September 13, 2016 P-Day #20

Hello hello!!

This week has been wonderful!! So calm compared to last week! We have been meeting with lots of people and the work is progressing so much!

We had our district conference (equivalent of stake conf.) this week as well! So President Pratt was here! Boy I just love him!! He is so amazing and always gives such amazing guidance!! He pretty much told me I am staying here in Newfoundland another transfer!! But I won't know for sure until they post the transfer table tonight! I'll be happy either way!  I love it here so another transfer sounds wonderful to me!!

We are working with a few new investigators and one of them, Rachel, came with us to the branch pot luck we had after District meeting Saturday! So that was really fun and exciting! We had a great lesson with her this week with a member! Member are just so awesome at lessons! We asked Rachel if she would read the Book of Mormon and she said, "Yes I will try to" and the member goes,"Rachel..you'll TRY?? Thats just not good enough!! Do you have to TRY to read the bible?? Nope! Didn't think so, you just DO it! So what are you going to do with the Book of Mormom??" and shocked Rachel goes, "I WILL read the Book of Mormon"

It was awesome, funny, but awesome! It really showed her how important it is for her to really read it! Because we've told her, but coming from someone who is not a missionary makes it so different!!

Soo if the missionaries ask you to go to a lesson with them, DO IT!!! They will love you forever!!

We saw a moose this week driving to Gander for exchanges!

Yes, Canada is actually every stereotypical thing you think about it(;

love love love you all!!

Sista Hird

Ps… Sister Lofgran and I are staying!!! Woooo!!

Nathan's Baptism package from Sister Hird's Family :)

Yep...She's still McKell

Canadian Cliche...A Moose

September 5, 2016 P-Day #19

Well...NATHAN WAS BAPTIZED THIS WEEK!!!!! What!?!?! I can't even believe it!! I started teaching him and I was able to be here and see his and his families lives change! It was amazing!! I felt like I was in blur the whole day! I couldn't help thinking, "no way! This isn't real" all day because I was just so happy and amazed!! The baptism was great! Sweet and simple! His mom Natasha has very bad anxiety, so she wrote a note to him to be read by someone else so she didn't have to get up in front of everyone.  The note was read and it was great! Then while our Branch President was giving his closing remarks, she stood up and asked if she could say a few words!!! It was AMAZING!! She was crying and had us all in tears as well!! She bore a powerful testimony of the gospel and about how Nathan and his desire to come closer to God is what brought her and the whole family back to church! I was crying the whole time basically!

It has been truly a blessing to work with their family and see the change the gospel has made! The gospel changes lives!

Being here through all of this has really strengthened my testimony of this church and of missionary service.  I KNOW why I am here and that I made the right choice by choosing to serve my Heavenly Father and I am so glad that he gave me the opportunity to be here doing that!

This week is week 5/6 in this transfer!! I know I say it all the time but seriously time goes by so fast!! I will hit my 5 month mark this month!! I feel like I just found out that I was staying in Newfoundland and now it's time to wonder if I'll stay again already!!

I love Newfoundland sooo much! I know I have more people out in the mission I need to meet and serve...but I like the ones here haha!! The Newfies will always have my heart!! It'll be exciting to see what's happening next week with transfers! So I'll let you know Tuesday of next week whats going on(; 

I love you all soo much!! Thank you for the love and support!! I pray for you all every day!!

xoxo

Sista Hird       

Nathan, Sister Hird, Sister Lofgren & Nyaysha

Nathan, Sister Hird, Baby Favour, Natasha, Sister Lofgren & Zion

Sister Hird, Zion, Natasha, Nathan & Baby Favour

       

August 29, 2016 P-Day #18

Hello hello!!!

This week has been busy busy busy and this coming week is only about to get busier because...NATHANS BAPTISM IS THIS SUNDAY!!! What?!?! I feel like I just met him and his family and now somehow all the lessons have been taught and he is ready to be baptized!!

The time really does fly! This is the beginning of week 4/6 of this transfer!

This week we met with Nathan a lot! We see them most days, for lessons, branch activities or just to check in! They truly are doing sooo great! Yesterday was Nathans 7th time in a row attending church.  He really is so ready for his baptism! For a ten year old he has such a strong spiritual awareness that is just amazing! He is always striving to do what is right and be the best he can!

This week we also picked up two new investigators! We found both them from looking through the records of former investigators and then going and stopping by!

1st Cecilla! She is an older lady who is currently a 7 day Adventist.  She has a strong love for the bible and has the desire to grow closer to God in any way she can! We taught her the beginning of the resto and invited her church...and she said yes...then she actually came!! WHAT! haha sorry! That just doesn't always happen so we were soooo excited that it did!

2nd: Rachel! She is in her mid twenties and a strong Anglican.  She is sooo sweet! We actually went over for a lesson, walked in and there were 3 of her friends there that she had told them about us and they wanted to be there for our lesson too! So that was super sweeeet! We were able to teach them all the beginning of the plan of salvation and more about their purpose here on earth and in life!  It was a great lesson! They are all soo fun and loved to be involved and talk about everything we were teaching(: We are going to meet with them all again this week!

