A New Area

Hello!

So I have been transferred about two hours away from the Mission home and about three hours away from Toronto! I am serving in the London YSA branch which has about 20 people in it. Life is good! This week is long! It has been really strange to be around people my own age. Some of the people in the branch are younger than me! It blows my mind. Serving in YSA seems kind of different, the YSA age group is super accepting but not very committal so it has been fun adjusting to the work! But I love it! I will give you some highlights of the week.

This is hilarious. One of our new converts A is not only in love with his fellow shipper but is preparing to marry her. So when we do follow up calls and they ask what is next ordinance is it is his temple marriage. He is very converted. While we were teaching him this week about Enduring to the End he told us about his co-worker he wanted to invite to learn about the gospel. We role played with him and he totally nailed it! He is such a good missionary. His soon to be wife E is a returned missionary and together they are a power house couple. They invited us over for dinner on Friday and when we went over there was some Bell workers there working on the TV. One of them looked like he was YSA age. Sister Penrod and I looked at each other and said, "This guy is going to be baptized." As we were teaching the Restoration to her family we invited them to sit in and listen. The spirit was so strong as we shared. Then when we were leaving we asked him if he would be interested in learning. He said no and told us he was Catholic. We left our card with him and before we left he asked where the church was. Then get this, on Saturday A had to give me a blessing because I was super sick and after the blessing they told us that they had gotten his number for us to contact him. They are such good missionaries.

E is the man! He is getting baptized on June 11. Every single time we commit him to live a commandment he always says powerful, "I will (fill in)." he is so cool. I am so grateful to be teaching him. This week he came to church and he looked SOO sad. President Brown pulled him into his office and had a good thirty minute conversation with him. After Elijah came back out happy as a baby and said the closing prayers in both Sunday School and Combined classes. He stayed after church and talked with the branch mission leader and felt the sprit so much. He is so ready to be baptized, in fact in one of our lessons he said. "If you asked me to be baptized tomorrow I'd be down." I wish you all could meet him!

London YSA is fabulous and I think the reason it is so fabulous is because of my companion. Sister Penrod is wonderful. She lived in Arizona and California and she actually attended BYU-I! She totally knows everything about my homeland. She came out at the same time as me but has to go home a transfer early to study at BYU. She has only been in English work for two transfers including this one. She speaks Chinese so I am making her teach me. :) She is wonderful. She is a power house. Someone told me, when they found out that we were going to be companions, that they were literally afraid for the people in London because of our companionship. Sister Penrod pushes me to be better and I love it.

I love you all! I hope you have a fabulous week!

Transfers

Well! I am getting transferred! This last six months in Toronto has been a blast. I have loved every single day. Some of them have been really hard but I have loved them so much! I also have loved the companions I had while I was here! Sister Wilson and Sister Jensen are the best.

We have had so many wonderful things happen this week. But today I will just share one.

R passed his baptism interview this last Monday, everything he said and taught us while we were reviewing the questions were amazing. My favorite part was when he was telling us about how much the members and the church means to him. Since we have been teaching him he has always tried to invite his friends and his family to come and see what it is all about. He told us that he is a little nervous but excited to be baptized. He is super excited to be able to be a home teacher and to serve and bless peoples lives. After his friend showed him the font and taught him where to put his hands for the baptism, he told us that he has been changed because of the church. Then we talked a little bit about family history and proxy baptisms and he asked if we could go help him put in his parents and grandparents information. Tonight we are going to be helping him learn more about "testimony" and letting him practice giving his testimony. I love R and I love the members who love him and have changed his life. Keep him in your prayers. :)

I love you all. I love being a missionary. I love the Savior Jesus Christ. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the way. It is the only way I will ever go. 

Zoo!

R is the best! He has his interview this week for his baptism on Sunday! I am so excited for him. 

This week we were teaching the Law of Chastity to R. I love this lesson I can't even begin to express my love for how important it is to live it. Right after we described what it means to keep the law of chastity he asked us, "What about your girlfriend?" At this moment my stomach dropped. We asked him if we could answer his question as we taught for the next fifteen minutes Sister Wilson, Brother T and I all testified of this commandment and the blessings that come as we live it. I told Sister Wilson after that I don't think I have ever felt the spirit direct my  testimony and teaching as much as it did in that lesson. At the end we talked about Celestial Marriages and how that is the goal. We promised eternal families and at the end asked him if he would prepare to have an eternal family by living the law of chastity. He looked at us and said yes. :) After the lesson some of the other missionaries and members were in the hall and he was inviting everyone to his baptism. He is so excited! 

