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