Transfers! (:

Okay, I know y'all will want to know where I'm going ASAP, because yes, I'm getting transferred. And I feel like if I bury it in the middle, no one will take the time to read through and find it. XD So... I'm going to a place called Camrose. It's a bit south-west outside of the city, but not super far outlying. I think it'll be a bit like Fort Saskatchewan, with lots of cow pastures and suburbs. I'm excited to be somewhere without dirty, crowded, noisy city streets and intimidating skyscrapers. However, at the same time, I'm sad to say goodbye to Londonderry. :(  I'm going to miss the people here so much! This ward has really become a family to me. I'm also so worried about writing down everything so the next Sisters will know what's going on here. But I'll pray that it'll all work out!

1- Went to West Edmonton Mall for P-Day!

2- Exchange day with Sister Cannon!

3- Chaos at the Mustard Seed

4- End of exchanges

5- District Council and Ward Coordination

6- Weekly planning

7- Practice lessons

8- Service at the Richardsons! :D

9- The Friesens! :D

10- Lots of contacting

11- More shoveling

12- We've had one, yes, but what about second dinner?  (Bonus points if you get the modified reference! XD)

13- Member referral that worked! :0

14- Lesson with our new friend!

1- West Edmonton mall is absolutely gigantic! It's big enough to eat any other mall I've been in! There are two floors, multiple food courts, a massive indoor water park, and even a hotel attached! When Sister Marsmaker and I got there, the rest of the district was looking at a large water feature in the middle (maybe, haha) of the mall. There was a big pirate ship, swan boats, and a few other things. The coolest part was a sea lion exhibit!

1- Sea lions aren't necessarily my favorite animals, but it's been so long since I've seen anything other than cats, dogs, magpies, and snowshoe hares that I had a bit of a happy meltdown. I got so ridiculously excited to see a pair of sea lions! XD  Pretty sure I was jumping up and down a bit. I got some videos, but they're not great quality--thank you, Samsung. I got to watch a worker give one of the sea lions a treat! Probably some kind of fish. I also saw some supplies like target-training sticks and other things that I used to use at SeaQuest when working with animals. What I wouldn't give for a chance to go interact with those sea lions! 

1- We mostly just walked around and explored the mall. There were some interesting things like mini golf, a Lego store--which we didn't enter, sadly--and lots of incredibly expensive candy and clothing stores. I got so lost inside... Luckily, every couple dozen feet there were interactive, touch-screen maps, so we were able to figure out where things were. Some of us got Dairy Queen blizzards, then we headed back to our areas for the day. I got a blizzard, then regretted it when we walked back out into the -26 Celcius weather. XD

2- I got to go on exchanges with Sister Cannon on Tuesday! It was a busy, interesting day. That morning, we worked on contacting some people in the ward that we haven't reached out to yet. Then, just before we left for the Mustard Seed, Sister Cannon realized she'd forgotten her Tiwi card. :l

2- For those of you who don't kow, Tiwi is a little demon installed in missionary cars. XD She's this little AI that monitors our speed, who's driving, if we wear seatbelts, and a few other things. It's illegal to tamper with Tiwi at all. But, since Sister Cannon forgot her Tiwi card, that meant I had to drive. :l

2- I hadn't driven in roughly six and a half months! I got in and immediately activated the windshield wipers by mistake. XD  It was just like a movie where someone who doesn't know how to drive gets put in a car and they keep messing with stuff. I freaked out and figured out how to turn off the wipers after a minute of floundering. Then, I found the right stick to shift gears. (In the Buick I used to drive, the gearshift was in a different spot, hence why I activated the wipers. XD) I backed up very slowly with Sister Cannon guiding me. Then, I started to drive to the Mustard Seed. I was quivering and tense the whole time. I don't like driving, and the roads were so awful! XD

2- I finally got to the Mustard Seed after some wrong turns, haha. I thought I knew how to get there. I should by now! But I didn't die or get in a wreck, so I got that going for me! I can hardly remember feeling more anxious or stressed on my mission! But I'm glad it's over now.

3- Okay, the Mustard Seed was absolute chaos. We came in and were told the new chef got hurt and one of our friends was still out sick. Everyone in the kitchen that day had never worked back in the kitchen, so they were all scrambling around like chickens with their heads cut off! They were trying to bag meals, but I could tell from a glance that none had done so before, and they had a ridiculously inefficient system on the counters. I commandeered my own counter space and stacked some packaged meals correctly, then helped bag with Sister Cannon. 

3- Eventually, everyone else started following my example and things started moving a little faster and more smoothly. It felt so weird being the most experienced one in the kitchen! XD  I sort of unofficially took charge for the two hours that we were there. We were finally able to finish bagging and boxing, then we started serving a bunch of food that had been made earlier. Beef stroganoff! Someone scooped pasta, Sister Cannon handled carrots and sauce, and I lidded the meals and put them on trays for storage. 

