WELCOME TO FAM, KAI MAESER!!!!:)

Mum, Pahpea, family and friends!!!

Why hello, again! Another week gone by??? my goodness...I'm starting to think this whole time thing is rigged and going by way too fast. so first and foremost, I need to welcome little Kai Maeser to the greatest family in the whole wide world!!! Welcome, baby, shnookie!! Know that your Aunt JayBay loves you so so much and wants you to know you have the most incredible parents! They are pretty great. I made sure your daddy treated your mommy well before I allowed them to get married because your mommy is one special woman! What else are sisters/roommates for, right?;) Know that I love you lots and lots and sent you a big hug in the mail!:) Welcome, baby Goob!:)

ANOTHER shoutout to my beloved brudda, Mikey-buddy! happy birthday!!!! and happy graduation, what?!? I hope you have a fantastic day and know that I love you oh, so much!:) HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!!!

OOH! and one more: so yesterday in the mail, I got a certain wedding announcement for Ms. Megan Rowley and Devon!!! CONGRATULATIONS!!!! I am so excited for you two! Love you both and you're just the cutest ever. :)

I have lots to share today, so let's just jump right into question time, eh? ready go. (!)

1.  Did you receive a package about 1 1/2 weeks ago? ( should have had a bag of popcorn in it!)

hmmm....no. maybe it got stuck? :) I did get my birthday package though....I made S. Zerkle hide it from me so I don't open it on accident...;)
2.  Investigator updates...Alli/Jaime?

they're doing really well!!! Their sweet daughter, Abby (9), sat in on our lesson about the Plan of Salvation this past week and she absolutely LOVED it! As we talked about The Book of Mormon, she said, "excuse me, um...in school I am reading really well and can read chapter books like that..." *wink wink!:) We could tell exactly what she was hinting towards, and we couldn't have been more thrilled and humbled by her sweet spirit and desire to read more of God's word! so...we gave her her very own copy!:) We are meeting with them again tonight and plan to do an awesome object lesson that we think will definitely get Abby excited to be baptized! Ah, I just love little kids so much! No wonder God commands us to be them!!!
3.  Samantha...?

Please continue to keep her in your prayers. She is still going through her tremendous sized trials right now and we know that God is really the only one who can help her lift it off of her shoulders, so please keep her on your mind and in your prayers. I know it will help her more than any of us will understand. Thanks so much!:)
4.  Kim...?

she had a very busy week with school so we weren't able to meet with her, and is facing a lot with her parents divorce, so again, please keep her in your prayers, as well. Love you!
5.  Allie/Alex...?

They are doing so well! They are the cutest people ever! They had finals this past week so we couldn't meet with them, but when we talked with her on the phone she said "you would be surprised how often you two and the Church come into our conversations. I may be a nice person, but I am very judgemental. and since meeting with you girls, I've found that you're not judgemental people. at all! and there really aren't that many differences from our church, but the differences there are, they're big, but so much better." why yes, allie, they are!:) They both took work off this coming sunday to come to church and continue learning more. They are the sweetest couple in the world, and so genuine! 
6.  Johanna/Phil...?

golden. so so golden. :) We're just waiting for her to get her birth certificate from Alberta so we can get them married then baptized!:) We're actually going to have a FHE with them and yes, mom, I will share with them the FHE song. We're positive they love us, or else I wouldn't share that song...;)

7.  Any more from Eloid...?

negative. I'll update you when we get a hold of him, though, for sure!
8.  Anyone else you've met?

DON! ah don. So he's a sweet older man we tracted into a few weeks ago and were finally to meet up with him this past week. He LOVES God and Jesus Christ SOOO much and is reading the Book of Mormon daily! We're helping him prepare for a baptismal date on May 19th, he said he was going to pray about it before he accepted it, which we want nothing less!:) He's also going to come to church this sunday and is excited to attend church services again, since it's been a while since he's been. He served in the army many years ago and has the hardest time letting us go after our visits, he's such a sweet man!!!:) His wife is very shy and isn't ready to meet with us, so we're hoping she'll want to come with Don to church on sunday so we can make baby steps into teaching her and help her feel comfortable. oh, and he's sung for Queen Elizabeth. yeah, his voice is BEAUTIFUL!!!! and he loves MOTAB, too. mmmhmmm. he's awesome. (!) :) We also began teaching a former investigator named Norma Gene. She's such a sweet elderly lady, who had her copy of The Book of Mormon sitting right next to her TV from 8 months ago and is willing to read and find out for herself if it is, indeed, another testament of Jesus Christ. She's pretty great, as well!:)
9.  What is your favorite method of contacting new investigators?

