Crazy Crazy Glasgow...I love you!

So this week in the exciting mission of Sister Stribling... Not much seemed to happen. We had a few people cancel on us :( that's the worst! It is really so sad! But everyone has to choose for themselves.

   On Monday we didn't do too many exciting things. We had our P-day and played volleyball at the church and then we had Family Home Evening so that was fun. We played a game called what if... And so what you do is write a what if question on a piece of paper, throw that paper into the middle. Everyone grabs a different paper and then answers it. Throw it back in and grab a new one again. And then one person reads the question on theirs and the person to the Right answers it with the answer on theirs. It sounds weird and confusing but it was pretty fun! 

   Tuesday we had our district meeting and it was pretty good! It is always better if people are participating though.. Haha oh well. Tuesday was pancake day! So for dinner all the missionaries met at the church building for dinner and we had pancakes! It was pretty great! but it takes a while to feed everyone when there is only one working pan and everyone just wants to eat pancakes. Haha but in the end everything was okay. 

   Wednesday we went to a baptism for Lin Jun. The Chinatown Elders were teaching him and he was baptized on Chinese New year! Pretty cool huh!? After the baptism we tried to find a less active guys house and we got super lost and ended up in Dumbarton. It was a good adventure though! It took us forever to get back home from there though.. 

   Thursday we had Exchanges with our Sister Training leaders but I was sick and so we didn't do a lot. We had dinner with the McLaughlin family and then we went to volleyball with some investigators and recent converts and members. It was pretty good! 

   Friday and Saturday we tried to see some people but they cancelled and so we met with Sister Kennedy (Less Active) and we will see her again tomorrow.  It was a good thing that we went to see her. She can always use some visits! 

   Sunday at church was very good and uplifting as always so that was good! 

Well that was how this week went! Over all it was pretty good! I Love Glasgow so much and I am looking forward to the rest of the time I have here so much! I hope that everything is going great for you all! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! SISTER STRIBLING

 

transfer day (3 wks ago..sorry so late with pic)

Here swan, swan, swan..eat some bread

 

GLASGOW! IS THE BOMB!!

THIS WEEK WAS SO AWESOME! We didn't really do a ton of things but it was overall a good week!  

   On Monday we had our P-day as usual but this time we wrapped the Elders car in Cling wrap. Hahaha it was pretty funny.. But we got caught by the Bishops wife and then her daughter helped us to finish wrapping their car hahaha good times! 

   Oh i guess there is some need of clearing things up... Pierre is a recent convert.(: He got baptised and he is just great! Faith(Faith Rachel) is also a member(: Rachel is our investigator who just got baptised yesterday and that was super super exciting! 

Sis Stribling, Rachel, Sis Riesen

Elders in the back row-(left to right)Martin Liao MacFarlane Pienaar Massey Lewis Stewart Salazar Merril Yip.

Front row- Me, Rachel, Sasha, Sister Riesen

Heart Attacking People's doors

Well on Monday we also had Family home evening so we met at the church with a lot of the Young single adults and we had dinner and did games together so that was super fun. 

   On Tuesday not much happened really. We had our Missionary meeting with our Ward Mission leader Brother Mathers and then after that we went and had dinner with Pierre and Faith. Pierre made us Spaghetti and Kangaroo meat balls! It was actually really good. I was surprised. If you havent tried Kangaroo before then I would definitely recomend it highly.

   Wednesday we had something called Zone Interview Training. So we all had interviews with President Brown(our mission president) and we had training by our Zone Leaders(Big area) District leaders(Small area) and our Sister training leaders(over all the sisters) so that was pretty fun! We got to see all the other missionaries in our Zone and catch up! After Zone Interview training we met with Faith and Rachel and we ate Kebabs for dinner! 

   Thursday and Friday wasn't super exciting. Just the normal routine.We met with people and talked to them. Tried to find more people to teach.

   On Saturday we went around and heart attacked peoples doors. We put heart sticky notes on them and wrote little notes. It was pretty neat when they saw the doors and they were all happy so that was good! 

SUNDAY! Yesterday! We had Stake conference and that was awesome! One of our investigators Christian came with us and I think that he enjoyed it. We will meet with him again later on tonight. Yesterday Rachel was Baptised! She is such an amazing girl. She is so sweet! After the Baptism we met and had Mormon messages with the Brownings, we watched a short video and talked about gratitude, which we could all improve on for sure! SO that,s our little week in review! It was pretty great! 

