February 16, 2016

.....and she's back!

Ok, where to even begin....

Transfers have come and gone once again, and Sister Page and I are still together - so that will be the third transfer with each other in the same area - pretty surprising! But fortunately we have a great friendship and work well together. Still, every once in a while you itch for change, and ours came in the form of moving apartments! This is the first time in my mission I have my own apartment (instead of living in a basement) and it's wonderful! :)

Since we've been together for a while now, we have gotten to celebrate our "mission birthdays!" January was her 7 month mark, and my 11 month mark - so to celebrate we picked up some 7/11 Slurpees! :)

Celebrating our 7 and 11 month marks with slurpees :)

But as of February 11th, I have been a missionary for 1 YEAR!!!! Crazy, eh?!  I can hardly believe it. It feels like it's been more like 6 months... But that's all I've got left, and for the first time I'm feeling this thought creep in that I don't want to go home, and even though it's months ahead, I don't feel ready to wrap up being a missionary.... it's taken time, but I can truly say I love being a missionary, I love wearing this name tag and knowing my purpose each day. I love seeing the light of the gospel illuminate peoples lives with peace and joy and understanding. It's the greatest, hardest most life changing experience anyone could have, and I am so glad to have not passed up the opportunity. :)

I know this is way delayed, but way back when for New Year's eve our zone got a special invitation to have dinner with President Miles and his family. The mission home is within our zone boundaries, so it was just us and them. Some of his married children came up for the holidays to visit, and it was so sweet to see the Miles' act as loving grandparents. It was a fun evening - but we had early curfew at 6pm - so not the typical "celebration." :) I am so grateful for their positive influence, and we all love them dearly.

Actually, a couple Sunday's ago they surprised us by showing up to one of our Sacrament meetings! We were elated to have them, and the Bishop invited them to get up and share their testimonies. I was filled with appreciation as President Miles got up and bore his humble witness of the Savior and of His work, and asked the members to let us into their homes and find people for us to teach (something we've been struggling with lately). We can tract all day, and walk the streets talking to people, but in reality, the most success comes from member referrals. So we were extremely grateful for his comments in our behalf.

No idea if you heard, but there was an "historic" worldwide missionary broadcast held a few weeks back. All the missionaries around the world tuned in, whether it was 7am, all the way through 7pm (all but a few missions were able to watch live). It was a broadcast from Salt Lake, during which members of the quorum of the 12 apostles and other presiding leaders gave a 2 hour training on how to be a more effective missionary. The program was titled, "Preach Repentance and Baptize Converts." My favorite part was a little classroom seminar Elder Bednar taught, about how we often approach lessons as if we are the teachers and the Spirit is like a tool we can pull out when needed. But in reality, when we go into a lesson, the Spirit should be the teacher, and we are the tool that creates the environment needed to learn. All we can do is bring the word to the investigators, but the Spirit is the only one who can take the word into their hearts and ultimately bring them to conversion. It was a powerful experience to listen and be given direct counsel on how to move the work forward.

Since we've been in the area  a while, we have started up a mission prep for the youth in our wards. Some are getting ready to leave, and are really good about going out with us to lessons or whatever. It's been fun to see the nervousness and hesitation grow into testimony and confidence. It makes me think about how far I've come... I wish I had taken the chance to prepare more before my mission though... reaching out to the missionaries for insight on what to expect- what a surprisingly logical resource. :)

A few weeks back we had the opportunity to help our ward go clean the temple one morning - it was a beautiful experience; I got to be apart of the group assigned to clean the entire upper floor. It was a unique privilege to help do a small part in taking care of that sacred beautiful building.

Most recently, the highlight has been that of baptisms. This past weekend we had the privilege of holding baptisms for some wonderful children, all of whom we have been teaching and preparing for a few weeks. In one case, it was an 8 year old boy who's parents are active and just wanted us to teach him basics in preparation. Others, like this girl Madison, have parents that are either not members or have been less active, and so we have been working with the family unit itself. It was powerful to hear her experience of wanting to know for herself if the church is true, if she should be baptized, and through study and prayer, coming to the conclusion for herself. That is part of what it means to be converted: to have a personal witness. It has been a privilege to be apart of her and other's journeys toward baptism...

Sorry for the long ramblings, I feel like so much has happened and I have no idea where to begin to describe 2016 thus far. There has been lots of laughs, and lots of tears. But I can testify to the reality of Miracles, and I am so grateful for the knowledge that the Lord carries out His work through small and simple means, even if that means me.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and thank you for your prayers in my behalf - they have carried me through this year, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Lots of love,
Sister Patterson

P Day at the park.

