Christmas!! December 28, 2015

So this week has been truly amazing! There are so many things that I want to talk about but the one that really sticks out in my mind was Christmas!! We had the opportunity to Skype at the Baxter's home. Sister Baxter's husband left her and the kids just a little under a year ago now, and needless to say things have not been easy for her or her family. I was so grateful for her letting us come over and Skype, have breakfast, (after Sister Lyu Skyped with her family at 7:00 because of the time difference) lunch, and dinner with their family and the whole time they were just so giving!! They truly showed me what Christmas was all about, it wasn't just about the physical gifts... but it was about giving the gifts of love to each other throughout the whole day! Even though their family has struggles, in all honesty who's family doesn't, they didn't let that get in the way of helping us feel the pure love of Christ in their home! Words honestly can not express how much I have learned this Christmas! I am so grateful for our Savior, for His Birth, His example, and His mercy. Just like President Monson says, "As we seek Christ, as we find Him, as we follow Him, we shall have the Christmas Spirit, not for one fleeting day each year, but as a companion always." I'm grateful for the example of my Savior and the Baxter's! I hope that each of us will take the time to look outward and find ways to help those that are around us feel the love of our Savior! (: 

Sister Ince,Kiara Orr, Sister Lyu and Sabrina celebrating

Sister Lyu's 2 year anniversary of being a member of the church.

Celebrating Christmas Eve with the Jessen family

Some of the Orr kids putting on the Christmas Nativity

on Christmas Eve.

NcKinley, Sabrina, Sister Lyu and Sister Ince

getting ready to go on a wagon ride caroling

around Orton!

All of us in our new Christmas PJ's

 Goofy Picture in our New PJ's

Peace Out!!

Skyping with My Dad and Tyler and Derrick

Christmas with the Baxter family where we skyped our families.

This is how cold it is getting in Canada!

Holy Cow! An Amazing Week! December 20, 2015

Holy Cow this week has been so amazing!! We have seen so many miracles! To start me and Sister Lyu have an addition to our companionship!! Sister Ince has now joined us here in Fort Macleod!! And She is so great! She is waiting for her visa here and something so cool about that is her brother is actually serving here too!! So they got to see each other at our mission Christmas party!! Now to talk about some of the amazing miracles: Derek is now on date to get baptized and he is loving church!! Oh it has been so amazing to see him continue to progress!! And at church last week our Stake President challenged everyone to read The Book of Mormon from cover to cover by April for General Conference. And when we met with Derek one of the first things that he said is that he wanted to accept the Stake President's challenge and read the Whole Book of Mormon by April!! Needless to say were were so so excited!! I just love seeing the Spirit touch peoples hearts!! (: Also we were able to pick up two new investigators this week!! Oh we have just seen so many blessing this week and the kicker of all of it is that it is Christmas time!! (:  It has been such an amazing experience to be able to be a missionary during the Christmas season! (: We have been able to go caroling (with some really cute antlers haha (; ) and I have just loving being able to see the Spirit touch the hearts or so many as we sing about our Savior! It is so amazing to see the smile that comes to their faces and to feel them come closer to the Savior! To be honest it is so hard to express the feelings that I have felt from being able to sing to complete strangers... but by the end feel like we have a connection!! (: Oh it is just amazing!! (: So the last thing that I want to leave you guys with is a scripture Luke 2:11 "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord." It is so amazing how because of one little baby born in a manger we all have the amazing opportunity to feel loved, joy, hope, and have the knowledge that because of our Brother, Savior, Jesus Christ and his birth, his example and His death, we can have the opportunity to live with our Father in Heaven again!  This is the real reason that we celebrate Christmas!! (: Oh this Christmas has truly been so special! I'm so grateful for my Savior! And I am honored to have the opportunity to share this amazing and joyful message with all of my brothers and sisters!! I hope that all of us can have a Merry Christ centered Christmas this year!! (:  

Sarah Foote, Sabrina,Keyli and Sister Lyu. They had to move

their beds into the living room to make room for Sister Ince to join them.

Sister Lyu, Sister Ince and Sabrina 

Beautiful Sabrina!

Cute Christmas Reindeer!! 

