Happy New Year from Canada!!

Hello!

So, it's been like 5 days, but we're finally over the Christmas Hangover. Yay! But tomorrow we will have to deal with everyone else's New Years Hangovers. Boo! Tonight we have a lovely dinner appointment with some latino members, so we'll be partying in style:) 

This week was pretty good. We knocked and knocked and drove through the snow. Oh by the way I'm actually like a pro with driving in the snow now:) We had a good week until we got to Saturday. Saturday we just rough waters. No one was home and anyone who was home didn't want to see us. Awesome. So we went home for dinner and guess what? We had this annoying beeping sound that sounded like a dead fire alarm going off in our apartment. So we check that and guess what? It was fine! So the beeping continues and continues. We finally find out that it is a carbon monoxide detector. So we instantly start freaking out. We went to our concierge who had zero clue what we were talking about and he was like half asleep. So then we called our mission presidents wife and she told us we needed to go back and talk to him. We called our zone leaders to go talk to him and meanwhile the annoying beep is echoing from everywhere. Then we changed the batteries like a billion times and it still beeped like crazy. A neighbor comes over to tell us not to worry because carbon monoxide isn't every dangerous....yeah. We decided to take the the detector to the church to make sure that it wasn't just the detector. We walked into the church and wouldn't you know it? The thing kept beeping. Well, about 30 minutes later we get a phone call from dispatch to find out the fire department was on the way to our house. Thank you, Sister Cannon. So we rush over there and sure enough there they were. Good news they confirmed that no we had no carbon monoxide poisoning. It was a grand adventure.

The Vanie family is doing amazing!!!! We went to teach them last night and each child had taken a turn reading the children's BOM we left them. They are so stinking amazing! We also showed them a picture of the SLC temple and the dad got so excited because that's the temple of the Utah Jazz. At least that's how he understood it. We have some explaining to do:)

This is everyone's favorite time of year to make resolutions for the coming year. I'm not so big on New Year's resolutions but one goal I have made is to be more resolute. I feel like in my pre-existent life before my mission I was really easily persuaded. But I've been working on a goal to be resolute. Like Nephi. Or Joseph Smith. The point is I want to live my testimony not just have one. Does that make sense? I hope so. 

I hope you have a beautiful New Year! Be safe! Have fun!

I love you!

Bisous Bisous

Sister Perkins

  This is what you look like after surviving an ice pellet storm

Christmas Eve Chez le famille Rodhain

Dear family and friends,

The past two days were filled with food, laughter, reindeer games, talking to you and more food. It was jolly, merry, and bright. But now it is over and today we suffer from what I like to call the Christmas Hangover. I would love to write you something with more substance, but I feel like all I can muster is this little lame email. I`m not the only suffering today. We went to the grocery store and they were playing Christmas music still. Sister Grossenbach looked at me and said in a voice similar to Scrooge, ``Do I hear sleighbells?` The good news is we talk, talk, talked and you know I am happy and healthy. And really what more could I ask for?  

However, if it were up to me we would just sleep through New Year`s. 

Much love and about 200 bisous,

 Merry Christmas from Quebec!

Sister Grossenbach, Sister Sabrina Perkins & Sister Limburg 

I can`t believe Christmas is upon us again. How does this happen? Life just marches on at a somewhat alarming rate. But it is oh so good. So I won`t email again until next Thursday, so I wanted to make sure to wish you all a beautiful bright and merry Christmas. We will be spending our time sleeping in, talking to family, and enjoying the beauty of Quebec. Not too shabby, but I`m really happy to know next Christmas I`ll be with you again:) 

This week has been supercharged! We knocked, taught lessons, did service, atesoooooo much, enjoyed the beautiful nativity exposition (I can`t think of the normal word in English), and bundled up like 7 layer bean dip. I don`t think  I`ll ever complain about being cold again after I leave Canada. -20 are we for reals people? Everyone just keeps laughing and says, "Oh just you wait!" It`s kind of mean. But Quebec is beautiful and for some reason it makes the cold more bearable. 

This week we had another incredible lesson with Daniel and Nancy. Daniel is super golden. He talks a lot about how he`s been waiting for the Lord to send him a sign. And he absolutely absorbs everything we teach him. I also love teaching them because I feel like my French improves like by a 1000% it`s pretty cool. Gotta love gifts of the spirit. 

We also have this other investigator named Guy (Gee). He. Is. So. Cool. He`s basically a dry Mormon, but he can`t get baptized until February-ish because he has some health problems. He asks questions in gospel principles like"how do we differentiate between an angel and a resurrected being?" He has a super solid testimony of the LdM and Joseph Smith. He`s just incredible. 

