April 27 2023: Welcome to the Weekly Season 3 Ep. 6 missionary Monday on.... missionary Monday 🚫🌮

Hello! Hello!

Okey dokey, Here are this week's happenings, it's the little things that count:) 

I love listening to sister Hannant teach, it's so beautiful and when it's needed she is firm in establishing our expectations and our purpose as missionaries. 

The sunshine and warm weather makes everything happier. Even doorknocking for hours! Everyone is in a good mood or has been working in the garden, simply the best.

 Met a very nice Muslim lady in the middle of Ramadan who said if we were ever in the area again to come over if we needed water or food or a place to sit for a little while. The sweetest lady! 

Also met a lady whose first name is Kathryn and spells it just like me! She was also cool! Super catholic, but has a bunch of family in Cardston AB of all places, who are members, and only has good things to say about the church. Did not get the family name and honestly..... regrets. But we're probably related so it was nice to meet ya cuz!

All week I smelled like I had been laying on the beach at Wasa Lake all day (in the best way possible) because of the sunscreen I put on. BLESS

Park finding is fun! Especially when there are beautiful souls using their beautiful God given talent to play music while sitting on park benches. Makes me feel like I live in a movie and have my own sound track. 

Had two returning members come to church this week for the first time in a very long time and they were beaming. You could just tell their souls were filled to the brim with the love of God they were feeling.

Transfers are this week but not until the end of the week, making this transfer technically 7 weeks because...... ELDER BALLARD AND ELDER ANDERSON ARE COMING TO THE CTM!!! Hence why missionary Monday is not on Taco Tuesday.

All in all its been a week and this hippie sister missionary is thriving on the sunshine 🌞 

Love ya all many bunches! Go give em Heaven! 

Love,

Sister Court

Weekly fridge phrases:

♡our Father is a Father of good gifts -my grandma Betty-Lou

♡this big beautiful world is Heavenly Father's and He is looking out for us while we live in it -my grandma Betty-Lou (again)

♡Jesus is my Tylenol-3's in a negative crazy world -my Papa bear describing who Jesus is to him

📷📸

1. Lake Ontario

2. Bom sunshade

3. Berta farmers burn

4. Sista sista Soifua

5. Coke dinner party

6. Kathryn and Kathryn

7. Gals on Gooch Ave 

8. Sister Kev Court spreadin the word 

9. Sista sista Hannant

April 10: Welcome to the Weekly Season 3 Ep 5 Sister Court's Pride Cycle

Hello! Hello!

Happy Easter🌷🌸

I have to call myself out... I have been a little prideful this week, and not willing to let go of how sister court thinks missionary work needs to be happening and to submit to what the Lord needs to be happening right now. This has made for a very long and tiresome week.

 At the beginning of this week I wrote in my journal that I wanted to find a way to pick up the work and find a pace with my companion to help us get into a groove. I also wrote that I wanted to talk to and she the JOY of the gospel with more people. In my head, all those things meant finding, finding, finding. I wanted to dive deep into the finding grind because that's what we did my first transfer to pick up the pace. But I realized this week after God knocked me over the head with a very solid 2x4 that the Etobicoke area is a completely different area than it was 3 transfers ago; which means there is another way to pick up the pace, talk to more people & share JOY. 

I'm talking about member work. Which, now looking back @ this last week has been where we have seen the most success and felt the spirit strongest. We have 2 recent converts who need love & support, our friend Abby a beautiful 13 year old on date and her mom who has recently come back to church, and some other really amazing returning members who need visits. So why have we not been giving them more attention?! 

Because I have been prideful... BUT I am repenting! I am putting my stubborn brain aside and listening to the spirit, and my blessed companion who said that she wanted to do more member work in our weekly planning (like literally a day after i wrote those things in my journal), but after that planning session I completely forgot about it, and proceeded to force us to go out on long finding expeditions that despite my determined (or rather stubborn) efforts were not fruitful, not joyful, not fun for anyone involved. 

I called myself out and apologized to sis Hannant. She was right. I am thankful for her, for her being in tune with the spirit, and for the lessons I am learning from her. This coming week we are going to find those who need to be reached out to, and swarm around those who feel stuck. Funny because I literally gave that speal to Maren (shoutout to her!!!🗣📣) as some advice for her presentation on her wards mission plan.... guess I should take my own advice. I must be a Forsyth or something... #alwaysrightalwayshumble😐😶

I know there will be so many blessings and miracles that God will work through us for these people. I have faith that the elect and prepared are out there and they will be found in the Lord's due time and in His mysterious ways. 

Love ya all many bunches, go give them Heaven ! 

