A Classy Time in Canada

Family!

So I know I just talked to you yesterday but I'll fill in the rest of the world. I'm in Cardston! Yup Cardston Alberta...and I'm serving with...........Sister Estrada......my old MTC companion. HOW CRAZY IS THAT? Ha so I'm still a Sister Training Leader, I totally thought I wasn't when I found out I was getting transferred but we just opened a new STL area in Cardston and I'm over an entire Stake. The East Stake to be exact and I feel like I'm in Utah and I see the temple every single day and its the most beautiful thing in the world.

So yeah its been crazy. When I found I was staying in the south I was kind of disappointed to be honest but I know that's its going to be awesome. The assistants texted me Tuesday and told me I was still a Sister Training Leader and I was like WHATTTTTT. That's over half of my mission but oh well its the best so all is good. I was sad to leave Taber...SO SAD. The people there are the best thing in this mission. Bye bye Taber I'll be back again someday.

Soooooooo then I went to transfer station and found out that the new STL area would be in Cardston and the other STL area that I could go to was in Crowsnest Pass....both seemed good so I was up for whatever. Then I found out that Sister Estrada was my comp and I was just thinking this is the greatest thing ever. Since I already knew her we got to completely skip the whole "This is super awkward because I don't know you and now I have to live with you 24/7 stage" Also since we are both new to the area we both had to load our cars with our suitcases and boy was that just the worst thing ever....SO MUCH STUFF. Don't be alarmed if I start mailing things your way haha I literally don't know where everything came from but its just not okay hahaha. Anyways we got into Cardston and I'm just so happy to see some mountains now haha. We can go up to Waterton and go hiking on P-days when it gets warm! (If it ever gets warm.......that's another story though) So I live with members...first time on my mission! Its about time hahaha all the other sisters get so upset when they find out I've never lived with members before. We live in the basement of their house and its pretty nice so I'm happy about that as well.

Then I just felt super over my head about everything, we went to a relief society activity that night in for the Aetna ward and that was fun, I learned more about quilting...just working on my future momma skills ha and then we met with one of our ward mission leaders. I have a feeling that's the only thing that's going to save us is working with our ward mission leaders all the time. There's just no way we're going to be able to meet all the members. The stake is working really hard in having the missionaries go to all the members homes. And this particular ward (4th ward) part of it is in Montana....go America! That's a fun fact though. We also have a YSA branch which I'm super excited about and the Kaiani Branch out on the Blood Reserve.

The next day (Thursday) was hilarious. We woke up and decided to go for a walk and watch the sunrise and when we got home we were locked out! The member accidently locked the door and we had no phone or keys. So we tried all the doors, the members left super early in the morning and then we resorted to a window where I helped lift Sister Estrada up and pushed her through a window so we could get back inside. Good way to start the day. Then we went and had our District Finding Activity and we went Member Tracting hahaha pretty much just tracting into members its good for us because it helps us get to know everyone. We had a super good lesson with a less-active member though and we had no idea she was less-active (her neighbors told us later) I was on exchanges with Sister Gonzalez when we were doing it and we were super happy with the success that we had. Then we went to Seminary and the seminary students asked us a bunch of questions and got to know us better. I guess we'll be going there once a week and sharing something from PMG and helping them prepare for missions.

Friday we drove to Spring Coulee for Zone Training Mtg. Sister Estrada and I did a training on adjusting our teaching and lessons to our different investigators. I learned a lot and I'm super excited to get to know the missionaries in my new zone. Later my whole district went and sang at an assisted living home and I even played the piano for a little bit! You should be proud of me :) My piano skills are definitely not the best but they've improved on the mission. We had dinner with a super neat lady that night who loves loves loves family history work. On my mission I've really grown to appreciate family history work and have made it a goal to get more into it when I get home. Everything in the gospel fits together perfectly, I love it!

Saturday I woke up with pink eye....remember how I got this a year ago?? Its the worst thing to have as a missionary because everyone wants to shake my hand and then I just want to say "Look at my gross leaky red eye! You don't want this!" Ha but its starting to feel better so I'm happy about that. Then we drove out to Hillspring and had a lesson with a recent convert of 2 weeks. She's so cool! Its fun to come in and be able to help her continue to progress in the gospel. Hillspring is just a cute little village and its mostly members as well. We did get into a non-member house and got to know a cute older lady. She told us we can come back and brush her horses :) What a fun service! We did share a little message about mothers for mothers day and she loved the scriptures we shared. She asked if she could find those scriptures in her bible but we explained that we were using the Book of Mormon and so then we got to transition into the Restoration a little bit so that was cool. We were in Hillspring for most of the day visiting members. When we drove back into Cardston we had some members pick us up for dinner because they live on a farm way way way out of town. I just love farms :) I'm learning lots about farming out here in Alberta.

Sunday we had correlation with one of our Ward Mission leaders at 8 then 7th ward at 9:00 and then YSA branch at 10:30 and then 4th ward at 1:00 and then 6th ward at 2:30 it was the longest day ever! We then had dinner with a family who lives by the Canada/Montana border, I was so close to America! We went and saw the little monument they have of the Mormon Pioneers who crossed right there to come to Cardston. The members we ate with were so so nice. I just love nice people. And then I got to Skype you!! It was the best :) I love you lots!

I'm excited to be serving here in Cardston and I'm excited to find new investigators! Pray for the people of Cardston! Love you all! We get to go to Waterton today with the members we live with so that should be fun :) It will be even better when all the snow is melted. Have a great week!

Love

Sister M.