Hola mi familia! (that's in remembrance of my Mexican companion) hahaha just kidding sometimes I think I'm so funny, even though I miss Estrada I'm just loving Armstrong as my new companion and this week was so good!!
So last Monday our investigator took us up to Waterton and made us a little picnic, it was so fun!! We headed up Red Rock Canyon which is beautiful! It started raining and then Susan who was the one who took us was the only one with a jacket and she said "Aren't Mormons supposed to be prepared? I'm a better Mormon then all of you!" Hahha she's funny, but then we headed into the town and got some ice cream and did some shopping. It was a super fun day.
On Tuesday me and Sister Armstrong did a training at our Zone Training Mtg on our goal of talking to a million people for the month of August. We really tried to get everyone excited because really it all comes down to the individual faith of the missionaries in this mission to complete that goal. Its a big goal and its going to make us stretch but even if only one person came into the gospel because of it, its worth it. After Zone Mtg we just went and street contacted and talked to lots of people. I'm sure I've said this before but it amazes me how different of a missionary I am from the beginning of my mission.....I used to pray that people wouldn't open their doors because I was so nervous! And now it seems like all fear is gone, I love it! We went on exchanges later that night with the Cardston West Sisters. Sister Murphy came with me to my area and Sister Armstrong went with Sister O'Dell. Sister Murphy has been out since last October and is such a good missionary, probably one of the most diligent and obedient missionaries I've ever met. I probably learned way more from her than she learned from me. We had a lesson with one of our investigators that night and we taught the Law of Tithing and it was really the only concern they've had so far. As we focused on our Savior and faith instead of the money aspect of it all their hearts started to soften, it really is a commandment of faith and obedience and I just have the strongest testimony of tithing and of the blessings that come from it. Its paying into a "spiritual insurance" and we can have great confidence that the Lord will take care of us when we pay a full tithe. At the end of the lesson our investigators husband asked her when she was going to get baptized, which really surprised me that he brought it up! He then bore his testimony on following our savior and how she's ready to make that step in her life. She said she was still praying about it and we kind of just left it at that. We then headed to our next lesson with a boy from YSA and had a super spiritual lesson on faith and repentance and turning to our Savior.
So the next day we went to a pancake breakfast super early in the morning that the town was putting on and it was an awesome way to talk to tons of people. We're gaining some serious member trust right now and I LOVE it. As we were headed back home we got a phone call from our investigators husband saying that she has decided to be baptized on August 16th!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! sorry for all of the exclamation points but I was SO SO SO SO happy to hear that! I've just super connected with these two and I knew it was going to happen eventually I just didn't know if it would happen when I was still here. I was just so happy all day after that. Sister Murphy and I got to work at the Visitor Center after and that was way cool and then we just walked and talked because that's what we do in the Canada Calgary Mission. We exchanged back and then went and helped the Kainai Branch make their float for the parade and then headed over to our next lesson. We were teaching the plan of salvation and it just wasn't clicking to the person that we were teaching, I was getting so frustrated, which isn't a good thing but I just love the Plan of Salvation and finally when we got up to the Judgment Day a light just went on and everything clicked. FINALLY! It was all worth it in the end, because he could see why having hope in the atonement is so essential. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.
Thursday morning started out with more pancakes and talking to the whole town. I also say this like every week but I just love the little town of Cardston, there are some really really great people here. After that we finished our studies and then as a district we went and sang at the hospital, which made a lot of people happy. We also got to go help a girl who's in YSA write her talk for church and I was just so happy that she felt comfortable asking us to help her, we've been teaching her all summer and I absolutely love her. I've decided that I will write anyone's talks as long as I don't have to speak hahaha. After that we met with Jody our recent convert and she is still amazing me with how solid she is. She told us that the week before her baptism she was having a hard time and was doubting but she turned to 3 Nephi 27 and read that and she said she instantly knew that she needed to be baptized. She also said "I wish I could be baptized every week because I've never been so happy." She's just amazing and I'm so blessed to know her and to have been able to teach her.
Friday was good. It obviously started out with a Pancake breakfast because Cardston loves their pancakes....by this point I was kind of getting sick of pancakes but oh well whatever it takes to share the gospel hahahaha later we tried to contact some referrals and sang at the Chinook Lodge.......good thing the people are old and deaf because I don't think they would want us to come back and sing if they could hear us properly. We had a sweet lesson with Lish that night and she's the one getting baptized, she's so prepared for all of this and I'm so so so excited for her and her husband! I just am having too much fun being a missionary so don't be alarmed if I just happen to not come home.......haha just kidding....kind of. That night me and Armstrong decided last minute to get all the missionaries in the parade the next day so we made 1000 pass along cards....let me repeat that 1000 PASS ALONG CARDS and put all of the missionaries numbers in Cardston on the back of them. Then we bought a bazillion pieces of candy and got a truck with some posters that we could ride in. Coolest sister missionaries ever. Besides all of the fun things I'm learning a lot right now and have really been focusing my studies on enduring to the end, I think that's one of my favorite parts of the gospel of Jesus Christ and most of us are in that boat of enduring to the end and I wouldn't be able to do it with out amazing family members. So shout out to the best family ever.
On Saturday we had our last and final pancake breakfast....thank goodness and then got everything ready for the Parade. It was just a cute small town parade but it was super awesome for everyone to see the missionaries and to know who we are. We talked to so many people and handed out all our pass along cards. I was so proud of me and Armstrong. After the parade we got a phone call from the Magrath Sisters who needed and wanted to go on an exchange so we quickly drove out to Magrath and I had Sister Joseph come with me to Cardston and Sister Armstrong stayed in Magrath with Sister Gonzalez. Sister Joseph has been out for 3 months and her first area was Chestermere! So I got a quick update on the area which I was happy about. Sister Joseph is from New Zealand and is such a cool person! It made me sad that I'm not a cool person from New Zealand with a sweet accent. We got invited to a couple of BBQ's which were fun and then had some lessons with a couple of less-active members. We had dinner at the Klains who are my favorite people here in Cardston....actually I have lots of favorites but they're definitely up there! I think it was good for Sister Joseph to come and get a little break because she's been having a hard time in Magrath, which I don't blame her because going from East Calgary to Magrath is like the biggest culture shock of life. She'll do really good in Magrath though.
Sunday was busy like always, we had church all day and got to teach in Primary which was super fun. We also taught Lish and her husband again and trying to get everything in before her baptism on Saturday. This whole week was just super good and I'm super grateful for the happiness that the gospel has brought me and to others. I love my Savior and I know that He lives. I honestly don't know how I've been so blessed but I'm grateful every single day. If you haven't noticed I think my theme over the last few months have been to have an increase of faith and gratitude and because of those things I've seen so many tender mercies. I love you all and hope you all have a great week!!
Love
Sister Sarah Martin
"The Kainai float turned out so well!! This is Jody's daughter who is such a cutie!!"
#missionariesarethebest #IheartCardston
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