True North Strong and Free

So today's my first P-Day in my new home.  Edmonton has been freezing since the day I got here. But I'm told, its still comparatively warm to the rest of the winter...  Brrr.... Who decided to live here?  Just kidding, its pretty awesome here.  I've been having a good time.  I'll admit, when I first got here, things weren't really as I expected, I didn't understand how the missionaries were doing their work, and I was in a bad attitude.  But I had an experience on Friday, at English class we were playing a game with some of the students, and they were really impressed by honesty when I called myself out for messing up, and then I saw one of the students do the same thing later, so that was really cool for me, and I think that's when I started to understand why and how the Mandarin Elders here work.

There has been some tension with language Elders here.  We are being put into car shares, which almost all the missionaries hate, but I figure it has to have a reason for things to be the way they are.  So I guess its all going to be alright.  Driving in the snow is new for me and my companion, Elder Liu, so I am a little worried about that, but its been alright so far.  Hopefully we'll be safe.

I taught my first lesson in Chinese on Wednesday.  We met with Hugh, who has started praying and really loves praying and going to church, so that's really awesome.  He didn't make it to church this Sunday because he had a headache, but he said he would come to the YSA Family Home Evening tonight.  We are doing a cultural heritage night, so that's going to be interesting.  We are making Chinese dumplings and green onion cakes to bring and share, and will probably teach some Mandarin phrases.

Anyway, doing great up here and loving it.  Hear from you next week!

Elder Liu, Elder Ethington, President and Sister Manion

Borrowed a coat and hat from his companion

Elder Liu, Elder Ethington, Elder Sun (new from Taiwan this transfer), and Elder Karren

Selfie in the snow