Windy Bracknell

Hi Everyone!
I'm so glad that it's finally P-Day and I can email you all! All is well here in Bracknell, England. My companion and I absolutely love each other, and we get along really well! We're trying really hard to get these investigators to commit to baptism, but we can't push it. They have their free agency so they get to choose still. It is raining a lot here! At least once a day, and it's usually pretty cold here. They call it "windy Bracknell" because it is so windy here every day! It's a struggle to keep our skirts from flying all over the place sometimes. We had hail the other day, and unfortunately my companion and I were caught in it because we were walking home. The hail really hurt, and we were soaked when we got home. It was huge chunks of hail too. It looked like it had just snowed, and then the sun came out 10 minutes later. Thankfully my companion and I had good spirits about the hail and walking in it, but the people that saw us probably thought we were insane because all we could do was laugh! It was just so funny to us, and we have a good time together. Summer is on its way for you! We have about two days of summer and that's it (at least that's what I'm told).

So, last P-Day, we got to take a field trip to Oxford (since it's in our zone)! So we got to see all the cool stuff there, which is actually where most of my pictures that I'm sending were taken. We got to see the University and take a free tour of Christ Church! We got to eat lunch with the whole zone too! We didn't go anywhere cool for lunch unfortunately; we just went to Pizza Hut. We meet a lot of Seventh Day Adventists here, and they are very difficult to teach but we are trying very hard! The members here are really nice too. We've seen a huge increase of members wanting to feed us throughout the month so that's good. Last Wednesday, we got to travel to Reading (pronounced Red-ing) for a district meeting which was interesting. Our area is so big that we have to take the train to a lot of places in order for Sister Ball and I to teach there because we are the only missionaries in this big area of Bracknell. But good news! We are going to be getting some Elders in this area soon! Yay! The work is hastening on! Except on some days… we had one day last week where every single one of our investigators flogged us (cancelled on us). So we went knocking, which requires a lot of walking! My feet are doing much better now though, but we walk between three to five miles (sometimes more) per day, and by the end of each day, we are absolutely exhausted! But we still get up at 6:30 every morning and keep working hard!

Last week we got invited to a member’s home for dinner. She lives in Crow Thorne, which is about ten minutes away from us by bus or car. While we were there, we went knocking, got doors slammed in our faces and got yelled at. But instead of being disheartened, my companion and I just got more motivated, which is good! When you have the truth and a strong testimony, no matter what anyone says to you, you know the truth and you need to hold tight to that testimony so that it is not shaken. After knocking in Crow Thorne, we got to drive by Broadmoor Hospital, which is a high security hospital/prison for the criminally insane! Sister Ball and I heard about this hospital and we really wanted to go see it! And we got to, and that was pretty cool. You can only see the outside, but it's still cool to look at.

I got to meet a less active who can't make it to church because he is disabled. His name is Jon, and he is physically and mentally handicapped but he is so sweet! He is actually one of the few people I feel completely comfortable around. We also got to try something called kebabs. They are so good! And they're huge! It's pita bread, some type of meat and vegetables. It's a Turkish meal, but they are very common here in England, and we went to the best truck to get them because the people who make it are actually Turkish! (Kebab trucks are kinda like taco trucks where they park on the street and people just come up to them and order). They are so good and so filling!

Anyway, in the last five days, Sister Ball and I have been able to find 13 potential investigators! And our goal is to find 50 by the end of this transfer which is the end of May, so we are off to a good start! I got to teach Gospel Principles at church yesterday, and I thought that I did a pretty good job. The lesson was The Fall of Adam and Eve and the discussion was really good, so it was a pretty good lesson I thought. We are hoping to get two of our investigators to commit to a baptism date this week, so wish us luck! Going on a mission is seriously one of the best opportunities, and such a great experience! I know that I have only been out for almost a month (four weeks on Thursday!) but I absolutely love it! I love being in the service of my Heavenly Father and teaching others what I know to be the truth about the Gospel of Jesus Christ! I'll write you all next week! I love all of you so much!

Love,

Sister Connery

Part of Oxford University

The view of Oxford (the city) from the top of Saint Mary's Tower

An outside view of Saint Mary's Tower

I don't remember what building this is, but it looks cool!

I don't remember what this building is either :)

This is a historical bridge (that's what Sister Ball said) so I took a picture!

