PART 1
Upon walking down the street the other day, I realized that behind James and I were a pair of Mormon missionaries. My mother and father had raised me Mormon, but I fell out with the church and stopped going by the time I was 18.
My mother and father have always wanted me to go back to church, but wouldn't force it upon me (except for the occasional guilt trip invitation from my mother inviting me to one Mormon function or another).
Before I left for England my parents advised me to keep my options open and to not disregard the church entirely. As my mother put it: If I don't keep the church in mind and need it one day, I'm basically out of luck. That didn't change my mind one bit. However, it was my father's advise that led me to do what I did(which I'll explain in a minute). My father has always told me, 'the gospel of the church is true, the people that practice it may not always be true', or something to that effect. Before I left, before I even got married actually, my father and I had a chat and he reiterated that statement. We talked about how I stopped going to church because the people in our congregation seemed like they cared more about being someone's friend just to get them to come to church, rather than actually caring about the person as a friend. With that in mind we had a deep conversation about how it would be good idea for me to keep the Mormon church in mind, in case I needed somone to lean on. I'm in a new country, starting a new life, and who knows what could happen. So, if i go to church, I might make a few friends, the church and it's members might be different than in Cali, and i may have someone to reach out to--a new set of friends with sort of the same core values--in case I'm in need of help.
So, because of my father's advise, I stopped those set of missionaries on the street and talked to them. Really, all I wanted was to find out where the nearest Mormon church to Ross-on-Wye was, in case I wanted to go....but those missionaries keep TALKING and TALKING. James was getting nervous and uncomfortable with them, so I tried to wrap up the conversation but those missionaries tried to do what they do best--ask loads of questions and try to get us to come to church. In the end, they found out we're a new married couple, he lives here, I moved from California, I'm looking for work, i used to go to church but now I don't, we live with his mum, and we're waiting quite a while to have kids. What we got out of that little chat is the address of the nearest church, the time church/sacrement is, the elders' number, an invitation to a ward BBQ(which we couldn't attend anyway cause we truely did have plans), an invitation for the missionaries to come round(which we declined because religion + James' mum = CONFRONTATION), successfully evading giving the elders our number(because it's not our house....and any information we needed we could just stop by the church or ask them), and we learned that the sister elders in their ward are Californian. We spent way to long talking to them, but I got what I needed--the option, if ever I need it. Hope you're proud of me pops cause it was alot of effort, and possible more trouble that what it was worth--upsetting my husband.
So, because of my father's advise, I stopped those set of missionaries on the street and talked to them. Really, all I wanted was to find out where the nearest Mormon church to Ross-on-Wye was, in case I wanted to go....but those missionaries keep TALKING and TALKING. James was getting nervous and uncomfortable with them, so I tried to wrap up the conversation but those missionaries tried to do what they do best--ask loads of questions and try to get us to come to church. In the end, they found out we're a new married couple, he lives here, I moved from California, I'm looking for work, i used to go to church but now I don't, we live with his mum, and we're waiting quite a while to have kids. What we got out of that little chat is the address of the nearest church, the time church/sacrement is, the elders' number, an invitation to a ward BBQ(which we couldn't attend anyway cause we truely did have plans), an invitation for the missionaries to come round(which we declined because religion + James' mum = CONFRONTATION), successfully evading giving the elders our number(because it's not our house....and any information we needed we could just stop by the church or ask them), and we learned that the sister elders in their ward are Californian. We spent way to long talking to them, but I got what I needed--the option, if ever I need it. Hope you're proud of me pops cause it was alot of effort, and possible more trouble that what it was worth--upsetting my husband.
PART 2:
Not alot of news, and since I took up so much of this blog with the Serious religious epiphany part, I'll keep it short.
I found some new and interesting stores that remind me of American stores....
Labels.....the UK version of Target.
Labels.....the UK version of Target.
B & Q....the UK 'Home Depot'.
Life on the Dam Barn is a little different this time around. A little more sun and alot more green.
The same goes for the rest of Herefordshire. It makes me happy knowing this is where I'll be living the rest of my life.
James and I had some friends up on Tuesday: Chris, Ben, Louise, and Emily.
I bought a low-fat recipe book for a few quid while James and I were shopping for stuff for our flat. I tried out one of the recipes--a roasted pear and spinich leaf salad--which was pretty good. I look foreward to trying out more new recipes.
The guienea pigs are annoying, but alright. And now the rabbit, Snowy, has a new little friend. James and I went and picked up little Cleo(after Cleopatra, because of the black around her eyes....looks like eyeliner) on Wednesday.
One last thing before I go. I finally got my National Insurance Number(but no card yet), and picked up paperwork to get signed up for 'surgery'(aka the doctor's office).
That's all for now!
-JV
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