Bailey the miracle dog.

Sister Fellows, Elder Frenkel, and the district snow cave

Abandoned house in the middle of NOWHERE on the way to Ormiston.

Up's and Down's

Well lets start with Bailey the miracle dog.  Once upon a time, Sister Fellows and I were parked in front of a building to contact a referral in the middle of a crazy snow storm.  I was about to get out of the car when I saw a little white dog.  Sister Fellows let him in our car and we called the humane society.  He was so cute. We called him buddy.  After a half hour of waiting, the humane society people still weren't there, so we texted our elders to tell them about the dog and that we should adopt him as our district pet.  Through a miracle and the South Elders shoveling snow in the middle of all this, they found the dog's owner and called us.  That's how we found out the dog's real name.  The North Elders were pretty mad when they found out we couldn't have a district dog named Tupac, but you know.

Just FYI we contacted that referral later and they super didn't want us there and they let us in there house as they were eating stew... they didn't really even come into greet us, and then they just looked at us and kept eating while we asked if they new about missionaries and wanted to learn anything... And then one of them basically yelled at us and asked how we got in the building... "Um, You buzzed us in."... Wow.  It was actually funny how ridiculous it was.

Ok... lots has happened but there's not a lot of time to write, so just know that I am super duper homesick this week and miss you all lots and lots... and if anyone feels like sending me a St Patricks Day package I don't think I would mind a bit seeing as how it IS my favorite holiday and transfers are coming next Thursday so you should send it soon if you do!  That's my plug in for mail.  Ok, love you tons!

Sister Heidi Hill!

Sister Christensen and I :)

We as a district had a cookie baking party for the members in our ward.

Sister Fellows bought me socks for valentine's day and put them on my moose!

The Worrywart Learns Some Important Lessons

This week we were able to see the Lewvan Sisters after specialized training.  I went with Sister Christensen, who was my first friend in the mission and I spent lot of time with in my first transfer because we lived across the hall from each other.  We both have learned a lot since then, and we both learned a lot from exchanges.  I really took specialized training to heart, and even wrote "My line is in the water." on the back/bottom of my clippy name tag that clips on my coat pocket to remind myself that every time I leave the apartment, I should be talking with everyone.  I gave my heart to the Lord, and rather than asking, "should I talk with that person?" it became, "what and how?", not if.  As soon as I did that, the Lord was able to direct my path, and when we had fifteen minutes before a teaching appointment, we decided to do some knocking, and I felt we should knock on a door I had noticed a man walk by earlier.  We knocked twice, and after waiting for a while we walked away, only to hear a "Hello?" coming from the doorway.  We rushed back to find a single mother who had just moved to Regina to escape an abusive husband in Fort Qapelle, and was in a perfect position to hear the gospel.  Sister Christensen asked her if she could use some religion in her life, and she invited the Lewvan Sisters to come back the following week. :)

We were stuck in Lewvan for another day after the exchange because of a major storm, and had to stay in after dinner, so we had a party talking about the word of wisdom and I worked on some knitting I brought with me.

As for me, I am learning so much right now.  I have been totally overwhelmed and overly consumed by stress, and I didn't even know why I am stressing.  Perhaps I still don't know the full extent of it.  However I got advice and a blessing from a member, Brother Sherlock, and he really helped me to see and understand what I was stressed about (that I'm not able to solve everybody's problems, even though I so badly want to help).  The blessing was a really special experience, and then he invited Sister Fellows and I to his family's house that afternoon to share some things with me.  He told us something his dad created called the 4 D's of Administration.  It tells us that if we can't change things even if we acted, Drop it.  If you don't have enough information to know how a situation should be handled, Delay it.  If it's not your job to fix it, Delegate it.  If none of those apply, Do it.  It may seem really simple, but it has really helped me.  I realized that there are so many people I am expecting myself to change or help. So many decisions I make everyday, but I can't do it all, so I have become a bundle of stress.  He talked about Alma 14:9-13 and how sometimes we aren't meant to do everything even if it is really good.  God knows more, and he will take care of things in His way, in His time.

That has helped a lot.  I have a lot I need to change about myself to be happier, and I know it will probably take some time, but I know that through Jesus Christ I can change all things and become the person I need to become.  That is the beauty of the gospel.  The doctrine of Christ doesn't only apply for what is often labeled as "sins" and "misdeeds" but for lifestyles, attitudes and behaviors that hold us back and pull us down from being who we truly need to be.  I am applying the atonement in my life to help me overcome this lifestyle that has been apart of me for so long.

We didn't get any new investigators this week, and I'm not sure why.  I don't know what I was or wasn't doing that was holding me back.  I was trying to follow the spirit, but sometimes it is still so hard to tell.  I know there are people for us to find, and I know that many of them are ready to be baptized... I'm just still figuring out how to find them....  I really did appreciate specialized training though... Sister Fellows and I are in re-evaluation of ourselves and area.  We will be doing a lot of studying from chapter 9 this week (the chapter in Preach My Gospel about Finding).  Please pray for missionary experiences to help others understand the atonement of Jesus Christ.  Please pray for eye-awakening opportunities to see how you can change through the atonement of Christ.

Love,

Sister Heidi Hill

Crooked picture of Sister Fellows and I in front of a "Ship" in a tiny town on the outskirts of Moose Jaw.  The things we do on the way to peoples houses.

The Celery

When Sister Rush was a Sister Training Leader she used to name everyone in our stewardship after fruit.  I was originally a kiwi, but Sister Ashton-Korn has since called me the celery because I eat so healthy.  I'm kind of a hippie.  What can I say?

One of the things I have learned this week is probably in the top two, if not my main reason, for being in Moose Jaw at this time.  And that is for my Sisters.  I am working closely with some Elders who care about their stewardship very much and strive to help them as much as they can, and I have decided I want to be much more like that: focused on my stewardship as well as the people I serve.

This week we went on exchanges in Saskatoon with Sister Harrison, Davis, and Ashton-korn as well as Pelletier and Tomkinson.  We kind of did a three way bunch of mini-exchanges for the tri-pan, and then I was with Sister T for the second exchange.  She is so great.  She is only two-weeks old, but has so much potential.  I see great things headed our way.

Another thing I have really had solidified since I've been with Sister Fellows is that humility is a two-way street.  It is knowing that without God you are nothing, but it is also knowing that with God you are everything.  Alma 26:12.  So good.

Cutest moment of the week: our nine year old investigator prayed, and without us even talking about missionary work he prayed that "we can still be missionaries even though we're young"  Yes!

Funny Moment of the week:  Sister Fellows and I went to a nursing home to visit a ward member.  We also met a few interesting people.

Sister Fellows: What's your name?

Old Lady with a Baltic accent: I don't know... Should I tell you?... Ok.  It's Olga.  And what's your name?

Sister Fellows: *Holds up name badge with a smile* Sister Fellows.

Olga:  Hmmm... Sister Fellows.... Whatever the hell that means!

Ba ha ha....  Gotta love the missionary life.

Love you! Sister Heidi Hill 

PS Sister Fellows and I went to the moose jaw mall last week.  It was a joke.  half of the shops were closed down and the food court was full of old people. :) Gotta love it!

The elders trying to imitate the Beatles downtown.