member referrals, for sure! we haven't received a ton that way, but that's where we've observed are the most prepared people to receive the gospel. but for us personally, hmm...BUS!!! ah. I love bus contacting so much. S Zerkle and I have come to terms with the fact that we thrive in awkward situations, and buses, oh man...SOOOOOO awkward! so why not thrive, eh?:) I mean, I walk onto a city bus in London, Ontario in a skirt to my knees and modest shirts, could I stand out more? NOPE! haha I have to admit, I love contacting someone and seeing in the corner of my eye that someone else keeps looking at me and listening to what I'm saying, so I'll talk to them next. I'm working on the tactics of bus contacting, that's for sure!:)
10. FAVORITE moment of the week

Investigator wise, I'd say Abby when she hinted to us that she would like a copy of The Book of Mormon for herself. Sooo sweet!:) For me, definitely Zone Conference yesterday. Elder Paul V. Johnson of the 70 and his wife were there and there were so many spiritual gems in their talks and discussions. a few....

a. there is a reason we are picked up and dropped in a troubling place or trial, stipped of all things comfortable; and it is to send us to our knees.

b. We all have limited energy every day, so decide now not to waste that precious energy with negative thoughts. healing begins with casting out negative thoughts.

c. do your best and then trust the infinte power of the Atonement.

11. FUNNIEST moment of the week

haha that moment s. Zerkle was teaching Norma Gene and she stops her mid sentence and says "could you talk in a higher tone please? I can't hear you." not, could you talk louder, but could you talk in a higher tone. apparently s. zerkle has a lower voice than norma gene could hear. it was rather funny. especially when s. zerkle tried to talk in a higher tone. oh my dear companion. I just love her so much. (!):) 
12, BEST COMPANION MOMENT of the week

We devoted a whole day to a certain investigator who needed our help, had exact obedience for her, prayed for her constantly and just had them on our minds the whole day. by the end of the day, we knew exactly what we needed to share with that particular investigator and what they needed to progress. When we taught that lesson to them, the Spirit was definitely there and helped us be calm as we taught truth to this investigator. Sorry to be vague, but just know that I know whole-heartedly that the Spirit will manifest to you what you need to help yourself or someone else if you show God that you are willing to obey the commandments He has already given you.

well, loves, I need to be off. I love you all so much and want you to remember that I KNOW this Gospel is true, and it changes your life if YOU let it. In order to be touched by something spiritually, you have to be willing to try it out for yourself. No one can simply teach you to have a testimony unless you do it yourself. God loves you, and gave you this life as a blessing, but remember, you're the one who accepted the Gift in the pre-existence! We are never forced, we ALWAYS have our agency. always. Love you all, God lives, The Bible is true, The Book of Mormon is true, and we have this knowledge and blessing, so share it with someone who doesn't have it, because we all NEED it! How GREAT is our calling!!!

Love for now and forever!

Sister De Groot:)

Missionary Invitation: I'm going to refer back to the invitation I made a while back: make/update your mormon.org profile. You have no idea how many people look at this incredible site and how many people we talk to that said they've looked on the site and read some profiles from members and how it changed their lives. So you should go make or update one so you can help bring someone else into His true Church! They, and you, will be blessed more than you could ever know! :)

you know you're a missionary when....:)

Mum, PahPea, family, and friends!

HELLO!!! so I am sure you are just DYING to know what I meant by todays subject line. If not, well...this is slightly anti-climatic. :) so.....you know you're a missionary when... you watch the Joseph Smith: Prophet of The Restoration movie, and you and all the other missionaries in the room feel ooper awkward when Joseph Smith and Emma kiss. eyup. I am officially ridiculous. :) 

I have lots to say, so let's jump in to...QUESTION TIME!!!!

1.  Tell me more about Alli and her family... :0)

ah, they are the sweetest family!! They keep telling us how much they talk about us and how excited they are to come to church. They were so excited to come yesterday but unfortunately, Jaime got VERY sick and they needed to stay home. Her voice was SOO sad when she called us yesterday morning to tell us they couldn't make it but they want us to come over very soon and teach them more! haha how sweet are they??:) The Lord has definitely prepared this sweet family! We have planned to invite them to be baptized in our next visit and ask Jaime if he wants to baptize his sweet wife and daughter. :) We're excited to see their faces, that's for sure!:)

2.  Conference talk of the week...

Fan The Flame of Your Faith! whatever came to mind to increase your Faith, then do it. that's between you and the Lord. :)

3.  Is Samantha still progressing toward a baptismal date of May 26th?

Please keep Samantha in your prayers, for sure. She's trying to overcome a huge hurdle right now, so at this point, I'll say yes but slowly. But please please just keep her in your prayers. Samantha definitely needs to feel loved by the Lord and her fellow siblings (you!) :) thank you!!!

