December 31, 2019

Hi all!

This week was so much fun! I can't believe that Christmas has come and gone.. It was a lot of fun! We got to spend it with our sweet Yarmouth sisters! They came down and spent the night and then we all opened our presents the next morning:) We went to the Coles for a beautiful meal. It was really fun because we usually have to be in and out of member's homes in an hour but we got to spend a couple with them! Brother Cole has had a really cool life so we got to listen to all of his stories. It was my favorite thing! Then we had another appointment in the evening with another sweet sister. Unfortunately she was admitted into the hospital about 20 minutes before we got there... So we ate with her daughter. It was kind of a blessing that she invited us and the Butlers, because if we hadn't been there poor Terra would have had to spend her Christmas Eve alone. The Lord takes care of his kids. It was a beautiful evening. I was feeling a little homesick (probably because the end of my mission is coming so quickly) but I was able to feel a lot of joy in celebrating the birth of my sweet Savior.

Brian came to church for the second time and loved it so much! AND Darlene came for the first time! She loved it too! It was cool because sister Livingstone and I both spoke in sacrament meeting. I glad that they got to hear us:) I love the people we are teaching so very much! They are the best.

We got to take a trip to Montreal right after Christmas for MLC. Oh man it was fun. I love Montreal so very much! MLC was great and I took away a lot of good things that I want to start applying. I feel so incredibly blessed to work around so many great and nobel missionaries. There is always a special spirit at MLC. I got to see so many members of my MTC district! (the OG!) I love them all! It was bittersweet to say goodbye to my sweet sister Nelson. She picked the earlier date so she will be going home in 2 weeks. I am so proud of her and her Christlike service. I learned so much from her about charity and joy. How grateful I am to be blessed with such true and lifelong friends. The future's so bright.

On a funnier note, we got our keys locked inside the car at the airport so we were kinda stranded there. The elders were such good sports. They stayed with us until the security guy came, which was really kind because it already midnight (that is like super duper late in missionary terms) I am actually kind of glad it happened though because it was really really fun! We didn't get to bed until after 2 am (so the next morning wasn't quite so enjoyable lol). So you better believe we took a nice fat nap when we finally got back to Greenwood! 

Oh! AND, when we were all sitting at the airport, waiting for our flight (it was delayed) a man runs up to all of us sitting there and he asks if we are no duty. We were like, um we aren't airport workers.. (you would be surprised how many people see our tags and slacks and just assume that we are workers there haha) He said, "no, I know, I just have some questions about Mormonism and I want to ask you all since you are reliable sources" That sentence alone just made my day! Truth seekers don't settle with Wikipedia. I love that he wanted to know from us! It was the coolest experience because we all were able to teach him with such unity. I felt so proud of us. It is really cool to see missionaries in action like that. And he was just drinking it all in! His name is Thomas and he is a philosophy student in Cali. We answered his questions with doctrine and he LOVED it. He wasn't bashy at all! He just really wanted to know. I love when people have that true and honest desire. He has talked with members and missionaries before throughout his life and it is just so clear for me to see how the Lord has been preparing him. We all added him on facebook and we are going to send missionaries his way in California:) hehe I LOVE being a missionary! I love seeing how the Lord orchestrates things oh so perfectly. I love that he loves us so deeply. It is manifest in his doings. And I get to be an eyewitness of that. I am so grateful for this time the Lord has given me as a missionary for this short time. It is coming to an end all too quickly.. I can't believe it.

I hope that this week was a great one for all of you! The church is true! Christ lives!
I love you all!
Sister Bates

December 24, 2019

Salut mes amis!

Joyeux Noel!!

I am so so excited for Christmas! We did so many fun things this week! We went caroling last night at an old folks' home. There is so much power in music. Especially music about the Savior. I think I understand why people are generally happier at Christmas. Christ is everywhere! And whether people recognize it or not, it is Him they are feeling. Because the holy ghost testifies of truth. And there are a lot of opportunities for him to testify to people's hearts this time of year. Pure and simple. 

Exchanges also happened! This was sister Calls first one! I got to be with sister Christensen. It was lovely. She is a gem! I am very proud of her for training! She is doing so well too! 

We spent the morning volunteering at the Lion's club and it was great! Plus, we got a free breakfast out of it which I always enjoy hehe. This week has been so crazy busy. We have been trying to visit literally everyone before Christmas because afterwards we are going to be in Montreal. There have been so many people give us gifts! I was not expecting it! Nova Scotians are just such a kind and giving people. I love them with all my heart.

