"this is where it gets crazy"

This week we finally had the opportunity to ride the bus!! It's always a thrill. It was also the most beautiful day ever! This is the most beautiful summer I've ever seen! I love Toronto!

it poureddddd that day. we thought it was going to flood

So wet!

Something I learned is the importance of taking baby steps. God doesn't expect us to move mountains overnight, but he does expect us to act in faith and to get out of our comfort zones-- that's where our stretching zone is! That way, when we get to the spirit world, we won't be bound by our comfort zone or our weaknesses, but we will feel free and happy and at peace! 

After getting off the bus while we were blitzing ESL flyers, we stopped and talked to this girl. She was superrrrr not interested. So we asked her if she knew anyone that anyone that would be interested in hearing our message. And then she said the saddest thing I've ever heard a human say; she said, "About Jesus Christ and God? Uhm no, people don't believe in that anymore and it's really sad that you still do."

How sad, right? One of the most precious absolute truths of the gospel is that we are the literal sons and daughters of God! We are loved by the most omnipotent, all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving God-- when we understand this, we cannot doubt our divine potential. 

So then we moved on and contacted people at Seneca college! IMMEDIATELY we found two guys who were overly excited about what we had to share with them. They're excited to learn more! So yes, the church is true!

This week we also had zone training! Great, as always. I love PREACH MY GOSPEL. I can testify that it was, without a doubt, designed beyond the veil. EVERYONE READ IT.

Also...

robert gooderham was baptized!

I don't really know if I actually grasp how prepared he was. His friend from elementary school, who was baptized a year ago, brought him to the YSA branch last month and ever since then, Robert has been preparing for baptism! After his baptism, he bore his testimony and it was so good!

Sometimes, people don't always "feel" something when it comes to conversion, but sometimes the spirit works through a "knowing" or excitement about truth and practicing gospel principles. That's Robert, and he is so happy.

I love being a missionary! 

I love y'all!

xoxo,

Sister Court

Downtown!

our stuck in traffic face

our ward mission leader and my cute companion doing the haka face

Robert got baptized!

the most adorable poster I've ever seen

my sustenance

So it's August already. Where did July go?

Time is flying! I've already hit 5 months, but I remember the MTC like it was yesterday.

It seems like the more and more you begin to love something, the quicker it seems to pass by.

Bittersweet. 

Maybe I sound reflective because by the end of this transfer I will have killed two AMAZING sisters. whom tend to be reflective at the end of 18 months of consecrated service to the Savior. What great examples and companions I've had! My heart is so grateful!!

Yesol and Robert are getting ready for BAPTISM!! Whoo hoo! 

So this week, the power of fasting was manifest!

Robert came to church

he felt and recognized the spirit there versus times and places in his life when it isn't

he stayed until the baptism that evening! EIGHT HOURS AT CHURCH

he decided to fast the following day about Joseph Smith and President Monson

Yesol loved the testimonies insacrament

she feels so happy at church and with the people there

so, yes, the church is true.

This week we also had exchanges! I went to Missisauga! It looks just like Texas!

I have never taught people who were not YSA, so it was exciting! We taught an old Polish man who has become bitter because of the tribulation in his life. He searches for truth but refuses to receive the spirit. ------> 2 Nephi 33:1-2

We also knocked on a door to a single mom of 4. We asked her who Jesus Christ is to her. She laughed a little and then said, "My sustenance." holy cow, when she said that, I got chillllls. Jesus Christ IS our sustenance!

There are so many great things that happen here and I wish I could talk about them all, but words never do spiritual experiences justice. 

But I will say that there is no place I'd rather be. Right here and right now, is my happy place, it's my stretching zone, it's my one on one time with my Savior, its where I'm supposed to be, but it's also where I want to be. 

"...I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus." (2 Nephi 33:6)

Thank you for all the prayers! I love y'all so much.

Love,

Sister Court

get in and stay in

I'm going to be super cliche and typical for a moment, but....

I love being a missionary.

Sometimes my heart swells with this feeling that is bigger than me. I love knowing that because of the Atonement, people can change; that because of the Plan of Salvation, I see people differently that I have before and that we all CAN return to that Father in Heaven that loves us and is so personally aware of us; and that because of the restored Gospel, the priesthood has been restored! Truth is on earth once more! 

(kudos to those who never skipped Primary and knows what I'm talking about)

 

I also realized something this week:

"I don't claim that this church is true because I'm apart of it, I'm apart of it because I know that it is true."

So yes, the church is true. I'm so grateful!

