What a Week !

WHAT A WEEK! :) Which I guess is a good thing to be saying considering it was my second to last week of full time missionary service. :(   A lot happened this week so I will just take it day by day so I don't forget anything. :)

We finally went and played tennis! 

TUESDAY: CANADA DAY

I hope all you Americans had a wonderful Canada Day! ;)  We sure had fun here! The ward had a BBQ at the Chapel and it was SO much fun. Tons of people came and we had food and played soccer and sang Oh Canada. I love everyone being together at ward activities. I am really going to miss this ward, so it was good timing that we were all able to get together.

Me almost getting my face taken off while I pretended to play soccer. haha 

Brother Marjanovich, and President Taylor and us. 

Us with Minh

Karly Parker and I! She is such a nice girl and they have a great family. And it seems like Karly and I have a lot in common.. more than just our name. haha

Oh Canada !

Me, Brother and Sister Arce, Brother and Sister Marjanovich and Sister Mendenhall

A picture of the whole group at the church on Canada Day! This reminds me of a "Where's Waldo" picture. haha Can you spot me??

Sister Clifton,  Sister Mendenhall, Sister Herfort, and Sam Healey and I helping out in the Kitchen at the Ward Canada Day BBQ

With Brother Arce

Later that day we went down by the Lakeshore near where we live to check out all of the festivities there. 

There were A TON of people and we were able to talk with a few people, and then later that night Sister Healey came down with her kids and we got Gelato. We also were able to watch the fireworks show from our balcony. It was a really fun day!

WEDNESDAY: BED BUG DAY

K really... the bed bug thing is not a joke. haha I probably shouldn't be writing for the world to see that we found a bed bug in our apartment, but honestly it is too funny to not talk about it. It is ironic in so many ways that we found a bed bug the 2nd to last week of our missions.  

I guess Heavenly Father was just testing our patience.. once again.. I think that the whole Test of Patience is a never ending thing in this life. :) Luckily I think there was only one bug and we cleaned it all up and vacuumed everything and put some powder under our beds to keep bugs away so I think we are good!

We haven't had any bites soooo... I think we are good. 

I guess I will be leaving my suitcases outside when I get home! 

So Wednesday wasn't all about bed bugs, thank goodness! We went to a dinner appointment that night and ended up getting a new investigator. The member has a friend living with her who we are now teaching! We have taught her a few times now since Wednesday and she is great!

THURSDAY: MEET THE PRESIDENT MIRACLE

Thursday we went to Hamilton and were able to meet President and Sister Clayton... They. are. WONDERFUL! It is amazing how with about 300 missionaries and them only being here a week they were able to have so much love for us and I really felt that as an individual. Meeting them made me even more sad to be going home. I wish that I could be here and serve with them! But.. all good things must come to an end. This mission is in really good hands, though. The Clayton's are amazing people. 

During our interviews we were having an instruction and we were setting goals for how many baptisms we would like to see in our Zone in the month of July. With only two weeks left, and with Minh wanting to get baptized but facing some opposition from his mom, I didn't think we would see a baptism in our area at least while I was still here. But then as I was sitting there I got the impression that we should say that our area is going to have a baptism in July and that Minh was going to get baptized before we left. So I looked at Sister Mendenhall told her that we were going to baptize Minh in the next two weeks and then raised my hand and said that our area would have a baptism. I wasn't sure how we were going to do it, but I felt like it was going to happen. We just so happened to have an appointment with Minh that afternoon and I felt like we should text a particular member, Sister Taylor, and have her come with us. 

We went to teach Minh and things were going good as usual.. we had told Sister Taylor that we wanted to set him with a new baptismal date and so in the middle of the lesson Sister Taylor says, "So Minh.. are you going to get baptized before these two Sisters leave??" To which Minh said, "I would like to." So we told Minh that he is 100% ready to be baptized and that he could be baptized Sunday if he would like to. He said that he wanted to, and even though is mom isn't totally agreeing with his decision, her heart has softened in the last few weeks and she will support him.

And just like that we were planning a baptism! :) I could not have been more thrilled! It really felt like all our hard work was paying off. Two Sundays left in my missionary service and one Sunday we would have a baptism and the next a Confirmation. I could not think of a more perfect way to end my mission. :)

FRIDAY: BEAUTIFUL DAY

We had a lesson with Minh at the church and then he had his Baptismal interview! And then we went to our coordination meeting and had a small 4th of July Celebration! 

This was on Friday and it was the most perfect day. We taught Minh outside the Chapel with Brother Marjanovich and it was such a great lesson. I am really, REALLY going to miss teaching people as a full time missionary.

The Canadian in me celebrated on the 1st and then the American in me celebrated on the 4th! Sister Mendenhall made this cute flag for me and then when we went to our coordination meeting at the Lowachee's on Friday they signed the back of it and we all stood and sang the Star Spangled Banner and then we ate watermelon to celebrate!

