What e're thou art, act well thy part

HEYYYOOO FAMILY!!!

So I'm apologizing now for the quality of this letter, we're heading to Banff in a little bit so I only have just a little bit of time to tell you what I've done this past week.

The Drabbles gave me a shirt for Canada day :)

Zeyuuuuu

Zeyu again

Ma girl Sister Dewsnup

This is Hamish-- he brought us Saskatoon berries.

17 monthssssss!!!! (this is Elder Johnson-- sat by him on the plane ride here)

Ha so we did service for this lady that has like a bunch of super cool things, super expensive!! And she said that we could take anything.... what did we choose? Matching Nevica jackets.

 Amy and Daniel are the greatest. Got me shoes for my "going away gift" :)

First off, so we found out that Zeyu doesn't live in our area... bummer. So we did a pass off lesson with him this week, you could tell that he was super apprehensive about it but took it like a champ. Sad that we won't get to teach him any more cause he's awesome, but we did have an amazing lesson so that was good :)

Our week was super busy, but I loved it. We had zone conference on Thursday which was amazing, as they always are. The theme of it was a quote from David O. Mckay-- "What e're thou art, act well thy part."  It was a super awesome meeting. President and Sister Miles are just the greatest human beings ever. However we just got tiwi put into our cars... so that's been interesting. Ha but we're handling it. Did I tell you that I get to drive this transfer? Normally you don't drive your last transfer but Sister Romo got into a car accident down in Brooks, so that makes me the driver. But anyway, so at your last zone conference they have you bear your testimony. And it's like what in the world do you say?!? I've been studying, learning and growing for the past however many months and they expect me to be able to sum it up... oh well we did it. 

Tuan is doing amazing!!!! HE is seriously so awesome. We had a great lesson with him this week-- we've been teaching him at the Stake President's house and that's been great. President Craig is like one of the most knowledgeable people ever, so we just had a discussion about the temple and ordinances and stuff. Spirit was super strong, and Tuan still just goes to the temple like at least twice every week.

Sabrina-- She's still doing great. She comes with us to lessons-- we're actually teaching one of her friends, which is amazing. And get this, she wants to serve a mission!!! How amazing is that?!? So we're just pumped about that, it's a long way from now but we're still excited. Also, she is leaving for a month to go to Australia this week.... so saying bye to her is going to be the worst thing ever.

The rest of our people are doing pretty great. Nothing else really to report. We're just going out and trying to find some more people right now, which is like my favorite thing in the entire world. So we're just still working.

Sorry that's like the worst email of my entire life, but we're getting ready to go :) I'll be sure to send a bunch of pictures next week.

Anywayyyyy, love you all and hope you have a great week.

Scripture of the week: Alma 7:15-- Yea, I say unto you come and fear not, and lay aside every sin, which easily doth beset you, which doth bind you down to destruction, yea, come and go forth, and show unto your God that ye are willing to repent of your sins and enter into a covenant with him to keep his commandments, and witness it unto him this day by going into the waters of baptism.

Quote of the week: "Don't take counsel from your fears." --Bishop Surdu (at a YSA fireside)

another one cause why not? -- "Through our faith in His atoning sacrifice, the Savior cleanses us, heals us, and enables us to know Him by helping us become like Him." --Elder Grow

Love you guys :)

Sister King

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)

Canned-ada

HELLLOOOO FAMILYYY!!!

To say this week was good would be an understatement, things are starting to happen here!

Okay so this week we were heavily involved with the Calgary Canned Food Drive (hence the subject line). Lets just say that was so much fun. My arms and legs are so sore from moving all the food-- which is good cause that means that there was a lot. 450,000 lbs to be exact. All of us missionaries here in Calgary got to help out with it, and the Mayor of Calgary actually came to the station that we were at so we had the opportunity to meet him... ha or he had the opportunity to meet us. I've heard it both ways :) Anyway, he's like this super cool guy who is voted like best mayor in the world or something like that, and I've heard that he is one of the only Muslim mayors in the world. How neat is that?

The food drive-- the mayor is the one in the middle. 

So ya this week continued to be great, we had zone conference on Wednesday. That was SUPER good!! President and Sister Miles are seriously the best! It was one of the best meetings I have ever been to. We discussed the talk "None Were With Him", by Elder Holland, and just had this super awesome discussion on the Atonement. It just made me that much more grateful for my Savior and for everything that He has done for me and my family. Seriously we are so blessed. Left that meeting just feeling like I could do anything! 

Zone conference :) Our zone is bombbbb

Ha on a completely different note, I've seen a LOT more this week than I wanted to. Ha we went to dinner with this cute old couple in our ward and the guy was having trouble getting into the car so I went and helped him and his pants fell completely down.... ha so that was super weird. And also, we went tracting this week and tracted into this naked gay guy.... ha also pretty weird. But hey it's stories like that, that make the mish right?

 

Okay so there was also some super awesome teaching going on this week. First cool story was when we went and taught our investigator Linda. She's the one that is special needs and doesn't need to be baptized but she wants to so badly. Anyway, we were there teaching and her guardian apparently was having a super hard day, and I felt like I should share one of my favorite scriptures with her: Isaiah 41:10 and 13. So, I shared that with her and as soon as I started reading she just starts crying. That apparently was the scripture that the missionaries shared with her when she was choosing if she wanted to be baptized or not. Holy smokes, the spirit was so dang strong, it was one of the coolest experiences of my entire life. What are the odds that is the scripture that comes to my head?? Seriously the spirit is just the coolest.

