Week 7: I'm in Canada!!!!!

OH MY GOODNESS IM FINALLY IN MY MISSION!!! 

But first.... an update on my solo experience....

So fun story about later in the week...  they took ALL of my desks in my classroom except for mine! So my wonderful companions took this picture: 

My old companions are in the Blue (Sister Rammell) and Red (Sister Hunt) )

Alright on to the good stuff:

Wednesday:

I woke up at 3:25 am grabbed my stuff and my wonderful companions and we walked to drop me off. I was on the bus with 4 Elders who were flying to LA to get their visas. They were going to Angolla Africa speaking Portugese, and they were super nice and helped me with my luggage. 

I got on the plane and flew to Tronoto. It was really weird being alone, but in Utah people recognized me as a missionary and were super nice. In Toronto I picked up my visa which was kinda scary, but the guy helping me was really nice and I got my visa in like 20 minutes which was a miracle :) 

On my flight to Montreal I sat by this professor from UVU. She was not a member, but her daughter is a convert, we taked about books and good teachers. I was super nervous so I was really grateful for her! After I got to Montreal I waited for my luggage, unfortunately one of my suitcases was on another flight, but it was actually a miracle because it was the suitcase with all my winter clothes! 

Sister Phillips found me and we went to the Mission Home. THE PHILLIPS ARE THE NICEST PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET! They are honestly so kind and spiritually strong :) They stopped by a patisserie and we got pain au chocolat :) Then I ate dinner with them and they dropped me off at another sisters apparetment in Montreal (since it was just me) I got to stay with Sister Austin (from the MTC) and Sister Dinge! They're amazing :)

Thursday: 

The STL's took me to the Mission Office were I did training and got ready to go. I was able to join in on MLC (Mission Leaders Conference) annd meet my actual STL's and ZL's, Sister Piscitello and Banthoud (both from France and wonderful :)) and Elder Barriero (MY MTC TEACHER'S GREENIE!) and Landetta!

The STL's drove me to my new area..... QUEBEC CITY WEST (AKA the farthest north a sister can go) If you're reading this on my blog, the background picture is in my Zone! Quebec is absolutely gorgeous! 

My new companions are Sister Zorbrist (has 3 weeks left and is from California, she's had 6 areas which is basically unheard of!) and Sister Bascom (from Alberta and is 6 months into her mission) THEY'RE SERIOUSLY THE BEST!

Friday: 

Sister Zorbrist and Sister Bascom made me green crepes (because I'm a greenie) we had them with blueberries and REAL MAPLE SYRUP (from a can :)) 

I had my first 3 lessons with investigators. Oumar and his family from Centeral Africa, Victorine and her family from Centeral Africa (they all speak Songlo but unfortunately there is no translation of the BoM in their language) and Isabelle (17, Quebecois, amazing, and so intelligent!) 

Miracle Moment: 

After Isabelle's lesson, we walked her to her bus. As we were walking past we past this girl and two younger kids. I felt prompted to talk to them, but I thought maybe it was just me and didn't. All of a sudden Sister Zobrist turns around and starts trying to stop her. We all started talking and we gave her a Prince of Peace card. She almost started tearing up, and told us she really needed peace in her life. We got her contact info, and we are going to try and have a lesson with her, that really taught me to follow the spirit, no matter how akward it may be! 

After this, we went to a dinner appointment with a recent convert of 4 years at TIM HORTONS!!!!!!!! It was my first time eating there, it was the best!!! I have a picture, but I forgot my cord so I'll have to send it next week :( 

It was there that I realized something.... I CANNOT FOR MY LIFE UNDERSTAND QUEBECOIS! It's way cool, but with Africans and French I can understand about 70% of what they say, but with the Quebecois it's like 30-40%... Another thing to work on! 

It's funny because everything with an accent circumflex (basically like this: ^) they pronouce like the letter I in english.... so bapteme (^ over the first e) is pronounced in french like bah-tem, but in Quebecois it sounds like bah-time. It's the same with meme (^ over the first e), which is pronouced like mime! 

After dinner we heart attacked some members doors :) 

Saturday:

We taught MARCEL!!!! He's so awesome, he's deaf, but he's learing sign language, sister Bascom is FLUENT in sign language and she teaches him lessons. We were with another member who's learining sign language too. SO COOL! They're thinking of starting a sign language class on Thursday's in our ward :) I'm super pumped! 

Afterwards we has dinner with some recently activiated (by themsleves) members, the Dutruel's! We had heart attacked their door the day before and they were having a hard time, so it really made their day. They framed our hearts and hung them up :) They're amazing! Their daughter Florence (who's our investigator) made us these amazing handmade notebooks and drew a flowers on them! She's seriously so talented (yet again I took a picture and I forget my cord)

Their cat, Spock, also looks EXACTLY like my cat at home! We were able to share a quick message and they walked us to our car. THEY'RE SO AMAZING! 

After dinner we went over to our recent converts house Florencio! Florencio is from the Phillipines and speaks Tagolag and English (thank goodness!) He's AMAZING (yes I realize I've said that about everyone) I didn't know him before, but he's come a long ways and is so happy in the gospel. He just wants to serve! 

We taught a quick lesson and he let us try one of his creations, tuna spaghetti! It wasn't bad actually :) We also had "ice cream sandwhiches" which is literally ice cream in a dinner roll. (it was actually really good :))

Sunday: 

The councillor to the Bishop asked me to get up and bear my testimony. It was really short, but I did it! Gospel Principles and Relief Society was great. during Relief Society I sat next to a sister who is fluent in English so she trasnlated for me :) Her daughter just got off a mission from Japan and is so nice! She's coming teaching with us this week :) 

After church we went and heart attacked a member in the wards door with Florenico! They caught us running down the street and we came in. They fed us all pizza and crepes :) Since we had to do weekly planning, and they wanted us to stay, they let us plan in their basement (yet another great picture I can't send). It was hilarious because we were planning around a kid sized plastic table!

Anyway, an honestly solid, crazy nerve-wracking week, but I'm in an amazing ward, with amazing members, with amazing investigators and just overall amazing people! 

The gospels true, I see it changing the lives of the people we meet and the members here. I've shared the highlights, but there have been some tough and crazy times too, but I'm excited to be here and to learn! 

Love,

Sister Smith