What Do You Love?

Editor's note-Megan asked me to clarify a few of the abbreviations in last week's post. YW and YM stand for Young Women and Young Men- the youth program for 12-18 year olds.  RS stands for Relief Society- the women's organization. And YSA stands for Young Single Adult- usually college age individuals. 

Goodnight Belfast (view from my flat)

Hey everyone!

This week got progressively better, so that's good! My favorite part of the week was on Saturday, we went into the city center with 6 elders from the surrounding areas. We set up a whiteboard that said "What Do You Love?" for Valentines Day. Over a hundred people stopped and wrote something! Some good conversations came out of it, my companion and I got 2 potential investigators who wanted to learn more! We met 3 college kids from America. It was really nice to talk to them about life and stuff. 

We taught 2 lessons this week! Problem though...one has severe schizophrenia and the other is the mental age of a 13 year old...It's rough. We taught them all we could, but you know...

We're also teaching this 15 year old girl who knows the church is true, but her family life is complicated.

So ya, that's pretty much my week. A lot of knocking doors, but here it's called "chapping" because you lift their letter box up and down instead of knocking. 

I've decided that the Cavehill Ward is legitimately the "Sister Act" entourage. We've got a young single girl that looks just like the young nun in the movie and a middle aged polish lady that looks like the nun that sings loud and high.  It's so funny.  Most of the women in the ward are widows and are the funniest people I've ever met. They go to Bingo every Saturday. The lesson in Relief Society (the women's organization) yesterday was about how Jesus Christ helps us through our trials. We went around the room and everyone shared one of their their biggest trials. All of their trials consisted of their husbands, children, or siblings dying. It was hard for me to know what to say to them, they have all been through so much here. I'm glad to know and share with others that our Savior will heal our hearts and that we will see our loved ones again.  Oh, and the ladies pass around an oxygen tank during the lesson. I'm not kidding, they all take oxygen shots before they answer a question.  I wonder why we don't do this back home?

Yesterday's Sunday school lesson was about how pride ruins people. It's a common thought here that people who get a bachelors degree think they know more than God. And if you get a PhD in anything science related, you don't believe in God at all. Interesting.

Funny moment of the week: There's a church near our flat with a sign out front that reads, "Our church protects us! 8 months without a member being knifed!" I kid you not. 

So ya, that's my week. Hope you all are doing well! 

-Sister Stapley