Hello!
Guess what? The weather has been absolutely beautiful this week! Either spring is just around the corner, or we are about to get another major reality check in the form of a cold snap... :)
This week has been super busy! First of all, I have a really fun district, we all get along great. In fact, the elders have already started a little bit of pranking, so we are trying to come up with a way to get them back :)
So, our stake is really pushing the family history program, and wants all missionaries to become certified consultants to be a resource for the work. We've gotten permission to have extra computer access to do the training, and that means we've had to go into familysearch.org and work on our own names. The goals is for everyone to find at least one name to take to the temple. (Which by the way, we only get to go to the temple once every two transfers!) And guess what - I FOUND SOME NAMES!!! It's been so exciting to learn all the extra tricks of the trade for locating ancestors that need their work done. I am loving this opportunity, and I am so excited to be able to eventually take them to the temple.
We are also required to do service each week, and so some other sisters and us all go to a retirement center and play "elderly bowling." It's super fun to watch them get really into it. Even better was the fact that I happened to have a really good luck streak, and won the game hands down. SO now, if nothing else on the mission, I can claim to be a bowling pro ;)
On Saturday I got to teach my first lesson - which was both nerve-wracking and exciting. Now, you're probably thinking "first lesson? What has this girl been up to all this time?!" It just so happens that my area tends to have less investigators and a high number of LARC's (less actives and recent converts) Our efforts have been concentrated on visiting and fellowshipping. We do have several potential investigators lined up however, and one in particular looks very promising (we will meet with her hopefully this week). But our one solid investigator kinda dropped us for a while, until he randomly agreed missionaries could come back, and we were were super excited to hear it. Unfortunately, it's a hard one and so far he has given a soft yes to a bold invitation to be baptized. So - we'll see how this goes. But I've discovered one of the best things you can do for an investigator is invite them to come to a baptismal service; the spirit is so strong! That's what happened Saturday afternoon, and it was an incredible to experience, even though I didn't know the individual. I would encourage you all to try and make it to a baptism once in a while for an added boost of the Spirit and a reminder of our own commitments to follow Jesus Christ.
Another incredible experience I had this week was with a member of the ward. Long story short, we unknowingly did something that bothered her, and so we decided to go and pay her a special visit to apologize and make amends. It turned out being such a testimony builder, because as we asked if there was anything we could help her with, she broke down in emotion - just prior to our arrival she had been praying to have the energy to complete a project, and then there came a knock at the door. We were able to be her hands and answer her prayer. Not only did we mend a bridge, but we laid the foundation for a friendship, and that was our miracle for the week :)
This past week we didn't have the car, and so guess who got to walk EVERYWHERE! Some of it could've been avoided by riding the bus, but unfortunately, we didn't have enough loonies and toonies to pay (and yes, that's really what they call $1 and $2 coins :) SO, the song of the week has become "pioneer children sang as they walked, and walked and walked and walked and walked... " :) I have a renewed gratitude for wheels :)
On another note, Sister Milius and I are such kindred spirits, it's almost unnerving. It's so much fun having someone who not only gets all the same references, but who understands what you're struggling with. I get the feeling we will remain good friends for a long time, and that is a valuable thing.... We have both expressed gratitude that we were assigned to each other, and I have a ton of love and respect for her. It continually amazes me how the few experiences I've had and people I've met so far really are a remarkable fit; I know I am supposed to be here and now, and I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world! Truly the Lord is merciful for allowing such imperfect and weak individuals to play a part in his plan, and not only does he bless others through us, he blesses us as missionaries for the rest of our lives through others.
I know Heavenly Father loves us, and that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. This work is not only a voice of warning, but of hope. Even when we can't see the path or outcome, we can always trust in Him and move forward with faith.
I love you all and keep you in my prayers. Until next week!
Sister Patterson
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