SNOW!!

 Yes you read that right... 

We had a super awesome lesson and chapel tour with our new friend Snow (雪) this week!

She has committed to the Word of Wisdom and is praying and reading her scriptures! We will figure out a day for her baptism in the coming future:) 

-Keep Snow in your prayers!

In case you thought I was talking about snow, (like the white cold stuff) no it hasn't snowed yet but it's getting colder and colder everyday... snow, soon to come! 

-Keep this snow out of your prayers.

Covid Update:

There was an announcement yesterday in our mission that we are cleared to have in person Zone Councils now!! And, as long as we lock the doors to the public we are cleared to take our masks off. Not sure what the cases are looking like in Calgary but with things being more and more open, I think things are looking pretty good! 

-This is something you can pray for too!

ESL

We got the go-ahead from Salt Lake to load our ESL Leads directly into Areabook (the church's program for missionary scheduling and progress report stuff). This is a HUGE deal because for the past couple months, the team and I have been trying to perfect lead distribution using spreadsheets and automatic text messaging! Now, missionaries will be able to see when a student signs up in their area right away! Headache gone.

-Answer to my prayers

ALSO, we had a pretty big ESL meeting where we presented our program to the Edmonton and Winnipeg missions at the same time as updating the leadership in ours. Super sweet to see the ESL program being copied and pasted to the other missions! (Thank you Elder Li for starting such a sweet program). While we were getting towards the end of the meeting another line joined in, it's Brother Shane Littlefield... he works pretty high up in the church's missionary program. He sends me a direct message through the Zoom call and says "Elder Giles, keep me updated on this ESL program..." 

So yea, things are getting pretty crazy with all that!!

Spiritual thought: Prayer

"Simply stated, prayer is communication to Heavenly Father from His sons and daughters on earth. “As soon as we learn the true relationship in which we stand toward God (namely, God is our Father, and we are his children), then at once prayer becomes natural and instinctive on our part” (Bible Dictionary, “Prayer,” 752). We are commanded to pray always to the Father in the name of the Son (see 3 Nephi 18:19–20). We are promised that if we pray sincerely for that which is right and good and in accordance with God’s will, we can be blessed, protected, and directed (see 3 Nephi 18:20; D&C 19:38)."

(Elder Bednar October 2008 General Conference)

I challenge you to do all you can to make your prayers more sincere! Take some time to prepare before you start, and afterwards, take some time to listen to what the Lord has to say to you. Sister Keung calls this our "Sacred Grove Moments". I promise that God hears and answers all our prayers!

Go have your own Sacred Grove moment:))

Elder Giles

吉长老