H is doing so great! The members invited us all over for FHE. We taught him about following the prophet. The best part of the entire night was when he sang us a song in Swahili. As he was translating the song he told us that what he was singing about was putting our trust and faith in Jesus Christ. The poor guy grew up in poverty in Uganda. He lived on a coffee farm and for the past 58 years has been drinking coffee. As we taught him about the word of wisdom he committed to cut back a cup a day so he can be baptized in June! We are so excited for him and for the faith he has in Jesus Christ.  

I went to the zoo this last week. While I was at the zoo many things happened. My feet hurt from walking for hours, I saw a baby Rhino, two baby pandas, two lion cubs, a baby polar bear...AND a buffalo. I felt like I was at home when I saw the buffalo. :) Sorry this was a random part of this letter but I had to throw it in there. I was so excited to be there because I think the last time I went to a zoo was when I was in kindergarten. I refused to go into any exhibit where I was  going to see a snake. I am still so terrified of them. 

Well, I have two preparation days this week. I will be emailing again on Saturday. I love you all and I pray for you all all of the time! :)

An Update

This was such a great week! I love being a missionary.

I went on an exchange in Barrie this week! It was crazy! It took us a little over an hour to get there and we were driving north. The closer and closer I got the more I thought that Sister Turley was actually kidnapping me. ;) Just kidding, but I did ask her who she talks to because there was nothing there but trees and a big lake! But we saw a ton of miracles. One miracle was a member. She had invited her friend over for lunch the week previous and had bore a super powerful testimony and at the end of her shouting she looked at her friend and said, And will you let these sister missionaries teach you?" The woman said yes and then Sister Turley and I went with the same member to teach her a week after that original lesson. In our lesson we invited the member to invite her to be baptized and the member laughed and said of course! While teaching the lady kind of listened to us but every single time the member taught she was fixated on her and soaked everything up.There should be no difference in Missionary work and Member work. When full time missionaries and members work together miracles happen and hearts are changed.

Missionary Leadership Council was so good!! Every time President or Sister Clayton teach us I learn so much. We were talking about the Doctrine of Christ and we were breaking down every point finding scriptures and places in PMG that talked about faith, repentance and so on. At the end of the first two principles he had people bear testimony. When we got to baptism he invited someone to bear testimony. No hands shot up into the air, personally I was trying to think of something to say. Then President broke into tears and told us in a sense that he was disappointed. :( my heart broke. He told us that we are called her to bear witness of Jesus Christ and to baptize and all of our hands should have shot up. Since that day I have thought about that a lot. I have vowed to NEVER decline an invitation to bear my testimony. I know Jesus Christ lives and that he is my savior. Oh and by the way. I have the best mission president in the entire world. He inspires me to become a better disciple every single day. 

We have had many wonderful lessons with our investigators, returning members, and members. But the highlight of my week was hearing two investigators sing I Am a Child of God. I heard them singing and I cried! Then I thought about it again in Gospel principles and I cried again, and it happened again in Relief Society. Then to top it off we were sitting by a returning member who hasn't been to church in forever and she told us that she remembers singing that song and she told us how good it made her feel! My heart is so full! 

Well, I could say lots of things but... this sums up my feelings from this past week. "Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." ALMA 26:16 

I love you! 

p.s. It would be really helpful if you would give me ideas of things to write home about. If you have any questions send them to me and I will try to answer them! 

Member Work

I just want to share a few brief stories about how amazing the Don Mills ward is with missionary work. 

This week we were trying to find a member that would be able to be a good friend to one of our investigators. We tried several different people but nobody seemed to have time for that day. Sister Wilson, following the spirit, decided to call a returning member who recently got the Aaronic priesthood for the first time in his 30 years of membership just about a month ago. He accepted and came to teach H with us. We taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and resolved concerns that he had about baptism. The member did a good job at sharing testimony with him but we mainly taught the lesson. Then at the very end H told us about his life back in Africa and then L the member told him that he can relate to that. Immediately they started to talk and Sister Wilson and I couldn't help but smile and watch these two men sympathize with one another. We ended the lesson and as we were leaving the member, looking at us almost for approval, asked H if he would like a tour of the chapel. H agreed and they started on a chapel tour. Thirty minutes later we were at the church again looking for something and we see them talking and walking around the church. :)

Then two days later with H again another faithful priesthood holder came and taught with us about prayer. He shared a solid testimony and example about prayer and for the first time prayed to our Father in Heaven. After the lesson H thanked us for the lesson and told us that he felt so much strength. The member then asked if he would like to stay and chat. The member pulled out his Book of Mormon and started reading with H. They left the chapel an hour and a half later. 

H came to church this Sunday for the first time and was greeted with two friends waiting to help him on his journey to accept Christ. They laughed, smiled and shook hands as they talked about the spirit they felt. Mean while Sister Wilson and I are trying with little success to set up an appointment with H. They were enjoying each others company so much that we could hardly say a word. Finally the member suggested all three of us come for dinner. We were very grateful for those members. They fulfilled the scripture in Moroni 6:5-6. 