Feeling The Spirit December 14, 2015

As for this week it has been so amazing!! To start we had such a great lesson with one of the less actives that we are meeting with!! He has been going through some really tough things with his family lately and he wasn't sure if he was really up to meeting with us because he was just so sad... but he still made the decision to come and it was so amazing to see the Spirit change his countenance throughout the lesson!! We invited two members to come with us to his lesson and the experiences that they shared were exactly what was needed to have the Spirit testify to him that even though life isn't easy that Heavenly Father is here for him!! (:  Oh the Spirit was so strong in the room!!! Every time that we meet with this man we always invite him to activities and he always says that he doesn't feel good or that something came up. But this week we invited him to a Nativity display that the wards had put together and he came!!! And he even invited his sister and her daughter to come with him!!! Oh it is just so neat to see that once people feel the Spirit so strong and they KNOW for themselves that God knows and loves them they just want to share it with everyone around them!!! I am so grateful to be able to see how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is changing my life and the lives of all those that are around Sister Lyu and I!! (: 

Some kids from the ward dressed up for the Nativity

Sister Lyu and Sister Hushes at Nativity Activity for ward

Sister Lyu, Keyli Kurtz and Sabrina

Great Week But Tough Week!! December 8, 2015

So this week has been great!! I'm not going to lie.. it has been a little tough, there have been a few bummer things that have happened this week. We got dropped my Naomi, because her mom doesn't want her to learn more about the gospel... and one of our other progressing investigators didn't show up to our lesson and he has never just stood us up before... and then one of the less actives we are working with canceled our appointment and told us some pretty sad news... but even though there were a few sad things that have happened this week we have still been so blessed! (:  I don't want to share all of these things to bum everyone out... but to share that everyone struggles at different times in our lives but that the Savior knows and loves each of us individually and continues to bless us even though things aren't always going the way that we would like. Through some of the sad times this week we still saw miracles from our Father in Heaven, we were able to set up an appointment with one of our new investigators and we were able to participate in the community carol festival!! So that was great!!

Even though things don't always go as planned or the way we would like. Everyone has their own free agency and we can not take that away. The only thing that I can control is me! And I know that as Sister Lyu and I continue to try our best and rely on the Lord He will put people in our path that He has prepared to receive the gospel. There is a quote from Elder Neal A. Maxwell that says, "As you submit your wills to God, you are giving Him the ONLY thing you can actually give Him that is really yours to give. Don't wait too long to find the altar or to begin to place the gift of your wills upon it. No need to wait for a receipt; the Lord has His own special ways of acknowledging." Because it is Christmas time I have been thinking a lot about the Savior and His birth. He has given us the ultimate gift, because of His birth, His life, and His death we now have the opportunity to live with our Father in Heaven again. As we give our will to Heavenly Father and follow the example of our Savior we are giving them the only gift that is truly ours to give. I am so grateful for the Savior. I know that God knows each of us, He loves us, I know that He is preparing people to hear the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I know that as I a line my will with Heavenly Fathers I will show my love for Him and give him the only gift I can truly give Him. I am so grateful to be a missionary and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! (: We all have rough days but because of the Savior there will ALWAYS be hope! Because of our Brother, our Redeemer, our Savior and His birth, we can feel peace, joy, and know that that we are never alone! (: What a blessing!! (:

 Cardston Temple

 Decorating for Christmas

 Our District

 Christmas Tree supplied by Sister Bullock and our

Nativity made by Sister Orr

This Week Was Great!! November 30, 2015

Now as for this week, it has been great!! (: We weren't able to have a lesson with Nayomi this week because she had to work, but we had a chance to stop in at the small grocery store that she works at and chat with her a little. It was so amazing to listen to her tell us about her life and all of the crazy hard things that no 17 year old should have to deal with EVER and how even though she has had such a hard life she still has the best attitude ever!! After she told us about her family and all the things that have happened to her I told her that no one should have to go through half of the things that she has. And she looked at me and said, "Life is a learning experience" and she continued to talk about what she has learned from her trials and how she has grown! (: Talk about amazing! I was so inspired after talking to her! She really made me think, we ALL struggle, but the Savior is here for each and every one of us! Just like it says in the poem "Footprints in the Sand" we are never alone the Savior is always at our side, and when we can't walk any further, the Savior will carry us! I am so grateful for the love the Savior has for each of us! I know that He knows us each personally and He always has His arms outstretched to us! I am so grateful for the Love that I feel from the Savior and for His willingness to always walk by my side, and for all the times that I thought I couldn't go any further when He carried me! 

