God Loves You

So this weekend has been an adventure. Our car has been in for repair (don't worry, it's nothing we did) so we've been relying a lot on members for rides and we've done some walking. We've been heavily relying on one member in particular, and she's actually sitting in this room with us because she gave us a ride to the church to do emails, and in a little bit she'll take us to go get groceries -- Sister Cameron is an angel. She has a daughter on a mission, so she's pretty sympathetic. Her daughter Katie comes home in 84 days :)

I've learned a lot this week about the Atonement. I think that one of the advantages of being a missionary and one of the reasons we're transferred during our missions is because we arrive in a ward without a first-hand knowledge of anyone's history. We have no reason to think, "Well, I know the Atonement means repentance is available to everyone, but that person won't ever really change." I don't mean to say that I, as a missionary, am any less judgmental than any other imperfect person on this earth. I'm very sure I'm not. But it's such a blessing that in a new ward, we don't have the same tools to be judgmental as we would in a ward we'd been in for years. It makes me want to determine now to always remember the consistency of the Atonement. I have seen people change. I know it happens. I watched it happen this week. The Spirit can change the desire of our hearts, it's an incredible miracle. And it ALWAYS comes back to how much Heavenly Father loves us.

I don't really know what else to say. I'm going to end it there. The Atonement is real and it's for everyone, and absolutely everything I know right now is built on the foundation of God's love for his children.

I love you all, have a great week,
Souvenez-vous qui vous etes,

Sister Lonas

P.S. Oh and my hair is growing back in after dying it and I'm trying to decide if I should redye it blonde to fix up the roots, dye it brown (like, a little darker than my real hair) or just let it look bad for a while as it grows back naturally. Suggestions and insights are welcome!

Misquoting Prophets

So last Monday was Family Day in Ontario (Oh, Canada), which we thought was adorable right up until we went to go buy groceries and realized that every store was closed for the holiday. It wasn't a holiday in Quebec and since that's where most of the mission is, no one told us. It's been a funny week of really clearing out the cupboards. But it's been great, we've done some good inventory and we're going to be able to actually buy food today! Yay normal Mondays!

And then Tuesday beat the all-time record of snowfall in one day in Ottawa. 51.5 centimeters. It was amazing. We weren't allowed to drive so we spent the day having phone lessons and shoveling for our neighbors. We made friends :)

This week I've been thinking about this quote and I don't know who says it (probably an apostle or prophet) but Mom says it a lot and I think she might have it posted above her desk back home
"Never let a job to do become more important than a person to be loved." I'm not even sure if that's the exact quote. It might be "task" instead of "job"? Not sure. En tout cas, same general meaning. I could probably look it up on lds.org right now but I've been enjoying not knowing the exact wording, it's made it easier to adapt the quote to whatever situation I'm in.
I've been trying to be more loving in the work this week. There are always jobs to be done and things to be checked off lists (I make a lot of lists) but I get caught up really easily in checking those things off as fast as possible and I want to go quick quick quick and that's often not the most charitable attitude. It was pointed out to me in an email today how fortunate I am to have this opportunity to devote my time and energy to telling people about how great God is. I love telling someone for the first time that they have a Father in heaven who knows and loves them. "True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior." Seeing this foundational doctrine change people has been one of my greatest joys. Everything that we teach goes back to the love of God.

I'm really happy. Being a full-time missionary is good. I'm tired all the time. But it's so worth it.
I love you all,
Souvenez-vous qui vous etes,
--

Sister Lonas

p.s. We got a text saying there was a technical error with myldsmail.net last week and some missionary emails weren't sent out but that there isn't any way of knowing if an email really did go out or not. Sooo if you didn't get an email from me last week and you were expecting one, that was probably why.

It was in the negative thirties Celsius all weekend.

Okay, I'm apologizing now, this will be short.

But it was a great (freezing) week! I have a stronger testimony of the combined efforts of fasting and prayer. We fasted specifically for a young man in our ward who recently decided to quit the military and go on a mission, and is trying to figure out with the military how to make that work out in a way that he can still be busy until he leaves for his mission, and have enough financial support to serve. During our fast, we saw miracles, both related and unrelated to those things for which we were fasting.

We got a new investigator! We had a lesson with an investigator of ours who was recently passed off to us by the Elders because she wasn't progressing and they thought she might do better with Sisters (the way that lesson was set up was a miracle in itself but I don't have time to explain all that). Right at the beginning, she yelled for her daughter to come join us and it ended up being an AMAZING lesson where any question the mom had, she daughter would answer before we could and they both ended up saying they would read and pray and when they receive an answer from Heavenly Father that this is truly the church of Jesus Christ (which they will), they'll be baptized.

