what a week what a weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek... i feel like i havent emailed in a century so much has happened haha

alright

DEAREST EVERYONE :)

how is everyone!?!? i miss you! i LOVE you!

this week rocked..... i SERIOUSLY can say i have never worked so hard in all my life... we set the highest goals ever and we SURPASSED THEM by alot and we were so determined to have the best week of our lives cause our days together are numbered.. sister w is prolly getting transfered for sure and that makes me very sad... but it will be alright :) so yes we worked and worked and worked and got a million lessons 2 new investigators... amber is reading the book of mormon like a BOSS and the work is just kaboooooming like we have been getting referals left and right from all the members... were getting fed everyday and we just love everyone so much and everyone loves us haha its great :)

i seriously dont even know what to tell you because i dont know where to begin and really its a bunch of lessons we taught and people we saw....

highlights of the week...

R came with us to A's lesson ( first of all i love R to the moon and back i feel like if i had an older sister... IT'D BE HER... . i LOVE HER!!!) the lesson was AMAZING.. i swear r is a sister missionary in disguise. she taught better than we did and the spirit was like... "wabwabwabwabbbbbb" you know what i mean?? and A was like... THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING and she started talking about getting family history done so we can get them baptized.. hahah she's not on date yet... i dont know if it will happen on august 9 anymore... but i know she'll be baptized :) she will be :)

ummm another highlight

we went out to the r's ranch and THEY SAID THEY WOULD TAKE THE LESSONS!!! thats exciting :) were going to help out with her daughters wedding reception this week and we get to wear jeans... thats pretty exciting stuff right there haha

i cant think of anything hillarious that happened that i can tell you about.. most of the things sister w and i have been laughing at is things we say.. we ARE actually hillarious if you didnt notice ("im kinda a big deal, call me sister big deal" ;) )

the branch campout is coming up and missionaries are in charge of cooking breakfast the next day.. we cant campout but we'll drive out early to feed the "sheep"

i have fallen in love with missionary work all over again this week.. i keep looking down at my tag and smiling.. I LOVE THIS. i love this more than i can say. i love being tired after working so hard at something i KNOW god is proud of me for. i love having DREAMS about missionary work (the good dreams.... when things work out haha) i love talking to people about the restoration.. i love quoting joseph smith i love making new friends i love the branch i love my companion i love everything "i love my WHOLEHOUSE!!!" I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!

love sister douglas :)

 

 

well last week was the tornado.. this week was a whirl wind!! haha

DEAREST EVERYONE :)

i cant even wait to tell you about this week :) ok..

so

MONDAY: did some service for sister s.. cutting branches and what not.. of course we did it in our skirts.. hahaha it was funny. and HOT!! my HEAVENS its gotten hot up here. then off to FHE with sister J :) love that cute lil lady.

tuesday... this day was crazy.. to many stories.. i feel like this email might be a long one.. and i already write novels.. oh dear.

we went and weeded sister B's garden.. ill have to send you pictures it is ALSO lovely :)

ran to A's house. :) she finally let us come to her house.. after church on sunday she was really confused about some of the things in the plan of salvation...so we took a white board and just drew it all out... and she learned fantastically and she said it all makes sense now and she really likes it.. we are really nervous but we are planning on inviting her to be baptized this week.. weve talked about baptism alot but never straight up asked her to be baptized.. so PRAY FOR HER.. AND PRAY FOR US.. that she will be ready and able :) i believe she will be :)

then we had exchanges.. which to be honest i wasnt really looking forward to cause i was leaving my area and i dont like being caught up on all that happened later but it turned out WONDERFUL :) i went with sister B to the castle downs area which is north edmonton and it was fantastic....

we went tracting.. "sing" tracting and it was the scariest thing i think i have done on my mission so far.. like way out of my comfort zone.. but it proved to be successful...

we knocked on this guys door

sister B: "HI we're representatives of Jesus Christ we try to help people come closer to him and today we would like to do that through music.. may we sing you a hymn?"

(ya i was really nervous.. i mean,  how weird is that to stand on someones porch and sing to them...it was awkward) i couldnt even look this guy int he eye as we were singing i was so embarassed but i was praying so hard in my heart that he would feel the spirit.. then the words of what i was actually singing hit me.... BE STILL MY SOUL... and i was. i was still. i sang. and i KNOW he felt the spirit.. cause guess what happened...

at the end he asked us what hymn that was.. where it came from.. where we get our hymns from.. and i shared the scripture in Doctrine&Covenants 25 where it talks about how it is a prayer when it is the song of the heart... and explained that a prophet of God had asked emma smith to organize the hymns.... he was curious as to who the prophet was.. and if we still had prophets today...

turns out the guy is muslim.. but very interested.. he took a book of mormon.. promised to read it.. and the sisters are going back to teach him this week!!! it was amazing!!! going out of your comfort zone definately pays off.

