Joe's Baptism

Another really good week! The big thing that happened this week is that Joe got BAPTIZED! :)

Here we are with Joe and Brother and Sister Marjanovich.  They are an awesome couple here.  He would do anything for missionaries.  He is so awesome. 

On Saturday we got together with the Marjanovich's and Joe and played a little review Jeopardy game.. It was a lot of fun! We went through all the questions and I don't think I have ever been more proud than I was sitting there hearing Joe answer all of the questions. He has learned and progressed so much in the past few weeks and it is amazing! He has really worked hard and read from the scriptures a ton so that he can learn all that he can.

Joe's Baptism

The baptism went really well.. There is nothing better than the Spirit that comes at baptismal services. Joe was really happy and you could tell that he was really feeling the Spirit and that he felt really good! So happy for him. He is a wonderful guy and he really is proof that it never is too late to change.. So many people will tell us that they are too old to change, but Joe would have to disagree! :)

We are still teaching Minh and he is SO. AWESOME. The more I get to know him the more I like him. He has a great Spirit and he is willing to do anything to be baptized. He is super sincere and LOVES the Book of Mormon. It is so great to go and talk with him and he will tell us the different stories that he has been reading. He says that it is like a movie and that he just can't put it down.

Sister Zerkle came to Oakville to do our exchanges for this transfer... it was a ton of fun!

With Sister Zerkle

Elder Gibb and I

Tomorrow is the last Zone Conference of my mission and also President and Sister Scott's last Zone Conference. They go home in a few weeks. I am really looking forward to it, but am also pretty sad that everything is coming to an end. :(

My mission has taught me SO much and I still just keep learning everyday. I am starting to get really sad that I am running out of days to teach people the Gospel. Teaching was the part of missionary work that I was most worried about coming out, but I have come to find that it is the part that I love the most and I am really going to miss it.

CN Tower in Toronto

Next week we are going to down town Toronto with our ward mission leader and his wife to see the CN Tower! I am stoked! I was honestly thinking that I would go my whole mission in the "Canada, Toronto Mission" without actually seeing "Toronto" but it looks like that is not the case! 

I probably won't have time to email next week but I will take lots of pictures so the next weeks email should be a good one! :)

Progress......Goals......the work is moving forward

Last week we met up with some other missionaries and went to some waterfalls in Hamilton! It was a ton of fun! It is so pretty and green here and so it was nice to be able to go out and enjoy it.

We had another really good week. We were able to achieve the Standards of Excellence again, that is twice now since being in this area. (I know that I have talked about that before.. so.. I won't explain it again. :) We really have been so blessed here. When we first got to the area it didn't seem like much was happening, but then slowly things have started to progress. I think it is going to be a really good last transfer!

We had Zone Training in Hamilton this week. As a mission we have a goal of having at least 60 Baptisms in this month of June so we talked a lot about that. Last year we got 78 baptisms in June so I hope that we are able to even beat that number. It really is amazing how fast the work is moving forward here in Canada! :)

So I still can't believe that it is actually June and that I come home next month. It doesn't even seem real so it has been hard to wrap my head around it. Just trying to enjoy every moment here because I know that it will soon be over. 

We have some really great people that we are working with and if all goes well we will have 2 baptisms this month! Pretty exciting stuff!

All my skills of transplanting flowers I learned from watching you, mom!

The Beginning of the End,,,,,,

Well today marks the start of my last transfer! It seems pretty crazy and mostly doesn't even feel real! 

On Da Lake

We did not get a transfer call last night so it looks like Sister Mendenhall and I will both be finishing our missions here in Oakville! 

Some things came up and so we had to move Joe's baptisms a few weeks, but he is looking forward to it and is excited. From the looks of it as of right now we should have at least 2 baptisms this transfer! :) Such a good way to finish off my mission.

This week was fun... I sent a lot of pictures so I will let them tell the story as we need to leave the library soon! We are going to Hamilton to say bye to the missionaries that go home this week. It is a sad thing that you make all of these new friends and then they just leave. :( I guess things can't last forever!

