Want to go to youth group...?

Oh my it's Monday again and I cannot believe a week has gone by. And can I just say that the claim that p-day is relaxing is a MYTH!!! LIES I tell you! They are all LIES!!!! hahaha!

I got the letters from the family this week and I just want to thank you all for the kind words! It made my heart melt and made my day that much better! I just about died at Christinas letter "Jesus is her boyfriend...." bahahahaha! 

So this week was sister Williams birthday and we got to go out and celebrate it at Coras. It was a wonderful event full of breakfast foods and my very first taste of Home Sick. While sitting there talking about home it just felt so normal and then there was that peskie apostate radio playing ALL my favorite songs from home! (I kid you not every single song that I have fallen in love with over the fast few months played in the time span of 1 hour -_-) What kind of sick joke is this! haha but dont worry I'm over it ;) The home sickness lasted for about half an hour and then we were out doing what I do best.... making people feel AWKWARD. lol oh my goodness, my approach to people on the street is just BAD. For some reason this name tag makes me awkward, like I cannot approach someone and just talk with them like any normal human being. Let me give you an example:

There is a girl about 17 or 19 sitting at a bus stop, Sister Williams and I go up and introduce ourselves, we start talking to her. 

Me: "What brings you the most happiness in life." 

Girl: "Probably my friends." 

-> in my head "really, seriously hanging out with your friends, you couldn't have given me something like my family or knowing that God loves me or HEY I WANT TO BE BAPTIZED!" 

Me: "thats awesome, I know that for me my friends have had a huge impact on me and the choices I make. Thats why its important to hang out with good people." 

->side note, I still have no idea where I am headed with this.

She agrees

awkwardly long pause

Me: "soooooo..... we have a pretty sweet youth group.... would you want to go to that..."

She looks at me and laughs awkwardly and then says "no thanks" 

BAHAHAHAHA looking back on this, I cannot help but laugh! This poor girl! I never thought I would struggle with relating to people on my mission cause I have always been good at that. Looks like Im already one of those socially awkward missionaries! 

This week has been tough on sister Williams and I. We have not had much luck finding new investigators, I mean we talk to a LOT of people, but its not effective. The members here haven't been able to give us any referrals either -_- I totally get what Justin said about coming home and wanting to be the best member missionary. Member work is SO important and is SO helpful to the missionaries! We had to drop a couple people as well who just weren't ready to commit to anything we asked them. We have a lesson with Lesli tonight and depending on how that goes we may need to drop him as well. Needless to say it's been tough, BUT there is a bright side to everything and my bright side is I got to go on my first Exchange. What What!!! 

I went to this small town called Simco with Sister Wester and I LOVED it! Oh my gosh this is the cutest little town with SO many Jahova Witnesses bahahahaha!! They have been having a lot of success out in this town and Sister Wester and I got to teach their new investigator Nikki, who I absolutely adore! Oh my, she is so open minded and willing to try the things we ask of her. We taught her about the restoration of the gospel and used janga as an object lesson. (Jesus Christ and his 12 apostles are the foundation and the rest are the principles he teaches. As you play janga, and take away aspects of Christ's church, it no longer looks like it did when he established it and eventually it collapses. But people still loved what Jesus taught so they ran to the pieces and tried to rebuild His church, thats why when you go to other churches it still feels good, because they are teaching some truths. However no church is exactly the way Jesus had established it. Cue Joseph Smith!) It was supper sweet and we asked her what her thoughts were on what we taught and she said it makes sense. We committed her to CPR (church, prayer read) *thanks for that one dad!* and she agreed. We also committed her to baptizm and she said that if she felt like the Book of Mormon was true and such that she would be baptized. We have high hopes for Nikki! I also got to actually do some teaching! (which could use some work as well hahaha!)  Sister Wester is good at letting me take over and explain concepts and then fix anything I may have done wrong lol. Sister Wester also helped me in my contacting skills, personally I thought my way of awkwardly approaching people was flawless.... NAT! She is super natural with people and is straight forward. Doesn't care if people say no just keeps on smiling. I like that about her, it makes contacting on the street so much more fun.

Cool experience this week with Sister Williams; so it is an ugly day in Hamilton, its windy and grey and a little rainy. We are looking up past investigators to see if any of them are interested in learning more about the church, and we are on our way to John the barber! We drive up to what we think is John the barbers house only to find out the address we have is for the actual barber shop. Sister Williams and I look awkwardly at each other both of us are thinking the same thing. "I do not want to go in there!" However The Lord had other plans because at that very moment, there is a break in the clouds and the sun comes shinning down on us.... We get the point Heavenly Father haha. We go into the barber shop and ask for John. He looks at us very confused like, and says he is John. Then he clues in and gets this big smile "OH are you the Mormons?!" We laugh and say yes. He gets all happy and takes a picture from his mirror and says "These are my Elders!" (The Elders had sent him a Christmas card) We talk a little with him and ask if we could come back to see him and talk with him and he says yes. 

->Cue the sign of relief!

Sister Williams and I are also doing something called The 40 Day Purification Challenge. Basically you fast for a day and pray to know what are some of the things you are doing that prevent the spirit from being your constant companion. Then for 40 days you fast from the things on the list. It is an awesome idea and I'm excited for the end result. Lately I've been wondering why on earth Heavenly Father would ever want ME to be a missionary for Him! I am so far from being an effective teacher and I'm pretty sure I'm scaring all of Toronto away from the church haha. I want nothing more than to be the missionary God envisions me as and I know that I have a lot of work to do to get there. These are some things that I am going to work on

1. using more scriptures (ps Please send me your favorite scriptures!)

2. teaching with the spirit..... for some reason this has been hard for me and if you could see the expression on my face right now it would look something like this -----______------- what missionary has trouble teaching with the spirit?! 

3. being able to discern the needs of the people I teach

4. teaching simply

These are only a few things that I am working on, there is still so much more that I need to improve and at times it seems like I will never get there but I have faith!

Also I have officially locked my heart and will be sending the key home in a letter ;) (Uncle Jay Dee will understand this)

And Dad I saw a robin like 3 weeks ago so I WINNNNNN!!!!!  mwahahahahhaha!!!

Anyways, I am starting to ramble so I will stop!

Line of the Week:

So sister Williams and I are looking for Volunteer opportunities, we are at church talking to a brother, who happens to be Native and also works with Natives and are asking him about possible volunteer opportunities. He is describing Natives to us and this is what he says,

"There are two kinds of Natives, Bush Natives and Concrete Natives and you can tell a Bush Native cause you look at them and you think 'Dannnngggg you need to wash your cloths brother!'"

OMPH! I just about died laughing!

Scripture of the Week

2 Corinthians 4: 8-9

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;

Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed;

Peace and Blessings,

Sister Hall