"There are no true endings in His plan"

Another transfer in the England London Mission, and the results are in...

Well, loved ones this will be my last email from across the pond. Tomorrow morning I'll be leaving this beautiful, culture filled country, and these amazing people who will always be imprinted on my heart. It honestly feels just like yesterday that I stepped off the plane onto British soil, but it's been a full 18 months! Time flies when you're doing the Lord's work! They have been some of the most stretching, joyful, difficult, spectacular, and life changing months of my entire life. I wouldn't change a moment of it!  My mission has changed me in ways that I never expected, and the Lord has taught me things that I couldn't have learned in any other way! I've also learned so much more about the Saviour and His perfect love for us. I have no doubt that He lives today, and He knows & loves us! I feel so much gratitude for my God and the blessings he has poured down on me these last 18 months. 

Backtracking a little bit however, I wanted to tell you one last miracle story. This miracle has a name, and it's actually a person. This persons name is M---! I've shared a bit about M--- in my last few emails, but I wanted to share his full story because it is amazing!

So M--- was walking along Exhibition Road exactly 6 weeks ago when he felt prompted by the Spirit to come inside the chapel. Later he told us that he felt drawn by the statue of Christ in the window, but was running late to a meeting and quickly passed by the church. Later that evening however, as he passed the Hyde Park Chapel again he said that he felt that same strong prompting once again to enter the chapel. So he did! And then he stayed for around 5 hours taking a tour of the Visitors Center and being introduced the gospel of Jesus Christ. The last 6 weeks of teaching him have been an absolute joy! He is one of God's elect children, and has been being prepared for a very long time! On Saturday I was able to watch as he entered into the waters of baptism, and started his personal journey towards eternal life. :) He described it as "buying a ticket for the most amazing journey you can ever imagine..." Because baptism really is just a beginning, just as my mission has been a beginning. Although I'm heart broken to be leaving these people that I love, and this place that has become my second home I know that God has a plan for me. I have faith that this is just the beginning of something even more special! After all...

"In His plan there are no true endings, only everlasting beginnings." -Dieter F. Uchtodorf

I love this gospel with all my heart, and I KNOW this it is true. I know with a certainty, because I have felt it confirmed to me again and again as I've served the Lord this year and a half. I've seen as the doctrine of Christ has literally changed lives, and as it's changed mine. Our Saviour lives, God answers prayers, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is their church restored to the earth again. I'm so very thankful for a modern day prophet, and for the words of Christ found in the scriptures! It is true friends. It really is! :) And my heart it full as I start this new beginning, and as this chapter of my life comes to a close. 

I love you all and I'll see you soon! Thanks for your prayers! They mean more than you'll ever know. 

Hopefully this email makes it to you before I do. ;)

For the last time..

Love, Sister Rebekah Croft 

---------------------------------------------

Though the British don't tend to celebrate Thanksgiving, it being an American holiday and all, Rebekah and the other Hyde Park Chapel Visitors Centre missionaries had a traditional feast together. 

It also looks like the Visitors Centre is doing their live nativity again this Christmas. Rebekah was sad to miss it last year when she was in Canterbury, so I'm sure she was really excited that they put it back up right before she came home. I was sent this picture of Rebekah being Mary from a ward member in London. 

Heaven on Earth

Well, where did the time go? I can't believe this is the last week of my mission... That's absolute craziness!! I've still got a lot to do here though. :) As for this last week however, so much happened.

The best part of my week was going to the house of the Lord! :) That's right, I finally got to go to the London Temple! And it was absolutely glorious! When they say London though, they actually mean about 1.5 hours away from the city in the green countryside part of England. It was a gorgeous area, and the temple itself was even more beautiful! Going inside the temple was something else though. It was like a breath of fresh air, and warmth and peace washed over me all at once. I don't care what anyone says...18 months is a long time without going to the temple! I hadn't fully forgotten the special Spirit of the temple, but it was an incredible thing to go once again and feel it full force as a missionary of the Lord. The temple truly is a sacred place where we can be that much closer to Heaven. My heart is full! 

Sister Zeng and I taught a lot of lessons this week! :) Each person is so completely different from the other though. We are teaching people from Trinidad, Russia, England, Albania, China, St. Lucia, and the Philippines. And that doesn't even count the people we are teaching online. This gospel really is for everyone! It changes lives all around the globe, and also right here in London.

Portobello Road this evening! :)

More pictures of the temple!