4.  How are things going for Kim?

Poor girl is so prepared that Satan is attacking her like none other. But she's staying true to the things she knows she needs to do! She's an absolutely INCREDIBLE 14 year old!!! She's teaching me so much about being steadfast and showing your love for the Lord, not just saying it. She's definitely one of a kind!:)

5.  Anyone else in your teaching pool?

Allie and Alex are new investigators! They are a cute couple that we met while going to teach Johanna and Phil. Her name is actually Alex as well but she says people call her Allie. But for the sake of getting investigators in emails mixed up, I'll refer to them as Alex*2 :) They are both very open to reading the Book of Mormon, he's anglican and she's catholic, but she told us "I'm actually afraid of it being true, because that'd mean that I'd have to change religions". We testified to her that she has nothing to lose, but SOO much to gain, and if this Church is indeed true, she will be so much happier than she is now! She's willing to read so I'll keep you updated!:)

6.  FAVORITE moment of the week...

I wish I could adequately describe my favorite moments of the week, but I've surrendered to the fact that it's impossible to get my point across the way I feel it in my heart. This past week in district meeting, we talked about obtaining referrals from members and helping them feel comfortable inviting their friends to dinners with the missionaries or to meet with them or to share a gospel doctrine with them. As with all of our meetings, we always do a role play at the end, where we take turns teaching each other to feel more comfortable teaching a doctrine or inviting them to do something. This past week, however, was different. Instead of role play, we did a real play where we taught each other as ourselves, as Sister De Groot, Sister Zerkle, etc. S Zerkle and I, E Francom and E Yu taught each other about the Atonement and what it means to us, and the Spirit flooded every single one of us! We all had someone come into minds as we asked each other who we knew could benefit from having the Atonement in their lives, to help them feel that they, personally, are a child of God, who knows them so deeply and can comfort WHATEVER they are going through. So I want this to be the missionary invitation of the week, allow the Atonement of Jesus Christ to work within you, and once you feel it for yourself, you WILL have a desire to share it with someone. Pray to know who you know that can benefit from having the Atonement touch their hearts, and then have the courage and the faith to share it with them. We have this truth in our lives, and if it's touched your heart, how can you keep silent about it? I am not pointing fingers, I never shared it until I came out here, and I wish I had noticed earlier how quiet I was about it, because now, I really don't want to ever cease spreading His Gospel, for His Gospel, His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, IS His Kingdom again on the Earth, the very Kingdom Christ established when He was on the Earth Himself. If you lack the knowledge or the faith of His restored Gospel on the Earth today, please seek the Truth, for I can promise you, as a simple servant of our Heavenly Father, that once you have received the enlightenment of the Holy Ghost, you will be happier than you ever thought could be possible. Continue to Fan the Flame of your Faith, and I promise you, you WILL overcome the obstacles that you are now facing and will face in the future. Adam fell that men might be, and men are, that they might have joy. So why not spread the joy? Allow others the opportunity of feeling the incredible love that comes with accepting the Atonement in their lives, and share it with everyone! If one person has come to your mind while reading this, please remember that no spiritual prompting is an accident and share the Gospel with that person. I can promise you, God needs you to open your mouth. For He's already blessed you, so open your mouth so He can bless another one of His children. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son!

7.  FUNNIEST moment of the week...

so we talk to the bus drivers. all of the times. and we absolutely love it when they recognize us and enjoy talking with us. We talked to one specific driver this past week whose name was - and no, I'm not joking - Hickey. Poor guy...anyways, so he proceeded to tell us the true meaning behind the word, which means spot or blemish. we proceeded to talk about how incredible the Lord is, when he says "But sisters, I know for a fact that I won't be going to Heaven." a little taken back, sister Zerkle and I stood there a little confused, until he adds, "cause you know, God says no unclean thing, no spot or blemish can enter into His Kingdom!" hahaha! oh goodness, sister Zerkle and I BURST out laughing!!! he's probably our favorite bus driver as of yet!:)

8.  BEST COMPANION moment of the week...

companionship bonding over a container of tajun. OK, I don't know if you've ever tasted tajun, but it's like heaven in spice form. To get the full effect, you take half the bottle and empty it on ALL of the things! Especially popcorn...oh my goodness gracious. I can't believe I've lived almost 21 years without tasting it. Thanks to S Zerkle's mom, I got to discover it and it is DELICIOUS!!!! that and takis. uh. so good. (!) :)

