Sister Syd: Canada Week One!

Hello family and friends!!!! Wow it has definitely been a week! It has been quite the adjustment for me and has felt pretty long but I am so excited to finally be out here doing the Lords work!! A cool story to start off with actually happened on my flight from Seattle, Washington to Edmonton. Our flight groups tickets were random so we didn't sit with other missionaries. I ended up sitting with this cute old lady named Audrey. After take off I had the thought to talk to her and get to know her but was scared that it would segway into gospel topics so I honestly tried to avoid it for a minute. I then realized that she is one of God's precious children who just wants to talk and be loved and I had a thought that the Lord was going to be with me and help me so there was no reason to fear! So we got talking and she told me about her life and family. She has lost both her husband and only son. Her husband was a baptist preacher and died about 10 years ago and her son was murdered when he was only 19 and I think that was before her husbands passing. I immediately thought to tell her that God loves her and so does her Savior Jesus Christ and we talked about their love and the gift of eternal families and it was awesome! Then towards the end of the flight I was reading my Book of Mormon while she read a magazine and she looked over and asked what I was reading so then we got talking about the Book of Mormon and it was so cool!! I could totally feel the spirit! She told me she totally believes in the afterlife and getting to see her family again. She also told me that she knows how much God and Jesus Christ love her and how they love everyone and she loves and respects all people and religions! She was the sweetest lady! When we landed she told me how her original seat was in the back of the plane but it got switched to the middle and then proceeded to say that God knew she needed to sit by me and talk to me. She thanked me for being loving and listening to her talk and it was incredible! God is so good!!

I stayed at the Mission President's home Tuesday night. We had a cool devotional about our Greenie read, which is reading the Book of Mormon by the end of our training, and our proselyting Book of Mormon copy. I had an interview with President Cowley Wednesday morning. After that we went to the church and got to know the Mission President and his family a little more and met out trainers. My trainer is Sister Swanger and she is from Texas. It has been an adjustment from the MTC and I really miss my MTC companion so its been a little hard.

I have been assigned to serve in a YSA and family ward in Whitemud Creek and Riverbend. It has been super fun! We do a lot of planning for them and a lot of member time. A huge focus of our mission is with the members which is a recent change. We don't do a lot of tracting because the success rate is much higher when we get contacts through members and getting to know the members is just as important! That was a huge lesson I have learned this past week. Members need missionaries just as much as non-members and sometimes it's just to love them and be their friend!

This past week was actually pretty hard for me and I felt pretty homesick but God answered my prayers on Sunday! The talks at the YSA ward were all about comfort and trusting in the Lord. I also did some personal study that afternoon on comfort and strength and one scripture in particular that helped me that I want to share is in
D&C 101:14-16. It reads -
14 "They who have mourned shall be comforted
15 "And all they who have given their lives for my name shall be crowned
16 "Therefore let your hearts be comforted...for all flesh is in my hands, be still and know that I am God"
This was such a profound and simple statement. I am so grateful for the knowledge of this gospel and for the love Heavenly Father has for me!

Now for the fun things I have learned about Canada so far:
1- traffic lights are sideways
2- we say supper not dinner
3- bathrooms? absolutely not - they are called washrooms
4- speed limit is in kmph not mph
There are a few more but I'll save them for next time ;))

Overall, as hard as this week was for me, I truly am excited to be out here in the field doing the work and loving all of Gods children!

I hope all is well at home! Love you all!

Love, Sister Merrill