October 15, 2012

Well Hello!!!

My week this week!! 

Last Monday, we were getting into the truck after sending emails, and there was a Cop who drove by, so I waved at him. He then pulled into the parking lot and started talking to us. He was at the blood donor clinic with us, and first thanked us for donating blood, then asked us what we were doing briefly. It was kind of cool! Also, we saw the Northern lights on Monday. They were a little pansy compared to what I've seen before, but they were still good! 

Tuesday we were talking to a man, and he had a cord running from this machine in his shirt  pocket into his pants... weird, right? Yeah, well I didn't really want to ask him about it, but Elder Beaumont did... =D It was just a little electric thing, like they do at the physiotharapy clinic, just to help relieve pain. But both of his legs were super sore, so he had these things on his butt cheeks. And when Elder Beaumont asked about it, instead of just explaining what it was, he thought it was a much better idea to just SHOW us instead. =D =D It was so funny!! He stood up, undid his belt, turned around, and BAM, Luckily it wasn't too bad, the electrods weren't very low on him, so we didn't really see anything, but it was still a really funny experiance! We also got a media referel (from someone who visited Mormon.Org or LDS.org and wanted something, like a BOM or a DVD) And it was from this guy who read the Book of Mormon like 15 years ago and KNOWS that it is true, and he lost his so he needed a new one. But his dad is a member, and his sister is a memeber, (In Ontario and Alberta) And he said that he wants to meet with us really really badly. But he works in Fort Macmurray, so we can only meet with him a few times ever few weeks, I believe he is out there for like 2 or three weeks and here for 1 or 2? I don't really know. He will be baptised though. =D

Wednesday we got a great quote from Elder Beaumont. We had been knocking and not having much success, and I said "well, at least were trying... And I can't think of anything that really rhymes well with trying to make a good inspiration thought for us..." And then Elder Beaumont said "If we're not trying, we're not.... Uh..... Um.... Uh... Frying............ Pan." It was basically great. 8]

Thursday it snowed for the first time here. It was just a few snowflakes, but it was snow none the less! Didn't stay, and in fact, this morning we woke up to a huge rain storm and it was been raining for like 3 hours... 

Friday was mostly uneventful as far as things that I need to tell you about go.

Saturday was awesome. Have I told you about our investigators Pierre and Sophie? Oh, I have, but I haven't used their names. Pierre and Sophie and the young couple that I talked about last week, with their daughter who came out with lipstick on? Anyways, they are super cool. They have been prepared to hear this message. Sophie loves asking us questions. and they are completely random and have seemingly no correlation from one to the next. But she told us "I love asking you guys questions because all your answers just make sense, they are good, and that is how I see it too!!" And we have answered questions about tithing, missionary service, Homosexuality, marriage, the bible, how the church is organized, prophets... Basically, all the things that people could get tripped up on =P And when we were explaining the Plan of Salvation/Happiness, we asked them where they believed we came from before we got to the earth, and Pierre said "I don't know where I came from. I know that I was somewhere, and that I will go somewhere after this earth too, but it's almost as if something was placed in my memories to stop me from knowing where I came from for some reason. But I know that my soul is old." So we explain that we are in fact children of God, he is the Father of our spirits. We lived with him and learnt and grew but were sent here to learn and to get a body and to have our own families. And Pierre closed his eyes while we were telling him this, and Sophie was on the edge of here seat, just soaking it in. Pierre after told us that he just stoped thinking and listened, and he could feel in his spirit or soul that what we were saying was completely true.  We are so excited. I can't even begin to express how I feel right now.  8] 8] =D

And of course, church was awesome. As always. I love Alma so much, and I don't know how I am going to survive when I get transfered out...   Oh, and Sunday night we had dinner with Kevin and Celine. We had steak. It was AWESOME. And we made a dessert, called Ambrosia. it was marshmellows and sourcream, and pineapple chunks and mandarin orange slices, and coconut. It was really good! But we didn't have a real recipe, so we just sort of tossed stuff in together. And you have to let it sit overnight, so it wasn't even like we could have added or changed things when the taste was off, we just had to eyeball it and hope for the best. Luckily it tasted great! Pfhew... if it hadn't we had a pumpkin pie we could have made and brought just in case. 

Oh right! It was thanksgiving last week! We made a super sweet thanksgiving dinner. I'll send a picture. 

This week we have splits on Tuesday!! I'm SO excited to spend some time with Elder Christensen. He is 'Da Bomb. I love that guy. And he is our district leader, so he is doing an apartment check, so we have to uber clean today to make sure everything is spotless! 

Big news guys. This Saturday we receive transfer calls. Can you believe it has already been 6 weeks since Elder Heder left?! I sure can't! Dang, time is just flying by. I actually had a dream not to long ago that my mission was over and that I had to go home and I just started to cry because it all went by so fast and I literally couldn't remember anything from my mission except for the time I spent in Alma. haha, but then the last few nights my dreams have been ridiculous and completly random. Normally I'm a missionary in all my dreams, and they at least have something to do with missionary work, but not these dreams. I don't even know... they are just weird. =D I like them.

Oh, So we totally forgot our pillows in Quebec when we were down there 2 weeks ago, and we get them back tuesday. You have no idea how excited I am. we borrowed some of those ergonomic pillows, that are supposedly super good for your neck so you can sleep on your side and not kink your neck. Well, there is a problem with that. The pillow is way to tall to be comfterble to sleep with on your back, and I can't sleep on my side for very long because of my shoulder. So I have been sleeping not so well here, and I am excited to be able to have a nice decent sleep tomorrow night...

But anyways, I love ya all, and am excited to hear about all the people who will be getting mission calls here soon now with that announcement! I expect to see many a girls headed out too!! You have no excuse anymore! =P

Love, Elder Austen Oviatt

Alma 31:38

Et le Seigneur pourvut à leurs besoins, afin qu'ils n'eussent pas faim et qu'ils n'eussent pas soif; oui, il leur donna aussi de la force, afin qu'ils ne sourrfissent aucune sorte d'affliction sans qu'elle ne fût engloutie dans la joie du Christ. Or, cela se fit selon la prière d'Alma; et cela, parce qu'il avait prié avec foi.

Alma 31:38

And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst; yea, and he also gave them strength, that they should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it were swallowed up in the joy of Christ. Now this was according to the prayer of Alma; and this because he prayed in faith.

The Lord is providing for us. We are finding super sales at the stores, we have running water, and we go jogging, even though it is nasty cold outside. (OK, we haven't gone jogging for like 4 days...) But, things are a little difficult on a mission. It is not all walking on cloud nine. Sometimes you drop down to cloud 8 or even 7! Gasp! But, like it says, the afflictions that we suffer will all be swallowed up in the joy of Christ. And I have seen that already. I love the Lord and I love this work that I am doing. I am so grateful for this chance I have to spend two years serving others with all my heart, might, mind and force. A good friend sent this to me as her prayer for me, and I would like to pass this along, to all the other missionaries out there, Alma 31:38 is my prayer for you!

1. Thanksgiving dinner. It was basically awesome. Oh yeah, we bought bryers icecream on sale for 2.50, regular $7.00. Regular bargain finders here!

 2. Here is another steal of a deal! Or... just a steal... Babies are on sale this week for buy one, get one free!!