We Need Faith! (May 26)

 This week we visited a less-active, Julia, who has been struggling because her husband had passed away a few months ago. Sister Gonzalez and I sang her a hymn, "Where Can I Turn for Peace?" and printed out a copy for her to read whenever she was feeling sad. I never really realized how powerful hymns can be. They can comfort and strengthen us! Everyone should pick a hymn to memorize so at anytime they can sing it and always feel of the spirit!

    We have a new investigator!! Or should I say investigators!! A family!!! They are from Uruguay. The thing is, they mainly speak Spanish...haha We met with them and Sister Gonzalez mainly talked with them, though during the conversation I was surprised that I could understand some words and could tell what they were talking about sometimes! haha Sister Gonzalez is going to teach me how to bear my testimony and part of the discussions in Spanish...so please pray for me!! haha we are so excited to start teaching them this week. :) Starting this Wednesday we also get to work at the Cardston's temple visitors center two days a week for a few hours!! Who knew my mission would be a visitors center mission and Spanish speaking mission?! ;) hahah

    Since being in Cardston in March I started reading the Book of Mormon and I finished it this week. :) I love the Book of Mormon. I circled every time it said "faith" in there and I counted about 406 times. That's a lot! It shows how vital it is to have faith. The first principle of the gospel is FAITH in Jesus Christ! You need faith in order to repent, be baptized, repent, receive the Holy Ghost, and especially endure to the end!! We should do something everyday to strengthen our faith! I am so grateful for this gospel!

    I hope everyone has a super fantastic week :) I love you all so much!! Pray, read the scriptures, and smile! :)

Love,

Sister O'Dell

I am officially a cowgirl! (May 19)

 After this week I can officially say that I am a cow girl! haha As a district we went branding! It's the most interesting and sad (coming from a cow lover) thing ever. Branding consists of burning the family logo onto their skin, cutting a piece of their ear off, putting tags on their ears, giving them shots and castrating them! hahah But before all of that you have to wrestle the calf down onto their side so you can do all of those things. Sister Gonzalez and I got to wrestle a cow down! Those baby cows are pretty strong. We also helped with cutting a piece of their ear off! Branding is also the grossest smell ever. In a weird way, it was a fun experience! Especially with my awesome district. :)

     On Thursday night we went on splits with two laurels from Leavitt ward that are preparing for missions. The girl I went with, Devonie, totally reminds me of myself and reminds me of when I use to go out with the sister missionaries in my ward back home. It's just crazy to me to think that I've swapped roles and I'm the missionary now helping other girls prepare for missions! It's just awesome :)

    Friday we met with the Marples, an older couple from England who have a less active and possible non-member they want us to meet with. I love being at the Marples house because they remind me of my grandparents from Wales! Especially Brother Marples!

    Sunday I was at church from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm. I don't think I have every been at church for that long straight! haha but oddly enough I love it! The Sabbath day is my favorite day because it gives you such a spiritual boost to help you throughout your week.

    This week has been pretty slow working with our investigators and our potential investigators. It's been a bit discouraging but it's a new week and I'm excited to see what happens!

    I hope you all have a great week! Love you all so very much :)

Love,

Sister O'Dell

Sister Gonzalez and Sister O'Dell with Sister Sykes.

Branding the cows with Sister Gonzalez

#canadianswag

Sister O'Dell with Brother and Sister Marples.

Month Two! (May 12)

 Today is my mission "birthday" so I've been out for 2 months now! Time is going by so fast, it's crazy! This week our ward mission leader gave sister gonzalez and I and the elders a challenge. We each have 44 families in second ward to visit and give a 15 minute lesson to help them with the Stake missionary goals. It's a competition against the elders and of course we won for this week! So now we get to eat an orea blizzard in front of them :) hahah The lesson that we taught the members is about The Light of Christ. Each one of us have the light of Christ whether we are a member or not, we are born with it! The light of Christ is also not the Holy Ghost, but it's an influence. It's being an example and using those Christ like attributes and helping others. That's how we can all be a missionary!

    On Saturday we visited Susan (I realized it's spelt like this and not Suzzane, whoops! haha). We had brought her flowers for mother's day since her kids don't really talk to her anymore and she's been so sweet to us. The look on her face was priceless. She was so beyond happy. It made me so happy to see her smile! Susan said the minute before we knocked on her door she was just thinking how her kids don't talk to her and how it's hard, especially with mother's day the next day. I just love serving others!

   I experienced being in my first blizzard!!! This Canadian weather is ridiculous haha one day it was sunny and then it started getting cloudy then started to rain, then pour, then snow, and then it REALLLLLY started to snow and I learned I was outside in a blizzard hahah I'm just grateful to not be in that Arizona heat right now! :)

  On Thursday night I was able to go to a fireside where they had this boy band, Beyond 5. Four out of five of them are LDS and they sang a bunch of hymns and gave great messages. It was a great spiritual boost that's for sure!! And the bonus was they were all super cute ;) hahah and sister gonzalaz and I were the only ones there that got to take a  picture with them! Yeah we are pretty special ;) haha I just love music so much, especially when it brings the spirit. I love feeling the spirit!! And I love this gospel with all my heart :)  '

  Sunday night I got to Skype my family!! They are just the best! I love them with all my heart. I am so grateful to have such loving and supporting family. Since it was mother's day I want to give a shout out to my amazing mom :) I am so lucky to have such a loving, hardworking, dedicated, faithful, spiritual, funny (and a million more!) best friend and mom like you :) I love you so much!

    I hope you all have a fantastic week! Don't forget to smile and remember how much your Heavenly Father and Savior love you :) I love you all!

Love,

Sister O'Dell

Prayers Bring Miracles (May 6)

Such a busy week this week! To start off we have 3 new investigators!! :) One is May and she is the sassiest old lady I have ever met haha She was homeless but found a member that she lives with now. Turns out she was baptized a long time ago so she says but we looked up her records and there isn't anything there! But she's wanting to receive the discussions and be baptized! We've given her the first discussion so far :) We also gave the first discussion on sunday to this 14 year old boy Wyatt. He claims he is atheist but I can tell he wants to learn more :) Then a member called us and wanted us over for dinner because they invited a non-member, Gloria and so we got to meet her and share a message and now she wants to learn more!! So excited to teach all of this people :) We also met this family from England that just moved in and they are non-members. They said they were going to go to church on sunday so I'm praying that when we talk to them next they will want to know more!! The work is hastening and I am so excited!!

   This morning I had the opportunity to go to the Cardston Temple. It was so amazing. I had missed going so much!! To all those that can go to the temple, go this week and go all the time!! You will receive such a spiritual boost that you didn't even realize you needed.

    We had exchanges sunday night to Monday night. That's when a sister training leader comes in and becomes my companion for 24 hours and then sister gonzalez went with the other sister training leader in another area. Sister Gonzalez and I missed each other that's for sure! We're like best friends. it's great :) But the sister training leader that was with me was sister Estrada and she was super nice. I had to be the senior companion and remember where everyone lived and be in charge, a little scary but I did it! haha It's transfers this week and since I'm still training, sister gonzalez and I are staying here but there are a few from our district and zone that are leaving which is super sad! But I love being out here and I'm so grateful for such an awesome companion!!

    I hope everyone has an amazing week!! I love you all!! :)

Love,

Sister O'Dell