April 4, 2016: Ah! Thats all I have to say.

Hello Family and Friends!!

Wow. Time is going by way to fast. Ah! I'm grateful for every moment I have been a missionary. I just feel so blessed. I love when we are able to see God's hand in all things.

This week we were really wanting to find 3 new investigators. We had originally planned to go to this one sky train station, but how time worked out, if we had went there we would have had only like 10 minutes there before we would need to turn back. So we prayed for guidance! We decided to take the bus to a stop about 10 minutes away. We got in line for it and started talking to the girl in front of us and she is the sweetest little Taiwanese girl ever! She has been in Canada for a few months learning English and she has been wanting to come check out church. Blessings! Then we get off at the stop we wanted to and go up to the intersection to decided what way we want to walk down. I saw a couple 1st nation looking ladies walking towards us and get this, they started talking to us first! They asked if we were modern days nuns. lol. :) We got chatting to them and they are really cool! I was telling how I love their culture and they asked if I have ever studied it before.. .Well, kind of!! We shared with them the Book of Mormon. What completely amazed me was before we got to explaining that there was a record Jesus Christ appearing to the Nephites, they explained how they belief that Jesus showed himself to their people. I was just like, "That is exactly what this book says!" It built my faith. We are going to meet up with them and share more. God is so good to us. :)

Lots of our investigators we able to watch conference with us. I talked to President But this week and he said of how special it would be to me that in 6 months when we watch conference in October, my mind would just come back to watching it here in Vancouver with my investigators. One of our sweet investigators, Grace, came to the 1st session on Sunday but texted us later saying that she was going to watch the afternoon session on the internet because she was so emotional at President Monson's health. I just loved all of the powerful testimonies that were given. I found answers to my own questions, prayers, and concerns. I did like Bonnie L. Oscarson's talk. She tells it how it is!  I sometimes get worried to go back into the world without all the protections of the mission. But the Lord has tutored me so much from being out here. I know I have not only a testimony to keep my safe, but I conversion to keep me safe. I don't just have a knowledge but I have a true belief that I am willing to act on.

I am so deeply grateful for my mission. As I have focused on others and lose myself in the service of God, I have come to realized over time that Heavenly Father, in his mercy, has blessed me so greatly. My mission has not only changed my life, but it has changed my eternities. My time in limited as a full-time missionary, but I am going to continue to work hard until the end. That I can stand blameless before God at the last day. That when I stand before Him, he can say, "Well done, my good and faithful servant."

I love you all so much! Thank you for your love, support, and prayers.

Love,

Sister Lofthouse 

Springtime blossoms!!

Springtime in Vancouver!!

March 29, 2016: Easter Monday.. What??

Hello Family and Friends!

I can't believe its been another week... Time is going way too fast! Ahhh! But its been a good week. :) Its been a slower week. But small miracles and still miracles nonetheless. :)

Easter was a great day. :) And Easter Monday... lol. We had 5 of our investigators at church! Both Elisabeth and Roy came. They are the couple that we have been teaching since I have gotten to Vancouver who are in wheelchairs. Roy had never been before but he woke up early to come and he loved church! Its been cool to see how his faith has grown. :) He said he will keep coming! 

Last week we met a guy on the street and talked with him and he said he was interested in learning more and he gave us his number. His name was Teardon. So we called him and text him a couple times and he finally called us back. And we are talking to him and he said he didn't really remember talking to us... but he also has some short term memory lose. And he also said his name wasn't Teardon. That is was Eugene... But we set up a time to meet him at the church. We were waiting for him out front and he got out of the car and it was not the same guy! They looked similar but definitely different people. But it was neat because he has actually met up with Elders in the past and is really looking for something to help him right now. So basically it was crazy how everything worked out!

I was thinking this morning of what is the overall theme or lesson I have learned on my mission. And it was answered in Alma 57 with the 2000 Striping Warriors. After a battle they were badly wounded but not one of them actually perished. "And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe—that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power. Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually." (Alma 57:26-27) They saw the goodness of God. That is exactly what I have seen throughout my mission. That when someone is looking for something and exercising even just a little bit of faith, He shows them His goodness and puts them in our path. He has showed me His goodness as He has helped me feel His love through the hard times and has helped me overcome my weaknesses. I have come to know our Heavenly Father on my mission in a way that I would have never known if I wasn't out here. I'm so grateful for that. He truly is aware of each of us and as we have faith, we will see his marvelous power in our lives. I am filled with exceeding joy because of the goodness of God. (Alma 57:36) I love you all so much! Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. It means so much. See you in a few....

Love,

Sister Lofthouse

Pretty bush!!

Overlooking Vancouver!!

Coolest house ever!!

March 21, 2016: Pig Ears

Hello Family and Friends! 

Its been another great week here in beautiful BC! It was even sunny for a few days!!! :) But like always... Its been an adventure. In our ward that are quite a few Filipinos. Well they invited us over for dinner last night! I was not aware of what was on the menu. PIG EARS. If you know anything about me, you should know that I did not at anything part of a pig before my mission... There were a few families at the dinner and they all got me to eat it! I was not expecting it to crunch in between my teeth... So I asked them if its supposed to be like that and they told me to was the cartilage... Yeah that was the last straw. I just felt my stomach churn and signalling code up chuck... So I shuttered and swallowed it all in one bit without chewing. They all laughed at me. But hey, now I can saw I have eaten pig ear! 

