Happy Winter

Happy Winter!                                                                              November, 18, 2013

I got my first cold as a missionary this week. It was quite a sacred experience :) It's hard to be sick and do missionary work! But it's possible. Sister Dyer reminded me, "If you don't take the time to be well, you will most definitely take the time to be sick later." I'm better now, but it was a rough couple of days! I've been thinking a lot about these wise words from Sister Dyer. This advice can apply to us in so many different ways. Physically as well as spiritually. If we don't take the time to be spiritually well, our testimonies will become sick, and it take effort, determination, humility, and desire to build up our spiritual immune systems again. I am so grateful for my physical and spiritual health. It's something I sometimes take for granted. I'm also grateful for a Heavenly Father who loves me enough to remind me how blessed I am.

Juliana came to church this week and loved it! She is doing well and progressing towards baptism on the first of December! We're excited for her. Since she is from Ghana we're working on getting a Book of Mormon for her in her native language, Twi, and we should be getting that this week. So I'm excited about that as well. When she says the prayers at the end of our lessons, she says them in Twi, and I feel the spirit. So strong. Every time. The language of the spirit amazes me with it's universal influence and penetrating power. 

On Wednesday we had our first district meeting in our new district, and we talked about finding. Elder Orr talked about the importance of the spirit in finding. He said we should use prayer in our finding as much as possible. In that spirit, we went finding! Later that day we were had an appointment fall through and had picked out two streets that we could tract. We weren't sure which one we should go to, so we decided to pray. Right there at that bus stop on Fife road. After the prayer we felt like we should take that bus and go to the other street we had decided on. It would be about a seven minute wait. As we waited, a lady came walking by pushing a stroller and Sister Dyer handed me a mormon.org card and whispered, "Do it." :) I took the card and started up a conversation with this young mom about the purpose of life and came to realize, she was the one we had been waiting for at that bus stop. The bus came and left while we talked with her on the sidewalk. We asked if we could teach her some more of our message right then and she accepted. We walked for about five minutes to her home and we went in and taught her about God's love and repentance. It was one of those moments when you knew that the spirit was working through you and you could literally feel God with you. She told us about her hard past. HARD past. And told about the changes she had made already so she could give her little girl a better life. She said she wanted a new start and was looking for a church to go to. Talk about an answered prayer! We had to catch the next bus, so we left her with a pamphlet and set up a return appointment for the next day. She called and had to cancel the next day, and we haven't been able to get a hold of her since... It breaks my heart because I know how much she needs the Gospel. We think she got anti-ed, but we're not sure. I know she felt the spirit though. She knows there is something different about the message we share and the peace that came into her home as we talked about repentance. I know she felt it. I have no doubt she will be baptized someday. Whether it be while I'm here, or when I'm not, in that day, I will rejoice!

I read Elder Bednar's talk about conversion this week from a few conferences ago. This time as I read it, five words stuck out to me. All of them are verbs. And all of them are progressive toward the next. It is the process and pattern in which conversion happens. Believing. Exercising. Repenting. Experiencing. Becoming. LOVE IT! We need to first believe. Have faith that Jesus is the Christ and only through Him can we truly and fully be cleansed and healed from anything mortal life throws in our face. We need to exercise that faith. Act on that belief. How do we act? We repent. Repentance is such a merciful word. I'm ever grateful for the opportunity I have to change. We also need to experience the doctrine of Christ. We need to learn from repentance and continually change so we can become. Become who God wants us to be. Become who God intended for us to become. Become the person we decided we wanted to be in the premortal life. Become more like Jesus Christ. Man. I love the Gospel :) It's so true. All of it. And it makes sense. It's such a beautiful thing when I can see a light bulb of understanding turn on in an investigators head. That doesn't mean they always are willing to exercise that faith and repent, but I know the spirit spoke understanding to their heart. I know that living the gospel is the only way to be truly happy and find peace in this life. I'm so grateful for the experiences and decisions in my life that have put me where I am now. I'm grateful for a merciful and loving Heavenly Father who knows my potential and who's purpose is to make sure I achieve it. 

Have a great week!  Love and Prayers, Sister Felix

"When we sacrifice for the good of others, we get heaven within us."

Winter

Missionary Work is accomplished by Miracles

Hello!                                                                                                 November 25, 2013

This morning in my studies I read Alma 37:10 and it says, "...they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day." Missionary work is accompanied by miracles. Because it is the Lord's work. If you want to feel God's power in your life, just go do some missionary work! 

