SO THY SUCCOR SHALL BE

Poutine with Cassidy

Not much happened this week, life is still good and the gospel is still the bomb diggity.  

I ate some poutine today (which i don't normally do because it's basically a heart attack waiting to happen) and that was good.  Cassidy from GP came and took us to costco for lunch. :)  It was a lot of fun!  

Sister Lefler & I!

We went on two exchanges this past week!  First with Sister Lefler who is such a hard worker!  It was a lot of fun.  We had a bunch of lessons set up and we were supposed to get some new investigators and then they all fell through....hahh.  such is life.  So we did lots of bus station contacting.  Gave away some Book of Mormons and it was super fun.  We actually talked to this girl, Rita, who we met about a week before, and she wants us to come to her christian school to talk to everyone.  She said she was going to talk to her pastor about it...we'll see if he lets us come.. :) 

We had this really powerful lesson with a member's daughter who is recovering from addictions and it was all about our divine nature as daughters of God and man...the spirit was so real.  God's tender mercies are the real deal.  

 

basically the rest of the week we visited members and did a TON of contacting.  We knocked doors, went to the bus station, store contacted (very sneakily of course) and basically anything we could think of.  We also helped almost everyone in our little cul-de-sac rake their yards!  It was so wonderful!  it was like a big neighborhood family bonding day. :) They're all from crazy places.  One from Ukraine, Russia, Kenya, and our landlord, Solo from Eritrea...Edmonton is the best.  So diverse :) 

We have these signs we made that say things like, "Jesus loves you!" and "we have a message that will change your life" and "we have a free Book of Mormon for you!".  When we're at stop lights we show them to people next to us and usually they just smile and don't look back at us, but this one guy was super happy!  We showed him them all and he gave us a thumbs up, then we showed him the Book of Mormon one and he flipped us off and drove away...hahahah. we still show them to people. 

 

 

 

Temple with the Sisters

this week will be filled with craziness!  We got to go to the temple this morning which was glorious, tomorrow we have a Sisters Conference that we're giving trainings at, MLC on Thursday.  it will be fun. :) Oh and some more exchanges, and guess where i'm going? DRAYTON VALLEY YAYYYY!!!  I'm stoked.  

Sister Williams!!️️

I also got to exchange with Sister Williams who has a heart of PURE GOLD.  She is amazing I just love her.  And she was a good sport when all our plans fell through and we tracted in the rain all day.  #rainorshine 

Sunday was DIVINE.  Saturday night, I won't lie, I was feeling a bit down and sorry for myself and I just felt like I couldn't do it anymore and I just wanted to be done!  I decided to fast, which always lifts my spirits, and Heavenly Father provided me with some real tender mercies.  First of all, we were in the hallway in between classes at church, and who comes around the corner but my favourite SISTER CURRY (from Drayton Valley) !!! She was in Edmonton and came to our ward!  My heart just rejoiced!  Then in sacrament meeting, we sang my all time favourite hymn #85 "How Firm a Foundation".  Usually it's the third verse that gets me, but this time, the second verse made my heart even happier!  

" In ev'ry condition--in sickness, in health,

In poverty's vale or abounding in wealth,

At home or abroad, on the land or the sea--

As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,

As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be."

No matter how much is demanded of us, the Lord is there with us and his comfort and support is there for us each and every time.  Even though I am exhausted and the rejection is hard to face everyday, it's not too much.  God gives us what will stretch us, but will never let us break.  His purpose is our growth.  It is OUR ETERNAL LIFE he is wanting for us.  Nothing else.  Our well being is his only concern.  

 

"For behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

  Moses 1:39 

 

  3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. 

John 17:3

God is good and the gospel is true.  Don't give up, my friends! 

Onward, ever onward. 

Sister Jones 

Sister Mckeon wants to take cute pictures and I just do this... #creeper

5. 

Making everlasting and omnipotent

another week full of miracles and still no snow! 

The Dream Team

unfortunately, we still have no investigators.  But life is still good.  We taught a few lessons to potentials, but mostly just to muslims who wanted to convert us.  Muslims are some of the nicest people.  But they really do just want to convert us.  hahah.  

There was this one who was just trying to debate with us (he literally called our meeting a debate) and right when we got in there we felt we should leave, so we left within 15 minutes and just told him that's not why we were there.  ...... such a gong show.  But he gave us these cool hand made indian decorations...we're not sure what they mean but they look pretty cool. :)

 

We gave trainings at two ZTM's which was pretty fun!  One was on the Book of Mormon and the spirit just led that training like nobody's business.  It's the most fulfilling thing to feel the spirit work through you to help other people.  

In the middle of the other zone meeting we went to, this sikh man walked in and was trying to find whoever called a taxi!  Nobody called a taxi, but sister McKeon and I ran out after him to talk to him.  It was pretty cool, he said, "i know God sent me here today to meet you!" and we got his number so we can teach him. :) hopefully we can.

