The Yellow Canary

January 30, 2012!!

Hello my dearlings!

How is everyone? It sounds as though some of you are stressed, sick, or crippled. Dear oh dear. What shall we do? I hope everyone starts feeling better this coming week. I'm certainly praying for you daily, if not hourly. I love you.

This week has been interesting. Really. If you can believe it I was an absolute stress case. Really. I talked to Pres. Cannon and he told me to essentially take a chill pill and hand everything over to the Lord. Sounds simple...and of course he was right.

Yesterday we gave talks in our ward. The funny thing about speaking is that I feel like I learn more than I'm sure I help others learn. I, of course talked about Alma. I love the book of Alma. I actually finished it yesterday and felt this little pang of sadness. My talk went well, if you were wondering yes I cried. I can't talk about the Savior without crying. We actually had two Chinese investigators at church yesterday named Comet and Jeffery. When I went to talk to them they said "Sister Perkins you miss your home? We don't like to see you cry. It makes us feel like cry." I told them if they don't keep coming to church I will cry and then they said, "The woman with the tears scare us." I love our Chinese investigators:)

We also have been working with Robert who is incredible! We've been working with him for about a month now and he will be baptized on February 10. Everything we've taught him he loves! He adores President Monson (who wouldn't right?). I keep telling everyone he's our platinum investigator. He'll be moving to Saba in the Caribbean in April, so we have just a couple months to get him fully immersed in everything. He's going to be an amazing member missionary!

We have a member here in Dows Lake named Shu-Ling Sun. She is a recent convert form China. She made us dinner the other night and we were talking about our investigators and she said, "What do sisters do besides investigations?" It took a lot to not laugh in that moment. And then we invited us to come out with us and she said, " I would love to do investigations with you!" She is actually pretty incredible in lessons, she is the one who committed Comet and Jeffery to church.

So in Canada they have something called "freezing rain" it's basically the pits. What happens is that the freezing rain cause ice to form over the snow. Boo! Also, it's really scary to walk on. And yes, I fell. Imagine this one moment I'm walking and the next I'm lying on the cold frozen rain. It was kind of like a comedy. Also, the other day our car was actually frozen shut:( Best time everrrr! I will be happy when we stop having freezing rain.

This week I studied in Alma 53 and I was really struck by verse 17 because rather than see the Nephites break their oath the two thousand stripling were willing to lay down their lives to protect them. It just made me realize that that is honestly the best thing we can do for those we love. Help them keep their covenants that they've made to the Lord, because after this life our covenants are the only thing we take with us. It hit me really hard. I wish I had known half of the things I've learned on my mission before I got here. My life before would have been a lot more productive. Do me a favor? Read your scriptures!

I'm so grateful for everything the Lord has given me. I'm so grateful for each and every one of you. I'm especially thankful for this work and the opportunity that I have to be here in Ottawa as a missionary. Next week I won't be able to write until Wednesday, because we're having Zone Conference and a Zone activity. My first one:) have a warm and cozy week without freezing rain! Je vous aime!

Bisous Bisous

Soeur Perkins