Monday, March 2, 2015
Final Post
18 months. 1 and a half years. 540 days. 12 transfers. Russians,
Africans, Iranians, Algerians, Haitians, Colombians.... o yes Canadians.
Different cultures everywhere. Welcome to the worlds gathering point. Long
days. Fast weeks. Faster months. Before you know it a year gone by. Learning
French but only having Spanish investigators. Crying from frustration. Piles of
language flash cards. Gift of tongues. Feeling weird speaking English. Stress.
Tears. Laughter. Waking up more tired than when you went to bed. Darker circles
under your eyes as the time goes by. Spending more time on university campuses
then when you were actually in college. Beat boxing at bus stops. I am hot then
I'm cold the people on the metro say yes and they say no. Icicles on your face.
Checking fingers and toes to see if they are still there. Feeling so grateful
for only -14 degree weather. Bonjour! Ugh.. Hello ugh.. Hola? Ugh.. Ok sorry I
don't speak your language. 1 pair of tights on 2 pairs of tights on 3 pairs of
tights on every pair of tights I own on. Feeling alone when your companion
wanders five feet away from you. Finding lost sheep. Reading the Book of Mormon
in three different languages and feeling that same burning feeling. Crying as
others cry. Finding the best in others. Finding your best friend. Putting
others first. Feeling a strong love for random people you see. Being a mom to a
newbie on the mish. Feeling so unprepared to train another person. Learning
more from them then you could ever teach them. New area, new companion, 2 new
languages. Feeling so inadequate to be a leader. Splits. Splits. Splits.
Forgetting who your actual companion is. Living out of a suitcase. Phone calls.
Numbers. Meetings. Trainings. Funny accents with EH and LO LO. Milk in a bag.
All new candy. Maple syrup everything. Poutine. Eating beaver tails. 1st
baptism. Last baptism. Seeing the atonement literally working on people. People
in shorts in -30 weather. Running! Running in -35 degree weather. Running to
catch the bus. Running after the bus. Running after young adults. Runny nose.
Running out of time. The routine. Wake up. Pray. Exercise. Shower. Pray. Eat.
Pray. Study. Pray. Study more. Pray. Teach. Pray. Teach. Pray. Eat. Pray. Teach
more. Pray. Plan. Report. Pray. Sleep. And repeat 540 times. Depending on the
spirit. Hastening the work. Getting the members to trust you. Getting yourself
to trust in God. Being obedient. Learning the streets better than the people
who live there. Talking to everyone. Counting your blessings as you realize
just how many you have. Eating everything on your plate even though you want to
puke you're so full. Long bike rides your butt becoming one with the seat.
Doors slammed in your face. Dogs chasing after you. Feeling the power of your
calling and coming to know our Savior more than you ever thought possible.
Words just can't really express the gratitude I have to have
been able to serve a mission for my Heavenly Father. I have learned more on my
mission than I have in my whole life! I have learned really what is important
in this life. I’m so thankful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and the plan that
he has given to us. I’m so thankful to of learned how to use the atonement in
my life. I really received a testimony of the Book of Mormon. It has become my
source for everything and I know it is true with all of my heart. I can't thank
you enough for all of your support while I have been here in Canada. It has
meant everything to me! I’m so thankful for the opportunity I had to meet so
many people here and see their lives changing. I know families can be eternal
and I’m thankful for my family that has been my examples and my rock. If you
don't know this gospel is true if you don't have a testimony of the Book of
Mormon I beg you to get on your knees and to ask your heavenly father to know
what is true because its not worth it to go one day with out knowing those
things are true!!! I love you all so much. See you in a couple days.....
-Soeur Dick
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
February 23, 2015
Hello!
Well this week it looks like it will be the last stretch of my
mission. We had a really good week this past week. Last week after emailing we
were heading to our church building to have a lesson with a member who was from
Brazil and on our way we were smashed in the metro as usual and started up a
conversation with the person next to us. He said he was from Brazil and he had
only been here for a couple of days. He just so happened to be getting of the
same stop as us and so we invited him to see our church and he agreed. We were
able to give him a tour, introduce him to lots of members that were there for
family home evening and give him a lesson. It was a really cool to be able to
do that. This week we had our big zone conference that we gave a training on. It
was a bit stressful to get everything organized and give our training but it
was such a great training. I really think everyone enjoyed it and it’s going to
help this zone and stake out a lot! That was eight hours and then we had an
hour meeting with all the district leaders then a 30-minute dinner break and
finished our night off with a meeting with our stake and mission president. I
thought I was going to become one with the chair. I was very spiritually tired.
I sadly had to bare my leaving testimony at the zone conference. I have seen 4
of my going home companions do it, but I never thought I would have to do it!
We only had one split this week and it was a really great split
full of really great contacts on the bus and metro! Our best day this week
though was Saturday. We had this lesson with this guy who a couple of weeks ago
contacted us while we were teaching a lesson at a McDonalds. It was probably
the coolest lesson I have had so far on my mission. He told us that he saw us
at McDonalds walked out and then a voice told him to go back and talk to us. He
walked all the way back into the McDonalds and asked us if we were preaching
the gospel and that he was Christian. The whole time we had the lesson the
spirit was really strong. He agreed to everything that we taught about and said
he had always wondered why there were so many churches on the earth and that it
would make so much since that Jesus Christ and god the father would have to
appear to restore the gospel. You could imagine the excitement my companion and
me had after that lesson. We have been here for about 4 months and after many
days of contacting people we haven't found anyone that was really interested or
who would be able to stay in our branch because of age or language. There was
an activity that night at the church and we walked in just floating to find out
that there were four less actives who we have never seen at our branch party
and two members had brought a non member friend. I it was so cool to be able to
talk to all of them and be able to set lesson up with them.
The next day was Sunday and we decided we wanted to fast so that
this guy who we had an amazing lesson with would enjoy church and feel the
spirit. I wish I could tell you that he liked it or that he even came, but
unfortunately he didn't come but went to another church. It was hard to hear
but if I learned one thing on my mission is that there will always be so rough
patches on the way. I’m so thankful I was able to fast though the spirit was so
strong through out all of church. Every one of the talks on Sunday were so
inspiring and talked about missionary work and how we need to be constant. It
gave us the perfect push we needed! I’m so thankful for missionary work and for
the opportunity to do it and continue to do it! I love you all tons xoxox
bisous
-Soeur
Dick
Monday, February 16, 2015
February 16, 2015
Hello! <3 family
This week went by to fast as they all do. I had come to realize
though that you have to move fast here because if you don't you will loose
fingers.
It’s so cold here you can't sit still for a second so we are
constantly jogging to our next place so we are not to cold!! Last time I
checked I still have all my toes but that just depends on the second! This week
we had two crazy exchanges that really wore us out. I feel like I have learned
a lot on my mission but what I have come to learn the most is to be obedient.
No its not always the easiest rout at the beginning but in the long run its so
much easier. I just want to be able to show the sisters that and to have them
learn it from the beginning! I got to go to the biggest Spanish area this week
with a sister and it was really cool to see that area with all the loving Spanish
families I have heard about. This week at sports night we had a friend of
a member come up to us and ask for a Book of Mormon because of our spiritual
thought at the begging of it. That was really cool to see fun activities help
missionary work. We also got two new investigators this week one from Urania
and one for the Ivory Coast. On Valentines Day we spread the love by
going to visit less actives. It went really well and we ended up meeting two
less actives we have never met before! I’m so happy to be able to continue to
see little miracles in this area plus I get to do it with an amazing
companion!
I really love this video we shared with a less active this week I
hope you enjoy it!
I Love you
-Sister Dick
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