Words from our Prophets

Hey friends and family!

How is everyone doing?? Wasn't conference amazing?? So good! 

This past week definitely had its ups and downs..kind of more downs then ups but that's just what happens and honestly its the little tender mercies that keep me going. 

We taught one of investigators this past week and it was sweet! We taught the Word of Wisdom and the spirit was so strong when we were teaching. When the spirit is there and you are teaching out of love then you can be as bold as you need to be. He said that he's going to keep on trying and that he completely understands the doctrine of it which is awesome. We then went and did service in Barnwell as our whole district which was fun. We helped at this community senior dinner and I just love seniors! They're all so cute! 

Wednesday we had to drop one of our investigators, she's just not progressing as much as she should be and her desire isn't really there. She's an awesome lady though and I just have a positive peaceful feeling that this isn't the end for her, she's felt the spirit so strongly in some of our lessons and one day she'll remember that and want to come back and learn more. We're receiving a lot more referrals from the ward lately which is SWEET. It shows that the members trust us and it gives us more opportunities to find people. That's what our mission is focusing on this month is Developing the Faith to Find. Which is perfect because thats what me and Sister Mortensen are focusing on is finding more people here in Taber. 

We walked all day Wednesday and hopefully with it getting warmer more people will come out because as of now its pretty much just me and Sister Mortensen walking the streets of Taber. I'm definitely definitely not in Calgary. Its fun trying to figure out how to do missionary work in all these different areas. 

On Thursday we helped a lady with her new house. We got to rip wall-paper down and do some other fun things. Do you want to know why I really love service out here on my mission? Because I get to wear jeans! Its the best! hahaha but really service is great because we just get to love the people. I've learned a lot about charity on my mission which I'm super grateful for. 

So on Friday we got to go up to Calgary and guess who I got to see?!? Sister Blommaert! Yup she's a Sister Training Leader and is just doing so good! I'm so proud of her! It was the first time seeing her since I trained her. 8 months....thats so long! It was so good to see her, as well as Sister Doty. MLC was really good as well. We talked about finding more people in the mission and then President Nicholas came out with some new Standards of Excellence. Its going to really push our mission to work more effectively and I think we're going to see a lot of good things come from it. I really appreciate how much President Nicholas takes what we say at MLC into consideration, he shows so much respect to all of his missionaries. I've learned a lot from him as well. It was good to see the city again :) I heard that Andy and Kenora are doing really well which makes me happy and I got a cute little package from a family in Chestermere they sent me a scarf and a cute little note. It was completely unexpected and made me grateful for the friendships I still have from my old areas.  

Saturday and Sunday we're just spiritually filling. We're so blessed to have a prophet on the earth and to know that he's speaking from God. I really enjoyed Elder Nelsons talk on faith and Elder Ballards talk with Following up. We had a neat experience during the sessions when we were walking back to apartment for lunch. We were trying to contact a referral but they weren't home and we saw an older lady taking her groceries in. So I walked over and grabbed some of her groceries out of her truck and offered to help. She was soooo grateful for our help! I invited her to conference but she declined but did take a mormon.org card. I didn't know if anything would come of it but this morning her sister called and left us a message! She said how kind we were for helping her and that she wants us to come over so she can meet us. Good things happen when we do service! 

I love you all and am so grateful for your example to me! I hope you all have a great week! 

Love 

Sister M.

Sister Blommaert and Sister Martin!

Sister Martin and Sister McDade! 

Sister Doty, Sarah and Sister McDade.

Hey everyone! 

I hope you have spring weather because I think Canada doesn't believe in spring. Its kind of sad but I think I'll get over it....maybe...or just throw a fit. 

So I want to share a cool experience before I forget. I was reading in Doctrine and Covenants 6:14 and it just really hit me. 

"Verily, verily, I say unto thee, blessed art thou for what thou hast done; for thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou has inquired thou hast received instruction of my Spirit. If it had not been so, thou wouldst not have come to the place where thou art at this time." 

It just reminded me of my experience of deciding to come on a mission and the spirit again confirmed to me that I'm supposed to be here in the Canada Calgary Mission at this time and more specifically in Taber. Especially with transfers just happening, I'm grateful I got to stay here. President said this was one of the biggest transfers that he's ever seen and literally everyone got moved around. Obviously there is a reason we're supposed to be here. 

I was grateful I got to look back and reflect on a year and a half ago and making that decision to serve a mission. Its the best decision I've ever made and its changed my life forever. I'm grateful for the relationship I've been able to have with my Savior.

So on Thursday some members invited us over for lunch and we roasted hot dogs by Old Man River. These members are awesome and told us a lot about there friends and we'll hopefully be able to meet some and share the gospel with them. We stopped by our investigator to let him know we're staying in Taber and he was so happy! He wanted to immediately know when our next lesson is. I might have said this already but he told us that he's down to half a pack of cigarettes a day, a huge improvement from 2 packs a day. The gospel gives us strength through the power of the Atonement. 

