This week was really good. Our investigator hasn't been home and won't return our calls.......so we're trying really hard to find new investigators. But me and Sister Sagers made a goal to really work with the less active members this past week....that's kind of our goal every week but we pushed really hard this week. And miracles are happening. They're coming back to church and we had some come and watch conference with us at the church. Its so great!!

The people here are so great and my love for all of them continues to grow. So we met with Sis. Sonnenberg again the lady who makes me sing. She invited me and Sister Sagers over for lunch and she was so excited to have us over. Usually she can be kind of cranky but she was so happy. She made us sandwiches.....with this gross meat on them. I have no idea what the mushed up meat was but I just stuffed it into my mouth and chewed and  swallowed. I was praying the whole time that me and Sis. Sagers would not get sick. It was really cute of Sister Sonnenberg to invite us over though. We then went into her living room and she made me sing again. But this time she told me that I need to improve on my singing skills. (Good to know) I don't think they'll ever improve. Ha it makes me laugh though. She's really grateful we come over though. We then had a couple of other less-active member lessons that day that went really good as well. We then had dinner with a part-member family and I think the dad (who's not a member) really like our lesson about being in tune with the spirit. We then had a lesson at the church with Felix who has been less active for a lot of years. Me and Sister Sagers decided to teach him how we would teach an investigator so we started with the restoration and it was such a good lesson, the Spirit was there and I could tell that Felix could feel the Spirit as well. We invited him to pray about the restoration to find out for himself that its true.

The rest of the week was filled with less-active and part-member lessons that were great. I really just love meeting new people and learning about them. I got my haircut and its pretty cute! A non-member cut me and Sister Sagers hair and we told her all about conference and she wanted to know where she could watch it so we told her and hopefully she had the chance to watch! We'll have to follow up with her. We had dinner with a lady who is a convert of 3 years and she loooooves to talk and talk and talk. She's in her late 30's and is single so I think she enjoys company. She loves horses and animals and told us all about growing up in the country. I really had no idea how were going to get out of her house. Luckily we had a lesson that night so we had an excuse to leave but I really do enjoy learning about people and developing friendships with the people in my ward.

I thought conference was great! Everything to me seemed to be focused on families and strengthening our families. The gospel truly does bless families and I've seen that so much since being on my mission. You can see a clear difference in people's homes who have the gospel and who doesn't have the gospel. I really liked Elder Scott's talk and having a Christ centered home and I really liked Elder Hollands talk "Fan your flame of faith" How great is that? We just need to continue in exercising our faith even if its just a little particle of faith. That's one of my favorite scriptures Alma 32:27 I hope we can all continue in developing our faith in Christ.

Sooooo its cold again here. We had freezing rain the last couple of days and then yesterday it started snowing again and today we woke up to lots of snow! I'm so grateful for my wool socks! I like the weather though.

I love you all!!!!

Sister M.

Sarah standing in front of Chestermere Lake 

Chestermere Lake 

Sister Sagers and Sarah's coordinating outfits

CANADA WEEK 3

Hello everyone!!

How is everything back in Utah??  The weather here has been sooooooo  nice!! 12 degrees hahah sounds funny but 12 Celsius is warrrrm!! So this week was so good. Me and my companion are working really hard and getting our members to trust as as missionaries and to get the less active members trusting us. Our investigator kinda bailed on us this week. But she does that. I don't know what to do about her. She's awesome, such a sweet lady but we're just are having a hard time committing her to things. But we're seeing a change in our less-active members and I love it!! I love seeing them trying to be better each week. This week flew by so I'm sorry if this email is kinda scattered I'm just trying to remember everything that went on.

We tried contacting some referrals but they weren't interested. They really don't know what they're missing out on but we just keep praying for the people who the Lord is preparing us for. Last Monday on P-day we combined with the West Zone and I got to see Sister Strathern from the MTC she's serving up in Banff right now and it was so fun to see her and see how she's doing! They just opened Banff up to Sisters.

Then on Tuesday we drove out to Strathmore for our District Meeting its about a 40 minute drive. All the Elders wanted to get chinese after.......you know how I love chinesefood.....not. It made me sick obviously. We then tried to meet with a potential investigator but she was asleep the same time she told us to come over......these people are tricky! Good thing I'm very persistent and won't be giving up. We then had an amazing lesson with the Pletts who are very less active. The Spirit just took over in that lesson and the whole time I was just amazed at what the Lord can do for us when we're in tune with the spirit. Brother Plett finally opened up to us and now we have a better understanding of why he acts the way he does. It was kind of overwhelming but good. We then had dinner that night with some of my favorite members the Simmons. I don't remember if I told you but we've been having some of the Mandarin Elders coming to our dinner appointments the last 2 weeks. They cover 2 stakes and switch which ward is in charge of their dinner appointments. So our ward was in charge in March. The Elders are hilarious to the point where everyone just laughs the entire time at dinner.

