October 28th, 2012

Hey dad, mom and family
i think all your notes made sense. That really helped me out, i have know idea what most of the things were all about. Our mission president and his wife have really been putting a push on voting. Half of us don't know what to vote for.

That's really exciting about the Calgary temple. What a cool gift to have it snow. I bet the temple was lovely all blanketed in white.

Wow that's super exciting about Talmage. Too bad he can't wait until the early march. :) then i might be able to make it. But you can't please everyone so you might as well please yourself.

This week was another great week on the mission. Super busy as always. I'm not sure how frequently Gabriele works in Seattle. She didn't make it so the next appointment. We were able to contact her via text message yesterday and found out she's been really involved with her sister and her her family. Her sister is due with their first next week and Gabriele's trying to help them prepare.

Our contacts? That's a good question. Its really hard to get in contact with anyone in this area. They're always doing something. This last week we had sisters conference. This happens about every 6 months, and is time for the sisters to congregate at the mission home for our own little conference. We went to the temple Wednesday and then after having dinner we gathered together in the living room of the mission home and had a little testimony meeting. Sister Clark asked us to share our road of discipleship, and so we went around in a circle sharing how we had gotten to this point in our lives and some of the fears and obstacles we had to overcome. It was a very spiritual experience; there wasn't a dry eye by the end of it. To end our conference President Clark and the Ap's came and we had a little Q&A session. It was during this time that president and sister clark wanted us to become more comfortable with our leaders and to also express some of the issues we experience as sisters. And when i mean issues i mean the gap some of the sisters feel from the elders. We understand the need for some space, but many (most) of the elders don't know how to function around sisters and so some sisters are avoided like the plaque. Not a good thing when we are trying to become more unified as a mission. It was during this meeting that President Clark asked sister Shutt and I to attend ZLC the next day and talk about the concerns that were being brought up.

ZLC was something new. It was amazing to see how everything is addressed and processed. We were able to share some of the sisters concerns and to help the ZL's understand how to act around sisters. I received a call from Elder Christensen this morning and he wants me and sister Fallentine, the other exchange sister to give a training next week at leadership training. The topic is on priesthood duites and how they can be better men? Not very explicit. They also want us to go over how to act and treat sister missionaries in their districts and zones. So dad/mom if you have any advice or know of any good talks send them my way.

Due to ZLC Sister Shutt and i were companions until Saturday. During that mini exchange we were able to see Eugene. He's doing much better. He's been struggling a lot with health problems, but lately he's been doing a lot better. We had planned on going over the plan of salvation with him, but when we asked him about his reading the Book of Mormon our plans took a different route. He reads his daily bread every morning, a little book that has a spiritual thought attached to it for everyday of the week. I shared with him how important it is to add reading the book of Mormon to his daily bread session, that the Book of Mormon is a true and how it bless him. When i shared that he opened his Book of Mormon to Alma 32. The chapter we had asked him to read. We took turns reading a couple verses and then expounding what was read. The lesson went so well, better than anything we could have done. I know that the spirit was there helping us know when to stop and what to say. He wasn't able to come to church, but we're really praying he'll make it next week. Sister shutt and i were also able to meet with Erica Martin. She grew up in the church but never had a testimony. We had a really great discussion. She had some great questions about the story line of the book of Mormon and how it was found in America. This lesson was the most engaged she'd been in.

People go all out for Halloween here. They don't just do the jack-o-lanterns, they do the lights, and zombies and skeletons, and little ghosts holding hands in a circle around objects. Its kind of creepy. We had our wards trunk -o- treat activity Saturday at the church. And then for Halloween we have been told that we stop proselyting at 5pm, we aren't allowed to drive our cars and if we don't have appointments we need to be in.

Transfer calls were Saturday as well. Sister Luker and i are staying together here for another 6 weeks. I'm really excited about this. I really wanted to stay for at least one more transfer.

Something that i have really learned this transfer is my best one week isn't necessarily my best the next week. I need to constantly be changing and growing. I know that the gospel is true. Jesus Christ did come to earth for us, and was lifted up on the cross so that we can be redeemed from our sins. The atonement works when we let it. I know that when we are humble the work, life is so much easier.

love you all
sister salmon