the weather up here is crazy

Dear Family :)

So... this week.. hahahhaa... WELLLLLL monday and tuesday and wednesday we were sick.. monday and tuesday we did our best but tuesday i got a fever and sister warr was COUGHING so wednesday we just took the day to sleep and get feeling better.. it was strange just sleeping in and getting up whenever but sleep does wonders for the body!! so we are feeling much better now but it put a real dent in the number of lessons and people we wanted to contact that week so we were running a million miles an hour the rest of the week trying to get it all done but there were so many things happening that WEREN'T lessons that we still had to do like weekly planning and a womens broadcast and 2 different branch activities... soooo it wasnt the greatest week when you just LOOK at it.. but WE experienced it and i think it was pretty dang great :)

first off....

A!!!!!!!!!! you know how she came to church last week?? well we met with her THREE TIMES this week and turns out she knows a bunch of the members and she is eating everything up!!!! she came to the volleyball night and to the BBQ and both nights we had supper with members and brought her with us so we shared lessons with her in THEIR HOMES which is one of the goals of the whole mission.. so that was pretty neat. and each member we had supper at.. the first home they were converts of only 4 years so they had lots of really good advice for her.. and also because her husband isnt interested in the discussions its been eating away at her and really frustrating but at that first lesson with her we told her along with the members of that home that we would all pray that d's heart would be softened and prepared. and then the next night she came out to the BBQ and we had a brief little lesson with a at j's house. j's husband isnt a member, so she had wonderful words of wisdom for a. she couldnt come to church this week but she is totally coming next week and guess what... D SAID HE WOULD COME TO CHURCH!!!! he knows a bunch of the members also and is willing to come and see. thats all we need people.. just a step in the right direction :):):):)

so that was wonderful :)

ummmmmmmmmmmmm the weather up here is crazy one day it was like 27 degrees.. which is the hottest its been yet.. it was crazy hot.. imma fry when i come home... but then the very next day its back down to 15 degrees and pouring rain.. then that SAME day back up to 23 degrees and its HUMMMMID. so weird.

canada day is tomorrow!!! everyone blow a kiss to canada!!!! happy birthday canada!!!! (but my heart is still owned by my home... happy birthday america on friday :) ) (i love that day :) i love the 4th ;) hahahha)

tomorrow there is a parade and everything and since we cant proselyte we just go out and mingle with everyone the whole day :) hooray!!!

oh.. something sad that happened.... on wednesday in the middle of us reading/sleeping we got a call from mary lou one of the recent converts in the branch... she let us know that R (one of the other recent converts.. baptized in april) was in a head on semi collision and was killed..... we didnt even know what to say... so that was another thing that this week has been all over the place.. we visited with his family and they are all not members so we didnt share a message because that would be awful to cram info down their throats when they are trying to swallow the hardest pill already.... so we just sat and cried with them and hugged them... alot of the recent converts were all friends so alot of people are taking it pretty hard.. we have just visited lots of people :/

we got a new branch mission leader... brother g!!! the one from south africa.. holy smokes i love their family and he is helping us so much he calls and asks how we are doing multiple times a week and sees if he can come to any of the appointments.. were going to get this area even more on fire then it already is..
transfer calls are this morning and we were WAITING WAITING WAITING so anxiously cause neither sister w nor i want to leave each other forever!!!!! we waiting waiting waiting couldnt wait any longer so we just came to email... apparently the calls are still going cause we havent heard from the zone leaders yet.. im nervous.. but i think we could still have one more transfer together :) i hope so :)

well i dont know what else to tell you besides i love you so so much. thank you so much for the packages. like more than thank you. you all brighten my days :) and i looooove you!!!! give everyone hugs from me!!
love, sister douglas

All Heaven broke loose

I dont even know WHERE to begin i have like miracle after miracle to tell you about........

also im getting a six pack.. not because of working out but because sister w and i LAUGH SO HARD like 50% of the day. i love it. i love everything i love everything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

OK..... MONDAY: we had a giant potluck with the whole branch at the currys home.. i love them. i love the branch it was fabulous... then we went out to sister j to sing with her for FHE.. she is the cutest...