later that night i was blessed to be a part of 3 different investigator lessons.. their area really is doing so well.. so many baptisms scheduled and there is so much faith.. sister B really works hard and she knows it will pay off. she has SO much faith. and it really encouraged me to be better and to be more faithful as well. i want to have that kind of faith that we will find those people who are ready to be baptized because that is who he sent me to find.. plant seeds on the way.. but the field is WHITE ALREADY TO HARVEST. and i am going to thrust in my sickle with my MIGHT and we are going to reap. i can feel it.

wednesday something funny happened.. its a 2 hour drive from the city to drayton.. so we meet in the middle for exchanges... an hour after we were back in drayton.. we get this call from the SPRUCE GROVE SISTERS.. its sister B.. and I STILL HAVE THEIR PHONE IN MY BAG!!!!!!!!!!!! so we had to drive ALL the way back out there to give it back.. hahahah... it was awful.. but funny. our car is LITERALLY COVERED IN BUGS.. its so gross... but i got some sweet videos and pics of the rain storm we drove through to get there.. monsoon status

ummm

thursday we had ZTM.. that was GREAT :) we have such a great zone and i learned alot.. hopefully can start putting it into practice.. cause we were in the city we got permission to go do a session at the temple.. my HEART i dont think i will ever get used to the beauty of the temple.. i love the few precious hours we got there. and we were praying about a date for ambers baptism... august 9.... PRAY FOR IT.

friday we planned our week.. had supper with C out in the counnnntry and went to see our tongans.. they gave us grief for not coming sooner.. we have been feeling kinda frustrated with them cause they are not progressing at all but they love us coming to see them.. :( dont want to drop them but not sure what to do.. we played rugby in our skirts with E and his girls... cutest little girls i have ever seen. i think i might play rugby when i get home.. im so good ;) hahha jk i suck.. its so hard to throw it side ways

saturday went out to J's farm :) you saw the little pig pics :) hahah they are so cute :) cutest things ever :) i love going out there. i love J :) so much :)

then we had a lesson with R's mom.. shame.. i love her so much but she refuses to not be angry at god for taking her son away.. we tried to give her some perspective but she is really stubborn.. she said she would read the book of mormon which hopefully softens her broken heart.

mowed sister J's lawn... that was a NIGHTMARE it was like a jungle and it was plus 30 outside.. im not sure what that is in F.. but its DANG HOT. and its humid here. it feels like iowa. then went and weeded for C. (im so thankful i have had practice working hard in the yard else i think i might have quit lol.. even then im not even as tough as you mom.. you work for HOURS!!!) it was good to just talk to C and see how she was doing.. she really is so elect.. been through some CRAZY things.. and the road to change is hard and rough but she is out in blue sky now.. i love her. she definately has changed my life.

i got a package from danelle and the pearsons.. THANK you.. i love you guys. so much :)

sunday.. :)

A didnt come to church :( she had work.. but J brought her grandaughter and asked us to teach her :):):) annnnnd we had sandwich and squares after which is where the whole branch brings food and after church we all eat it :) its great :)

we went to the P's for supper... they are my favorite.. definatly gonna visit them again.. and they are gonna be in utah next summer so we HAVE to see them.

then the highlight of my week

we drove out to evansburgh... and bro G (our branch mission leader from south africa) and his family and the elders.. we met on a hill over looking the evansburgh valley.. and bro G re-dedicated it for missionary work.. it. was. magnificent. so powerful and there were specific promises from God that we were promised in that blessing. THAT THERE WILL SOMEDAY BE A BRANCH OF ITS OWN IN THAT AREA..and that in our lifetimes we will see the magnificent fruits of our labors there. im so excited to get started.

after that we went to a part member family where the dad has usually been so closed to religion and yesterday he kept staying in the kitchen so he could listen in.. he wouldnt sit down but i knew he was listening.. and he kept walking by and asking random questions and then leaving haha.. THEN HE PRAYED WITH US :) it was sweet :) I LOVE THEIR FAMILY.. i hope we can help them all come close to christ..

well thats it.. CRAZY WEEK RIGHT!!

next week is gonna be even crazier.. we have set some lofty goals and we are gonna get em :) i love sister W... haha we havent been sleeping well lately cause

1-we talk and laugh too much

2-its SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOT

3-WE TALK TOO MUCH hahaha...

but its great :)

i love you all!!!!

the church is TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!11

love sister douglas

I SERIOUSLY think i can say that this has been the best week of my life

Welllll i NEVER!! hahah thats the only thing i can start this email off with.. never had a week like this one.. i SERIOUSLY think i can say that this has been the best week of my life.. oh and im TWENTY YEARS OLD NOW?!?!?! HOW CRAZY IS THAT!! im like an adult... weird.