Love, 

Sister Court 

Weekly Fridge Phrases:

♡Jesucristo Vive" -Ryan K. Olsen

♡"Send a knee mail" -some picture on a members fridge (SO AN ACTUAL FRIDGE PHRASE!!)

♡"Be prepared to catch the answers." -Sis. Meneguzzi

♡"Well nobody died did they?" -my grandma Kaye recounting something Ralph told her when she was in a tizzy over surgery

April 3 2023: Welcome to the Weekly Season 3 Ep. 4 Smokarine, Hurts so Good, Raymond still Sucks

Hello! Hello! 

For those of you reading who were at the Honeypot in Wainwright, AB for the provincial team lunch of 2019... I regret to inform you that I have slipped back into old habits. 

We had a very interesting member meal Saturday night, as soon as we walked in I smelled fish and I knew I was in for an adventure because well, I don’tlike fish... turns out I was in for a much wilder adventure than anticipated. This member is so poor and prepared an entire meal for us, which we were not expecting at all. Seriously so kind and charitable of her. Of course I have a little bit of everything on the table, including the fish which is called smokarine and is cooked with the bones and scales and everything.  The member is telling us about the whole preparation process, which is not helping my case at all. I'm holding back my gag reflex and innocently reach for my glass to wash down the sea creature I'm chewing on.....

My friends, that was some very spiked pear juice. 110% fermented. This member has given us wine. Accross the table, Sister Uwazny is having an allergic reaction to something, Sister Hannant looks like she's gonna vomit, and sister Soifua has no idea what is wrong with everyone and hasn't had her satans slurpee yet. The member is munching away, drinking her devils elixir, oblivious to the fact that it's alcohol. Bless her soul. By the end of the visit, this member is confused why our glasses are still full of the adversaries acid, "DRINK UP, DRINK YOUR JUICE!" And oh my lanta Sister Uwazny downs it swollen throat and all. And we leave, not knowing what on earth has just happened. In hindsight we probably should have informed her that she was giving us alcohol... but I guess you win some, you learn some. No $5 at the end of that story, just 4 tipsy sisters. 🫠 jk we weren't tipsy... just in shock. 

P.s. never again will I eat smokarine...

On the plus general conference was fantastic! AND!!! A temple in Lethbridge?!?! ZIP UP THE TENT! It's not in Raymond so we're counting our blessings. Just joshin' I'm so jazzed for SOAB!

This week was slower. I don't think we taught a single lesson. They all fell through because of weather, or people getting sick, or just not showing up. So in theory that would mean that we would have had lots of time to talk to and find more of God's beautiful children to bring closer to christ. Unfortunately that's not the case. It was slower, it has been harder to get out and stay out of the apartment. I think this is because of recent events that have occurred. Sister Hannant is a little apprehensive to talk to people in person. Which is totally fair. The culture shock has been another big adjustment for sister Hannant that I think causes some apprehension. Again, totally fair, and we're working through these things, praying for discernment and charity. It's hard for me not to feel guilty because I want to talk to all the people. There are good, and beautiful souls in the world, and I want to find them because I love them even though I've never met them, not despite of, but because of all the diversity. God is the author of diversity and I thrive being a part of it. 

 I loved Elder Stanfill's talk yesterday about perfectionism, and how christ perfects our humble offerings. It made me reflect on the last week differently. Christ is the master of the perfect harvest. And through me and other missionaries he is gathering the harvest in His perfect order, perfect timing, and perfect pace. I know this to be true, and I know that as long as I put forth my best labour, christ will perfect it for his eternal purposes. If only I could remember that in the moment, not just in hindsight. Haha

I love being here in Etobicoke. I've been here a while. And I will go anywhere the lord needs me to. But if that meant staying in etobicoke for another transfer I would be ok with that:) 

I also love training. It's hard but I love it. I feel like I'm being stretched and it's so good, so hard and so fun. You know when you stretch after a long hike and you're muscles feel so tight and it hurts in the best possible way?? Yeah thats what training feels like and I love it. 

Anywho... love ya all many bunches! Go give em Heaven!

Love, 

Sister Court 

Weekly Fridge Phrases:

♡Home with a capital H

-Gary E Stevensen

♡Undo the plans and follow the spirit

-Carl B Cook

♡my dear brothers and sisters, RELAX

-Deiter F Uchtdorf

♡Christlike Poise

-Mark A Bragg

♡the savior perfects humble offerings

-Vern P Stanfill

March 27: Welcome to the Weekly Season 3 Ep. 3 NOT THIS WEEK SATAN: Micromanaging God, Letting God Prevail, And Then There Was One

Hello! Hello!

