what a week

Hello Everyone!

This week has been crazy! I still can't grasp this whole "missionary time" thing. It's the strangest thing. It feels like I just left, but also like I haven't seen my family in forever. It's so weird! But so so so great. I love being a missionary more and more every single week.

Good news! I'm officially done with training! That's right! I'm a "normal" missionary now! Well, I don't know about "normal" haha but I'm definitely not a newbie anymore! Hallelujah! Fun fact? This work is the greatest work in the entire world. I'm so grateful to be a part of it. It's been a life changing few months that's for sure! Woah.. did I say months?? Yep :) It's been 3. 3 months of pure bliss! And.. frozen eyelashes from hours of tracting. But I love it! Can you say Elsa?? hahah.

I think more than anything, this week taught me how much I've grown as a missionary and as a person. I am definitely a much better teacher now than when I first started. It's a humbling experience when you realize how far you've come, but still how much more you have to do! I've come to the understanding that you're never through learning on your mission! There's always something I can work and improve on! And I'm SO grateful for that:) I love learning new things from other missionaries.

The work is a little slow lately. I feel like all of the members are falling apart. Lots of them are struggling with depression, and if you've ever been a missionary, you know just how much people love to pour their problems on you. We're so happy to help, but it's so heartbreaking to watch them go through hard things! It's so sad to see our members having a hard time. We've made a bigger effort this week to see each one of the sisters in relief society and to help them out the best we can. Hopefully things pick back up this next week. Sister Brimhall and I have one more week together before transfers! ONE WEEK! I don't know if I'm quite ready for that.. yikes! But, I'm excited to see what Heavenly Father has in store for us next!

Fun things about Winnipeg:

1. When there's fresh snow, the kids take the wheels off their skateboards and "snowboard" down the sidewalk :) It's a happy sight!

2. There is absolutely no Mexican food in sight. Luckily, Fernanda is straight from Mexico and she made us enchiladas :)

3. I had my very first slip on the sidewalk. I was carrying 5 dodgeballs for pday activity... and welp.. I went down. tumbled, actually. I couldn't catch myself because of the dodgeballs so I just fell flat on the icy ground. I'm sure it was much more graceful to the people watching :)

4. I ate a yummy Brazilian dessert that is translated into being called "frozen husband" haha. yep. I'm definitely a frozen husband fan :)

That is all :) I love this gospel. I love being a missionary. I love Winnipeg! Have a great week!

Love always, Sister Stevenett!

photos

Isn't she the cutest?? We love Kamille!

COURTNEY. We love her.

Baki is absolutely adorable and THEE kindest person you will ever meet!

Heavenly treats us missionaries to the best food! George's Burgers!

Ligia is the sweetest! & she makes the yummiest food! #brigaderos

Exchanges with Sister Heinzlmeir!

3 months!!!!

Erika is the cutest thing! So sad she's moving back to Korea in a few days!

b is for baptism!

Well folks, this week has definitely been one for the books!

For starters... Fernanda was BAPTIZED! (welcome to the fold, my dear!) It was absolutely incredible. The Spirit was so strong! Her mom was able to attend and that made it extra special. I have never felt more proud of someone in my entire life. She knows so well that this church is true and that God loves her. It was so evident on her face that day! When she received the Holy Ghost yesterday, the blessing said that there are people on the other side of the veil both dead and those who haven't been born yet, who are so grateful for Fernanda and this decision she's made. (if that doesn't make you cry, I don't know what will!) This is really what it's all about, helping people recognize how much they truly need Jesus Christ and helping them take that step to make and keep covenants! I don't worry for one second about her.. she'll probably be a general authority or something one day!

Next off... Courtney bore her testimony yesterday! Whattt!? Yep. She stood up and bore such a simple and sweet testimony! It was amazing and I'm pretty sure everyone was shocked and jaws were droppin! She is doing really well! We dropped her baptism date for the 7th, because she feels that she hasn't yet received her "for sure" answer that it's true. But I think now more than anything, it's a timing thing. Luckily, Heavenly Father knows exactly what He's doing and how to help her get there, and I don't doubt Him for even a second!

I am almost done with my 12 weeks of training.. which means Sister Brimhall and I only have a few more weeks left! We get transfer calls on March 14th.. so stay tuned! I have absolutely loved training and learning the in's and out's of missionary work. I definitely have seen improvement in my teaching and that's always encouraging to know that I'm getting better! I have just loved serving with Sister Brimhall and I'm a little scared for us to be split up... but I know it will all work out how it's supposed to!