Harry Potter! This is a shop that has basically everything to do with Harry Potter! I nearly cried at the sight of it! :)

This is part of the gardens outside of Christ Church

I know that this just looks like a picture of some stairs but it's not! These are the stairs that they filmed part of Harry Potter on! Do you remember in the Sorcerer's Stone when Neville lost his toad and he found at the top of the steps in Hogwarts? These are those stairs!!! :)

 

This is my companion (Sister Ball) and I standing in front of a fountain at Christ Church

 

 

I love this picture! This is what Sister Ball and I see every morning when we go jogging. It reminds me of that scene at the end of Pride and Prejudice (the new version) when Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are walking toward each other through the field. I love that movie! And I love this view! :)

Birth

Hello everyone!
As you have obviously heard, I am now in the mission field, which in missionary lingo, means that I have been born! I'm so glad that things at home are going so well and that because of my decision, great blessings are being poured upon our family! I'm glad that I am able to be a good example for Sam, Grace, and Adam and I am happy that Adam has decided to serve a mission because it is so wonderful! It's hard sometimes, to have people slam doors in your face, or stand in front of you and tell you that you are wrong, but our faith is built on the foundation of Jesus Christ. Sometimes our faith is shaken, but our foundation never moves, so our faith shouldn't either. I did get to watch all of General Conference finally! It was a wonderful conference and the talks were great as well. I have only been out for a two and half weeks and I already love it! I still pray for each and every one of you, every day! It's amazing how many prayers you say every day in the mission field! I don't think I've ever prayed as much or as hard for anything before! But it sure helps you out!

We now have 2 hours in the field for emailing! Thank goodness! It's nice not to be rushed. Before we left the MTC, we got to go to Manchester to talk to people and that was such a cool experience! My MTC companion and I gave out 3 Books of Mormon! So we were pretty happy about that. Unfortunately, my MTC companion and I had to part ways to go into the mission field. But I have a new companion! Her name is Sister Ball and she is awesome! She's from Idaho too! She's from southern Idaho, around Rexburg, but it's still cool. Our mission president, President Millar is also from Idaho, so when we got our picture taken with him and his wife, he called us his two Idaho sisters.

Last Sunday, before we left the MTC, we had a testimony meeting that was three and half hours long! There were 61 of us at the MTC and President Edwards asked us all to bear our testimonies. It was a great meeting though. The Spirit was so strong! I didn't give a really long testimony like a lot of people because earlier that day I had to give a talk in Sacrament meeting. On Wednesday they had asked all 61 of us to prepare a 5-minute talk on the Atonement. Then on Sunday in Sacrament meeting, they announced who would give their talks. They selected 5 people so I had a 1 in 12 chance. And I got chosen! I was so scared! I was shaking so bad but I got up and did it anyway.

We also had to say goodbye to our brilliant teachers, Brother Rojas and Brother Loynes, which was kinda sad but we made some great memories! I am now serving in Bracknell, England, and we are the only missionaries in this area, and it's a big place. There is only one ward here but the members have been so kind and welcoming. So far I've gotten to work with only a few of our investigators but one investigator that we taught the first lesson to on Friday brought a friend to the lesson. We taught them both the lesson, gave them both Books of Mormon, and they both said yes to baptism once they got confirmation that the church is true! We were so excited! We also had our investigators Angie and Penny come to church yesterday which was so cool to have them there. We've been walking so much so far that I've got tons of blisters on my feet! I think I have blisters on my blisters! But it's okay because the work that I am doing is more important than the comfort of my feet.

So in sacrament meeting yesterday, they had me come up and bear my testimony and tell everyone a little about me. Earlier in the day, I was talking to the Stake Patriarch, Brother Boyle, and he asked where I was from and I told him that I was from Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. So after I finished talking and sat down, Brother Boyle was the next speaker and he got up and told the congregation that "Coeur d'Alene is the Garden of Eden of the States. It's just absolutely beautiful!" I thought that was so nice of him, and it's totally true!

I am glad that everything is going well at home, and I will continue to pray for everyone! The church is true, no matter where you go! Always remember that! I can't wait to see what you all tell me next week! Have a great week! I love you all!

Love,
Sister Connery

EDITOR'S NOTE: Sister Connery sent the following pictures this week, but she didn't give us any captions! So we'll all have to guess what these pictures are of until she can shed some light ... in 18 months or so :)

Letter of Departure

ENGLAND MISSIONARY TRAINING CENTRE

Temple Way, Hartwood Green, Chorley,

Lancashire, PR6 7EQ, England                                       

April 13, 2013

Dear Brother and Sister Connery,

Your daughter will be departing from the England Missionary Training Centre on Wednesday, April 17.  We want you to know how much we have enjoyed having her with us. 

