September 24, 2012 letter

Hello Family, (and friends)

Another wonderful week here on the Island. Transfer calls come in today. We think we will both be staying, but you just never know. It is always a surprise. I wish they would call us before we go food shopping though. The hardest decision for today, do I buy things that need to be refrigerated? That is mission life for you though. :)

I am happy to say, that this week has been very productive. We had 3, almost 5 investigators at church this week. The extra 2 we aren't teaching just yet. We had a wonderful less active come to church as well. We have been trying to get a hold of him since we got here. Tuesday we were finally able to get into his home. He is from another country and hasn't been to church in a while. He actually ran up to the Elders when they were here saying he wanted to come back to church. it was a tender mercy from the Lord.

Anyway, he said he would come to church if we had the 13 Articles of Faith memorized. Neither of us did, but he said we would still come to church. Happy to say, I memorized all 13 Articles of Faith! Started Tuesday night and had them done by Sunday. So amazing. I have been using them while out talking to people. How awesome is that?!

My favorite thing to do, but also the scariest thing to do, is bear testimony when others oppose. Yesterday we were walking down the street and stopped to talk to someone. His friend came out and they were talking about how there are so many churches. We told them our purpose as missionaries is to help them find out for themselves. They opposed saying "that is what all the churches say. Are there 19 different Gods out there?" My companion ans I testified that the only way they will know is if they find out for themselves. As I was testifying it seemed to have pierced their hearts. They took a card and  said they would check out the website.

Mom, when I get home we are going to a spa and getting massages and pedicures!

I am so excited to see what transfers has in store. We are going over to the mission office on Thursday for sure, if not Wednesday for transfers, and we get to spend two nights in the mission home with President and Sister Tilleman. I am so excited for this opportunity and I look forward to seeing all the Sisters in the mission.

Conference is coming up and who is excited?! I cannot wait for the opportunity that I will have to sit among my brothers and sisters and listen to the Prophet of God. I know that Conference will be an uplifting and joyful time and I hope that you are all ready to listen to a prophets voice. One thing we have been challenging our friends to do is to come to conference with a question in mind. I know that if you come to conference with a question in mind, you will receive an answer. Me? I will have like 40 questions.

Continue to write me, family and friends. I will respond as quickly as possible! I am thankful for the love and the support and the prayers I feel from everyone! Continue to press forward with faith.

Read Alma 24:14!

Love you all.
Keeps the love coming.
I send mine back to you.

Sister Saal

September 17, 2012 letter

Greetings Earthlings-

Canada seems like a strange planet. :)
Just kidding, I love it!

Sorry my emails have been slacking lately. Things have been crazy and times have been hard. I am learning from them though. I know that Heavenly Father is teaching me something and I know that if I plug away long enough, I will figure out what it is. It is probably a lesson in patience. Seems like that happens a lot out here. Surprise right?

No, things have been good and we are seeing miracles.

This week we had a new investigator. She is amazing. I wasn't sure that Preach My Gospel was right when they said people were prepared by the Lord. She is an amazing woman. She has so much faith. We had a lesson with her last week and it went really well. She called us on Tuesday to set up a time to have us over for dinner. She wanted to make sure we got a time that would work with a good friend. We are having dinner with the both of them tonight. We then received a phone call from the friend on Wednesday informing us that our investigator would we coming to church. We both lit up when we saw her yesterday. I was watching her during Sacrament Meeting and she felt the spirit. She was amazed by the speakers. In our investigators class we talked about the Holy Ghost. She loved every minute of it. She keeps telling us she wants to join our church, but she doesn't know if she can fully commit. I cannot even begin to explain how prepared she is. It is like Heavenly Father opened up the heavens and lead us to her. She is having major surgery next week and received a priesthood blessing yesterday. She truly is a miracle.

It was a testimony to me that this is where I need to be at this time. I needed to meet her to help her progress. That is just one miracle though!

Another one - a sister in the area. The elders were tracting in our area. They found her and invited her to be baptized on the 30th of this month. She said she would think about it. We met with her and she expressed her desire to be baptized. She was simply amazed when we told her the First Vision. She is excited to see Conference. She is great. She has blue hair! She was worried that the blue would get on the baptismal clothes. She has been prepared by the Lord.

Despite the hard times, things are going well. We are going over to the Lower Mainland next week for transfers and for the Women's Conference. Then we have the Relief Society Broadcast. Then, unless I am transferred, a Zone Conference with President Tilleman. Then General Conference. Then Canadian Thanksgiving. Then Stake Conference. WOW! I am excited for the next few weeks!

I am thankful for all your support and love and prayers! I am excited for the all the many blessings I am seeing.