I love this gospel. I love how we can become better through the teachings of Jesus Christ.

I know that He loves each one of us and wants more than anything for us to be happy and to follow Him. Taking that leap of faith and choosing to follow Him can often be scary. But I have found out that it's always worth it and always rewarding. I am so grateful that God put us into families and for the incredible eternal family that I have! I feel so blessed!!! I love the power of the Holy Ghost. I am so grateful for the opportunity I get to listen to that Spirit every day and to have Him lead me in all of our work. It's amazing!

If you haven't noticed, I love being a missionary. I love serving in Winnipeg! I can't say that enough. The people here are so genuine and so loving. I feel so incredibly blessed to be here. I can't think of anywhere better! I've only been here for a few months, but I'm already used to the cold! -20 really isn't even that bad! We won't even button up our jackets! It feels so nice and tropical to us :) I'm definitely becoming a Winnipegger. And couldn't be more proud!

I hope you all have an amazing week! Thank you for the love and support! I'm so grateful!

Love you all!!

Fun Facts:

I had my first ever marriage proposal this week! While doing service at the food bank, an elderly woman approached my end of the line and said "I'm going to marry you when I grow up!" She then winked, and asked for my picture.. haha! I love these people. Never a dull moment.

My favorite thing about Winnipeg this week: When people walk down the street with their children, they can't push a stroller because of all of the snow.. so instead, they pull their children on sleds! So you'll see two year olds all bundled up in snow clothes and laying on a sled while being pulled behind their parents.. haha it's so funny!

Ps.. If you'd ever like to write me... please do!!!

Love, Sister Stevenett

finding peace in all things

This week has been great! I'm so grateful for all of the love and support I've been given thus far. I couldn't do this without each one of you and your kind thoughts and words.

Fernanda is doing amazing! She had her baptism interview yesterday, and she passed with flying colors! Woohoo! She is so excited to take that next step in following her Savior by being baptized. She has been making friends in the ward which is absolutely crucial. We're so blessed to have an investigator that is so prepared. It's such a miracle! Her baptism is this Saturday, so we'll be busy with that this week!

Courtney is getting there.. slowly, but surely. She has been having a hard time receiving answers. She's been praying and reading and doing everything right, but no answers seem to come. I mentioned to her about the importance of allowing yourself to feel things. Feel those promptings of the spirit, feel what God would have you feel. Courtney is very closed off emotionally, and I can't help but think that maybe that's why she hasn't been receiving her answers! When you aren't doing well emotionally, you absolutely cannot do well spiritually. So, we encouraged her to let out all the feelings she's been having lately and to just cry. Tears are so good! I know that Heavenly Father will answer her prayers through the Holy Ghost now. She's ready for it, and she's now open to it. 

Barbara, Fernanda's twin sister is doing.. ok. We met with her twice this week and taught her the restoration. She shivered during our lesson and said she had chills all over! (woohoo!!!) We told her that sometimes the Spirit testifies to us through chills! She said she'd never had those feelings before and that she really liked how it made her feel. We were so happy!!! Unfortunately, she had a rough couple of nights out with her friends.. but we're ready to get her back on track! She's the one that needs to have the desire though. If she doesn't want it for herself, it won't happen! Luckily, Fernanda is being the best example to her!

This week, I've focused a lot on peace. Peace in decisions, peace in my work as a missionary, peace in this crazy world, and peace with myself. We happened to have a fireside yesterday about peace! (would you look at that!) I loved it. My favorite thing that was said was:

No Christ, No Peace

Know Christ, Know Peace

Just think about that. When we know Christ, we will surely know peace. I've found that so many times on my mission. When I allow Christ to come into my life and help me along, I find that peace that I'm in desperate need of! My favorite scripture for awhile has been John 16:33 "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world." Christ has overcome the world. We know that for a fact! There are supposed to be trials in this life, but we know that through the healing power of the Atonement, we can find that peace to get through those difficult times. I'm so grateful for that knowledge. This gospel is a gospel of peace. I've seen that time and time again. I love my Savior and I know that He really is the Prince of Peace. Take advantage of that peace He offers, and watch the miracles unfold.

-Sister Stevenett 

i is for investigator!

