Hi from Ottawa!!
Bonjour!
This has been a funny/interesting/sad/weird/gratifying week! Oh how the Lord teaches His children! I love Him so and I know especially after this week that He loves me infinitely more so.
The funny: This week Sister C and I had a full day with nothing but our District study and a D.A. with a part-member family set up. So, we decided to do some finding which includes: street contacting, bus contacting, train contacting, knocking, and our new favorite only for this spring/summer season...PARK CREEPING! Essentially we walk around the park and creep on all the lonely people:) Oh and feed the squirrels. Disney princess meets missionary pauper:) Anyway, we decided to do some train contacting for the first little bit. We got on the train and both sat down in different areas. Well, we started getting near the end of the route and I couldn't remember what stop Sister C wanted to get off on so I stood up as the train was stopping to see if I could find her....well, everyone thought I wanted to get off of the train so in order to not appear creepy I got off the train. New problem: my companion is still on the train. So, I decided to go in through another set of doors on the same train as I'm about to get on I see this boy walking towards me and then I realize he's a Russian investigator that Sister C and I found one day when we stopped a basketball game (desperate times call for desperate measures). I don't think it would be unfair to say this particular investigator is probably the most attractive person I've met here. And that isn't the point, but it does make the story more interesting because Sister C and I joke about how he is soooo dreamy! Well, he walked up to me put his arm around me and bisoused me on the cheek. I nearly died. He saw the look of sheer and utter panic on my face and asked me if everything was okay. The only thing I could say was "I have to find Sister Chadburn." Well, I found her and she was stuck talking to this old creepy guy. Meanwhile, I'm trying to stop blushing while sitting as far away as possible from Yura. When we got off of the train I told Sister C, "I have to tell you something." "Oh I know! I saw the whole thing!" I was so mortified....but then my district leader reminded me there is no rule in the white handbook against getting bisoused by your dreamy Russian investigator;) Only kidding. Also, he went back to Russia this week for the summer so I probably won't be getting bisoused again.
The interesting: This week Sister C and I had an appointment scheduled in our squirrel park which is known by normal people as Confederation Square. Well, last week at Zone Leader Council we were warned like 7x by President and Sister Cannon to "STAY AWAY!" from the protests in downtown Montreal and Quebec City. Well, we thought "No problem!" considering we're in Ottawa. Sidenote:the students and teacher unions are protesting because the Quebec government wants to raise student tuition rates like 70% or something crazy like that. Anyway, we kind of shrugged off the advice because we're two hours away. Well, we're walking to our park and we can hear someone talking really loud like on a megaphone or a speaker. And as we came around the corner we realize there is a group of protesters in the park.....not exactly conducive to the spirit. Quoi de neuf? So we are waiting just outside of the park for our investigator and meanwhile all that's racing through my brain is Sister Cannon's voice "If you can take a picture you're too close!" "If you get caught in one of these crowds they could send you back to the states." Eventually, our investigator came and we decided to have our rendezvous at a little roof top terrace. However, mid-lesson we hear the crowd of crazies down in the streets screaming and yelling and banging their little pots and pans. It was pretty epic. That night we called Sister Cannon and told her about it. She thought it was pretty funny...so I guess I over-reacted? Surprising, right?
Oh boo...the sad: We haven't been able to get a hold of Leah for the past week. We're almost certain she was anti-ed. Boooo! Hopefully, she will change her mind one day!
The weird: Our dear sweet Fallowfield Elders have been working themselves into a tizzy trying to get new investigators. And instead they keep finding pass offs for us:) We're not complaining:) On Saturday we had two lessons planned with them for pass offs. The first lesson was planned for this guy named "Mo" if you're wondering that is short for Mohamed. The Elders told us he had converted to Christianity and was totally Golden. Well, he showed up about 35 minutes late to the appointment and starts telling us that we're all wasting our time and that the Quoran is the only book from God. Which was interesting because he also told us he's never actually read it. Mid-lesson we get a text from this girl who really wants to meet with us. Well, missionaries are pretty excited about anyone who wants to talk to us. So mid-lesson I make an appointment with this girl who is super excited to meet us. Well, Mo never even noticed I was texting because he was busy telling us that God can do anything, but he can't answer our prayers. And then he was telling us about this prophet who had a really unfortunate name...he said his name was Sheetz. And then he said, "Maybe not. I cannot remember his name. But he was a man of God." Aye yi yi. So, eventually the Elders manage to tell "Mo" we gots to go. So, we head over to our next lesson and we knock on the door and a woman answers. Elder Rassmussen says, "Hi! is Mac here?" She told us he wasn't there and as she was shutting the door guess who is standing behind her? Mac. Mac tells us we need to set up another appointment for another day. So of course we do. Then we parted ways with the very frustrated Fallowfield Elders and on our way to meet Jeffrey we get a text from the same girl who texted earlier asking about our French and little questions like that. Well, we had a glorious lesson with Jeffrey, who if he was any sweeter would get translated. But then after the lesson we checked our phone and we had a text from the little chica that said, "HELP! The police are going to arrest Linda! HELP!" I handed the phone to Sister C and said, "Well, you thought this day couldn't get any weirder." Would I sound like a bad missionary if I told you we turned off our phone? Well, we did.And when we turned it back on we had a million more texts about Linda and the cops. It was awesome.
The gratifying: This week we had two investigators at church who are both incredible. I'm trying to figure out how to possibly express how much I love both of these investigators, but I don't think I could possibly do it justice. I love them. I think the same way a mother loves a child. It's this love that I would do anything for them. Whatever it took to bring them happiness. Watching them at church was among some of the sweetest moments I've had as a missionary. Oh of course I teared up multiple times, because sometimes I can't believe the Lord trusts me to do this work. I feel so humbled by all of the sweet moments he has given me with our dear little investigators.
This week I finished the Book of Mormon again. Oh how I love that book! I know that book has brought me more joy, peace, and happiness than anything else in my life. My heart brimmed with love as I finished the last few pages and prayed to know "If these things are not true" as Moroni admonishes. I can tell you the spirit bore witness to me that they are true. There is no greater love of a Father for His children than is written on the pages of that dear book. If you haven't read it. Read it. If you have read it. Read it again, and again. If you do I promise you will never question what significance you hold to our Father in Heaven and to His Beloved Son. These words at the end of the Book of Mormon really hold true for me as I think about you my dear family and friends. "I am mindful of you always in my prayers, continually praying unto God the Father in the name of his Holy Child, Jesus, that he, through his infinite goodness and grace, will keep you through the endurance of faith on his name to the end." I pray for you. I love you. He loves you. You are being cared for by His angels.
I pray that you will have a beautiful week full of funny and interesting, and gratifying moments! And that in each of them you will remember that God who gave you life. Because I can testify that he will never forget you.
I love you.
Bisous Bisous:)
Sister Perkins
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