So the Womens broadcast was awesome! Oh my goodness the whole thing was so spiritual and inspiring, we had a dinner at the church with the whole stake before and I saw a few non-members and less-active members that came so hopefully they enjoyed it as well. I thought it was interesting that it was on covenants again because the Relief Society broadcast last October was all on making and keeping covenants. I'm glad they're emphasizing how important they are. Also I had a neat experience after the broadcast with some of the ladies in my ward here in Taber. It made me so grateful for the people here and for them specifically for making me feel like I have family here in Taber. I'm very blessed. 

I was so excited for Sunday! Oh my goodness, sometimes I'm worried for Sundays because they're so long sometimes with so much church and fast sunday makes them seem longer but for some reason I was just excited for both wards and to be able to fast and receive revelation for this upcoming week of conference. We had our investigator there and he is awesome! We taught him Sunday night and he's had a really rough life. He's one of the guys that just randomly showed up to church last week. He thought that the church would have answers to his questions and help him find happiness. Oh how right he was! He's so prepared for the gospel its crazy! He's excited for conference this weekend and wants to invite his girlfriend so maybe we'll be able to start teaching her as well! 

So things are going pretty well. I know that Heavenly Father is really helping us here in Taber. I love it!

I hope you all have a good week:) 

love you all!

Love

Sister M.

(4/1/14)

Sister Mortensen, CJ and Sister Martin

Hello family! 

What a week!  So guess what?!? Me and Sister Mortensen are both staying in Taber! I'm really happy about it, I just didn't feel like I've done everything I'm supposed to do here. Its going to be a good upcoming transfer!

So this past week we were super busy! I loved it! We went on exchanges with the Forestry Sisters again and I went to Lethbridge with Sister Jones. They're doing super good in their area right now, we went and taught their investigator and the first thing she said is "I still want to be baptized...what do I need to do?" I LOVE that. So I shared D&C 20:37 and she was just so excited to prepare for her baptism. When we were walking home after that lesson Sister Jones asked me how she can become a good teacher like I am......that just made my day! I don't even feel like I'm that good of a teacher but Sister Jones is pretty new so I just explained that it comes with time and that we constantly need to be working on our teaching skills throughout our missions. I think by the time I feel like I'm super good at being a missionary I'll be on the plane coming home. 

The next day was awesome! We went and taught a lady from Sudan and we were helping her with her english with reading from the Bible. She was hilarious! I wrote down a lot of words in Dinka as well! She was such a neat lady. Then when I got back to Taber we went and ate lunch and this lady started drinking some beer and I was just drinking my little juice box and she just didn't seem happy. She thought she was but I was just so grateful for the gospel which brings true happiness to our life. Then we went and over and taught a lady who is 90 years old! She's been having a hard time because 2 of her children have passed away and she's pretty bitter about it. So we taught the Plan of Salvation and she loved it! She was writing down scriptures that we were sharing and she said that she felt so much peace...peace that she hadn't felt in a very long time. She wanted us to come back the following Monday so we went back yesterday and taught the Restoration to her. I can't believe I'm teaching a 90 year old....soooooo cooooool!

The next day we went on exchanges again with Stirling Sisters and Sister Olpin came to Taber with me. I LOVE SISTER OLPIN SO MUCH! Oh my goodness....the sad thing was no one was home and everything got cancelled hahaha she had a good attitude about it. We did teach a girl that we haven't been able to get a hold of for like 2 months now and the girl ended up coming to church this past Sunday which made me really happy. 

Me and Sister Olpin did Meals on Wheels on Friday and had a good time. I love service its such a good way to find people in the mission. We also had a super awesome dinner appointment that night. There was a girl there who has been deaf since 8th grade and she's had a pretty hard life, she's older now and has never had a cell-phone to communicate to people with and that night she got her own cell-phone for the first time. We taught her how to text and use it and I've honestly never seen someone so happy in my life. It was the cutest thing ever. We would send her a text and she would just start laughing and would get the biggest smile on her face, this is the first time she could truly talk with people because she's been pretty isolated. I loved being able to help her. Saturday I got antied pretty bad...it was the saddest thing of my life. The man was telling us all these made up lies and told me and Sister Mortensen that we were brainwashed when we were little. I did everything I could to not cry. I then bore my testimony on the Book of Mormon and the Priesthood and we left. These poor people don't know what they're missing out on!

On Saturday night I prayed so hard that we would see a miracle and that we would have a non-member show up to church that was ready for the gospel. That Sunday we had 2 non-members come and we taught one of them Sunday night and we're teaching the other one tonight! I know with out a doubt that God hears our prayers. Such a little miracle that I'm so happy about. The one boy that we taught Sunday is such a good guy! I asked him why he wanted to meet with us and he said that he wants to strengthen his relationship with Christ. What a good guy! We're teaching him again on Thursday. 