Our investigators are doing really well too! The boyfriend of one of our recent converts in the ward has decided that he wants to learn more and be baptized. We read with him a bit from Mosiah 18 and he set a date to be baptized in May! :) Also, we got to see Dawna this week! :) She came to the church and our Bishop's wife picked her up. We gave her a church tour and then sat down and reviewed the Gospel of Jesus Christ with her. She just understands everything! She explained to us how The Holy Ghost has been helping her out so much to calm her anxiety so that she can even meet with us! And she expressed how she would love to have it as a constant complain because she doesn't want to feel lonely any more and when she prays or reads the scriptures she just feels so much better. God's power is real! She is gaining such a special relationship with Heavenly Father because she sees immediate answers to prayers. We also asked her why baptism would be important to her and she told us how it would make her feel complete. That she is dedicated to God and living these things and be a member of Christ's church. So she set a date in April! She is so amazing. Every time we meet with her my faith is strengthened. :) Right after the lesson we had a Relief Society activity and dinner and it was great! Dawna was able to meet other amazing women in the ward! She was happy and excited about it all. :) When she got home she texted us saying how much fun she had and also asked us for addition chapters in the Book of Mormon she could read that would go along with each of the lessons we have taught her. So cool! :) 

Also this week we got a media referral for a lady named Candace. She lives in a building with a buzzer and we couldn't get a hold of her so we just worked in her area and God lead us to about 5 different people who are interested in learning more! So that was a huge blessing in itself. We finally got in contact with her and we visited her. But to our surprise she has actually been baptized! She is from Calgary and was baptized 4 years ago with her kids and loved it! She was a ward missionary and everything. Then she became less active and hasn't even prayed or picked up the Book of Mormon in a year. But now she is ready to rekindle her faith and give things a try again. And that's all God requires of us to strengthen our relationship with the Savior again. She is amazing as well and its cool to see her re-act on the faith that she once acted on. 

"And behold , there is one thing which is of more importance than they all - for behold the time is not far distant that the Redeemer liveth and cometh among his people." (Alma 7:7) Christ truly is the most important then all the things I could talk about! He is the author of eternal salvation to all who will obey Him. (Heb. 5:9) Through Him we can truly find new life. We can find a deeper since of peace, joy, purpose, and directed in our lives. He has the power to heal us physically and spiritually. "He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off their faces." The more I see other's lives change for the better from living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the more I see it change me. I have seen it heal me. I have seen it fill me with great joy and make it so I don't feel lonely. He truly is always there waiting for us to take the steps to reach out to Him. Hallelujah. I love you all so much! Thank you for you love, support, and prayers!

Love,

Sister Lofthouse 

Rocks on the beach! 

Feeling cool with the Book of Mormon

Us with our recent convert Nikki. :) 

Spring time in BC :) 

March 14, 2016: Sister Sandra Humphrey :)

Hello Family and Friends!

Its been another great week at the best place on Earth... British Columbia! It still amazes me so much when I see the Lord direct us into someone's path. :)

Our friend, Sister Sandra Humphrey was baptized this weekend! She was just so excited all week and every time we see her she just always tells us her testimony of the Book of Mormon and how God answers prayers. Its so cool to see. :) On Saturday she was all ready for her baptism by 4pm and it started at 7! We went and picked her up and took the bus to the church with her. :) She loves all the support in the ward and is just so thankful for everything. After she got baptized we asked her how she felt and she said she felt just so light and free. :) She also came to church the next day wearing a white sweater and white skirt. :) So cute! She's doing great!

This week we also got to see Dawna. When we walked in she wasn't quite herself... She had a hard week and she says normally when she feels like this she shuts everyone out. She thought about cancelling with us but decided not to because she didn't think it would be fair for us. We told her she could just vent to us and we would listen. She has been having some work problems but realizes these things could be happening because a better opportunity is going to come up. She hadn't read anything we left her or had prayed for a while... We taught about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. That through living it we find a deeper sense of hope and purpose even during the hard times. We also talked about the Holy Ghost and how it directs us and comforts us. It was amazing to see things change in her right then. She was laughing and smiling and she even said that she didn't even know why she was feeling so down and how she wished she would have prayed during the hard times. She also came to realized by herself (or from the Spirit) that she had to feel that sorrow so that she could feel of this great joy! She also asked, "So when do you know you are ready to go to church??" Haha it was so cute! We are going to take her on a church tour and get her out to a Relief Society activity to help her feel more comfortable there. :) She keeps texting us of how excited she is. We also committed her to start saying prayers with her boyfriend (who has been inactive since he was 17.) She texted us later of how cool praying with him was. The Gospel of Jesus Christ blesses anyone who will live it. :)

Its been amazing to see how the Lord once again puts in the right place at the right time here in this big city! One day this week we were going to try to contact a referral with got and when we got off the train, I recognized someone waiting at the bus stop. It was the Bishop from Vanderhoof ward!!! What are the odds... His son is in the hospital down here. I hope us running into him shows him that God is aware of him. Also last night was pretty crazy. All our plans kept falling through but we prayed that we would be at the right place at the right time to be where He needed us to be. So we looked at the map and decided where to go. Well,after a couple train stops we realized we for got our phone... So we decided we needed to go back... By the time went back and got it, we realized we wouldn't have time to do our original plan. So we decided to go on a bus. And there was one lady at the stop and we started talking to her but to my surprise, it was Jwan! An investigator from a few weeks back who's phone stopped working! We told her we could walk over to the church right then and teach her and she came! :) It was great.

"And those who did belong to the church were faithful; yea, all those who were true believers in Christ took upon them, gladly, the name of Christ." (Alma 46:15) Sandra's baptism has just reminded me of how much blessings come from gladly taking upon ourselves the name of Christ. To take on His work and His ministry. Yes, its takes effort. Yes, it takes sacrifice. But what great blessings come. My mission has changed my life. It has truly shown me that when we are serving others, we are only in the service of our God. As we forget about ourselves and just go do what the Lord wants us to do and expect us to do we see great things happen. We see the Gospel change others lives, but we see it change ours. Its purifies us. It gives us a great desire to be doing good continually. I love you all so much and an so grateful for your love, support and prayers. Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Lofthouse

Sandra's baptism!! 

