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