Refreshments?

Exchanges with Sister Demillard in Lacombe

Literally. Too many things to talk about.

We've been on two exchanges since last Tuesday! One was out in Lacombe and the other with the Callingwood sisters here in Edmonton. ​Driving out to Lacombe was SO. SCARY. Let's just lay a foundation that I'm from California. I have absolutely ZERO experience snow driving. That night it finally dumped snow again on our way out there. We were all totally safe and life went on but holy cats. I'll take California brown Christmas over scary Canadian white Christmas haha I got to spend the day with Sister Demillard in Lacombe and we seriously had so much fun! Miracles galore and randomly scored a sale at the thrift store attached to the food bank we volunteered at. I also got to spend all day yesterday with Sister Becenti in Callingwood Park. They don't have a car, so we spent the day walking! Heavens I feel for missionaries without cars. I love public transit though. I don't know why, but I seriously love buses.

We all at one point or another taught Jordan
(the double finger gun)
and he was baptized this week! :D

Which now leads to miracle of miracles this week! Yesterday on of the fifty buses we rode a lady sat in the back of the bus a couple seats away from me. I did not think she looked the least bit interested in talking to me, much less about the gospel, but I complimented her nails (which were awesome) and we literally talked the whole bus ride. She was showing me pictures of her family, old haircuts, telling me about her daughter, it was so great. I felt like a real person. It's something I've been thinking/praying/studying/talking about for weeks now. My desire to talk to share the gospel went so much deeper than just feeling obligated to maintain my current commission of talking to everyone. I wanted her to know she could be with her family forever. I loved her so much, I just had to tell her.

The Tagalog Elders that meet with us
when we meet with one of our investigators

She got off before I even got to introduce myself as a missionary or offer her a card or anything. Sister Becenti and I got off a few stops later and went to go find a washroom (Canadian for bathroom, I don't remember if that one's ever come up before). When we went to go get on the bus again, we went one stop and THERE WAS MY FRIEND GETTING ON THE BUS

THE MOOOOOOOOOOON

We got to see some of our favorite
Mt. Pleasant YSA homies! 

Anyways, so she got on our same exact bus again! I saw her right when she walked on and we waved and she ran to come sit by me again. We talked the whole bus ride again about our families and comfort we find in knowing we'll be able to see them again someday. I finally said after talking to her for like 30 minutes, "Wow, I'm the worst, what's your name?" Kelsey. Her name is Kelsey (shout out to my homiest homie back in G-town), so I instantly loved her 50 times more. She's even cut all her hair off and dyed it pink at one point. Well, our bus ride came to an end again and Kelsey started getting off the bus, but mentioned she had to run to go catch her other bus to take her home. When Sister Becenti and I got off she started walking in the same direction as Kelsey and I said, "which bus do we need now?" Ohhh just the same exact one as Kelsey.

The singers at President's fireside.
Also, be expecting big things from this group
for Christmas.
BIG.

We caught up to her at the crosswalk and I told her we were actually getting on the same bus. We went and found seats next to each other again and we read from the Book of Mormon together and talked about how great God is and how cool it was to have met each other. Seriously though. I felt like a human being talking to another human being about something really important to me. Not just a missionary trying to convert someone to my church, which is still a good thing; I just wanted the world for her. That's one of the scriptures we read together. Alma 36:24 "I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste." This just brings me so much joy. Why wouldn't I want others to have it as well?

Exchanges with Sister Becenti;
they were trying to teach me
which knee to pop
cause I never know.

Well in response to my own complaining of too much to talk about I'm probably gonna wrap up here. Just know that I have so much faith in the plan of salvation. I know I'll be able to be with all my family that I love so dang much again some day. Post-mission, but more importantly post-life. Life would be too hard if I didn't know that.

Peace and Blessings
Sister Hepworth

P.S. We got to go sing at a fireside that President Pattison was speaking at on Sunday. When we were practicing a bit before Sister Van Vleet asked "do you think there'll be refreshments?" We all laughed and assured her there probably would be some sort of sugary goodness. Bonus story within the story. The closing song of the fireside was Called to Serve and Sister Van Vleet stood right up to sing it and by the end, everyone in the chapel was belting the most classic missionary song there ever was. We sat back down for the closing prayer and it was a very nice prayer. At the end the kid praying added on "Please bless the refreshments." We lost our reverence for a minute while Sister Van Vleet started smacking everyone in our pew because there were going to be refreshments. They were ice cream sandwiches and they were delicious.

Temple day for the zone