November 10th

Hey everyone!

How are you all doing? Life this week has been good. There really isn't a lot to report here. Caeri's baptism is off because we are now planning her wedding to Patrick. So that's been fun. She wants to be married on Dec. 6 so she can be baptized. But that is so soon and with what she really wants for her wedding I don't think we will be able to pull it off that soon. So ya that's that.

We got to see Myriam again this week and that was fun. She is still really wanting to learn more about this church she was baptized into but doesn't know anything about it. So we will continue to teach her to the best of our abilities. She is super nice and has a bubbly personality. it has been good.

Carolyn is doing good. She isn't our investigator but we do see her and are her friends. She got baptized 2 weeks ago and it was awesome. She had to overcome a lot for it to happen. We haven't seen Dan this week. We went back to the hospital to see him but he wasn't there so we are going to try again next weekend. 

We have had snow. Yes the snow has come but nothing stuck. It just made things wet. But that's nothing new because it rains here all the time so it's always wet. Luckily it wasn't cold yet. I know winter is coming so I guess I should get prepared because all the members keep telling me good luck. 

Things definitely go better when we are able to get the members involved. I was reading this morning in Alma and Ammon was with the King of the Lamanites and all he did was serve him. That's what got the king to open up to the Gospel. It doesn't take a lot. Just a smile or holding the door open. We make it much harder than it really is. I'm still learning this. It comes with time, a lifetime of learning. 

miss having Thanksgiving in November. There isn't really isn't anything to look forward to. Its killing me since Thanksgiving is my favorite. Maybe some of our American friends can give us a meal. That would be fun.

Love you all! Hope everything is going well!

Sister Gardner

November 3

Hello everyone. I hope you are all having a good week! My week here has been awesome. My companion calls it greenie and leaving miracles since I'm in training and she goes home this next transfer. 

I first want to mention Carolyn. So she is not our investigator but we sometimes help teach her and we have become good friends with her. She was able to be baptized on Saturday. This was huge because things kept going wrong for her, like her family basically disowned her, and she almost couldn't find a place to live (she had been living with her boyfriend), but she stayed strong and was baptized and confirmed. I hope she gets a small break. Sister Morris gave the Holy Ghost talk and I gave a prayer (which I didn't know until I got there). It was great!

Next is Dan. He is a security guard at the Veteran's Hospital. He has been studying many religions and have read a lot of scriptures. He decided he wanted to learn a little big more about Mormons. He already knows a lot of things that we teach. He has been cool to talk to.

Last I would like to mention Myriam. She is a less active and we have been looking for her. When we went to talk to her Mom about her, her mom said she wouldn't want to meet with us, but she would mention that we were asking about her. Well she passed on the message and Myriam called us back. She was super bubbly and wanted to meet with us. So we went and it went awesome! She asked many questions and she really wants to know about the church she was baptized into but knows nothing about. 

So when people really want the truth they will search for it. God prepares them for it. It's awesome to see the change people have. 

So the random thing is from Elder Mourier. He is from France. The crazy thing is he knows where Price, Utah is and knows about Groggs. He loves the food there! Crazy right! His Dad's mission companion was there and took them to it. Awesome right! Price has a small claim to fame from a family from France. 

Madi and Tathan, I would like to here how your missions are going as well! I want to hear the good, bad, and the ugly. 

I hope everyone's week goes well. If someone can spread my condolences to the Kettle family, the Johnson family from Greenriver, and the Smith family with their losses and hard times that would be great! 

Love you all!

Sister Gardner 

October 27th

Hey everyone! Hope all is going well in your neck of the woods. This week as many of you have probably heard there was a shooting in Parliament. The good news is that no I wasn't affected by it. The most we had happen was some missionaries were delayed in their going home to their  areas (we had had district meetings that morning). I watched the news at an investigators house. It looked intense. Someone with a cell phone recorded the gunning down of the shooter. Many shots were fired. People were pretty shook up by it and we had a soldier killed. So just keep Canada in your prayers. We have heard there were some other attacks in Quebec. So just keep them in mind.

The miracle I wanted to share this week was with the Bishop. Last week we had helped with a funeral of the bishop's father in-law. I guess the connection between the missionaries and the bishop hasn't been good. So we decided to go and help. Oh my goodness the difference that made. The next week the bishop wanted to meet with us and he is all about missionary work right now. He said his family appreciated the help we were to give. So hopefully things continue to progress. 

My last funny is we found a little downtown shop on Monday that loves Obama. I mean seriously. They sold Obama cookies and had posters of him coming to their shop in 2009. It was funny to see. I took a pic I can send later.

Love you all and keep up the good work! :)

Sister Gardner

P.S. Does anyone have an address for Madi Frame so I can send her an email?

Thanks

P.S. Thanks for the package! It made me smile! (Note from Carol: This package didn't take as long! :-))

Oct 20 Hello

Hello from Ottowa! I hope everything is treating you well! Life here has been good. This week was full of miracles. Elder Li calls them Thanksgiving Miracles. Maybe we will have 2 Thanksgiving miracle weeks. This one and one in November. 

