antediluvian flood patterns and what that has to do with magenta mounds {Monday, February 4th}

dear those who take pleasure in the sound of a toaster when it's finished toasting,

Well! I have some great news and some great stories to tell about my new assignment in a little town we call Redhill.

We started the new transfer with a hailstorm of amazing blessings. The first night after we got into the area we found and began teaching an Indian family named Jiju and Sino. They have two kids and both have been Christian since birth in India before they came to England. They were more than willing to listen and to begin to study the book of Mormon both with and without us. we'll be seeing them again this week soon. Thursday we had great experiences both in finding and teaching. We found a really nice middle aged woman named Christine knocking. When we first knocked on the door she just yelled through the door that she wasn't interested but then as we were walking away she opened the door and invited us in. After we taught her she told us that she had no idea why she invited us in but that she usually doesn't let anyone into her house--in many cases not even her own family members.(incidentally she also had the most energetic Staffordshire bull terrier that I have ever met)

Beginning of Thursday we had no appointments set up for our Friday. But finding went so amazingly well on Thursday, that we ended up spending all of our Friday basically going from one appointment to the other. We taught another new investigator on that day named Robert who is actually the brother of an former investigator that Elder Keller taught before I got to the area.  On Saturday we began teaching yet another new investigator named Leroy--an amazingly funny African man who suffers from a bit of short term memory loss because of a bus accident a few years ago. It's been just blessings followed by more blessings with some whipped blessings to top it all off. (incidentally i also recently ate a cherry flavored piece of chocolate so make of that what you will)

It's been a really interesting experience for me to come to Redhill at this time, it being part of the Epsom ward. On Wednesday I was picked up from my flat in Farnborough and driven to Staines where I waited for some time and met with Elder Pond. (it was the first time I’ve seen him since I left Staines) and then drove from there to Redhill to meet Elder Keller. I felt a little bit like I was rewinding my mission and coming back to where I first started. The fact that I’m now serving with Elder Keller kinda compounds that as well. I have a huge advantage moving into this area in that for most moves you move into a new area where you have no idea how to get around or who's in the ward or what your companion is like. I came into Redhill already knowing my companion, renewing my old friendships with the ward, into an area that I remember like the back of my hand! (incidentally I’ve never really understood that statement. I mean who really spends time contemplating and memorizing the back of their hands)

One of the things I’m most excited about is the chance I have to apply the experience I’ve gained throughout my mission into the service of my first ward.

Going to church yesterday was really funny because it was amusing to count the double takes from the members of the ward. Most would walk up to me and shake my hand and welcome me to the ward then take about two steps away, pause, slowly turn around whilst squinting at my face, slowly raise a finger and say "wait a second. . . . I know you!" This experience repeated itself many many times over the course of the church service.

Another really cool thing for me to see is how much progress certain individuals and families have made over the last nine months. Some people who were just returning to activity when I left have now become fully active members of the ward and in some cases have gotten their families into the church as well.

I got to head off now, but I really could write for like an hour about all the great experiences and insights I’ve gained in my first week in Redhill with Elder Keller. . . but you guys are going to have to wait for another time :)

with love

Elder Jarman

ps. attached is a picture of team bountiful

pps. in England the difference between French fries and English chips is only really a matter of size. guess which one is bigger

they still left a card even though nobody was home

team bountiful