Morgan Freeman!

Last week was nice and warm, and I was able to wear flats all week! It was great!

Anyhow, this week is going to be freezing cold again. Today is -40 and I was stupid enough to scrape the ice off of the windshield without gloves and using the metal ice scraper thingy. My hand hurt quite a bit after that...I seriously need to be more careful or I really will get frost bite!

This past week it snowed A LOT and we decided to get up early one morning and go shovel snow for a few people. Shoveling snow is honestly the best work-out ever! I was fine for the first two hours and then I got a Hexenchuss. Not many people can say that they got a Hexenchuss from shoveling snow, right? Anyways, I persevered for another hour and the Sister Day started to feel sick as well, so we went back home. Three hours was just waaaay too much. 

Sister Day had a stomach bug or something, because she spent quite a bit of time vomiting. I felt so sorry for her, but luckily it only lasted for about two days. On the second day we went to a member's home for dinner and had moose meat. It was really delicious! I was a tad bit skeptical, but I'm glad that I tried it. Afterwards she gave us ice-cream, and Sister Day managed to eat half of hers and then her stomach started to hurt again. By now we have perfected the plate-swap, so we quickly swapped bowls and I ate the rest of her ice-cream. I didn't get sick though, so all is well. That's what companions are for, right?

This week our Ward Mission Leader's wife made us Cafe Rio Salads. I didn't know what that was, but Sister Day was soooooo excited. It was the best meal I have had on my entire mission. I loved it. So if Solingen ever gets sister missionaries, look up a good recipe for Cafe Rio Salads on Pinterest and make it for them. Please. They will be eternally grateful.

We taught the blind pastor again and it was great! We also got to meet his fiance, who is in a wheelchair. Those two are incredible, and their relationship is so inspiring! I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with them, and they even baked shortbread cookies for us! They were delicious..

We showed the "What Matters Most" Mormon Message to a family and afterwards we asked the son if he knew who it was. He goes "Morgan Freeman!" I almost died laughing, it was so cute! When we explained that it was the prophet he just burst out laughing himself. So funny!

This week also seemed to be the week that everybody decided to feed us muffins and cupcakes. I may or may not have eaten my body weight in muffins and cupcakes. Not complaining though, not one bit!

On Sunday A gave her first talk and we helped her write it. A tells me every week that she is praying for me to stay in Brandon. Anyhow, while we were helping her write it she leaned over to me and said "You have really pretty eyeballs". I guess the light really must have made them glisten and glow. I have never gotten that compliment before, so I'll take it! She was so nervous on Sunday, but she did a great job and I was very proud of her.

Yesterday we stopped by at a member family's home to see how they were doing. They have a parrot, and when I went up to say hello to it, it whistled at me. So funny! That parrot is hilarious. 

This week I have really been trying to focus on listening to everyone and having faith that the spirit will help me know what to say and when to say it, instead of always planning everything. It worked! I really enjoyed teaching and meeting new people this week. And it was much easier for me to bond with them, because I actually listened.

This week was really good, and I really enjoyed. I am so grateful for the time I have had here in Brandon and I can honestly say that the Canada Winnipeg Mission is the best in the world. At least for me it is

Sister Day got a tad bit sick, so I cut this out of a cookie box and taped it to the toilet. I am glad that she thought it was funny.

Curling

B-Town!

This week was really great, even though it started off with Sister McPhee and I still being sick. Anyhow, we dropped her off at a member's home and Sister Day and I went out to teach a lesson and we asked the entire family to pray about being baptised, and they said yes! It was such a great experience. I love that family! The Lord truly does prepare people for us...we just need to find them!

We received a referral to contact a man named Reverend G. He is a blind pastor and he is seriously the most uplifting and incredible man I have ever met. We talked to him for over two hours and it was great! We asked him if he had heard about the Book of Mormon and he goes "Oh yes, I have read it! I particularly like the book of Alma and the book of Moroni." We walked out of there feeling fantastic, and we have another appointment with him on Friday. I am so excited for that!