The savior helped people understand doctrine by parables, and similar to a parable is a personal story. Both help us understand the principles and doctrines being taught. I wanted to share a quick story about the power of examples in teaching and testifying. This week we were teaching R about the Word of Wisdom. When he was found he was found smoking. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't nervous to teach him this lesson. I was with Sister Deng who is a Mandarin speaking missionary for this lesson. After teaching about this commandment we asked him if he had any questions. He said he didn't but said, "I didn't know coffee and tea was part of this." Sister Deng had just been sharing with me an example that she had six years ago before she joined the church, and she shared the same story with R. She talked about her love for bubble tea but how it always made her feel a little funny. Not to long before she met the missionaries she was having trouble breathing and went to the doctor to try and resolve the problem. They had no explanation and no cure for her pain. But when she met the missionaries and was taught the Word of Wisdom she found a cure. Since she was baptized she has not had any problems with her heart and she has not had any desire to drink bubble tea. While she was sharing this experience was fixated on her. And while she told that story he felt the spirit which allowed him to accept the invitation to begin that day to live the Word of Wisdom. I am so grateful for Sister Deng and her faithfulness. And I am grateful for the Savior who allows us to be cleansed and freed from sin, always resulting in a better life. 

I love you all. I am excited to talk to my family this week. I hope you all enjoy your week. If any of you see my mom give her a big hug!  

What are you willing to do?

Boy oh boy was this a good week! 

R is doing super good! This week we had a really cool experience with him. Background on him. He has been attending other churches so for him to come to church he would have to attend the YSA branch which starts at the end of our wards meetings. He came to church last week and thought that it was a cool experience. We taught him about the Plan of Salvation this week! While teaching him about our life on earth we told him that the way to return back to our Heavenly Father was through living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We asked if he had prayed about his baptism date and he told us that at first he was a little skeptical about it but that he had prayed and that he decided that that would be the best for him. He committed right then to come to church at ten and to not attend any other churches. Then the next time we met with him (I was in a different area for this one) we taught him the second half of the Plan of Salvation. He LOVED the Atonement and told us that he had never heard of it before. Then when talking about the kingdoms of glories he was quoting scripture about it. He is so excited to be baptized and we are so excited for him as well. It is really something that when people decide to get baptized it is because of their own personal witness of Jesus Christ through the Book of Mormon and prayer. We could teach them everything about the church but it would never matter unless they read and prayed about the Book of Mormon. I am so grateful to be able to serve as a full time instrument for the Lord for 18 months. I know that I have been called to declare His gospel but the spirit is the one who  teaches the people, all I need to do is search, ponder, and pray about the scriptures and for the people I am teaching and then show up. The Lord does the rest. 

H is also preparing to be a missionary...oops I meant be baptized. H is super cool. He wants to be a missionary so bad. He has been telling his family about the church and has been reading the Book of Mormon like crazy. He is so prepared to make his first covenant with the Lord.

We have the coolest returning members in the entire province of Ontario. I love them. One super cool person is D. She is a native and was baptized about 45 years ago. Her foster parents in Alberta have been in close contact with us as we have been teaching her about the church. Due to vision complications she can hardly see and will not be able to see for another month until she gets her surgery. But as we were teaching her about the Book of Mormon this week she said, "Oh yeah I read that." We were both confused because we know that she can't read and she continued to tell us that she found a ultra magnifying glass and was reading the Book of Mormon the best she could. My heart bursts with joy as I think of that sweet women doing all she can to understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. So here is the question... What are you willing to do to understand more fully our saviors doctrine? I can't help but think of the Prophet Joseph Smith and all of the saints when I think about people doing all they could to know or live the gospel. The were cast out of every single place that they lived and some were murdered because of their quest to understand. Today we don't have to deal with any of that. Today all we have to do is open an app and read. But do we do it? I am so grateful for Donna and for the example that she is to me of doing all we can to understand. I want to invite everyone here to think of what you would be willing to do to more fully understand the gospel of Jesus Christ. And then I want you invite you to do it! I know that I was deeply called to repentance by the example of all of these faithful members of the church who did all that they could do. They were willing to do it all because they loved their savior.  I have so much that I need to do to improve, and I will do all that I can. I am grateful for my savior. I love him and I know him. 

I hope that you all have a wonderful week! Know that I pray for you. Know that the reason I am on a mission is to help people create eternal families like my own. 

"Here take it."

This week was just too good! 