Well everyone.. ground breaking news is about to come forth! After three weeks of diligently seeking for someone to bring unto Christ.. We FINALLY FOUND HER! The best part? She's our investigator Fernanda's twin sister! We'll be baptizing twins.. no worries :) Double the work, double the blessings :) haha! We are so excited about it! She's been living a crazy life in her short 20 years, but she says she's ready to change and become closer to God. Lucky for us, that's our specialty! Helping others come closer to their Heavenly Father! It's a match made in heaven that's for sure :) 

Fernanda is doing well! We're still on date for her to be baptized on the 28th (two weeks! EEEK!) She's reading the Book of Mormon like a champ.. already in Alma! She's keeping her commitments like crazy still which we couldn't be happier about! She is having some struggles as far as boys go.. but we taught her the law of chastity and hopefully things will be good to go! 

Courtney! She's doing so great! She set a baptism date for herself.. are you ready?? Drum roll please..... March 7th!!! Say whaaa?? We were so shocked that it's so soon! But of course, we're not questioning it :) She is seriously the strongest girl I know. She's been through so many trials lately, but she's just going with it. She trusts that God will direct her in the right path. 

Valentines Day aka Singles Awareness Day for missionaries was sooo fun! We treated ourselves to Olive Garden with a few other sisters! It was the best! We got "heart attacked" on our door by some other sisters in our hallway.. they taped chocolate hearts to our door and since then, we hear people come up to our door and try to quietly take the chocolate.. haha we love it :) 

Overall, it's been a great week! We're super grateful that Heavenly Father blessed us with a new investigator. Our hard work paid off! I definitely have a strong testimony of diligence now. It's so important to keep pushing through those hard times! I'm so grateful to know that I have a loving Heavenly Father who is so aware of me and my needs. I've said it before, and I'll say it again.. prayer is real! It truly does work! I'm so grateful for the chance I have to talk to my Father in Heaven every single day, any time I want. What a blessing! Thank you all for your kind emails, thoughts, and letters! (I really like the letters!) I hope you know that I love you all :) .. almost as much as I love being a missionary! (just kidding mom) haha. Have the best week everyone.. remember.. miracles happen! :) 

Love Always,

Sister Scarlet Stevenett

photos

driving, driving, always driving

Fernanda & Barbara ... our favorite twins ever!

We are all so happy for Kevin and his decision to be baptized!

Kevin's Baptism!

Valentines from my sweet family!

Cute Sister McCrea leaving back to Alberta!

crazies

Another week, come and gone! This whole mission thing is crazy! I can't believe how fast time goes by! This week, we haven't had any success in finding a new investigator. Sister Brimhall and I have tried our very hardest! Tracting and street contacting for most of the day.. still no luck. We're not getting discouraged though, because we are confident that Heavenly Father wants this work to move forward more than anyone! He will make it happen :) Just in His own timing!

Just a little about our investigators for the week:

Fernanda- The elders in our district had a baptism, and Fernanda came! She brought a friend with her too, so that was fantastic! She is still so ready to get baptized. Unfortunately, Satan is working so hard on her right now because he knows how happy she's about to become. She's been having some struggles with temptations. For some reason, strange East Indian men LOVE her. She's having a hard time saying "NO" and staying away from them. No worries, Sister Brimhall and I love her SO much that we call her every day to make sure all is well and that she hasn't fallen into any traps. :) Fernanda also came to church this week! Woot Woot! A counselor in our bishopric pulled her and I aside and told her about a dream he had this past week. He told her that there is a woman on the other side of the veil that is thrilled for her joining the church and that she's so proud the decision she's making. I was afraid him telling her that would freak her out.. but it did the exact opposite! Turns out, she's been having dreams about her aunt who had passed on. She's even more motivated now to get baptized! I'm thinking this lady just wants her temple work done.. eh?:)

Courtney- I'm not sure how much I've mentioned Courtney.. but she's the best. Her boyfriend is a member and is serving a mission in Argentina. His mission president just informed him that he can no longer communicate with his girlfriend in any way. So.. Courtney is super sad about that. She's trying so hard to be happy and follow the rules, but it's hard. And on top of that, her grandpa just got diagnosed with cancer. This girl is just being hit with trial after trial! But.. she's still going strong! No baptism date yet.. but she's coming to church every single week! We love her!

