February 25, 2013 letter

Dear Family (and friends) -

 

Another week has come and gone! I hope you are enjoying the cold weather. It is a little chilly here. No snow. Lots of rain. I hope that I don't walk a hole in my rain boots before the end of the season. That would be unfortunate.

 

Really quick, we ran out of time last P-Day so I will be sending the pictures this week. I hope you are ready, they are good pictures! :)

 

This week has been epic. We taught like 17 lessons this week, 10 of which with investigators. The work is speeding up and it is soon going to become quicker. President Tilleman came to a few lessons with us on Thursday. He gave us a little inside information about transfers. This transfer is only 5 weeks instead of 6. Talk about stressful. Everything that we need to do has to be done a week earlier. We have been keeping very busy. It is really nice because it keeps us focused and helps us not "get lazy" as Sister Duffy would say. Another update about transfers! We have 11 sister missionaries coming in this transfer. We have about 15 English speaking sisters right now, with two going home. How crazy! We are going to basically double in one day. Plus, with all the new missionaries and the new rules with the MTC, we will be getting missionaries coming here in between transfers. The Lord is hastening the work and I hope I can keep up. Shortly, as President Tilleman said, I will be in charge of a new missionary.

 

Our investigator in Courtenay was baptized this weekend! As sad as I was not to be there, she entered into a covenant with our Father in Heaven and that is all that matters. I love being a missionary. I love seeing how much the gospel changes lives! It has changed mine forever.

 

I had the opportunity to go on an exchange and go to Abbotsford with the sisters down there. They are both great missionaries and I am blessed to be around such amazing sisters. We had a lesson with a couple that invited us in right away. They are Bahai. We were talking to them and then a knock came on the door. It was their pastor or preacher or whatever they have. Well, we got into a heated discussion (heated on his side. Contention is of the devil so we refused to be contentious) and he was trying to prove us wrong. Finally we had to go in for the night anyway, so we just left. It ended on a good note and the wife was really interested to learn more. The sisters will be going back, though the preacher promised he would not be there.

 

There is not much else I can think of. I seem to be just SOOOOO tired all the time. I feel like I could take a 72 hour nap and still be tired. It is an amazing feeling at the end of the night when you are trying to say your prayers and your mind won't stay focused. That is proof that you did a lot that day!

 

Love you family. I know this is true. I know it can change your life if you let it. Test out Moroni's promise in Moroni 10:3-5. Read the Book of Mormon. Pray about it with real intent. Let it change your life.

 

Love you.

 

Sister Saal.

 

I love you papa! You are the best. I couldn't ask for a better dad.