One of the miracles from this week happened on Friday. We were riding the bus home and I started talking with a girl named Jenna. I complimented the braid in her hair and that turned into a discussion about the Gospel! She said she had seen me on the bus a few days earlier and thought it was so cool that I was a missionary. She was too shy to strike up a conversation with me, so she texted her friend that was with her and pointed out that I was a missionary! I had no idea!! It made me wish I would have talked with her. But God gave me another chance :) She told me that she didn't grow up religious at all but has been really interested in spiritual things since she took a religion class a few years ago. She has never even set foot in a church before! She told me that one of her friends that is Catholic invited to give her a tour around a very prominent chapel in Guelph called the Church of our Lady Immaculate. The attached picture is of this cathedral looking church. It looks like the Notre Dame! Anyway, her stop was coming up and I hadn't had a chance to tell her a lot about our unique beliefs, but as we approached her stop the bus suddenly broke down! Tender mercy! We were able to talk for about 10 more minutes about the apostasy and Restoration and the Book of Mormon. It was amazing! She felt the spirit. I know she did. I invited her to church sometime, or even just to have a tour of the chapel, but we'll have to see what will happen. Miracle.

Juliana is scheduled to be baptized this week! If all goes as planned, it will be on Sunday

. It's going to be a crazy week, but it's going to be a good one! Juliana came to a Relief Society Christmas activity on Saturday and loved it! We decorated and baked Christmas cookies to give away to less actives or sick ladies in the ward. It was a lot of fun! We also put together what they were calling "blessing bags" with things like tissues, hand sanitizers, chap stick, etc to keep in their cars and to give away to homeless people they see on the street. So that was pretty cool. We also had two less active sisters come to the activity and one of them brought a friend! I'm grateful for Relief Society! 

We are also teaching a man named Warren. He's quite a nervous and anxious man in his 50's that wears thick glasses and a paper boy hat no matter what the weather is. He has never had a belief in God, but this week we had a lesson that I think changed that. We talked about prayer most of the time and had a recent convert there that bore a powerful testimony of the reality of God. We are giving him a chapel tour on Tuesday to help him feel comfortable enough to come to church. I'm hoping he'll stay for the scripture study class we teach on Tuesdaynights. We teach a weekly class for investigators, recent converts, and less active members about how to study the scriptures that is focused on the Book of Mormon. This is the first time I've ever done anything like this on my mission and it's pretty great! 

We ate lunch this week with a sister in the ward named Sister Shantz. She feeds us lunch every Friday and it's always an amazing experience! She is the most wonderful, mystical, and spiritual person. I had a moment in her home that I never want to forget, so I'll try to describe it to you. Sister Dyer and I were sitting on a sofa next to Sister Shantz elderly mother in her historic home eating sausage, soup, salad, and butternut squash. The warm room was lit with light from lamps and it was snowing outside. Sister Shantz read us a poem about the birth of the Savior that she found while she was looking through some old cards. The spirit was so strong and the peace I felt was indescribable. It was peace that I needed to feel. It was a moment that is seared into my memory. 

I hope you all have a fantastic week! Eat lots of turkey and count your blessings on this week of thanksgiving.

Love and Prayers, Sister Felix

Guelph Photos

Guelph

Hello hello!                                                                                           November 12, 2013

It is most definitely winter!  It snowed for the first time this week, and wow! Bring on the humid winter! People weren't kidding when they said the wind goes right through you. It's brutal! But it's okay. Because the Gospel is true :) And people need to know that no matter what the weather is like outside!

I LOVE MY NEW COMPANION! Sister Dyer is so amazing. She is from Idaho Falls. She's 21. She went to BYU for two years. She and I came out to the field at the same time. She loves peanut butter and pancakes :) (that's one of the reasons we get along so well!) And she loves the Lord. I feel like we are really going to accomplish a lot this transfer. I pray that we are blessed enough to serve together for two transfers!

