March 30, 2015

Family!! I hope you have all had a great week! My week here in Toronto YSA was crazy and full of miracles. 

AWKWARD PHONE CALL: So the other day we were calling potentials in my planner. (When we talk to someone on the bus and they want to learn more we get their information and set up an appointment with them later.) We're just going down the list and there was a number and it had no name or information on it. We couldn't figure out who it was but called it anyways. Guess who it was? The Farsi speaking Elders, Elder Call and Elder Vandersagan... I wanted to just hang up because we aren't allowed to be calling them. But I just told them what happened quickly and said bye. HAHA It was awkward. I wrote it down in my planner because Sarah wanted to text them and thank them for the blessing so I got it from them to give to her at the temple but never got to passing it off. It was rough.

YW PRESENTATION: Last month we were invited to give a presentation for the Scarborough Young Women's on missionary work. Not going to lie we totally forgot about the whole thing until that morning!! Then we realized we couldn't get there and back without a car and things were crazy stressful. Luckily we were able to borrow our zone leaders car and make a lesson during our study but it was pretty intense. The activity went well thought!! We talked about what we do and then we talked about what they could do now to be member missionaries. We did role plays of them passing out mormon.org cards to their friends. They all got way into it, it was adorable! We ate food after which was nice! I was talking to one of the girls afterwards who dances! We somehow started talking about Lindsay Arnold and I guess she's engaged!! To her best friend, Sam!? What the heck. I'm excited for them! But anyways, the girls were way cute and it ended up being a super successful event! A lot of them wanted pictures with us afterwards? What? So cute. 

NEW INVESTIGATORS: So we've been struggling to find more than like 3 new investigators each week. We set a goal for 5 this week and prayed and fasted that we would be able to achieve that goal.  Monday night we went to Tim Horton's to meed with a potential investigator, well he didn't show up but blessing in disguise. We started talking to these 4 guys and we ended up teaching them! They were all super curious about our beliefs. While we were teaching them this guy came up and asked what the family history hours were. WHAT? Well we ended up teaching him to. So it was a successful night at Tim Horton's well we got 5 new investigators.  

MORE NEW INVESTIGATORS: On Tuesday we had a YSA who came to ESL! We gave him a chapel tour after and he became a new! On Wednesday night we met with this potential who wasn't YSA but lived in our building. He became a new but we passed him off to the family ward missionaries. Thursday we met with Usman, who came to church last week. He brought his friend Hassan. They both became news! On Friday we invited some people to institute and this guy that I met on the bus, Zahid, showed up! Oh and Usman, Hassan, and their new friend came. It was awesome but kind of awkward that they were all guys... But WE WERE ABLE TO FIND 11 THIS WEEK!! AH. You guys, the power of prayer and fasting is so real!! Wow. It was a blessed week!

JAW-DROPPING TEXT: So Hassan had lots of questions when we met with him. But he kept on complimenting how faithful and righteous we were. Weird. On Friday night we were showing them the institute game room and they started playing pool. We had about 15 mins before the classes started so we just talked to them while some of them played. Hassan wanted me to play and asked me to be on his team. I thought that was strange so I said no. But it was awkward he kept on looking at me and smiling. So the next night we are at the Women's Broadcast and we get this text from Hassan. Well, I'll just type it out. 

"Dayton, I am going to be really honest with you. You are amazing. I have never met any Western girl like you in my 8 years of Candian life. You are very cultural, very honest, very humble and respectful girl. But I think I am getting distracted. All I think about is you, all the time. Like I just met an angel. The way you talk, the way you approach life, the way you smile made me think about you like never before. So I feel like I am falling for you. I don't want to make a mess for you because you are on your mission. So I won't be coming to church or meeting with you anymore. Thank you very much!!! You are the best." 

OH MY GOSH! You guys I died! Like I felt so uncomfortable! First of all, he knows that it's not MY phone? So it was awkward it was sent to me. That was during the Women's Broadcast and it was so hard to pay attention! We just told him thank you for being honest and if he's interested in the Gospel the Elders can teach him. 

CREEPERS OF THE WEEK: Well one day I got asked 3 different times. It had been like a month so it was weird that it hit hard one day. But the first one was like, "You should come to this bar this weekend. I'll buy you a drink." BAHAHAHA he was confused. When I told the next guy no he said but do you feel super flattered. Uh... Not really. And then Hassan invited me to play Cricket with him. Yeah... It was a little rough. I think people in Canada get confused when I'm nice to them. All of our new investigators were boys which is a little concerning but I don't know how I can change so that isn't the case.... AH The struggle is real. 

ANA: She met missionaries in the Ossington family ward and they passed her to us a couple weeks ago. We met with her once then she got crazy busy. But she came to church yesterday and it was amazing!!! She lives like an hour away so we found someone in our branch to bus with her! They showed up together and then we introduced her to lots of other people in the ward. Everyone was so friendly and made her feel so welcome! During testimony I looked over at her and she was just smiling and looked so at peace. After sacrament meeting came up and said she wants to be baptized next week!!!! We explained that we need to teach her a few more things but she could be baptized on April 12th! 

SOMETHING INTERESTING: I was reading about the 10 virgins and in the student Manuel Elder Oaks was talking about how they represent members of the church! That was shocking to me! But then it kind of made sense. We all know what is expected and some people will be more prepared than others. Elder Oaks then talks about how we fill up our oil drop by drop as we go to church, read the scriptures daily, and pray sincerely to our Heavenly Father. The small things are SO IMPORTANT!!! It's crazy to think that only half of the members will be prepared when Christ comes again, right? But I think that's what he was saying... You better all better be doing those things! :)

I love you all lots and hope you have an awesome week! Sounds like there is a party in Utah this week! HAVE A BLAST :)

I carry just a little bit of Utah with me!