Now being out of the city I actually see Animals!!!

The wind blows a lot here and these windmills are how we get 

a lot of our energy

This is as big as the mountains here get!

After getting stuck in the snow with Sister Freeman while we were on 

exchanges and were rescued it seemed like a great time for a selfie!!

This is the first Dairy Farm Sabrina has seen!!

Sabrina and Sister Lyu after helping the Waltons decorate for Christmas!!

Another Great Week In Canada! November 23, 2015

This week has been another great one!! (: So we had another lesson with Erin this week, she is such a sweetheart! We talked to her about the Plan of Salvation and how it is for each of us individually and we answered a bunch of her questions! (: At the end of the lesson she told us a story about how one of the more "crabby" ladies that she works with was chatting with her the other day and told Erin that she could see a "difference in her" and she said that Erin seemed so happy!! Oh isn't is just so amazing how much joy living the Gospel can bring into our lives!! Our countenance truly does shine when we are living the Gospel and when we feel the love that our Heavenly Father and our Savior has for us!! It is so amazing to see how much Erin is growing and how close she is coming to our Heavenly Father!! It is such an amazing experience to see the Spirit working within people! (:  And the kicker of the lesson was at the ended we set a date for her to get baptized!!! (: Oh we are just so excited!!! (: Another thing that happened this week was Zone Conference!! (That is just when two zones from the mission get together and the Mission President comes and talks to us and all that good jazz!) (: But it was so powerful!! We talked a lot about being diligent and making every day count!! And that really opened my eyes because it is truly so important to make the most out of every wonderful day that we have both in the the mission and in life!! Just like Devin G. Durrant says, "Small efforts sustained over time can produce significant results." As we do the small and simple things every day we will grow "line upon line precept upon precept" and we will Become who Heavenly Father wants us to be through our diligence and the help of our Father in Heaven! (: Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have given us so much, we show how much we appreciate all that we have been blessed with as we follow the example of our Savior and do the things which they have asked us to do, weather great or small! (: I'm so grateful for the Savior! I'm so grateful to be a missionary and have this amazing opportunity!! (: 

 A tree in their yard

Sabrina & Sister Lyu in front of the Cardston Temple

Another Great Week! November 16, 2015

This week has been filled with MIRACLES!!! (: So this past Tuesday we got a random call from one of the members in our ward and he told us that his employee wanted to take the missionary discussions!!! We were so stink'n excited!!! So we had our first lesson with him on Thursday and we will be seeing him again this week!! It was such a blessing! It is so neat to see how Heavenly Father prepares both the investigators and the members!! Oh I'm just so grateful to be serving in these wards!! Also this week we had a lesson with the McCarthy couple! They are in their 60's and they are so so sweet! They have been like grandparents to us while we are here! So we really wanted to help them understand the importance of The Book of Mormon, so we marked some of our favorite scriptures and wrote our testimonies in the front of the cover and gave them each their own copy! Then we began our lesson and at the beginning it was a little rough... but Sister Lyu and me just kept praying, and praying in our hearts to have the Spirit with us! And as we kept going the lesson made a total 180 turn!! The Spirit was so strong and as we were sharing our testimony's Sister McCarthy started tearing up, it just turned out to be one of the most memorable lessons that I have had the opportunity to be in!! (:  It is such an amazing experience to be able to see the Spirit touch peoples lives!! I just wanted to share a quick quote from President Eyring it says, "With a prayer of faith, God can grant us power... for whatever circumstances we may be in. It simply requires that we ask in humility for the Spirit to show us what God would have us say and do, do it, and continue to live worthy of that gift." Prayer is such an amazing blessing to each and every one of us! As we turn to our Heavenly Father and ask Him to guide us He will!! But after we receive our answer, we are responsible to ACT and do what the Lord needs us to do!! I know that Heavenly Father hears and answers all of our prayers, it is just on His timetable, not ours. Words honestly can't express how grateful I am to be a missionary!! 

A Poster Sabrina made for a Stake Activity

They made the Crawford's whiteboard!

