Washing Eggs for service at the food bank.  We washed about 600 eggs and broke/cracked maybe 25...

 

Elder Richins and I as Joseph and Mary for the Ward Nativity Event... This looks way more awkward than it was...

The BITE MARK

So this one time... on my mission... I turned into a Werewolf

Ok... SO I didn't turn into a werewolf... But I DID get BIT BY A DOG!!!!!!!  On Friday the 13th none-the-less....  I may have a hunkering for meat a little more, and foamy drool is starting to escape from my lips....

Ok.  NO really I don't have rabies, the dog got it's shots, and I am just fine. I called the health clinic and they gave me advice on what to do.  I will just have a scar or two.

Here are the details:  We were going to wrap Christmas presents on our dinner hour for an investigator's cousin and Sister Rush walks in the door with her lion-mane hood.  Unfortunately, we didn't get the text until after the fact that the dog really doesn't like hoods.  Anywho we walk in and the adults are yelling "Take off your hood!!!!!"  So she does, then walks out of the entryway so I can enter and the next thing I know this dog is running for me (A boxer about mid-thigh height).  I put out my hand to stop it or something of the like and the next thing I know its teeth have sunk into my right hand and Kia is ripping him off of me.  I'm proud to say that I didn't cry.  In fact, the first thing I did was turn to Sister Rush and say "...It... bit me!"  And then I started staring into their front entryway mirror and gave myself a pep-talk in my head while the pain and shock set in...  Wow..  Then they bandaged me up and I began to wrap presents... It bruised and swelled for a while as well as bled but I am just fine now... only scabs and a tender hand.

So there you go.  All of those missionary horror stories about dogs have legitimacy to them.  I am also proud to say that I am not afraid of dogs any more than I was before.  Maybe that one... but all dogs that haven't bit me are still good in my book.

I can also say I am not mad at Sister Rush, Kia, Felicia, or the dog...  It just happened and that is that.

Speaking of not getting mad at Sister Rush we are getting along much better now.  Not that we weren't getting along before but we have developed a level of friendship and trust that is very good.  Yes, I would truly consider her my friend.

Also speaking of friends... The 17 year old girl I told you about in my last email hugged me yesterday!!!!!  That might not seem like a big deal to you, but trust me, it is a big deal!  It just goes to show everyone appreciates feeling loved even if they might not seem to want it at first...

Things are definitely picking up in my little peice of the vinyard... Sister Rush and I are being blessed with new investigators like crazy.  Last week we were finally able to teach Lori, a potential we met in our first week in Moose Jaw who we haven't been able to get a hold of because she's so busy, but we taught her on Tuesday and she felt the spirit.  We are going back tomorrow.  We are still teaching Jesse, the family Felicia and Leonard, and Maria.  Jesse is probably closest to baptism.  We haven't been able to teach the family I found at the Ward Christmas party yet but we are planning on teaching them on Friday.  Also, Sister William's friend Sandy is has become interested in learning (she's come to church a couple of times) and now she is going to take lessons!!!!  SO GOOD!  We teach her tomorrow...

So yeah... A lot of good is happening here.  It's crazy.  It's amazing to see what can happen when you're actually in your area for a whole week.

Funny Moment of the Week:

Sister Rush and I are shopping at the grocery store.

She reads a text as I push the cart.

Sister Rush: Brother Bachiu (our ward mission leader) asked how you hand is doing.

Me: That's so sweet of him... Why don't you tell him...

Sister Rush, seeing an item we need yells: Toilet Paper!

Me: Sure... that should work.

One last thing, we as a mission are doing a ten day study, leading up to Christmas, studying the Doctrine of Christ.  I invite you to join us and see what good comes into your heart these next ten days. :)

Much Love! Keep doing what's right and spreading the love.

Sister Heidi Hill

Sister Rush being festive

The study zone

Elizabeth is turned eight this week. I made her a picture story explaining the Gospel of Christ and she wrote "I LOVE THE GOSPEL!!! :)" in marker all around it!  SHE IS SOOOO CUTE!!!!

Moose Jaw: Gong Show #2

HOLY... Nearly everyone who has written me has commented on the weather.   YES, it is -40 with windchill (and -40 is the same thing in both Celsius and Fahrenheit by the way), but honestly, it doesn't feel any colder than Utah.  Probably because I'm in it for less periods of time than when I used to ski.  And I do have a crazy coat and Assault BOOTS!!! rated for -25 C weather.  (plus, my ULTRA THICK Canadian tights).

Yesterday was another one of those moments when people say nice things across the pulpit that makes me think, "Oh... I AM loved."  One of the Moose Jaw Young Women is 17 and super sarcastic.  She says rude things to Sister Rush and I all the time.  I don't think they are meant to be as rude as they sound... but yeah.  Let's just say I thought everyone in my ward liked me to some extent except her.  But yesterday in her talk she mentioned how all of us were like family, even the missionaries.  She went on to say that she was a little leary when she heard Sisters were coming because she's never had a sister (like real life sister), and that it was really weird when we came to her house for the first time and we hugged her, but she's discovered having sisters isn't so bad after all and that she looks up to us.  Awe!!!!!

That's what makes Moose Jaw so great.  It really is like family here.  Between Brother Kronebush poking you in the side and Brother Johnstone sticking your face in the drinking fountain it's pretty much the best.  Or brother Johnstone and sister Larson (who are both grown adults mind you) poking each other and throwing candies at each other in the middle of ward coorelation to the point where our ward mission leader (the most excellent Brother Bachiu) has to put them at separate corners of the table.  I don't know any other wards I've been in where parents pick up other parents' teenage kids and throw them over their shoulders.  Maybe that's why we love each other so much.  This ward is like one big party of constant harassment.  :)  LOVE IT.

