A week of RAIN!!!‏

Hey family!!

First off, SEND ALL LETTERS TO THE MISSION HOME THIS WEEK!!!!!

Well this past week FLEW by!! Goodness me it was a great week but it poured! I've never seen it rain and blow so hard as it did. Wow! So how were the Olympics??!! mom thanks for sending me those articles! LOVED THEM!! Go U.S.A!!!! haha oh and happy birthday to my cuz...Courtney Jo Cahoon OLSEN!!!!!!! love you Big girl!! Big 2-0! ha anyways, here' the update for you all! :)

BELLA: Saw her twice this week! She is doing so great! I'm really proud of her for being so strong through Donalds death. She still wants to get baptized but she's not reading so I guess it'll take time! I love her to death. I will miss her more than i know! She's pretty much my sister!

DUNCAN: well, he's still learning but doesn't want to get baptized and he's not progressing so we might drop him.

COLEEN: she's so cute! so funny story....we were teaching her all about the Gospel of J.C. and she was understanding it all. So we explained all about the priesthood and such. Well we get to the end and she says "well, I think I need to get baptized again." So by this point, I'm soo excited for her because in my head I'm thinking "oh yes!" well, then my dreams pretty much got burned because then she said "I'll have to ask my minister if he'll let me get baptized again in my church." I just had to put my head down. ha So then we explained how we need to be baptized by someone who holds the priesthood. So I don't know if we weren't bold enough so we'll see what happens!

COLLIN: He's awesome! We've taught him twice now and he came to our fireside on Saturday!! oh and he read 12 pages of the BOM!! saweeet!!!! So that was a blessing. He loved the fireside and everyone was so welcoming to him so that was a bonus! We're going back this week!

ANGIE: She read some of the BOM! She's trying to quit smoking so hopefully she'll succeed. We hope she comes to church this next week.

So ya I think that's it! oh and we had 3 less actives at church yesterday!! It was lovely! I saw many miracles happen this week which definitely strengthened my testimony that God watches out for us. I'm doing great! I'll be sad if I leave Storny but happy for a change. I love you all!!!! have a great week!! :):) xoxo!

love,

Sister Firth :)

p.s. pic of sis shead and I in the pouring rain! and me with THE cutest pup in the world!!

Til we meet again...‏

Hey fam!

Well this week was sad, exciting, and happy. This one isn't going to be too long because not much has gone on with our investigators.

So here's the story....Wednesday, we were at a LA's house and we got a phone call from Sister Sharp, the senior couple. Sister Sharp was crying and then told me that Donald Macdonald has passed away. He is an active member of the branch and Bella is his daughter-in-law. He found out in December that he had lung cancer and now he's gone. He was a great man. I was in shock when I found out. We saw him two weeks ago and he looked great. So we helped with the funeral and got everything ready. It was on Saturday and wow, so many people showed up. We didn't think many people would since its a Mormon church but there were well over 250 people there. The church was packed with people. They were standing in the halls and sitting on the stairs. The funeral was great. His 4 boys all carried his coffin. It was so lovely to see.

So then yesterday, I had to give a talk in sacrament. Well, sacrament is about to start, and guess who walks in.....all of Donalds kids and grandkids. I was in awe and was so nervous to speak haha! Also, there were 6 less actives at church as well and one of them hasn't been to church in 11 years. It was amazing. There was a total of 36 people at church. Wow! What a blessing it was.

So this week was good but a teary one. Donald was a great man and will definitely be missed. He will do great things up there! I'm doing great! I love you all!! thanks for all that you do fam!! :) soo lucky to have the knowledge of eternal families! xoxoxo :)

 

Love,
Sister Firth :)

Happy Valentines Day in 4 days!!‏

Hey family!!

K sorry I'm getting on earlier than usual because we are going on a tour of the west side of Storny today and so I'm sending this early! But how are all of you?? mom, thanks for the package! I LOVE WHEAT THINS!!!!!!!!!!!!! haha thank you!! oh and I came to the conclusion that I want to live in New York for a couple of months! Yep, that's me, in the Big City for a bit!! I miss it! haha I miss America!!!! Meg, still prego? please say yes! ha oh and happy valentines day on Friday fam bam! Give everyone a big kiss for me!!

Well this week has been pretty good! Another long one but oh well! It has been bad weather lately but then on Friday and Saturday morning, it was sunny!! yes, we actually saw the sun!! haha It was lovely! Thank you heavenly father!! ha Anyways...update...

BELLA: She got a cold this week and had to cancel so we are seeing her this Wednesday!

DUNCAN: Well, we taught him the WOW (word of wisdom) on Saturday. But before we started the lesson, he told us that he doesn't want to get baptized into our church for a couple of reasons. He didn't say what the reasons were but I'm guessing it has to do with family. But he said he still wants to keep learning so lets hope HF helps him have a change of heart. So ya we taught him the WOW and it was good! He drinks alcohol, tea, and occasionally smokes so we made a bet with him as his commitment. We told him that if he gave up those 3 things for a whole week, then we would give up sweeties, deserts and we'd have to get up at 6 instead of 6 30. So, he said "DEAL!!" haha it was way funny. So lets hope he makes it through the week. I hope i do as well with getting up a half hour early. I hate to wake up! ha

FIONA: We have an appointment with her this Wednesday so we are excited to see her!