Calgary sky with geese.

Winter wonderland.

 

Calgary sky.

Calgary city skyline.

December 28, 2015

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and are gearing up for a Happy New Year!!!

I made a discovery - Christmas as a missionary rocks!!! We have some great members, who made sure we were well taken care of. One of our Bishops let us Skype from his home - which is really what we were most looking forward to. It was wonderful to see and talk with the family - and I just wanted to say thank you to everyone, family and friends, who expressed love and Christmas wishes - it means the world to know your were thinking of me. Please know I thought of each of you individually, and I thank Heavenly Father to have you in my life.

So on Christmas Eve a member was kind enough to take us to the annual Calgary City Nativity Pageant put on by the Church.  It was pretty typical of what you would expect (minus the freezing cold), but towards the end as the people kneeled before the manger to worship the Savior of the world, I was overcome with a sense of awe and joy, that His birth, life, death, and resurrection was all for us. I am so grateful for His example and sacrifice, and that the Christmas season doesn't need to end; it can continue as we remember the rest of his story throughout the year.

I have such a sweet companion, and I am so grateful to have spent this Christmas with her. We were able to get up early and unwrap the parcel's sent from home, to reminisce and laugh and cry together as we thought of loved ones and felt of  your support and love.



Christmas morning

 I honestly had gone into the week of Christmas feeling like it was going to be a goneshow, that it would be a bit of a drag. But it ended up being one of the better weeks of late! We have been able to proselyte with a Christmas twist, and from it we miraculously found a new family to teach! So as "hard" as it was to not be home for Christmas - that was nothing compared to the unique joy I've been privileged to experience this year as a missionary - and that is truly a wonderful gift.

I love you all so much!

Love,
Sister Sarah Patterson



Apartment décor.

December 21, 2015

Sorry it's gonna be short today - but I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas! It's been beautiful preparing for this wonderful holiday, with ward programs, community projects, decorations, anonymous gifts, caroling, and best of all, teaching about the Savior. I love sharing the message of his gospel, teaching people about the joyous news of its Restoration and how we can experience it's promised blessings here and now. We went tracting last night, inviting people to the annual Calgary Christmas pageant produced by the church. At one door we had invited this family, and gotten a return appointment. As we left, I casually said "Merry Christmas!" And I will never forget the look on this man's face as he paused and said how he would much rather hear Merry Christmas, then the typical happy holidays. He thanked us for simply saying "Merry Christmas." I think we sometimes take for granted the tiny opportunities throughout our day to stand for our beliefs in a world that is turning farther and farther away from Christ. How blessed we are to know the reason for the season, to know the significance of his birth and subsequent life. All because a Father loved us enough to give His Son as an enabling sacrifice for sin. We have great reasons to declare with the angels, "Hosanna! Glory to God in the Highest, and peace on earth, good will to men!"

"Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son ... And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given."    (3 Nephi 1:13-14)

I would like to leave you with my testimony that I know my Savior lives! I know Jesus Christ is the son of God, and that he has shown us the way to find the greatest peace and purpose in this life and eternal joy in the next. I know he experienced all our pains, sorrows, struggles, temptations - He knows how to help us become better. It is through using his atonement that we can become clean from the burden of sin. I am so grateful for him, and I love him with all my heart.


Merry Christmas!!


Lots of love,
Sister Patterson

December 14, 2015

Hey everyone!

So guess what?! Transfer calls came out and neither Sister Page nor I are moving!!! SO happy. :)

We have been trying to keep busy - turns out the holiday season is both good and bad for missionary work. Good because we can go around sharing "Christmas messages," but bad because more people are out of town, or just "busy." Oh well. :) Our zone had a fun finding idea, where every few days we meet up together and go caroling in someone's area. We use the church's pass along cards for "A Savior is Born" and look for opportunities to come back and share a Christmas message. So far it's been really fun, and people seem to be more open to that approach. :)

This past Sunday there was a homecoming talk for a sister in one of the wards we cover. She served in the New York, New York mission. She spent half her mission in Harlem. As she spoke, you could tell she had a really rough time, that the mission was a fiery furnace. She described the unkind words and actions directed towards her, and how in a city of millions, she had never felt so alone. And yet, she has also never felt so close to the Savior as during that time. So when people spit upon and mock and persecute us missionaries, whether figuratively or literally, we are experiencing a small portion of what Jesus Christ went through, and unlike His own experience, He will never leave us to bear it alone. And I can testify that that is all true.

