Hello!!

First day ever in Canada with out a coat! It’s been half a year here in Canada trucking along with a coat on and today for the first time I did not have to wear a coat! It was actually 83 degrees out there. The sad news is its suppose to snow tomorrow, but I thing spring has officially come! Easter is around the corner, so today Elder and Sister Adams our senior couple missionary in our ward had all of the missionaries get together today for an Easter egg hunt and coloring egg party it was a lot of fun and it brought me back to when I was a kid coloring eggs.

   This week has been very busy teaching more then usual! We have been running around meeting with people all over town. This past week Arzaan one of Sister Olson’s and mine recent convert graduated his first year of institute. He has been going since he was introduced to the church 3 months ago! It’s amazing what he has learned from going. There is no doubt that as a missionary Sunday is your favorite day! You get to see all the amazing members and you hopefully get to see all the people you teach come to church. That was the case for this week because so many of our people we teach came to church it was awesome. It was fast Sunday this week for us and testimony meeting here is incredible people stand in line to be able to bare their testimony it is amazing. The coolest thing ever happened though this fast testimony meeting two of our investigators bore their testimonies. Carolyn we have only taught twice and she was a referral from a recent convert she is so smart it amazes me most of the members were scared to even go up and share their testimonies after her because they said they never quoted general conference before and she did many times. She was nervous to share it so she typed it out on a piece of paper before hand and she told me I could share it with you all! 

  “Brothers and sisters, a few Sundays ago I listened to Sister Olson bear her testimony. I sat in the pew as she explained that a testimony was like a car. You need to fuel it in order to keep it going. Prayer, scripture study and going to church are a few of the ways you can fuel your testimony.

  I tried to look back and see if I had a testimony myself, and I was sad because I couldn’t think of anything. But I prayed to Heavenly Father to help me open my heart and really look back and see what the Gospel has taught me, and through Him I was able to see.

  Before I go on, I want to do a small introduction of myself. My full name is Carolyn Joan Simon and I am new to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints- like this is my 4^th time here. I wanted to bear my testimony this Fast Sunday and here I am, standing here, doing this. I’ll apologize now, because I’m a bit nervous. All of the “googling” in the world could not make it go away. :P But, as mentioned above, Sister Olson’s testimony helped me to pray so that my rather small testimony can grow.

  A couple of weeks ago, I had a wonderful lesson with Sister Dick and Sister Verdin and my best friend Meaghan about the restoration of the Gospel. Of all the things that stuck with me, it was their strong urge for me to pray for answers to my questions. Matthew 7:7 says “Ask and it shall be given you; seek and ye shall find; knock and it shall be opened unto you”. I realized that, in order to get the questions answered and for my faith in Heavenly Father to grow, prayer is the only way. I just need to talk to him.

  The past month hasn’t been a walk in the park for me. It’s been quite a challenge. But when Meaghan invited me to this church I decided I’d go. Through it all, I was strongly urged to quietly pray and speak to God about everything I’m going through and I was constantly reminded I’m not alone. So I did. I prayed to Heavenly Father for the strength to carry on with what I was doing, I asked Him to make things easier and, this time, I actually hung on to Him.

  I watched the sessions at General Conference and learned so many new things. It really felt like God was speaking to me as I sat in the chapel with tears running down my face. I learned that being thankful in any situation will bring you peace and joy in the long run, I learned the power of prayer can help carry us through difficult situations.

  I’ve started to read the Book of Mormon. Although I’m still on 1 Nephi, I feel a huge admiration for the spirit of Nephi. He’s an example I’d love to follow. The faith he had in Heavenly Father through all of the attacks he’d suffered is incredible. My goal is to have faith like Nephi, I know if I can have that I can get through anything.

  I know that if I continue to Pray, I will be able to hear God tell me the answers to my questions. Is the Book of Mormon true? Is this Church true? But I need to be very quiet, because we all know he isn’t a loud person.

  He’s answered my prayers and I know it. Through my praying, I was blessed with 4 wonderful weeks here with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, I was blessed with wonderful people in my life, and he’s giving me peace. Now things for me haven’t been ideal, they’ve actually been quite tough at times. I didn’t think I would be able to pull through. But he’s given me the strength when I actually thought I would die. Guess it’s not in his plans for me to leave yet.  As I was mentioned in General Conference, I think these burdens are what gave me the traction to continue.

Matthew 11:28-30 says Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls; for my yoke is easy and my burden is light

This scripture follows me everywhere, I’m not even kidding! I hear it everywhere, especially after I began praying for God to reveal himself to me.

Philippians 4:13 says, “I can do all things through Christ, which strengthens me”. 

These are the two verses our Heavenly Father keeps telling me to reflect on. He wants me to give myself to him, and he’ll make things bearable. It’ll make me stronger. And it’s true! I’m still here when I thought I wouldn’t make it.

Brothers and sisters, if just four short weeks ago someone told me I’d have a testimony to bear, I don’t think I’d have believed them. I didn’t even know I had a testimony until I prayed and I opened my heart. But it’s incredible what the Gospel and the Book of Mormon have taught me. Faith. Prayer. It all can give a person the strength to continue through hard times. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I know that it is comforting too. It’s helped me so far, and I know that if I continue to love Heavenly Father, I can get through just about anything. And I say all of this through Jesus Christ, Amen.”

I sat in awe as she bore it and that is not all. After church we had a stake choir performance and she sang a solo in it! People would think that she has been in the church for years, but she is a witness that it does not take much to realize how amazing this gospel is it just takes a little effort! It looks like this week is going to be just as busy and I also get to go on splits with sister training leaders in Québec speaking French so I am excited for that! I hope you all have a wonderful Easter Sunday and think of the real reason why we have Easter. I am so thankful for what Jesus did for us! As i grow and stronger testimony of Jesus Christ everyday I become more and more thankful that he would endure such pain so that we can one day live with our father in heaven one day! I know that even if Jesus had to go through all of that just for you he would! I love you all 

Sister Dick