As for the miracles this week, another one of our great miracles is due to our ward members.  We had our Ward Christmas party and whewy.... I ran around that gym like a mad-woman talking with everyone while Sister Rush entertained Jesse by playing chess...  Finally the last set of people that I talked with (there were a TON of people there) was a family that the Lowry's brought.  The conversation was going really well and I asked them for a referral of who they knew I could share a message about Christ with and he said, "Honestly, we would."  YES!!!!!  Just goes to show that when you talk with everyone, pray like crazy, and work to see those miracles they come.  Faith. In. Action.  Boom.  We have been praying to teach a family for forever and we are meeting with them on Wednesday!

We are also still having great spiritual experiences with Jesse.  Every time we go over, the spirit is SO strong.  We were a little unsure whether he was a real investigator or if he was just in it for the social experience, but when we went in we were very upfront and just talked about baptism and what he thought about it.  I think the reason we can be so upfront is because we are friends.  Something I am truly learning on my mission from both experiences with investigators, members and missionaries is that if you want people to trust you, they need to know that you love them.  I think after my mission I will be so much better at showing love than I was before.  I used to be afraid of showing my vulnerability because I needed to know that people loved me back.  People can be so harsh and my heart has had a lot of hurt throughout life... but honestly, everyone needs love and wants love so just share it with the world and don't be afraid!  True charity and true love is caring about people no matter what they think about you.

So that's my week!  Lots of good stuff.. And I was in my area for the whole week which was amazing! Plus we got transfer calls... it's official I'm staying here and killing off the Rush!  (As of Friday we will be the STLs over the whole mission until President gets inspiration on who the new ones will be...  so that's not intimidating... at all...)

In the mean time,

Much love from Sister Heidi Hill

 

 

Canada thinks it is so creative. (There is no huge black friday here since Canadian Thanksgiving is all the way back in October.  Boxing day is the big thing here).

Sister Rush, Sister Lane, Sister Denton and Sister Hill (Don't worry, I wore more exciting things than just a white t-shirt for the day).



Sister Denton and I had matching feet for the day:)

Awful Falafel

So.... My week.

Well... it did not start out very well.  A lot of appointments were dropped Tuesday, and Wednesday was... interesting.  We went to deliver posters for the world-wide Christmas devotional at other churches in town and many church leaders/receptionists were nice, and then others weren't nice at all....  The way one guy talked, he was saying the meanest things is the most nonchalant way and it was SOOOOO FRUSTRATING!!!!! And then for lunch, we thought we would be all exciting and fry up the mushed up chickpeas and white kidney beans we had to make falafel.... Yeah.  NASTY.  Let's just say, it ended up turning into oily-garlicy-chickpea soup because the falafel disinigrated in the hot oil... and our house STILL reeks of it!!!  SO gross!  We are DEEP cleaning our Deep-fried house as soon as email time is over.

But since then things have gotten a lot better.  Overall Sister Rush and I are starting to understand each other a bit more.  Not that we were horrible before... she was just a little... intimidating.  Like been on the mission for 12 more months than I have, but is also three years older than me and is super intense intimidating.  Plus she has, in her own words, a "volatile" personality.... Which can be really scary when she's upset.  But... we are starting to get a lot more used to each other now.  I am starting to realize that she does have some weaknesses and I do have strengths, and we are a lot more equal as companions than I thought.  I am also starting to get out of this identity crisis, which is nice....  Although I do have a feeling I might have another one the next time I transfer or get moved to a new area... So this should be interesting.  Luckily though, I think I'll be in good old Moose Jaw for a while.

Things also got better when we went on exchanges to Regina with Sister Lane (from Alberta)and Sister Denton (from England).  They are in the Wascana Ward.  I think overall this was possibly the most informative exchange of the whole transfer.  They learned a lot about different ways of finding, and we found out better ways to work with the members.  They were really down on themselves because they are not finding as many people to teach as another sister who left the area was, but I'm really glad we were there to bouy them up and teach them what it truly means to be a successful missionary (and it has nothing to do with the numbers, because let's face it--as hard we may try the people we get to teach are truly gifts of God.)  Sister Denton is super sweet though.  She is SO kind, and so thoughtful, and so loving, and I definitely want to be more like her.  I also think the exchange helped her to break out of her shell, which was way good!

Then on Friday we had MLC which was very intense. (Missionary Leadership Council where Assistants to the President, Zone Leaders, and Sister Training Leaders discuss the progress of the mission). I was asked to give a portion on key issues I noted during exchanges and one of them was the lack of communication between some district leaders and sisters... well that almost blew up.  Elders started getting all defensive and if the meeting weren't over video conference I'm pretty sure there might have been some blood drawn when Sister Rush and Sister Needham pulled out their claws!  Whew!  That was dicey...  We also had to set a new baptisimal goal for next year and it started getting a little heated as well.  It was fun though, and in the end we settled on.... 225!

The best part though is I think when we taught J. He is the one I found looking for formers.  At the end of the lesson (which was pretty powerful) we had him say a kneeling prayer and he had a hard time at first.  You could tell that Satan was working on him.  But in the silence Sister Rush and I prayed for him in our hearts super hard, and when he spoke he said one of the most spirit-filled and sincere prayers I have heard.  SOOOO GOOOOOD.

Man I love Moose Jaw!  I have the best ward ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  The people are so friendly, so much fun, and so willing to help with missionary work.  I love them!!!!!!!!!!!

I love you all!

Heidi/Sister Hill