9.  Will you ever get a chance to attend the temple in Toronto?

Maybe in the future! The only way we can go is if we're within an hour drive of the temple and it only happens every 6 months. The closest one is just around Mother's Day, so we won't be able to go, but maybe in the future, eh?:)

10.  Any message for Amber prior to her delivery?

Hey GooberNick: I love you kind of a lot! I hope and pray your delivery of the little one goes well! Give the little guy a kiss for me and a HUGE hug from Aunt J Bean!:) I love you so much, Goob! You're in my prayers, every day!:)

Well, my lovelies, I must be off, but please know that I KNOW this Gospel is True! I have experienced the Atonement for myself, which is why I am here, spreading it with all who come into our path! How great it is to know that He lives and guides us today! God is in control, you're simply an instrument, so please have faith in Him! How GREAT is our calling!:)

Love for now and for ever,

Sister De Groot :)

Missionary Invitation: see question #6 :)

Pinch me, I'm a missionary. Actually...please don't. Ever. :)

Mum, PahPea, family and friends!!!

That one time when EVERY day I love being a missionary!!!! mmhmm. eyup. it's awesome. :) It was such an incredible week, serving the Lord here in London!:) I'll just jump in with the week by saying that we began teaching a beautiful family of 4!!! The father of the family was actually baptized when he was 14 in Mexico City but because of an accident, he lost most of his memory and lives away from his family so he lost all contact with the Church. After we taught them, he said he could remember the feelings he had before and something about wanting to go on a mission and go to the temple! It was so inspiring to see the Holy Ghost work in him as we sat with him!! His wife, Alli, is SUCH a sweetheart! She's incredibly interested in the Church and LOVES that we are inviting her to find out for herself. She's a latter-day Joseph Smith, wanting to find the truth by visiting hundreds of churches, but hasn't felt like she's found it quite yet. When we taught them this past week, we just watched as the Spirit spoke to Alli and her husband Jaime, telling them that this is the path they need to take. Thank Heavens for the Spirit, for if it was me teaching alone, I would have no success whatsoever! They also have a sweet 5 year old boy Anthony who told us he wants to serve a mission like us one day!!! :) Oh sweet, eh? oh and they have a 9 year old Abby who was at her grandparents this weekend but she prays everyday and loves the Bible, so we're going to teach her as well!!!:) Seeing how excited their family got, to hear about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, made me SO incredibly grateful for the family and friends I have that support me every day while I am here in Canada. To all of YOU!  Thank you so much for being so incredible!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SOO MUCH!!!!!:)

Feel loved? Good! now let's jump into QUESTION TIME!!!:)

1.  Have you seen (or talked with) Elder Harrs yet?

I have actually! He was at our stake conference this past Sunday and he gave me a message from Mum that said "I love you to the moon and something....plus more...or something....I don't remember, sorry." :) LOVE YOU TOO MOM!!!:) message for his mom: he's doing just great! We'll watch over him here in London, ON! It's a great city to be born in and he'll love it! Don't worry about him, he's got incredible missionaries around him and an AWESOME companion!

2.  How excited are you about my finding your mittens?  :0)

BAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I may or may not have jumped up and down out of excitement!!!:) Thank you so so so much! they will definitely be needed next winter!:) Thanks a TON!

3.  Which Conference Talk do you want to share this week?

I'll be honest, I don't remember who said it, but someone said to make your testimony visible daily; post it on facebook, on twitter, or whatever social network you are apart of, make it known, spread the truth! I have been thinking a lot about growing up in the Church, personally, I never shared the gospel with anyone outside the church, I didn't know how, and this is one of the simplest ways it could possibly be done! I dunno how she'll feel if I call her out, but I adore her so much, I hope she'll be ok with it...Michelle Radmall! This girl is SOOOO good at sharing her testimony all the time! I remember checking facebook at night and seeing Michelle's sweet thoughts and lessons from either herself, her family, or the Prophet on her status at the end each day. Even as a member of the Church, I learned incredible lessons from her little thoughts each night that made me want to be a better person. Just imagine being a nonmember, reading something your best friend puts up about being a better person, and where you can go to get life questions answered and who you can turn to to be calmed from your worries! They have a desire to get those answers, but they don't know where to turn. Help guide them, it's a simple, nonthreatening way to share the Gospel, and the apostles have invited us to use it to share it constantly. So, don't be shy!:)

4.  Glad to read that you were able to talk with Eloid.  Is he STILL in Toronto?

yes. we have been reassured from calling that he is reading The Book of Mormon, but boy Toronto won't let him go! soon. hopefully very soon!:)

5.  How is Samantha feeling?

Better, we gave her a goal to work towards the 26th of May for baptism, and she accepted. She knows she'll have to work very hard in order to be prepared for that day, but she knows she has to be the one to put in the effort, so she's going to try. She's going through a lot right now, but we know with the Lord by her side, she will succeed! Thank Heavens for His strength that He never withholds if we but ask for help. Why do it alone, when you have an all powerful Father who is ready to help, simply waiting for you to ask?

