November 21, 2016 P-Day #30

WHAT?! Already Monday again?! Wow how the time is flying!! I feel like I just got here and somehow the transfer is already half over! Which is exciting, because that means Christmas is approaching! But, also sad because that means Sister Dutson and my time together is coming to a close :,( I wouldn't be willing to give her up if it was to anyone but her cute family! But since it is I guess I won't put up too much of a fight haha 

I hit my 7 months yesterday! Which seems crazy because I'm pretty sure I just hit my 6 months last week...or at least that's what it feels like! 

This week has been soo busy! We met with a lot of our recent converts this week and had lots of activities and meetings to attend! 

We met with Helene (the 12 year old investigator who got baptized my first Sunday here) and she has found 30+ names to take to the temple this week for the Young Womens temple night! 

We also got to go and meet with Magen and see how she's doing post baptism and let me tell you..SHE IS AMAZING!!! ❤ She was asking us how soon after she has the baby (she hits 37 weeks tomorrow) she can come back to church! She said, " I'm new! I love church! I don't want to miss anything!!" Then we just talked about what she wants in life and how her ultimate goal is to go to the temple, be sealed there and have a family! 

Its just so amazing how both the people that have been baptized have such a clear understanding that baptism is not the end goal, but that it is the beginning. 

This week I also got to spend a whole two days with my mission mama..SISTA ANDERSON!! Oh my soul how I love her!!! #Blessed As pictured...nothing has changed with us haha

Happy Thanksgiving this week! Don't feel too bad for me, a family from Utah is having us over! Plus I already got Canadian Thanksgiving this year too...So I'd say I'm the real winner here(; 

Thank you all for the constant happiness you send my way every week!! You are all such a blessing to me and I am so grateful that I am lucky enough to call you my family and friends 💕

Happy happy happy ☀

-Sister Hird 

Also fun fact for the week that I just thought was really funny so I'll share...not once, not twice, but THREE times this week I have been asked if I have Japanese in me? Hahah sooo random! All different people on different days! Needless to say...the bangs are now in the process of being grown out haha 

Also second fun fact of the week...a interesting man tricked us into taking a sip of an Alcoholic beverage...don't worry we lived! But its a long story..so I guess you'll just have to wait a few months until I'm home and I'll tell you then (: 

November 14, 2016 P-Day #29

BEST WEEK EVER!! (like every week...but still)

I'm just going to go straight to the highlight:

Magen was Baptized!! WOW!! Talk about perfect baptism!! I don't think it could have gone better! It was seriously perfect!! Sister Dutson and I just cried through the whole thing! Magens nonmember mom, grandma and sister cam to support her and they cried through it all as well! The spirit was tangible in that room! Two guys in the ward did an acoustic "When I am baptized" right before we went to the font for the baptism and it was just so perfect and beautiful! The dunk went great, even with her being 8 months pregnant.  Then when she came up out of the water she just made the cutest noise ever.  It was like a laugh/cry, like she couldn't believe she finally was baptized. That's when the water works started, haha Sister Dutson and I went into the hall and just cried happy tears for a minute!

Then following the baptism, Hugh, her boyfriend and father of the baby spoke about Magens example to him and how he is so excited to take this path with her. He is member and is ready to be fully active in the church with her and do what he needs to so they can be a family(:  I can see them in the temple one day. making their family eternal!! They see it too, which is so great! Magen completely understand that baptism is just the beginning.  I am so excited and blessed to get to be apart of that and see  their journey unfold.

Missions are wonderful! Moments like Magens baptism just fill you right up to the top with real lasting joy.  This is what a mission is all about. I have such a testimony of the joy that Alma preaches about missionary work bringing.

It's not always easy, but it is ALWAYS worth it.

I love it here in Halifax! Being over the family ward and ysa is SO much fun!!

The members here really understand their role as member missionaries and it makes finding people to teach so easy! They make this work progress!

Sister Dutson and I are seriously always laughing...and remember how I said we are pretty similar...I don't think its been quiet once since we met! haha its the BEST!! It's not even like having a companion, its like being a missionary with my best friend! 

We said goodbye to sister Champoux this week! She is headed to Arizona! So I'm not feeling too bad for her (; I'm glad we got to be comps with her for the short time we did! Shes great!! She'll do wonderful things there!

To top this week off...remember Aelia...my 14 year old investigator back in St.Johns??

Well, Aelia is now a member of the church as well!!! She just got baptized!! I even got to skype her this week and talk to her about it!!!

Life is oh so good!

Love love love you all!! Have a wonderful week full of smiles and sunshine (:

xoxo Sista Hird

ps. if you're reading this and contemplating if you should serve a mission...DO IT!! It will be the hardest thing you ever do, but it will also be the best.  I am learning and feeling so many things I wouldn't be able to any other way! 

Sister Hird, Magen, and Sister Dutson

Sister Hird, Sister Champoux and Sister Dutson

November 7, 2016 P-Day #28

Hello hello!!!

What a beautiful wonderful week here in the city of Halifax!! This week was madness, but that's pretty normal for the metro! I LOVE it! We are constantly out doing and running around so we are able to see lots of blessings for that! It's a good life!

This week we met with a lot of less actives, recent converts and investigators!

We were able to pick up a new investigator this week! We met with her and shared the message of the restoration with her.  She felt the spirit so strong which brought lots of tears (the good kind) and committed to a baptismal date!! We are sooo excited for her!!

Then....this week we got a call from Bishop Catton and one of our former investigators met with him and wants to get baptized!! Some background on her....She is dating a less active member in the ward. She learned from the missionaries back in April and knew it was all true, but couldn't be baptized because she was living with her boyfriend. She is pregnant with a baby boy and due next month! She just moved in with her grandma, so she is now able to be baptized!! So of course we were freaking out, then he tells us that we should plan the baptism to be in a couple weeks....so we freaked out some more! So we met with her that day and went over the baptismal interview questions and set the date for November 19th. She is so wonderful!! She has such real intent! She has such a strong testimony of the church! Now if you're like me you're thinking, "wow that really can't get better" BUT it did! She came with us to church Sunday, stayed the whole time! Loves it, she's been coming pretty regularly since she first started to learn. After church we get a text from her telling us how happy she was to be at church with us and that the whole time she was there she just had the overwhelming feeling that she needs to get baptized THIS Saturday and not wait until next week. And she wanted to know if that was a possibility!! So we talked to the bishop and he said he thought it was a great idea! SOOOO I have a baptism this Saturday!! 5 days! LIFE IS GREAT!!!

I am having soooo sooo much fun with Sister Dutson! We are seriously so similar! Its been a blast!! This transfer is going so great and I am on a roller coaster that only goes up my friends (:

Love love love you all!! Have a wonderful week!

My inspirational quote for you this week is one that the oh so wonderful Nicole sent me and its so great I had to share!

"Cupcakes are muffins that believed in miracles"

-Sista Hird

Sister Hird and Sister Dutson

Peggy's Cove - McKell

Sister Hird and Sister Dutson

Sister Street and Sister Hird

Sister Street and Sister Hird

The Quad plus (Sister Street, Champoux, Dutson and I) plus or YSA sidekick Joan