Guelph is awesome! Sister Dyer and I are the missionaries in the south part of town and then Sister Marler and Sister Puruganan are the sisters in the north. There is only one ward in Guelph though. We have a car to share between the two companionships, and the north sisters have it most of the time because they cover some of the smaller towns north of Guelph too. So you know what that means, Sister Dyer and I are on the buses!! :) Honestly, I was a little nervous about it, but it's great. There are always plenty of people to talk with as we are traveling to and from appointments. It's built in finding time! That doesn't mean it's always easy though. I talked to one girl this week that looked at my like I was extraterrestrial because I was starting a conversation with a complete stranger on a city bus! It's completely against the "social norm" to talk with random strangers these days. It doesn't stop me though :) They all need the gospel eventually, so why not now! Guelph is also a university town, so there are lots of YSA age people. So it's weird to focus on families now instead of YSA, but it's so amazing! We're not teaching any families right now, but we'll find one. And I'm excited about it :)

This week we got a call from the north sisters telling us about an appointment they had set up with someone on the street that lives in our area. So we went to this appointment and it was a miracle. Her name is Juliana and she's from Ghana. Her English isn't that great, but she understands well. We're going to get her a Book of Mormon in her language,Twi, so she can really understand and gain a love for the Book of Mormon. Before each lesson we do a brief overview of what we will teach and the commitment we're going to extend to them at the end, so they know what's coming. When I told her that we were going to invite her to be baptized, she got so excited and explained that she wants to be baptized to follow God. Then when we talked about Joseph Smith and recited the first vision, she was so zoned in and repeating the words of the first vision as I was saying them. The spirit was so strong! Then she said yes three times and Sister Dyer invited her to be baptized! She is preparing to be baptized on December 1! It's going to be a white Christmas in more ways than one :)

We also found another lady this week named Glenda who is AMAZING! She was sitting on her front porch smoking, so we went up and talked with her. She said she had been really sad for the past few days and she truly is going through some really hard things. She knew there was something special about us, and was so grateful that we went and talked with her for a little while. We set up a return appointment and we're going to teach her this week so I'm excited about that. It's amazing how much I love her. It's never ceased to amaze me how much love can be in my heart at once. The Lord blesses us with charity for those that we serve if we're willing to let Him in.

It was Remembrance Day in Canada yesterday, that's why I'm emailing today. But I've been thinking a lot about that. We had Stake Conference on Sunday and there was a visiting general authority. Elder Kopischke. He talked about two main points. Keep the faith and Remembering. He said something like this, "I think the word remember is the most important word in our church theology. I'll tell you why: we need to remember in order to love." He talked about how ordinances and covenants help us remember. Remember who we are. Remember why we're here. Remember how to get home. Remember our Savior. He said, "If we live in constant remembrance of our covenants, the Lord will never be far from us." I think that is an incredible promise from a set apart servant of the Lord. So don't forget to remember :) And always keep the faith. If you've lost your faith, find it. The Church is true. The Gospel is true. God is always mindful of His children. I promise you that. I hope you all have a great week!

Love and Prayers, Sister Felix

Ps. I had poutine for the first time this week! That's the first picture :) The next one is of me making some hot chocolate last night after we got back to our apartment after a super freezing cold day! Then the other one is of Sister Dyer standing by our little space heater. Good times :)

November Photos

Guess Who's Getting Transferred?

Hello!                                                                   November 4, 2013

I have zero time today, so I'm sorry if this is shorter than usual. But GUESS WHO'S GETTING TRANSFERRED?! I am :) I'm going to be serving in Guelph South with Sister Dyer. I'm stoked. I'm going to teach families! I don't know how to do that, but the Lord will teach me how. I find great peace in that. Sister Crandall will be staying here. I'm sad to leave YSA, but I think it's for the best. I know it's for the best actually, because it's the Lord's will. And the Lord always knows what is best for His children. Always.

This week we found a sweet new investigator named Kayla! I'm sad I won't be able to teach her, but she's totally getting baptized! We met her at a bus stop last week and we talked to her for literally one minute. We told her we were from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that we share a message that can bless her life, and she said, "I want to learn more about this." She had to go, so we set up an appointment, she gave us her number and we were on our way. When we went to that appointment, we saw that there were other people home so we invited all of them to join us. Her grandma and cousin joined us, participated in the lesson, committed to read and pray, and all of them accepted the invitation to be baptized! Miracle. Kayla and her cousin, Keanna, came to church yesterday and loved it! It was a wonderful day!

I am so grateful for my Savior. I love my Heavenly Father. I love being a missionary. I know this gospel is true with all of my heart. I apologize again for the shortness of this email, but I'll send pictures to make up for it :) Carry on and I'll send more details next week!

Love and Prayers, Sister Felix