 

We had supper with a member, and she has a Japanese exchange student living with her named Kurumi!  It was her birthday, so we got to celebrate with her and her Chinese friends!  We tried to teach them all but their english is pretty limited...they are so precious though.  It was a lot of fun. 

 

ALSO we are starting to teach an english class as a finding tool this week!  It should be great. 

 

okay now for the SUPER AWESOME MIRACLES THAT JUST MADE MY HEART REJOICE:

 

so one night we were trying a potential (they weren't home...) and we got back in the car.  We looked up and saw these two teenage boys walking a little ways away from us, so we decided to drive over to talk to them!  We talked with them, and one of them is Jeffry!  I actually talked to him on a bus downtown at one point and gave him a Book of Mormon, then he told us he is GOING TO THE MORMON CHURCH WITH HIS FRIEND'S FAMILY!!!  He told us he isn't a Mormon, YET.  :) :) :) SUCH A MIRACLE.  I love it when Heavenly Father gives us glimpses of the fruits of the seeds we plant. 

 

okay miracle number two

 

last night it was almost 8 o'clock, and the lesson we had scheduled fell through.  We tried a few people and nothing seemed to be working.  As we were driving we saw this man walking.  I felt like we should stop and talk to him, but was so annoyed and frustrated with the way things had been going so I kept driving... but after about 5 seconds I was just like.....OKAY FINE and i pulled over. We went back to talk to him but couldn't see him. It was pretty dark. I felt a pretty hopeless. Out of frustration I just threw my hands up in the air and looked at the sky and said, "Heavenly Father I don't know what you want me to do! What on earth do we do??"  We got back in the car and decided to turn around to find him. We saw him sitting in the bus shelter so we went to talk to him. After telling him why we came to talk to him, he just said, "okay, so will you teach me?"  We were just like.....uh YES so we had to run back to the car to get a Book of Mormon. His name is Abel and he is from Ethiopia. He was just taking a break from work (door to door sales) so we went back and taught him about the restoration! The spirit was SO REAL there in that bus shelter. He said he had been having a really hard time and had been asking God for direction. And for a book. (Crazy right??) He felt pretty alone. When we talked about he apostasy, he said, "that's me right now! I don't have direction from God!" Then when we told him about the first vision...man it was just so real. We invited him to be baptized and he said yes!  He said that he knows we were messengers from God to help him and bring him what he needs.  He lives downtown and is YSA age so we will be passing him over to some other missionaries this week but man. words cannot describe the reality of our Heavenly Father and the Holy Ghost! 

 

I feel like God will give us trials and struggles and we just have to trust him and work as hard as we can. Then when we have given all we have, and then some, he pours out his miracles that he has been wanting to give us!  We have to trust him and be faithful to the end.  Whether it's the end of the night or the end of our lives. In the words of someone much wiser than I, 

 

"What does  the word  “endure”  mean?  It  means  we  whiteknuckle  it,  “I'm  going  to  endure this”, right?  Wrong. The  Hebrew  word  means to  “make  everlasting  and  omnipotent”  to make  you  like  God. It is  a  sanctifying  process.  Enduring  to  the  end  is  one  of the  most  sanctifying  and exalting doctrines we have, and we think it's just “hanging in there”. "

 

The gospel is real, and it is an active thing. There is no sitting back and just holding on. We work, work, work, and work some more. And the grace of God gives us the strength to do so. 

 

"Wishing will not make it so. The Lord expects our thinking. He expects our action. He expects our labors. He expects our testimonies. He expects our devotion." Thomas S. Monson

God is good, my friends. 

Onward, ever onward. 

Sister Jones 

Philippians 1:14 #nofear

Oh man what a week.  Still no snow in the wonderful land of Edmonton
(knock on wood).



SISTER MCKEON IS AN ANGEL SENT FROM HEAVEN  i love her. We're both
pretty crazy and bold in our finding approaches and it has been A
BLAST.  Kind of a gong show at times and we definitely have our share
of awkward moments but it has been so fun and we have seen so many
miracles.

I'll start with the bad news first though, Dawuta dropped us.  my
heart broke into like a million pieces but that's okay.  the work goes
on, hey?

now for the good stuff!

Sister Mckeon's first day here we had supper with the Madlung's who
are BOSS missionaries and they had their nonmember nephew over as
well.  We asked him if he had religious beliefs and after he answered,
brother Madlung just said, "well, would you like to hear what these
sisters have to say?  Would you like to learn?" and he said yes!!!  If
every member was as bold as brother madlung everyone would be baptized
by now!  We taught the restoration and the spirit was AMAZING!  The
first vision was just so powerful and he said he believes it is true!
We invited him to be baptized and he said he would pray about it. So
now this week we have to pass him over to the YSA missionaries.  It
was A MIRACLE!!