Brother Crossley baptized her. He has been active now for a year and was so excited for the opportunity! 

March 7, 2016: Van City Baby!

Hello Family and Friends!

Wow, what a week! I got a new companion straight from the MTC. Sister ZoBell is from Alberta. She is actually a visa waiter for Colorado but she is ours until it comes! I got her on Thursday and we just keep on learning together everyday! Sometimes we get a little lost in Vancouver but "blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of wanderers in a strange land." :)

Our investigators are doing great. We got to teach Sandra about the Ten Commandment and she was reading them and she read out "thou shalt not commit adultery" and added in "EVER!" It was hilarious and cute. That lady just has so much faith. She came to church on Sunday and she stood up and bore her testimony. She told about the experience she had when she 1st had her kidney failure and how the doctors said she shouldn't ever been alive and how because of that experience she knows that God is there. Then she shared about when Sisters first met her on the street her husband was trying to get her to not talk to them but that she just told her husband that she knew they had a message from God and that she needed to listen to them. She then gave her testimony on how she loves the Book of Mormon and how it has brought peace, understanding, and revelation into her life. It was so cool! She passed her baptismal interview and is all ready for baptism this Saturday! :) We feel so blessed to have the opportunity to teach her!

Dawna is also going really good. Me and Sister ZoBell went and visited her and she told us about her experience of praying about the Book of Mormon. As she did so she just cried and said that she has never believed in anything, but she believes in the Book of Mormon. Moroni's promise works for any honest seeker of truth. Its amazing to see really how much that Lord has prepared her heart for these things. We taught the Plan of Salvation but she already had a great understanding of it because she studied the pamphlet so well. Sister ZoBell asked her how she thinks the Atonement can bless her life and she just gave a profound answer of spiritual healing. She just gets things way more than other investigators and its because she truly knows that she is ready for these things. :)

I am so grateful that the Lord has allowed me to serve a mission. I am so humbled to be with a brand new missionary my last transfer. It has been teaching me a lot. But really, the Lord is just showing me how much I truly have grown on my mission. I have seen weaknesses turn to strengthens. He has helped me over come my fears and doubts. He has granted me all of my righteous desires. With The Lord we truly can do all things. I'm grateful that I can see the Lord's hand in my life and to see Him use me, despite my weaknesses, be in an instrument in His hands to bless His children. Its the greatest blessing I have ever seen. I love you all and thank you for your love, support, and prayers.

Love,

Sister Lofthouse 

The blossoms are out! 

Me and Sister ZoBell :) 

February 29, 2016: My God is an Awesome God

Hello Family and Friends! 

Man, its been such a great and busy week. I don't even know where to start... How about my last transfer calls... I'M TRAINING!!! Haha I can't believe I am training my last transfer in Vancouver!! Im a little scared but it will be great! I can't think of a better area to start your mission. :) I will meet her on Thursday! Please pray for us! I'm sad to say bye to Sister Unwin! She taught me so much and all we did was laugh! And teach the Gospel. :) 

As for a continuation of last weeks amazing skytrain miracle.... Last week we got a call from President Burt saying that he got a letter sent to him. And it was from Dawna's boyfriend's family in Alberta. She had been asking them questions about the church and asked how she could learn more because she wants to start a family and raise her kids in a good home. Well her boyfriends brother wrote President Burt and told him the other half of the story and how crazy it was that she actually ran into Sister Missionaries on the skytrain. Cancelled flights, missed flights, stand bys... everything. It was cool because that man that wrote the letter was like you probably don't know who those sisters even are... But there service has meant so much to our family. He thanked President Burt for having such great missionaries who are worthy of the spirit. Me and Sister Unwin were almost crying as President Burt was reading this letter to us. And the amazing thing is, me and Sister Unwin weren't even doing anything special. God just made everything happen that we were in the right place at the right time. God is in EVERY detail of our lives. If we are searching for him, he will reach our to us. President Burt also promised us that this would be a little fore tast of how heaven will be like, we will be able to know all the other halves of the story.

On Friday we got to have an appointment with Dawna. It was one of the most spiritual 1st lessons I have ever had. And it was because of Dawn's preparation. She had really studied the Restoration pamphlet. She also was very open with us and told us that she was in a very dark place the past few weeks before we met her. She has had many scars that need healing. She said that she has tried everything and now she knows that the healing she is looking for is spiritual. We testified that the Savior and his Gospel brings that healing and went into the Restoration. She really studied it and already understood it. She said that when she read about the apostasy and she was, "Thats me! Im in apostasy!" and then she kept reading where it talks about "when time is right, God will reach out in love." She said that she knows God is reaching out to here now. She said that when she was reading it, she just got the most amazing feeling, and obviously it was the Spirit. She also really wanted her own Book of Mormon so that she could do all the additional study in the back of it. She really connected with us. She even gave a beautiful prayer at the end of the lesson and asked if we could kneel. No one ever does that! She is amazing. I already love her sooo much. :) We are going to see her tonight. :) 

Also, Sandra is absolutely amazing! She is our investigator from the Caribbean. We taught her lesson 3 this week and we asked her to define faith and she basically quoted Preach my Gospel!! So prepared. She just keeps telling us that she knows God has kept her from joining a church her whole life so that she could join this one. She came to church yesterday and absolutely loved it. She fits in so well in the ward. She even was giving great answers in the Gospel Principles lesson. It was on prayer and in her accent she said, "And if we have faith, God will answer our prayers. He do. He do." She is so cute!!! At church, she leaned over to me and was like, "I just wanted to be baptized." So she is doing so well. I love her so much too. :) And her daughter still in the Caribbean is going to meet up with missionaries. :)