This week the Zone Leaders were able to make it to District Meeting again. Elder A pulled out this really old Bible and handed it to me. Then he said "I remembered that you love really old books, so when I saw this, I bought it! It's for you." He gave me the Bible! I was sooooo happy and excited about that! I seriously love my district!

We taught a lesson to a Less-Active lady who just got a husky puppy. Tony is the cutest, but he nibbled on my hand and my feet and my bag the entire time we were there. It was rather distracting. Apparently he is teething, so he just chews on everything and I guess I must have been particularly tasty.

We got up early one morning to go running and it was great! I wore those skiing leggings under my sweatpants and put on about three layers, plus my beanie with my hoodie over it and my gloves and I wasn't even cold. My eyes were watering the entire time and my tears froze! That felt rather strange, but it was worth the experience!

This week is going to be warm, today it is a toasty -10 degrees and it is glorious!

We went to the Soup Kitchen again on Friday and we got to meet new people! There was this elderly couple from England and they were just great! He was a chemistry professor and had spent quite some time living in Scotland, and she has the voice of an angel. I loved talking to them. That was also Valentine's Day, and everyone seemed to be happy! It was the best.

On Saturday we were able to drive to Souris to visit a member out there. Souris is the tiniest town I have ever seen, but I loved it! And it was great to visit with the member there.

Saturday we also went curling. It was soooo fun! I might just develop a love for Winter Sports out here! In the beginning I fell more than I curled, but as soon as I got a gripping-thingy on my foot I was fine. It was so fun! We won the first round and then tied the second. When I get home I will go ice-skating with Thor, because I fell so much that I'm not scared of the ice anymore! My knees look atrocious, but it was worth it.

This week really was one of the best out here, and I absolutely loved it! I have really been focusing on listening to our investigators, and that makes it easier for me to understand them and to figure out how best to help them. I love being a missionary and I love being in Brandon!

You're a Keeper!

Brandon Zone in Elsie Palmer's basement

 I have my own furniture store??

This week was so great, that I didn't even have much time to journal. We went to C and B's band concert and it was so cute! C was playing completely differently to everyone else, but it was adorable! I love those two and they will forever be an important part of my life.

We went on exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders and I learned so much. Sister Hull and Sister Bennett are fantastic. Sister Hull taught me so much about just loving everyone, because that's what helps them the most. People need to know that they are loved and appreciated, and she is so right! Sister Day and I spent the day teaching with her. Sister McPhee was wit Sister Bennett, who is a saint. I was able to have companionship study with her and she taught me so much about listening. Listening to my companions, to my investigators and to the Spirit. It was great. Afterwards we had a really nice talk and I gained so much appreciation for her. President Thomas really did choose great Sister Training Leaders!

Speaking of President Thomas...he came to Brandon with Sister Thomas on Thursday evening, so we got to say hello and chat with them for a bit. While Sister Day was having her interview with him, Sister McPhee and I talked with Sister Thomas. 

On Friday we had Zone Training Meeting and Specialised Training and it was brilliant! I learned so much about the importance of planning and not only planning our work, but working our plans. I really need to have more faith that Heavenly Father will help us accomplish our goals. The meeting took place in Elsie Palmer's basement, and it was so great! The setting was so unique and everybody enjoyed it.

After Training I had my interview with President and it was amazing! I seriously do have the best mission president in the entire world. He said that Sister Day, Sister McPhee and I would not be staying together for another transfer, and hinted that we would all get split up. So we'll see what happens after this transfer is over. I still have at least three more weeks in Brandon, so I am going to enjoy them and just make the most out of the time I have left here. I would love to stay in Brandon for another transfer, but I know that President might need me somewhere else. At the YSA activity on Saturday one of the members came up to me, patted my cheek and said "you're a keeper!" It was so great to hear that, because for the longest time that family didn't like the Sister Missionaries and wouldn't even have them over for dinner or anything like that. For some reason I have always had this strange love for her and her husband, an now they are involved in the YSA program again (they are the YSA parents of this ward) and had us over for dinner this week. It just goes to show how far a little bit of love can go. I asked them questions about their weeks, I sincerely cared about them, and I am glad that I was able to help build up their trust in the Sister Missionaries. I came to realise that maybe that is why I was sent to Brandon, and I definitely accomplished that! Member missionary trust is soooo important!

