Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire

Hello Family and Friends! As always... WHAT A WEEK! I still truly love it here in the glorious Calgary area. Every day I get to look at the beautiful skyline of Calgary, walk up breathtaking (literally) hills, and work with and serve amazing people in this area. I couldn't feel more blessed to be spending this time in this area.  

Some highlights of the week! 

First off I would like to apologize for not emailing much last week.... I need to learn to balance my email time ha ha! 

Anyway! As you can tell by my subject line this week was awesome! 

We went to the Guidi's (our Italian/French) family for Dinner on Tuesday. It was beautiful outside... about 5 degrees so Sister Layton and I didn't even wear a coat just a light sweater. When we got there Sister Guidi met us at the top of the outside stairs (they live in the basement) and told us in her awesome French accent that we better go see what Brother Guidi is doing. So we walked over to a fire pit that Brother Guidi was standing by and Sister Layton asked "What are you making Brother Guidi" his response... (in his amazing Italian accent) "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire"! So I have now tried roasted Chestnuts and I must say they are quite good. We had a traditional french meal that day including a cheese platter before Dessert! As we went to leave Sister Guidi asked us if we needed coats and we said that it was beautiful outside and then we walked out and saw that we were smack dab in the middle of a snow storm.... you think that I would have remembered that Calgary is the most bipolar when it comes to weather... It was a great night with a great lesson with Shannon and Bishop and then ending with getting stuck on a hill by our house. The elders had to come rescue us.... it was great!

Wednesday we had our Arm Activity (Additional Relief Society Meeting) which was a fun Christmas dinner. It was awesome because we had three less-actives, a ward missionary and a visiting teacher to one of the less-actives all at our table! It was great! We had a great time and have appointments set with 2 of the 3 less-actives this week. 

As always we helped out at the Food Bank this week! It was awesome! As I was helping someone out to their car I chatted with him and he said that our churches are Beautiful. He was from Nigeria and as I got talking to him I offered for the Sisters in his area (which happen to be some of the Sisters that we serve) to get in touch with him. He said yes and I gave him our number to call if he had any questions. Even though we go to the food bank to serve, I still love being able to share my testimony with people and help them to remember the love of God. 

That night we went to our dinner appointment and had an awesome miracle! We had the chance to help make dinner for Sister Redfern and Sister Dow. They heard that I like to make Fried Rice so that is was Sister Layton and I cooked... however we didn't realize that when we got there that the rice that she gave us was Brown rice and it takes 45 minutes to cook... but we didn't have that time do to a lesson with Eddy later. So if response we did what any missionary would do and said a prayer.... AND THE RICE COOKED IN 30 MINUTES INSTEAD OF 45!!!!!! Ha! Who says prayers aren't answered! We had a great lesson with Eddy that night and then drove up to the North to go on exchanges with our Hermanas (the Spanish Sisters!). I went up again to the North to stay with Hermana Dean and we had a great time learning from each other. She is one firecracker missionary only being out for 3 months in the field. It is kind of cool because when we decided who is going where for an exchange we do a lot of praying and a lot of thinking. Normally we don't have a lot of trouble, but this week we couldn’t decide until right before the exchange. I had originally thought that I would be staying in the area with Hermana Dean and Sister Layton would go to the North with Hermana Ratliff, but we still had some confusion until we decided that I would be going to the North and Sister Layton would stay here....and it felt right! It is crazy that Heavenly Father really means to study it out in your minds and then ask if it be right because I know that I had thought it out and I felt off when I asked but I was too stubborn to think that I could be wrong. Moroni 10:3-5, be humble, ask God if the thoughts and feelings you have are not true and then listen for the Holy Ghost... God will tell you!

Sunday was unlike any other Sunday. All of Canada this weekend didn't have church but watched instead the Montreal Temple Dedication! So now I have been to two! It was a special experience and we had both a less-active and recent convert come! I loved it! We also made dinner for a potential investigator with one of our ward missionaries Sister Brule (Spaghetti and Pudding with crushed Candy Cane!) and took it over. Kory and Katherine were a referral from a member in the Foothills stake and they just moved it from Edmonton. They are struggling but were so nice and accepted the invitation for us to come back this week for a message. They are the sweetest and I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ will really bless their lives. It has been a good week with many miracles! I hope that all of you Americans have an amazing Thanksgiving Day on Thursday! Thank you so much for all that you do! I love you! 

Sister Kelliann Jensen