I hope everyone has a great week! :)

Sister Mendenhall and I at Niagara Falls  - last week's P-day

Tia (a member/friend) and Karly

Good Week - Good Stories

First things first! We are going to Niagra Falls today! Pretty pumped.. the weather has been PERFECT the past few days as well so it should be a really good day. :)

Living on the lake is seriously THE BEST

This week was good! And I have a few good stories!

Friday morning we were looking through some really old records of people who had investigated the church years ago. Most of them said that the people were no longer interested, but we decided to pull out a few so that we would at least have some areas to go to to talk to people. 

The first one we went to drop by was a lady named Jocilyn. We debated about going to knock on her door, but eventually decided to and I am sure glad we did! When we got to the door we knocked on it and I immediately had this impression that we shouldn't ask for Jocilyn but instead we should just "pretend" like we were tracting and that we didn't know who lived there. So we did... and this girl answered.. we told her what we do as missionaries and she let us in! We talked with her and found out that she had been praying to know what direction that she should go in as far as church goes. Her siblings have been studying with a different church and she just didn't feel right about it. So she has been reading the Bible and praying that she would be led in the right direction... and then we knocked on her door. I have always heard stories of missionaries where things like this happen, but I have never really been a part of it so it was pretty amazing to be the answer to someone's prayers. As we got to know their family more I am pretty confident that Jocilyn doesn't live there and must have moved years ago. So I am really glad we looked through those old investigator records that morning and I know that we really were led to her for a reason!

Saturday morning we were out talking with people and we walked by a food truck called "Sammy's Fish and Chips" I had remembered that some of the missionaries last Summer taught the guy who owns the truck so we decided to stop in. There was only one guy standing by the truck and so I asked if he was Sammy. He said that his name was Sam but that he was a different Sammy than the one who owned the truck. We talked to him for a bit and he told us how Sammy has the best fish and chips and that we really needed to try it. We told him that we would come back for lunch and he said that he would treat us to fish and chips.. I didn't think he was serious about "treating" us to fish and chips, but when we came back he did! At first we paid for our food and then he came around about 10 minutes later and he gave us money and then bought us another order of fish and chips! Super nice guy.. He said he comes every Saturday so I am sure we will go back on Saturday and talk with him and then also talk with Sammy some more and see if he would like to meet with missionaries again. 

Joe is still on for his baptism on Sunday! He was able to see a baptism yesterday and he loved it. I asked him if he felt the Spirit and he didn't say yes, but he didn't say no.. but then a few minutes later he said that he just felt really good when he saw the baptism and he said, " I just really could see myself being in the water and I just really want to be there next.  It was a good feeling there with everyone." To which I just had to smile because he did feel the Spirit and slowly he is beginning to recognize what it is. 

Ok.... out of time! We are off to Niagra!  Oh and.... it is transfer time again! Calls will be this Sunday and then I will know where I will be for the rest of my mission! Time is flying! 

More Lake Ontario Pics

It all just seems like a blur.....

I really don't know how to start these things off anymore..... :)

So... hello family and friends! :)

I am now in week 5 of the transfer... it is amazing how fast time is going by! It feels like I just got to Oakville and yet it has been about a month and a lot of good things have happened!

We are still teaching Joe and he is good to go for his baptism on June 1st. He is really excited about it and it is so fun to see him learn and grow and change as he is hearing more of the Gospel. He is such a funny guy and I am so glad we met him that night on the street. Every time we come over to teach Joe he will always give us some chocolate or one time this week we had some watermelon. He has also enjoyed going to Family Home Evenings that are held weekly. He really was so prepared to meet us and I am really excited for his baptism. 

Yesterday was Victoria Day, I am still not quite sure what that means... but what I do know is there were a lot of fireworks... we didn't see any of them because we live in the basement.... but we sure heard them all Sunday night and all last night! :) 

I really wish I could think about more things that happen throughout the week! Honestly by the time preparation day comes it just all seems like a blur!

I really am doing well, though! :) This week I will definitely try to take more pictures! 

I hope everyone has a great week! 

For P-day we went to a little place called, "Little Ray's Reptile Zoo & Nature Centre"  Elder So'o,  Elder Aquino, Sister Green, Sister Herfort (in front), and Sister Mendenhall and I

And there goes another week!

And there goes another week! 