On Wednesday we did some service for a less-active lady Sis. Sonnenberg in our ward who is in a wheelchair. She's a funny one. She wanted us to try and fix her bed so she handed us some nails and some hammers and cement and told us to get to work! Ha it was hilarious me and Sister Sagers had no idea what we were really doing but we fixed her bed for her. Oh and then our visit with her just got even better Sis. Sonnenberg loves the piano so she makes Sis. Sagers play the piano for her but then she made me sing hymns! Let me repeat that for you all I was singing a solo in her living room! I DON'T SING. Everyone knows that. Sister Sagers knows that, but Sister Sonnenberg is very persistent and would hit me if I stopped singing. So that was cool. I was just humiliated the whole time. Anyways We then had cleaning checks in our apartment Thursday so we spent the morning cleaning. We lost the cleaning contest to our Zone leaders by 1 point. Sad. On Friday we did got invited over to a families farm in our ward to have an Easter party, they invited some recent converts so they wanted us there to make them feel more comfortable. It was way fun. We then had dinner that night with a part-member family. The father is not a member but he's such a good guy. We also had a lesson after that with a less-active lady who's Native. Her grandson is not a member and he and his friend stayed in for our lesson, they asked a ton of questions about Jesus Christ and it was so fun to help these boys understand who he is.

Then on Saturday we helped some people in our ward with packing some things up because they're moving. They had a non-member boy there who's probably in his early 20's and we asked if he would be interested in learning about the gospel and he said no......but by the time we were leaving he said we can have 1 lesson with him. Mission accomplished. One lesson is all it takes! What made me even happier is when he showed up to church on Sunday for all 3 hours!! YEAH!! He then came up to me after church and said he wants to set up an appointment within the next week or two. I was thrilled! 

Yesterday(Easter) was just so awesome. So many of the less-active members that we've been working with came to church. We even had a whole family come and they never ever come. Sacrament meeting was really good and I'm glad they were all there to feel the spirit. I got asked to come up and bear my testimony in Sacrament meeting which was fun as well. Also there is the guy Felix who came to church he joined the church in 1995 and stopped going in 1998. He didn't even realize that President Hinkley passed away. Felix told us he has a strong desire to come back he just needs some help so we're going to start reteaching him the lessons as well. I love seeing people want to do better. So for Easter we got invited over to dinner at Brother Williams house. He is less-active as well but he loves feeding the missionaries. He is so sweet! We had the Mandarin Elders over as well and he got all of us Easter Candy and treat and cearel. I'll send you a picture of all the things he got us. It was a really good Easter. I'm excited for this week and for the goals me and Sis. Sagers has set. And conference is coming up so what could be better than that! Nothing.

I got a letter from Rachel Rawlings and Katie Clark this past week, they just made my day! Katie the letter I got from you was one you sent to the MTC but I finally got it! Thank you! I'm finally going to buy stamps today so I can start sending letters!

Also dad my companion Sister Sagers is very strict about the speed limit so don't you worry I won't be getting any speeding tickets as long as she's my companion. I thought that would make you happy!

I love you all! SO MUCH!

Have a good week!

Sister M

Sarah and Destiny, one of the members in her area.

 Sarah and Sister Sagers, celebrating Sister Sagers 1 year mark on her mission!

"Brother Clark is a member in our ward who is in his late 70's. He used to make knives and does leather work. He wanted me to try on his hat and his vest." 

Sarah and Brother Clark 

"We went over to a dinner appointment and we were all required to wear hats. It was a very fun dinner!" 

Sister Sagers and Sarah, with all the treats Brother Williams gave them.

Hello!!!

How is everyone? I hope everything is going well back home! I think of you often and I'm constantly praying for all of you!! This week was good. We taught a couple of less active members and a couple of them even came to church! I love when people keep commitments. On Wednesday we tried to contact a couple of referrals all of them said they're not interested right now but that's ok, they just don't know what they're missing out on! We were also walking down the street and saw an elderly couple walking.....like they were old ok and so we went up and talked to them about the weather and asked them how they were doing and they were super friendly and then we said that we're missionaries and they started running down the street. I don't think I've ever seen old people start running. It was pretty funny.