This Week Has Been Amazing November 9, 2015

This week has been amazing!! (: So we went to a dinner in Coalhurst, nothing out of the ordinary just with a member family and it turns out that one of her daughters has a non-member friend that is living with them!! Her name is Nayomi, and we were able to chat with her and get to know her more and then the member asked her if she wanted to take the discussions and learn more about the gospel!! At first she said she wasn't sure... and then we talked to her more and said that we will just start with the first lesson and take it slow and just see how she feels... and she said that sounded great!! So now we are starting to teach her the lessons this week!! (: Oh it was so neat!! And it goes to show truly how important members are! Speaking of how amazing people are... we had some Tim Hortons ( the Canadian donut shoppe) and Subway sandwiches just randomly left on our doorway this week! And it turned out to be our sweet non-member neighbor that lives upstairs from us!! It totally made our day!! It is so neat how such simple things make such a difference!! (: Also we had the opportunity to help with achievement days, and after the sweet girls put on a play for us!! (: haha it was so fun to see how creative they all were and how they all worked together!! I loved seeing how positive they were to one another and how much they supported each other!! (: I think that when the Savior says that we must be as children that is because children have such sweet and loving spirits about them! I learned so much from those young girls! Their examples really did touch my heart! (: I'm so grateful to have to opportunity to serve the people here in Canada, and see the Spirit change peoples lives!! (: Oh random side note... It is snowing here in Canada!! Winter is finally here!! (: Whoot Whoot!! (: 

Sister Lyu in the snow

Sister Creech, Sister Kolodisi, Sister Anthian

Sister Lyu, Sister Trimble

Cool Little Story November 2, 2015

So this week I wanted to share a cool little story! So Sister Lyu and I were walking around just making a few stop bys to people that we didn't know yet. We passed this house where some less actives lived and we had actually already ran into Bro Caldwell one day while we were walking around before and started talking to him like he wasn't a member and after a few minutes of chatting and asking about if he had any religious beliefs he told us that he was a Mormon! haha But he said that we were more than welcome to come back. So when we passed the Caldwell's house this week and noticed that Brother Caldwell wasn't home we weren't sure if we should stop in or not because we weren't sure if his wife would be as welcoming as he was... anyways so we just passed their house on our way to someone else when we just stopped and decided that we needed to pray and ask Heavenly Father if we should stop by, and we had a feeling after our prayer that we should even though we didn't know if Sister Caldwell would let us in. So we knocked on the door, a little nervous about what was about to happen... and she let us in with warm smiles and it turned out that she was canning carrots and she was running short on time and she wasn't sure if she was going to be able to do everything that she needed to do on her own! So we jumped in and helped her can all of her carrots and chatted with her about her family and life and about the Gospel!! It is so neat how Heavenly Father knew that Sister Caldwell needed help with canning, and as we were walking by her house we felt prompted to go back. I just love to see how Heavenly Father truly does care about all the little things in our lives! Whether we are canning carrots, looking for something we lost, or making a big life decision, Heavenly Father takes the time to answer all of our prayers! Now that doesn't mean that the answers will always be when we want or what we want... but we will always get an answer because Heavenly Father loves each and everyone of us so much! I am so grateful to be here on a mission and to have this amazing opportunity to see the Spirit working in peoples lives everyday!! 

Great Balance!!!

Week Full Of Miracles October 26, 2015

This week has been absolutely filled with MIRACLES!! (: Our Mission President gave us a challenge to get 2 new investigators in one week.. and I'm not gonna lie that isn't an easy thing here in Canada.. But we worked as hard as we could, we prayed for guidance and asked all of the members for referrals and low and behold the Lord provided us a way to find 2 new investigators in one week!! (: It is such an amazing thing to see how Heavenly Father truly does have a plan for all of His children and that he prepares the members and their friends!! Oh it has just been an amazing week! Also a random side note... one of the members in one of the wards that we cover was talking to us about how our non-member neighbor phoned him up and chatted with him about having new Sister Missionaries!! It was kinda funny that even though this man wasn't a member he was still so excited to have us here in Fort Macleod and that he noticed us! It real made me stop and think... how so many people are watching all of us when we don't even know it! And that we have such an amazing opportunity as members of the church because people truly do recognize the light of Christ that the Gospel brings!! (: I know that as each of us do what is right and as we are kind to all those that are around us that people really are noticing but even more important than that is that our Heavenly Father knows that we are following the example of His Son, Jesus Christ, and helping and loving the people around us!! Oh there have just been so many amazing things happen this week! I am so Eternally grateful to have this opportunity to be on a mission! I am so grateful for the Gospel and for the Savior!! (:

Cute Girls in their new pajamas!

Pumpkins they carved!  So Fun!

