From Sage

Sage wrote an e-mail she wanted me to send to everyone! 

Hello everyone! 

    It's been a beautiful (rainy) week over the pond here in Preston, England (we're actually in Chorley but no one really knows nor cares where that is so we just say Preston). I didn't write an email last week (I know it's horrible) because I felt like it would be about 90 pages with how long those days felt. Looking back they went so fast though which is incredible. So I be will summarizing the highlights for your entertainment! 

    Beginning with travel which was not as bad as I expected because I was asleep for most of the flight over here. So knocked out and still in fact, that the lady next to me decided I would be an excellent table to hold her things! I now know if my career options fall through, I have a promising path as an in flight shelf.

 The rest of the trip was alright and I got the honor of being pulled by the UK airport security but now I get to avoid the joys of flying for the next 18 months. The roads here are all backwards and the signs make no sense, but the scenery makes up for it! There are hills everywhere with few trees and everything is so green! The sun was even out on the first day and the mission president's wife, sister Donaldson, even made a point to have us look out the window and said “look at the beautiful sunrise, don't get used to it”. I have seen the sun once since then and only for 20 minutes… but that's okay the rain has been consistent at least! 

The next thing that needs to be talked about is the food… if you're reading this and you will one day be training at the England MTC plug your ears and close your eyes. Let me begin by saying I am so so grateful for the meals that people have prepared and the time they have put into making sure we are all fed, but my taste buds are desperate for flavor. The food over here feels a lot better for you and the texture of everything is so different than home, but the flavor is just on holiday. My wonderful family came to the rescue and sent this poor American some spices and seasonings from home and I can now say that the meals have a taste . 

They found a Dominos. 

She said it was the best Pizza EVER!

We've got to go to the temple so much these past couple of days which has been such and amazing thing to experience. I've never been in a place where I can just walk to the temple and I don't know if I'll have an opportunity like that again so I'm super grateful for it. I have seen and felt the Lord's hand in my life so much these past couple of days and I feel as though I've already grown so much closer to Him. 

This past week has been a rollercoaster of meeting new people, learning the ins and outs of missionary work, and finding my place here. I've already collected some great memories that I know will last me through my mission and life thanks to the amazing missionaries I have met and been able to learn with! We've had amazing discussions that have given me so much more insight into things that I hadn't even considered before. This week has been so full of fun and laughter with every moment being a new confirmation that I'm where God needs me to be. From singing Christmas songs on the way to town, to bandaging our wounds in the bathroom, I have had so much fun and am grateful for this opportunity I've been blessed with. 

I will just end by saying, the Lord knows where you need to be. If you told me a year ago that I would be in England serving a mission and actually enjoying it, I would've said you were absolutely crazy. I could've never imagined how much joy I would be finding especially in only the first week. I know the only way in which I'm finding my peace is through the Savior and his example. The more I read of His life and study His example, the more I can know of how deeply He understands My situation and how He can guide me through it. I've seen His hand in my life and I've especially seen His light in all these amazing people I'm surrounded by. I know that no matter what happens in the field, as long as we all share God's light through our actions and words, we can all make a difference! 

Sister Russell 

(everyone's favorite Russell) 

I look forward to Fridays when we get the chance to talk with her. She gives us the laughs of the week, the spiritual highs, and what she is learning. For example, in the UK, you have to do the peace sign showing the palm of your hand not the back of your hand. To them it is like the middle finger in our culture!!