Well, I've learned on my mission that there are two types of old ladies.. reeeeeally nice ones, and really grumpy/I hate my life ones. We've tracted into several angry old ladies and it's really sad. As soon as they open the door, I use my "sweet granddaughter" voice.. and they still yell at me! Yikes! My favorite old lady this week said the following..

Me: "Hello!!! We're missionar....

Her: "I HAVE MY OWN CHURCH AND WE DON'T GO DOOR TO DOOR!!!!"

oh you poor lady.. you need some charity or something! .. well.. Jesus loves you...!

Despite all the crazies we come across, I love being a missionary. I wouldn't want to be doing anything else right now. The work in Winnipeg is improving.. slowly, but surely! I am amazed at how mindful Heavenly Father is of every single one of us! It's the best when you know that you're doing the exact thing God wants you to be doing. I'm so happy to be here! I love this life! I love being a missionary!!!

-Sister Stevenett

i love winnipeg.

Hello Everyone!

I can't even believe I've almost been in Winnipeg for two months! Where does the time go?? This week has been so great! Lots of fun things have been happening! First off, Fernanda is back home now, and quit her job so she could come to church! Yesterday was her very first time. She's so adorable. During the sacrament she leaned over and whispered "Sister.. where do I put my gum???" haha she's the cutest. She loved fast and testimony meeting! (who doesn't??) Still right on track for her to be baptized on February 28th :)

This week, one of our lovely members Baki (pronounced Bahee) made us food! She's from Sri Lanka and makes quite interesting food combinations. She walks in with this giant plate with a big ol' fish and some toaster strudles. (uhh....) Yep. It was a fish. Eyeballs and all. For those of you that aren't aware.. I hate fish. If it makes my house smell like a lake.. it's gross. haha! But, we ate it anyway. Well, when Baki was in the kitchen, Sister Brimhall, (bless her little heart) would eat my nasty fish for me. She's the best! Eating all the foods I don't want :) Don't worry.. pictures to come :) But the toaster strudles were good?

Oh yeah! We got our car back! We only had to walk for three days or so. Not too bad.. but boy am I grateful for a working vehicle! It was definitely a tender mercy. So grateful!!!

Transfer calls came this week! Looks like I'm staying in YSA! Woohoo!!! There's so much I want to do with the ward that it would be a shame if I left this early! Last Monday for FHE, we did Zumba! (well.. the missionaries didn't.. trying to be all dignified and all) but, one of the members named Pescila, came up to me and gave me this HUGE hug. Then whispered "this is from your mom"... tears. real tears. yep.. crying at FHE like it's nobody's business. So for the back story: Jakee, this sweet philipino from YSA recently moved to Salt Lake, so I told my sweet mom to be her friend. They had lunch last Monday, and apparently it was really good for Jakee. She really needed to know someone cared about her! (good job mom!) and so she told Pescila to give me a biiig hug when she saw me next and told her to tell me that it's from my mama! Sweetest thing!!!

This week, I've focused a lot on promptings. I'm a big believer in asking to understand promptings from the Spirit. Heavenly Father has definitely blessed me this week with those sweet whisperings from the Spirit that let me know that I am loved, and that I am indeed a daughter of a king! I am so grateful to know that Heavenly Father has my best interest in mind, and that He knows my full potential. When we have Him on our side, we never need to feel lonely! I think President Monson says it best: "As we seek our Heavenly Father through fervent, sincere prayer, and earnest, dedicated scripture study, our testimonies will become strong and deeply rooted. We will know of God's love for us. We will understand that we do not ever walk alone. I promise you that you will one day stand aside and look at your difficult times, and you will realize that He was always there beside you."

I know that God lives, I know that He truly knows each one of us. Let Him in, and see the miracles happen!

Love you all!

-Sister Stevenett

we FINALLY got our car back!

fried fish and toaster strudel mmmm

sure love this companion of mine!

you know you're a walking missionary in winnipeg when...

Well folks.. it's been another week! This week has definitely been full of surprises. My favorite surprise, is when our car just stopped working. All these lights on the dash came on, and the sweet scent of gasoline was coming through our vents, then it started smoking up a bit, and leaking some oil. Moral of the story? We're on foot. Walking. In the cold. All day. But guess what?? It's the BEST! Heavenly Father needed to teach us patience real bad and it's working. Unfortunately.. we haven't had much success as far as lessons go this week. (perks of not having a set of wheels.. not) But, we've been making the best of it and having fun conversations all the day long.

