Mum, PahPea, Family and Friends!
Why hello sunshines!! I hope you are all doing well, for here in Mississauga, Ontario, things are going SO well! It may be cold, but we've mastered layering and looking like Eskimos! We are finding more and more people to teach which is VERY exciting! We had a cool experience yesterday of service. We went to drop by a family who have 2 girls who have not yet been baptized and wanted to share a message with them. But when we got there, their parents weren't there so because we couldn't go inside, we shared a message of service and pounded the ice off their driveway with shovels. We were only able to get it off down to the sidewalk because then the ice was completely solid and about 1.5 inches thick. I was determined to break it off, but realized we probably didn't want to break their shovel in an attempt to serve them. We thought it'd be a bit counteractive....:) We both just felt so good though as we left, and the girls came out with water bottles for us and reassured that we didn't need to do it, but lit up to see how much ice was gone. How sweet they are, and how wonderful service is!!:)
I don't think I have any shoutouts this week so let's jump into QUESTION TIME!! :)
1. Are you still meeting with Shelda?
We are later this week hopefully. She's been super busy tending to her grandkids but we saw her this week and she wants to continue reading the Book of Mormon so she can find out for herself. Good thing, because God's really the only one who can tell us that it's true! The only convincer of truth is the one who knows all! :)
2. Anyone else to tell me about?
Not at the moment, we've had a lot of new investigators, but most of whom aren't able to meet for a while, so please pray that we can find those that are prepared at this time, and we'll do that same! thanks! :)
3. Pictures coming today?
yup! the apartment is still being worked on by us, but I have a couple to send...
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| our new district before Elder Engen went off to his mission in Spain because his visa has come |
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| Sister Edwards and I bundling up to face the cold |
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| sister rees |
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| Sister Caldwell |
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| our curtain rod/broken hanger apparatus (to fish out the keys on Christmas day) :) |
4. How was Sister Edwards birthday?
"AWESOME!" she says. :) We made bacon and pancakes, I burnt the first couple pieces first...and we sang happy birthday to her at our zone training! She's just so great. and 20!! wow. weird....:)
5. Did your New Year's package arrive yet???
it sure did!!! thank you SOOO much, I LOVE the calendar! I can't believe those pictures were a year ago! crazy!! and the short bread nuggets?? oh my. I love you so much, thanks a billion! S Edwards said she'd appreciate the recipe. just sayin. :)
6. Have you received any other mail at your new place?
Not yet! :)
7. Any message for the Caldwell's? (who dad and I LOVED meeting, btw!!!) :0)
"you know...we think you're both pretty great." :) We love you Caldwells!!! and pray for you often, hope everything is going well and that you're feeling lots better! You're in our prayers always!
8. Did you find a hat or hats? (are your earmuffs too weird to wear?)
haha I did find 2 hats for very cheap which was great! ha no, the earmuffs are great and very warm!! but I think my head is too big because they hurt if I wear them for more than an hour. I have worn them multiple times, but the hats are a bit lighter on the head, I'll be honest. I still wear them over the hat though if it gets too too cold. :)
9. How did your exchanges go with Sister Stoddard and Hermana Sandall?
SOOO good!! I love them so much. ah. so much!! :)
FINISH MY SENTENCE...
10. My FAVORITE part of the week was...
Zone training when we role played the role of the Holy Ghost in conversion. The Spirit truly is the teacher, not us, and how grateful I am for that!! :)
11. More than anything, I wish...
I could overcome my weaknesses to be a perfect missionary for the Lord. But then again, my weaknesses are made strengths through the Lord while at the same time, I grow. so I guess it's a temporary wish, then realizing that everything I go through is a blessing in one way or another. or both! :)
12. I helped Sister Edwards celebrate her birthday by...
singing to her! and talking about it all day. I was tempted to ask a guy on the street to sing with me happy birthday to her. but I don't think she would have liked that. so I didn't. :)
13. I've really been excited to tell you about....
The fact that Brother Madsen in our old ward in Alpine showed up at church yesterday in our ward!! he's here on business and had no idea that I was here! He actually didn't notice me at first, but once I showed him the name tag, his face totally changed! haha A little piece of home on the mission, how precious. :)
14. I felt the Spirit so strong as.....
We bore testimony to a man who let us in while knocking on doors last night. His name is Thomas and we testified to him of the Plan of Salvation and how his family can be together for eternity. He loved the idea and said he would look into it, but doesn't want us to teach him at this time. It's alright, though. God works little by little sometimes, and I have gained a great testimony about that in the past couple weeks. I know that families can be together forever through our Father in Heavens restored power, called priesthood, again upon the Earth today restored through His prophet, Joseph Smith! Eternal families are sealed in the Temple, the house of God, and how i LOVE the knowledge of my family being eternal and being able to share it with Thomas and with others every day!
15. My favorite part of the teaching process is....
bearing testimony and then inviting to repent. Every commitment these individuals make to read scripture every day, the Book of Mormon and the Bible, and to pray and come to church and to live commandments, every one of these actions is repentance, is changing our will to God's! How wonderful the purification process is!
16. I laughed really hard when....
I was on exchange with Sister Stoddard and we went to their correlation meeting with their ward (I basically knew all the missionaries from previous assignments serving around them; s zerkle, s taylor, e gibb, & e palmer). anyway, so the ward mission leader told a story of one of his companions when he was on his mission who would, whenever he wanted someone to do something, would raise his hands and in an ooper high pitched silly voice would say "just do it!" haha ah yikes, it was hilarious. but now that i'm reliving this, I'm realizing it's probably not that funny to do. so to make it funny, try to reenact what you understand I'm describing and do it to someone else. then I dare you not to laugh. ready go. :)
17. My most embarrassing moment was when....
a guy on the subway squeezed my shoulder to say bye to me and I flinched like I I just saw a zombie. ah man...the mission is making me so insanely awkward, I love it...:)
18. After we finish emailing, we plan to....
get some food, go birthday shopping for sister edwards, write letters, clean the car, clean the apartment, and personalize our apartment. :)
19. "Finding" in this area is most successful when....
working with Part Member families and former investigators. and of course, talking with everyone! :)
20. This week, I am most grateful for.....
exact obedience
exchanges on buses
sister stoddard letting me use her boots because I have holes in mine...:) (don't worry she has multiple pairs. I'm just borrowing them for the winter)
repentance
Baptism (so excited for you, B!!)
the Gift of the Holy Ghost
Well, I need to head out! I hope you all have a wonderful week! Remember that if you're struggling or needing answers to questions, pray and study like everything depends on God, and then work as if everything depends on you! "some blessings come early. Some come late. and some don't come until heaven. But for those who embrace the Gospel of Jesus Christ, they come." -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. This Gospel is true! Christ lives! and NOTHING else matters! -Sister Amber De Groot HOW GREAT IS OUR CALLING!!!
Love for now and for ever,
Sister De Groot :)
Missionary Invitation: Study the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ from Preach My Gospel manual, Chapter 3, lesson 1. Strengthen your testimony of the Savior, Jesus Christ and of the Book of Mormon being the word of God. The only way is through study, pondering, and praying to ask specifically if it's true. God will let you know through the power of the Holy Ghost, I testify to you! :)
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