Doing the WORK! Norwich week 5

Hello!!

Wow is has been a crazy week!! So first off, your questions. My week was absolutely amazing!! You will soon hear why. Zone Conference was awesome! We learned about the Book of Mormon and how to better use it in teaching. It was really useful and I learned so much! Zone Conference is where 2 or 3 zones meet together and President and Sister Jordan and the Assistants come and give us trainings and we eat lunch together and do fun activities! ha We have them every other transfer, the transfers without Zone Conferences we have interviews with President so our whole Zone will meet together and President Interviews us one by one and while he does that Sister Jordan and the Assistants give trainings. I loved Zone Conference and seeing all the other missionaries! I met Elder Wright-he's black so we aren't related.. haha ;) but he was way cool and we took pictures together with our tags! I also got to see Sister McNamee from the MTC!!!!! IT WAS THE BEST! I have missed her so much and I know she is one of those people I will be friends with forever! We are going to start praying that sometime in the next year and a half we will be companions! ha :) Also, I was talking to one of the Assistants, Elder Torres, and I don't know if I ever told you guys about E from Watford, the Ghanaian that was so close to baptism but would never do anything because everyone from Ghana doesn't understand commitment. He had even had his baptismal interview and then didn't show up to church the week before his baptism cause he missed a bus so he couldn't be baptised, long story short it was extremely frustrating, but Elder Torres told me that he is getting baptised!! Like for real!! Like he called the Sisters there and is coming to church on his own and reading on his own and wow!! I about fell over when I heard I was so excited!! He was excited as well cause he served in Watford a transfer or two before I got there!!! I just couldn't believe it! God is a God of miracles! Next question, the whole mission doesn't meet together unless we have a mission conference, which only happens if a General Authority comes.. So there isn't one in the near future. Like stated earlier, I had an interview with President last transfer and I will have one again next transfer. Also, at Zone Conference I got two of the greatest things ever. The first, a HUGE hug from Sister Jordan who smiled at me and said, "That is from your mom" I was so happy!!! Then we were talking later and she said, " Oh and your mom says to tell you that she loves you to the moon and back infinity times!!" Ahhh momma thank you so much!! That made my whole day! Sister Jordan is doing a good job at filling in since you cant be here! I love her so much!!! :) But don't worry, she isn't doing as good as you did and I still miss you lots! We teach lots of people every day, and a list of names is boring so I will tell you a couple miracles that happened this week. First of all, the lady that drives us to church every week is named Anne Murray, she is about 36 and joined the church 20 years ago and has served a mission. Her mom however, has never been baptised and didn't really want anything to do with the church but we have been asking Sister Murray about her every week. A couple weeks ago she said that her mom had mentioned that she had read a little of the Book of Mormon and we were shocked! We asked Sister Murray to ask her mum if we could stop by sometime but Sister Murray didn't do it. Then, Friday morning we got a call... It was Sister Murray saying that her mom had phoned her that morning and said she wanted to come to church and asked if she would need to meet with the Sisters (us) before she could be baptised!!!! SHUT THE FRONT DOOR!!! cool right?!? So Sister Murray was like ya mum you need to meet with the missionaries and her mum was like well invite them over tonight and I will cook for them and they can teach me!!! So we of course moved our plans around and went over to Geraldines house that night!! She accepted everything we taught and when we asked if she had any questions she responded with, "When can you come back next?" WOW!!! She is on date to be baptised October 25th but it might even be sooner! Another thing, as you know our mission has a goal to get 50 baptisms this month.. We were driving with the Zone Leaders last night to have dinner at the Ward Mission leaders home and they got a call from the Assistants saying that we are currently sitting at 48 and if there is anyone who is ready to be baptised and can then we should do it! Well Elder Nolan looks at us and says, "Sisters, is M ready to be baptised?" And long story short we said yes and he is getting baptised tomorrow night!!! We have a lot of planning to do today and Sister Martineau was a little hesitant at first but we both know he is ready and me being a very goal driven person was ready to make it happen so that is what we are currently doing today!! haha also shopping and emailing you but also planning a ninja baptism! Also this last week there was the ward talent show!! Sister Martineau managed to learn cotton-eyed joe in like 4 days!!! She is just the greatest! So we performed that then I did a little single thing then Elder Mortinsen came out and we turned pop-ups while Sister Martineau jumped and then I went in a did a frog then I taught Elder Mortinsen to do push-us and crabs so he did some of those!! It was awesome! The ward loved it! Especially the little kids!! :) Who knew jump rope would make me such a popular missionary!!! ha So next question, we will listen to the womens conference on Saturday from 1pm-3pm then watch the Saturday morning session live from 5pm-7pm then on Sunday we watch Saturday afternoon from 1pm-3pm then Sunday morning live from 5pm-7pm and as for Sunday afternoon we just wait for the Ensign! ha and we watch it at the church in case non members show up and so that our investigators can come. Next transfers are next week!! Good thing you asked that or I would have forgotten, we will be emailing Tuesday next week instead of Monday because it will be calls day on Monday, p-day Tuesday, and moves day Wednesday. My predictions are that I will stay, Sister Martineau will go. Also that Elder Nolan (one of our Zone Leaders) will go but his companion Elder Johnson will stay. And Elder Mortinsen(District Leader) will go, but his companion Elder Brunstad will stay and maybe be our new District Leader. So those are my guesses and we will see what happens next week! I cant believe I have already been out two transfers!! WOW!! Other than the Castle we haven't done much on p-days except that we go into Cath Kidston EVERY WEEK to look around! Don't worry, I don't buy things every week. And I have been a lot better at spending money this transfer. I had to buy some medicine and tights but everything else that has been purchased is part of your Christmas presents!! :) Im so excited to send them!! Also, with the package, if it wont get here by today or early tomorrow then I wont get it for about another month. So I really hope it was sent so that it gets here today... cause I really need that hair stuff and I want to see that skirt! But if not, patience is a Christlike Attribute so I will live! :) haha I think that is all of the questions and all there is about this week! It has been pretty eventful! I am so thankful to all of you that allow me to be here in this brilliant country serving the Lord. I love this England and I love this work. I know that the Lord is shaping me into the person he wants me to be and I am so thankful for that! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