The other night, we were thinking about who we could go visit and we felt like we should go see this member. When we got to her place, she answered the door crying. Long story short, we are now teaching her non-member boyfriend and helping him to prepare for baptism. 

We had a lesson with Madison this week. She cried. But for good reasons! She wants to know that the Book of Mormon is true, but she just doesn't know it yet. She definitely has more faith than she knows. Prayers for her!! 

We also met with Robert this week. Interesting enough, the people he referred us to in our previous visit with him, happened to "randomly" show up at the same place and time that we were meeting with Robert. It definitely shocked him! Enough to even strengthen his belief in a God!

Interesting, eh?

We also met with another girl who was a former to many other missionaries in the past. It makes me sad at how much moral decay is in the world today. Sexual immorality, drugs, smoking, abuse, loss of standards, disbelief, ignorance, pride, pornography, homosexuality, unhappiness, etc-- its all Satan. He is devious and cunning and he hates us. He wants us to be miserable. When we are in the Lord's territory, we are safe. But when we take a step into the adversary's, he has got hold on us and that's when we begin to slip away into unhappiness.

GET IN the Lord's territory and STAY IN it.

I love being a missionary and I love the gospel and I love my savior.

xoxo,

Sister Court

July is over but the harvest is not!

Sister Tebbs is crazy. I love her so much!! Who knew that when we served around each other in London that just a few transfers later we would be companions?! But she goes home next transfer too...6 weeks with her is not enough! I've only adopted the title of "the butcher" or the "slaughterer", so it's fine.

This week was a longggggg one, but it was such a good one! We saw lots of miracles this week. 

Like every week. 

This week we committed to really going through our 900 list of members (more or less- active) and just go visit them! With that, we "randomly" chose a Zewdu and Mesete. When we got to the building, we were locked out for a few minutes, then when we finally got to his door, no one was home, so we decided to leave a note; as we wrote the note, my pen kept running out of ink, but eventually we finished and turned to leave. Halfway down the hall, we saw a guy at the other end and saw that he was walking right into the apartment we were just at! We called after him and he "happened" to be Zewdu!

Moral of the story: God's timing was perrrrrfect. It always is.

Then last night, we went to visit another less-active and when she answered the door and after talking for about 10 minutes, I realized that we had run into her twin sister a couple weeks before! God is AWARE of this family! 

Then Friday, we were walking down the sidewalk and I wasn't planning on stopping these two guys that were going to pass us, but because we talk to EVERYONE, we stopped them and talked to them. They were actually already Christians! We talked for 15 minutes about the Restoration and they are super interested in knowing more!

Me at ESL doing my duties

Yesterday, the YSA branch didn't meet here in Toronto, so we had the opportunity to go to a family ward! Man, I haven't been in a family ward in over a year!! It was kind of refreshing! 

Sorry this email is kind of lame. It's hard to put into words the experiences I'm having as a missionary. I love the Lord, I love having a prophet on the earth, I love knowing that God is real and that this life is our time to prepare to meet Him again. 

"The happiness...peace...progress, prosperity of the Latter-day Saints, and the eternal salvation and exaltation of this people lie in obedience to the counsels of God." 

I love y'all! Make good choices because every single one counts!

xoxo,

Sister Court

Sister Tebbs and Nikka (she was baptized a year ago while her best friend was on her mision) miracles happennnn! We love Nikka!

The city!

the greatest thing ever

Famous line of the week:

"This is the thing about Toronto-- if you stand in one place too long, you'll get high."

Truth. So don't stand in one spot for too long.

So transfers are this week! My dear, sweet Sister Waldron is going back home on Wednesday. I love her so much!! I thank God everyday for blessing me with such a Christ-like companion.

As for me I will be....

STAYING IN TORONTO YSA! Whoop whoop! I love YSA. I just can't get enough of it!

This last week together was great! The sun was shining, it wasn't humid, God worked numerous miracles here and there, and being a missionary is the greatest thing ever. 

Right now, Madison, Dennis, and Tom are our solid investigators.

I love these people so much! They are such good spirits and I know Heavenly Father loves them so much. They truly recognize the goodness of God and desire it in their lives. How great reason have we to rejoice! (#Alma 26:1)

"I just keep relating to Joseph Smith!" "I feel good here." "I think that faith is something you believe in and hope for, that you can't see." "I was actually reading about the Word of Wisdom last night...why tea?!" "I liked the verse about mercy." "I think I feel something different...right now." "...how could he not be a prophet?" "I am happier that I have Christ in my life now." 

Again, this is why being a missionary is the greatest thing ever.