4- After that, not a ton happened for the rest of the day. We met up with Sister Marsmaker--who was with Sister Smith for the day--and got Sister Cannon's Tiwi card back. Thank heavens! Then, Sister Cannon and I basically called, texted, and did Facebook work all day because our lessons canceled. :l  But all in all, it wasn't the worst day ever! 

5- Wednesday was pretty busy. We had a good district council, a few stop-bys, and some lessons. Unfortunately, a few fell through, so we filled the time with Facebook stuff. Then we went to the Hansens for Ward Coordination. Xavier was in bed, but I got to see baby Gray for a few minutes! Cute little squirt was trying to sit up and he's only a few months old! He has such a cute grin. :)  We had a good Ward Coordination and set some goals to work on for this week. I'm excited to tackle the new projects that Brother Hansen, Sister Marsmaker, and I planned. Also, Sister Hansen baked us delicious chocolate cookies! :D

6- We updated our lists for weekly planning quite a bit. There are several people that Brother Hansen wanted us to visit, so we were planning when and how to do so. Unfortunately, a good chunk of the families in the ward are sick right now. :l  The most we can do is keep them in our prayers because they're not allowed to have visitors right now.

6- In the middle of weekly planning, a pair of Elders texted us and said a person they'd referred to us was free and we could call her right then. We tried to do so over Facebook messenger, and she didn't answer. We were determined, so we tried again. She messaged us and said she was in a meeting. We were like, O.O   Oops...  Thanks a lot, Elders. XD  She set up a time for us to call her back... and she didn't answer. Pretty sure she's annoyed with us right now... *nervous laughter*

7- We've been encouraged by the Cowleys to teach members the lessons we're teaching our friends. So, this week, we've been asking lots of families if we can practice teaching the Restoration of the Gospel with them simply. I've appreciated the practice! I didn't realize how spotty I was at teaching it because I haven't done it in so long, haha. XD  I had a neat spiritual moment after I recited Joseph Smith's account of the First Vision. It was just a strong feeling that yes, it was true. I appreciated the confirmation and vowed to share the First Vision more. :)

8- We had a rough time finding a parking spot by the Richardsons because some foldable 'no parking' signs were put up on the street we normally use. XD  We finally found a spot and had to trek through the snow for a while. There have been some new storms this week, so there were a few inches of fresh powder. Once we got inside the Richardsons' place, though, it was nice and warm. :)

8- We worked on cleaning the kitchen. I learned that you can prop up a stovetop to clean underneath it! :O  We did so, washed the burners, and also cleaned all the counters and appliances. Then, we worked on cleaning the floor. There were some stubborn spots that wouldn't mop up, so I attacked them with a wet rag and some cleaning spray. 

8- While we cleaned, Emma told us about some movies and songs that she liked. She also enjoys lots of video games. We had some fun talking about whacky video game glitches we've experienced. XD Once we were done cleaning, she made us a tasty smoothie with mango, pineapple, and lettuce. Personally, I would have enjoyed it more without the greens, but I guess it's healthier, haha. She gave us big glasses and we sat on the couch eating the smoothies and having a fun chat with her and Sister Richardson. We didn't really get around to much teaching, but that's okay. There's always next time!

9- Finally got to go to the Friesens again! It's been way too long since I've visited that family! They've been sick for a while, though. I finally got to give them the picture I drew for them. :)  (The one with the sea turtle, cat, tiger, and wolf, if anyone remembers.)  We showed a video about Noah's ark and talked about the importance of listening to God, his prophets, and our parents. We got the kiddos to agree to listen to their parents more this week, so we'll see how that goes!

9- After the lesson, Cher started asking Sister Marsmaker some deep doctrine questions. My brain decided to check out, so I wasn't much help. XD  Lucas pulled me away from the table and started drawing on a whiteboard with me. He drew some ghosts and said, "That's me, that one's you," and then proceeded to point to everyone else in the room and assign them to a ghost he'd drawn. He made a box at the top, put some symbols in it, and told me, "That's the mansion in heaven! We're all going there." 

9- I was a bit shook and also rather touched. We hadn't mentioned heaven once in our lesson, so he must have remembered from a previous time we'd come. While Lucas was telling me about what he imagined heaven will be like, Jacob came over and drew on the whiteboard as well. He drew a man I was able to recognize: Jesus Christ with the crown of thorns resting on His head. I was amazed! Jacob rarely seems interested when we talk about gospel-related things, yet here he was drawing a picture of our Savior!

9- After that, Lucas and I had fun drawing other things on the whiteboard. I couldn't stop pondering his simple words, or Jacob's rendition of our Savior. They were on my mind all night. I find it so wonderful that even children are able to know gospel truths. That just cements my testimony that this is all true. The teachings of Jesus Christ are honestly very simple. We just overcomplicate them. But at their most basic, they are truths that even young children can comprehend and know.

10- We worked on contacting a ton of people this Saturday! I don't know if we'll quite reach our goal of at least reaching out to every member of the ward in this transfer, but that's okay! If not, we'll at least have laid a good foundation that other missionaries who come next will be able to build on. We sent numerous texts, tried lots of calls, and made plans to stop by people whose phones don't work, or who only have addresses listed. 

