This is my first e-mail from the field! I can't even believe it. I am actually writing from the mall…it's pretty weird. They have a table in the middle of the mall with iMacs that a bunch of old people use, and missionaries of course. It's odd, but whatever works. 

Haha, I would just like to start off by telling you about our trip to Canada because it was a bit ridiculous. So we flew out at 6 am on Tuesday which meant we had to be at the travel office at 2:30 that morning. We were all really smart and figured sleep was not a thing we needed. So we get to the airport and the check-in desk didn't open for another hour! So we made phone calls(sorry fam) and before we knew it we were stuck behind a huge crowd of people waiting to check in. So we take forever, and are rushing our way through security. Which if you've ever traveled, you know there's no rushing through security. As we're going through security we realize our plane is boarding and we need to run to our gate. I grab my companion and we just start hauling it to the gate. Thankfully we make it and get on the plane in time. As they're about to close to the doors we look around to make sure everyone's there. And surely enough, 4 elders were not on the plane. We all start looking at each other as if that would do something, and before we know it, the plane is moving. The elders got left in Utah!

Then we get to Minnesota, plane is boarding. Then New York, plane is boarding. I hope you're realizing that it is a miracle that we are making it to any of these connections. Also, every plane we took got delayed to scrape ice off the wings! And so we're all exhausted and hungry and freaking out. Finally, the majority of us make it to Canada and we are stoked. Until we realize, customs. 3 International flights landed at the same time so we waited for about an hour at customs just to have them tell us we needed to go to immigration. We get to immigration, take our number, and then take a seat. We were at immigration for 4 hours. 4. I thought I was going to have to make a home for myself in the immigration center because that was the only part of Canada I would be able to see. However, in the end, we all got our visas, and all of our luggage actually made it!! We met the mission president and the AP's who said we broke the record for longest time at the airport. Imagine if we had those 4 other elders, we would've been there all night. And then dear sister Patrick greeted us with amazing food and warm beds for us all. Never been so happy to eat a salad in my life.

The next day we got to say our goodbyes, meet our trainers, and go to our areas. My trainers name is Sister Agapinan. She's super cute! She's from Cali, and she's part Philipino. She just finished her training so it's been interesting for the both of us. We kind of don't know what we're doing but it's so fun. I am serving in the Longueuil Stake, LeMoyne ward. It is a French area! So that's been fun. I don't speak quebecois, it is absolutely ridiculous! I'll learn soon though. I had to bare my testimony in church on Sunday, and that was fun. Everyone told me I was great, but I think it's more of a pity thing. I need to practice a lot more, but it's all good.

This week has been pretty crazy…I don't have much time so I will share 2 cool experiences. As missionaries, we always ask for referrals. So we were at a members for dinner and asked if she knew anyone we could talk to. She got a phone call from a woman who was kind of breaking down. So we went over and she was very drunk but invited us in. It was such a cool experience. She felt really lost and wanted to find God. So we just testified of how much Heavenly Father love's here and it was the coolest thing. She invited us back and wow, I just love her so much!

And another day, we got a referral for this man who wanted a book of mormon. So we go over and his wife just starts yelling at us saying they're Catholic, don't want anything to do with us. Greaattt, what a bust. Sister Agapinan and I decided we were in that neighbourhood for a reason and decide to go out and find out why. So we talk to this man who was smoking, said he is not interested, but wished us luck! With that, we kept pushing forward. It was freezing so we picked a random door and decided to knock. The man who answered was amazing! He heard of mormons from American t.v. and said he liked how they are centred on families! YEAHHH. He used to go to a Christian church but not anymore, and said the LDS religion matches his beliefs most closely. Awesome awesome, his wife wasn't around so we couldn't go in but he took our card and wants to set up an appointment!

Life in Canada is great. Cold, but great!

Love you all,

Sister Garcia

Scripture of the week:

Jacob 6:12

Quote of the week: "Can I get you anything, water, tea, beer, a cigarette?"