We have been crazy bold with people while talking with them and it's
so fun.  Except when they completely shut us down after pouring out
our souls to them...but then i just think of the scripture:
"The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is
the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?"  Psalms 27:1
really though.  WHOM SHALL WE FEAR WE HAVE CHRIST!

one day we parked the car to try a potential, then i saw this man in
the rear view mirror riding his bike.  He had a little girl with him
and they were just adorable.  We just knew we needed to talk to him
and so we jumped out of the car and ran a couple blocks after him to
talk to him.  He finally got to his house so we caught up to him and
we were so out of breath from running and laughing at ourselves at how
crazy we are...we just told him we really wanted to talk to him
because we have a message that will change his life and help his
family... and he wants us to come back!  We got his number and we're
hopefully teaching him this week!  His name is Tayven.  they're from
Uganda! :)  sometimes you just have to chase people down a couple
blocks ...THIS IS SALVATION!



We also had MLC which was fun and humbling once again.  I just love
president and sister manion, they're angels.

we had a lesson with our potential, Gary, and his girlfriend Vicki.
Gary is an alcoholic and Vicki is an angel who is trying to help him
get over his addiction.  We talked with them about the Addiction
Recovery Program that the church has and we hope to be working with
them more.  they're so amazing and I just love them so much!!!

We also got to go to the 50th anniversary party of this couple in the
ward and it was a GOLD MINE!  they invited all their neighbors
got to talk to them all and hopefully we can start teaching some of
them. :)



















Aaaaaand it was Canadian Thanksgiving which is the best mostly because
as missionaries we get Canadian AND American thanksgiving because
people feel bad for us.  :)   We went around town and to a bus station
and had people write things they're thankful for and actually got to
give away some copies of the Book of Mormon and teach people about
their loving Father in Heaven.  It was a lot of fun.  I'm so grateful
for this gospel and for MY family and the fact that we get to be
together forever.

well life is good and we have decided that we WILL FIND A FAMILY TO BE
TOGETHER FOREVER so that would be a good thing to pray for.

I love this gospel and i know that it's true.
I love these people.
I love turkey and mashed potatoes.
I love the Lord.

Onward, ever onward.

love,
Sister Jones

Transfer #3 in River Valley

WE GOT TRANSFER CALLS and I'm staying here in River Valley!  Sister
McKeon is coming to be my companion, and i cannot even tell you how
excited I am.  I got to go on exchanges with her a couple weeks back
and she's just a boss and I'm so excited to have a companion who is as
gungho about talking with everyone as I am. :)  I have a good feeling
about this transfer.

We started teaching Dawuta and it was all great!  She's still not
completely understanding why she would need to be baptized again into
our church if she has already been baptized, but we'll focus on that
this next lesson.  she got really busy all of a sudden, but we have
still been teaching Denise, Darren, and Dansel regularly.  We have the
lessons in a returning members home and it's all just so perfect.  they're adorable. :)

Our adventures!

we also got lost in the woods one day and found a potential!  hahah
okay let me tell the story so it makes more sense.
After all our plans fell through one day, we decided to go walking on
this path that led down to the river.  We talked to lots of people and
told them about conference and it was pretty fun.  And beautiful.
Then by the time we got started making our way back we realized we
were going to be late to our supper!  So we were running back and saw
this trail through the trees that looked like a shortcut, so we took
it!  it wasn't a short cut.  Hahah it just led us to this private
property so we had to turn around, then we took another path that we
thought would for sure lead us there, but alas....it took us to the
same private property.  (although this time we didn't see the sign so
we didn't intentionally break the law...) so we had to run across this
like...police training base that was super sketchy ha we thought
someone was going to arrest us or something.  But we came out into
this neighborhood we weren't familiar with, and decided to knock a
couple doors.  The second one we knocked on, this girl, Chanceline,
(yes a very fabulous name) let us in and we told her about conference
and the restoration and she wants us to come back!  She's 16 (pray
that her parents will let her learn pls.)
we were supposed to teach Tina last week and the lesson fell through
because her parents don't want her to learn.  :(  pray for them too!
gahhh she is just so golden!!!

we also had another lesson with the Quesadas (less active family we
found way back when) and brother quesada was actually there this time!
 It was so powerful.  He's still pretty hard hearted, but man the
spirit led that lesson like nobody's business.  Every time something
would come to my head, Sister Holbrook would say the same thing, and
vice versa.  We talked about the restoration and BOOM he just told us
all his concerns!  the spirit works wonders I tell ya.

also conference was the BOMB DIGGITY.  Totally ponderizing 2
Corinthians 9:7 this week.  I just really love how the spirit works.
like....there's just no denying it.  THERE IS A PROPHET ON THE EARTH
TODAY AND GOD SPEAKS TO HIS PEOPLE.  Isn't it wonderful?

anywho, the church is true and i love it more than pizza which is a big deal.
but in all seriousness i really love it more than anything.  I know
without a doubt that Jesus is the Christ and this is his church.

onward, ever onward.

Sister Jones

 

Exchanges with sister Rasmussen!️️

BOOSTER JUICE