The weather has started to get really nice and it has been so perfect! We have been waking up in the mornings a bit early so we can go running by the lake.. It is SO nice! Never in my life have I ever wanted to live by water like this but.. I think I could love it. :)

So it was Mothers Day and I got to talk to my family which was the best! So good to see them and crazy to think that it won't be too many weeks now before I get to see them in real life. :)

I hope everyone had a happy mothers day and if you get a chance go and look at this website and watch the video... it is probably the cutest thing that I have ever seen! :)www.mormon.org/motherhood

We are still doing a lot of finding here and getting to know the members. It is a lot of work, but it is fun. We are still teaching Joe and he came to church again yesterday. He really loves church and likes learning everything. He is such an awesome guy. He set a baptismal date for June 1st and we are really looking forward to helping him reach that date! :)

Sister Mendenhall and I

I really wish I had more to say but..... that really is about it. haha Looks like these emails home might be a bit short for the last few weeks of my mission life. Oops... :) I will try and do pictures to make up for it! :)

BYEEE :)

Things are Good

Well....... once again.

This has been a weird day and I don't really have time to email again sooooo....... there is that. haha

Maybe next week I will actually be better about this!

My companion and I with Sister Herfort and Sister Green

But for now.. things are good here! We had an investigator that we met on the street the other night at church yesterday! And we have also been able to set up quite a few appointments with people we have just talked to on the street. It is amazing how when you talk with everyone the Lord will place people in your path who are ready to learn.

So... shout out to my BFF Riley who gets married tomorrow! Can't believe I am missing it, but I am way happy for her!

Ok next week I really will write more! :)

But for now.... I would love if all of you emailed me! Even if I didn't respond.. haha it is still nice to hear from all of you!

Thank you for all of your love and support! 

p.s. As of today I can count down the amount of weeks I have left on 2 hands! And that is pretty crazy. haha

New Companion - New Area !

Not much time to email today! We have to email in a library here in Oakville and time is limited so I will just keep this short! 

Oakville is great! It is taking some time to get used to the area but I really do like it so far.   Sister Mendenhall is a lot of fun and the work is moving forward here. 

With Sister Mendenhall

Oakville is right on Lake Ontario and it is beautiful!

We did a lot of finding this week and were able to find 4 new investigators. We didn't have many people to teach first getting to the area so it is good that we have started to build that up!

This is a really nice area! The people are great and I am just looking forward to getting to know everyone in the ward! 

Sister Shurtliff stayed the night with me (before transfers) and then we drove to Brampton the next morning.

With Elder Palmer

With Elder Ikeda

At the Mission Office on Transfer Day

PICTURE THIS - I'm finally getting transferred!

Transfers!!

I am going to Oakville with Sister Mendenhall! So sad to leave Kitchener... but I guess I couldn't stay forever! I don't have much time to write today... we have a lot of things that need to get done! But.. I am very happy and looking forward to my new area. I will be whitewashing (which I have come to LOVE) So I am really looking forward to it! We are in the final weeks! This will probably be my last area! Pretty exciting stuff!

Easter Brunch

I hope everyone had a Happy Easter! We had a big brunch here on Friday and it was a lot of fun!

Helping one of the little girls with her Easter Basket

Really, really going to miss Kitchener... This place is going to have a special place in my heart for forever! So thankful for all of the things that I have learned here and for all of the wonderful people that I have met! 

Clinton and I 

Chloe came and did some missionary work with us! She LOVED it !

We decided to take a bunch of funny photos because we knew it was going to be our last week with all of us together

Setting up for the Easter brunch.. and some selfies. haha

Saying bye to Caitlyn Rowden and her Dad this morning (see below also)

The Olsen's - I am going to miss them soooo much !

Brother and Sister Fischer

At the Mitchell's today‏

This was taken at the Mitchell's today
(along with the next few below)

Lesson with Janet and Amanda 

Easter egg hunt at the Meyer's

Saying bye to Julie

Saying bye to the Cliftons

Pretty drive to the Meyers. Sunset 

More Easter pictures at the Meyer's.. Chloe and her Neice‏

Elder Parker and Elder Prochnow with us.

They were in the Spanish Branch and we were in the Kitchener Waterloo ward.. Both wards go to the Chapel here in Kitchener

The Whole Zone 

Brother and Sister Richins and I