Oui, Chéri

Posted by Unknown October 26, 2015

October 26, 2015

First off... I got the package this week. THANK YOU SO MUCH! Haha sister Beaumont loves that frosting you sent ;) Pretty funny actually... being a missionary does strange things to your eating habits. You just want to always eat to get rid of the stresses. Terrible. But we're doing great at going running each morning in the freezing cold, so I haven't seen too many terrible results of food yet. Really, I'm not eating too weird. She does have her days of cookies and frosting though ;) But really though, the package was great. Thanks so much. I got that, yours and Andrews, and Nakita's letters this week. So that was wonderful :)

Also, it's so weird that wedding plans are happening... but so exciting! This time is flying by. It does not feel like 7 weeks since I left. Has it flown by this much for you? Crazy....

Love you lots! Have a grrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaatttt week :)

Bisous bisous

Well... it's been a kind of weird week actually. Lots of meetings and canceled appointments that made it interesting. But we also had some great MIRACLES to make up for the things we missed. So a great week nonetheless :)

Monday night was a trainer's meeting... so Sister Beaumont did that while I went around Montreal with some other sisters. Yes, they unleashed a bunch of greenies on Montreal. Still not sure what they were thinking ;) haha just kidding, it wasn't too bad. I really enjoyed being able to use the metro and bus again :) I've missed that since coming home from Europe... but that was a good experience. Kind of hard because there were 4 of us sisters all together. It's hard to keep track of 4 sisters, when you all go at different speeds and just keeping track of that many. But it was good :) I realized how weird it is to be separated from Sister Beaumont, though. And how much I love her... it was sad being away for those few hours :)

That night we slept at the STL's apartment. Slumber party! haha :) Sister Hunt and Sister Neri are wonderful sisters... and it was nice to get to know them a little better :) (while still getting to bed obediently by 10:30 :) That was crazy because we had to wake up at 4:30 to get ready and be at the church for Zone Conference at 6. A.M. Eek. That was a lovely morning. But zone conference was grrrrreat! I really loved it. Elder Golden from the 70 spoke. Holy cow he said some good things. Kind of like being struck by lightning though, as I realized ALL I need to improve on. It's been pretty smooth sailing these first few weeks in the field. But his words made me realize that I should be working until I'm killing myself. Not just doing enough, but literally doing ALL I CAN. So there's lots more to do in that aspect. It was just an amazing conference. I wish I could write everything he said because it was just AMAZING. We learned tons though :). But that was a long day. We were at that church about 10 hours... crazy. And then we had ward council, so not much got done that night.

So our normal week didn't really start until Wednesday. We got to do some service for A, the sweetest woman ever. She's about 8 months pregnant, and just darling. The sisters have been getting to know them for a while, but haven't taught the lessons yet. But we have big plans to start them in the coming weeks. So be excited about that. But helping her clean her house was WONDERFUL. Cleaning like a normal person is one of the things I miss as a missionary. Sometimes it's just nice to spend the whole morning cleaning :)

Thursday... we set TWO baptismal dates! YAY!!!!!! It was a great day :)

First we met with Mari This old woman who speaks English and smokes. She's an interesting woman... But until now, the sisters have really only talked with her when they came over. Not really teaching lessons or committing. But we've put that to a stop :) After a rather... interesting... conversation about the temple ( in which she determined that she would NOT be going to the temple openhouse because we judge people and aren't equal), we were able to turn things around for the better. She's a hard woman. And not very motivated. But she is a very strong believer in God, and she knows that he can answer her prayers. So she committed to be baptized if she received the answer that it was true. So that was awesome :) Now we just have to guide her to feel that spirit, and to be committed to doing the necessary things :) But that was great.