COLLEEN: We taught her the POS (plan of salvation) on Friday! She is so cute! I love her to bits! she is doing great and is progressing very well. We committed her to baptism but she said she's already been baptized so we're going to keep working on her!

HUGH: Ah man I love that guy! He is so solid! We went over to his house and talked about the POS with him. He loves the fact that we get perfected bodies after this life. He cant wait for that! He's doing great and is still going strong!

So this past week was good. From Monday to Wednesday, we got to go to the mainland! It was great! We went to the all of Scotland conference and I saw my friends!! Sister Ashdown and Elder Windhausen! Ah I just love those two! I've missed them! The conference was really good! I learned a lot of why I came on a mission and boy, it is a lot different than when I first came out! ha I'm glad I made the decision to serve. Its harder than heck, but I love it!! Then I got to go on exchanges with lovely Sister Kline! She is so sweet and it was so fun to serve with her for those 2 days! She is a GREAT missionary! wow! It was fun to be on the mainland and to see other missionaries. I've figured out that I'm awkward. Haha I hope to go to the mainland soon so I can learn how to talk to missionaries again!

So a lot of appointments got canceled but we saw loads of miracles. We got 2 new potential investigators. Love it!! Also, Pres. Clancey who is in the mission presidency came up yesterday to visit. He came over my birthday in November and got to come up again so it was fun to see him and his wife! They are so nice! oh and guess what.....ANNIE GOT REACTIVATED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She has been less active for a couple of years I think, and she was reactivated yesterday! whoop whoop!! So great! :) the chairs are filling up people!! Thank goodness! And, in relief society, we talked about the POS and it really strengthened my testimony of it. I'm so grateful for my Savior and what he did for me. It really hit me hard yesterday that he died for me. Someone who I've never even met, died for me. Amazing. Makes me realize that i need to always be thinking of that and to always strive to do and be my best.

Well family, I love you all soooooooo mucho!!! Have a great valentines and a great week! I miss you all loads! And don't forget to watch the olympics for me!! xoxoxoxo :)

love,
Sister Firth :)

Its LOVE month already?? whoop whoop!!! :)‏

Hey fam!!

Can you believe its February! Love month!!!! Yay! Wow, time sure does fly when you're having fun!! Meg, is baby 2 still in your tummy?? I hope so!! Mom, thanks for the letters!!! I sent you all letters last week! mom, I'm sending yours today!

Well, this week was long, but great!! Church was AMAZING!!! We had 3 less actives there, and one non-member! I was pretty much on cloud 9!! haha Love it! Oh and a member who got reactivated back in November I believe bore his testimony! And a less active bore hers as well! So it was soo great! :) Well here's the update...

HUGH: He is doing soo great!! He misses Sis Rousseau as well as  everyone else! ha But he's great! still strong as ever!

FIONA: Haven't seen her this week! Her hubby has this week off of work and came home from Glasgow so she wanted to spend it with him. She's doing good though! Still reading and praying :)

BELLA: Wow, she is doing awesome!! She has really opened up to us lately. We've talked about baptism the past two visits and she is just scared but she'll be baptized sooner or later! I sure love her loads!!

DUNCAN: We taught him twice this past week! The first time was on prayer and the nature of God, and yesterday (yes, we had a lesson on a Sunday, finally!!) we taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ and guess what...I got to ask him to be baptized and he said that he would think about it! So lets hope its a yes!! He's doing great though! he's solid and has great questions!!

COLLEEN: She is soo wee and so cute! Ah love her!! :) We taught her the restoration last week and we asked her about Josephs vision and she said, "Oh he had a vision alright!" I thought that was so amazing! We also asked her if she wanted to take the missionary lessons and she said yes!! So that was great!

SALLY: We taught her for the first time on Saturday and it went great!! Her church doesn't believe in the after life or in prophets and she does so that was a good start! We taught her the restoration! It went well and we're going back this week!

So life is lovely on the Isle of Lewis!! :) We have a scripture study class every Thursday and wow, it is soo good! A the moment, we are studying all about God and who he is and what his role is. Its great!! So we were at Catriona's, a member, this past week for dinner and we were talking about the missionaries who baptized her. She said that one of them told her that he gained his testimony when he was in Stornoway. That really got me thinking of when I truly gained a strong testimony of the gospel. Before my mission, I knew God loved me and that the church was true but I didn't KNOW that the BOM was true or anything else. It wasn't until I got up here that everything changed. I've gained a strong testimony of the gospel. Now, I KNOW the BOM is true, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, that God loves me, and that Christ really did die for me. I've really come to love and know my Savior up here. Not sure if its because I'm isolated or what. haha but I'm grateful I chose to serve a mission. Its a wonderful thing!! :)

Well, I'm doing great!! We are catching a flight tonight to go to Glasgow until Wednesday for the All of West Scotland Conference!!! Soo excited!! :):) I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! miss you loads!! thanks for everything fam!! xoxoxo!!

love always,
Sister Firth :)

p.s. the pics are Sis Shead and i at the War Memorial with a BOM, the card that Aunt Chelle sent me!! THANK YOU!!!! I loved it! :) made my week!
And sis shead and I with our mini milk cartons!! :)