Temples and happiness and joy and Egyptians

i don't even know how to write about all that happened this week.  SO MUCH.

-the adversary is still trying really hard going against our english class.  The people at the library keep taking down our fliers, then we ask them about it so they put them back up, then the next day we come back and they're gone again!!!  BUT notwithstanding the opposition, John came to our class last week!  He was the only one, and his english is actually really good.  (he's from India) and basically he just asked us a bunch of questions about our church so we ended up teaching him the first lesson.  It was awesome.  he's coming back this week. :)  

-we had supper with the B family!!! and this time the husband was home!  they want to come back to church and they're so close.  they're so wonderful.  They remind me a lot of our family, and they're actually coming back to activity while their girls are almost the same age as Britney and I when our family came back. :)  They wanted to come to church this week, but it was the Montreal temple dedication!

-we're teaching Maggie now!!! She's Egyptian and suuuper Catholic.  it's really awesome because she's in such a good place to receive the restored gospel right now!  We planned on teaching her the restoration, but when we got in there, she just told us about all these family issues she is having and all these hard things in her life, and basically the Holy Ghost was just SCREAMING plan of salvation into my ears, so we taught her part of the Plan of Salvation instead.  she wants to come to church with us this week and she's letting us come back tomorrow!  #pray4maggie 

-I prayed for snow yesterday morning and what happened? about 3 hours later it started DUMPING and it hasn't quit yet.  sooooo.  yeah.  we spent our morning shoveling all our neighbours' driveways.  :)  #askandyeshallreceive

The wheelers and the Jarvis' ️️️

-i had THEEE BIGGEST TENDER MERCY OF MY LIFE THIS WEEKEND.  We met some sisters at the temple, and as we were walking into the lobby, i see through the doors none other than SISTER WHEELER from Grande Prairie!!!!!!  I literally just bolted and she gave me the biggest hug and it was just amazing.  I may or may not have shed a few tears...Brother and Sister Wheeler came back to church just a little before I got to Grande Prairie at the beginning of my mission, and they have since been sealed, and are now doing temple work for their ancestors!!! :)  Sister Wheeler just kept saying, "I think this is what Heaven is going to be like." It was all really emotional and the spirit was just filling my heart with so much JOY!!! like...FILLED TO THE BRIM!!!

"Therefore, let us glory, yea, we will glory in the Lord; yea, we will rejoice, for our joy is full; yea, we will praise our God forever. Behold, who can glory too much in the Lord? Yea, who can say too much of his great power, and of his mercy, and of his long-suffering towards the children of men? Behold, I say unto you, I cannot say the smallest part which I feel." Alma 26:16

that's basically how I feel.  I truly can't even say the smallest part which I feel.  

God is good, my friends.  

Onward, ever onward.
Sister Jones 

Yep yep

Transfers are this week and I'm STAYING IN RIVER VALLEY!  I've never had this many
transfers in one area before, so this will be fun. :) I'm excited to get one more transfer
with Sister McKeon! 

okay i don't have much time but here are a few miracles

SISTER QUESADA AND TWO OF HER KIDS CAME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY!!!!
They are the lost sheep we found the first week I got here.  It has been really hard for
her to take the step to come back to church, because her husband doesn't want us to
teach him anymore and he doesn't want to come back.  BUT SHE CAME!  We went and
hugged her and said we were so glad she came and she says, "well.  there comes a
point when you have to decide and act.  God is with me so I know I can do it.  I know it is
right."  SHE'S SO AMAZING. It was kind of like an inspirational movie. Ya know the kind that
just make you so excited and ready to take on the world? :)  Such strength and faith.  man.
I'm so grateful for her.  

Yesterday, we were in the car cutting up some fliers for our english class, and this lady
was walking on the sidewalk next to us.  I rolled down my window and we started talking
to her, and she recognized me immediately.  She said, "you talked to me on a bus downtown
once!" I didn't recognize her, but i'm sure I did.  (we talk to so many people..it's crazy..)
but then she told us that she moved just down the street and is coming out of what has
been a crappy life.  then she said, "ever since that day on the bus that you talked to me,
my life has been looking up.  things are getting better."  PLANTING SEEDS IS A REAL
THING I'M TELLING YOU!!!  Yep.  that was probably one of the most humbling experiences.
the Lord really does work through his children to meet others needs.  I LOVE THE GOSPEL.  

SOOOO much opposition is in force against our english class we're trying to teach. 
the fliers we put up have been thrown away and lost and it has been crazy, but we finally
had a few people call us saying that they will be coming this week!!!  WE'RE SO EXCITED!!!
"No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing!"  