I love you to the moon and back infinity times!

Your favourite missionary,

Sister Wright 

*This is Abby's testimony she wrote in her letter to Sophie.

I want you to know that I know that Heavenly Father loves us. He knows you and He knows me. He knows our wants and our needs and even our mistakes and He loves us more than we can ever imagine. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It was written by prophets that really lived. These people were real, they aren't just characters in a story, they were real, and we can learn so much from them. I know that the Book of Mormon is proof that Joseph Smith was a prophet. That he was called before any of us came to earth to do such a great work. I love studying more about him and the revelations he received from the Lord more about the true church of Jesus Christ. This church is real. It is true. It is Gods Kingdom on the Earth and I am so lucky that I get to serve the Lord and help him progress the work and to help our brothers and sisters grow closer to him.

Abby and Sister Jacobsmeyer on splits

Abby in Norwich

Abby and Sister Jacobsmeyer at Zone Conference

Sister WRIGHT and Elder WRIGHT

Abby and Sister Martineau

Abby with Sister from the England MTC
Sister McNamee

*This is Kathy I wanted to post a wonderful email I received from Abby's first companion. I sent Sister Pope and email and told her how grateful our family was for her training Abby and this was her response.

Hi Kathy!!

Oh my goodness I cannot even tell you how much I LOVED serving with Sister Wright! We are always going to be the best of friends, and I am so excited to meet your family!! 

It was so hard for us to leave, but I hear she is doing wonderful things up in north!! I hope your family is doing well! Tell the girls I said hello :)

Thank you so much for your incredible daughter! She was such a blessing, and we will always treasure the chance we had to serve together.

Love you!! 