We had a stake carol festival, with a couple hours of just musical performances by various groups. It was a fantastic experience! So many people came, even a lot of nonmembers from the community. It's always beautiful to see how the Christmas season brings people together from all walks of life, Christ is always a unifying influence for good. One of the songs sung was called "what if the cradle was empty." The song gave a beautiful reminder that if he hadn't been born, there would have been an empty cross. How grateful I am for this season of remembrance and celebration of our Savior Jesus Christ, knowing that because he was born, we can all be born again.

I hope you all have a good week and are enjoying the season!

Lots of love and prayers,
Sister Sarah Patterson

November 2, 2015

Greetings from the snowy north! Today we woke up to the first real snowfall of the season!! Time to break out winter stuff - again.

Hope you all had a fun Halloween!! We ended up having clear weather for it. So, for missionaries we have an early curfew that night at 6pm. We spent the day walking to contact people, and ended up misjudging the amount of time it would take to get home. It was getting late, and we really needed to get in, but were on the complete opposite side of our area. My companion and I prayed really hard (mostly because we were exhausted) and bam! answer to prayer came in the form of a member sister as she came around the corner with her group of trick-or-treaters! She offered to give us a ride home - which was a huge tender mercy for our sore feet and allowed us to make it home in time. Members - be aware sometimes you are an answer to a missionary's prayers when you give them a ride, come to a lesson, or just feed them a last minute meal. :) We ended up spending the rest of the evening hanging out (too bad movies aren't allowed!) My companion accidentally ate a super spicy pepper at supper, and we proceeded to spend an hour laughing at her painful experience. We just moved to a new apartment, and hadn't gone grocery shopping yet, so that meant NO bread or milk to stop the burning. It ended up being pretty funny. :)

Happy Halloween!

Oh, and happy Daylight Savings! Happy because it felt like we got that much-needed extra hour of sleep - a rare and tender mercy as a missionary. :)

SO, this past week was another transfer week. I got to say goodbye to Prairie winds after our long summer together, and got moved to Calgary South Stake. But with the added surprise of whitewashing (or as we call it, purging) into the new area! That means both my companion Sister Page and I are brand new, so we don't know anything or anyone! PLUS we cover 2 huge wards! So yeah, huge new challenge for both of us, a little scary, very stressful. Prayers please. :)



Me and Sister Page

I love you all!!


Love,
Sister Patterson

October 26, 2015

I hope you all have a fun and happy Halloween!!!

Sister Tolbert and I at the Temple

October 19, 2015

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving :)

So we had a cool little miracle the other day! We were at our Bishop's house for supper, when they Young Men's group came in for an activity. With them was one of our teenage investigators, whom we have had a hard time getting a hold of and meeting with lately. He ended up sitting with us to eat, and for our dinner message we got to share the message of the Restoration. The Spirit was really strong, and having the Bishop there to testify was perfect! The young man was really touched by what he heard and want's to keep learning. It was exactly what he needed.

So, when my companion first came out to the east, she suffered a bit of culture shock - with so many different immigrants in the area it was definitely not what she was expecting. And as expected, we have been fed some strange foods. We have joked back and forth about her being a picky eater, and then in my studies I found the best scripture (and here's a shout-out to all those countless missionaries who have had far stranger experiences!) It's in Luke 10:7-8 . It's talking about missionaries going out:

"And in the ... house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give ... And into whatsoever city ye enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you..."
It's hard to argue with the scriptures :)

Anyway, on October 12th we got to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving!! We were invited to a dinner, and discovered a nontraditional Latino twist - but it was a fun experience. Felt super strange to be having Thanksgiving before  Halloween though!!!

On a final note, I just wanted to share some thoughts from a talk by President Uchtdorf, "On Being Genuine." He talks about how the gospel and church is a place of growth and healing, and no matter what level our testimony is at, that we can always building on whatever strength we do have as we apply gospel principles daily.
   
"With patience and persistence, even the smallest act of discipleship or the tiniest ember of belief can become a blazing bonfire of a consecrated life. In fact, that’s how most bonfires begin—as a simple spark.... So if you feel small and weak, please simply come unto Christ, who makes weak things strong. The weakest among us, through God’s grace, can become spiritually strong, because God “is no respecter of persons. He is our “faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments. "

To this I add my own testimony, that the minute we turn towards  the Lord again, acknowledging shortcomings but with the determination to press forward anyway, He will lift and strengthen our hearts in enabling our desire to become a reality.

I love you all!


Love,
Sister Patterson