February 19,2018 Email :D

Hello hello! 

Wow! We had some fun experiences this week!

On Valentine's Day, we decided to make some valentines cards for members we haven't seen for a bit and love to pieces! So we went by and there was one lady, Sister Hunsaker, that we feel HORRIBLE for not seeing yet! She is an older lady in a care center, and we were asked a couple weeks ago to go visit her on her birthday, but that was the day that we were super sick in indoors! :( SO we get to the care center and start walking in, and I turn to Sister Muir 

"Do you remember her first name?" 

"Nope!" 

"Eh, that's fine. It's a care center." 

So we walk in, and talk to a lady 

"Hi! We are looking to see Sister Hunsaker...?" 

"Oh! You're here to see Maria?"

"yeah! Sister Hunsaker!"

And then she gave us directions to Maria's room. We walked in and met Maria! MIRACLE: her daughter, Carmella, was with her! Carmella is an investigator of ours that we have STRUGGLED to see even though she lives 3 doors down from us. We had no idea! As we talked, it became kind of a struggle because only Carmella knows English of the two of them...so she translated for us. I apologized for missing her birthday on February 1st or 3rd....and she said it was okay! She was sick on her birthday anyway. I sang happy birthday to her in Spanish and we left! Wow! Such a miracle being able to finally have a short lesson with our investigator! Later that night, we were seeing a member and shared with her the miracle of meeting our investigator! They were silent for a moment...
"Sisters. That wasn't Sister Hunsaker. Sister Hunsaker is like 90 and white."

Wow. Heavenly Father led us to a lady named Maria that the sisters had visited before, who happened to live in the same senior center as Sister Hunsaker, who had our investigator with her for Valentine's Day, who also had the same birthday. What are the odds?! 100% with Heavenly Father! Wow!

Another fun story: 

We were in the hospital again this week, to see one of our sweet recent converts who wasn't doing too hot, and while we were there we got talking to a man named Dale. He told us that women don't go to heaven. Well you can imagine our emotions as we listened to his explanation. He shared with us Revelation 8:1

And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour.  

"See?!" He said, "There can't be women in heaven because what woman can keep her mouth shut for half an hour?!?!" XD Oh my goodness Dale....who by the way was a minister, he was a hoot!

We have had such a fun time this week relating things to the gospel through experiences we have had. Truly teaching people in parables helps us to see miracles! 

While teaching a lesson on the restoration this week, I felt prompted to get up and try an object lesson that I had never heard of, nor thought of = the SPIRIT!!! So I got up and grabbed my handy dandy Olaf keychain from my bag, and Sister Muir's study journal. I opened her journal and hung olaf inside, then asked the family we were teaching to close their eyes. They were each seated at 3 different vantage points of the table. I asked them each to describe what they saw. Each was different from the other...and incorrect because they didn't remember the details right from their point of view. We explained how that was like great apostasy. The fact that they couldn't remember what was there doesn't change that it was true and completely there. The gospel is complete and in our lives, we just need to open our eyes to see it! We have many leaders (such as the prophets) that can tell us the view from all angles and help us to best understand what Heavenly Father has placed in front of us! So cool! Literally the next day, we found this video. I encourage all to watch it! :D So good! Discovering Truth Mormon Message

One of the craziest transfer calls I have received....I generally receive a prompting or two before a call, helping me to know what will happen. I felt for some reason that I was leaving. Others told me they felt I was staying! We were both right! I have been transferred to the Fraser ward! It is in the same building as the Nechacko ward! Haha! So I will be moving apartments to be companions with Sister Killick, and I will be an STL! So exciting! I can't wait to see the miracles that Heavenly Father has in store for us this transfer!:D

I love you all and hope you have an amazing week!
Sister Van Valkenburg

I decided to dive into the snow after transfer calls. It was fun!

Selfie with my snow hat!

Our gangsta District! Haha we had so much fun!