Hello from the "British Transplant in Norwich" week 4

 Our week has been really good! We have found a lot of new investigators this week and taught a lot of lessons! If you remember the guy from last weeks email, the one that we found because Sister Martineau kept asking if he knew Elder Nolan, well his name is M and he is on date to get baptised on Oct. 4th!! crazy right? That definitely wasn't a coincidence, but it was hilarious! This week we had an exchange on Wednesday (when one of us goes to the sister training leader's area and one of the sister training leaders comes here) So Sister J
 and I were here in Norwich and it was super fun! I mean nothing different really happens, you just have a different companion for the day! So ya that is who is in my pictures from this week :) ha We have Zone Conference this Tuesday so that will be fun to see President and Sister Jordan and learn from them! :) Since you haven't sent my package, you don't need to worry about getting it here until the end of September, because the next time someone will bring mail from the Mission Office is well, tomorrow, then after that not till the beginning of October! So no worries :)!! Thank you! :)

 Well, this is weird not having any questions to answer! I don't really know what to say. Maybe I need you to send lots of questions cause its easier to tell you things when you ask about them! It is starting to get a lot colder here, but I like it! Mostly cause it means we can drink a lot more hot chocolate!!!! :) (My favourite is the vanilla hot chocolate from Starbucks, just in case you were wondering!) Oh I know what to tell you guys!!!! So on Saturday, the ward is having a talent show, or a variety show they are calling it. Well apparently when you're a missionary you're supposed to have talents you can just pull out of your pocket and do. Sister Martineau can play the piano and sing, but as you all know I cant sing. haha So... Guess what we are doing?!?! JUMP ROPE!!! haha for our exercise every morning I am teaching her cotton-eyed-joe and we are going to perform it! She is actually really good so it will be fun! ha who knew I would ever perform jump rope on my mission?!? Also one of the Elders doesn't know what to do for his talent so he is going to jump with us! haha its actually our District Leader, Elder M. haha so that should be interesting. We are trying to find double dutch ropes so that we could do double dutch, but I honestly have no idea when we are going to practice so ya.. haha it should be interesting especially since I technically haven't jumped in like 6 years!! haha Also, on a more spiritual note. I don't know if I told you this already but they had a European womens broadcast here a little while ago, like a week or two, and Elder Bednar spoke about the enabling power of the atonement and left a challenge for everyone to take a new copy of the Book of Mormon and go through and mark all the examples or teachings of the enabling power of the Atonement and promised that as we do so our relationship with the Saviour will grow and we will come to know him even more. I have started to do this and it WORKS!!!! I know that I am coming to know my Saviour more and more everytime I read the Book of Mormon but especially as I look for the strength he gives his people. I am also marking all of the times where Christ is testified of, if that makes sense. And it has built my testimiony so much that the Book of Mormon really is another testament of Jesus Christ. So I know that you all don't have an hour every morning to study but I extend the same challenge to you. Take a brand spanking new copy of the Book of Mormon, and start reading from the beginning, marking everytime it talks about Christ in red and everytime it talks about the enabling power of the Atonement in blue (ya know, or whatever other colors you wanna use) I promise that if you do this it really will change your relationship with the Saviour. You will come to know him more, just as I have! So that is my spiritual thought/idea/challenge for you!! :) But other than that we are doing great up here in Norwich! Life is good and being a missionary is brilliant! Thanks for everything momma. I love you more than you will ever know and I miss you so much. I hope you're still doing ok without me ;) haha I love you to the moon and back infinity times!
Your favourite missionary,
Sister Wright

Zone Conference with Cambridge, Colchester and Norwich zones.
picture thanks to Sister Jordan Mission Presidents wife
Abby is front row second from the left

One week older and WISER too! (Norwich week 3)

Hey mama!!