Its still cold up here but the last few days have felt wonderful its 1 degrees Celsius so around 32 degrees back home and I'm running around with no coat and loving every second! We had another lesson with our investigator but for some reason she was super closed off and not as enthusiastic about things. She's usually super happy and excited but maybe she was just having a rough day, she wouldn't really open up to us. We do have a return appointment for this Friday so hopefully things go better. Oh!! I just remember we were getting our oil checked in our car on Wednesday and I started talking to guy, he's from India and he was asking us about our name tags and what we were doing in Canada. So I proudly told him that we were missionaries for the church and talked to him about the Book of Mormon. We ended up giving him the Book of Mormon and read a couple of verses to him. He said that it sounded interesting and he was really grateful we gave it to him. He's out of our area and I don't know if he'll even call but it just made my day knowing I brought him a little bit closer to Jesus Christ.

We also had this amazing lesson with a less active family and the father talked about how he was feeling the spirit and how he forgot what that felt like. I love moments like that. Where they're reminded about the gospel.

Also I'm getting to know Sis. Sagers so much better. I'm learning from her and learning to love her. When you truly try to get to know someone and figure out why they act the way they do you learn to love them. I know she's supposed to be my trainer for a reason. Even though some days are really hard she's teaching me patience and humility...the 2 things I need to work on the most....strange how that happens.

I'm starting to really get to know the ward better and I absolutely love the members. Me and Sister Sagers met with the bishop yesterday and he really wants to get all the members on board with missionary work, which is so great! We just have so much to do!

So funny story, we had to steal a vacuum from the church the other day and we forgot we needed to get it back by Saturday. So I got out of the shower early Saturday morning and my companion said that we were going over to the church to drop off the vacuum. Its 6:45 in the morning and its freezing out. So we go and drop off the vacuum and then I feel my head and its frozen. Every hair turned into an icicle!! I thought all my hair would break off. Luckily it thawed out and didn't break off.

Also my mission president came down on Tuesday to our district meeting. And met with me afterwords and told me not to stress and that everything would be ok. He talked to me for awhile but I really appreciated him doing that for me. He just barely changed how we do things out here and so nobody really knows whats going on. But we're all trying and I know that if we listen to our mission president then everything will work out.

I love all of you so much! I see so many different family situations out here and it makes me super grateful for all of you. Thanks for everything!!

Love,

Sister M.

HELLO FROM CANADA!!

Wow what a week! My flight was goood. I sat by one of my favorite Sisters. Sister Mcdade so we just got to talk for 2 hours which was great. And then we arrived in Calgary where the "field is white already to harvest". But literally it is with all the pretty snow. Lets just say I'm so grateful for my snow boots and coat. I've worn my boots everyday so far. Anyways all of us arrived and we went straight to a church for orientation and to find out where we will be serving! I was starting to get really nervous because I grew so close to the sisters in my district. I was getting upset I had to leave them ha I'm such an emotional girl. Oh well. So I found out that I would be serving..... in CHESTERMERE!! How cute is that name?! The cutest. I also live in an apartment, most missionaries do live with members but we don't. Our area is on the east side of Calgary. We live in Calgary and cover a small bit of Calgary, Chestermere and the small town of Langdon. Chestermere is a lake town and I'm betting its really pretty in the summer but right now everything is frozen. I get to see people ice fishing everyday though!

So back to the first night we arrived all the sisters actually stayed with a member of the mission presidency because of how many missionaries arrived we all couldn't fit in the Presidents home. But we were spoiled at the Palmers they had 14 sisters over that night, it was just a giant slumber party!.....kinda ha since we all had to be in bed by 10:30 but we were all so tired it didn't even matter. The next day my trainer picked me up, her name is Sister Sagers and we're nothing alike. She is 24 and from Orem. She's 6.5" and played basketball for SUU and is the quietest person I've ever met. Its been an adjustment for me that's for sure. But I'm trying to make it work. I've been blessed to be able to try and understand her. Its not like we don't get along but its hard to become best friends when we don't really talk. BUT it does give me the chance to talk to my Heavenly Father a lot. I thought I had a really strong relationship with my Heavenly Father but its getting stronger every day with how much I turn to him in prayer. I've gotten frustrated the last few days because I have no idea what I'm doing but then I have to realize I'm a brand new missionary no one expects me to know everything yet.

The members here are awesome though I can't stress that enough they are AWESOME! My favorite so far are the Maunds they are converts and they make me feel like I'm at home. They have a talking parrot and as of now we're trying to have it say "I'm a mormon." He hasn't caught on yet but he will. We have members feed us every night and the food has been great so far.