   This Mission IS the best thing ever! I love it so much! It really helps me grow so much every single day! There's no place i would rather be than here in Scotland right now. I love Scotland! I love the Lord! I love you all so much! I hope that you have an amazing week! ~Love always, Sister Stribling

Week?! So, I got a concussion on Monday and lost track...

So, this week was kind of boring... Probably because I was on couch rest (Haha get it? because we don't have bed..) for most of it. So on Monday night I got a concussion and we went to the Emergency room for like 5 hours with our Zone leaders. But the Hospital didn't do anything. They just  told me to rest, so I did.  
(Mom note:  Sis Stribling and her companion had to move out of their "flat" several weeks ago and have been "crashing" on the other sister missionaries couch.  She slipped and fell on ice when she was running to her apartment on Monday night)

We met with Rachel again and she will be baptized on Sunday.  We are really so excited for her! It is going to be so great! This week we were able to meet a few new people to talk with, one name Mohammed, we met with him and invited him to come to church with his family so hopefully he will come next Sunday! 

We went to McDonald's with the Zone leaders and the guy behind the counter started to talk to me about my badge and so I talked with him and invited him to church too! So hopefully he will. When I gave him our phone number he probably thought I was really weird.. haha but whatever it takes! We should probably go back and try to find him again. 

Sister Riesen and I are doing good. She is able to handle all of my craziness and so that is good! I sure do love her, she is great! We get along pretty good! We are still in the middle of a house search for us. Things are looking up, we might be able to move this week! We will be praying really hard for sure! The other sisters that we are staying with are really great though, we have so much fun together and so its not a bad deal that we have. Just in the morning times it gets a little hectic.

Mission life is pretty great! EVERYONE SHOULD GO ON A MISSION! The amount of blessings that I have been able to see on my mission has been amazing! God is really there. He will listen to you at any time of the day. With any problem that you may have. He is there. He cares. He loves you! 

Yesterday(Sunday) we had a "Meeting" called Mormon messages. We bring our investigators and members with us and we all go to the Brownings flat (Our Senior couple over the YSA) and watch a Mormon message and talk about it and it is really a great time. Well I was having some problems yesterday, not major ones, just some questions really. And the talk that we watched was from Elder Holland, talking about the story in Mark chapter 5, where this mans daughter was dead and he went to Jesus for help. The verse that he focused on was verse 36, that says "be not afraid, Only believe" This is exactly the thing that I needed to hear. 

When we are able to trust God with all of our hearts, to give him all of our problems, to be open and humble enough to ask for help, he will always be there for us. He is really our Father. He doesn't want any of us to be wandering lost. He will always provide a way for us to receive any help that we may stand in need of. 
I love you all and hope that you have an amazing week! ~SISTER STRIBLING~

We fed the swans this week

New and Exciting adventure of Sister Stribling and Sister Riesen!

Well, you win some you lose some, and with my new Companion Sister Riesen, I sure won! She is pretty great! (So far) we get along pretty great. We are almost like twinsies (sorry Cype). So, first I will answer all of these crazy questions I got from mom.... Sheesh!

Inquiring minds want to read about 

1) Who is your new companion?Sister Riesen,She is from Switzerland.She's been out for about 7 months now.

2) How are you getting along with finding and teaching investigators?Teaching is going good. Finding will be going better once we actually find someone.... 

3) How are things coming with your newly baptized and newly reactivated and other people you have been working on strengthening their faith & testimony? Michael is super great. (newly baptized) He is just really amazing, Same with Faith (Rachel is her second name) (investigator) These people here are all just really amazing and inspiring to me. Pierre is so great too! (investigator) He helps us out so much! We just love them all so much!

Parents want to know

1) How's the toe healing process coming along?  Are you totally good to walk around or does it still hurt?  Only hurts if we are running to the bus. haha So it is getting a lot better.

2) Are you still living in a flat with the other sister companions? How's that coming along?  Are you girls getting along ok? Do you get along with you new companion ok? We are still in the flat with the other sisters. It is going okay. We have fun. It just takes long to get ready in the morning with 4 girls in there. My new companion is lovely! She is great. I am excited for this transfer!

So there are my answers. Hehe. 

