Monday, April 29, 2013


What a week!

I'm still a little sick but doing a lot better! We talked to the mission presidents wife and she wanted me to stay in and rest for a day. I had a hard time hearing that. Its hard being sick as a missionary and wanting to go out and work but not having the energy to do so. So on Wednesday that's what we did, stayed in for the day. I pretty much slept all day and then would study and read in between naps, it was much needed. Then we went to a dinner appointment that night and I'm pretty sure I got the lady sick......ooops! 

On Thursday morning we had a doctor appointment in Downtown Calgary............right in the middle of the city. I had no clue where the appointment was and neither did SisterSagers. So we got out our map and started driving. At one point we realized that we were completely going in the wrong direction when we looked behind us and the city was getting farther and farther away so we turned around and headed on a different road. The problem with Calgary is there's lots of one way streets so that makes it difficult. But it was kind of fun because we got to do some sight seeing that we normally can't do. We drove right past the Stampede grounds. So cool! Someday when I'm not a missionary it would be a lot of fun to go to the stampede. Anyways we finally found the right street and we were super late for the appointment...and I'm feeling miserable. We're pretty much running down a street in the middle of the city trying to find the doctors office. Long story short we found the doctors office he gave me some medicine and I'm doing a lot better. Also when we were driving back to our apartment we were driving past some of the cutest Antique stores! It made me think of my dear sister Kate. Someday we'll explore Calgary and all of the antique stores.....be excited!! Then we had a lesson with one of our investigators that night (Byron) he still has the baptismal date of May 26th so we hope to continue working with him and getting him prepared for that date! It's so exciting seeing peoples desires to come closer to our Savior.

Friday consisted of people cancelling appointments......silly people. But we had dinner with the lovely older lady from Australia. She's so cute! I love people. She told us stories of growing up in Australia and joining the church. She kind of reminded me of Grandma and Grandpa Martin because she has this porch that she enjoys sitting on and just talking about what she sees outside her house and watching the cars drive by, it was fun. We then had more appointments that night with less-active members.

On Saturday we were invited to a baptism of a little boy in our ward. They wanted us to fill the time between being baptized and getting changed. So we picked out some Mormon messages and shared them and bore our testimony on the Restoration and our Savior Jesus Christ it turned out our really well. The family of the boy is from the Philippines so after the baptisms they had a bunch of yummy authentic food from the Philippines. I love serving here in Calgary where its so diverse. I feel like I'm serving all over the world. They also invited two non-member families to the baptism and we got to introduce ourselves and talk with them for a little while. I'm hoping the more people come into contact with the missionaries and have good experiences with them the more likely they will be  to having us over. We then went and had our weekly appointment with a recent-convert family from Sudan. She speaks Dinka? I think, so there is a bit of a language barrier but her English is pretty good. And then the rest of the day was us trying to contact people, people blowing us off, people cancelling appointments. Hey no one said this would be easy. If being on a mission was easy it wouldn't be exciting. And guess what even after having a day where everyone ignores me and Sister Sagers and doesn't want to talk to us....I look back and think "I love being out here."

I had this really sweet experience while teaching one of our less-active members this past week. We were talking about acting on the impressions we receive from the Holy Ghost and we read the scripture 1 Nephi 4:6 "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." That scripture hit me so hard. I've always loved that scripture but in the middle of the lesson I was overwhelmed with the Spirit. And the most clear thought came into my mind. "This is why your here. You followed the Spirit and came on a mission. You still might not know why I asked you to come on a mission but you acted on the spirit and came. You will be blessed for coming. People will be blessed for you coming."  I know that Heavenly Father is watching over me. I know that he will continue to bless me as long as I show my faith in Him. It was such a tender mercy that gave me so much comfort.

So on church on Sunday guess what?! Not only did 2 of our investigators come to church but we had over 20 less-active members at church. DID YOU JUST READ THAT?! 20+ LESS-ACTIVE MEMBERS CAME TO CHURCH. It was so fun to walk in and see more and more of the people we've been working with come into church. And most stayed past sacrament meeting. It made me so happy. The bishop told us that with all those people coming to church we increased attendance in the ward by 14%! Yay!  Also me and Sister Sagers had to teach Gospel Principals....we got a phone call late Saturday asking us to teach because the lady was sick....the same lady we had dinner with early that week when I was sick....dang it. So we taught a lovely lesson that went pretty well. I think. I hope. Then that night we had dinner with a less-active family and there friend. It was great. They're friend Paul looked like he came straight out from a book or a movie. Big tall man, with a big beard and blind in one eye. Wearing a hunting shirt and suspenders. He told stories of hunting and fur-trapping and killing wolves....we then ate this dessert with berries and cream and the cream is getting stuck in his beard and running down his face. I loved it. I love how unique people are and hearing there stories.
 
So that was pretty much my week! I love the gospel. I love sharing the gospel. I love knowing that I can be with my amazing family forever.
 
I love you all so much!
 
 
Love
Sister M.

Sarah's Zone on the P-day before transfers. "Sometimes I feel like me and Sister Sagers are the only Sisters serving here in Calgary. Its so nice when we have meetings and see other sisters! "

Downtown Calgary

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