February 27, 2012

Welcome to the town of trains, dogs, and happiness. Everyone here in
Brandon has just been so nice and happy. It’s a small town feel and it
has been an amazing week!! We tracted into a family from Honduras, mom
dad and 3 kids, they are fantastic...but speak very limited English.
We set up an appointment with them for Saturday. As we got to the
appointment it became very apparent that the language was going to be
a barrier...we found this out when after we sat down the dad said
something and everyone started to get on their coats and shoes and
hats. When we asked the kids where they were going they just shrugged
their shoulders...they weren't quite sure what we were saying. So we
kept trying to figure out what was going on...finally in broken
Spanish/English we asked the father where everyone was going. He said.
Oh we go to church. I hope your car is big enough to take us all.
Ha.ha. we were like noooo no no no no no. church is TOMORROW. Today we
just want to TALK about church. The kids were so disappointed. But we
were able to explain church and the process and briefly introduce the
restoration and testify...it has become apparent that Spanish skills
are going to be needed. We’re working on it.  On Sunday the
family came to church!! They loved it. They have a Spanish translator
for sacrament meeting and a Spanish Sunday School class and a Spanish
speaking primary teacher...soooooo it was perfect. The ward was
fantastic at fellowshipping and getting them involved. We are really
excited for them.
During the week...we knocked on a door and the guy answered and said oh
hi come in. So we walk in and his wife said ooooh hiiii, boys say hi to
the sisters. ...so they said hi. We were so confused how they knew us.
They asked if we were just out and about tonight or just making stop
bys. We said we were out knocking on doors.  They said oh were you
just at the neighbors? We said well...we knocked on their door...?!?!
They said did they send you over here? We said hum...no. They asked
when we got to town and how we were adjusting. So we thought maybe
they were less active members. They kept asking questions about how we
were doing and then said ok come on did the neighbors send you over
here? We said no really...we just knocked on your door. How do you know
everything about our life? They said have you done the scone
challenge at the Andersons yet? *the bishop and his wife do a scone
challenge with all the missionaries* we said nooo...how do you know
the Andersons??! They said...didn't you know they live next door?!?!?!
ooooooooook. haha. So they had us in to sit down and visit for a
minute. The Andersons have had them over for FHE and activities and
they have been to church a couple times...and so they have gotten to
know the missionaries through them. So they called the bishop and said
hey come over here for a minute...as he walked in and saw us sitting at
the table he was a little surprised. It was a funny moment. Hopefully
it will make it easier for us to get in their home again later. :)
Well...winter finally hit. It was really cold this week. We have been
all sorts of bundled up but we have seen so much success in this area
already. We found a handful of new investigators and have seen success
in tracting. We have been so very blessed.
This week we get to go to Winnipeg for a meeting and exchanges with
the sisters. So that will be a whole new adventure.
Hope you all had a wonderful week. Love you VERY much. Be good.
Remember who you are. Live it. Love it.

February - Presidents Day

HOLA! Como se desay I'M IN BRANDON en Espanol. (Ok so I probably didn't spell that right.... but....

I AM IN BRANDON!! Welcome to Spanish town. Lots and lots of Spanish speakers here. The Spanish is going to have to come very quickly I can tell. On Wednesday Sister Roper and I woke up and drove here to Brandon...dropped off Sister Roper (sad) picked up Sister Lewtas and drove into Winnipeg...home sweet home...and dropped off Sister Lewtas and picked up SISTER KUNZLER (short u sound). We had supper at the mission home and then training meeting then we got to go stay with the YSA Winnipeg sisters for the night!! Fun!  Then Thursday morning we woke up...got lost and finally made it to Brandon. haha. What an adventure. It was great. We got to our area and just jumped right into the fun with a couple of appointments this weekend and a handful of investigators at church...it has been a great start.

Sister Kunzler is great. She is 22 years old. She is from Pleasant View, Utah. She is majoring in elementary education at Weber state. She is very sweet. She is a great missionary...just jumped into it and does what she needs to do!! It has been fun to get to know her and work together. It has been a busy couple of days trying to find our way around and meet the ward and our investigators...but she has a fantastic attitude and is just excited to be a missionary. It’s wonderful.

Brandon is great.

It is the home of Brandon University, Assiniboine Community College and Manitoba Emergency Service College. It has 2 senior baseball league teams. Their hockey team is the Brandon Wheat Kings. :) Clever. Its population is about 43,000...which makes it the second largest city in all of Manitoba. :)

The ward is amazing. Each person just came right up and introduced themselves. They are very very involved with missionary work and are excited to be a part of the process. They are so supportive and helpful. It’s a small ward...but powerful. Lots of good things happening. We are excited to see the success and blessings that the Lord has in store for the people here in Brandon.