Last Sunday was lovely! Brain came to church and LOVED it!! He said that he wants to come back next week. It really seemed to change him dramatically. He called us later the next day to thank us and to ask for a ride for next week. He didn't ever do that before. It is so cool to see how the gospel (when correctly understood) changes people. It changes people's desires and makes them want to be more independent, more anxiously engaged, and more wise. It is such a relief to see honestly. Sometimes as a missionary I feel that I work SO hard trying to convince people to just come and see! Just come and taste of the fruit and then you will understand! It is a lot like pulling teeth... And lots of times, people say no. But we keep trying. And the ones who say yes make all of it worth it. I am willing to labor all of my days even if it means I can only bring one soul unto Christ because everyone needs him. This is a soulsick world, but Christ is the master healer. I have come to know more about my Savior during these past 16 months than I have the whole rest of my life combined. I love my Savior. I have a testimony of his reality and I know that he lives. I know this because of the experiences I have had with him. He is always on my side. I know that he is not just cheering us on from the finish line, he is running with us. I have felt his help in a very real way. I love him. My favorite line from O Little Town of Bethlehem is:

"The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight"

Almost 2020 years ago, God gave us his matchless gift. And because of him, all will be made right and there can be joy in our hearts always.

I hope that you all have a very Merry Christmas and that you all can feel him near you this week and always. He loves us, and nothing will ever change that truth.

Love, sister Bates

December 17, 2019

Hello hello!

Alright everyone, this week was probably the greatest week in the mission because SO many great things happened! First off, we had our Christmas zone conference this week and it was so much fun! WEdrove up with the Yarmouth sisters which was a party. Sister Call is sister Christensen's new trainee and she is just the cutest! I am so lucky to be over such great sisters. We each brought a gift and did a gift exchange. It was wild! There was a talent show and I was so impressed by all of the talent that is in our zone! I love all these missionaries. I never thought I would ever have so many friends haha!
We also had a really great lesson with Silvia! We showed up and she had presents waiting for us under her tree! It was so sweet of her! It said from Silvia and Loner (the cat) hehe! We had a super great lesson with her and showed her the Christ Child video. She LOVED it!
We had supper with a nonmember too! His name is Patrick. We met him a couple weeks ago because elder Hatch told us to go back and visit him so we did! and he invited us over for shrimp and scallops! When we got there, there was another couple from France!! French!! We get so excited when we get the chance to use our French! They said that we sounded fluent like we had been speaking for years. That made me feel so good about myself even though I'm sure she was just being nice haha! We had a really good conversation with them and watched the Christ Child video. (Seriously if you have not seen this video, go watch it right now! It's so powerful!)
We also met a cool guy named Doyle who said we could come back, so that was great!
One of my favorite parts of this week was that we had a super great lesson with Brian in a member's home AND my brother jesse got to call in and help us teach him! I am so glad he did, because when Jesse bore his testimony about fasting, it really clicked with Brian. He explained it exactly the way that Brian needed to hear it to understand it! Oh my goodness I am so so proud of him. He is going to be a stellar missionary!! I am so proud to be the sister of such a good young man. He is going to see miracles and become such a powerful tool in the Lord's hands.

We also got a call this week froma a woman named Darlene. She told us that she had some questions for us and that she was looking to "join the Latter Day Saints" I remember that she had been found several months ago by sister Clark on exchanges but we hadn't been able to get ahold of her so nothing ever really came out of it. But anyways, we went over and it turns out that she is the neighbor of one of the members here! In fact, this member had told us about her neighbor on several occasions. When we saw all of the ways this worked put we knew that this was no coincidence. I don't think I have ever met anyone so truly prepared. We came in there and she told us that she had already decided to stop smoking and drinking coffee and anything else that was required to become a member. She had been talking with her aunt who is a member in New Minas and she really wants to become a part of this church. She has been through some really really hard things and it is so easy to see how the Lord has been preparing her for this moment in her life. She has no idea how much joy and blessings await her. I have so much love for her and I can feel how much the Savior loves her too.

I know that the Lord knows us. He knows our trials he knows our victories, he knows us. he has known us since before this whole thing started and he has everything worked out for us to succeed gloriously. I can't articulate the love he has for us because it's not of this world. But I know how it feels and I never want to leave him. I just really know that he knows what we need and every single thing he does is for us and for our joy. I love my Savior. I know that he lives. I know who I am to him and it makes me want to be better

Love, sister Bates

December 10, 2019

Hello everyone!

