January 23, 2012

Dear everyone reading this:

It got COLD this last week! Wednesday it was -30 C ( I think that's about -22 F) and -43 C with the Windchill.

I finally feel like I'm in Canada. However, it got up to -2 C yesterday. Random weather. Congrats Kevin on getting engaged!!! That is so exciting. I'd love to hear all about her. Whens the big day?

So cool connection, my companion Sister White went to Girl's State with me! Crazy eh? We probably sat by each other at something and didn't know that 5 years later we'd be mission companions. Small small world. I did make the connection with the Smith's in my ward. They thought that was cool. We are going over there for supper tomorrow night so I'll have to take the picture of Ethan and Becki's kids they sent me. Oh and I slept walked this last week. I don't remember which day but I totally did. I started getting ready for the day (like it was 6:30am). When I actually woke up I noticed my pillow randomly in our study room. I was so confused and then wondered why Sister White wasn't getting up. That's when I looked at the clock. 12:30am! Yep, turns out I slept walked, randomly took my pillow into the study room (don't remember doing that at all) and started getting ready for the day. At least I didn't fall out a window eh?

Last Tuesday we had interviews with President Campbell. It was so good. He is such a wonderful man, very sincere and encouraging. I enjoyed his encouraging words and council. We drove up to Red Deer for interviews and before went to lunch with the Red Deer YSA Sisters at "It's all Greek to me." It was pretty good. :)

Dinner Wednesday night was at a member's house, they have an igloo. That's right, a legit igloo in their yard. So of course we had to take pictures and crawl inside. Sadly, also that day Sister White lost her camera. We have no idea where it is and the last place we saw it was when we took a picture in Olds. Lost with it is all her pictures from her mission (7months worth). It is SO sad! I could not imagine.

Friday we noticed a new family move in right next door to us. We decided to make them dinner and welcome them into the neighborhood. We decided this would be an awesome finding technique; welcome them to the neighborhood, teach them the gospel, baptize them 3 weeks later. It was going to be a flawless plan. So, we made them dinner and walked next door. I rang the doorbell, the moment of truth. A man in his early 30's opened the door. "Hi Sisters! Come on in!" Turns out our flawless plan had one big flaw. They are members!!! Ha ha They are from Lethbridge and he just bought a dental practice here. They have 2 kids and are so nice. So, instead of getting new investigators we were the first people to welcome them into the ward. It was pretty funny. :)

There is an older (91) Sister in the ward, Sister Gudim, who we visit once a week. Sister White felt impressed that we should stop by again this last week and visit with her. When we did she was so weak and tired. She said that she is ready to go home. It was such a tender moment. She held our hands and we talked and cried with her. She told us she loved us and to continue to work hard. It was so hard to see her suffer. She just wants to move on and see her Heavenly Father. Afterward, Sister White and I talked about what a blessing it is to know where we are going after this life. There is no need to fear death.

The exciting news of the week happened last night at dinner. An Eternal Investigator, Indya Herbert (12), has met with the missionaries since she was 8 to get baptized. Her dad (Not a member) didn't let her get baptized before because he felt she was too young to make that decision. Missionaries stopped teaching her because her dad said if she kept asking he would just make her wait longer. It's been a year or so since she last asked and she has been the most active non-member I've ever met. Well, as a companionship we had set a goal to have someone get baptized on February 25th. We didn't know who, but we knew someone was going to. As we prayed and planned we felt impressed to invite Indya to get baptized then. So, we planned a lesson about the Holy Ghost and put our faith in the Lord that she would accept. She did! She was so excited and said she would ask her dad this week. We are praying that his heart will be softened and that she will be able to get baptized on that date. Please pray that he will say yes.

"If we got to pick our trials they probably wouldn't be trials."

-Sister Leanna Thompson

I love you all! Good luck with the upcoming week. I look forward to your updates on life in the States every week. Continue to be an example and share the gospel with everyone you meet!

Love,
Sister Leanna Thompson