It's cold outside!

It was -20 C this morning which is -4 F. Wow! It hasn't gotten above -17 the last couple of days and yesterday I experienced having the inside of my nose freeze which is a really strange sensation. The cold really makes me appreciate the warmth just like the bitter and sad things in life are helping me appreciate the sweet and happy things. I am truly blessed. we had an adventure the other night the fire alarm went off at 12:52 and it was sooo loud.. we all just waited in the lobby so I was grateful we didn't have to go outside. I found a lot of people don't feel like talking when it's the middle of the night... it's a good thing we stop proselyting at 9:00. We got back inside at 1:30 and I have never fallen back to sleep so fast. we have had a lot of miracles this week and I'm so grateful. We had an investigator finally set his baptismal date and some investigators we lost contact with finally called us and so we are really grateful. I read an amazing talk by Elder Utchdorf that was given in a priesthood session. Here are some of my favorite parts." There is an important concept here: patience is not passive resignation, nor is it failing to act because of our fears. Patience means active waiting and enduring. It means staying with something and doing all that we can- working, hoping, and exercising faith;bearing hardship with fortitude, even when the desires of our hearts are delayed. Patience is not simply enduring; it's enduring well!... I know for sure that the promises of the Lord, if perhaps not always swift, are always certain......Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can see the Lord's hand in our lives until long after the trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential buildinging blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity, understanding, and happiness.... Patience means staying with something until the end. It means delaying immediate gratifications for future blessings is means accepting that which cannot be changed and facing it with courage, grace and faith. Ultimately it means being "firm and steadfast,and immovable in keeping the commandments of the Lord every hour of every day, even when it is hard to do so. Patience is a process of perfection. patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the receiving that we grow the most." Isn't that Great stuff! This talk really helped me out. So I was thinking I would do a little play by play of this past weekend so you know what life is like here. Friday morning we woke up... it's a challenge for me. I usually set a seperate alarm on the phone and so it goes off a little after sister rosenlofs and then I hit snooze twice.. it's so dark and cold in our apartment in the morning. Then into the bathroom where the floor is wet because the sink is leaking.. we still need to report that. Then I think I tried jump roping for a bit. I get ready and my sweet companion makes us a some breakfast. We study.. I love study time. Then we went to go help Nandranie who is from Gayana go move some stuff from a strorage shed.. it was a big cement building and we froze!Then we went and visited one of my favorite recent converts Mandla who is from Swaziland. Then our appointment with D'andre who is from the Bahama's cancelled. So we went and rode the subway and talked to poeple. I talked to someone from Taiwan, India, France, Ethiopia. Then we met with Pankaj who is from India and watched finding faith in Christ. Then we visited a member from China. It was really a funny experiece. Her appartment is full of boxes and dolls (my companion has a fear of dolls) and stuffed animals. She invited us in but when I went in she kept standing there and I'm pretty big with my coat and back pack and I just lodged myself between her and the boxes.. so i backed up and we all managed to get through. She had boiling cups of water for us and at first i was like i've never just had hot water but it was rather enjoyable when it cooled down a little and it warmed us up. Then she was in the kitchen and I was petting her cat and all the sudden it bit me and then starting scratching my arm like crazy.. it scared me and I was looking at me companion for help, The cat bit her too. Then she kept asking us if we liked her cat but every time it came near me I would get so nervous. I've got some good battle wounds. Then we went home and colored a picture for and investigator and planned for Saturday. We taught English and my class is Meedo who is from Saudi Arabia and Shiukumar who was a monk in the Himalayas for 10 years. We had a very interesting conversation. At the end of Class meedo asked me if I would go dancing with him and a couple of the elders were around and it was an awkward experience. Then we met with Pradyut who is from India and he has been meeting with the Jehovah's witness's and he is really confused. But he really likes the book of Mormon. then We had an appointment with a lady from Jamaica but she cancelled cause it's too cold. We went in search of some referrals and made some visits. We had an awesome appointment with a family from the Congo and the parents have been baptized for 5 years but none of their children so we are very excited to teach them. They are really lovely people. Then we did some more finding. Church was busy because I sat by Agdus she is from Iran and then two other investigators came in so we kept moving around to help them understand what was going on. Our ward is so diverse I love it. The bishop is from Canada and his counselors are from Italy and England, used to be the Philippines. The Relief society president is from Ecuador and the primary one is from Tonga. Our ward mission leader is from Grenada. So then we went and visited a family from Vietnam and then one from the Czech Republic. We went to visit Jason who is from Lebanon but he wasn't home so we did more finding :) Well I'm running out of time but I hope that gives you a picture of missionary work in downtown Toronto. I love it. I love you all and think of you and pray for you so much. Remember that God keeps his promises. Have a great day. Wow this is a long one


Sister Savage