Monday, May 26, 2014

Never-ending Miracles in Napanee....

Dear Family and Friends, 

How was your week?! 

Happy Memorial Day to everyone in America right now! We don't celebrate that here. :)

First things first....Happy Birthday to Nicolas and Sam this week! And if I'm not mistaken, Sam is graduating this week, too. Congrats!

Happy 1 year on Thursday to my favorite sister missionary ever - Sister Belyea. Love you long time! See ya soon. :)

Another item of business....next week is transfers. Can you believe it? I can't. So, don't send anything until I give you the OK. I feel like I may be leaving. 

This was such an awesome week with so many miracles....I'm not even sure where to start. 

Stephanie - we received a HQ referral for her because she wanted a Bible. We called and set up a time to go see her, and she is SO GOLDEN. She is in her 30's and has two kids and a husband. She talked to us for almost two hours and had probably 843,902 of the best questions I've ever been asked. Suffice it to say - she committed to be baptized on June 29th. But here is the bad news, she actually isn't in our area. :( There was a mix-up in the texts, and she is in the Kingston sisters' area. So we are passing her off to them tomorrow, but Sister Woolf will be teaching her now, so it's like a part of me is teaching her too, right? Haha, it's bittersweet. God's will, not mine. 

We went on exchanges on Friday!! Sister Zerkle came to Napanee with Sister Puruganan and I. She is from Las Vegas and is the oldest of TEN kids! Woot woot. Yay for big families. She is the funniest missionary I have ever met. Seriously, we were laughing the whole day. It was....refreshing. :) It reminded me how important it is to be yourself as a missionary. 

This week I was able to be in the most spiritual dinner appointment of my entire mission. Literally I couldn't even speak because tears were flowing while Sister Puruganan was bearing her testimony. It was with the Bonser's, the wife is active and the husband has been inactive since the 80's. This is the second time I've had dinner over there, and it was incredible. I don't know if I will be able to describe in words what happened. Brother Bonser opened his concern about coming back to church without us even asking. He shared his testimony, and the Spirit was so thick. He said that if he had a calling, he would feel more reason to come back. Sister Puruganan bore such an incredible testimony, and if you could see the look on Brother Bonser's face - Ahhhh!!! I love missionary work. We invited him to come to the baptism this Wednesday and he said YES! Progress, my friends.

So the Bonser's live in this village called Yarker, so we went exploring after our appointment with them. Let's just say....bug bites everywhere! I love going to the smaller towns in this area....you always find nice people.

JAMES! He is getting baptized in TWO DAYS! He is sooo excited. Please keep him in your prayers! Last night we were teaching him and this is one of his answers to a question we asked him - 

Sister Puruganan - "What helps you the most when you read the Book of Mormon?" (Because he used to not be able to understand anything he read)

James - "Knowing that everything that is said is true."

Chills! 

His interview went well, it was over an hour because our District Leader likes to talk a lot. 

Brother and Sister Wales got sealed in the Temple this weekend, after 40 years! Brother Wales just got baptized in 2012. They had a reception at the Branch President's house. On the way there it SNOWED/HAILED. It was insane. The roads were covered white, and it was so foggy. It's May....can you believe it? However, it warmed up to 25 degrees like an hour later. Haha, I love Canada!

Funniest story ever happened at church yesterday. A newly activated member brought two non-member friends. Ken and Mabel. They are suupppper old and can barely hear, but they are the sweetest! After Sacrament Meeting, Ken wanted to sing to Sister Puruganan, and so he sang her two songs at the top of his lungs. I was sitting there in utter shock, thinking that he was going to realize how loud he was being. Well, he didn't know because he's basically deaf, but I almost had to cover my ears it was so loud. I eventually put my head down because I was giggling and the whole branch was soo confused. Hahah, it was a priceless moment. Sister Puruganan held it together pretty well, then just about died laughing after church. I love old people! 

We went to our investigator's house, Marg, who is 95, and she wanted us to make some crafts with her. It was pretty interesting to make these crafts and teach the gospel at the same time. But it worked. Then she hemmed FOUR of my skirts. Prayers = answered. 

We have interviews with President Scott this week. Last one before he departs. :( It will be bittersweet. 

Something that I read this morning really stood out to me -

Luke 22:31-33

"And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. And he said unto him, Lord, I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death."

I love you ALL. Have a safe week and pray that I stay in Napanee. :) Just kidding, I'll go wherever the Lord wants me. 

Love, 

Sister Hardcastle

"Have Faith, Have Hope, Live Like His Son, Help Others On Their Way"

WE ARE ALL NUTS! So cute, eh?
Craft Day with Marg.
So... I found the gold plates.
Oops....Sister Wales knocked her drink all over Sister P! 
Frog hunting with Steve.
Possibly the last district meeting with all of us :/ 
Soo bright.... 
I got to see the one and only Sister Woolf for like two seconds! 
Sister Zerkle and me.
A member gave me this sweatshirt. So comfy!
Morgan...."Sister Heartcastle"

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