TUESDAY: went out to the k's and played with puppies.. (i sent the pictures) g is quitting smoking so we gave him a little pep talk and talked about priesthood blessings... then the zone leaders brought our MAILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OH MY HEAVENS OH MY HEAVENS THANK YOU EVERYONE!! i dont think i have ever been so excited to get mail and i dont think i have ever gotten such NICE mail :) thank you :) soooooo we might have read our letters in the car on the side of the road.. but it took too much time and we felt really guilty about it haha so we prayed and asked for forgiveness and went right back to work and found d and awhile tracting and A said she had been looking for a church and that she would see us on sunday at church!! (she didnt come :( but thats ok cause we know where she lives we'll just go talk to her haha)

then we went out WAY into the country and helped do some farm work... (my jeans i brought with my have officially become farm pants.. they are ruined. holes in both the knees) but i have LOVED getting my hands dirty and just WORKING.. i love it :)

on the way home i hit a bird :(:(( it was so gross and i dont know HOW but it managed to get stuck in the ONE HOLE IN THE BUMPER WE HAVE and we were worried it would get stuck in the radiator so the elders had to rescue us... which.. is even more hysterical because the whole time sister w and i were laughing so hard we were crying and the elders didnt even break a smile... (they are pretty serious haha) the poor bird was very much dead.

WEDNESDAY: we did our regular member visits in the morning... lots of visits.. then that evening went out to S and I's house.. S is tongan and is A BOSS and i love their family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they just invited us in, gave us food and cookies and talked forever.. and NOW THEY ARE INVESTIGATING!! and at the end the wife said, m and j need this.. here's their address... and so then.. (i have to skip to friday to tell you this story) FRIDAY COMES AROUND and we go drop by m's house and we just pretended like we knew them and were totally friends and j answered the door and said, sure come on in!!!!!!! and we shared the restoration with them and their friend F was there and he was asking us so many questions about the book of mormon and baptism.. (he totally asked us to baptize him in the tub.. LOL it was so funny) then before we left f said.. h needs this!! and e and m.. and he gave us ALLLLLLL their numbers.... were gonna have to start a tongan branch out here if we keep getting referals like this.. plus also they are all so golden!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! then on saturday night we texted all of them and invited them to church and f said " ya for sure!!!! i didnt even drink tonight just for you guys cause i didnt want to be hungover at church lol" HOW COOL IS THAT! he didnt even drink!! this kid likes parties all the time... so thats a big deall.... met with him again last night.. man he is so golden.. just LOOKING FOR CHANGE:)

sooooo thats how we got 4 new investigators aand like 10 potentials in 2 days.. sooooo sweet.

back to thursday..

THURSDAY was crappy as can be.. we drove all the way out to wild wood.. its like a 50 minute drive.. and every appointment fell through.. EVERY APPOINTMENT.. went tracting.. NO one was interested.. drove to evansburg... EVERY APPOINTMENT FELL THROUGH... annnnnd i really mean guy in a big red truck honked and glared at us and we didnt even DO ANYTHING TO HIM! :P haha... drove out to entwistle... EVERY APPOINTMENT fell through!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i felt like we were in a movie... like we kept joking and being like "OK YOU CAN COME OUT NOW.. WHERE ARE THE CAMERAS.. THIS HAS TO BE A JOKE." worst day ever.... but it ened well.. we had moose burgers with the h's for supper and then friday was the best day ever with the tongans. you gotta take the downs and the ups.

i feel like im finally reaching my potential... im just begining to.. i still have so much to do and learn and always will.. but im not so annoyed at myself all the time.. im really giving this my all and i love that :)

i love this :)

i love being a missionary. i love what im learning. i love that i can see how to apply it to real life already. i love the friends im making. the people i love. the success were seeing. and yes the challenges also.

i love the perspective the gospel brings.

i love the relationship im gaining with my savior.

i LOVE THIS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

i love you :)))))))) i love YOU!!

love from sister douglas