SO many questions!! But I will try to answer them all. I REALLY am doing awesome! The work here is different than the work in Watford and I am getting used to it! :) It is beautiful up here and not as crazy as Watford, since Watford was technically part of London, I miss the business but its nice that its more calm here, you would like it here more than down there. I got BAD sinusitis this week, but ya know, the enabling power of the atonement is real. I prayed to have enough strength and energy to make it til I got home every night and that is exactly how much I had. I would get home and just collapse. But I am doing lots, lots better now! I started taking Sudafed when I felt it coming on but it came anyway. Long story short Im alright now :) The videos wont load by themselves, I've tried everything. But if I have time I will try to send it in an email. Also, I wanted Soph to know that I was thinking about her all day on her birthday, so I made a 'HAPPY BIRTHDAY SOPH' poster, but each letter was on a separate piece of paper and I carried them around with me all day and took pictures with them by things here in Norwich and just random things. I already uploaded them to drop box but that is what they spell so that you arent confused, and yes I did it on her birthday.  I am gonna try to send one to Kels this week cause the little stinker hasnt emailed me yet!!!! So Sister Martineau is studying to be a nutritionist so I eat real healthy!! And guess what?? I actually feel better! Dont get me wrong, we still eat chocolate but we make sure we eat enough fruits and vegtables each day and it makes us happy :) This flat isnt actually a flat.. ITS A HOUSE!!! I walked in and I was amazed! I will upload pictures of it next week if I remember to take them... haha... Sister Martineau is just the greatest and we get along wonderfully. She has been out 14 months and is called my follow-up trainer. She says to tell you that she has red hair and that she will be a fabulous grandma one day.. haha I make fun of her and call her grandma sometimes cause she is so caring and kind and she speaks quietly and slowly like a grandma.. but mostly I call her grandma because a nice old lady in the ward gave her grandma shoes!! HAHAHA they are hilarious! She wore them once cause I mean how could you not? they are RAD!! We do service A LOT! Especially for a lady named A who the sisters and elders have been doing service for for a really really long time. But for the first time ever this week we got to teach her! It was the most amazing lesson and the spirit was so strong. She is catholic so we went through the dates of the great apostasy with her and she flat out said "The Catholic church is rubbish and full of men who steal money from people." So there you have it! haha it was definitely a miracle! I love that my testimony grows with every lesson I teach. Helping people come to Christ is honestly the greatest thing in the entire world. I LOVE THIS WHOLE MISSION THING!!!! I dont get to see Pres. and Sister Jordan much anymore. But every transfer I will get to see them at least once. This transfer we have Zone Conference not this coming week but the next week so that will be super awesome! So on p-days we always email, clean, and grocery shop, also sometimes we other shop but this week we went and got my hair cut cause it was being real nasty and we played football(soccer) and basketball with the Elders! It was soooo fun! I defs showed up some of the Elders at football and Sister Martineau also killed it. So.. sorry I had to spend personal money on the hair cut or I would have run out of money for eating the rest of the month. I dont know how the mission money thing works, we usually barely have enough to eat every month. But then again we eat A LOT so if we didnt eat as much we probably would have enough money.. But we have to stay nourished cause we walk. Also, side note, the lady in the picture whose hair I am dying, that is A. And yes, apparently now I die hair so theres that. :)

Ok funny story for the week.. Last week we were on a bus and this turkish man kept looking at us and looking at our tags all funny, Sister Martineau leaned over me and said "Do you know Elder Nolan(one of our Zone Leaders)?" and he said "No but I want to be Christian." So i was like ya man we can help you with that and started to explain a little about our church and Sister Martineau again goes, "Do you know Elder Nolan?" And the guy kinda just looks at her funny and I keep going and explain to him where church is and what time it is and Sister Martineau again, louder this time goes, "DO YOU KNOW ELDER NOLAN??" and the guy looks at her and goes, "Who is Elder Nolan??" haha after we got off the bus she explained to me that he looks exactly like one of the Elders former investigators, and we laughed for ages!!! haha so eventually we ended up getting his number and telling him where and when church was. Well Sunday comes around and he calls so he can get a lift for church. So we set one up and he came all 3 hours and LOVED it!! He was even taking notes and paying attention super well. The sacrament meeting talked were on the restoration, perfect right?? This church is true. And afterwards he said, wow I loved the story about Joseph smith and we have an appointment to meet with him this wednesday!!!! He was definately a miracle! Also, yes, he met Elder Nolan. hahaha it was a funny miracle!! :) Well that is about all for this week I think! We are doing well here in Norwich and loving serving the Lord! This work is going to move forward with or without us, so we are lucky to be a part of it! Love you so much mum!!!!!
To the moon and back infinity times,
your favorite missionary,
Sister Wright

A little about Norwich and other Missionary Experiences (week 2)

Hello mama!!
Things here in Norwich are great... Basically I decided you can sum Norwich up like this:
1. Fabulous member missionaries
2. old people... they are EVERYWHERE!
3. stray cats.