11- Saturday afternoon, we went to help shovel snow for our good friend that owns lots of cats! This time, he gave me some art supplies, which I found very sweet! He's seen my drawings on Facebook and was like, "I have this stuff that I'm not using anymore, so why don't you go ahead and take it?"  

11- On Saturday, the weather was actually a bit warmer! Throughout the week, especially at the beginning, we dipped down to around -24 to -28 Celcius. However, on Saturday there was a blizzard in the morning, but then the temperature rose significantly. It was a few degrees above freezing, so all the new snow--and some of the old snow--started to melt. It was a good day to shovel. We were able to clear away a lot of thick, heavy stuff. Some of the ice melted too, so we were able to scrape off a bit of our friend's pathway.

12- Dinner at the Fortins again! Sister Fortin made a delicious soup that was only slightly spicy for me. XD  Not as spicy as my dad's bear stew (which I dearly miss), so I was able to eat it without feeling as if I would breathe fire. XD  We shared a good message, then ate some strawberry and rhubarb pie for dessert! I thought it was super tasty.

12- Speaking of dinners, we have several lined up for the next few days! XD  I guess the best way to get people to feed us is to tell them that one of us is going home, haha. Sister Marsmaker has managed to work her way into the hearts of many members here in Londonderry. So many of them want to wish her well and thank her for her service 

here. I'm proud to have her as my companion!

13- Most of the referrals that Sister Marsmaker and I get are social media referrals. People fill out forms on Facebook when they're curious to learn about Jesus Christ, or things such as what happens when we die. We've had spotty success with contacting referrals. Sometimes they won't realize that filling out a Facebook form means that two barely-adult people will call them or stop by their house to talk about God. We've had quite a few people that are like, "How did you get my contact info? I didn't want someone to come to my house!"  And we're like, "You put your info on Facebook and said you wanted to learn more about God! So we're here to answer your questions."    What did you expect, pumpkin juice?! (I'm in a quoting mood, so kudos if you guys get this quote too! XD)

13- Anyway, this time we got a member referral. Pam Gagnon, someone I haven't had much contact with, told us that her son is in town and wants to learn more about Jesus. We set up a time to come over Saturday evening. Brother Hansen, our ward mission leader, arrived to help fellowship. He was so awesome! :D

13- Pam's son had lots of questions. We asked him a few of our own to learn about his background. He's had some rough spots, but he already has an amazing testimony of Jesus Christ, and how He can help us through our trials. We told him our message was centered on Christ, and he was like, "Awesome! Tell me more!" 

13- He had some questions about the Book of Mormon, and they were understandable. Everyone has questions about it, haha. But he wasn't asking in a bashy way at all; he was purely curious and wanted to understand. We didn't have enough time to share the entire Restoration and the First Vision, so we simply explained a bit about the Book of Mormon. God loves His children everywhere, and He is the same, yesterday, today, and forever. Therefore, He calls prophets in all times and lands to teach and guide His children. The Book of Mormon is simply a collection of the teachings of prophets that lived in the Americas before, during, and after Jesus Christ's earthly ministry. They teach the people many of the same things as prophets in the Bible, because the things they teach come from the same being: God.

13- We told Pam's son we had to get going for the night (because it was getting close to curfew, haha). We asked when we could come over again and he was like, "How about tomorrow?"  I was shocked. That kind of thing doesn't happen often! XD  Sister Marsmaker and I eagerly agreed! So, we'll go over later today (it's Sunday afternoon right now.)  To make matters even better, he agreed to come to church this morning and said he enjoyed it! This week was Fast and Testimony meeting, so lots of people went up to bear their testimonies and share scriptures. I was impressed by how many kiddos in the ward went up and spoke! I love hearing childrens' testimonies. They're always so simple and sweet. :)

14- Our lesson with our new friend was awesome! (It's Monday now, haha)  We gave him a restoration pamphlet and shared the restoration with him. He was super interested in the Atonement, which is wonderful! He said he'd known about the sacrifice that Jesus made for us, but he'd never heard the word Atonement before. Our friend said he loved knowing that Jesus cared about us enough to die for us. It was super touching to hear his testimony about our Savior. :)  And then, I got to share the First Vision with our friend. I could feel the spirit so strongly in that moment! I know that our friend was able to feel it too. He says he wants to learn more, and we set up a return appointment for Wednesday. Unfortunately, since I'm getting transferred Wednesday afternoon, I won't get to teach him again. :(   I hope the next missionaries enjoy meeting him, though!

Welp, that's about it! Take some pictures! :D

Found some fake flowers outside the cemetery, so we held a mini funeral for Sister Marsmaker. XD 

Also, finished magpie I drew for a friend, a polar bear for Sister Marsmaker, and the two of us after trying to drop off a Book of Mormon. The lady wouldn't let us in. XD