Sister Connery is a fine young woman and we are grateful for the opportunity we have had to work with her on a daily basis. She is well-prepared for her mission and she continues each day to grow spiritually.  She is developing good teaching skills and is excited about the work.  She is ready for full time service in the England London South Mission.

We love this young woman and are grateful to you for all you have done to prepare her for this wonderful time in her life.  Your love and continued support are important to her success.   Letters from home are always greatly anticipated and appreciated.  Please address all future mail to:

England London South Mission

The London Temple

West Park Road

Newchapel, Surrey

RH7 6NB England

United Kingdom

May you and your family be blessed as she continues to serve our Heavenly Father.

Sincerely,

President and Sister Edwards

President and Sister Edwards

President and Sister Durkin

I'm Here!

Hi everyone!

So, I have arrived safely at the England Missionary Training Centre! I am having a blast so far! I get along great with my roommates, and my MTC companion, Sister Hymas. Here at the MTC, there's no time to be homesick. They have you doing something every second of every day! But I still miss you guys! So what did you all think of conference?! Can you believe that there are 65,634 missionaries currently serving?! And I AM ONE OF THEM! :) I am so blessed with this opportunity to serve the Lord! Do y'all remember when Sister Dalton was talking about that stone in the garden? The one that said, "What-e'er thou art, act well thy part"? Well, we have one just like it here at the MTC in our lobby! How cool is that?! :)

So how is everyone doing? Be sure to tell everyone I love them all very much! I pray for you all every day, and I know that Heavenly Father will watch over all of you! I'm glad that because of my decision, I seem to be making changes in people's lives. Heavenly Father knew that I needed to do this, and I will NOT fail him!

 

So, the food here at the MTC is awesome! The chef, Brother Barnett, is so cool! He gives the girls candy bars when no one else is looking. ;) His cooking is fantastic too! Some of the stranger food that we have had were lamb chops (I don't think I've had those before), and cereal with warm milk (gross!). So far it's all been good food though. We even got to have Yorkshire Pudding! It was so good! Oh, and y'all will be so proud of me! We had SALMON last night for dinner, and I ATE it! It was actually pretty good. It wasn't fishy, but I knew what it was immediately because I could still smell it. But I was still pretty pleased with myself for eating it. 

 

Being here is just so great! We have such great (and funny!) teacheres, and I have learned a TON! The Spirit here is so strong, and I can feel it all the time! That is how I know I am in the right place! We got to go to the temple here in Preston this morning, and it was an amazing experience to go to the temple in another country! It was just as good as the first time I went! Well, next week is the week that we will leave the MTC and go out in the field! I am so excited to get out there and preach the gospel! This really is an amazing work, and I would highly recommend a mission to all people! It has already been such a wonderful experience, and I can't wait to go out and teach the people in the London South Mission! Have a great week everyone! I love you all!

Love,
~Sister Connery

See You in 18 Months!

Casey flew to London, England on Wednesday to begin her mission! In a last-minute change of plans, the whole family decided to drive to Salt Lake City so Casey could fly out with some of the other missionaries also heading to the England MTC. Since Casey had already been set apart as a missionary and was living under mission rules on Tuesday, spending the day driving was perfect! She got to spend quality time playing Go Fish with Sam, Grace and Adam and enjoyed talking with Mom during the drive. They arrived at Chris' house Tuesday evening and were up bright and early Wednesday morning to head to the airport. Casey said her goodbyes to most of the family at Chris' house and then drove up to the airport with Chris and Mom. There were definitely some tears shed, but overall, everyone is very excited for her! There were seven other missionaries, three sisters and four elders, at the airport also heading to London, which made the goodbye part easier for everyone. Casey was already loving talking to the others and sharing their excitement! After a few more pictures, it was time to board and away she went! Her P-day in the MTC is Wednesday so we won't hear from her until then, but in the meantime, I know we'll all be praying for her! Her MTC address is to the right if anyone wants to send letters!

The last mother-daughter photo opportunity for 18 months!

Ready to serve!

One last look

Goodbye Sister Connery!

It's Official!

Casey was set apart Monday night as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by her Stake President, Aaron Nichols. She leaves Wednesday to fly to the Missionary Training Center in London, England. Her address there is:

Sister Casey Yvonne Connery
England London South Mission
England Missionary Training Center
Temple Way
Chorley
Lancashire
England PR6 7EQ

She would love to receive letters!

Sister Casey Connery! 

It's not official until you're wearing the name tag :)