So there you have it! That is Norwich! We are doing wonderful though and I am starting to love it! We went to the castle this week instead of last because it was cheaper this week. But other than that we have been doing missionary work! This past week started out pretty hard but we prayed a lot and the work was a lot better on Saturday and Sunday. I have really learned that as I stop worrying about myself and my wants and needs that it is easier to help others and makes things a lot more enjoyable!! Sunday we had an appointment with a 50 year old man who was 100% Church of England without a single spot. We had a feeling going in that it would be a hard lesson because Anglicans are not very accepting, especially when we inform them that their church was started by a King because he wanted to divorce his wife.(look up church of England background or I will explain that more if you don't understand.) But we prayed really hard and right before I realized that the appointment was going to be whatever I decided it was going to be. If I thought it was going to be miserable then it was. So I decided that it was going to be really really good. Turns out, it was. He told us straight out that he realizes that his church has some false doctrines and that it isn't really from God because it was started by the King with no power or authority from God. He was so excited to read the Book of Mormon and told us straight up that it would be incredibly hard for him to change his religion but if he receives the answer that this is true then he knows this  is what he will have to do!!! How cool is that?!?! I know that Heavenly Father softened his heart and basically we as missionaries are not the teachers at all, all we do is help the spirit teach. So that is the cool story for the week!!

And about the package.. we have a lot of ensigns and such.. but TIDE TO GO PENS!!! then don't exist here, maybe 1 or 2 would do cause I still have about 2 left!  other than that I don't really need anything :) maybe some CTR rings for the kids would be cute and just anything cool that you can find at deseret book, but I would rather have money than things if you know what I mean.  just no chocolate cause really, American chocolate is absolute rubbish!!

We email from the library in Norwich! Its actually a HUGE place and it is really cool! We take the bus everywhere but run every morning. I am addicted to these chocolate ice cream things called Magnum bars.. The white chocolate ones!!!  Im sorry that it feels like groundhog day, if it makes you feel any better the only difference between days on a mission is what you are wearing! haha you do the same exact thing every day.. but its ok :) Its fun!!! :)

 Also... AHHHHH about soph surprise birthday party!! That is so sweet! Your like the poshest mum eva!!! ;) haha she will love it!! Make sure you take flat abby so that she can be there!! :) Take lots of pictures! And thank you again so much for all the quotes  that you put in your emails! I love them!! :)
I love you to the moon and back infinity times!! Your the greatest momma and don't you ever forget it! Read your scriptures and say your prayers! xoxo
Sister Wright

Abby and Sister Martineau

castle dungeon

Abby and Sister Martineau on a rainy England day

Norwich District

What a week! (1st week in Norwich)