Again, I could just keep going about the amazing experiences that I have been having. I am so grateful to be here in Canada and here in Vancouver. I can't believe I will be starting my last transfer. It makes me really sad. My mission has taught me so much. I truly know that God is in every detail of our lives, sometimes we just have to open our eyes a little more to see it. He sent his Son so that we could have mercy. If we are afflicted in ANY manner he can heal us. (3 Ne 17:7) He has compassion for us. He has sorrow for our sufferings and His joy is full when we have enough faith to come unto Him. Those afflictions can be spiritual. We can be healed spiritually though the Atonement. Just like Alma the younger. "And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. And oh, what joy, and what marvellous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!" Becoming clean from sin is being healed spiritually. I've seen that in myself and I have seen it with the wonderful people I get to serve here in Canada. The Gospel of Jesus Christ works. I love you all and miss you so much. Thanks for all the support. Have a great week! 

Love,

Sister Lofthouse 

February 22, 2016: And then... Two Sister Missionaries got on the train

Hello Family and Friends!

Its been another amazing week here in Vancouver. Man, I love this beautiful city. And the sun has come out for a couple days! Really miracles every single day and our investigators are just so amazing. They increase my faith!

Last Monday evening we had a lesson at the Church with the cutest girl ever named Cindy! She is 33 and is studying at UBC here in Vancouver. She is so enthusiastic about life! We taught her the Restoration and she absolutely loved it. Our member asked her what are her thoughts about prophets and we just exclaims, "THEY ARE NEEDED! DEFINITELY NEEDED!" She's adorable. She also told us that she sleeps with the Book of Mormon under her pillow because it makes her feel safe. Then after that lesson we were headed over to another appointment across town to an investigator who the Elders were passing to us to teach. So we go and get on the sky train and both me and Sister Unwin sit in seats where there would be empty seats by us so that people could come and sit by us and we could talk to them. Well, after a couple minutes I'm looking at Sister Unwin and a couple people go to sit by her and then at the last second decide not to. So I start laughing to myself because I'm thinking she smells bad or looks funny or something like that...  But then I see this girl get up from her own seat and comes and sits down and start talking to Sister Unwin... I'm trying to see what's happening while having a conversation of my own with another person. But then it was our stop so I got up and this girl that was talking to Sister Unwin gave me a great big hug and was like, "This is a miracle! Ask your friend what just happened." And we got off the train and I asked Sister Unwin what happened! She said that this girl, Dona, said that her boyfriend (who she was on the train with) is a member of the church and that his family is big into the church. And they have been thinking about starting a family and how she really likes her boyfriend's family's values and beliefs. So the day before she was on the phone with his Dad asking what she should do to get more involved and learn about the church. And he told her she needed to get in contact with the sister missionaries in Vancouver. And she told him that she has never even seen sister missionaries in Vancouver... So then they were on the train and and all of the sudden her boyfriend leans over to her and was like "look who just got on the train..." It was us!!! And she got the courage to come up and talk to Sister Unwin and exchange contact info. Whoa. God is so aware of each one of his children!! We were put in each other's path at the right time in her life. We were going to visit her tonight but she texted us saying that she is really sick so that we will have to reschedule. But really what a miracle!!

Later Monday evening we made it to Sandra's (the investigator the Elders passed to us). She is from the Caribbean (Yes, she is black!!!) and she has such a strong desire to be baptized! She is going through kidney failure and is on dialysis... So she is just so humble and ready for the Gospel. She prayed at the end of the lesson and in it said, "Let me know if the Book of Mormon is true. Even though I already feel that it is." The spirit was so strong. We have seen her a couple times since and she told us how she used to study with the Jehovah Witnesses but she never felt inclined to join them or get baptized or anything, but that now she feels that God is telling her that this is her path and she needs to get baptized. She was just crying with joy when she told us this and that she called her kids and talked to them and told them how she is going to join the church and they told her to do it! So she just cried with joy even more. She has 6 kids back in the Caribbean, But really Sandra is amazing. :)

Really I feel like I could just keep going on and on with cool stories and lessons but my time is limited. I just love being a missionary and our area is on fire! The Lord has been so merciful to me. Today I was reading Alma 36 and went in with the question of "What would Alma want his son to understand?" He begins and ends by saying "Inasmuch as ye shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land." Must be important! Want help, strength, and happiness?? Follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He overcame the world. He can help us with ANYTHING. I love you all so much! Thanks for your love and support.

Love,

Sister Lofthouse

Last P-day was really rainy... So we made a fort in our apartment. :) Welcome to Fort Loftwin.

Bubbles!!

February 15, 2016: Chubby Chickens

Hello Family and Friends!

Like always, its been an adventurous week in Vancouver. Hopefully last week my email made sense because right when I was getting into the good parts of it the fire alarm at the downtown library went off. At first I just kept typing but then an announcement came on saying that the fire was on the 4th floor... We were on the 4th floor but it didn't really register to me yet! Then a lady came over to us and was like "This is for reals girls. Get off!" She didn't understand when I told her I needed to send pictures home. jk. haha :) But really its been another great week and the Lord has been blessing us lots!

As for a couple funny stories- We were knocking some doors this week (which both me and Sister Unwin are a little rusty at because we have been in YSA branches) but we were talking to this lady and she wasn't really interested. We have been trying to ask for referrals in a more effective way be saying, "Who do you know who...." But Sister Unwin comes out with "Who do you know who has a son?..." And it was just awkward and the lady just shut the door and it was hilarious. Afterwards she said she didn't know what was coming out of her month until it came out. lol.

