Busy week-as usual!

This week we have been doing more interviews with our zones which is always great. Tuesday night we were able to have a lesson in our home with Sisters Ho Ching and Kunzler and their investigator. They did a great job teaching about faith in Jesus Christ. I am always so proud of these missionaries when they teach. There is always a great spirit there. When the spirit is so present it's hard to believe that people can choose NOT to accept the message--but we respect their agency. But, boy it can be frustrating and discouraging at times! That's why I'm amazed at the resiliency and faith of our missionaries! They are the best!
Thursday we had to be in Cardston by 5:30 for Steve to attend his quarterly Coordinating Council Meeting with Elder Evanson of the Seventy, and all the Stake Presidents in the south. While he was busy with that I was able to go to dinner with Shannon Lybbert, the wife of President Lybbert of the Cardston Stake. One of the blessings of this calling are the wonderful friends we have made. We have really grown to love these stake presidents and their wives. She took me to the 'Little Mexico' restaurant there in Cardston, which is its own version of Cafe Rio. It has been open for about a year and has been quite a hit down in Cardston! Your only other choices are pretty much Subway, and A & W!
After dinner I was able to go out teaching with our sisters serving there in Cardston, Sisters Russell and Romney. Their first appointment to teach a less active member canceled right at the last minute, so we went to visit a family who had just lost their 20 month old granddaughter. It was a tender visit, and once again we were so reminded of how blessed we are for the sealing power that binds families together forever. After that we were able to go visit an elderly brother whose wife is in a care facility because of her dementia. The sisters shared a sweet message with him and he was so grateful for their visit, and told them how it just lifted him up! He was so very grateful they would come see him. These visits are so important even though they don't show up on any report as a new referral, or new investigator, or anything like that. But they are doing what the Savior would do, and that night, this sweet man needed that visit.
On Saturday afternoon we were able to attend the baptism of Linda at our Mandarin Branch. One of our returned missionaries, Ethan Fong, who had previously taught her, came back to baptize her. It was such a beautiful baptism, and she was so happy. I just love attending these convert baptisms--they are so special! Saturday evening and Sunday we participated in the Foothills Stake Conference with Elder Richard J. Maynes of the Seventy. It was good to be with him again-we were with him in Lethbridge in August. After that conference we drove 2 1/2 hours down to Raymond to participate in a Face to face Youth event there with President Jensen and his wife Julie. Brother Bridge, the high councilor over missionary work in that stake invited us for dinner, which was so nice. The members here are truly so kind!!! The Face to Face was a great success- about 250 youth attended, and we tried to answer as many questions as we could. It was really fun to be with them! Right after that we drove about 2 1/2 hours over to Medicine Hat to be ready for their interviews today. We got in just before midnight.
So, today we spent the day interviewing the Medicine Hat zone, and arrived home tonight about 7:30.
We are now preparing for our upcoming Mission Tour with Elder K. Brett Nattress of the Seventy and his wife, Shawna. We are excited to have them come--it is always a blessing for our missionaries!