Tornados, Rain and Walking :)

First off, don't freak out, Okotoks was not hit by a tornado.  But there have been a few tornado warnings for southern Alberta.  It's been a little stressful, but nothing has been close to Okotoks.  People assure me that A) tornadoes up here are very rare and B) they are nothing like the tornadoes that hit tornado alley. But that was one "excitement" for the week.
 
I can't believe it's June! Seriously, it feels like April/May weather.  It's very odd weather for Sister Hoyt (from Arizona).  One member told us that the past two years June has been their wettest month.  Crazy.  We are in the process of getting a hold of a member who has bikes that we can use.  I'm not superly excited about biking in a skirt, that just sounds like a disaster waiting to happen, but it will be much more effective than walking everywhere. 
 
And now for the TWO most EXCITING news for this week.  The Sister's Specialized Training is this Thursday!!!  I am just thrilled to pieces to finally get some information about the Temple Open House AND to be able to visit with all of the Sisters in the mission.  It's going to be so fantastic!!! They finally announced the dates for the temple open house and dedication!!!!!!!!!!! The Open House will be September 29 - October 20 and the Dedication will be October 28!!!   :)
 
One miracle that happened was we felt that we should tract in a cul-de-sac.  We knocked on a door and a young mother answered.  She said that she believed in science and not God.  We tried to be more bold and to press her with questions.  She said that she felt that we all have a purpose in our life and she's trying to figure out what that is.  She also told us that there have been some recent, unexpected deaths in her family and she is trying to figure out why that happened.  We left her with a Plan of Salvation pamphlet and she said she would read it and that we could come by this week and see what she thought about it!
 
We have a new investigator!!! His name is Malcom Duncan and he's from South Africa.  He is very open minded and he really wants to read and study the Book of Mormon.  We are to invite people to baptism on our first lesson and Sister Hoyt said it was my turn to do it.  I was super nervous, but we practiced a few times and I felt more comfortable do it.  When I extended the invitation I felt the spirit and I knew that I was doing it just fine.  I was doing what the Savior would do if He was here teaching Malcom.  Malcom was super nice.  He said that he couldn't accept the invitation until he knows that it's true and then he kept apologizing just to me about not accepting it. :) We can tell that he is super prepared and since he has the desire to read and learn more he will be able to come to know the truth for himself.  

 
I guess when I look at this week and I think about all of the small miracles we have had it helps me to carry on and have the motivation to keep going.  Especially when we had a tough lesson with a potential investigator.  Jane is recently separated and had a 18 month old.  We found out that she talked to the Spanish Elders up in Calgary because she backed into them...We told her that God has been giving her chances to hear the gospel.  She was open and willing to listen, but she was just stuck on some things that she couldn't accept.  Oh well, we are doing our best and the Holy Ghost will testify to them. They have to be willing to let the spirit touch their hearts and they have to be willing to act on the message.
 
I am looking forward to this week! Miracles are going to continue to happen.  God loves us sooooo much!!!! The Book of Mormon is amazing!!! And it is true!!!
LOVE LOVE LOVE YOU ALL!!!

69 people in 4 1/2 days!

This week has been exciting.  Transfers happened and Sister Hoyt and I are trying to tear it up in Okotoks.  She is AMAZING!!!  Wednesday was kind of crazy with transfers.  The trailer that they put all of the new arriving missionary luggage in got broken into...so it was a later start for the van going down to Lethbridge and coming back up.  I went on a three leg with Sister Alsup and Sister Thrope in the Queenland/Parkland area.  Finally we got the call that the van had arrived and I picked up Sister Hoyt and we headed back to Okotoks.  

We didn't have any appointments set up for the remainder of the week (Thursday-Saturday) which means...tracting! Yeah...we decided to try and weed out our list of potential investigators and less actives that we want to work with.  We have been able to shorten the list, but we haven't really been able to add more promising people to it.  So, in the four and half days we've been out talking to everyone we talked to 69 people. Whew, I pray that we will be able to have appointments set up for the rest of the week. I'm not sure how much more of this I can handle.  It hasn't been too bad, but it does make for a really long day.
 
At one of the ward correlation meetings our ward mission leader reminded up that President Archibald promised the Foothills Stake that they would have one baptism per month until the temple open house.  I had forgotten about this and I am praying that Heavenly Father will help us to reach this goal. I know that as we are exactly obedient and do all that we can miracles will happen and we will provide the way for this to happen.

I am so excited to learn all that I can from Sister Hoyt! She has really helped me to try and get over my fear of street contacting and door approaches.  I am by no means perfect and I still have a ton to learn, but hopefully I am getting more comfortable with approaching people.

I love Sundays!!!! We had an amazing fireside that we were able to attend.  It was so powerful!!! I prayed that the less actives/recent converts that attended found peace and strength from the message.  I am so grateful for the power of music!!

Heavenly Father LOVES us SO MUCH!!! The Atonement is all about love! The first three lessons that we teach: the restoration, the plan of happiness and the gospel of Jesus Christ are all messages of love that we share with people.  I LOVE the gospel and the peace, joy and happiness it brings into our lives!

I Got Some Sun In Canada!

Transfer news is in and...I am staying in Okotoks! Sister Hoyt will be my new companion.  She trained Sister Mazzolini down in Lethbridge.  I was a little nervous about leaving, so my nerves are down and I am looking forward to what the new transfer is going to bring.
 
Last week we finally were able to have a lesson with Brother Cranmer. They had us over for dinner since it was Sister Nielson's birthday. We had a really really really good lesson with him.  He is getting so close to accepting the invitation to be baptized it kind of hurts! He said that he does feel that his faith in Christ is increasing (which is huge for him) and then we asked him if he has the desire to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, he said yes.  Well...that means that you have to be baptized first.  

 
We had a good short lesson with Michelle.  She asked about receiving answers to prayers because she had been praying about something for a while and she feels that she isn't getting any answers.  We shared the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants that talks about peace filling our hearts and minds.  After we talked she paused and said "oh, I guess He did answer my prayer and I didn't realize it."
  

Sunday was Stake Conference, but it was a very special stake conference. It was a satellite broadcast from SLC to all of Canada!!!  It was pretty sweet. Elder Walker from the Seventy spoke along with Sister Stephens (new 1st Councilor in the RS Presidency), Elder D. Todd Christofferson and President Packer.  They talked a lot on the importance of temples, raising families. And I loved what President Packer said, he talked about how the gospel isn't easy, but it is much easier to live it than by any other way we can live.
 
Yesterday we had another lesson with Anna.  She is amazing and so strong.  She is really interested in the gospel and she told us that right before she divorced her husband she was at her ends wits.  She just said a prayer and...the sister missionaries showed up at her door!!! She has had some very powerful spiritual experiences with people on the other side of the veil.  She is being prepared!! We don't know if she will be baptized by us, but we are a part of her life for a part of the harvest season.
 
I am so grateful for our Savior and His Atonement.  Last night we finally were able to get in with a less active sister.  We went over Elder Bednar's talk from the April Ensign that talks about the Atonement.  I asked her if he would offer the closing prayer and she gave one of the most sincere, heartfelt prayers I have ever heard.  It was amazing!!
 
The gospel is wonderful!!! I am so grateful for the comfort and strength it gives me!!!