6.  What about Kim?  (she sounds like a sweetheart!!)

she definitely is! Kim is being attacked, just like we suspected because she already knows it's true. her parents are going through a divorce and fighting constantly, even at the time we were going to teach her, and she was incredibly embarassed and didn't feel like meeting at that time, poor girl. Please keep her sweet spirit in your prayers, please, she will definitely feel of them, we know she will! Thank you so much.

7.  FAVORITE moment of the week...

that one time, on the bus, when I started telling someone about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon, and she kept looking at this guy who was listening at the front of the bus who was also looking at a lady in the back of the bus who was listening. So yeah, I taught 3 people at the same time throughout the WHOLE bus! haha it was a really quiet bus and you know how I talk loud, right? well s zerkle said she just stopped trying to contact people while I was talking because everyone was looking at me, so she listened as well because she was also in the back of the bus. haha SO asides from that, our lesson with the family of 4, the Myers family, that was definitely the favorite!:)

8.  FUNNIEST moment of the week...

you know how I thought I wouldn't be awkward if someone hugged me or something? yeah, no. I'm totally awkward, because that happened this week! so...We went to a funeral for a sister of a member in the ward who had a son. Afterwards, he thanked us for coming and helping with the music, and wished us a good day by giving us a hand shake. But then he says "ah, forget handshakes, I'm a hugger!" and gives me this HUGE hug! I mean, I understand his mom passed away, but apparently my eyes went HUGE!!! I didn't know what to do!!! S. Zerkle said that my eyes went as big as scratch off of ice age's eyes. so just in case you're wondering, your daughter is SOOO awkward as a missionary. eyup. well...I'm sure you already called it....but here's proof. hope you enjoyed imagining it! ;)

9.  BEST COMPANION moment of the week...  (laughed out loud about the boots!!!)

haha ah man...so that one time when s Zerkle and I were walking on the street in the sunshine and as happy as can be! When out of nowhere, S Zerkle body slams into me and says "FLASH MOB!" stops and says "wait no. BODY SLAM!!!" haha man. reitereating that wasn't really that funny. but I thought it was funny. :)

well, my loves, it is time for me to depart. Please don't ever forget that of which you know to be true! In the Book of Mormon, how many times did the Nephites fall into sin because they got too comfortable and thought they were "safe" so they ceased reading and learning from the written word? Please don't ever suppose that you are "safe", for Satan is real and knows you. Continue to do the things that will bring you closer to our Father in Heaven, for not until we are in His presence again are we truly safe! Satan will attempt to distract you, but be comforted in the Lord's promise that as you serve Him, he will have NO power over you! I know this Gospel is true, and that Joseph Smith was, indeed, a true prophet! In Stake Conference yesterday, Elder Nolan G. Archibald came and spoke on many aspects of the Gospel, and focused on the Truth of Joseph Smith saying this; "Joseph Smith was either one of 3 things.

1. He was a deceiver.

2. He deceived himself. or

3. He told the Truth.

Number 1 is ridiculous, for he was persecuted from age 14-32 until he was murdered.

Number 2 would only make sense if those who read the Book of Mormon did not feel a thing, and if the Book didn't inspire men to be better than they are. but alas, it does!

That only leads one more option…

Number 3 HE TOLD THE TRUTH!" 

Ending with what Elder Holland said in General Conference a year ago "No wicked man could write such a book as this, and no man would write it, unless it were true, and he were commanded of God to do so."

I love this Gospel so much and thank all of you for inspiring me to strengthen my testimony each and every day! I love you all!!!!

Love for now and forever,

Sister De Groot:)

MIssionary Invitation: See the answer to question #3, above  :)

P.S. to Karl -

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!  AH! I'm so sorry Karl, I really do love you!!!! so... happy belated birthday!!!!!!:) I love you lots and lots and hope you had an AWESOME day!!!! Love ya, goober! ;)

GENERAL CONFERENCE WEEKEND WAS INCREDIBLE!!!!!! :)

Mum, Pah-Pea, Family, and Friends!!!

So here's the thing; I love you all SOOO much!:) and General Conference was so great, I could die! not literally, but...you know what I mean...;) It's so good to hear that all is going well over there in <warm> Utah! :) Bernick is due in 2 weeks, eh??? Oh my goodness that is so exciting!!!!! When the little guy comes please give him a HUGE hug for me and of course, send me tons of pictures! Make sure he knows his Aunt JayBay loves him so much and welcomes him to Earth!:) Another shoutout to Ms. Peyton Hooley!!! Happy Birthday, sweetheart! I hope you have the best birthday tomorrow and eat lots of cake!:) Love you dearest!!!