WE HAD ANOTHER CAR SIGN MIRACLE!! We showed it to this man named Hashim and
he nodded saying he wanted a book of mormon, but he couldn't pull over and it was crazy
and long story short, we couldn't find him.  We prayed our guts out and then decided to drive,
and we saw a car that looked a little like his so we followed him and flashed our brights at him
(hahahah it was a good thing it ended up being him) and then he pulled over and we ran and gave
him the Book!!!!!!!!  GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS! He really does.  

Moroni 7:33 "And Christ hath said: If ye will have faith in me ye shall have power to do whatsoever
thing is expedient in me."

anywho, I know that God's hand is in the work and I know that He loves and knows each of you. 

 

Onward, ever onward.

 

Sister Jones 

We made DREAMCATCHERS with s super cool lady who isn't a member

She totally carved that melon!

Some awesome members ️

Our district

Annnd Remembrance Day poppies!

Yep.

We had two ZTM's this week and gave some trainings and it was all really fun and spirit led and the missionaries here are just incredible.  

We started working with this less active family who is deciding to come back to church!  We'll call them the B family.  We had a lesson with the mom, and she opened up to us a lot with some concerns and also how they feel like they  need to get back to church.  We weren't sure what to share before going in, but the spirit just brought it to my mind so quickly and it was exactly what she needed.  We're really excited to keep working with them, we're seeing them again tonight! 

There's this newly developed neighborhood in our area that we call Erindale (mostly because we forget what it's called all the time, but also because it's MAGICAL!!!!)  Literally, every single time we knock on any doors there, at least one house lets us in to teach them.  On Sunday night, we went, the first two doors weren't interested, but the third let us in! They are a Filipino family and we just simply taught the restoration and the Book of Mormon and it was SO powerful.  They now want the Tagalog elders to teach them!  

 

Then, Latha, who was right next door let us in after us only saying we wanted to teach her about eternal families.  She's from India and has the cutest little boys ever.  One is 8 and one is 3.  (i don't know how to even try to spell their names..) but yeah they're adorable.  Right when we sat down on the couch, the little 3 year old just JUMPS up onto my lap and cuddles me it was so cute. Then I had to sneakily put him on the couch instead because of mission rules...but it was just precious.  They go to a Pentecostal church, and after us teaching Latha about the restoration, she wants to come to our church this Sunday to see what it's like!  We're also teaching her again tomorrow!  Pray for Latha!  She's wonderful!  

 

Then.....the house next door to her was a man named Paul who is Chinese!  He was so confused when we knocked on his door, but the spirit helped him understand what we were saying and we got to go back the next day with the Mandarin speaking elders.  It went really well and let me tell you i am SO GRATEFUL that Heavenly Father didn't ask me to speak Mandarin on the mission.  holy moly.  we were so lost.  BUT something really neat: when one of the elders started reciting the First Vision in Chinese, I automatically felt the spirit and just knew that it was the first vision.  THE CHURCH IS TRUE. :) 

 

THENNNNN the next house was a Turkish family!  The parents don't speak super great english, but we're going to bring them a turkish Book of Mormon. :)  yep.  

okay and THENNNNN yesterday (on exchanges with Sister Smith who is a greenie and Australian and a BOSS btw)  we went back to the same street and got let into ANOTHER Filipino house.  Victor found a Book of Mormon at Good Will and he said, "I saw it, and knew it was for me, so now I have it here!"  His wife and sister who live with him are SUUUPER catholic, there were statues of Mary all over the place, but I think he really is elect.  So we'll go back with Tagalog on Friday. :)  

 

THENNNNN (I bet you're wondering when the miracles will end on this street..hahha NOT YET!) we knocked on Dennis' door.  He's Russian and SO elect it's unreal.  He was kind of not wanting to talk, and then he saw the Book of Mormon picture on the back of the pamphlet we gave him, and that made him even a little more unwilling to listen.  But he kept talking to us and the spirit just literally gave us the words to say and it was incredible.  You could literally see the light in his eyes getting brighter and brighter.  The spirit just testified over and over again as we tried to answer his questions as best we could, and after 40 minutes on his porch, he finally accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon and said he would read it.  We're going back in a week to see how it's going.  I just...AHHH can't even describe how the love of God just fills my heart when I talk to these people.  man...that's what it's all about.  I LOVE IT. 