Another evening we were waiting for the bus and then a man was walking by so we stopped him and started chatting with him. He was a bit drunk so we were then trying to get rid of him but before he left he touched Sister Unwin's chin and was like "Aren't you a little chubby chicken??" Oh we found it hilarious. Then later in the week saw stopped by a former investigator who thought we were the last missionaries and turned to Sister Unwin and was like "You used to be a lot skinnier last year?" Those experiences just drew the line and now we are only taking the stairs at the skytrain stations. lol. :)

Our investigators are doing really well. Some are pretty ill so we haven't been able to see a few. But we did see Elisabeth and Roy again this week. We were surprised of how well they were doing! They are now up to Jacob in the Book of Mormon and they are liking it a lot more since they have been out of the Isaiah chapters. They are coming to know its true. We taught a lesson on Faith in Jesus Christ and the member we brought showed the Mormon message about the current bush and the spirit was so strong. Roy had tears rolling down his face! Elisabeth has been having a hard time walking lately so we asked her if she wanted a priesthood blessing and she said yes. So the next day we sent the Elders over to give her one. Roy also asked for a blessings for counsel and comfort! Then the next day we called them to follow up and see how it went and they loved the blessings! Elisabeth said that her walking has already improved. Its been a great blessing to me to see how much there faith has grown since when I first met them. :)

Also the former that told us we used to be skinnier was a miracle! Her name is Josie and while we were planning one night we felt impressed that we needed to be in an area the next day. So we also looked through our area book to see who lived in the area and decided to go and visit her. So we did and she was home!! She let us right in and was taught the Restoration and she remembers quite a bit! We also invited her to be baptized and she set a date for March. We also had a big stake conference broadcast yesterday which we had to meet in the Burnaby chapel and she came to that and loved it! She is doing great and the Gospel will bless her so much.

We have started teaching again some really cool formers and we have been passed a couple investigators this week by other missionaries. So we are excited to see what this next week brings! :)

I truly love my mission so much. The stake conference broadcast was such a spiritual meeting! I wish I could have experienced that at the beginning of my mission! It was funny because before it started me and Sister Unwin her making guesses which Apostles or seventies would be speaking and I guessed right! C. Scott Grow! (Mostly I just guessed him because he's the one's name I can remember... haha)  But some highlights from the meeting were "You never check your religion at the door." and "True happiness comes from being true to standards." Elder Renlund also spoke of using the Restoration in a simple way to answer questions to the church. Whatever someone asks us about he Word of Wisdom, living the Law of Chastity, or any deeper doctrines, it comes down to we believe in revelation through a prophet of God. It was amazing because he also explained the Plan of Salvation in such a simple way! The Gospel is so simple and is so true!! I love it that I get to share it with others and to see God's hand in the work each day. I know he is there and is aware of each of us. This is his church and it is led by Jesus Christ through Prophet of God. I love you all so much!! Thank you for all of you love, support and prayers.

Love,

Sister Lofthouse 

Reflections at Stanley Park

Swan Princess??

Downtown selfie

February 9, 2016: "What's a Sister Lofthouse?"

Hello Family and Friends!!

Its been great week! Even though there has been some difficult times, I know that God has always been there and aware of us. I'm grateful for experiences that help me learn and grow. Plus its been a great week because of the many weird/funny/crazy things that have happened. So I'll start my email with those. :)

Crazy Story #1-
One day this week we were walking down this street and we saw this lone man waiting at a bus stop... He was across the street but we were like "Talk to Everyone!" so we went over. There was another lady down the street a little more so Sister Unwin went to talk to her and I stood next to the man at the bus stop and said "Hello! How are you today!?" He turns and looks at me and said in not the nicest of tones, "DON'T YOU SELL YOUR RELIGION AT ME! YOU'RE DISGUSTING! GET AWAY FROM ME!" I was in shock... I had never had anyone call me disgusting before.. I like to think of myself as pretty cute. :) Haha but my pride did get to me a bit and I made Sister Unwin wait for the bus and the guy wouldn't even stand by us to wait for it. He crossed the street to wait at a totally different one. It was a first on my mission!

Crazy Story #2-

We were riding the skytrain and Sister Unwin was sitting by a man and I was standing a few feet away. And the guy leans over to her and asks, "What's a Sister Lofthouse??" She just burst out laughing and was able to share the Gospel because of it. :)

Crazy Story #3-

We were walking down the street and this old Asian man was standing outside his house so we tried talking to him! But he didn't really understand us so he just laughed and started throwing peanuts at us! They were really yummy peanuts too. :) Haha

Crazy Story #4-

As we were walking outside of our apartment one morning Sister Unwin tried saying hi to this one lady that always wears a blue hat and scarf. The lady didn't give her the time of day. Then as we were coming home for the night we were crossing the street with her. Sister Unwin leaned over to me and said, "talk to her!" So it did! And she just gave me and angry look! Apparently I heard Sister Unwin wrong and she said to not talk to her... haha. Then the next day we were coming down the elevator of our apartment but we realized we forgot something and needed to go back up. So the doors opened on the 1st floor, and guess who's there? Yes. Blue hat and scarf lady... She got in the elevator and we tried to explain that we needed to go back up so that it wouldn't seem weird that we were staying on. She didn't even look at us but she handed us a little note! I was trying to keep my laughter in the whole time! She got out and we read it and it basically said not to even say hi to her, that she doesn't talk to Mormons. That was the 1st time on my mission I got a note like that! Hahaha

Crazy Story #5-

We were teaching a less active yesterday at an A&W and the less active was just pouring out her heart to us when all of the sudden the older Chinese lady walks by and burps right in Sister Unwin's face like it was nothing... Our less active goes on for a few more seconds and then we all just burst out laughing!!!