Monday: This last week I was able to buy two really cute and very needed skirts for only $11!! I was so excited! Who knew thrift shops were so great?! Just kidding Sister Bell taught me that one. ;) We also had Dinner with the cutest lady ever. Her name is Sister C and she has the best Scottish accent. We just love her so much. Then we had a lesson with another member (everyone thought I was leaving the area) Sister Wilson and I while we were planning for her both felt like we should teach about service. As we shared Mosiah 2:17 and thanked her for the service she gives to people she broke into tears. She had been having a really hard time and the message that was shared inspired and encouraged her to change. She then invited us for dinner later that week. 

Tuesday: Today we found a man named H. I was getting on the subway and he laughed and said "Sister!" I smiled and went and talked with him. He is from Uganda and told us that Hakuna Matata started in his home town. I talked with him about prophets and eternal families and then Sister Wilson joined me and he told us that he would love to learn more! We had a couple member appointments and we found a sweet Hungarian family to teach which is super cool because a member of our ward just got back from the Hungary Budapest mission and he is pumped to continue teaching! You go RM! We were able to teach a lesson to one of our returning members about temples and family history work and he was so excited that he told us he wanted to work towards going to the temple to do baptisms for his ancestors. At the end of the lesson the member couple that was teaching with us told him that he didn't have to introduce his friends to the church but that he could introduce them to Family history! We love the  couple. We were excited to see them bear solid testimony of the Plan of Salvation especially because she is a new convert and he just recently reactivated! We also were able to teach one of the students in our English class how to pray and since that lesson she has met several times with the mandarin missionaries. 

Wednesday: Oh man! We taught so much today! We were able to teach a couple new investigators about the Restoration. We had a wonderful chapel tour lesson with our investigator R. He was found through the YSA sisters, I am so grateful for them opening their mouth. :) He is sweet and he felt the spirit as we talked about the Sacrament in the chapel. He is committed to baptism in May! We had this awesome five course meal with the Relief Society. It is always fun to eat there because she is from the Philippines so I feel like I am in Elder Kelley's mission. :) There was a lot of left over food so Sister Wilson carried it to the next lesson which was another lesson with another Filipino family. They also gave us a ton of food so I got to carry home food as well!

Thursday: We had the coolest lesson today with one of our investigators N. He usually doesn't pray but after hearing about the gospel of Jesus Christ in 3 Nephi 11 he couldn't help but solidly commit to pray. The member that was with us at that lesson was super helpful. She answered so many of his questions. I don't think the lesson could have gone so well without her. We had dinner with the same member that we met with on Monday night. She fed us super good Afghan food. At the end of the dinner we were talking about the Book of Mormon she told us that she wanted to give a Book of Mormon to a co-worker. She role played with us and she was so powerful as she bore her testimony to her friend. Something super cool is that Sister Wilson and I felt like we should commit her to write her testimony in the Book of Mormon and give it to someone and as we were at her house she brought it up herself. I never cease to be amazed at the way the spirit works. We had another member that day feel like she should give a Book of Mormon to her co-worker as well! Super cool eh? 

The Weekend (because this email is long and I bet none of you actually read it) We contacted so many people this weekend. We were able to get into houses that I haven't been able to my entire time being here! We also received lots of referrals. One of the referrals we got was after our lesson with N. He told us that his friend would be super interested in learning and when we asked him if he would like to invite her to the next lesson he said, "No, just shoot a text." Sister Wilson and I secretly laughed about it because usually they invite their friends but this time he just gave us all of her information! And guess what? we have an appointment with her! N also took us out to a really good sushi restaurant and while we were there he talked about the District movies and asked us if there were more seasons and he talked about Preach My Gospel.. Pretty much we don't need to teach him anything because he already knows it all. We saw so many other miracles but. I don't want to take away your entire day... 

While we were walking out of lessons people were stopping us and asking us to come visit them. Literally everywhere we went people knew that we were the missionaries. We had probably over 1000 people ask us if we were twins. We also were talking to people in an area we call mini Slovakia and one of the people we were talking too decided to Skype there family because they thought that we were cool. So Sister Wilson and I were preaching the gospel all over the world this week. :) 

I am so grateful for the members who love being missionaries. Every lesson that we had a member at the person progressed. Specifically with R. The ward missionary that came told him so many important things while we were on the chapel tour and when we met with him again he gave him a ride and now they text each other. I am so grateful for the faithful members in the Don Mills ward!

To top off this perfect film ready week... we have a story...

We were making calls while sitting outside in the beautiful  sun and this man walked up to us extended his arm and said....."Here take it." We saw a $10 bill in his hand and in shock replied by saying "Sorry?" He gave us the money and walked away. Sister Wilson and I were so confused but took and today we are going to give it to a homeless person. So there you have it. BEST WEEK EVER. 

I love you all! Have a great week!