As for me and missionary work its good its just a little difficult right now because I guess our President just changed things up so my trainer doesn't even really know whats going on. I feel a little lost. We have a ton of inactive members like over 70 members in the ward are inactive. I really want to focus on them and try to help them. Its just difficult when you have this great message to share and you knock on their door in the freezing cold and you can clearly see them trying to hide and they won't open the door. I want to yell I CAN SEE YOU. Maybe someday I'll try to teach them how to hide from the missionaries better if they ever open the door. We have 1 progressing investigator right now but she cancelled our appointment with her last week. So that was sad because I haven't really had the opportunity to teach yet but we invited her to a missionary themed musical fireside last night and she came!! And she loved it! She said she loved hearing others conversion stories. So hopefully she won't cancel on us this week so we can meet with her again. We did teach a recent convert who is from Sudan. Her family is awesome and so far she's come to church every week. We're working with her to be able to go to the temple someday! We also came into contact with a guy from Nepal and he will be out of town for the next week but he gave us his number and wants us to contact him in a week or so. There is a lot of work to be done. We just need to figure out how to do it. My mission President does not want us tracting so we're just trying to figure out what to do when people cancel on us last minute or when our backup plan fails as well.

People really do have accents up here and really do say eh all the time. They call the bathroom the "washroom" and call tennis shoes "runners" they say some other funny things that I'll tell you if I remember.

I got the chance to rip out gross carpet the other day. Can you picture me ripping out moldy carpet? Well be proud of me because I did. We had a less active girl call us needing help because her basement flooded. We got our zone leaders over there and moved all her furniture and started ripping out the carpet. She was super grateful for our help and I loved knowing she knew she could call us for help.

One of my favorite moments of the week was a small one but it made me happy. We went to go visit with a less-active member that our Stake President asked us to visit. Her name is Sis. Plett and she lives out in Langdon which is in the middle of no where. We stopped by and she answered and let us in. We started sharing her a small message about faith and she started getting pretty emotional, She opened up about how the last few weeks have been pretty hard for her and how she turned to Heavenly Father in prayer asking to help increase her faith, and then we showed up. She said it was an answer to prayer and she then knew her Heavenly Father was listening to her. For the first time I felt like I was in the right place at the right time to help her out. We made another appointment to meet with her this week. 

Family I miss you so much and love you even more! I'm so grateful for our little family and the love we have for each other. I'm so grateful for dad and Sam for being righteous priesthood holders, you boys mean everything to me. Thank you mom and Kate for being my best friends. I love you all SO SO much!

This week has been difficult but the work is so rewarding. I wouldn't be out here if I didn't love this gospel so much. I should have realized more that it was going to be hard and its going to get harder but better! I love bundling up each day in tons of layers and going out to do our Lords work. Something that's helped me a lot this week is D&C 11 mainly verse 21 [I need to work on obtaining His work first then declaring it] That's why I'm going to be getting trained the next 12 weeks so I can obtain His word. I'M EXCITED!

Love, Sister Martin

Sarah's zone at the MTC

Sarah and her old roommate, Sister Priddis at the MTC

The "Canada Calgary" sign

All the Elders are in West Virginia and all the Sisters in Calgary!

Sarah with her trainer to her right

Sarah in Canada by her apartment

HI FAMILY & FRIENDS!

I've survived my first week and I'm loving it! To be honest its hard really hard but I know I'm supposed to be here and that makes everything ok. I love my district and we've become super close in the last week, its weird how close we've become. All the Elders are heading to West Virginia and all the Sisters are going to Calgary! I learn so much everyday and me and my companion are doing so well with our investigator!! His name is Troy and he's awesome. He first didn't believe that God answers prayers so we taught him about his loving Heavenly Father and had him pray for us! THE SPIRIT WAS ON FIRE! He is now praying daily and we have him now reading the BoM. He's awesome and we love him so much. And guess what!?? We have a baptismal date for him at the end of the month!! I couldn't stop smiling that day! We also taught a lady that really is inactive and we prayed with her and taught her about going back to church and to start reading the BoM again. It was awesome. We've had some trials as a district with one of our Elders going home a couple of days ago, it was sad to see such an awesome Elder not feeling like he should be out here. It was so sad to see him go. Also a Sister in my district has MS and struggles every day, her determination amazes me. She had a bunch of pain in her leg yesterday and it started to go numb. We had to have her go to the emergency room last night but right before she left we had the Elders give her a blessing. Lets just say I LOVE the priesthood. So awesome. I love being a coordinating sister. All the new sisters in the zone came yesterday and I just adore them. They're all going to Reno. We'll continue checking on them each day to see how they're doing. My teachers told me that they've never had any missionaries to get Troy to pray so soon or commit to baptism so that made me happy. I just love talking to people and trying to help them out. I'm blessed to be here and the spirit is so strong. We literally say 100 prayers a day and I can feel your prayers for me.

These Sisters are in my district!