   Well this week was pretty great, We met a Nun. We knocked on her door and she invited us in and asked us to come back again and to talk to her more. So that's exciting! While we were fasting yesterday we dedicated it to Rachel (Our investigator). She has been taught for a while now but her Mom didn't want her to be baptized (She is 18) So we fasted for her. On Sunday nights we get a call from our District leader(The Elder that kinda looks over the area we are assigned to) and we were talking to him when Rachel called us. I thought it was a little weird because she always text's us so I thought to just call her back after. But I answered her phone call and that is when she told us that she felt something during that day as we fasted together. She told us that she wants to be baptized. So we are planning it for two weeks from now. She will be Baptized and she couldn't be happier. She is honestly such a sweet girl. She will do so many amazing things in her life! 

   Other than that this week has been pretty normal. I was able to give a talk at Allinune's Baptism on Saturday about the Holy Ghost(I love giving surprise talks...not.) But I was happy to help the Elders out with that. This transfer is going to be a good one. I can already feel it! Can you believe I have been out for almost 4 months! It's crazy! Oh my goodness. where did the time go? I love Scotland so much, Glasgow especially. Heavenly Father is there for us, Whenever we are ready to talk with him. He will always be listening. I love you all! Hope that you are doing well!

LOVE, SISTER STRIBLING

Guess who's going to Ireland? Not Me!

So we got moves calls. AND Sister Dias is leaving me! SO sad. I don.t know what I am going to do without her. Probably die. This week we had was pretty great! we met a lot of new people and we are teaching 2 new people this week. well maybe 3.. HOPEFULLY! I have faith so it will happen. My new companion is coming over from Ireland on Wednesday. Everything is going pretty great over here in Glasgow! We have been chapping a lot of doors lately and we met a super cool family, the Fathers name is Claud and he invited us back on Monday so that will be great! 

I am excited to stay here in Glasgow another transfer(6 weeks) and see what the Lord has in store for this area. It's going to be so great! I really do love being a missionary! This week I got so many great questions while I was studying and I am stoked to try and find the answers and hopefully people around me will be able to help too! Being a missionary really is the best thing in the whole world! I have also been doing a lot of Family History work which is SO GREAT! I love it! Finding out cool people you're related to! Well I hope that you all are doing Super awesome! I really do love you all! ~Sister Stribling <3

Farewell to Sis Dias (going to Ireland)  I will miss her a LOT!!

Back in Glasgow...FOREVER (I hope)

SO!!!! Guess who's back in GLASGOW! WOO HOO! Guess what, I love Glasgow. I love it so much. If Glasgow was a baby, I would be it's Mommy because I love it so much. I'm not sure what I meant by that one...  BUT, I love it. So much. 

 Baby Snowman I made at the Mission office in Edinburgh

Well- this week has been so great! I left the mission office on Wednesdaand I am not looking back! There is really some type of change after you are out of it for 2 weeks and then you get back; you just want to do everything possible. And boy do I! I am so excited for the things the Lord has planned for Glasgow! Because they're gonna be great! This week we got our first good amount of snow, and it was so beautiful! for the first 10 minutes, then I was over it. Sister Dias on the other hand, she is still going crazy about the snow and how nice it is, throwing ice balls at each other (The snow melted and refroze so it's horrible now) But she is having fun with it so I can deal with it! 
This week we had exchanges with the Sister training leaders and I stayed here in Glasgow with Sister Johnson. It was pretty fun! We went chapping on doors and we met with Pierre (He is still awesome by the way) Then we were going to meet with Michael but we got delayed by the snow! IT WAS CRAZY! We were in the car (because our zone leaders, Elder Massey and Elder Stewart are so nice to drive us) for over an hour and a half! When the drive usually takes about 10 minutes. CRAZY! So we had to cancel on Michael because we were so late. Saddest part of the whole week. But while we were driving, well not really driving because the cars in front of us were at a complete stop... we got out and had a mini snowball fight. Haha in the middle of the horrible traffic. So much fun! We were waving at everyone and trying to get them to join us but no one wanted to. Smart because we would have destroyed them anyway. But it was a good time. So Instead of eating dinner we just had the worlds best snowball fight. When we were exchanging back at the train station we ended up feeding the Pigeons a donut and there were so many of them! Just flying at our faces trying to steal the donut. Silly birds.

Well we made the biggest snowman also, it was a good 7 feet tall. I think... It was so beautiful. We named him Elder White. HAHA good one huh?! Well that snowman was so big we couldn't even lift up  the second part of his body, but! We stopped and said a prayer, and then BAM 5 minutes later there we were lifting a 500 pound ball of snow up in place for his body. WOO! AMAZING. 