We tracted into a house full of 6 YSA aged people. Two from Ethiopia, and two from Russia, and the other two? No clue. We were planning on coming back to teach them, but they politely warned us that they would be "very smashed" that night, and to come back when they would be sober.. aka "hangover Sunday". But, because of the car incident, we didn't get to go back. But no worries, they're on our list!

I love being a missionary in the YSA ward! I'm convinced it's the best ward there is. I love my companion. Sister Brimhall is amazing and is sooo patient with me! Kudos to her! I really have so much to work on, but I'm learning.. "line upon line" so we'll see how that goes!

Osi, our Nigerian investigator dropped us unfortunately. She's very comfortable with her church and doesn't care to learn more. BUMMER. Super sad day. But, Fernanda, our investigator from Mexico... she's amazing. She's finished the Book of Mormon, listened to 10+ hours of conference, has read several talks by President Monson, posts quotes by Gordon B. Hinckley on the daily, and overall.. she's ready for baptism! She said this week that she's never felt happier and she knows for sure that this is true and it's what she wants for her life. Bless her little heart!! Hearing those words was music to our frost-bitten ears! Heavenly Father definitely blessed us with that one!

Missionary life is my favorite kind of life. If you're considering serving a mission.. DO IT. I can promise you won't regret it.

This week, I've learned a lot about personal revelation and how it works. Having the Gift of the Holy Ghost is the biggest blessing. I challenge you to pay attention to those promptings and that still, small, voice. I know that if we make an effort to draw closer to God, then He will answer our prayers. But, it's important to know that He answers them in His time and in His way. Just keep doing what you know to be right.. those answers will come!

Quote for the week: "Mistakes happen. Errors are made. Sins are committed. What can we do then? We can learn from them. And we can truly repent. We can change our behavior. Our very desires can change. How? There is only one way. True change -permanent change- can come only through the healing, cleansing, & enabling power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. He loves you - Each of you! He allows you to access His power as you keep His commandments, eagerly, earnestly, and exactly. It is that simple and certain, the gospel of Jesus Christ, is a gospel of change." -Elder Russell M. Nelson 

I love you all :)

--Sister Stevenett

Ohhh Winnipeg

Hello Everyone!

I can't even believe how fast the weeks go by! It's incredible! This week we've been working SO hard and have had a lot of success! We have 3 progressing investigators, but 9 investigators total. We're working with all of them, but some of them move slower than others.. but that's ok!

My companion and I have SO much fun together.. it's insane. Like it probably shouldn't even be allowed. We are constantly laughing and making jokes and singing Christian church songs at the top of our lungs. I've definitely been blessed with the best companion ever. YSA is amazing! I love it sooo much. Everyone here is so welcoming and so kind. I love it!

I am continuing to love missionary life. I wish it could just go on forever (sorry mom..) haha! I love knowing that I am doing exactly what I'm supposed to. Heavenly Father is SO mindful of each one of us. I've thought a lot this week about the love that He has for us all. The amount of love He extends is absolutely incredible. We are so blessed. This week I've been focusing on the power of prayer and how we truly need it every single day. I've seen that more times than not, when we have people who are struggling in their life, it's because their prayers, scripture study, and church attendance are lacking. Those three things are absolutely essential. If you're ever having a hard time, look back and see how well you're doing with your reading and your prayers. Heavenly Father wants so badly to bless us, we just have to be willing to ask Him.

I am loving this work. Seeing people accept Christ in their lives is the best thing. We cannot handle this life on our own. Lucky for us, Heavenly Father provided us with a Savior who took upon Himself all of the hard things. Relying on Him fully takes time, and it's something I'm working on, but I know that when I put my trust in Him  and let Him carry my burdens, things seem to go smoother. I can't exactly express why, other than when Christ is in your life, things are just better! But, it's our choice to let Him in. We have the power in this situation.. so choose wisely:)

Facts for the Week:

1. After washing your car in Winnipeg, you MUST open and close all the doors several times. If not? You freeze yourselves in. Literally.. the car doors freeze shut. So if you can just imagine me jumping from the front seat, to the back to open and close all the doors while driving down the street. It's probably quite the sight!

2. There are SO many different kinds of people here. They all have different religious backgrounds, cultures, skin colors, foods, everything. It's my favorite part about Winnipeg! Even if some of them are missing teeth..