Also! We had a special assignment from the mission last week to pick up this sister from the airport, have her stay the night with us, take her to a meeting at the Embassy of Bulgaria the next day, and then take her back to the airport for her flight in the evening. We didn't really know what that was all

With Sister Johnston on the right and Sister Quinton in the back.

about until we picked her up, but it was super cool. Her name is Sister Quinton, she was called to serve in Bulgaria but has had some trouble figuring out visa information so they asked her to come for an interview at the Embassy of Bulgaria in Ottawa. Having her with us for the day was so fun! And going to the Embassy of Bulgaria was pretty sick. We totally got a return appointment to teach the Ambassador of Bulgaria (that's what I'm calling him in my head, I don't actually know if that's what he is, but he's the head honcho at the Embassy) but then we realized he isn't in our area. Sad day. But, we left him with the Testimony of Joseph Smith pamphlet and passed him off to the Riverside Sisters, so he's in good hands. Very nice man.

There's this family who have been waiting for five years for their paperwork to come in from Haiti so the parents could be legally married so they can be baptized and their paperwork FINALLY came in! I got here at a good time. They are getting married this Saturday and their baptismal date is March 4th.

So it was a great week! This email is actually turning out longer than I expected. Good for me.

There are many, MANY things I love about Sister Johnston. One of the biggest ones is that anytime we hesitate on what to do or we have a question on something, she is so quick to say "Well, let's ask Heavenly Father" and we kneel in prayer together. I still have a lot to learn from her. And she is still amazing.

I am getting settled in here and things are going well :) We have a great week planned out, I'm getting to know more people, this is a really awesome ward.

Souvenez-vous qui vous etes,

Sister Lonas

Ottawa, part one (and a few pics!)

I was alone on the greyhound bus to come to Ottawa, and I've never felt so much like I was in the Great White North. Two and a half hours of white wilderness whipped by the window. It was incredible.

So, serving in English is different. There are still French speakers in the ward and I feel like I cling to them, I'm so much more comfortable speaking French with members than English. I've gotten way good at speaking my mission language at all times with my companion (sorry, Sister Johnston :) ) because I'm so afraid that I'll lose my French if I don't. I rendered my testimony in Sacrament Meeting yesterday and discovered that apparently a fun new stress-response of mine is to slip into French. Oops.

But I've also felt very grateful realizing how much my French really did improve while I was in Terrebonne. A lot. Like...just...a lot.

The Chapel Hill ward is amazing! They're really nice to the missionaries, and not just because we're the orphaned young adults who need to be fed, but because they want to be involved in the work and they're excited about it. It's really cool. And this ward is HUGE. More than twice the size of Terrebonne. It's pretty overwhelming, but it's cool seeing how many people there are to work with. I am so excited to be here with these people.

Oh, and Ottawa is very, very Canadian. The accent is so real and people eat donuts all the time and every stereotype I've ever had plays out before my eyes daily.

Sister Johnston is amazing :) She has a very strong relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and you can feel it when you talk to her. I feel so blessed for the opportunity to serve with her, and I have a lot to learn from her.

I really miss Terrebonne. I got comfortable there. I knew everyone's schedule, I was settled in, I knew Sister Schmuhl better than almost anyone I've known ever, I knew and loved the ward, I knew who to call to teach with us, I knew what all the keys went to, I could rattle off our phone number in my sleep, I finally spoke the language. I don't know how many times I've said to myself in the last few days "There's no growth in the comfort zone, and there's no comfort in the growth zone." This is really hard for me, being in a new area. But I know it is what I need and it is what the people need.

It had been too long since I had to really rely on my Savior. I'm remembering how. I love Jesus Christ. I love the gospel. And I do already love Chapel Hill.


I love you all!
Souvenez-vous qui vous etes, and passez une bonne semaine :)
Sister Lonas

Saying goodbye in Terreboone

With her new companion, Sister Johnston!

"Au revoir" to "How ya doin', eh?"

It's a great day and it's going to be a great transfer (the next six weeks). If I sound under enthused, it's due to lack of sleep, not lack of enthusiasm. Be not deceived.

They're taking the sisters out of Terrebonne and we're passing off all of our people to the Elders. Sister Schmuhl and I came in together, and we're leaving together. #poetic. I'm really excited about being transferred. I know that transfers are ALWAYS inspired and that this will be a good change for this area. I'm just really tired and Sister Schmuhl and I are kind of frazzled. We had everything so under control, she was almost packed, and then we were VERY surprised to find out that I had to pack too, and we had to completely clean out the car and have pass off lessons with everyone we visit.

I'm going to Chapel Hill in Ottawa! I'll be speaking English. Fingers crossed I still know how. My new companion's name is Sister Johnston. I don't really know her but we talked just a bit at the temple open house and she seems pretty quiet and super nice. Good combination.

I have absolutely loved serving in Terrebonne and serving with Sister Schmuhl. I'll plan on making a compilation of some sorts of things I learned and talking about that next week but i'm a little unprepared for this email. I'm really tired.

I'm stressed about the next couple of days and really sad about the goodbyes, but I am also really excited about going to Ottawa! I'm due for a big change.

I love my Savior, Jesus Christ. I feel like it's been in Terrebonne that I really came to know Him as my brother and friend. I am so excited to continue in this work and share His love with a whole new group of people.

I love you all! Sorry this is so short.
Souvenez-vous qui vous etes,
Sister Lonas

P.S. This morning we dyed Sister Schmuhl's hair and now we match :)