i loved all of the pictures you sent!! i don't have long to write but i was glad we got to be able to write a little. you're hair looks real good by the way!! also tell karli to write me she hasn't written once yet and i don't have her email!     no i don't get to read the ensigns!! i don't have time and i have other things i have to study!! this week has been good!! easter was amazing and just what i needed. we went on a church history tour and i felt spiritually impacted!! i was exhausted but the end of the day but i didn't want it to be over!! we got to go the pres. hinkleys flat and see where he got the famous "forget yourself and go to work." so that was fun! we then came back and watched some devotionals and then our district went back to our class and had a little testimony meeting!! we are all so dang close it's going to be really hard to leave. we leave in the morning at 645 to go to the mission home!! it's about a five hour drive so it's going to be a long day!! i'm nervous because we are going to be teaching real investigators by tomorrow night and i don't feel like i am ready at all!! your shopping trip sounded like it was a lot of fun!! i am quite jealous!! there is so much that i want to tell you but it is so hard typing it all!! but it is all in my journal so the things i don't email i can tell you at home!! i love it here and it is the most fulfilling thing that i have ever done and i am so glad that i made the decision to go!! it is amazing and i love every second of it!! i haven't gotten your letters yet!! so i hope they send them to the mission home!! also put the mission home address on facebook and tell people to write me!! :) also you guys write me letters too!! how much money do i have in my account so that i can buy some things! i still have cash i just don't want to go over!! i need a curling iron and yeah.. well i will probably write more next week!! monday will be my pday!! but seriously send mail because it is really depressing when i don't get anyhing all week!! i havent sent that leter i said i would last time because they have been on holiday so everything was closed!! i can't wait to get out and serve real people. also the elder you were talking about is from guina!! so i don't know if it's the same one!! i love you all so much and i miss you!! keep writing and tell me everything that's going on!! tell Cheryl thank you for the easter card! i will write her back tho! the mtc is crazy busy and i have no time to think about myself or wriing letters so i apologize!! but i love you and i will write more later!!

love syd

MTC & Church History Tour



MTC Group

Ammon Group

Church History Tour today. Our Sisters at the Chatburn Baptismal Site.

Listening as a group on the Church History Tour

Sister Pitcher and Murphy with all the Elders.  Looks
pretty happy!!!  Ammon District in Avenham Park.

Sis. Walker talking about her father, Pres. Hinckley.

AFter a discouraging note home from here, Elder Hinckley received the following response "Forget yourself and go to work." That day he went into the upstairs bedroom and dedicated his life to the Lord.

Pres. and Sis. Walker at 15 Wadham Road, Pres. Hinckley's first apartment in England.

Apartment on Fox Street and Wilfred Road where Heber C. Kimball and other elders were visited by legions of evil spirits.

Walking in Durham England

The Oblisk in the town square in Preston. Early missionaries preached here.

Beautiful English Country side

Sydney on the left taking pictures

New pictures with letter posted below!

Sister Pitcher and Sister (no name yet! All I know is she is 6 ft tall
from Irleand and she likes her)

Sister (no name again from Pakinstan)

Her Sister roomies from Ireland, Pakistan,
England & Syd from USA

Preston England MTC

Pres & Sister Walker (she is Pres Hinckleys
daughter)

Preston England Temple

Her bed!

The room she is sharing with the Sisters

April 2, 2012

Hiiii,

        it sounds like you are all doing really good! tell nathan good job and i wish i could see him play! i got your dearelder yesterday and as far as mail goes i think it takes about 5 days!! so it's funny that you said you are going to write little tid bits because that's what i did and i am sending the letter today!! it is a rather depressing letter but i am feeling a lot better because everything i wrote was from last week. umm i really didnt forget anything all i want is more sweats haha preferably my grey ones with the 8 on them but i don't even know how much that would be to send so if it's a lot don't worry about it. umm my tights ripped and they were my favorite ones so if you can go to walmart and get me the polka dot ones and again if it's too much don't worry about it.

        the days here are so long we have class so much and then we teach our teachers and other members that come in and they record them and then we can watch and see what we did good and bad!! i have been struggling a lot with teaching and not knowing what to say and i felt like it was me just blabbering on and on and so i went to conference with a question and i just prayed that i could gain the confidence i needed and to be able to just have faith that the lord would tell me what to say...i got my answer!! in conference one of the guys names was koelliker and it was talking about family but i related it to investigators and this thought popped into my mind.. "just relax and be yourself, you know this gospel and you have a testimony don't worry about covering all of the information just bear testimony and have faith and the spirit will do the rest." and since then i have relaxed and just been myself and my companion and i have done a lot better!! i was so grateful. i can't believe how much i have already learned in such a short period of time.

        last friday we went into manchester to street contact!! it was the most terrifying thing i have ever done. just approaching people on benches is so awkward and weird.. i had a bad attitude about it cause it was scary and i wish that i could say i learned something from it but i didnt' hahah. and i still hate it. i thought the mtc was hard until i had to do the street contacting. i will take the mtc any day over that. and we are going back this friday and i am definitley not looking forward to it haha.

       today has been rough because i woke up late and then when i went to turn my straightener on it wasn't working!! i think it is just the converter. but now i have no straightener or hair dryer!! i have been borrowing a hair dryer so as long as i have that i will be fine!! it's just more to add to my stress!! but then we went to the temple and i felt a lot better!

        i had to give a talk on sunday and you know how i feel about talks.. everyone said i did good and it wasnt as bad as i thought!! kind of like my farewell!! but we watched all of conference except one session!! it was so good though!! i got a lot out of it and i am so grateful for our prophet and having the opportunity to be able to listen to his counsel!!

        it is hard being with a companion 24-7! it is going to take some getting used to!! you can't be out of sight for one second but i better get used to it!! we will only be at the mtc for another week and i don't know when my pday will be when i get out in the field. or if i will even be able to write next tuesday cause that is our last day! also the mission home address is in the pamplet i got in the mail!! so it's there!! also could you send me my mission call :)

     tell cheryl hello and that i love and miss her as well!! and grandma and everyone!!

       anyway you letters always make me cry and i love them and i love you all so much and miss you like crazy!! it seems like it has already been a year since i have seen you!! i love you so much!!