I love you all! Have a wonderful week.

Sister Saal.

D&C 33:17

September 10, 2012 letter

Happy Grandparents Day! Sorry I am a day late, but I want you to know, I hope you had a great (fake) holiday! :) Love you both.

This week has been pretty crazy, but it has been pretty good. I will give you a little brief overview on the week. Sorry, there never seems to be enough time in the day. The ward is taking such great care of Sister Thayer and I. They are feeding us like crazy and they want me, I think I talked about this last week, to go in to a natural doctor for a vega-test. It will let me know if I am allergic to anything. Still waiting to hear back from the mission office.

We have had few lessons, but they have been great. I am excited to see how they turn out. Things are going well for the area, and I am learning a lot about myself. I know what it was talking about in Ether 12:27. Weaknesses are coming out, weaknesses I didn't even know I had. My job is to work on turning them into strengths.

Sorry this week is a lame letter. I will send a better one next week, hopefully along with a hand-written letter. Sorry it has been a while mom.

Love you all. Give the kids a hug for me next time you see them.

Read 1 Samuel 17. I love the story of David and Goliath. We all have our Goliaths we need to face.

Sister Saal 

September 3, 2012 letter

Hello family!

Yesterday was Labour Day and so the library was closed. I am thankful for that because I was able to rest a lot yesterday.

This past week was pretty rough. We were inside most of the time due to Sister Saal being sick. That is right. The antibiotic they put me on for my sinus infection made me sick to my stomach and I threw up a few times. Not a pretty sight. The ward here is so great and Sister Thayer took good care of me! I slept a lot and she was able to do some extra studies!

While I was able to sleep/ rest, I was able to learn a lot about me. One major thing I learned while being sick is how much the Lord really loves me. Last Sunday we had the opportunity to speak in Sacrament Meeting. Sister Thayer did amazing on her talk on the Power of Scriptures. I was humbled by my topic. It was an address given in the October 2011 General Conference entitled, 'You Matter to Him' by President Uchtdorf! I love that talk simply because it talks about how much God really does know and love us. I feel small at times. I feel SO inadequate. I feel like I won't make a difference. However, that is how Satan wants us to feel. He wants us to feel alone, and small, and worthless. And yet, Heavenly Father loves us so much! He feels our sorrows. He knows our pains. He loves us perfectly. He has created worlds without ends, and He wants to hear from me. I am one in trillions, and yet I matter to Him. How true that is. How strongly I have come to see that. I love that talk! I am so thankful for the tender mercy in being assigned to speak on it. It was an amazing learning experience for me and for that, I am so thankful.

Another thing I have been working on is applying the scriptures to myself. A friend wrote and told me about the experiences he had. I have really thought about that. I try to apply my name in the scriptures, but I never would have thought about putting myself in the shoes of a Roman Solider, or Judas. It is amazing how much we can learn if we really apply the scriptures to our life. 

I love receiving letters from people, and I sent out a bunch yesterday. Sorry mom and dad, next week I will send a hand written letter. I had so many I had to catch up on, and I am still trying to play catch up. I love you family. I am thankful for your love and support. I am thankful for all you do.

Sister Saal!

Read 2 Nephi 24:3! One of my faves!

August 27, 2012 letter

Hello family! (and friends)

It is a beautiful Monday here on the Island! I hope things are going well for you down in Utah. How is the weather? It has been nice here.

The biggest news that I have to share at this time - I went to the small town of Port McNeill on Wednesday to do an exchange with the North Island sisters. Honestly, it is a small town, 3,500 people-maybe? It is at the top of the Island and it is basically already winter there. It is so beautiful though! They have the World's Largest Tree Cancer! I took a picture. I will try and send some pictures when I can. It really is amazing here.

Anyway, we had a very amazing experience in Port McNeill. We had a lesson with a potential investigator. She is so amazing. She has been through a lot, but she has so much faith. We gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon to read and she said she would love to read it. The Book of Mormon changes people's lives. I am so thankful to be a part of that.

We found two new investigators this week, with the potential of like 5 more this. Keep this area in your prayers.

Sorry, I don't really have a lot at this moment. I am sick, again! YAY! Sinus infection came back and I went to the doctor's last Monday. Well, the medication is really not liking my stomach so I get to go back! Perfect right?! I will let you know how things go. One of these days I am just going to ignore the doctors and do what I think is best. Sister Tilleman doesn't think that is a good idea.

I love you all family so much. I am so thankful for your prayers and for your love. I hope things go well for you this week. And enjoy the time with the grand babies. Give them a hug and kiss for me. Don't let them forget me.

Love you.

Sister Saal

you should read: Alma 34! Great chapter.