Let's jump right into......question time, eh?!
1.  How did Conference weekend go for you?  Were you able to meet with investigators and less-actives as you planned in between sessions? 
oh my goodness gracious, conference was INCREDIBLE!!!!! We did meet with 2 new investigators, Kim and Peter. Kim is 14 and has accepted a baptismal date for may 12th!!!:) let me tell you about the day we met her. ahem. once upon a time 2 weeks ago, sister zerkle and I were tracting/contacting on the streets in a sweet little neighborhood. Not many people were home at the time we were out, which was interesting, but we saw a lady on the street about to pass us, so we went and talked to her. As we began talking and testifying of the Restoration of the Gospel, she began to challenge us. After a couple of minutes of this and some things were said that really hurt mine and s. zerkle's hearts, we wished her a good day and began walking back the way we came. With Satan trying to drag us down with the words she spoke to us, we said a prayer, praying for comfort and strength and a blessing on that lady who not yet knew of the truth. We prayed to find someone who was willing to hear the gospel and for courage to continue talking to everyone in our paths. We closed and began walking again. No more than a minute later, we met Kim, a 14 year old, bright red haired girl with the sweetest smile. We told her about the Book of Mormon and said she'd love to have us over. This past Saturday, we taught her the Restoration, committed her to be baptized on May 12th and yesterday she came to both sessions and we even taught her about the Plan of salvation in between sessions! 6 hours of sitting down and taking in the gospel, this 14 year old pressed on! I testify that God knows what we need to get through this life, and to reiterate Elder Holland, "don't hyperventilate if you experience a little trial." because I know that after the trial of our faith, blessings will come!!:)

2.  Knowing that you enjoyed all of the talks, which one stood out as particularly meaningful for you?
oh my goodness, there is no way I can narrow it down! So I decided this morning I'm going to share one snippet from one talk each week so you can get lots of my insights, eh?:) I LOVED Elder Nelson's talk about missionary work (of course...:)) and I especially loved when he said "I cannot speak of the Restoration in tempered tones. It is simply STUNNING!" AND IT IS!!! ah. I love that I get to share it every day, dozens of times each day! I LOVE THIS GOSPEL SOOOO MUCH!:)

3.  How many people came to watch Conference at the church?
Not many. We had 2 investigators and of the other 5 sets of missionaries there, there was only 3 investigators. All the members were at home except for a select few who fed us. :)

4.  What was on the menu for Conference Weekend?
OMELETS!!!! On Saturday, though. Sunday we had cereal. I was too excited for omelets, I couldn't wait another day. Literally. :)

Omelets are a staple at the De Groot home on General Conference Sunday.
Sister De Groot was THRILLED to enjoy one on Conference Weekend in Canada!!  :0)

5.  Any more news on Johanna and Phil?
Not since last week. We taught them about Conference and they were planning on coming but got stuck somewhere in northern London for baby reasons. 

6.  Maria?  (tell her THANK YOU for keeping you on the straight and narrow!  haha)
oh goodness..hahah she's doing great! Happy as ever to be a member!:)

7.  Shawn?
I actually haven't seen him since last week seeing as he's in the other sister’s area, but yesterday he was sick so he couldn't make it to conference. :( 

8.  Eloid?
I'll give you one guess. eyup. Toronto....! It's alright though, we got a hold of him and he got a hold of a Book of Mormon so he's reading it. When we called him he asked "how's my cry cry friend?" eyup. he loves us both. ;)

9.  Has Valerie received an answer regarding April 28th?
Not yet. She also went on a retreat this past weekend so couldn't hear Conference but we'll see her this week

10. Brian?
Dropped off the face of the Earth and we haven't found where that is located quite yet....

11. Samantha?
Doing well! She's been sick this past week as well as her two kids so we weren't able to meet with her but she's been reading and her countenance is definitely growing!:) Do I love the Spirit, or what?:)

12. FAVORITE moment of the week...
All things General Conference! I seriously cannot adequately describe how strong the Spirit was as I listened and watched the prophet and apostles of the Lord declare His word! There is no feeling quite like the Spirit working within you, that's for sure!