3. Bubble Tea. It's not actually tea. It's the best thing I've ever discovered. If any of you are in St. George any time soon.. stop by Orange Peel and get yourself a coconut bubble tea. You won't regret it.. promise.  

4. Even though trials are so hard, you choose how you handle them. So handle with caution.

5. This church is true. I am continually reminded how true this church is. I've seen it change lives and its sooo fantastic. I love when people finally notice the light of Christ in them and when they love learning more about the Savior.

6. I love being a missionary.

I hope you all know how much our Heavenly Father loves you. Turn to Him, and see the blessings come! I promise they will! I know that He gives us trials for a reason and they make us stronger. We absolutely cannot do things alone.. no matter how strong we think we are. It's just not worth it to even try to handle life on our own. I challenge you to always turn to Christ. Make Him a priority and I know He will help. He is the perfect example and His Atonement is real. It's not just for sin either.. it's for every sadness, sickness, and sorrowful thing we ever go through. He knows what we need. He can help. Turn to Him and you'll be amazed at how much He truly loves you. I love this gospel. It is so true. Thank you for all of the love and support!

-Sister Stevenett

burrrr

Have you ever wondered what it's like to be slapped in the face with a half frozen salmon??? Not enough that you fall over, but just enough to make your face hurt?... Well, come on over to Winnipeg and enjoy the simple task of stepping outside! SLAP. It's so cold. hahaha so so so cold. But, it'll be like -25 and it feels just great! I'm definitely getting used to it:)

There have been so many miracles this week! I am loving YSA. In our ward counsel with the bishop, I stated how NOBODY is reading their scriptures. Needless to say, we now have a very intense Book of Mormon challenge going on now. It's the Best! I love YSA. The perks?? Family Home Evening every Monday, and Institute twice a week! AND we got to go to the YSA Devotional broadcast last night:) It's sooo fun!

Ok. So FERNANDA. She's incredible!!! We taught her through Skype this week because she's in Regina for the next two weeks working. She informed us that she already quit her job! WOOHOO! So she'll be able to come to church and stuff now :) She also informed us that about a year ago she quit smoking and drinking altogether. She just felt that it wasn't good for her. (what the!?) and then... (da da da DAAAAAAAA) We invited her to be baptized... she said YES!!! So... happy birthday Kennedi! Fernanda is getting baptized on February 21st :) She's so excited. It's the best! We weren't even planning on setting a date, but I felt we needed to so randomly I asked if she would be baptized then.. she checked her schedule and said "YES! I want to follow Jesus Christ!!!" ahhhhhhh (hallelujah chorus) This is what it's all about. I'm so happy for her! She's SO ready. She's already in 2 Nephi and has read all of the pamphlets and has about 6 lds apps on her ipad. She will skip her lunch hour just so she can read the book of Mormon. I LOVE HER SO MUCH. Heavenly Father.. He just blesses us. SO much.

Also, this crazy Native man came up to me begging for money. He said he'd sell me a dream catcher he made for $40. I gave him $10. Needless to say, I now am the proud owner of a handmade germ-filled dream catcher. yay for me.

I've seen over 6 FEDEX trucks this week.. (my most favorite tender mercy). Thanks Jon :)

WE GOT A NEW INVESTIGATOR!! Her name is Julie. She's from Korea and she just moved here a few months ago. We're definitely going to move slow with her. The language barrier is hard but she also doesn't believe in God. But she wants more than anything to be a better person and to live a better life. Well Julie, we can TOTALLY help you with that:) So, I'll let you know how that goes! Pray for her!

The pastor? Yeah, no. hasn't called us back hahah oh well!

No crazy food this week... dangit! haha but I love the diversity of this place!!! It's amazing! Only ONE of the people we are teaching is white. Everyone else is their own nationality. I LOVE IT.

We had so many dinner/lunch/breakfast appointments this week. it was so fun!!! Spaghetti factory for the win!

I'm so happy all is well at home. I live for these emails to know that everyone is safe and ok. That's my biggest fear.. haha.

ALSO. When you're out tracting and it's freezing and you can't feel your body, and you finally head to the car... I feel like Harry and Lloyd on Dumb and Dumber when they finally make it to aspen. Both with snot frozen to their bright red, frozen faces. "We're theeeerrreeee" haha it's the best. Dumb and Dumber for life.

all of my love,

Sister Scarlet Stevenett

This is Jakee, she's moving to Utah, and she is adorable.