Satan this week has just been working so hard! 

I'm sick...hate being sick. I feel so unproductive because I'm tired. My brain and body isn't programmed to just sit and do nothing. AND WE DONT GOT TIME TO BE ICKY SICKY. But, Sis. Hannant keeps reminding me that God knew I was going to get sick and His work isn't going to stop just because I'm out for a bit. She's right. So maybe I should take a nap and stop writing on pass along cards in an effort to feel effective. 

This transfer, I've been studying trust and rest by reading a myriad of conference talks. I'm learning how I can trust in God's timing more in our daily schedule and with our friends, and how we find rest in doing so. The zone conference we had this week played well into this. Something president Stacey said in his instruction hit me over the head with a 2x4. 

He said "the terrestrial world is a world of lists." If you know me, you know I'm a list maker, a planner, I don't do well not being in control. I love lists and checking items off, and getting everything done. Which is great! Lists are good! BUT I can't get everything on the todo list done myself or with my companion. The list is never ending and there is no way I can finish it myself. If I could then I wouldn't need my Heavenly Father or Savior. BUT I DO NEED THEM. 

Which means there are tasks on the eternal todo list only they can finish. And in their timing. I can't micromanage God, that's not how the celestial kingdom works. And my goal is to make it to the celestial kingdom. So, when I come with a list of things to do and do my best to accomplish them, God will accomplish the work he needs done at that time as he seeth fit, and I have to trust that God will prevail for the benefit of His children. That's the difference between terrestrial living and celestial living. 

I have seen that as I have followed Emilia along on her journey. From gathering her into the fold on this side of the viel to being at the temple with her this weekend as she  gathered her husband and parents on the other. God has prevailed. In His perfect timing, his children have found the gospel. He gives us agency, and lucky for us, multiple opportunities to choose Him. He guides his children to where they need to go. He places us in eachothers paths for very special and specific reasons. And I know that Emilias family is jumping for joy that finally Emilia has found the gospel so that she can help them accept it too. How anxious they must have been, waiting and waiting. Do spirits in the spirit world get impatient? I don't know but they certainly let God prevail, I'm confident they'll make it to the celestial kingdom. And I can't wait to see Emilia there with them. 

I have also seen God prevail as we were preparing two of our friends, Carmine and Salman, for their baptism yesterday. Both so excited to be baptized, both had great member present lessons where the spirit was so strong, both seemingly sp ready to be gathered. So when Carmine suddenly wasn't talking to us we were kinda concerned. He finally responded to our texts asking if he was doing ok, with a long essay of a message explaining that he didn't want to participate in the discussions anymore and that he was not interested at all in being baptized. 

I felt a little discouraged, a tad confused, but mostly just sad. I have seen the Gospel change Carmines life. Carmine has seen the gospel change his life. Everytime we met with him he expressed how grateful he was to have found this, that his life was back on track, and for the first time in a while things were falling into place. He is my brother, and I have a big place in my heart for him. I was sad that after all the light he had seen he was still turning away. It would be fair to say that in this moment, letting God prevail was hard, because why would God let someone turn away? Well, that would be because he gifted us our agency, he wanted us to choose him. 

At zone conference president Stacey said "God loves us and will be patient with us forever!" His love and patience for his children will never run out, and neither will mine! I have no doubt that in his own time, and in God's time, Carmine will come back.

 In the meantime we had other things to focus on! Salman!! His baptism was wonderful, he is so excited to be a member of this church. The behind the scenes of getting everything ready was a tad rocky (water in the font draining after being filled, programs not printing right, speakers canceling last minute) but everything worked out the way it was supposed to. Salman kept thanking me for finding him again and bringing him into the fold. He knows that we knew eachother before, and I know it too. I told him in the premortal life I would find him again and God made it happen here on a subway in Toronto. 

And so God prevails. He gathers his children. And I am just a vessel for God, filled with His love that is waiting to be shared with all the beautiful people!

I love ya all many bunches! Koodos to you if you read all that and didn't just skip to the pics:) Go give em Heaven!

Love,

Sister Court 

♡Weekly fridge phrases:

"Get up, take my grace, and walk"

-sister Stacey

♡God knows that I know He knows

♡"You gotta have a sense of humor when you're anything in the church because you see so many things that are off the charts stupid."

-pres nelson to rulon and Linda Stacey when extending the call to be mission president and wife 

♡LET GOD PREVAIL

March 20- Welcome to the Weekly Season 3 Ep. 2

Hello! Hello!