I love this Senior couple to bits!!

Friends and family, have a wonderful wonderful week! Sorry this email was a tad scattered, but you'll get one more next week. Love you all! Enjoy the snow and have a great thanksgiving! 

Love, Sister Rebekah Croft 

Always Remember

Hi everyone! Cheerio! Hope the last few days have been grand. :) It hasn't been that long because of the P-Day switch, but a ton has happened since last Wednesday. 

To start off on a spiritual step though, I just wanted to talk about remembrance. This last Friday was Remembrance Day here in the UK, and so that word "Remember" has been on my mind a lot. Part of the tradition is having red poppies all over the city. Whether it be a pin, a bracelet, a wreath, or a sticker, as you walk through the streets of London you're continuously seeing flashes of red. The point of this is to remember those who have given their lives in the service of their country, and to honor their service. On Friday and Sunday they even dedicate 2 minutes starting @ 11:00 am to complete silence so that everyone can have the chance to ponder and remember those men and women, and the service they gave. It's inspiring, and it's incredible! I love it. :) Remember is a word we hear a lot though, at least it is if you go to church every Sunday. As I took the sacrament yesterday these words stood out to me: "In Remembrance of the body of thy Son...",  "In Remembrance of the blood of thy Son...", and "Always Remember Him...". It made me really ponder on how well I've been remembering the One. My Saviour & your Saviour, my Lord & your Lord. Jesus Christ. Every week we promise to ALWAYS remember Him! How are you doing? Well it's not easy with the world banging and pounding on the door, but I hope that I can continue to pay attention to the "still, small", but also powerful knock of Jesus Christ, and fulfill my promise weekly to remember Him always. 

Sister Zeng and I took a trip to China Town this morning to buy ingredients for Hot Pot (aka really hot, and spicy traditional Chinese food). Wow, was it delicious!!

M--- is doing well! Honestly, he really is one of God's elect. I'm pretty sure he answers my prayers more than we answer his. He's amazing!

Our friend Ben. He's always on time to appointments. ;)

We found Croft House! Home sweet home... well, almost. ;)

Last little heads up. #LIGHTtheWORLD is coming soon! I know it sounds crazy... but Christmas is coming soon. I just saw this year's video, and it is beyond inspiring! Gives me chills just thinking about it. So keep your eyes and ears open. It's going to be an amazing Christmas season full of service, and becoming more like the Saviour! 

Family and friends have a wonderful week! Love you all!!

-Sister Rebekah Croft 

The Lord's Work is Defying Gravity

Sweet family and friends! 

Hi, how has your week been? It feels like it's been a while since I've last emailed. We switched our P-Day's because today a few other Sisters and I are going to the musical Wicked!! Honestly, I could not be more excited! Granted, we had to wake up at 5:30 this morning, and travel to the Apollo Theatre to wait in line for 3 hours in the cold rain and wind to get tickets. It's all going to be worth it tonight though. :) I can't wait! 

Going to Wicked isn't the only exciting thing that has happened this week though. It is the Lord's work after all. It's always exhilarating! The entire mission had a huge change this week. Paper area books and planners are a thing of the past, and everything is slowly being switched over to the iPad. It figures it would happen the last month of my mission. ;) Nah, but in all honestly, it's an amazing thing to be a part of the Lord hastening his work! He continues to guide and direct and it is inspiring to watch and participate. 

More photos to come...but Wicked here we come! :)

Last Friday I had my last Zone Meeting. It was full of emotions, and I got to give my departing testimony. Oh how I love these missionaries from all around the world, and oh how I love the Hyde Park Zone! We've seen a ton of miracles, and continue to see them daily!

This is M---. I taught him for a very long time in Hyde Park 1st ward. Because of some family issues he hasn't been able to be baptised yet although he wants to. He's the jolliest English man I've ever met though! :) He dropped by the chapel this week to give us all Almond Joy's! 

I love these Sisters so much! Or, Wo Ai Ni as Sister Zeng and I say each night. 

Have a fantastic week all! Keep warm! I don't know how cold it is back home, but here in London it is absolutely freezing. The weather finally switched to full winter mode. Anyways, love you all! 