So to start off we went to a dinner with the Duvall family on Monday. They are an active couple with a daughter who just came home from her mission. But their sons and relatives are inactive or not members. They told us they have struggled with mormons. The Duvalls thought it was time to break the ice, and what better way than to have the missionaries over for dinner. So we went and mostly mingled and ate. We did share a small message on Gratitude basing it off of the leper story in Luke were 10 were healed but only 1 returned to thank Christ. How we want to be like the one. We challenged them from now until Halloween to think of something each day they were grateful for and to thank the Lord. We have seen the Duvalls since and they said it went better than they could have hoped for. :) It's step in the right direction.

Than on Tuesday our investigator Caeri decided to set a baptism date. This was a shock. We had planned a lesson around baptism. Before we even got in the lesson she announced that she was ready to set a date. So that was exciting! :) So we gave half of the lesson we just left the convincing part out since she had convinced herself. And her son gave his first prayer. He ended it saying AM instead of amen with P.S. I love you. It was so sweet! 

Elder Ballard came this week for our stake conference. He held a special meeting for those investigating the church. Caeri was able to come to that. She said it was powerful. We even got to shake hands with him. Sheri, another investigator, came to the Sunday session. This was the first she has been to church. We also watch the Joseph Smith Movie with her. In the past 2-3 days she has come a long way. There is still a lot to do but its a small step in the right direction!

For Thanksgiving we sent out a text for it and we had a former investigator want to meet with us. So that was great!

We started teaching a new investigator. Her name is Irene. She is French so our lessons are mostly in French. She does speak some English so when she can tell I'm really lost she tells me things in English. She is so sweet! She could be like the lady on petticoat junction who kills people with kindness. 

My last if more of a funny. Everyone is very surprised to learn that I know what rhubarb is. They give a funny look and I proceed to tell them that my Grandma would made rhubarb crisp and a drink. It's just really funny! 

Oh and one more. I can tell my companion is more of a city girl. When we were driving home from the Duvalls there were no street lights. She couldn't get over it and how dark it looked. It made me laugh. My driving home to Altamont or Price was like that. 

Avan- the little I learned about their Thanksgiving is that they don't associate pilgrims with it and they are celebrating the harvest. It's near the time when gardens are done and such. They also take the time to thank for all the blessing they have had that year. Some told me that it was because they were copying the states. That's all I really was able to gather.

Pics are from Thanksgiving one with the family we had dinner with and the other is at the art museum (where we spent the afternoon).

Love  you all!

Sister Gardner

Halloween Package

As Halloween approaches,  Carol decided that Sister Gardner needed a small package.

 Carol found this thought about coming unto Christ and knew that Sister Gardner needed it.  We sent a few messages about "Coming unto Christ" along with a little bit of goodies.  No much would fit into the small envelope so it was just a remembrance.  We love you!

Things seem to take about 3 weeks to get to her.... so it was been mailed.

Happy Halloween!

Happy Thanksgiving (10/13/14)

So I'm basically out of time but I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm doing great! It's Thanksgiving here in Canada and it has thrown me off. I keep saying to myself, it can't be the end of November already. And then I realize its not. 

For my message on an attitude of Gratitude please read Alma 34:38, D&C 78:19, and Luke 17:11-19. They just talk about thanking our Heavenly Father about the blessing we have been given. We will be made glorious if we do. We will be happier. Lets not be like the other 9 lepers and not give thanks but be like the one who turns back and gives thanks for his blessing!

Love you all. Sorry I don't have time to send pics!

Sister Gardner

Oct 6, 2014

So I don't have a lot of time to write this week. But it has been a good week. The weather can't make up its mind as to if if will be warm or cold. I hope the warm lasts for a little bit longer!

Last week I was able to go and see Parliment. That was fun. We took our tour in French. The only thing I understood was "fermer la porte" which means shut the door. So the original building burned down but they did have 1 surviving room, the library. It survived because they shut the big medal doors to protect it. The view from the clock tower/peace tower was amazing. I will send pics next week.

As far as missionary miracles this week we had an investigator come to conference yesterday! He said he liked it. Hopefully he continues to like what he feels and learns! We also were able to meet with a less active who fed us dinner. She learned I was new so she had me give her the first lesson. We also watched the new mormon message on being a mom and the good we do. She even cried. The spirit had touched her.

The members feed us well. Most of my nights have had dinner appointments. So that has been great! Less cooking that I have to do!

A day in the life of Sister Gardner

6:30 wake up and exercise

8:00 Personal Study

9:00 Companion Study

10:00 12 week study (helps newbies be ready for the field)

11:00 French Study

12:00 Lunch

1:00-9:00 Teaching with dinner usually around 6:00

The teaching is all over which is why we get a car. Usually we visit Caeri and Patrick on Tuesdays, Shirley is several times a week. Most Saturdays we drive to Winchester to visit the members there. Most are less active. We try to teach 3 lessons a day.

That's all I have for this week!

Keep the emails and letters coming!

Love you all!

Sister Gardner