Well this week has been pretty crazy! It was really funny, transfers took place last Thursday and sister Livingstone and I thought that we were going to get away with having a normal day, buuut. We got a call at about 8:15 in the evening from the APs telling us that we had to drive to Halifax and stay with the Sackville sisters so that we could drive them to the airport the next morning. We were like... OKay! SO we went home, packed a day bag and drove there. The Sackville sisters were whitewashing out and elders would be coming into the apartment, so we ended up cleaning and clearing the apartment out and helping them finish packing until about 12:30 (That is REALLY late in missionary standards let me tell ya!) And then we got up at 4🙃 It was great though because I got to say goodbye to sister Clark and sister Burton! I love those two ladies! They served such honorable missions and I know that the Lord is so pleased with their efforts. We saw our sweet sister Bromley off to Ottawa to be an STL (woot!) and sister Sanchez off to Montreal to whitewash! I am so proud of them! After that, we made the drive home, and then completely crashed for a very needed 3 hour nap, haha. So that was a very interesting few days! WE had a super fun Relief Society activity on Saturday where sister Butler taught us how to make chocolates! Oh my goodness she has such a talent! They were divine! she gave us so many and they are already gone... But life is meant to be enjoyed! Sunday night we were encouraged to watch the Christmas devotional, which on this side of the coast, started at 9:00 haha! SO we stayed up late many times this week! It was fun though, we were able to watch it at our ward mission leader's house.

There were many times this week that both sister Livingstone and I felt very spirit lead. It was interesting because usually it was just one of us and then the other had the faith to follow. There was a lady that we knocked into this one evening who was not interested at all, but then she just started crying at the door and told us that the first anniversary of her grandson's death was coming up. She told us that she felt like God sent us to her at that moment and I think she was right. We ended up saying a prayer with her right there on her doorstep. It was a very sweet experience. A couple days later after the chocolate making activity, we decided that we should stop by and give her a few. She was happy to see us and she told us that she had been sharing the Christ Child video with everyone she knew! We were so excited about that because we know how strongly it brings the spirit.

Last night, we had a couple of minutes before we had to meet with a member and so we decided to knock this door. The lady was super nice and she told us that many years ago she had actually lived with a member family and was SO close to being baptised. It was just so cool! We hope to start working with her:)

I really know that the Lord is super aware of each of us individually and he has so much in store for each one of us. There is a line in one of my favorite songs, Seeing for the first time, by Britt Nicole where she says 

"How many years did you plan this moment here, to show me that you loved me?"

I know that God loves us. I have felt it and it's real. I know that he has so many plans in the works to show us that He loves us and to bring us unto him. I love him!

I hope you guys have a great week!

Love, sister Bates

December 4, 2019

Salut à tous!

This week has been lovely! We got transfer boards! and guess what?? I'm staying in Nova Scotia with sister Livingstone! Woohoo!! We are both so excited to be staying together for Christmas! I am so so happy. I love sister Livingstone! And I really love this area. I am excited to see what this next transfer holds and what the Lord has in store for me. I have two transfers left and then I'm home...Crazy! 

Oh gosh, we had a super cool thing happen! So on our last exchange, we ran into a super cute Nigerian family. We got their number, but they haven't responded yet. sad. BUT- sister Livingstone posted a bible ad and the first person to request one, was the dad!!! It was incredible! So last night, we went and delivered it to them and offered to come back and talk more about Christ and they said yes! 

Also, our district leader elder Hatch started his mission here in Greenwood, and now that he is going home (like tomorrow) he has been sending us all of these people that he found that we need to go and visit. So we passed by this one guy named Patrick who was SO COOL. He let us right in and talked to us about his travels. He is such a cool dude!! So that was at the beginning of the week. Then just yesterday, we got a call from this guy and he invited us over for dinner, haha! He's gonna make us seafood, I'm so excited!! He also asked us if we could watch the Christ Child video we talked about before. We were like uh- yeah we can! There are so many awesome people here. I am honestly so blessed to be here.

Brian is still doing great. We had a really great lesson with him in the chapel. The spirit was super strong. The members that have met him just love him. He is progressing slowly but surely. We hope to get him to church soon. I really know that God loves his children. I know that he is proud of us and our humble little efforts.

Sorry this email is short. But life is good and I am happy:)

I love you all!