My favorite people right here!

I finally got everyone's Christmas cards!

Tim Horton's first timer! Best hot chocolate ever

soooo cold.

[ one month ]

Hello Everyone!

Can you believe I've been a missionary for a month now?! Woohoo! Still the best decision I've ever made! This past week has been amazing. There have been SO many miracles happening.

Last Monday night, we taught Emily and Emilio who are both Pentecostal. They are friends of our investigator Courtney. Emilio is actually in school right now to become a pastor... I thought It would be an awkward lesson, but it ended up going fairly well! Emilio definitely knows his bible! It was really interesting though how differently he translated/interpreted things. Ultimately, we taught them about the Restoration and they asked lots of questions. I don't think they will be coming back for more unfortunately.

As far as lessons/miracles go, we were able to get 6 referrals this week! That's pretty unheard of according to Sister Brimhall. We met with this girl named Fernanda. Holy cow she's incredible. She was raised in Mexico and is Catholic. A few of her cousins are Mormon and she said for her whole life, she's been looking for something more. She wasn't quiet sure what it was, but she needed it. She decided to check out Mormon.org and she's been chatting with missionaries! This girl has at least 6 LDS Apps on her ipad. She is amazing! She's halfway through the Book of Mormon and loves it. We met with her and taught her the Plan of Salvation and she agreed with everything we said. She believes it all! Unfortunately, she's away in Regina for three weeks working, but after that she said she's home for good. She's really wanting to get baptized.. and soon! Whaat?! Golden. Our other two referrals, we stopped by, and they let us in, asked to hear our testimonies, and then said they liked what we had to say but that they wanted to look into the church in their own time. So we'll see how that goes!

This week we had dinner with a Jamaican family! You know Winnipeg and it's diversity.. it's the best! So, I was in line, getting my food, saw this weird looking meat and decided to dodge it. My companion mentioned how I really should try it and I thought, "ehh no one will notice" and so I sit down. The mom of the family starts yelling (they yelled a lot) "YOU DIDN'T TRY MY GOAT MEAT!?" whoops. So, went back and got some naaasty goat meat. SO GROSS. Then they fed us some Jamaican fruit cake which was yummy! Definitely got rid of that goat meat flavor that was still lingering. We also tried some Brazilian food this week! Apparently in Brazil, they make their hotdogs way better. So we had the bun, with mayo, pickles, hot dog, corn, cheese, and weird potato chip thingy's. It was so good! Then they fed us Brigadeiros! which was pretty much, butter in a pan.. add some cocoa powder... then some sweetened condensed milk. stir until thick. roll in a ball and coat with sprinkles. Basically, it's my new favorite treat. Bring on the extra 15 pounds! SO GOOD. ALSO. I got to try another Canadian favorite! Perogies! The only way I can describe them is funeral potatoes in a doughy pocket? They were sooo good and will definitely add to my fifteen pound weight gain. Mission 15? That's a thing.. right??

I've noticed since I've been in Winnipeg all of the tender mercies Heavenly Father has blessed me with. Tender mercies are EVERYWHERE. We just have to be willing to look for them! We discussed what really are the tender mercies of The Lord? They are simply, evidence of God's love for us and personal confirmation that He knows you. I challenge you to look for those little blessings throughout the week. I promise you'll notice them everywhere you go. Proof that God's hand really is in everything we do!

This week in District Meeting, we discussed some new years resolutions. We were challenged as a district to think of a Christ like Attribute that we can improve on throughout the year. We all have SO much to work on, but it was great having a challenge to do this as a district. I want to extend that challenge to all of you! Pick a Christ like Attribute you would like to improve on and just go for it. I promise you'll see the blessings of trying to become more like our Savior.

Honestly, it's been the best week. I love being a missionary! I've yet to experience "hard mission life" so we'll see how not being on cloud nine goes one of these days I'm sure! Quote of the Week: "Truth is, people in Winnipeg just don't have teeth!" -Sis Brimhall hahaha. It's true though. But, we love it. :) Anyways, I hope you all have a fantastic week! Look for those tender mercies!!!!

-Love,

Sister Stevenett!

Ligia's Brazilian Hotdogs

Perogies with Amanda

My favorite Christmas Present #gojets