Oh family I have good news for you. Every single time I show anyone our family pictures everyone says how good looking you all are. We`ve made it. We are good looking! So thank you for being so darn attractive:) 

This week we helped this sister in our ward put up her decorations and while we were decorating we were talking about her Christmas plans and she told us she would be making a tortiere (tort-e-air), which is a Quebecoise meat pie. And Sister Grossenbach says, "Oh wow! Where did you learn to make tortillas?" And of course I just start laughing super hard because I have not met any Quebecois who actually knows how to make tortillas so the thought was just amusing. The lady was really confused and so was Sister Grossenbach. Sister Limburg and I then explained that she was making a Quebecoise meat pie NOT tortillas. It was pretty funny:)

This week I was really happy because I am in Helaman in the Livre de Mormon. It`s a pretty big accomplishment, because let me tell you the war chapters were not super easy to understand in French. But I did it! So anyway, I read in Helaman 13 this week about Samuel the Lamanites prophecy to the Nephites about the coming of the Messiah. I get chills just thinking about it. Samuel prophecies that the Messiah will come and at His coming a new star will appear "And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you." I think it is so incredibly beautiful that the Lord brought more light into the world at His birth. So much so that is was like there was no night at all. That`s one thing that I will never be able to deny is that the light of Christ is real. It`s visible. He is not a figurative light he is a literal light, because at the time of His death the Sun itself refused to shine. All things testify of Him. I am so grateful for the light that He has given me, even when life seems dark, He is always there to bring us light. I love that we have this time of year to rejoice in His birth. Rejoice! We have so much to celebrate! Have a very merry Christmas I love you so much!

Sister Perkins

L`Exposition du Creche

                                                 The magic of Christmas Pantoufles:)

Sister Limburg, Sister Grossenbach, Sister Perkins

Hello! 

I am currently writing you a really great email from the Mac store in the blizzarding city of Québec. Literally. We have had like 15cm in two days. Yay! It is insane. The Lord really does have a grand sense of humor. 

So this week we had the best and most entertaining experiences. I decided that Québec is the eternal city of miracle love. It is great! 

Let me start off by explaining the best Christmas party of all time. Someone in charge of decorations put us in charge of stapling wrapping paper to the walls and decorating a Christmas tree. It was pretty magical and our tree turned out looking like a tree that would go in the white house. Red, white and blue. I thought we should put Old Glory at the top but the idea was not so popular....booo! Then came the actual party which ended up being quite the spectac. There was a former investigator who showed up....former for a reason he is in love with my companion Sister Grossenbach. He sang a song for her during the talent show portion of the dinner. Can you say...Awkward! I, of course, was laughing hysterically, because I just felt like I was in one of those weird mormon films. Then we spent the remainder of the night trying to avoid him, but failing when he found us after the acceptance speech  where he won a box of chocolates. Which he promptly try to give to her. It was really insanely awkward. The best part of the party for me personally was the fact that everyone in the ward kept complimenting me. I love this place!!!!! These people love me;)

I actually had a mission dream come true. Last night we drove up to a little place called St. Leonard with a family from our ward to visit another this cute little old couple named the Therriens. Sister Therrien made us a lovely, very Quebecoise meal complete with meat pie and all. And then my dream came true. She gave us Christmas pantoufles, which are these adorable Quebecoise slippers that people have here for you to put on when you get to their homes. I was so excited I jumped up and down and gave her about a million hugs. She was so enthused she gave me lovely white pantoufles for the temple too! Such a dream. Not to mention St. Leonard looks like it fell out of one of those old Christmas films. Or maybe even Stars Hallow from Gilmore Girls. Oh it was so stinking cute!!!

Our first night together here as a trio we had a knocking miracle. We were exhausted from transfers and ready to collapse, but we needed to go knocking. So, we took a big deep breath and went knocking. We knocked a full floor where everyone just shut their doors. Welcome to Québec! But we kept going. Eventually we knocked on the door of this very kind Qubecois man. We asked if we could share our message and at first he was a little hesitant his wife even said no. But then for no reason at all he said << Come in!>> We never wait for someone to ask twice. So in we went. We promised to stay 15 minutes but ended up talking for much longer about family and God and the importance of staying grounded. It was a pretty incredible lesson. They were so happy to know there were people who saw family the way they did and asked us to come back. It was such a beautiful miracle! I feel like that is what Québec is...one big beautiful miracle. I love it here!

This morning I was reading in Helaman 5 this is where Nephi and Lehi are encircled by fire and the Lamanites start experiencing some pretty unpleasant things and they ask the prophet Aminadab what they should do, 

 And it came to pass that the Lamanites said unto him: What shall we do, that this cloud of darkness may be removed from overshadowing us?