Amazing Week October 19,2015

As for this week! It has been amazing!! Me and Sister Lyu had a dinner at the Relief Society Presidents house this week from the Park Lake Ward! She is such a sweetheart! Her son is actually out on his mission now too! And he is serving in the Provo Utah Mission!! So cool, right?!? (: Her husband is actually less active though and when we first arrived at their house he was pretty cold... me and Sister Lyu weren't quite sure what to do... so we were just our selves and tried to be friendly (: As we finished up dinner we sat in their living room and started to share a message it was amazing to see the change in him... He sat up and listened and even talked a little bit!! And by the end of the lesson he was offering us candy, getting us all sorts of things and chatting with us! It was so cool to see the change in this man as he felt the Spirit! After we finished the little message we asked him if it would be okay with him if we came back and practiced teaching the lessons with him... and he said YES!!! (: It is such an amazing experience to see how powerful the Spirit really is! I know that as each of us tries our best to be kind and loving to the people around us that the Spirit will touch their hearts and even though there might not be huge changes at first... they will slowly begin to feel the Love that Heavenly Father and the Savior has for them!! And that is what is most important!! Just like it says in 1 Nephi 16:29 "by small means the Lord can bring about great things" It truly is through the small acts of kindness, the love that we show others, and our willingness to follow the Spirits promptings that we can help the Lord by helping the people around us feel of His love!! I am so grateful to be a missionary and to have this amazing opportunity!! (:

This is me, Sister Freeman (from England), Sister Lyu, and Sister Tilly (from Utah!!) all at out apartment! (: 

Thanksgiving In Canada October 12, 2015

Well I hope that everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving!! That is if you are Canadians!!! (: haha Yesterday was Thanksgiving here in Canada kinda crazy but I'm not gonna complain about the turkey and potatoes!! (: On top of it being an awesome Thanksgiving we have a new investigator!! Whoot whoot!! (: Her name is Erin, she is a sweetheart but her brother passed away just a little over a year ago and she has felt like he has guided her to learn more about the church!! It was so cool in the lesson she shared experiences about how she has felt the Spirit and she even said "So when I get baptized...." and me and Sister Lyu couldn't believe that she had said that!!! She still has a lot of questions but that is what we are here for!! We are just so excited for Erin!! It is so amazing to see how Heavenly Father leads people to learn about the gospel!! It just goes to show that the Spirit is truly the one that prepares peoples hearts!!! (: I'm just so grateful to be a missionary!!! (: 

Picture from our Pday and the Indian Tipi

 Two adorable girls

Sabrina at the Cardston Canada Temple

Sister Lyu at the Temple

Couldn't help taking a picture of this sign

Sister Lyu petting a goat for the first time! I think she liked it!

The Asplund family, they have made us feel so at 

home in Southern Alberta!

Evidence of the crazy winds here!

Sister Trimble and Sister Lyu with the Asplund sisters

Asplund horses

Conference Weekend October 5, 2015

So for this week... it has been a week of  miracles!! (: To start we have been able to see a few less actives and have some awesome lessons!! And yesterday we went over to a members house to talk to her more about her friend that we were hoping to be able to start teaching and while we were there her friend actually texted her and said that she wanted to meet with the missionaries!!! We were so stink'n excited!! (: So we are going to have the first lesson with her tomorrow!!! Whoot Whoot!! Sister Lyu and me are so pumped!! And as for General conference... I don't even know where to begin it was amazing!! I absolutely loved Elder Nelson's talk about the importance of women!! I teared up listening because I could just feel the Spirit so strong testifying to me of the importance of women and that we need both Mothers and Fathers to live the Gospel and be examples to their children!! (: One of the other powerful things that really hit me was from Elder Dale G. Renlund. He talked about how the Lord calls upon us not because of what WE do or because of how amazing WE are... but because of what HE can do THROUGH us according to HIS will!! It was so humbling to remember that we are all simply tools in the Lords hands and He uses us because we can help others around us!! Not because we are better or more qualified than other people! We don't need titles or authority to look for opportunities to serve the people around us... we all can be tools in the Lords hands wherever we are... The Lord takes all of us as we are and helps us become who He needs us to be through helping and loving those around us!! I am so grateful for a living Prophet and for living apostles! This gospel sure is amazing!! (: I am eternally grateful to have this opportunity to be out here on a mission!!