Now lets get on with the more spiritual part of the week. :) On Wednesday we taught Elisabeth and Roy the Law of Chastity. It was a pretty good lesson and they loved all the blessing we told them about from keep this commandment. They told us they were planning on getting married in August so we committed for them to pray about moving it up a bit so that they would been able to be baptized sooner. A couple days later when we called them, they said that they decided they are just going to go to an Anglican Church which is close to them. We were a bit sad and asked if we could see them another time. So we saw them that evening. We had a plan to to help them understand more the importance of the Restoration but thats about it. They have been so diligent about reading the Book of Mormon everyday so we asked them about it, and they said that it was hard to understand. So we start talking about the spirit and receiving a witness and we asked them what they expected it would feel like. I will never forget what happened next. We started going into the 1st vision. I recited it in Joseph Smith 's own words and all of the sudden it was like the spirit was there. It was intense. I fell like if I put my hand out I could literally feel it. It was testifying to each of our hearts right at that moment that these things were true. That the message of the Restoration is absolutely true. Roy had tears running down his face and we testified to him that what he was feeling was the Spirit of God. It was the most intense lesson I have ever had.  They are still deciding what they will do. Please keep them in your prayers!

Also this week we got to meet with Elisabeth and Roy's next door neighbor, Darren. He is about 50 and has cerebral palsy. He let us in and is really nice and funny! He says he knows God id realy becasue he is a witness. His life is a miracle. He was born 2.2 lbs. Has we were talking with him in his home he told us about his life and his faith and it was amazing. As he was just talking it was like he was quoting Book of Mormon scriptures. He had a Mormon friend in highschool and he always loved to be in her home. He is really spiritual so super truth seeking. He was going to come to church on Sunday and he really wanted to bare his testimony... But he got sick.Please keep Darren in your prayers!

Also this week we were texted through so contacts in our phone and we texted this one named Jet. Who has been telling us she has been in the hospital for the last month. But she finally told us we could come and visit her and she told us her room was on the 8th floor. So we went to the Hosbital and got on the elevator and see the different floors... We saw that the 8th floor was for TB patients... No wonder she has been in the hospital for so long! We still go up and when we visited her we had to where a fancy mask. Jet is super sweet and is from the Philippines. She is so open to the Gospel and we taught the Restoarion and she committed to be baptized! I laughed a bit when we were teaching becasue I saw how ridicous Sister Unwin looked and pictured myself looking the same way. Also keep Jet's health in your prayers! But she is doing pretty good. :)

I lvoe each week of my mission so much. There really is never a dull moment here in Vancouver! No matter what happens ther eis always hope. "And we know that all things work togehter for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose... If God be for us, who can be aganinst us? Who shall be against us." God love us. We can show our love to him through our faithful servce. I lvoe you all so much! Hopw you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Lofthouse

View from Stanley Park

View from Stanley Park

Visiting Jet in the hospital

The Dark Side is Better

February 1, 2016: Vancity

Hello Family and Friends!

Its been another amazing week in Vancouver!! Apart from it raining all day everyday, the Lord has been so good to us and we have seen so many blessings and miracles. Plus the city is just an adventure everyday! :) This week me and Sister Unwin were talking down a busy street in downtown and this homeless guy sees us and says, "The dark side is better, honey." We just kept walking because it was so hilarious! :)

Elizabeth and Roy area couple we are teaching. They live right next rood to a recent convert in the ward. They are so humble and open. They read two chapters of the Book of Mormon together everyday and are already up to 2 Nephi 21. It was pretty funny because last night we went over to have a little Book of Mormon read with them and we just planned to read the chapter they were on... Well we didn't know they were on the Isiah chapters! So we read another one. But they are doing so well and are opening up a lot more with us. Book of Mormon = Conversion.

Cool miracle. So we got a text from other sisters saying to contact this lady named Jwan who met Sisters in Abbotsford. So we did! And we met up with her. And it turns out that Sister Schroeder actually talked to her a couple weeks back and wrote our number on a pamphlet. Jwan was going through a hard time and gave it a call. Then she turns out to live in Vancouver so the sisters gave her number to us. Our lives in Abbotsford still lives on! Jwan is super sweet. She is a about 50 and is from Iraq. She has a pretty solid concept of Jesus Christ and is looking for a lot of peace right now. She is in hard living conditions and her husband has passed away. So she is sooo prepared for the Gospel and it will bless her life so much! She committed to be baptized at the end of the month!

Cool miracle. The other day we were walking down a busy street and I am still working on how to stop people to talk to them when they are walking the other way as me... But I saw this black woman and I really wanted to talk to her and she stopped!! She shared a bit about the Book of Mormon and she just up for meeting again! Her name is Antoinette and a few days later we got to meet up for a lesson at the church. She said that she hasn't been to church in about 10 years from when her sister passed away. She was confused and had lots of questions that she didnt fell like were answered. She said about a year ago she met Elders on the street but never actually sat down to talk with them. She said that when we spoke to her she took it as a sign that this is what she needs! She is also super prepared and we just testified of how the Gospel will help her and how the Book of Mormon will answer the questions of her soul.