Other than that, all that happened was that Sister McPhee and I got sick and were out for two days. Sister Day was an absolute champ, making sure that we all drank enough and making me chicken noodle soup. Such a sweetheart. I feel much better though, and am very grateful for modern medicine!

I love being a missionary! It's the best in the whole wide world!!

I Will Give Room No More For the Enemy of My Soul

This week was rather slow, but we still managed to teach a few lessons. We went to get Sister Day a Priesthood blessing and it was incredible. She was blessed that she would be just fine and the spirit was so strong that I had a few droplets of tears in my eyes. In the evening we went to get her blood pressure checked and it had sunken drastically. So amazing! That same member of the ward then proceeded to talk to us about the second coming...kinda scary. He really wants to be here and be twinkled...anyhow, I couldn't sleep that night because my brain was going crazy and wouldn't let me calm down and I spent a large portion of the night getting frustrated and crying. Silly me. The next morning I just prayed really hard and I felt much better. Also, that night I decided to drink that sleepy-time tea and it knocked me out! Only problem was that it was hard for me to wake up the next morning!

We went to an old-age home to sing for the mother of this guy we met at the soup kitchen. It was so sad because she kept saying "I can't take it anymore". This was before we started singing to her, so I don't think she meant our singing! Anyhow, Sister Day and I both bawled when we sang 'I am a Child of God'. It was rough. Anyhow, she had that really nice picture of the Savior (the one that Thor has in his room) hanging on her wall. I could definitely feel the love that He has for her.

For the Young Women's activity this week we went to shovel snow in the neighbourhood. It was sooooooooooo cold! My poor hands are going to be so damaged when I get back home. It's worth it though! I don't need all ten fingers and ten toes!

Anyhow, the Zone Leaders managed to make it to our District Meeting this week and it was so good! We practiced talking to as many people as possible and it was really fun. I practiced with Elder Schmidt, and we laughed a bit too much. Didn't learn very much during that practise, but Elder Schmidt did manage to invite me to church, give me a Gaelic Book of Mormon and ask me if I wanted to be baptised. And all in only two minutes. It was pretty hilarious.

We went to the soup kitchen again and this guy walked passed us and said "Wow, must be the church of the Mormons!" And you know what my genius reply to that was? "Yep, we're everywhere!" So stupid. Anyhow, the soup kitchen was great. Every week I am so grateful for everything that I have.

This week I ate some chocolate and while it was still in my mouth I bent over to put my hair up so that I could study and I got chocolate in my nose. So painful. I hope that you are proud of me, har har.

I went on a split with M P and it was sooooooo fun!!!! We went to see some of the less-active YSA and I learned so much from her! She is amazing. She really helped me to focus on what is important and gave me great advice. She helped me get really excited and motivated and it was just fantastic. I am so grateful for her.

We went to the German pavilion of the Winter Festival here in Brandon and it was so great! We went to go contacting and we managed to talk to quite a few people. Whenever I told them that I was from Germany they got all excited. It was so fun. People were walking around in Lederhosen and they were selling Marzipan and German cake and all that. They projected these slideshows of pictures of different German cities on the walls and when they showed Duesseldorf Sister Day goes "HEY! That's close to where you live!" It was so nice, but I do not want to do that again because it made me a tad bit home-sick.

My motto for the upcoming week is going to be "I will give room no more for the enemy of my soul" (Elder Holland). I have noticed that I always get so worked up and then my brain just goes crazy and I never take the time to just calm down. This week I learned that Heavenly Father knows what He is doing and that I can't possibly control everything. I need to trust Him more. I know that I will be happier and more successful if I trust Him more and accept that things work out the way He has planned for them to work out. 

I am truly grateful for my experiences out here and for the many things that I have learned. I love being a missionary!

We made cupcakes for someone's birthday