And Aminadab said unto them: You must repent, and cry unto the voice, even until ye shall have faith in Christ, who was taught unto you by Alma, and Amulek, and Zeezrom; and when ye shall do this, the cloud of darkness shall be removed from overshadowing you.

I know we have all felt at one time or another there is a dark cloud following us and there just is not much we can do. But the Lord has given us repentance, faith and prophets to guide us out of our darkness and back to the light of the Savior. I know with all of my heart that it is only the Atonement of Jesus Christ that can remove those dark clouds from our lives, nothing else will bring sunshine to our souls. 

I hope you all have a beautiful week during which is the most beautiful time of the year! Stay cozy and never forget you are so loved.

Bisous bisous!

Sister Perkins

 We loved Daniel's mustache so much we wanted to have our own

Saying bye to our cute Davis family

Hello my dear Family and Friendlies!

How are you? Life is treating me quite well:) We had our transfer calls this Saturday and much to my surprise (and my hearts desire) I found out that I am going to Quebec City! A total dream come true. I remember listening to Sister Pace and Sister Chadburn talk about all of their beautiful adventures in the polar ice caps of Quebec City  and now I get to go. I feel like this is another one of those tender mercy moments. I'm also really excited to get off of the island. I've started developing a severe case of island fever, but another adventure is just about to begin. I'm so excited! Too much, you could say. Transfer night Lopez and I couldn't even sleep. I'm also going to be in a trio with Sister Limburg and Sister Grossenbach. It's going to be a blast...minus the fact that Quebec City is significantly colder than Ottawa or Montreal, but hey, that is just a small sacrifice:)

So this week we had a Christmas party for our ward and they sang a very thrilling version of "Silent Night" in French. It went something like "Silent night (whisper), HOLY NIGHT!!!!!! (YELLING!)". Sister Lopez and I did our very best not to laugh, but then a sister sitting next to me starting laughing and you know me, when someone starts laughing I start laughing. I felt really bad, but there was not much I could do. They also sang "Glory Glory Hallelujah" and made everyone dance and sing. I felt like I was in one of those Evangelical churches. My life will never be the same again. 

This week we did a lot of knock, knock, knocking. Last Tuesday we were knocking and this muslim guy let us into his building. He wasn't interested, so we asked him if he knew anyone else who would be and he said with a sly grin on his face "Sure. Try the guy in number 5. He's a Christian." Since we're cute little naive sister missionaries we went and knocked on this guys door. So this tall old as dirt Qubecois man comes out and says ,"Bonsoirrrrrr!" And we're like "Whoa! He probably knew Jesus!" He was pretty crazy. So, we introduce ourselves and he starts telling us that Jesus is actually the father of God and that Mary was Jesus's wife. So, I try to explain that he's a little confused and he says, "No! Where are you from the Philippines?" It was like talking to a pinball machine. "No, I'm from Utah, in the United States." And then he says quite matter-of-factly "No. Utah is a country and where is the United States?" So I try to say with a very straight face, "Right below Canada." He was pretty convinced that Utah was a different country and that I was a big liar. It was a really weird contact. Other than this crazy old man we ran into a lot of creepy old men. Personally I would rather talk to crazy old men. 

It's always kind of nostalgic when you leave an area. It makes you think about what you've accomplished and who you've helped. Sometimes I feel like I haven't done much. But then there are always those one or two people who come and tell you the impact you made on them and how much they appreciated your service. I guess it's those little moments that are the most gratifying. I've also been studying the conference Ensign this week, which if you haven't read it, is gold. Read it! En tout cas, I read the talk by Elder Ballard about bees and how throughout a bees life, which is only a few weeks it only makes enough honey to contribute 1/12 of a teaspoon of honey. That's nothing! But then he talks about how that 1/12 makes an impact when all of those 1/12 are compacted. Elder Ballard then compares our small acts of service to the honey produced by honey bees, he said, "These simple, daily acts of service may not seem like much in and of themselves, but when considered collectively they become just like the one-twelfth teaspoon of honey contributed by a single bee to the hive. There is power in our love for God and for His children, and when that love is tangibly manifest in millions of acts of Christian kindness, it will sweeten and nourish the world with the life-sustaining nectar of faith, hope, and charity." I guess missionary work is exactly that, we just do a few small acts of service which eventually end up manifesting the love our Father in Heaven has for us and those we serve. 

Thanks you for your love and support! Thank you for your acts of love and service for me! Thanks for your patience! Please don't forget how much you are loved. Don't forget to have fun and enjoy this Christmas season. We have so much to be thankful for. Have a beautiful week!

Bisous Bisous

Sister Perkins