Cool miracle. The other evening we went on a short little split with the YSA sisters here in Vancouver because double booked ourselves with appointments. So I head to downtown for a lesson while Sister Unwin stayed at the church for a little ward BBQ that we had an investigator coming to... So we had a good lesson in downtown and the sister I am with is new to Vancouver as well. So the member that came with us took us to the train station but it was a different one than how we got there... But on the walk we saw a cosco!!! So we had to get a hot dog... then we got on the train and had to go and catch another train to get back to the church. As we get on the second train I sit down in front of this man and he said "Hey Sisters! I'm a member!"  So we chatted with him and he was telling us of his bad addictions and he was just so amazed that we ran into him because he was on his way to Seattle and just 30 minutes to meeting up he was praying and telling God that if God wanted him to change the pathway of his life that He would put someone in his path to help him. Then then we walked on the his train and sat right in front of him. he said that he would be contacting Elders wherever he ends up. God is real. He loves us and answers our prayers. Its amazes me when God uses us to answer the prayers of one of His children.

Cool miracle. Sister Unwin had a dream a few nights ago that we were walking down this dark neighborhood and from the dream she remembered the street we were on. So we looked on the map of where the street was and it was in  a place we call "The Insert" because it is an insert of the map. Haha. But we planned to go there and how things worked out we were there at night. It was a little scary but its such a good residential area with lots of middle class people. :) We knocked some doors and the miracle was that everyone was so nice to us even though they weren't interested. Yesterday we had a little of time to go there but we weren't sure it would be worth our time because of the long bus ride. So we prayed and still felt like we should go! So we did! On the 3rd door we knocked at we met a super cool woman, Laura, who is interested and invited us back on Tuesday! She is the reason we felt prompted to go there! :) God is so aware of us and the people in Vancouver. :)

Its been an amazing week. "By faith men may bring thousands of souls unto repentance."I have been reading about the Anti-Nephi-Lehi's in the Book of Mormon and I think Alma 24 is my new favorite chapter. These people, these recent converts, were truly convert to the Lord. They were fully committed, they loved God, and they were kingdom builders. In Chapter 24 every time they mention God they always mention how great he is. They knew truly the great blessings God had giving them that they could become converted to the Lord. They had no desire to sin. They even buried their weapons so that it wasn't even a choice anymore. As the Lamanites came to war against them they did not fight because they had so much faith in the Lord, that all would be okay if they were killed. 1,005 of these people were slain and they were praises God as they perished. "But behold how many of these have laid down their lives ; and we know that they have gone to their God, because of their love and of their hatred to sin." Because of that act more than a thousand of the Lamanites were converted.  "And thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of his people." I love you all. I love my mission. Thank you for your support and prayers.

Love,

Sister Lofthouse

January 25, 2016: "It's my first time on the bus!"

Hello Family and Friends!! 

VANCOUVER!! I love it! Lots of people. Lots of buildings. Lots of smells. And lots of miracles. :) Its a beautiful place. :) Sister Unwin has taught me the big city ways and it's been a blast! On my first day here we got to ride the bus! I was a little nervous but so excited! I got on and it was pretty crowded... So I was standing and I really wanted to talk to someone so I just looked at the lady sitting closest to where I was standing and was like, "It's my first time on the bus!!!" She must have not cared that much because she didnt say anything back. Hahaha it was hilarious. :) I have gotten better at starting up conversations now. :) 

I will share just a few cool things that have happened this week. :) There are a lot of Filipino's in the ward here and one evening a single mom invited us over for dinner. She has two room mates living with her that are not members. We were hoping they would come out during the dinner... Then one came out and sat and ate with us. I had a huge feeling that we needed to teach the Restoration so I pulled out a pamphlet from my bag to help Sister Unwin get on the same page and we taught it and it was amazing! She goes to a different church but she committed to read and pray about the Book of Mormon! That was my first member visit in the ward and its already looking great! :) 

Me and Sister Unwin have made a goal to use the Book of Mormon and make it a center of our teaching. We went and visited a recent convert in the ward, Maria Rosa and her husband, Patrick. Patrick is actually blind and is investigating the church. He is so sweet! He has a desire to be baptised but he has anxiety to leave the house if no one else is home because of some robberies in the past. But for the lesson we read to him The Book of Enos and it was probably the most powerful Book of Mormon read I have had on my mission. :) We asked Patrick what does his soul hunger for and he said forgiveness and peace. The lesson was led by the spirit and we were able to help Patrick identify the spirit for himself. It was great! Please keep Patrick in your prayers. 

Then we had a lesson with another investigator, Patricia. Patricia has been taught for the past transfer and has been to church about 6 times. She also has MS and grew up Catholic but hasn't thought about religion a bunch since she was little. We again taught her from using the Book of Mormon. We read Alma 7 and talked about the atonement and then transitioned into baptism and we explained that our purpose is the prepare people to be baptised. Then she told us that she would do whatever we told her she needs to get baptised. So we were like okay!  :) She set a date to works towards! But yesterday she didnt end up coming to church. Please keep Patricia in your prayers! 

On Saturday we really wanted to find new investigators. We had a lesson at the church with recent convert who never actually showed up... But while we were there waiting for her the phone at the church rang... So we answered it! It was actually a YSA aged guy that wanted to learn more about the church and wanted a Book of Mormon. He said he could met right then so we met and taught him the Restoration! Then later in the day we planned in faith a lesson at the church at 3... So right before 3 we were walking to the church and right out front a lady was walking down the street and we started taking to her. She accepted our invitation to give her a church tour! It was a miracle and we were able to see her again yesterday. :) 

It really has been a great week. :) Last night President Burt's kids spoke to all the missionaries in the Lower Main Land and had a little fireside. One of the sons shared that on his mission he learned that if you want to be an amazing teacher, you have to love. That is what I have learned from Sister Unwin. It might just be her cute little English accent but she can make anyone feel loved. "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved."- Thomas S. Monson. This morning I was reading in Alma chapter 20 and  the whole reason that Old King Lamoni wanted to learn more about what Ammon taught was because "he saw the great love he(Ammon) had for his son Lamoni." Faith, hope, charity, and love qualifies us for the work. Charity never fails. Lets let others feel our love for them. As we do so they will feel of God's love for them. I love you all. Thank you so much for all that you have done for me. It means so much. :) 

Love,

Sister Lofthouse

Me and Sister Unwin

Vancouver :) 

January 18, 2016: I'm moving to Vancouver!!!