 Pierre, Sis Dias, Sis Stribling & Elder White

When we were chapping doors this week we met a man who was telling us to be careful of people that just want to talk, because they aren't really interested, He proceeded to tell us this for a good 15 minutes.  Haha we found out that he was one of those people. Talk talk talk, he was really nice though! While Sister Dias and I were walking to the bus stop on Saturdaywe had to run because we thought we were going to miss the bus.  Well she didn't know how to run on snow and she ended up falling and hitting her elbow. This man walking by came to make sure we were okay and we started to talk to him. His name is Ed and he is from Gambia (I think that's how it's spelled. it's in Africa) Well long story short there was no bus for 30 minutes so we just kept talking and I invited him to church and he came!! WOOO! Now we will begin to teach him! It's amazing really. The whole time we talked to him he kept saying he doesn't know why he changed his mind tonight because usually when people talk to him about religion he would tell them no and that he didn't want to hear about it. But he said that when we talked to him, he felt really good about it and he felt happy! He is so nice! So hopefully everything will go well with him. 

Well, this week has been something else, but I sure do love being a Missionary. I love it so much! I love everything about it.. Most of the time (; I hope you all are having a good week! Remember-The best thing to do is to write a letter. But sadly I don't know anyone's address. SO in order for me to write to you, You need to write to me. Haha good one again huh (self knucks) I LOVE YOU! ~~SISTER STRIBLING 

This week in the exciting mission of Sister Stribling...

   This week was not super exciting, Not much happened. So I don't have a ton to write about today. Since I have been in the Mission office working it has been such a great experience. I stay with Sister Ferguson and Sister Wagar and they really just help me to feel happy and uplifted. I am so grateful for them and the time that I have now to be with them. They are such a HUGE help to me! My toe has been healing so fast! I am really amazed at how much the Lord has been helping me in this. 

   This week I went to the Scotland West conference for the Mission. We had 3 Zones there, I saw Sister Wagner too!(My MTC companion) So it was pretty much the best thing ever. We had lessons and talks from our leadership and they must really be inspired by the Lord because it is always something that we need to hear. No doubt about it. 

   This last week on my mission has been so amazing to me. I have had so much time to study and to read my scriptures and to grow so much spiritually in such a short amount of time! I am amazed at the things the Lord accomplishes in his timing. This week it seemed like I lost...everything (my name tag, my wallet) I lost my name tag and I looked everywhere! I looked in my suitcases, in my drawers, on my coat, in the laundry, EVERYWHERE. And I couldnt find it. Well I said to myself, "hey Sister Stribling, Don,t be dumb, pray about it". Well so I did. And the whole time I was saying my prayer all I thought about was under the bed, under the bed, under the bed. And I said to myself, Well I don't know what will be different about under the bed this time I look but okay. And there it was. Right under the bed. Amazing. A few days before that my watch (that Cypee gave me, Thanks so much Cypee. I use it every single day!) Well it got switched to 24 hour, so instead of saying 2pm it said 1400 and it was driving me CRAZY! So before I went to bed I prayed and asked for help with this wach(Now let me tell you, I tried to fix it for 2 days straight! I pressed so many buttons and tried everything it seemed like but nothing worked.) So after I said my prayer and hopped in bed i looked down at the watch, pressed two buttons and BAM! It was fixed. I know that the Lord answered these prayers for me. Because there's no way I could have done it on my own. Well maybe I could have but it would have taken me about 93 years. 

 Visit to the Stirling Castle

 Sitting on the Thrones in the Great Hall (Me & Sis Ferguson)

 What's for dinner? 

Chapping on the King's door...No luck :-(

   So other than being SO uplifted this week we also went to a CASTLE!  to the Stirling Castle. IT WAS WAY COOL! If you don't know (like I was before we got there) King James the VI lived here and he was the one that did the King James Bible. It was so neat to see everything there and to soak up all the history. Scotland has such rich amazing history and being able to be in the same place where these people were so many years before is just amazing to me. After we got back to the flat(apartment) we watched the documentary on the King James Bible. That was cool to see all the places we were at earlier in the day. 

   Well, that's all the neat experiences I can think of that I had for this week. Stay tuned for more of the exciting mission of Sister Stribling after this short week long break~~ The Church is TRUE! Guess what!- You can be with your family FOREVER! Wouldnt that be great! I love you all and hope that you're having a super great and fantastic week! LOVE Sister Stribling