Holla holla dolla bill yo

Being cute reindeer!

Cheese on sale.  $9 doesn't seem like much of a deal.  Oh Canada.

Cold! (12.2deg Fahrenheit)

Just doing our thangggg.

Holla holla dolla bill yo!

Literally so many layers.

Sis Larsen and a mean dog.

P-Day shenanigans.

Sister Pitcher, one of our members.

Sunday dinner at [branch] president Fields home.

Tracting in the middle of nowhere...but it's so beautiful here.

First A&W drive-thru visit in Canada

Well, our motto has been working!  We (Sister Larsen, the Lord, and myself) have found 10 new investigators since my last email!  We are seeing miracles here in Oliver!  We actually found one investigator in Osoyoos, check Sister Larsen's blog to learn more; sunshinesmilesandserendipity.blogspot.com.  If I ever forget to tell you about something, it will be on there!  We have had an interesting week.  The good news: 10 new investigators, Christmas caroling, and official member missionaries recently called in our branch!  The bad news: -11 degrees (Celsius), PLUS wind chill, dropped by one of our most promising investigators, and some weird tracting moments.  Like I said, we have a ton of new investigators that we are really excited to teach!  They are all friendly and more than willing to hear our important message!  We also went Christmas caroling with our branch at a care center in Osoyoos!  Sister Larsen and I got all dressed up!  Even though our branch is small, it was nice to see everyone come and support this little activity!  After we went back to the building and had some wassal (vodka free of course!). 

The bad news...  well it's flipping cold here.  From what I've heard it's pretty cold in the states, but I think it's worse here.  Probably because we have to go out in it.  It gets so windy here and it literally burns our faces.  It's hard to motivate ourselves to get out of the car, but it's why we're here.  It's what we 'signed up for' and it's what the Lord expects of us.  Tracting in this frozen tundra is always..  interesting.  People will see us coming and wave with big arms, like "don't come over here!!  GO AWAY" through their windows..  .so we just wave back and turn around.  Super weird.  We also went to go see an investigator and she wasn't home, but there was this dog by her door that wouldn't stop barking.  We knew it wasn't her dog, so Sister Larsen tried to bend down to see what the phone number was and it tried to bite her...  sooo we just left haha.  We still prayed for it though.  Another weird thing that happened was while we were tracting in the middle of nowhere..  literally (look at the pictures!) and some man didn't want us there, so as we were turning around to get off the porch, he aggressively tapped (pushed) me and yelled "get out of here!!" It was so bizarre.  I was shocked.  I understand that not everyone is ready to hear our message, but most people just decline politely…this guy was crazy.  Oh well.  Heavenly Father loves him too right?

Sister Larsen and I have been reading like mad!  We are already in Alma chapter 12.  We've also been thinking a lot about the atonement.  Mosiah 14 is an amazing chapter.  Verse 5 makes me cry.  Also, read Alma 5.  38 is amazing too.  I want to invite anyone that reads my blog to read these chapters and really think about the atonement and what is means during this time of year.  Please write me back with your impressions and feelings annelisa.holm@myldsmail.net.  We truly are his little flock (DC 6:34).  He is the good Shepard who is always calling us back to him (Alma 5:38).  Go listen to [ the hymn ]  "I Stand All Amazed" and think about your feelings for the Savior and His sacrifice.  It will make celebrating this Christmas so much more meaningful.  Thank you for all the support.  Missions are hard, I’m not gonna lie.  It's a challenge to be out here, but also a privilege.  I love the people in my area and my ever-so-patient companion.  Hope this week is awesome. 

xoxo A