Hello Family and Friends!

 

Its been a great week in Abbotsford, but it was also my last! Saturday we got transfer calls and both me and Sister Schroeder are leaving the area. I'm being transferred to Vancouver 1st ward! I have always wanted to serve in Vancouver so its like a dream come true. :) I will miss all my friends in the YSA branch though...

 

We were able to meet up again with Moe. Who is that black guy I wrote about last time who loves Jesus Christ. We reveiwed the Restoration becasue we wanted to make sure he really understood. He had read the things we left in the Book of Mormon as well. :) We asked him if he believes the Church of Jesus Christ has been restored though the prophet Joseph Smith and he said yes. We also asked him if he believes the Book of Mormon is the word of God and he basically said you would have to be a fool to not think so! Haha. :)

 

Its been a little dry with lessons this week but we have been working and trying so hard! On Satuday we basically walked around the whole day and it was cool because lots of people recognized us and remembered who we were! Makes me feel good to see that we have some sort of influence on people that they rememebr us and want to come up and talk to us. :)

 

I have learned so much while serving here in the Abby YSA area. :) There aren't too many branch members, but the ones we have help us out so much! It has shown me what I want to be when I am back at home as a RM. The area has put a load on my shoulders where I have been able to get some spirtual traction! My testimony and confidence has grown so much while being here. I have learned a lot more about charity and and also humility, and relying on the Lord. I am thankful for this chapter in my mission and for the next one in Vancouver! I'm ready to sprint to the end. :) I love you all so much. Thanks for your love and support. :)

 

Love,

Sister Lofthouse

January 11, 2016: "Jesus Christ? That is the greatest name of all time!"

Hello Family and Friends!

 

BC is amazing. I love being a missionary here. :) Its been another great week! Everyday is an adventure and a joy sprending the Gospel of Jesus Christ. :)

 

On Tuesday I was able to go on an exchange with Sister Mumford. We were in the tri a few weeks back so it was lots of fun! We taught this new investigator named Jesse who is a black guy so that was great! He had actually been taught by Elders a few years back but he thought that the Book of Mormon was all about Joseph Smith, but we taught the Restoration again and after understanding a little more about the Book of Mormon, he was really excited about reading it! Then that evening me and Sister Mumford were in this store for a few minutes and I saw this other black guy. So I went up and talked with him and he saw our tags and was like, "Jesus Christ? That is the greatest name of all time." So we were like "Yeah it is!" and started talking to him. He doesnt belong to a specific church and likes to learn and he set up a time to see him that evening without us even asking! So later that evening we met up and sat down, and it kind of seemed to good to be true. He was pretty chatty but we were able to share the message of the Restoration with him and during the first vision he was just like "Whoa!... Wow!... Whoa!" and he commited to read the Book of Mormon. It was really cool! It was a good day. :)

 

On Wednesday we were in Maple Ridge and we were talking to people down the streets and we met this guy named Kyle. He is confused about religion and has lots of questions, but was really nice to us. He said that Mormonism would be the religion he would be most likely to join because they are the least stuck up and that their teachings makes the most sense. We set up a return appointment. We had a good lesson. He is very spiritual and we taught the Plan of Salvation and he really liked it. We were able to answer a lot of his questions and he said that he really likes Mormons becasue unlike other religions who get definsive when he asks them honest questions, we just answer them. It was really cool and we are excited to teach the Restoration to him this week!

 

Saturday was our walking day so we were walking downtown and this car stops us asking if we wanted a ride. They are members from Alberta. So they take us over to the mall and we saw our former investigator walking down the street. He didnt hear us yell at him through the window so the members let us out and we literally ran after him for 3 blocks on the busiest street in Abbotsford! We finally just called him on the phone to have been turn around and we talked and walked for a bit. He has gotten weird veiws about the church and religion since meeting with him and he asked us weird questions and told us we were crazy to think that the Book of Mormon is actually God's words. I was able to testify to him of the spirit. That I knew that the Book of Mormon was the word of God more than I knew he was standing in front of me becasue the spirit can give us a more powerful witness than just seeing things. He was speechless. Its sad becasue he has been justifying things becasue he wants to continue to drink and smoke. But it was a good chat and it was good to see him again. 

 

I am so grateful for my opportunity to serve as a full-time missionary. We were able to go to Mission Leader Council this week as well and a common theme that President Burt wants to be put into the mission's culture is "Teach repentance, baptize converts." We cannot convert people beyond our own conversion. My mission has literally changed my life. I had somewhat of a testimony of the Gospel before it, but now I feel a continuing conversion to the Lord and his teaching. Any honest seeker of truth can find a testimony and any honest seeker of truth can find conversion. True conversion is the fruit of faith, repentance, and consistent obedience. Faith comes by hearing the word of the God and responding to it. We receive a comfirming witness from the Holy Ghost as we accept on faith by willing doing right. Want to be converted the Gospel of Jesus Christ and find enduring happiness? Read the Book of Mormon and live it's teachings. It has converting power. I cannot persuade anyone to get baptized. But I can persuade them to read the Book of Mormon and that desire to be baptized will come becasue they will become converted. By the power of the Holy Ghost, I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It is safey for our souls as we read and apply its teachings everyday. Thank you all for your support and your love. I love you all!

 

Love,

Sister Lofthouse