SUNDAY: MINH'S BAPTISM
It was a perfect day for a baptism! ..and for a final fast and testimony meeting. The Bishop invited us to share our testimonies, and it was a bitter sweet thing knowing that that is the last time I will share my testimony in a sacrament meeting as a full time missionary. I'm thankful for the testimony that I have, and it has really strengthened as I have served!

Minh's Baptism

After Church was the Baptism! President and Sister Clayton came which was a pleasant surprise! It was really great to have them there. The baptism couldn't have been more perfect. All of the talks were wonderful and at the end Minh bore the most powerful testimony. I am SO thankful for being able to be there for that. It was such a great day and I am really happy for Minh.

So.... this week was really great. SO much happened and it was a lot of fun... it also went by super fast! 

And now... I will be starting my last week! I can't actually believe it! I am grateful for all of the experiences that I have had here and am looking forward to making this coming week another good week. 

I will try and email next week for a bit and then it will only be a few more days and I will be home! I am really sad to think about leaving Canada and all of the wonderful people that I have met here but... all good things must come to an end! I am excited to come home and see my family and to move on to life's next adventures!

Thank you all for all of your love and support as I have been here serving! 

Another Great Week

Greetings from Canada! Did everyone hear that both the women's and men's Canadian Hockey teams won gold? Everyone around here was pretty stoked about it. The stereotype really is correct.. Canadians LOVE their hockey. We obviously didn't see any of the hockey games, but we heard all about it. So I feel some pride in the fact that Canada won! 

Haircut time

Another good week! Janet and Norm were confirmed yesterday, which was exciting. They were very touched by the whole experience and I think they are excited to be able to move forward in the church. Sacrament meeting was really good yesterday. One of the members just got back from his mission this past week (he was serving in the same place as Grant Clunas and knew who Grant was) He gave his homecoming talk and it was very powerful. He talked about the Light of Christ and also experiencing a change of heart. He shared different experiences of how people he taught on his mission experienced a change of heart, and then he talked about the most important change,  the change that he saw in himself. He had a very sincere and powerful testimony. I am sure everyone in that room felt that Spirit. Max, who was recently baptized, came up to me after and told me that he thought it was very powerful and there were multiple people in tears. It was cool. Church is always just the thing I need to keep me going for another week.

The Meyer Family - members in our ward

Last night we had a cool experience. Some of Brother Mitchell's coworkers have had questions about the church,  so he invited them to meet with us. We had dinner and then were able to talk with them after. All 3 of them are from Mennonite backgrounds and one of them could, "thump a pastor in a Bible Bash" as Brother Mitchell would say. haha  Anyway.. we visited with them and were able to teach them the Restoration and a bit more about our beliefs. If a year ago someone would have told me that I would be able to sit down and hold my own in a conversation with people who know the Bible like the back of their hand,  I would have told them they were crazy. But... here I am.. able to do that. It is pretty cool.. Amazing what some study and the Spirit can do for you.

That is just more proof of how much I have grown and changed in a year! It is pretty cool what can happen when we apply ourselves and take the time to let God shape us into the people that he needs us to be. 

We will be having another baptism this weekend, his name is Ethan. We really have been so blessed lately with success in our work. I will talk more about Ethan next week.

I just sure wish the weather would start to warm up around here. We have had a few days where it has felt like it might warm up, but it is always short lived. I am beginning to think all of this snow will never, ever melt. It does feel like Spring is coming.. the days are getting longer and that makes this Sister Happy!

I hope that everyone has a great week!

General Conference - All good !

Elder Healey, Elder Ikeda, Hermana Sandall, Hermana Reid, Me and Sister Colvin
Meeting to watch General Conference

Well another week has come to pass here in the Canada, Toronto Mission! I hope everyone watched conference! And well if you didn't... thank goodness for repentance and the internet ;)  A few of my favorites that I would suggest watching. Edward Dube's talk from the Saturday morning session. Elder Holland's from the Saturday afternoon session and President Eyring threw down in the Sunday Morning Session. All good, but those were some of my favorites. I wish I had my notes so I could share with all of you some insights but... oh well. I am just thankful that we have a Prophet of God on the earth today as well as his Apostles and other great leaders in the church who are so inspired and speak to us about the things that we need to hear. The Spirit was continually testifying to me throughout the whole conference that this is all SO true. We are lead by a Prophet of God and this is Christ's Restored Church... it's pretty incredible, eh? We better tell everyone. ;) 

Elder Ikeda and Elder Healey

Saturday morning the Norells, from my last area, came and took Sister Colvin and I out to brunch and then watched the Saturday morning session with us. I just love them! Brother Norell had to be in Kitchener that morning anyway, so it worked out perfectly. Barb brought me veggie straws from Costco, and it was just so good to see them. Made my day! :) It is crazy how you can meet people and then 4 months later they feel like family. I can't imagine having never met some of the people that I have met so far on my mission.

