Week 3 - first week in Canada

Hello Everyone!

Okay where to begin, first Canada is freezing. It's like -15 Celsius every day, which really isn't bad, but it's always cold and it’s gonna just get colder, like -15 Celsius every day. Today its -20.... You can't get away from it! I use the thermals like crazy. We only tract like an hour or two maybe per day, but you get so cold in that amount of time! I am in an area called Barrhead and Westlock! It's north of Edmonton, and it is definitely a small town feel, well cause it is a small town. There are about 4,500 people in Barrhead and about 4,800 in Westlock and they are about 30 minutes apart. Mostly nobody wants to hear about the gospel. The people for the most part are really great, well the members. Canada is a huge mixing pot with people coming from all over the world. I serve in a ward, but there are probably only about 50 people at most at church on Sunday. We do a ton of reactivating, or at least trying to reactivate so the work can be tough at times!  Mail has to be sent basically to the mission office. Where I am is like an hour and a half from there so getting mail here is every few weeks, which sucks, but that is okay! So keep sending stuff there and I will get it whenever.

Some stories... All right my first door right? I knock on the door and I'm like, "Hey, my friend and I are missionaries from the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. We have been walking around your neighborhood sharing a message about Jesus Christ and his teachings" okay not too bad right? well her response was, " I  Don't need any more messages" SLAMS the door! hahah oh well it was a good time! Definitely not how I imagined it going but that's okay!! let’s see what else...I have handed out my first book or Mormon and stuff! That was pretty cool! The lessons have gone good when we can actually have them. Since I’ve been here we have taught around 16 lessons! Go us right?! We had a really cool experience though this week, while tracting we were about done with a street and walking to the car and a guy is walking down the street. My companion and I (OH! His name is Elder Johnson from Washington!!) kinda look at each other, Elder Johnson says something and just walk towards him. Well it turns out he really enjoys religion and wanted to know more. So we are going back probably this week to talk! it was cool to really feel the Holy Ghost guide us to someone like that!

The ward I serve in is awesome! The members are all so awesome!!! I think we get fed basically every night!! haha and the members up here love to...HUNT! HA I talk to it with just about everyone, and I can talk to just about anyone with the things I have done! Which helps! this small town feel is definitely weird, I mean the town is just bigger than my high school, that's crazy to me. But anyways, yeah all the members love to hunt it seems like so we can usually open with that and I stay pretty entertained because of it.

The work is tough up here; there is no doubt about that! And being this far away from the city is weird! It takes some getting used to, and definitely a humbling experience. However the power of prayer is so necessary and staying positive and diligent in the work is a must. There are a lot of tough moments when you are serving, and sometimes you just feel like there is no point, then you meet someone walking down the street and you realize and remember why it is all worth it. There are some out there that want to hear the gospel, and we have to go through and find all of those that do. I can feel the prayers, and they help immensely. I love hearing form all of you. I hope everything is going great back at home and everything! It's definitely a good time here, but I wouldn't recommend Canada in the winter! haha I'll talk to you all soon.

Love, Elder McFall