so... monday... saw sister james.. she fed us YUMMMMY cake and we sit and talk with her like old friends haha
Tuesday- CANADA DAY!!! now... i dont think there were any two more patriotic people out there that day then sister W and i... we were DECKED out... watched the parade from our balcony with a young couple from the branch went to the fair.. sang o canada.. garrett and melissa took us for a joy ride in his FANCY car... we went WAAAAAAAAAAAY fast and it was grande

we played hockey... in canada... on canada... in canadian shirts and snap backs... doesnt get any more canadian then that. so sweet

Wednesday- the funeral...ok so i dont have WORDS for this experience but im going to do my best. first you have to know a little bit about rod to understand why the funeral was the way it was. rod used to be a drug addict.. and he was on the hard stuff like bad.. so he came from one side of the tracks to the other.... he had influenced the HUGEST circle..... most of the recent converts in the branch new each other because they all were trying to get out of the drug scene at the same time.. infact carrie (the one whose baptism was here when i was here... i have pictures and everything..) she was the one who introduced him to the elders... she said she never felt such an urgency to do anything.. rod's conversion was so quick ... he changed from night to day.... and he was such an amazing example to all his friends who were still stuck in addiction becuase he still kept in contact with all of them and gave them encouragment..

needless to say the attendance at the funeral was ASTOUNDING.. they rented a huge center and the room was filled... the spectrum of people was the strangest thing... some people with piercings all over and rainbow hair... ragged clothing.. to missionaries.. the branch president.. the lady down the street... the guy that worked at the gas station... all sorts.

there was this feeling.. a tangible feeling.. of.. i felt like i was IN the tree of life.. i could see these people ( i LOVED all of them) i could see how so many of these people had "wandered on forbidden paths and were lost" i could see how some of them were just trying to get through the "mists of darkness" and then the stark contrast to people who were "pressing forward continually" the loss of rods life was sad... but not a loss.. they KNEW where he was.. who he was.. where he was going and that we would all see him again. i am so grateful for Rod.. i didnt know him.. but for his example.. he became a type of christ to so many people.. someone who had BEEN there.. who KNEW what these people were suffering.. and his death shook up alot of people to reality.. ELDER BROWN came back for the service.. he is the one who baptized him ( one of my best friends out here) he knew rod so well and loved him dearly. the family asked him to speak at the funeral and let me tell you... he brought the spirit.. the spirit was THERE... he bore POWERFUL testimony of the plan of salvation.. of the atonement.. of change of God of Christ's love for us... and i am CERTAIN that we will see fruits from his talk.. amazing amazing amazing.

thursday no to much happened.. or at least that i can remember.. haha OH! we weeded for the Rad's... and we weeded like ALL day... i got a nice tan.. :3

friday... HALLELUJAH IT was amazing... went out to Tomohawk to visit the K' s and then to contact some other less actives.. no one else was home, decided to go tracting... you know the coolest thing happened...

this man opened the door. his name was b. he wasnt religious, and he let us know, KINDLY, that he wasnt interested but thanks anyways... before we left i wanted to bear my testimony to him (which by the way is a scary thing to do especially when someone has very graciously declined what you are offereing them) but i did anyways.. i told him that we come as representatives of Christ.. that we have a message for the world about his gospel and about his church.. that i KNOW its weird we're knocking on his door but we wouldnt do it if we didnt KNOW that what we had to share with him would change his life. i told him i KNEW god was aware of him and loved him and then i SAW IN HIS EYES that he FELT something... he didnt take a book of mormon.. he didnt say we could come back.. but i KNOW he felt the spirit and it changed him because i SAW IT. seed planted.

that opened up our day for the best experience ever.. drove further into town.. we'd never been there before... jammin out to lower lights "ye elders of israel".. the line from the song. "we'll go to the poor like our captain of old..." was ringing in my ears... pulled up to a trailer park.. tracted the whole street and out of 10 , 3 people were home.. 1 of the 3 is a potential... and the other 2 are now investigating

TWO AMAZING 14 YEAR OLD GIRLS who recognized the spirit let us in and we had the best first lesson EVER. all of us were in tears... so... that was the best birthday present ever :) (btw no one celebrates the 4th up here.. just in case you were wondering.. but i like thinking i knew all of you were thinking of me ;3 mwaha)

saturday- a bit hot and exhausting but still wonderful... i have really grown to LOVE LOVE LOVE all these different people i see and get to talk to like never before.. i really encourage praying for charity.. it WORKS!!

sunday was wonderful... A CAME TO CHURCH :) and she is SERIOUS about investigating.. she asks so many questions and she is VERY prepared... im so thankful to be able to work with her. i LOVE genuine people.. there is alot of flakiness out here.. enough to make one very sick of PEOPLE.. but there are some GEMS out here that balance it all out.

i dont know what else to say and i also wrote a novel so i should sign off real quick. KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU ALL.. know that i pray for you.. and i think of you all the time. i imagine you praying for me and that gives me the strength enough to go on for days and days. i love you so so sososoosoososoooo much :)
the gospel is real the church is true :)

love sister douglas