I Love Being A Missionary! (8/18/2014)

A mission is the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. I feel like every week some amazing things happen...along with some not so amazing things. But it's the amazing things that we always need to focus on and remember! That's what makes it all worth it in the end.

Monday we were tracting and Sister Jolie and I both felt like we just needed to go down a different street. So we found the street and started walking along. Nobody was really interested as we were knocking on doors. And then we saw Rick walking up the street. He was this person that we'd met a few weeks back, but never got his address or phone number so we didn't have a way of contacting him again. Turns out he wants to come to church! We were able to get his number, so hopefully we can start teaching him soon. Such a miracle!

Tuesday night we decided to drive to Bowser to go finding because we were going on exchanges with the Qualicum Beach sisters (our Sister Training Leaders). So we were tracting out in the boonies and we met the cutest old lady ever. She just had a friend pass away and was really sad. She wanted to show us all her albums and tell us her life story, like most old people do. But we had to go. She was so funny and just made our night!

Then, I was in Qualicum all day Wednesday. It's basically a retirement community so everyone is...mature. It was interesting! hahaha. Old people can just say whatever they want because "they're old and don't know what they're talking about." We stopped by some people with a member and was able to teach someone. Then we visited a member from the branch and talked to them about Preach My Gospel. They gave us a fig from their fig tree to try. It was weird. We went finding and met some very interesting people. One guy wanted to hang out with us on the beach...we were like...umm, no we can come back and teach you about the Book of Mormon. hahaha! Then we visited with some more members. They gave us some soup but we had no way to eat it. This is Sister Gibb and I getting creative.

 

 

Wooo! Old quizzno's cups​ as soup cups. Hahaha. Gross. Anyways, then I headed back to Courtenay.

 

Thursday we had weekly planning, which is always an experience. We need to do it, but it's just so hard sometimes! It was fun going out finding that night. I just can stand staying inside for too long.

 

Friday we had a lesson with a former investigator. His true friend who introduced him to the missionaries was able to come, so it was such a great lesson. We taught him about the gospel of Jesus Christ and how baptism is an essential ordinance. It's so important for us to all be baptized by someone who holds the Priesthood authority of God, so that it's bound in Heaven and on Earth. We asked him to pray about it so I'll let you know how it goes.

 

Then we visited with Arleen. SHE GOT HER TEMPLE RECOMMEND! WAHOOOO!!! Her family is now going to be sealed for time and all eternity. I'm so happy for her. I can't even wait! You can just see her face glowing as she talks about going to the temple. It's just such a wonderful thing. I love the temple! <3

 

Then we met with Ken. He's doing so well! We finished up teaching him the Restoration. He believes that the Book of Mormon is true! He's been praying and feels like his surgery is going to go well and that God is keeping him alive for a reason.

 

Then...DEBBIE! I seriously love this woman so much. She invited us over for dinner and it was so fun. We got to know her a lot better and her kids are just so cute. We taught her about keeping the Sabbath Day holy and how we need to be obedient to God's commandments. Her daughter kept saying during dinner, "when are we going to talk about Heaven?" Little kids are just so cute! And so in tune with the spirit! And have such wonderful questions.

 

So Friday was the "highest of highs!"

 

Then Saturday...We had a wonderful meeting with our ward mission leader and his wife. They live in the village of Cumberland. Well, since we were already there for the meeting, we thought it would be a good idea to spend the day there. We started going tracting and literally nobody answered their door. We did a pretty decent sized street and maybe 2 people answered.

Then, I had to go to the bathroom so we went to the main street of town. We went to the library and Sister Jolie was able to talk to an inactive member which was pretty cool. We gave her the address of the church and she said that she'll drop in sometime. It's funny how God places us in the right place at the right time. Then we went out onto the main street and realized that there was a festival going on, so that is why nobody was home. We started just talking to people on the street and just got this strange empty feeling. Like the spirit couldn't be there at all. It was still with us, but not with the people in Cumberland. We felt like we were in the Great and Spacious Building. We had to leave because we just couldn't stand the feeling anymore. When you're set apart as a missionary, it's wonderful to feel the spirit so strongly. But it does have an effect on us. So that was our "lowest of lows" point in the week. We went to a different town called Royston and went tracting there. The spirit was able to be with us more. We also went to visit some members and that helped a lot. The spirit is so sensitive, and we always need to be worthy of it!

Sunday was one of the craziest ones by far! Ken was able to come to church! He has a hard time walking though, so he uses a cane. He couldn't walk on the carpet at all, so Sister Jolie and I were running around like crazy people trying to find a wheel chair. Good thing they had some! So we wheeled Ken into the chapel and he was able to enjoy sacrament meeting. He has committed to be baptized on Sept 13th. Now we just need to meet with his wife to get her on board.

The gospel is true! I love being a missionary! You can send my letters to:

Sister Struempler

Canada Vancouver Mission

P.O. Box 149

Point Roberts, WA

98281

 

or

 

Sister Struempler

Canada Vancouver Mission

8440 Williams Road

Richmond, B.C.

V7A - 1G6

Canada

because transfers are coming up soon . . . I can't believe it!

Love,
Sister Struempler