So, I definitely spoke too soon about the nice weather - it's back to being a winter wonderland. But for a few days we were enjoying some really nice sunny days, and we were super excited to see it had gotten up to 15 degrees C. :)
This week has been miraculous in so many ways. I got to go on exchanges to the lovely area of Banff, and my goodness was it beautiful!!! I loved how scenic it is, with the majestic mountains. We had a really good view of a particular mountain called the "Three Sisters," right outside our apartment window! The town is a little tourist attraction, but I would love to someday explore the hiking trails and old buildings. Oh, and fun fact, every street is an animal name, so you could live on the corner of "squirrel" and "moose". :)
During exchanges I got to teach a few lessons, and it was amazing to see the little mental lightbulbs go off as they understood.
This week was also the Relief Society anniversary dinner, and we got to not only do service for it, but heard some amazing talks. The theme was "Be as Ruth". We truly have an amazing ward.
So one of the miracles of this week was our success in tracting - we passed out 33 Books of Mormon!!! We also picked up a new investigator, and she is showing a lot of promise. The challenge is however that she has only ok English (native mandarin). In Calgary there are a ton of Asians, and so we have some Mandarin elders that are kept very busy by our referrals. So it's rare for us to pick one up, but she insisted on wanting English instruction. I have learned the importance of having a member present for lessons, because they can provide a different perspective that will help them understand. Hopefully she will continue to progress towards baptism.
The highlight of the week, however, was getting to go to the Calgary Temple. It is such a beautiful building, both inside and out. Sister Milius and I had both prepared family names to take, and it was such an incredible experience to do their work. I would encourage you all to make the effort to find a name - it is totally worth it. Every time I go back to the temple my testimony increases, my gratitude for the gospel expands, and my desire to do all He asks grows. His plan truly is simply beautiful, and beautifully simple.
I am grateful for you all, and keep you in my prayers. Please keep me updated on what's going on back home, even if it's just the silly small things...
LOVE,
Sister Patterson
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