Deep breath in... Ok, now back to missionary work!

The most common thing said to me this week:

"Well, you'll have something to write home about!"

I guess the way to go through this crazy week is in chronological order:)

Monday. Had a movie day at the church after grocery shopping. Went knocking the rest of the evening. It was a little cold.

Tuesday. Had district meeting in the morning--the smallest one of my mission! Me, Sister Olson, Elder Widdup, and Elder Nzojibwami. Left immediately after district meeting for PEI, where we exchanged so I was working in Summerside with Sister Tegge (she came out with Sister Gochnour), and Sister Olson would be in Dieppe with Sister Jungheim. Taught lessons, went knocking, it was deathly hot! Lots of street contacting next to the ocean.

Wednesday. Spent the day in Summerside again. Taught an entire lesson to someone who decided that people only need prophets if they don't have a good relationship with God already (sigh), but it was nice to teach her... gave me good practice AND it was outside on a bench next to the ocean. We knocked a lot more and taught a lot more lessons. Taught a drunk lady. Which shall never happen again.

Thursday. We were going to exchange back Thursday night, but Sister Olson called us in the morning to tell us that there was a shooter on the loose in Moncton (about 5km from our apartment) and that President Leavitt had called to tell us we weren't supposed to proselyte. So they were just going to be locked up in the apartment all day anyway, so they decided to come to Summerside (haha... don't worry, President knew). The four of us worked together in Summerside for a while before Sister Olson and I returned to spend the remainder of the day getting work done in the apartment in Moncton. It was actually really boring despite feeling a little bit of anxiety in the situation. But lots of ward members checked up on us to make sure we were safe and inside since they knew we wouldn't find out on our own. We did all the missionary work we could think of, then ate food, then sang and even took a brief nap. It was pretty uneventful, until that night when we heard sirens driving past our apartment several times.

Friday. We found out the shooter had been caught the night before. At 10, we left Moncton with the Bathurst sisters and drove to Halifax! We had a French temple trip set up with all the French members in the mission, so all the French missionaries could come as well. We spent the evening proselyting in Cole Harbour, then went to the temple (although I'd left my wallet with my recommend in PEI... good thing President Leavitt knows me) in French. It was incredible. I loved it. We didn't get to bed until very late that night in the mission home.

Saturday. We had another French session at 9, after studying and eating breakfast in the mission home. After the session, all of us and the French members in the mission went back to the mission home for a luncheon, and we Skyped with Elder Allain Allard (in French) of the 70, which was amazing! We drove back to Moncton that afternoon, taught Nick (who's on date for baptism June 28!), and knocked.

Sunday. Fast and testimony meeting. A bunch of us missionaries bore our testimonies. Sam* came to church and loved it!! She has Young Womens pins and necklaces. She told us that when she gets her Young Womens Medallion, she's going to wear it for eternity and never take it off. I taught the Gospel Principles lesson. Sister Olson and I did sharing time and singing time in primary. It was kind of tiring to do all of it. After church, we talked to families in a park in Dieppe, ate dinner, knocked, and had a very difficult less-active visit with a lady I helped reactivate a year ago when I served here, who has decided to leave the church. It was very difficult.

So there's my crazy week in a nutshell! It's kind of nice to have had such a humbling experience in the area, we know it's softening the hearts of the people here and just preparing them for the gospel. I'm grateful that God has a plan for each of His children, and that He gives us trials and hard experiences to prepare us for even greater things. I'm also grateful for the people who give up everything they have for something they believe in... I'm feeling very blessed for the RCMP officers right about now.

I love you all!!!

Soeur Lewis

Elder Erickson et moi

It was sunny at 8 at night while knocking yesterday!!!!

Spent the day working in Cole Harbour before our temple trip!

"Scared" in our car during the lockdown...Actually just weird-looking.

Les Soeurs Francaises :)

Les missionaires francaises!!!
Soeur Vera et Soeur Coleman (Bathurst), Soeur Olson et moi (Dieppe), Elder Jason (Moncton), Elder Widdup (Dieppe), Elder Woodbury (Bathurst), Elder Waldie (Tracadie), Elder Erickson (Bathurst), Elder Nzojibwami (Tracadie), Elder Fortier (Halifax), Elder Collette (Dieppe)

One of my favourite parts of staying in the mission home :)

Seeing the ocean in Cole Harbour.

Me and my mission baby in Cole Harbour  :)

Flag at half mast in Nova Scotia in honor of the RCMP officers

Driving to Halifax...  This is right next to Amherst

Still in our apartment...  Perfect snack for a crazy day.

One of about 20 thoughtful texts from members who thought of us because we wouldn't find out about the shooting.

We did all the missionary work we could think of during the lock-down, and then we were SO BORED.

Driving through Moncton while the city was on lock-down from the shooting.  It was so deserted.

Made crowns with Sister Tegge in Summerside for a ward activity.

While knocking in summerside...  In Canada the bus drivers just park their buses at their house.  What the heck!

Went on exchanges in Summerside.  One of the elders there served most of his mission in Ukraine until his mission was closed down.  This is my last name spelled phonetically!

Last P-day after grocery shopping, we ate ice cream and watched "Joseph Smith:  The Prophet of the Restoration" together in the family history centre.  We realized we're always sad when we take pictures of us with food, so we decided to continue the tradition.