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! :)