This week we have also found another less active to work with! Her name is Janie and she is and elderly lady and completely just beyond sweet! We stopped by and introduced ourselves and she goes, "Ohhh more missionaries! Well come on in!!" We talked with her for about an hour and spent time getting to know her and sharing our testimonies of the church! She showed us a giant scrapbook she has of every single thing a missionary has ever given her! Pictures, every little card and even Mormon.org cards with just numbers or, appointment cards. She really does just love the missionaries soo  much! We are going back to meet with her again tomorrow and I am super excited to spend time with her and have the opportunity to work with her!

This week I have really been thinking about how lucky I am to be here. Right now.  At this exact time.  I am in St. Johns Newfoundland.  I am a missionary.  And while that is not always an easy thing, it is ALWAYS worth it.  I love these people so much! I cannot imagine life without them!  I am so happy to be here serving, learning and growing! I am a firm believer that a mission is not only for others, but also for the missionary.  I have grown in so many ways in just the short time I've been out and I know that there is sooo much more growth and learning yet to come! A mission provides experiences that can happen in no other circumstance and I am so glad that I am here experincing them(:

 I love you all so so so so much!! Have a wonderful week and smile all day everyday(:

xoxo

Sista Hird

August 22, 2016 P-Day #17

Good day beautiful people!!! Wow, I just love you all so so much and I just love being a missionary!

 This week was WONDERFUL!! We had three lessons with Nathan and his family this week which I always love so much!! Everytime I'm missing something about my family I go there and suddenly it doesn't seem too bad! Yesterday when we were there Natasha (the mom) said something super sweet that made me tear up! (which I do all the time by the way haha! My mission broke me!! I cry at EVERYTHING!! Angie... I finally understand the weeping problem...because I'm living with it!) She was holding her little one year old baby Favour and said, "it's really cool you were here when Favour took her first steps Sister Hird! Think of all the other firsts you'll see with my family!" And right then it really hit me, why I am out here. Whenever I am sad about the first steps I'm missing at home I remember that if I wasn't here I wouldn't even know the people here I have grown to love SO MUCH!!! It really put life in perspective for me! Which I needed this week(: I get my family for ETERNITY so while 18 months seems like a long  time now..in the eternal perspective it's not too bad!(;

Nathans Baptism is coming up so fast! Next week!! Next Saturday Nathan will be baptized!! I can't believe it! I am soooo excited for him!! It is going to be the best day ever! I'm not going to lie...I think I'm more excited than him haha!!!

This week we also did the best thing ever...Branch Babysitting Night!! Whaaa?? Confused? Missionaries aren't supposed to babysit...right? Right! But President Pratt is the best ever and felt that the parents in our branch have so many responsibilities and the only alone time they get is when the kids go to bed.  Which just wasn't cutting it for him! So once a month we get to play with the kids (with other adults of course and the senior missionary couple in the area) It's the best!! Kids were my life at home so being around them is just my favorite!! We also put on Frozen for the kids...so we got to watch parts! Blessed!!! I love that movie too much!  We also got to wear pants for this activity, so I wore jeans for the first time on my mission...if you can't tell I was a little excited!

Thank you all for the constant love and support!! I seriously don't know what I have done to deserve so many amazing people I am blessed to call family and friends!! You are my rock and I love you!!

Peace and blessings, peace and blessings

Sista Hird

Xoxo

Wearing Jeans as a Missionary!!  

August 15, 2016 P-Day #16

Hey hey!!

This week has been wonderfully busy!

With Nathans fast approaching baptismal date (19 days away YAY) we are meeting with them lots!! I LOVE it!! This week has been so great with them! Just in the past week I have been able to feel such a difference in their home!! It's amazing! We walk in  and the spirit is already there.  They have been at church for a month straight, they are doing daily family prayer and the difference it is making is so apparent! Yesterday at church Nathan's mom bore her testimony on the difference the gospel makes in life.  She talked about how since she has been less active over the past 4 years she has been missing so much and now she has it back and she loves it.  I am just so impressed and proud of her and the way she is changing her and her family's life.

Nathan is soooo ready to be baptized! HOLY! Every time I talk to him I am completely blown away! He knows so much and has such a strong desire to have the church in his life! I love being in their home and being able to be with them and see this progression take place!

We had a zone conference this week up in Gander so we got to get some training and guidance from President Pratt! He is just amazing!! He is such an inspired man and knows exactly how to help us be the best and most effective that we can be. I love any time we get to spend with him and Sister Pratt! They are such a blessing to the mission and my life (:

Our other investigator Angela is out of town these next two weeks, so we didn't get to meet with her! But she called us and let us know that she packed her Book of Mormon and is excited to read it while she is away(:

Sorry for the short letter this week!! This week was full of finding more people to teach and spending time with Nathan and his family!

