Estelle Ith returns from her mission (March 2013 – August 2014)

I have come to know and understand the love that Heavenly Father has for each of His precious children. He wants each of us to succeed; His plan for us is greater than we can imagine.

I served in the England Leeds Mission, Mandarin-speaking, in Newcastle, York, and Sheffield, each for a period of four to eight months. The experiences I’ve had were very memorable and I am truly grateful for the strength they ultimately brought to my life.

Starting my mission in Newcastle was such a blessing. One of the greatest blessings I had on my mission was to witness the setting up of a Chinese group in Newcastle. Starting with only four active members, the group rapidly grew to over 15 people within a couple weeks. This miracle was the result of the faith and diligence of the members and the bishopric. The Chinese group continues to expand, as shown in the “Unto All the World” video of Sunderland and Newcastle.

Moving to my second area, York, was challenging. It had few Chinese people, and the university students, both English and Chinese, approached religion a lot more intellectually. However, this enabled me to grow in knowledge of the gospel doctrines and principles. Also, it pushed me to have more patience and love for the people I served in that area. The first six months were difficult – we had zero baptisms, and investigators were hard to come by. On top of that, training a new sister missionary added a load of stress. However, by the end of my eight months there, I had grown to love the area and the people, and to see the potential of each person I talked to, even if they rejected the message.

I am so grateful for the opportunity I had to serve in England. Through the good times and bad, I have come to know my Savior, Jesus Christ, better. I have felt His comfort and love uplift me in times of trial. I have felt concords of angels support me through this work. Most importantly, I have come to know and understand the love that Heavenly Father has for each of His precious children. He wants each of us to succeed; His plan for us is greater than we can imagine. I have come to know, through my mission experience, that the gospel brings us blessings that we cannot find anywhere else. It brings us lasting peace and hope, which will carry us through uncertainty and trial.

In conclusion, I know that this church is indeed the restored Church of God – I feel so blessed to have seen it touch the lives of many people. Most of all, I feel blessed to understand how important this Gospel is in my life. I hope to be able to continue to participate in missionary work, and hope that each and every member of the Church will be able to experience the joys of missionary work.

Estelle Ith