We taught a lot of lessons yesterday and by a lot I mean 3 but that's good for one day and our one investigator who's been struggling with smoking is doing so much better he's cut down from 2 packets a day to 1 and he asked me how he could get a hold of one of us to let us know when he's getting baptized just in case we got transferred. I was SO SO SO happy to hear that! He wants to be baptized and he knows that the gospel is true. We just need to continue to help him, we taught him about fasting and he said that he would try fasting to help him overcome his addictions. 

I'm grateful that Heavenly Father is helping us to find more people to teach....there was definitely a period of time where we needed to learn patience since we weren't finding anyone to teach and I know that Heavenly Father has blessed us for working hard. 

I'm so grateful to be able to stay here in Taber for another transfer. I've learned so much from the people here that has not only helped me in my mission but that will help me throughout my life. There are so many wonderful families here that I just love. 

I hope you all have a good week! I love you all so much!

Love 

Sister M.

"I love these people so much! We've been going over and teaching them since we first got here and they went to the Temple this past week! I was so so so happy for them!" 

Sarah's district in Taber 

Sarah and Babs.

Hello family! 

How is everything going?? 

This week was such a good learning experience for me on the mission and I guess in life in general. I really really love Taber because of all the good things I've learned here.

Last Tuesday we were teaching one of our investigators and he was so funny! He said "SISTERS! YOU'VE TRULY CHANGED ME! I used to not pray and now I feel awful if I don't pray!" He talked about how his relationship with Heavenly Father is changing and it was awesome. He also said "I know I'm not baptized yet but I tell everyone that I'm a Mormon" How cool is that! He talks to all his friends about the church as well. It made me super happy. 

Wednesday we helped with Meals on Wheels and it was awesome because people had to actually let us into their homes! Ha they couldn't turn down the food. Thats why I've decided I need to go tracting with food hahaha just kidding but really it was good for us because we actually got to meet a lot more less-active members and talk with some really cool non-members. I love doing service. We had some really funny things happen as well that made me and Sister Mortensen laugh foreverrrrrr. We had a good lesson with one of our less-actives that is doing really well. She's made so much progress! We're hoping to help them make goals of getting married soon and to make it to the temple in a year or so. We also were finally able to get in with a couple that our bishopric has wanted us to see for awhile and when we walked in the lady asked us "I'm excited to learn from you today!" Its so cool how she knows our purpose....that we're there to teach and invite. That night we did splits with one of our wards and I went out with a girl who has her mission call. We went and saw a lady and she was sooooooo excited that we stopped by because she wanted to tell us about all the missionary work she's been doing! Oh and I forgot to tell you that this lady is 95! She invited two of her friends to church. I was so proud of her. We can do missionary work at any age:) We don't have any excuse to not share to gospel. 

Thursday we did weekly planning and then a couple invited us over to talk about sharing the gospel with their neighbors. We helped them with knowing what to do and then hopefully we'll be able to all get together soon so we can meet them! Honestly I know I have said this 1000000000 times but the members are awesome here in Taber. I've seen so many of them getting excited about missionary work. Late on Friday we went out to Medicine Hat for exchanges and I stayed in Medicine Hat with Sister Butler. We were able to get a lot of things done when we were there and it was awesome! Sister Butler was amazing, such a hard worker. I learn a lot from these people. Every single person I come into contact with here in Canada I've learned something from them. For example when we were in Med Hat we went to a home where the husband served a mission but isn't really active any more and it broke my heart! It made me realize how important it is that when I go home I continue to work hard in the gospel and that the person I marry realizes how important it is to endure to the end. 

Friday when I got back to Taber it seemed like every body knew we were coming to their house and they purposely fled the country. Ok thats a little dramatic but for reals no one answered their doors. We then went to a members home who we haven't met yet and they were awesome! I wish we had more time to spend with the members here because I love them dearly. 

Saturday is a special day its the day we get ready for Sunday! Elder Nelson from the 12 came and spoke to us missionaries and it was sweet! He talked a lot about after the mission and making sure we marry someone who loves God more than us. Good advice. Good advice. Elder Holland was in Lethbridge as well and he had a meeting with all the bishops and he told the bishops that they made Preach My Gospel to convert the missionaries because then they would be able to convert those around them. It just made me realize even more how important PMG is. Every member home should have a copy and read from it. 

Sunday was awesome. The Stake President pulled us aside and wanted to know about all the work thats happening in our wards. I was so impressed with him taking the time to talk with us. He wanted to know what he could do to help us. He also told us how much he appreciates us and how we've been such a blessing to the Stake of Taber. Its just what I needed to hear and was an answer to prayer. Sometimes I feel like I could be doing more but I don't know how and then I get frustrated but it was good to hear that from him. 

