Thursday, June 21, 2012

Hey!

so it's been an exciting week for us, LOTS of service to do and so little time! You could say drayton valley is needy.... and i wouldn't disagree but i love the people so much and have made so many amazing friendships I'm going to miss serving them! Also news I've found a new great grandma! Sister Bondi has volunteered and has requested that i call her "GG" ha ha i wish i could send you pictures she's the cutetest 89 year old I've ever met and we have the same passion for the gospel! she used to live in Vancouver 2nd ward.... small world!

Any who this last week we received a referral from the elders in Fort St. John! I was so excited, I've been praying for a while that heavenly father would lead me and sister Jones to people that need our help! We stopped by a couple times, no answer.... and then we got a cell phone number.... still no answer! BUT even though i didn't leave a message they must have seen a new number on their call display and called us back Sunday afternoon! I answered and set up an appointment with Jamie Courchesne for that afternoon! We went over and she was so friendly telling us all about herself and her family! Her mother is a member who joined up in Fort St. John and so she's been told bits and pieces of church doctrine. she explained that she had a hard time with churches that had "silly" rules like not being able to take blood or to exchange a rice cracker for bread in the sacrament if you are a celiac (because she is) well.... her and sister Jones became great friends from then on! started swapping celiac recipes it was hilarious.... we taught her about God is our loving Heavenly Father and read the introduction to the Book of Mormon! she was so respectful and discussed it well and agreed to start reading in first nephi and set up an appointment with us for Tuesday to teach the restoration! o I'm just so happy to have the chance to meet people who have open hearts it's so wonderful!

At church this week Brother Musson returned from holidays and received the Aaron priesthood! it was so wonderful..... he's so great and strong in his scripture study! Sister Maria Tapsoba was at church as usual and received her temple recommend along with our other recent convert brother Strasbourg. they both have family names ready to take to the temple for the FIRST time on Saturday and I'm so excited for them! i wish so badly we were allowed to go! I found out Sunday that a recent convert of a year just went through the temple with his wife (the meadows) and received their endowment! they will be sealed to their two little girls in Vancouver July 4th and are so excited! i gotta tell ya even the roughest of people are children of God, we have oil patch workers here joining the church and making temple covenants it's so amazing!!!

well! last but not least we have two full time missionary couples from Edmonton now assigned to our branch. they will commute three times a week and be in the elders quorum presidency and in the branch presidency to strengthen and provide leadership! what an answer to prayers! i love seeing REAL changes for good when you really use the church leadership system and say you two cents worth :)

i love you all so much, i hope you're staying strong and using all the tools the gospel of Jesus Christ offers to bring you hope and happiness in this crazy world we live in!

i leave you with this quote from conference April 2012:

"Our doctrine is clear; we are to be positive and of good cheer. We emphasize our faith, not our fears. We rejoice in the Lord's assurance  that He will stand by us and give us guidance and direction. The Holy Ghost testifies to our hearts that we have a loving Father in Heaven, whose merciful plan for our redemption WILL be fulfilled in every aspect because for the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ." -Elder Cook

Have a great week! cheers!

sister wotherspoon