Sunglasses that Sister Norell gave me
I LOVE THEM !

So.... other than conference, nothing too exciting happened. The leaves are starting to change so you better believe that we are always on the hunt for leaves that we can press. They have become my favorite book marks and little treasures to send to people.

I went on an exchange this week with a Sister that is from Idaho but went to Utah State as well. Turns out she lived in the apartment building next to me and she knows people that I met my freshman year. The world is seriously so small... especially in mission life. It seems like I am always running into people who know people I know.

Well I think that is about it for this week. At the bottom of the post are some random pictures of my apartment.  I will have to be better about taking pictures this week. We are going to be on the finding grind this week. A lot of our investigators, we have had to drop, so looking forward to getting creative with that.

Also... let's talk about how P-day isn't until Wednesday next week.... talk about forever. Thanks for nothing Canadian Thanksgiving.... just kidding. :) My full intentions are to celebrate two Thanksgivings this year.... and then every year for the rest of my life... ;) Now if only we could find someone to feed us.. haha

Have a great week and a half, and have a happy Canadian Thanksgiving all you Canadians out there! Heck... if you are American you might as well celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving Monday on my behalf! :)

p.s. Sunday is my 8th month mark!

Bottom bunk  #wazzup

My desk

The living room we never go into
(above and below)

Our kitchen

Good News !!

Well hello family and friends! Looks like we all made it through another week! :) I have some good news! The mission policy for emails has changed... we can now email friends! #raisedaroof So..... go crazy, kids and send me some emails! karly.prescott@myldsmail.net :) I want to hear about what's going on! The only bad thing with this being I will probably never have time to reply especially in this area. The mission president does give us permission to spend more time on the computers but the libraries here only allow you to have an hour a day so..... just send some emails and I will respond if I can or write letters back. I finally got some letters this week! They were written and sent around the same time I left the MTC, though, so it really does take about a month to get mail here. I also sent some letters home so it will be interesting to see how long that takes.

 This week was better than last week, I hope that pattern continues. Everything gets a little bit easier as I get more and more experience with it.The only thing that is not getting easier is dealing with this weather. I freeze ALL. THE. TIME. I can bundle up and and wear a million layers and this cold still finds a way to cut through and leave me miserable. (OK maybe that is a little dramatic, but it is cold) Last night we walked about 2 miles in the cold until we were able to find a bus. Bus systems are different at night so we though we were going to have to walk the whole way. I guess it could have been worse, but it still was pretty bad.

 This week I did my first exchange with the other set of sisters in this area. It was fun to see how another missionary works and the different things they do in their teaching and finding. More and more I am being able to pull ideas of the kind of missionary I want to be and the way that I want to teach and do things.

 At District Meeting this week President Scott came. It was a little intimidating because I had to give a thought and then role play with him, but it was good. He is such a great guy and I am so grateful to have him as my mission President. He really is so loving and cares about us individually and that really is good to know. Talking with him makes me feel like a million bucks. He really needs to come around more often. haha

We did a ton of finding this week and still didn't have much success. We need to find people before we can teach people and the finding part is proving to be hard. Some people will want to listen but a lot of people open their doors, say something that is usually not very nice :), and then quickly close the door. Oh well, we'll just keep going and eventually we'll find those people who are really prepared. I promise cool and great things happen during the week but I just cannot seem to remember them right now...... I guess this email will be short then. :) But here are a few random things!

 1. St. Patrick's Day was like a serious thing here.... I am fairly confident that the college students (did I mention Guelph is a serious college town?) were all drinking from Saturday night all through Sunday. Which meant we got to see a lot of people make complete fools of themselves all day long. Also they don't just use the holiday as an excuse to drink, they also went crazy with the wearing of green. And not just a green shirt here or there, they were wearing green mini skirts and huge bows and wigs and it really was out of control. I have never seen anything like that.

2. So my District leader, Elder Dewey, is the son of a famous artist.. Simon Dewey? I didn't know who he was, but I guess his dad does a lot of the famous LDS paintings. I am sure a lot of you will know who he is.

 Sorry that was so short.... I will try and do better next week. :) Missionary work really is amazing. Everyday I learn so much and my testimony is strengthened. This week I really have seen the importance of a testimony. People will argue doctrine or not want to talk with you but a testimony is something short and simple yet so powerful that you can leave it with everyone. It is hard for people to dispute something you KNOW to be true. There is no arguing with that. :) So I challenge all of you to constantly strengthen your testimonies, in whatever it may be, because that is the most powerful thing we have when it comes to sharing the Gospel with others. Have a great week!