And then we had our weekly lesson with the Ris. We've planned EVERY WEEK since I arrived to set a baptismal date with them. And it hasn't happened. But Thursday we said we were not leaving until we invited them with a date. We talked about the Sabbath day and then about Baptism... Vic committed to the 14th of November! Which is close. So we've got lots to do :) But I know he can be ready by then, and he really is so ready now... his family LOVES church. He said he believed the Book of Mormon is true and Joseph Smith was a prophet... so we just need to help him connect a few lines so he can be baptized :) We're still working on Jaci. We'll get her though :)

It was so great though! Helped us realize the baptismal invite really isn't that scary. And it really does help to have that goal and move things forward. So never be afraid to invite for baptism :) It's what we're here for as missionaries :)

Saturday we had Denise's funeral. That was so sad, but again, just such a peace to have our knowledge of the Plan of Salvation and temples. It really was a happy thing, knowing she's moving on to something so much better. You could really see the difference between her active and inactive daughters, though. The knowledge of the gospel really does bring so much peace.

We had a GREAT miracle visit with an inactive member of our ward this week. P has been inactive since he was 18, but the missionaries have continued trying to work on him. So we stopped by his home Saturday night. His wife answered the door and let us in. Their daughter was having a birthday party, so she ended up allowing us to help her come in and help her clean up from it. She's apparently been very un-receptive the other times the missionaries have come by. But we had a great talk with her and left her with a temple invite.Such a great contact! She was so open to us, and it was such a great feeling :) Definitely led there though. We hadn't even planned to pass by, but because others weren't home we ended up going. Nothing happens by accident :)

So with the temple openhouse coming up, I've been doing lots of temple-related study. It just makes you realize how wonderful temples are, how significant, and how BLESSED we are to have that knowledge. They really are the greatest blessing. So I've been reading the church's temple magazine. EVERYONE should read that magazine. Over and over again. It really is AMAZING. You learn so much about the temple I LOVE it :) But just some cool quotes from that... that just made me realize the importance of doing family history work:

(talking about members doing family history :) ".... they in effect say to themselves, 'if I love my wife and children so dearly that I want them for all eternity, then should not my deceased grandfather and great-grandfather and other forebears have opportunity to receive the same eternal blessings?'"

"We reflect on... the Lord Jesus Christ, who served as proxy for each of us in a vicarious sacrifice in our behalf. Here we set aside our own selfishness and serve for those who cannot serve themselves."

I love both of those so much. It just makes me think about the blessings of the temple and how grateful I am for them. It really is so selfish to just keep them to myself. This is why we're asked to do family history work, and to go to the temple AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE. These people cannot do it themselves. I LOVE that last quote... Christ "served as proxy" for each of us in the greatest sacrifice ever known to man. He suffered EVERYTHING so that we wouldn't have to. Standing as proxy for others in the temple gives us the smallest piece of that experience. It allows us to show just a portion of the love that he showed for us. It allows us to set aside our own selfishness and do just a small portion of the things they aren't able to do. And then we don't even have to suffer when we make the "sacrifice" to go to the temple. We are SO BLESSED. IMMEDIATELY. Where the Savior stood as proxy for us, undergoing the greatest pains, afflictions, and sorrows, we stand as proxy for our ancestors and in return gain peace, strength, and comfort. We're forever indebted to him. But temple work is one of those small things we can do to pay back :) So my challenge for everyone this week is to make a greater effort to do family history. Find those people who are waiting, who can't do it themselves :) And then go to the temple! MAKE THE TIME to go. We're so blessed to have a temple SO CLOSE. We really should take at advantage of that :)

Well that's all for this week. I love you all so much! Keep strong and remember the Lord is on your side :)

Love you lots,

Soeur Heather Shelley :) :) :)

Roasting S.mores!! Thank you mommy :) :) :)

Polka dots on polka dots

Benefits of being up at 6:30...beautiful sunrises!

The SPAGHETTI. Oh my goodness...Sooo much spaghetti. The youth had an activity with a speghetti dinner...they kindly gave us sisters ALL the leftovers. RIDICULOUS :)