We are working with a family of 5! They came to church on their own a couple weeks ago and are just on fire. They are progressing wonderfully and the ward has just taken them in. we are also working with a Spanish girl age 8 who has a strong testimony of the restoration. More updates to come...when we know more about them :)

I know that the Lord is very mindful of each of us as I have felt His love and guidance so much this weekend. I know Sister Kunzler and I are here for a reason and that this work is real.
Hope you had a wonderful week! Hope things are well and the weather is nice. It was +7 here yesterday. Feels like summer.

Love you all very very much. Be good. Remember who you are. Live it. Love it.

Valentines Week

Hola mi amigas y amigos!!! what a week. We saw Antonio and Lina!!! They REALLY missed church. As we talked with them about it they said that before when they would go to church...they would go and it wouldn't be a big deal...they would just go to just go to church and would come home and it wouldn't mean anything...but when they come home from church now...they feel different and they feel happy. When they missed it...they really missed church and wanted to know what was talked about and how everyone was doing. :) THEY FELT THE DIFFERENCE. Now they know what they are missing...so it was secretly a blessing they didn't come last week...because now they know. Antonio also told us that he has always thought himself to be an active follower of Christ...but now he knows that there is much more to being a follower of Christ...you act…you do things..you pray and read and serve and love and go to church...he was so excited about it. It was fantastic. They are so very very special. I am so excited to see where they go. They are going to get there. I know they will. There has been a big change in the way the ward is reacting to us lately...it has been so good the more we serve them...the more they are willing to serve us and help us with appointments and investigators. It’s so neat to see how they have changed and to see how much they support us and help us now. I love it.

Well...

The big news of the week is...

Sister Carmichael is going to come here to be with...Sister Roper. I will be going to Brandon Manitoba...to train and white wash...wowzy! What an adventure. We leave on Wednesday. It was a lot harder than I thought to say goodbye to the wards we are serving in. I love the family ward. I love working with families...at first I was a little nervous about it...but I love it. There are so many families that we have gotten so close to...it was very hard to say goodbye to them on Sunday and also to say goodbye to Arianne. That was a killer. Tracy also came to say goodbye. It was good to see her. She has changed a lot which is kind of hard to see...but she felt something as she was back in the church. It was so good to see her. It’s going to be great though!! Lots of new adventures but this is a big change...real big...I am excited. I think it will be a good experience and I know that the Lord has a plan for us to be there...but it's a lot. Ha. :) Nevertheless...the church is true no matter where you go...who you are serving. Just got to do our best wherever wer go! :)
Hope you all have a grrrrrrrreat week.  Love you.  Be good.  Remember who you are.  Live it. Love it.

Feb.6,2012

This week was pretty good. We met with Antonio and Lina and they are doing great. they didn't make it to church yesterday but before we had the chance to call them they had called us and left a message saying how much they missed church today and wanted to know what went on and that they will be there next week for sure. When we called them back they were so excited to just see how our day was and see how church was. :) Closer and closer every day. One of the members is throwing Meaghan a birthday party this week. It really has shown me what influence members can have on investigators and helps me set goals for how I want to be involved with investigators at home. Those friendships are so valuable and can change everything. We went to a little tiny time called Ruthilda this week with the Shaws. It is literally...in the middle of nowhere. You just drive and drive a drive and then you see a sign and you drive and drive and drive...and you see their little house. This great little couple...the wife got baptized in 79 and he got baptized in December. They collect salt and pepper shakers!!! They had about 10 cabinets just FULLLLLLLLL of salt and pepper shakers from all over the world. It was crazy. When I look at the picture I took I feel like I’m playing I-spy!! So many different kinds. It was fun. It was good to get to know them and of course lots of fun to be with the Shaws.

I almost got eaten by a dog this week. Highlight of the week! Last week we knocked on this door and all you hear was the deepest darkest bark known to man and then you see the door SHAKE because the dog jumped up on the door and you just see the door rattling. No one answered...but we went back this week...and the lady answered...she was angry...reallllll angry and so was her dog!!!!!! Ha-ha the dog came BOLTING out the door...big old pit bull... (think that is what it’s called) and it started nipping at me!!! The lady came running out NO NO NO NO NO...and chased the dog down the stairs!!! I was terrified. hahahaha. We laughed for a good while after...the day in the life of a missionary.

Well hope you had a wonderful week!!! Love you all. Be good. Remember who you are. Live it. Love it.