13. FUNNIEST moment of the week...
When I was in the middle of singing a springtime hymn and I didn't see the speed bump in the road. yeah. that hurt...:)

14. BEST companion-bonding moment of the week...
SPIRITUAL-Have I ever told you that Sister Zerkle has a spirit face? Whenever she teaches someone on the bus or street or hears someone talk about the gospel and just feels the spirit, she gets this adorable look on her face and you can tell that she knows without a DOUBT that this gospel is true! She emanates with the Spirit as she teaches and watching her do so, makes me want to be a better missionary, companion, person, and child of God! I love her so much and her desire to serve the Lord!
FUNNY-Sister Zerkle got a package with of a pair of rain boots so we decided it'd be cool if we both tried one on, since we're the same size. Welp...5 minutes later, we were still trying to help each other get the shoes off. They suction-cupped onto our feet and it was SO hard to get them off!:)

15. TRANSFERS....what is happening with them?
oh, ya know, just staying in good 'ol London 2nd East!:) S Zerkle is staying with me and we're going to make this the best transfer EVER! :) so continue to send letters onto the 45 pond mills address! if you don't have it, contact mi madre, because I don't have it memorized....;)

Sister Janelle De Groot

45 Pond Mills Road #207

London, ON

N5Z 4W5

CANADA

Sister Zerkle and Sister De Groot - so happy together!!!  :0)

Well, I must head out now but please know that I KNOW this gospel is true! God lives today and loves us! and because He does, He has allowed us the blessing of having a prophet on the Earth today, even President Thomas S. Monson! The words spoken this weekend were not simply wise words to be contemplated, but direct revelation from God spoken by His chosen mouthpieces! What they spoke were commandments from God on how we should live our lives here on Earth in preparation to living with Him someday! We are all on this Earth together, striving for the same thing, so step out of your bubble and help your brother out! Every member a missionary, everybody a missionary! HOW GREAT IS OUR CALLING!!!!!:)

Love for now and forever, 
Sister De Groot:)

Missionary Invitation: make a goal to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover with a question in mind. Make a date to finish it, and then set out the plan to achieve it and that question WILL be answered! Set goals, then make plans! :)

HAPPY EASTER!!! :)

Mum, Pops, Family, and Friends!

Hello beautiful people!!! oh my goodness, what an AWESOME week!!! Last week in President Scott's weekly email, he invited us rather than LET the week happen, to MAKE the week happen. So that's what we've been working on, is MAKING the week an incredible one and we've seen quite the difference already, but this upcoming week, ah man. it's going to be AWESOME!!!! :) 

Easter Sunday was absolutely incredible! We tried to change our approach of contacting on Sunday and asking people what Easter Sunday meant to them and then testifying of what Jesus Christ did for us and how they can know for themselves and have a further witness through the Book of Mormon. It was an incredible experience for both Sister Zerkle and I as we bore testimony from our heart of what we know to be true, and that's why I love missionary work! For Jesus Christ truly did suffer for us, each of us, personally. I want to testify that I KNOW that He suffered for me, for everything I've been through; for the sorrow I feel when I make a mistake, for the heartache I felt when Alexis and Amanda passed away, for the longing I feel when someone doesn't accept the gospel, He has felt it all so that He can help me feel clean, comforted, and renewed. Christ not only died for me, but He rose for me as well, as He did for you! How wonderful this knowledge is and how comforted I feel that He loves me enough to die for me! This morning in personal study, I was reading in Moroni 10:8-18 about Spiritual gifts and how earlier in my life, I wished I had all of them so that I could contribute fully. But that's not how it works. God has given us specific gifts, personal gifts, to help us grow and to bless the lives of others. one quote I put on my planner for this past transfer was this: 
"I dream of being a Moses, an Esther, a Nephi - and despair that I don't have that Greatness in me. But then I remember - God doesn't require Greatness, He requires faith, and some of us must have the faith to follow."

How I love that! I am who I am because God needs me that way. Of course I need to improve, I'm sure I'll never be who I want to be, but that's why He put us here. If there was no need for progression, we wouldn't be here. This life is meant for something, to prepare us to meet Him again, and so with every trial that comes my way, instead of thinking "why me?", I am going to think "why not?". I love this Gospel with all of my heart and LOVE the chance I have to share it with the people of Canada!:)

Speaking of People of Canada...let's talk about them in QUESTION TIME!!!