Second cool story from the week; yesterday we met with this guy named Tony. He's a less active member in our ward. He got baptized when he was 16 but then didn't really stay. He's now like 30-something and is wanted to realign his life again. So we met with him and had a super awesome discussion with him. Halfway into our lesson he just kinda breaks down and said that he didn't plan on telling us but he completely opened up and told us what he is dealing with right now. He's going through so much and it was cool to see that he really trusted us. He said that he didn't plan on telling us that but that he felt like we could really help him, so that was awesome!

This week we also were able to go on exchanges. So our STL's are actually the Spanish sisters. Ha so I got to go and teach some Spanish families. Ha man I should have taken Senor Bingham more seriously.... no but that was actually way fun and I enjoyed it a lot!

When you see a pink couch on the side of the road, you have to sit in it.

We got a car!!! Also, found this creepy santa and had to take it :)

So pretty much this week was just packed with awesomeness. It really was such a great week. Oh and fun fact: We get to share a car with the Elders! We switch every other week. Ha so that is pretty exciting as well!! 

Anyway, just love you lots! Miracles are happening here in the Calgary 5th Ward!!

​EXCHANGES!!!

                 ESL with Hermana Ratliff!! Fun fact: I worked at BYU with her little Sister, Nicole. 

                                   The city is BEAUTIFUL!! All the leaves are starting to change.

Quote of the week: "No matter how often or how far we fall, the Light of Christ ever burns brightly. And even in the deepest night, if we but step toward Him, His light will consume the shadows and reignite our souls." -President Uchtdorf

Scripture of the week: Omni 1:26-- And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved. 

Love ya and hope that you all have a fantastic week. I pray for you guys every day! :)

Sister King

This is the Myer family. They always give us the "evil eye" So we had an evil eye competition. I won.

A new elder in my zone was in Haylee Harrison's district in the MTC!

Sealed it with a kiss

HELLLOOOOO FAMILY!!!

How are all of you?! This past week flew by!! 

First things first, Linda is now an official member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. How neat is that?! Any who, her baptism was seriously fantastic. The spirit was so so strong!! I've got to say that the actual baptism part was super interesting. Ken was able to baptize his wife... his best friend, Brother Lander was helping him and then we had Brother James in the font as well to make sure that everything ran smoothly. It was quite a full font-- but still everything went well and Ken and Linda were so excited. Her confirmation yesterday was awesome as well. We looked over and Ken was bawling the entire time. So cute! We also met with them yesterday and I wish that you could all see the difference in them. 

One of the first things that we teach people is that the gospel blesses families-- and I've seen first hand how them embracing the gospel has affected their relationship. They've been growing closer to their Savior and in turn grew closer to each other. Ha they told as ahead of time but they decided that they wanted to seal the baptism and the confirmation with a kiss... ha it was adorable. So ya, the baptism was wonderful and they are doing fantastic!!

We had a zone conference this week-- so we got to see a bunch of missionaries and President and Sister Miles, that's always fun. Ha so before we went Sister Burnside was a little nervous because they had told us to practice some role plays (which we did) but she was afraid that we would have to get up in front of all the missionaries and do it. Ha I assured her that I had never seen that before and that it wouldn't happen. But let me tell ya, the Lord has a very good sense of humor and me and Sister Burnside were picked to do a role play in front of everyone... don't worry it went well and we survived. But standing in front of 80+ missionaries teaching the Restoration to Sister Miles (pretending to be and investigator) is actually pretty dang scary.

Fun thing this week. Our stake did a softball tournament. Each ward had a team. And you had to have 4 girls on the field at all times-- our ward didn't have that many so they recruited us sisters to come and play with them. WE crushed it. Our ward ended up winning the entire thing! Dad you would have been proud! Plus we had some nonmembers come to play as well-- so it ended up being a pretty good finding activity. 

Fun story of the week. We were talking with one of our less actives in our family ward and she randomly said that she wanted to share a story with us-- she didn't know why. She told us about how she was down in Utah and she didn't have any money and was homeless and this super nice family took her in and she lived with them for 2 months then they paid for her to get back here to Canada. She talked about how this family had completely changed her life and how she wanted to be able to thank them someday and that she wants to find out how to contact them. I asked her what their names were and she said their last name was Pentz. Well, we have an Elder Pentz in our zone-- so we gave him a call and this family happens to be his cousins. So he got their contact info and she's going to be able to contact them. Ha what are the odds right?!?

This week really was just so great! This might sounds cheesy but I am just so happy and I love being a missionary. When you see someone embrace the gospel and see an evident change in them, it really makes you feel like you're doing something good. I'm just so happy! I know I was sent here to Lethbridge for Ken and Linda. Love them to death! Being a missionary is the best thing in the entire world!!!!

When we came home our landlords had cut this whole in our wall to fix the AC.

Yay for olympics!!!

This is Jackson.

Just a little pre-baptism selfie :)

Quote of the week: "The Atonement's reach is individual and infinite."

Scripture of the week: Alma 26:12 Yea , I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever. 

Love you all! Have a wonderful week!!!

Sister Ashley King