OH MY LANTA!! I am absolutely overjoyed and blessed to be a part of this great and marvelous work! Many miracles! heres one big one made of many smaller ones from this week.

Sister Hannant and I taught some really amazing lessons with our friends Salman and Carmine. Both are on date and both of their dates have b been moved up to this coming Sunday! All of the lessons we had with them this week we were able to get a member to. I knew that member involvement was important before, but after this week I have a very strong testimony of this concept. 

Having members at lessons is a big blessing we as missionaries can give to the friend and the member. Each of the members that joined lessons were the perfect person to be there at that time. The experiences and testimonies they shared were inspired and tailored perfectly to the needs of our friends. Salman and Carmine have made connections in the ward with these members. They admire them. They look at them and see walking proof that this church is true! Both are excited to pay tithing, giving up coffee is no problem. They have already seen the promised blessings of living the word of wisdom and law of chastity. Carmine quit smoking and drinking almost as soon as we started meeting with him 6 weeks ago because he wanted to feel the same way he did with us all the time. We didn't even ask him to, he just did it. Salman wants to do everything he can to motivate the missionaries so that everyone can learn the things he is learning so he brings chocolate bars and chips to church.

These people have been converted to the Lord their whole life! They just needed to be gathered into the fold! And the members! They see these miracles first hand just like we do as missionaries. What a special thing we can offer to them when we invite them to join lessons! I saw their faith and their testimonies grow this week as they watched our friends' ready to do anything to be part of the true church. 

I feel like Ammon in Alma 26. I want to stand on top of the tallest mountain and joyfully yell at the whole world that every single miracle and blessing they see is from God. "My joy is carried away, even unto boasting in my God." Alma 26:35

Sister Hannant is amazing! She talks to people, relates to people, and the way she talks about the Atonement is so so beautiful and touching. The way she promises blessings makes me wish I wasn't a member so that I could experience those promises for the first time as an adult. I love her and admire her! She handles all the crazy situations (and there have been crazy situations, particularly in the last 2-3 days) that come her way head on with a great calm and collected attitude. 

Sidenote: We have been working with our dear angel friend Emilia to build her family tree and it is so thrilling! I've missed doing family history work! We added her husband and are preparing his name for her to take to the temple. She asked my mission president if he would be baptized on behalf of her husband and president Stacey of course said he would be honored. Oh my heart smiles big for that day to come soon!

Love ya all many many bunches! Go give them Heaven!

Love,

Sister Court 

Weekly fridge phrases:

-slow to anger, quick to forgive

-special spirits, special chores

- I have not come to frustrate or torment the natural man, but to kill it

-"life will become much easier when we finally understand which hands to shake and which ones to hold" -Wendie Van Zyl

March 13 : Welcome to the Weekly Season 3 Ep. 1 Remember to Breath and Trust and I'm Pretty Sure I'm Teaching Megamind

Hello! Hello!

Training is going wonderfully! My trainee, sister Hannant is from Australia, and we have been having a lot of fun learning what we each call certain things. Like a sweatshirt is a jumper, or sweatpants are trackies. I love it so much!

I feel like my brain is going a million miles a minute sometimes. I don't want to forget anything or anyone. I want to be the most effective and efficient missionary I can be. Because my new companion is a greenie, I am the one who knows the area and everyone in it. It feels overwhelming at times not to have a second brain who also knows the area. But I know that soon I will. Soon enough Sis. Hannant will meet everyone and know everyone. She is already an amazing missionary. She has no fear, talks to people, shows interest in them, and has the greatest desire for all of them to learn the gospel.

I also know that I do indeed have a second brain that knows EVERYTHING. He is my Heavenly Father. He gave me His son who has felt all of the things I am feeling. He has experienced the moments I feel overwhelmed. He has experienced all the feelings of the people in the etobicoke area. He knows who they are and he knows their needs. He knows how to help me use my strengths to help and strengthen them. I know that my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ will not forget me, and they will not forget the Etobicoke area. We are etched on the palms of His hands. I know that through the Holy Ghost all the things that need to be brought to remembrance will be. I just need to have faith, work hard, and never forget God and Jesus Christ! As long as they are always at the forefront of my brain and my heart everything and everyone else will be taken care of the way they need to be according to the will and timing of the Lord, which is perfect. 

One of my goals this transfer is to study trust and rest. I know that with trust in the Lord I can feel rest in knowing that "in the end, for the righteous, all will be well." (Neil L. Anderson from the 2022 Christmas devotional) All is well and will forever be well. This transfer I will take a breath and remember to trust. I trust Him, I trust my mission president and I am working on being better at trusting myself. 