Love, Sister Croft

The Small and Simple Things, and Halloween Day

Happy Halloween from London everyone!! :) 

This year Halloween was a bit different from last. Instead of being in the English countryside, I got to be in the hustle and bustle, and crazy costumes of London. People sure do like to party here! It was funny to see all the different costumes on the tube. My companion and I even dressed up as well! I dressed up as Sister Zeng from China, and she dressed up as Sister Croft from Kaysville, Utah. haha. The Mullens (senior couple at the VC) even had us over for pumpkin carving & burgers this morning. I'll send some pictures! 

Something that's been on my mind quite a lot lately is a story from the Old Testament. It was shared at least 4 times within the last week, and so I thought I would share it with you all as well. It's the story of Naaman in 2 Kings 5. To start out Naaman's story, you should know he was the captain of the Syrian army. This was perhaps the most powerful army in the entire world at the time. Naaman however, had a disease called leprosy. Hearing tales of a prophet in the land, Naaman went and sought out Elisha. But when Naaman stood at the house of Elisha with his horses and chariot, Elisha sent a messenger out to meet him instead. The messenger said this "Go and wash in Jordan seven times, and thy flesh shall come again to thee, and thou shalt be clean." Now to be honest, I feel for Naaman at this point in the story. The river Jordan wasn't really the cleanest river, and why 7 times? This captain turned away in a rage. Luckily enough Naaman had a friend who persuaded him to have faith. He said "If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou not have done it? How much rather then, when he saith to thee, wash, and be clean?" Well, Naaman did go, and did wash 7 times. Not 5, not 8, but 7. And he was made clean! I've thought a lot about this story this week, and I've learned a ton from it. For example, we need to have faith in the living prophets and apostles of God, and we need to have faith enough to know the Lord will heal us. The biggest thing I've taken away however, is that sometimes the council of God isn't to do the grand and mighty, but to work on the small and simple. Prayer, scripture study, service, and going to church may seem tedious and repetitive sometimes, but they can produce incredible miracles. I'm a witness to that! :)  

Honestly, there are no words to describe how much I love the Saviour! :) He is my rock, and my redeemer. 

VC exchanges. I love this girl! Sister Kerr from Arizona.

Beautiful London sunset from the roof of the Hyde Park Chapel. 

They have an ice skating rink at the Natural History Museum! I want to go so bad!!!

ELM= England London Mission

At a munch and mingle after church on Sunday. M---, our investigator, is in the middle, and then some of the ward members. They are great!

Much love family and friends! I hope that your Halloween is spooktacular, and that you don't eat too much candy. ;) 

Love, Sister Rebekah Croft

Happy Monday!

Happy Monday everyone! :) How are you all?

Sister Zeng and I witnessed so many amazing miracles these last 4 days. And when I say miracles I really do mean them. God is a God of miracles after all. Speaking of Sister Zeng, she is incredible! We were talking the other day, and technically I've been a missionary long enough that I could have taught her, she could have been baptized and then she could have come out on her mission a year later... Crazy, crazy. She's absolutely adorable though, and hilarious as well! I love her!! 

The biggest miracle we've seen together so far is M---. M--- walked into the visitors centre on Wednesday evening and was given a tour by some of the other sisters first, and then handed over to us because he was in our area. Well, oh my goodness he is one of the Lords elect! We talked to him for a good 2 hours that night, and at the very end of our conversation he accepted the invitation to be baptised! Apparently, earlier that day he'd had the feeling he needed to come into the VC but he was rushing somewhere. On the way home later that day he told us he couldn't even stop himself from coming in. It was like an invisible force was walking him right through the doors!  We've taught him two times since then and I continue to be amazed at how prepared he is to hear the gospel. He asks questions like "Oh, so you mean Joseph Smith restored the gospel back to the earth?" without us even mentioning the word restoration. Or "Right, so faith is like believing something true without seeing it." My personal favorite was this though, "Everyone says that eternal life is just living forever, but really it is living the way God lives, that's what He would want for us!" He is incredible! I'll keep you all updated. 

Another tender mercy happened last Tuesday. We were sightseeing on our P-Day and on the way to Buckingham Palace we met Elder Cook in the underground. Yes, Elder Cook of the 12 apostles!! He looked just as surprised to see 6 missionaries as we did seeing an apostle of the Lord riding the tube. He's such a humble man, but he also carries a mantle of an apostle! :) It's apparent every time you shake his hand.

Friends and family, I know this email is shortish... but hopefully the pictures make up for it. I just want you all to know that I know this gospel is real. It changes lives, and it's changing mine every single day! The Saviour lives, God loves us, and we have the words of Christ to read from and learn from through scriptures like the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I love this church, and I love the teachings of Christ. I also love you all! 

