Hello Winter!

Sorry to email so late, but today was zone P-day. We had to all get together at a chapel down in Grimsby, and didn’t have time to email this morning. We watched some movies together and played some cards, so that was fun. The sisters in our zone are still outnumbered 6 to about 20 probably. I love the pictures you sent of Claire, especially the one of you holding her. She is just too cute! I can’t wait to see more pictures of her as she grows the next year and a half. I hope you are enforcing the mandate I gave Jacob, that he shows her a picture of me every night. In fact, why not just paint a giant mural of me on her ceiling? That way she will be sure to recognize me when I get home. Ha ha.

This week has been good, but it’s just gotten so cold so fast! Last week it still felt like summer, and now it feels like full blown winter. It’s given me whiplash, but I’m trying to keep warm somehow. I’ve pretty much bid the sun farewell at this point. We’ve been instructed to take daily Vitamin D to supplement for the lack of sun. So sad. I miss that warm Arizona sunshine. Luckily the heat in our flat functions well, so we always come back to a warm, cozy place to sleep. I did find a variety of warm tights at Primark thank goodness, but more are always welcome. I will for sure get the package soon. I don’t know why it got screened and taxed, but I feel like they are profiling packages from Utah because Sister Lam said that her previous companion was also from Utah and that happened to her as well. It hasn’t ever happened to any of the packages she’s received from the U.S. I’m not sure if it is random or not, but it’s annoying. I’m sure the other envelope will make it to our flat safe and sound, don’t worry too much about it.

Last week Sister Lam had an idea to start up a weekly Family Home Evening night for the Chinese members that are younger students. We thought it might be a more casual way for members to invite friends to a church event and just be able to feel the spirit in a less intimidating environment than church. We held it for the first time on Wednesday in a British member’s home who lives nearby, and it seemed to be pretty successful. We did it in her front room, which has a nice electric fire, and so it was nice and toasty after a rainy day. We just had a short spiritual thought at the beginning, sang some Chinese hymns, played some games, and ate some cookies. It was good, and hopefully can become something bigger as we continue to hold it.

I accompanied the mom of a boy who got baptized in the ward on Sunday. She played the flute, and I accompanied her on the piano. It was fun to be able to perform. She was so grateful that I was able to do it with her, she gave me this huge box of candy to tell me thanks.  She also fed us dinner this week and told me that if I bring my parents to England one day, we will all have to stay at her house. Last night we were having a meeting with all the missionaries in the ward, talking about upcoming baptisms in the ward. One of the investigators of one of the sets of elders, knows that I play the harp, and she told one of them that she wants me to play the harp at her baptism. I told them that if they can find me one, I would love to. Fat chance here in Hull.

Thanks for the love and support this week.  It really keeps me going, and will keep me warm this week.

Cheers!

XOXO
Sister Zurcher

Sorry the pictures this week are kind of a let down. Don’t ask me what I was thinking about my outfits in half of them…I’m just trying to make it work and stay warm, which kind of equals frump-town USA

The dog is named Bella, and she is my new friend. By the way, she is supposed to be a jack russel terrier, but is seriously the fattest Jack Russel I’ve ever seen in my life!

We made more food at Bruce’s this week. It was homemade noodles this time!