we had Stake Conference, and the Adult session on Saturday night was SO POWERFUL.  it was the bomb.  Elder and Sister Spackman came from Calgary and they are just so wonderful.  A lot of their words were about missionary work.  It was so solid.  Elder Spackman talked about a general statistic, that people, on average, have 7 contacts with the church before they are baptized.  (whether or not this is completely accurate is besides the point i want to make).  So often we think we are unsuccessful missionaries or people trying to share the gospel or even just serve people, because we try and invite, and they don't accept, so we think we have failed.  THAT'S SO NOT TRUE.  When a seed is planted, it doesn't bloom the next day.  It takes frequent water, sunlight, and care until it finally blooms over time.  The efforts we make DO matter and they DON'T go unnoticed by our Heavenly Father.  "there is no such thing as something for nothing with the Lord." Most of the time, our efforts are numbers 1-6, and we don't really see what happens after that.  But my friends, i'm here to tell you that they do matter and every time you reach out to serve someone, you are making a difference.  You have no idea the difference you make in others lives when you simply reach out and serve.  THAT is the way of the Saviour: reaching outward.  

 

i love you all and i love the gospel and i love Alberta Beef.  

Onward, ever onward.  

Sister Jones

#elnino

Greetings friends!

I'm using the microphone to type...I feel pretty cool right now. Also, we spent our day at Costco eating all their free samples for lunch. #Winning 

It has been a roller coaster of a week....not sure what to share with y'all. 

First things first, WE GOT A NEW INVESTIGATOR!!! Her name is Heather and she is super cool and She reminds me of mom. And they have the same name so that's cool too.  her husband is a member, and she wanted us to come to teach her son, but he wouldn't pay attention so we just taught her instead and she agreed to let us do the lessons with her!  We also got to help her decorate for her son's Halloween party which was much too scary for 7 year olds...but it was a good time. We also went to check it out on Saturday when all his friends were there, and there were a ton of moms we got to talk to!  It was a GOLD MINE for finding families :) 

We also found an investigator for the Mandarin speaking elders!  We knocked on the door, and Cindy let us in and she is so sweet. It was a tender mercy. :)

At the sisters training meeting with sister moser and sister whiting ️️

We had our sisters training meeting and it was BOMB. sister Mckeon and I gave a training on being positive and loving yourself.  We showed this video that all the sisters loved. It wasn't made by the church, but we both just felt like we needed to share it so badly!!  We asked president and he was kind of giving us a hard time about it but he let us show it anyway.  Afterwards, so many sisters came up to us telling us it was exactly what they needed at that time. THE SPIRIT IS THE BOMB. and God really does love all his children SO MUCH. Whoever is reading this right now, YOU ARE A CHILD OF GOD!  You really are. Don't you forget it. 

(The video is called "who you are, a message to women" if you wanna watch it on YouTube)

Then we had MLC which was good and long and super spiritual.  

ALSO THE BEST THING EVER HAPPENED 

remember last week when I told y'all about the guy who flipped us off after we showed him the signs in our car?  Well we were driving and came up on a red light, so I pulled up right next to the guy in the other lane and sister Mckeon put the "Jesus loves you" sign up and he looked at us and just said "thank you, thank you, thank you". Then we showed him the others that say, "we have a message that will change your life, all you have to do is read and pray.  We have a free copy of the Book of Mormon for you!"  He just nodded and then we motioned for him to follow us and he did and we pulled over and waved him down and he pulled over!! We gave him the Book of Mormon and he wants to meet with us!  His name is Julian, and he is Spanish and on the north side, so we're passing him over tomorrow :) :) :) IT WORKED!!! Heavenly Father is he best. 

Exchanges

Also the exchange in Drayton was good, sister Torsak is WONDERFUL!  And those people are my favourite. I love them so much. 

Oh and it has been snowing. But there's this thing called "el nino" where every 8 years or so it is a super mild winter. So it should be a good one this year. I was kind of hoping for a crazy winter...so I could say I endured a really cold one...but I should probably just be grateful we won't be shoveling the car out of snow as much this year :) 

I was reading the Book of Mormon about a bunch of wars and sad events that happened in Alma. Alma 62:41 says this, 

"But behold, because of the exceedingly great length of the war between the Nephites and the Lamanites many had become hardened, because of the exceedingly great length of the war; and many were softened because of their afflictions, insomuch that they did humble themselves before God, even in the depth of humility."

Drayton Sisters

 This verse really hit me hard. BROTHERS AND SISTERS YOU HAVE THE GIFT TO CHOOSE HOW YOU REACT TO YOUR TRIALS. the beauty of this life is that we are created as agents to act and not to be acted upon. D&C 58 says, 

"27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;

28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward."

You gotta protect your agency. Don't let Satan deceive you and make you think that you don't have the power to overcome opposition. You have the Saviour, Jesus Christ, who has already overcome the adversary. 

"In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

I love you all!  And more importantly, God loves you. 

Onward, ever onward. 

Sister Jones