Sister Teng and I in front of Buckingham Palace! :)

The District at changing of the guards. 

And St. Pauls Cathedral. "Feed the Birds, tpence a bag..." (How in the world do you spell tpence?)

The Queens horses followed our bus to the chapel Saturday morning! If you look closely you can also see a "I love Mormon" bus in the back ground.

Sister Dombrowska's birthday.

On the roof of the chapel with Sister Zeng and Sister Fuhriman. 

Healthy eating!! 

Have an amazing week all! :) 

Much Love, 

Sister Croft

Surprise Visits from a Member of the 12, Interviews and Transfer Calls

Good morning everyone! Or, afternoon or evening depending on when you read this. :) 

I hope that you all had a wonderful week! Sister Teng and I sure did in London. I don't actually have much time to email today with it being transfers week and all, but I'll share a few thoughts, and experiences from this week. 

On Tuesday we had interviews with President and Sister Stevens. Wow, they are just incredible! I continue to be amazed at how Christlike they both are. The training was all about Elder Uchdorfs talk from the General Women's Conference "Fourth floor, Last door." We discussed a lot about what faith can and can't do. If any of you still haven't read this talk yet... stop reading and go read it now. I'm serious! It's such an eye opener to what faith really is. I love it! 

Sister Furhiman (Wisconsin), Sister Teng (Malaysia), Sister Zeng (China), Me (Utah),

Elder Menezes (Brazil), Elder Tragante (Brazil)

On Saturday evening we were told that Elder Cook of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles would be speaking at the Britannia ward the next day. Umm, what? :) A surprise visit from an apostle? "Just another day at the Hyde Park Chapel Visitors Centre" as Elder Hulet would say. Sister Teng and I were talking with some visitors at the close of our church meetings when Elder Cook just strolled through the doors. He immediately shook all of the missionaries' hands, and then went to take his place on the stand before his sacrament meeting started. I've said this before, but there really isn't anything like shaking the hand of an apostle. It really is something special! We were able to listen to his talk and although it had to be short because of time it was extremely powerful! As he closed with his testimony of Christ he said this "I know the Saviour's voice, and I know His face." That statement struck my heart with additional power, and I was overwhelmed with how true this church is. Honestly, it really is led by the Lord today through His chosen servants. It truly is!!

Last night we got transfer calls... I've given up guessing before hand, because I'm always wrong. The news is that Sister Teng will be staying in Hyde Park 1st ward, and Sister Dombrowska from Poland will be coming. I'll be heading back to Hyde Park 2nd ward to follow up train Sister Zeng from China. So that means Sister Zeng will be my fourth companion in a row that is fluent in Mandarin!! Fourth times the charm I suppose? I'll be fluent in no time. ;) Although I think I've said that the last 4 transfers... Chinese is hard! Anyways, more on Sister Zeng next week. I'm sad to be leaving HP1 again, but I've served there for a good 7 transfers and I feel I've done what the Lord wanted me to do here. Back to Hyde Park 2 for my last adventures, and miracles here in London!

 Random pictures of the beautiful architecture here.

Sunday Dinner with the D----- family from Salt Lake City. They are the sweetest! :) Low quality picture, but a high quality time. 

A member gave us these treats.... hmmm... they are BBQ flavored larvets, sour cream and onion crickets, and chocolate coloured bugs... Yes, they are real. Nasty!

Well family & friends I love you all so, so much! I hope that your week is swell. Never forget what is most important, and even more Who is most important. 

Much love,

Sister Croft

--------------------------

Sister D----- from SLC also texted me a few more pictures of Rebekah's and Sister Teng's visit to their house this past week.

And I also got a surprise text from some friends from our neighborhood here who moved quite a few years ago, but are in London on a vacation and sought out Rebekah at the Hyde Park Chapel Visitor's Centre to say hello and give her a big hug. 

I get texts and emails somewhat frequently with updates and pictures of Rebekah. Sometimes they come from neighbors and friends from home who are traveling in London. Sometimes they come from senior missionary couples that are serving with Rebekah, or from members who invite her to their homes for dinner. Most of the time they come from complete strangers that happen to stop by the VC, meet my sweet little missionary girl and kindly ask for her mother's phone number or email so they can send me a picture and a little message. I always respond to thank them but these people will never know how much these little messages mean to me!