Bonjour!

Transfer calls are in, and I have been transferred! I am going to Gatineau which is in the Ottowa Zone and I will be the new Sister Training Leader (STL). Basically, I am responsible for helping all of the sister companionships in Ottowa, and I get to hold exchanges with them. This means I have to leave my beautiful Zarahemla and Spanish to go back to French. I'm really excited for this assignment, but super sad to be leaving! Sister Bradley will be training this transfer, which will make me a grandmother in the mission, crazy! But, I know she'll be amazing!

This last week was absolutely amazing! Sister Bradley and I were able to find and teach 2 new investigators! They were both referrals from the Montreal East sisters, and they are golden. The first one is a woman named Jacqueline whom they found while knocking. She is from the Dominican Republic and spends half the year here, and half the year over there. When we went over she said she let us in because we brought her peace. As we taught her the restoration, she responded extremely well to everything. She said that the thought of having a living day prophet on the earth brought her much needed joy. At the end we invited her to be baptized and she said she would love to prepare for baptism! She is prepared. She mentioned how she sees missionaries all the time in her country and she appreciates how hard we all work. I can't wait to see what happens with her.

The other investigator is named Giovanni! He actually approached the sisters himself while they were getting off the bus. He met with missionaries about 3 years back and then moved to Mexico and lost contact. He's living here alone, but has 2 daughters which he deeply cares for back in Mexico. He's seeking for purpose, and believes the church can help him find what he needs. When we met him, he was a little cautious about the first vision, wondering if Joseph Smith really saw God the Father, and His son. He asked Sister Bradley and I if we really believed it and we both got very serious, looked him in his eyes, and said "yes". To which he said, "well I guess it could be true then". We met with him twice, and then he came to church on Sunday for the first 2 hours! He's reading from the book of mormon but will not accept a date until he knows for a fact that it's true. Either way, he's sincerely searching, and it's amazing to see.

Yesterday was Canadian Thanksgiving! When all the members found out I was leaving they felt the need to feed me. So I had 2 thanksgiving meals, which is super funny because no one here actually celebrates it. And the meals? both Peruvian! I love it. I had to give my departing testimony which was actually really difficult. I have grown to really love this ward, the members, and every single person I have taught. It was so cute to see how so many of the members were really sad to see me leave. This was definitely harder than when I had to say goodbye to Lemoyne. Maybe it's because Sister Bradley and I came in here with nothing and after weeks, and months of hard work we finally have something to show for it!

We had to spend a lot of time saying goodbye to people. It's amazing that as a missionary leaves, it can really push people to open up. Nancy told us she has a hard time coming to church, but she knows she needs to. I told her I would call Sister Bradley to see if she goes and Nancy promised me she would! And then we had one of our less actives share with us the real reason it has been so hard to get back to church. Now the other sisters can focus on the problem, and do their best to resolve it. 

I am so grateful for the time I had in Zarahemla, but I am so excited to see what new adventures await me in Gatineau! Everyone I've talked to has told me it's beautiful, theres no pot holes, and it's super clean! It should be great.

Love,

Hermana Garcia

​