On another note one of our friends, Salman is the most interesting person I have ever been blessed to meet. This is the friend I met on the subway, came to church and then BORE HIS TESTIMONY in fast and testimony meeting. Have y'all seen Megamind?? I'm pretty sure this man is Megamind. He is bald, and wears these big glasses with thick blue frames (that look really cool and I think my mama bear needs to add them to her collection). He also has this massive brain. He thinks so logically about everything. And with any other person, this would be a massive roadblock, but Salman uses his crazy logic to build his testimony and relationship with God. 

He read about Joseph Smith on Wikipedia and came to the conclusion that everything Joseph Smith saw and did really happened.  This man uses numbers to logically prove everything he learns in the gospel. Loves the numbers 3, 9 and 12. I'm constantly trying to decode everything he shares. We never quite know where his head is at. But I do know that he really really wants to be baptized. And baptized he will be! He describes feeling the spirit as having an earth quake in his heart. 

I think there will come a point when logic and numbers won't suffice. There are things in this life that we can't prove with math. We have to trust that they work, that they will continue to work. We can't see everything, we have to have faith, we have to trust. Sometimes we have to, breathe and turn our brain off and listen to the things in our heart, the things the spirit says even if we can't comprehend where it will take us. 

So today I say breath and trust. 

Love ya all many bunches! Go give them Heaven!

Love,

Sister Court

Weekly fridge phrases:

-be not afraid, only believe mark 5:36

-God knows what will help your faith grow Russell M. Nelson

March 7: Welcome to the Weekly Season 2 Ep. 6 Another Missionary Monday on Taco Tuesday

Hola! Hola!

Sorry uncle Jace this one's gonna be a long one.... but there is so much that I wanna tell all ya'll!

Welp! This last week was a wild ride. An amazing and miraculous and crazy wild ride. There was so much happening. The inevitable fact that sis Hoy is going home kinda hung in the air all week. But with Emilias baptism and lessons with our other progressing friends, there wasn't time to think about that. 

When a crazy week like this last one comes around, I think a lot of people would say to put your head down and focus on the grind of the work, but I think that when a week like this last one comes we have to have our head up and focus on the grind of the work. Weeks like this when there are so many things going on mean there are going to be so many unplanned opportunities to further the work and gather the kingdom. 

We can't just look at our feet and follow them to the known destinations. We have to look up, head on a swivel, ready to face whatever is in front of us and do our best to take every opportunity God may place in our path in between each planned opportunity. And he will place them there. I know He will because that's what happened this week. 

I met Diego at a Tim Hortons on our way to catch a bus to a lesson. He had seen missionaries a long time ago and saw my tag and wanted to learn more. We meet with him this week and he wants to begin coming to church. On our way to a different lesson I met Salman on the subway and he soaked up all the information I shared with him, took all my pamphlets and a book of Mormon to read. He came to church on Sunday, HE EVEN BORE HIS TESTIMONY. He stayed for the baptism and I was able to put him on date following the baptismal service. 

Had I kept my head down and focussed only on getting to the bus to make a lesson I would have missed Diego. Had I kept my head down on the subway and only focussed on getting off at the right stop to make a lesson I would have missed Salmon. When you focus on the work with your head up there is no time to think about the inevitable things about a mission that seem daunting or stressful. So keep your head up, be ready to serve in whatever way that looks like in your life. People who need you are there, but you have to look up and see them. God has opportunities and blessings in store for you that you can't even imagine being there, but you have to face the day looking forward at what is coming. 

Oh my lanta! Zip up the tent! Emilia!! The lady of the hour! She was baptized on Sunday. What a Heavenly and miraculous day. The joy that continuously exudes from her body only increased. I didn't think that was possible. If there ever was sunshine in someone's soul, it was all in Emilias soul on Sunday. And she shares it with everyone! I believe in angels! Because there is no way that Emilia is just any human. She is an angel and she is a miracle. I will never forget the day she walked into the church being led by God. And I will never ever forget the day she was baptized. Oh I could go on and on, but I'll save that for the phone call with my mama bear:)

It's the end of the transfer, which means Sister Hoy goes home. She has been such a blessing these past 12 weeks. I love her all the many bunches! Anywho that means this sister gets a new compy... and I don't know who that will be because I will be training a brand new baby missionary! 

I am grateful for the opportunity to train this upcoming transfer. A little nervous... maybe a tad more than a little... but I'm excited. I guess I shouldn't have laughed it off when president and sister Stacey said I was going to be the new sister Hoy. Haha😬 I'm ready to learn, and I'm ready to work. 

Anywho love ya all very many bunches! Go give em Heaven!

Love,

Sister Court