Life is oh so good!! I love where I am and who I am working with!! 

-Sista Hird

August 8, 2016 P-Day #15

Hello hello world!!

This week has been busy and oh so great!

Sister Anderson left me Wednesday ( I only cried buckets of tears) and that was sad, but I know she will do so good in Sackville!! They obviously need her there(:

My new companion is Sister Lofgran! She is from Riverton, Utah. She has been out on her mission 1 year! I'm excited for all I can learn from her! It's going to be a good transfer!

This week we got to meet with Nathan twice! Holy! This boy is amazing!! He seriously is the best! He is so solid! He reads everything we leave with him and such a strong desire to learn and be baptized! We are almost done teaching him all the basic lessons and will then do the commandments and he is good to go! He really is so great!! I'm so happy to be able to see the change that is taking place in there home with the gospel influence! The whole family has bee with us at church for the past three weeks in a row! Sitting with them is like being home, cheerios crayons, and noise! It's the BEST!!

We also met with Angela this week! She is trying so hard to accept the change that the gospel will be in her life.  She has been catholic for 76 years, so change is hard for her.  But the longer we teach her the more she realizes that change has to occur and that she is willing to do it! We still have a long way to go, but I know that we will get there!

We got to visit Jaxcine this week...she is one of my favorite people in the whole world! She is a older woman who is a member and is in a assisted living facility.  She is not all the way there mentally, but let me tell you she makes my week every time we see her! She has bright purple hair, which she is changing to pink because that's my favorite(:  She loves all things Disney and tells me all about the people she needs to pray for "because they don't like Frozen, so obviously something is wrong in their head and they need Jesus" She tells me this about every time we go, she knows whats up(; We got to spend about an hour with her laughing and hearing all of her life advice for us! Goooood times!(:

Funny thing...you know me, whitest person alive. I have a tan line from my shoes...me! TAN! In Canada of all places! The blessings of the mission, am I right?!

Well, I love all of you soo soo much! Have the most magical week EVER!!

-Sista Hird 

Catholic Basilica

Royal Regatta Day Boat Races

Her first tan line :)

August 2, 2016 P-Day #14

Hello hello!! This week has flown by!! Holy!

Soooo Sister Anderson is leaving me :,( I am going to miss her so much!! She has impacted me in so many amazing ways! But I know that she will work wonders where she goes! I don't know who I am going to be with yet, but I know I am staying here in St.Johns! Which I am super happy about! I am going to be able to be here for Nathan, My 10 year old investigators baptism! #blessed

This week we met with Nathan and his family.  We do fhe with them every Monday night and it's my favorite!! Nathan is preparing to baptized on August 30th! So we are teaching them as much as we can to make sure that he is fully prepared for that date! We went over the Atonement with them and showed the children's bible video about it (if you haven't watched them yet DO IT NOW!! HOLY they are the cutest thing ever!! It's a series of like 10 gospel stories told by kids and I LOVE them)

I love that I have the opportunity right now, at the beginning of my mission to teach these kids! I am learning how to simply teach and testify of the gospel truths I know and hold dear! It's such a blessing, because really this is how everyone should be taught! But since I am teaching kids it really puts my simplifying to the test!

This week President Pratt came up to Newfoundland and took all the missionaries in our distirct to dinner! It was so amazing to spend time with him and get the insight he has.  He is truly so inspired in all he does.

President Pratt has given me the assignment of teaching a family where the mom is a returned missionary her husband is a convert.  So she has been through the temple, but he has not yet! They have two little kids and being sealed has been a goal of theirs and I get to help teach about the temple and the covenants they will be making here shortly.  I am so excited to do this!! I know the blessings the temple brings and how much of a blessing its been in my life and I can't wait to teach them those same things.

The power we have as Latter Day Saints in the Church of Jesus Christ to seal is one of the most amazing gifts we've been given. I get to be with my family FOREVER! How amazing is that?? I get what makes me most happy for literally the rest of time.  I can't even begin to explain the power and meaning this brings to my life.  I don't know if I would be able to leave my family for 18 months without the knowledge that I get them forever.  While I'm here I get to help others make their families forever as well and that is a calling I want to always do justice! Baptism is of course something I as a missionary want for my investigators, but it is the gate (2 Nephi 31:17-18) that leads to so many other blessings, such as the temple, that I want them to receive also.

I love love love you all!! I hope you have a magical week!!

-Sista Hird

Nathan painted my nails for family night!

Nathan's Family

Yes B'y!! This a true newfie saying! They shorten boy to b'y (bye) and EVERYONE here does it! But you don't just say it when referring to actual boys, we get called b'y all the time! So when you ask anyone a question the answer is more often than not, "Yes b'y". So obviously Sister Anderson and I had to buy these yes b'y socks to show our newfie side(: 

Sister Hird and Sister Anderson