So last night was one of the funnest nights on my mission. We had dinner with some members out in Grassy Lake and had FHE with the Mennonite family and honestly it was just so much fun. Both families are awesome and I just felt so much love for both of them. We started singing I'm a Child of God and all of the children from the mennonite family knew the words. The spirit was so strong. It was a powerful witness that we're all children of God no matter what religion we are.

Transfers are next week......I have no idea whats going to happen! I guess we'll find out next week! Anways this week I learned a lot about families and how I want my future family to be. I'm definitely grateful for the family that I have because you guys are all wonderful!

Love 

Sister M. 

Cute little quote outside a Christian Church. 

Sister Martin and Sister Butler on exchanges!

Evil Hamster / Calgary / Lots of Church

FAMILY! 

Hello to everyone I love so much! 

How is everything going?? So we got out of the negatives and its warm! I've also been in Canada a year now! How crazy is that?? Best year of my life for sure. 

So this past week we went on exchanges with the Forestry Sisters. I stayed here in Taber with Sister Jones she's been out for 8 weeks. Its always fun to go on exchanges with new missionaries.....they have so much faith and are so excited about the work. I loveit! We went to stake correlation that night and we have so many good things happening in the Taber Stake! The members here are so awesome. I've never been in a stake that wants to meet with all the missionaries and see what they can do to help us. The next morning we had a sweet lesson with our investigator on recognizing the Holy Ghost. I think as members sometimes we forget that people don't realize what the Holy Ghost is. When we started teaching her about the feelings of the spirit she realized that she's been feeling the spirit every time we've been teaching her. We also had a really good lesson with one our less-active members after that and Sister Jones did such a great job teaching her. She's so confident for not being out very long, I wish I could have been more confident when I first came into the mission but it does make me happy with how much I've grown. We then went and saw our other investigator because he wasn't feeling too good the day before and had to cancel.....I just feel bad because I think I've gotten all our investigators sick.....ooooops! Good thing people are feeling better now!

We traveled back to Lethbridge and then went to Stirling where we split up with the Stirling sisters to go out to Stirling and New Dayton. Sister Olpin went and tracted out New Dayton....small crazy town hahaha but in Stirling Sister Olpin and Sister Shumway are doing SO GOOD. Stirling is a tiny lds community and they just keep finding new investigators. It makes me so happy when all these other areas are doing good as well. 

On Thursday we had a lesson with a less-active lady who's decided to go to a different church....which just breaks my little heart! But we've established a really good relationship with her and she wants us to come by every week and teach her, we had a really good lesson on the priesthood. The priesthood is so cool! I can't even explain how much I love the priesthood and how grateful I am that we have it on the earth again. That night me and Sister Mortensen were at a house having a lesson and they let me hold their hamster and it was just the cutest little thing so then I gave it to Sister Mortensen to hold and the FUNNIEST thing happened. There was a dog that barked and scared the hamster, it started freaking out and going crazy and then it bit Sister Mortensen super hard. She couldn't get it to stop biting her thumb so she tried to give it to me but then she ended up throwing it across the room.....hahaha I was trying so hard to not laugh but I just felt bad for the little hamster that got thrown. I've never seen someones thumb bleed so much ha poor Sister Mortensen. Luckily the hamster was okay and the members weren't mad about it. 

On Friday we drove up to Calgary and MLC's were good. We were trained on inviting and extending commitments to our investigators. It was good because me and Sister Mortensen are working on being more bold with our investigators. I think Taber has really helped me grow as a missionary. 

On Saturday we had a church tour with one of our investigators that went really well, we were hoping it would help her overcome her fears of church but sadly she didn't come on Sunday. It's always disappointing when your investigators don't show up. I did give a talk in one of the wards we cover and it went really well. I spoke on inviting others to come unto Christ and I think the members enjoyed it. With the time change it made Sunday a super long day hahaha we had ward council at 7:15 and church and then more ward council and then more church and then we had to go and help at a sacrament meeting at an assisted living home. 3 sacrament meetings! Such a long day but very spiritually uplifting. 

The weather is getting better which means my mood is better :) hahaha Transfers are in 2 weeks which is crazy! I have no idea what will happen. The mission just goes by too quickly! I hope everything is good at home. I love you all!

Love 

Sister Martin

A Durian fruit that Sarah tried. 

 When Sister Martin and Sister Olpin went tracting in New Dayton.

"Sister Mortensen and I were invited out to a members home on p-day to roast hot-dogs. Super fun!" 

Sarah's district on P-day. Elder Ciminski, Elder Brock, Elder Pitts, Sister Mortensen, Me and Elder MacDuff.  

 Sarah was so happy to be around horses again!

"This cute little girl wanted us to teach her all the lessons before her baptism. Its so fun teaching little children:)"