1.  What did you do for Easter?
Went to church where we had a BEAUTIFUL musical sacrament meeting, attended Megan Zhang's baptism into the ward (taught by the Chinese elders), and then had Easter dinner with Johanna and Phil. How sweet is that??? We had not been invited anywhere for dinner so Saturday night we had planned a delicious meal of Mr. Noodles (comparable to top ramen in the states) and to make it all pretty for Easter. But that night as we were planning, Johanna and Phil invited us over (they had no idea of our Mr. Noodles dinner plans) and we taught her as well! She's doing so well! We're not quite sure when we can get them baptized though, because they have to get married first and Johanna's wallet got stolen so she has no identification, whatsoever. But we're trying to get that all settled so she doesn't have to wait too long!:) 

2.  How are Maria and Shawn doing, as the newest members of your ward?
oh my goodness, they are doing SOO well! They both received the Gift of the Holy Ghost on Sunday and they were both beaming!! Maria hates attention, though, so she kept giving me glances to save her from going up to the front, silly girl. :) She gave me a hug at Megan's baptism and said she loved me but that I had to stay out of trouble because my mom isn't here to tell me what to do. :) haha so don't worry, mom, I'm being watched over!:) ah, she's so great, it kills me!:)

3.  Eloid?
nope. still in Toronto....

4.  Any more news on Johanna and Phil?
Just that she's progressing splendidly!! She came to church on Sunday and LOVED it! She doesn't know all that much about Jesus Christ's life but knows that He is the Son of God and that He died for her, personally! She's such a sweetheart and is eager to continue preparing for her baptism, that's for sure!:)

5.  Valerie update
I love this woman so much!!!! we taught her about the Plan of Salvation this past week and the only thing she was iffy about was that we are not born in sin because of Adam and Eve eating the fruit. We invited her to look over 2 Nephi 2 and pray and she was more than willing to do so. We also invited her to be baptized on April 28th and she went "WHAT?!?! that's too soon. I dunno about that..." we reassured her that we had prayed to God with this date in mind and that with our help and His, she can be ready. We invited her to pray as well and said no at first, then once s Zerkle wanted to explain to her why, she just started praying the most sincere prayer in the middle of the explanation and asked if she could be ready by April 28th. I love Jamaicans so much!:) The sweetest, most hesitant and sincere people in the world!!!:) This work is so great, eh??:)

6.  Brian?
couldn't meet with him this week because he worked a ton. more update next week, for sure!

7.  Samantha?
She's doing well. We showed her the video "Finding Faith in Christ" and taught her about Jesus Christ's Earthly Ministry. She is beginning to really feel the love of God for her as she prays and reads every day. We dropped by yesterday and read with her Alma 32 before going to our dinner appointment and already she seems SOOO much happier than when we first met her. She says she loves when we come over and teach her but that she has a really hard time with faith, so we're just going to take things very slowly with her so she can truly feel how important she is to Him. :)

8.  What are your plans for Conference Weekend?
IAMSOEXCITEDFORCONFERENCEWEEKENDICOULDCRY!!!!!!!!!!! sorry. but seriously. I am SOOOOOO excited!!! We have oodles of investigators and less actives coming this weekend that I KNOW they will be touched by if they open their hearts!:) We are going to the church to watch with them and have lessons with our investigators in between sessions as well as members feeding us food, so that's always nice, eh?:) ah. I am SOO excited!!! Make an extra omelet for me, k? Two eggs, with everything, please!;) oh. and 3 cinnamon rolls....:)

9.  MOST EMBARRASSING  (or funniest) moment of the week...
oh dear....that moment when we're teaching a new investigator named Erin, and telling her about the Book of Mormon when her son who was running all over the place hit me in the head with a very thick beer box. Sister Zerkle had to try so hard not to burst out laughing! Needless to say, we had to say little prayers to get the Spirit back into the room! :)

10. With your b'day coming up next month, is there anything special you'd like?
I'm going to be 21?????? weird.........don't go all out, you already sent me my birthday present, remember?;) how bout a bag of butter popcorn?? mmhmm. I'd/we'd love that!:)

So, I didn't ask him and I hope it's ok with him, but my stud of a father said this in his email to me this week and I absolutely LOVED it so I thought I'd share it with you...:)
"Remember, 'you are a spiritual being having a mortal experience and not a mortal being trying to have spiritual experiences' (paraphrased from a quote by Pierre Teilhard de Chardin).  We are first and foremost spirit sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father who wants the best for us.  What most people don't understand is that the trials and challenges we have on earth are part of the refining fire that helps us become more like Him." 
Isn't he just awesome???:)

Well, my friends, I need to head out, but I wanted to leave with my testimony that I KNOW this gospel is TRUE! The Book of Mormon is TRUE! and God LIVES! and how beautiful this knowledge is! So go share it with someone!:)

Love for now and forever!!
Sister De Groot:)

Missionary Invitation: first of all, read Moroni 10. And once you notice that you do indeed know this is true, then (AGAIN) invite someone to attend/watch/eat something during while watching General Conference! It can never be said too much, eh?:) LOVE YOU!!!

Waiting at the bus-stop by our apartment

SPRING is COMING.....

OH, YES...YES IT IS!!!!!  :0)