This week we also had such an uplifting District Meeting. Something that is so important is to ASK QUESTIONS. 

We ask questions so that investigators can teach themselves.

We ask questions to help investigators verbalize their thoughts and feelings.

We ask questions  to help our investigators to be agents, not objects.

When we ask questions, we learn!

One day this week, we contacted in the heart of downtown. We were just talking to people, left and right. Most just keep on walking and ignore us, but the few people that did stop to talk to us, helped me realize how blessed we are as missionaries to have people open up to us about their personal lives and beliefs. We are random people on a random street, yet people stop. They stop and tell us who they are. They tell us what they believe and why they believe it. Even when people are wrong or stubborn or want to argue, it's in these moments that begin to feel love beyond my own. I don't love people perfectly by any means, but the example of my Savior gives me guidance.

At church yesterday, there were so many prepared visitors! (Look at those YSAers go!) I can't even put into words how good God is, but He is. He works wonders for His children because He loves them. 

I love this gospel! The church is true. If you ever doubt it, doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith. Satan wants us to forget our spiritual experiences, our potential, our faith, the goodness and love of God. But remember the faith you do have-- lean on it!

Oh! And this week, for the first time, I had leg of lamb, ribs, and I tried apples and syrup! These Canadians do not mess around with their maple syrup!

I love y'all!

Love,

Sister Court

Duty to God!

Happy late America Day! Sister Waldron and I celebrated by wearing red, white and blue, eating a hamburger, and singing some patriotic songs. It was a grand day!

This week we met our new mission presidents, the Claytons! They are so tender! I love them!

"God bless us that our testimonies can be stronger, our desires richer, our worthiness greater." -President Clayton

And Sister Clayton touched a lot on seeing the end from the beginning. I love this! It is so important for us to focus on the present, but we must always have the end in mind. Seeing the plan and knowing what we are working towards helps us to fulfill our callings and achieve our potential.

We also had ZONE TRAINING this week! 

*BIG NEWS*

The First Presidency has announced that missionaries will now be teaching lesson 5 BEFORE baptism!

Something else I really liked that I learned from zone training is that as children of the covenant, we have the privilege and responsibility to help our brothers and sisters recognize the blessings that 

1) they are receiving 

and that

2) we are promising them

all as a result of obedience and acting in faith. 

I love this quote from Keith B. McMullin in a general conference years ago. He said:

"Duty does not require perfection, but it does require diligence. It is not simply what is legal,  it is what is virtuous. It is not reserved to the mighty or the high in station but instead rests on a foundation of personal responsibility, integrity, and courage. Doing one's duty is a manifestation of ones' faith." 

When we do our duty to God, we become something greater than we are now.

As for [some of] our INVESTIGATORS...

Brian is soooo prepared! As we taught him the Plan of Salvation, he goes "....I feel like I have heard this before. Like, this is familiar to me." The church is true!

We met a girl named Madi on the bus last month and she came to church yesterday! She loved it so much! She fit right in! 

We met Chris at the park Saturday night and talked for like half an hour and he ended up coming to church as well! He loved it! 

We also met with Will again. We love meeting with him because every time we teach him something new, he goes "wooooowwwwww". He is always so fascinated haha!

I'm just going to be super missionary for a second-- 

I want to invite everyone to study Preach My Gospel!

Preach My Gospel is scripture and was designed beyond the veil. I know that it isn't just for us missionaries, but for all of us as members! I would love to hear what you all are learning from your studies! Tell me all the things!! :)

This is Sister Waldron's last week. Freaking out? yes. (Me-- I'm freaking out, not her; pretty sure it should be the other way around). Words can't describe how much I love this sister! 

Study Preach my Gospel, reach out to someone, smile, and pray!

Love, Sister Courtney

best of times

I want to invite everyone to make a list of some kind this week! A list of:

blessings

ways the gospel has blessed your life

goals

favorite scriptures

things you know to be true

things you want to improve on

people that have influenced you in some way

quotes

a list of something! And then tell me about it! I want to hear! :) Lists are so powerful in helping us recognize and keep a record of the beautiful things in our lives!

This week I made a list of all the ways the gospel has blessed my life and let me just say... the church is true! I will definitely continue to add to my list. The gospel is everything I am. I am so grateful for the restored gospel on the earth.

Thomas S. Monson said:

"Whether it is the best of times or the worst of times, He is with us. He has promised that this will never change."

God knows us and loves us so sweetly and perfectly!

Have a good week! And tell me about your lists!! :)

Love y'all!