Hi mommy :)
 So about the baptism last week, his name was T. We actually found him in my second week and he was so ready for the gospel. We taught him the word of wisdom and just like that he was like ok I wont drink or smoke anymore. So ya, that was easy!! Long story short, we baptised him right before I left and Im so sad that I cant still be there because him mom came to his baptism and to church the next sunday and we had an appointment set up to meet with her but I never got to :( Hopefully Sister Pope will baptise her :) Norwich is, well, a lot different than Watford. I love big cities so being so close to London was incredible. There is a lot more country side up here and A LOT MORE ENGLISH PEOPLE!! London is a melting pot so there really weren't a ton of English people.. but don't worry, I found them all.. They are up here! I do love it though!! :) It is so beautiful and to be honest, I can do missionary work anywhere so I just love being in England!!! Watford also had a lot more young people and young families which I loved but there are mostly old people up here, they are cute too though :) I love being a missionary!!!!!! So you know how you always got mad at me for not saying hi to people in the halls when I saw them or things like that? Well don't you worry one bit. I say hi to everyone, and I can carry on a conversation whether the person actually wants to talk to me or not! That is something I learned from Sister Pope! Most missionaries, especially Sister missionaries hate finding (meaning talking to people on the street) and being bold. But as I was on the train to Norwich I realized that two things I learned from Sister Pope were that 1. Finding is the funnest thing EVER! and 2. Being bold is just how you do missionary work and those two things have really really helped me! Having Sister Pope as my trainer really has changed my mission and I don't know how I would be if I hadn't started out with her, please make sure to tell her mom thanks for me! But Norwich is wonderful and Sister Martineau is FABULOUS!! haha she is from California and ran cross country in high school and also did a marathon before she came on a mission, so cool right?? I was like wow girl, you win! haha we run every morning!! She is very very sweet and kind, she is always thinking of others and is so great with all the older people in the ward! They love her so much! We also have gone tracting a lot, which we NEVER ONCE did in Watford! I cant decide how I feel about it yet so I will get back to you on that. Right now we are teaching the cutest guy named P. He has some sort of mental handicap but he is definitely accountable and is so nice. He has to stop smoking though and that is a little bit of a problem. He smokes more than 20 a day currently. AHHH!! Cool story though, we wanted to put him on date (for baptism) but we didn't have time to after church on Sunday. After church on Sunday we had to go up to North Walsham to a little sacrament meeting they have there once a month in a home for some eldery people who cant make it down to Norwich. So we rode with our Zone Leaders, Elder J (Boise,ID) and Elder N (Manchester,UK) there and we called P on the way back. Sister Martineau was talking to him for a while and he just didn't know for sure and he wanted to do it Joseph Smith style, meaning that he wants to go to all the other churches first. Sister Martineau did really really well at calming his fears and he said he might be ready to be baptised by January. then he wanted to talk to me, so I got on the phone and talked to him for a bit and said again that he wanted to do it Joseph Smith style but I was like, paul, listen, Joseph Smith had to go to lots of different churches because there wasn't a true one around. You just said you know this is true so why would you want to go to other churches and he was like ya good point. So I was like Paul I know you have the faith to stop smoking and we also have the faith that you can. and this is something you need to do because you know it is true so will you prepare to be baptised on October 4? and he agreed!!! The Zone Leaders were like wow we are really impressed! I was so happy, and probably a little bit prideful but I know without the Lords help I wouldn't have been able to do that! haha sometimes I think that I am the Dennis and Sister Martineau is the Suzi, except im very loving when Im bold haha! So don't take that the wrong way, I just push people because just like Elder Bednar I think it was said in a talk that a truck can sit there with its wheels spinning and spinning but until they put pressure on the back it didn't move anywhere. In order to get people to change you have to help them understand that they need to do so.
Also, I got new scriptures. Sister Martineau talked me into getting a smaller set because the other ones just kill your back and shoulders to carry around all day. So I got little ones! I Will still study from my big ones but take the others to teach so my bag isn't as heavy! I don't know if this is a good thing or a bad thing but I am not homesick at all! I think about you guys all the time and I miss you but this is where I need to be and this is what I need to be doing and so I don't wish I was home, this is my home for the next year and 4 months! :) and momma you have to come back here to see it! It is incredible! You would love it!!!! Sorry I haven't taken any pictures this week.. im so embarrassed. I have just been so busy with everything! But we are going to the Norwich castle after this so you will get some of that next week! I love you so much and I hope you have a wonderful week!  Thank you for the quotes, they make my week every week! Don't ever stop sending them! I love Norwich and I love Sister Martineau!
I love you to the moon and back infinity times!!!!!
Your favorite missionary,
Sister Wright

Also, don't send American chocolate in the package. Its absolute rubbish. Im officially a chocolate snob.  :) LOVES!!

Abby and Sister Pope along with the Elders sang at the baptism

Abby, Sister Pope, "T", his mother, Watford YSA ward members

Abby, Sister Pope "T" and his mother.