Alma 49:29-- and thus ended the nineteenth year

Howdy there familia!!

Okay honestly this week has been one of my favorite weeks of being a missionary so far... no joke it was the best!!

To start out the week we got to do exchanges in Lethbridge! I got to see all of my people, it was awesome! We went and saw Ken and Linda (of course Ken wanted to talk all about Trump) but that meeting was the best! Linda told us all about her experience doing baptisms for the dead. She took some family names and she told us how she could feel that they were there. They are doing so well and it makes me so happy! They said that they are getting sealed in August and that I am invited!! Can't wait for that day! We also got to see some other people that I was working with when I left the area, it was just my favorite thing! Including Mom Francis... our dinner ended up canceling on us so she willingly let us come over for dinner. I love that lady!! 

The rest of the week was just as good! We went and helped our investigator. It was warm enough weather that she could bring the goats outside, so we went and watched them for a bit. We also had a really good lesson with this less active guy that just moved into our ward. He has struggled his whole life with drugs, alcohol, and pretty much anything else that's bad for you. But he's really wanting to change, so we met with him twice this week and he left on Saturday to go to a rehab clinic for a month. Hoping that everything will go well there!

Ken and Linda :)

Friday was just the best day ever! (Golden B-day) We had zone conference here in Taber-- so our zone and the Medicine Hat zone all came. It was probably one of the best meetings that I've been to. We watched and talked about Elder Oaks' talk about member missionary work-- that's a killer talk. We had a really good discussion on repentance. We literally talked just about repentance for about an hour. Made me realize just how important it is, repentance literally is the plan of salvation! 

We also had a REALLY good discussion on the Atonement then had a testimony meeting. I decided that missionary testimony meetings are amazing. The spirit is so strong and everybody just loves everybody and it's awesome. Ha during lunch Sister Miles had me get up in front of everybody and they sang me Happy Birthday. That was sweet. And the day continued to get better cause we had dinner with the Zuidhofs... somehow they knew that Cafe Rio is my favorite (thanks Mom) so that's what we had for dinner. 

After that we headed back out to Lethbridge because there was this concert that Wayne Burton put on. We invited all our less actives, investigators and potentials. It ended up being a really good meeting. At the end there was a missionary choir and President Miles got to get up and talk to everybody. The church was PACKED so it was a super successful night!

Celebrating 11 months with Sister Messick

Birthday party at the little house

​That awkward moment when you think that you're stepping on ice but it's actually a giant puddle
that sucks your foot in and gets all up in you boot... literally overflowed my boot.

Exchanges with Sisters Messick and Jakobi

Taber is known for the sugar beet factory... so this is a sugar beet.

At the Anderson's house they have a knife throwing wall... I did this.

Watching the Restoration video

Horse and Buggy

Ellie :)

Happy Birthday to me.. ps thanks to Mama Francis for the cute scarf :)

Mama Francis :)

Knife throwing wall

Missionary choir

Saturday was great as well. We prepared our talks cause we were speaking in Vauxhall, then we headed out to the Anderson's "little house on the prairie"-- they thought it would be a good idea to throw me a birthday party. Bless their hearts. So I said that we could but that we should invite some investigators and see if they would come. They did! So that was amazing! We had lunch and had fun then we watched the Restoration with them. All of the kids were quiet and listened, and even the dad was paying attention. After the video all the kids and the dad went out to play, so we got to talk with the mom a bit. She said that while she was watching the movie she felt something that she had never felt before. She said that there was a warm, tingling feeling in her heart... We told her that was the Holy Ghost letting her know that it was true. And then she asked us what she had to do to be able to go to the temple. We got to talk about baptism with her and she said that she is so close, and that she was going to talk to her husband about everything. So that was a MAJOR miracle!! That whole family really is the greatest and I know that if they don't get baptized while I am here, they will get baptized eventually.  So that was just so sweet of the Anderson's to let us go out there. It ended up being a really good experience for everyone.

Yesterday we spoke in church! And that went well! They didn't give us topics so we decided to go with what we know. Sister Sims talked about the Restoration and Book of Mormon, and I talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It was actually pretty good considering that we had like 0 time to prepare. But it's over and done with, so that's good.

This week really has been so good! The members are just my favorite people in the world, and I am spoiled... very spoiled out here. Everybody here just loves us so much and sometimes I can't handle how much love they throw at us... wish you could see the amount of food we have from members right now, it's a little ridiculous.

But ya, life is really good. I love it here in Taber Town, and it was indeed a very Happy Birthday.

Also, feeling kind of old. But it's all good. Can't believe that I have almost been a missionary for an entire year. This past year has been the best year of my entire life. I love being a missionary and trying my hardest to become who Heavenly Father wants me to be. Life is good.

Love you all!

Quote of the week: "Heavenly Father did not put us on earth to fail, but to succeed gloriously." -Elder Scott

Scripture of the week (in case you didn't read the subject line): Alma 49:29 and thus ended the nineteenth year (and I'm going to add that it was a good one)