Chinese Messianic Jew 1/16/2012

That's right. We met a Chinese Messianic Jew this week. Say that out loud without laughing, I dare you. His name is Sebastian, and he just showed up at church yesterday. The Chinese Elders used to teach him, but he's happy with his own faith, Messianic Judeaism. Basically they believe in Jesus Christ and the Torah. Sister Loar almost fell out of the pew when we saw the paraphernalia he brought for sacrament meeting: a prayer shawl embroidered with Hebrew text, a skull cap, and a phylactery. That's right. A phylactery, on a Chinese Messianic Jew, in an LDS chapel... in Canada.

But that wasn't our only international encounter this week, oh no. Our newest investigator, and my favorite atheist (I really mean that, I love this guy) is named Dariush. He came here from Tehran, where he was born, raised, and educated, to earn his PhD in metalforming and stress analysis. He's working on develping mathematical models for predicting how magnesium (which is lighter than steel) will behave under different manufacturing scenarios. The goal is to be able to use magnesium in the auto industry instead of steel. He says he is Persian, he loves to travel, and while his English is very good, he very clearly comes from Iran. Cool eh?

We met him on the street on the coldest night we've had yet, and spent 20 minutes talking to him about faith and the Holy Ghost. He agreed to meet with us, and our first appointment lasted 2 hours. We gave him a Book of Mormon and met with him again a week later. This time he took us to a cosier spot with arm chairs, bought some tea for himself at the campus Tim Horton's, then sat back and started asking more questions. I wish I could convey to you how Middle Eastern the scene felt; Kadilly, you should be jealous. (By the way, only three kinds of women wear skirts past their knees in Waterloo: sister missionaries, Muslims, and Mennonites.)

But that's not why I like him. Dariush is my favorite atheist because he truly wants to know the truth, and he's done his best to figure out the world. I like him because he thinks hard about things, especially God, and has many questions. It took us two and a half hours instead of the usual 45 minutes, but we taught him the Plan of Salvation. He's very open to learn and to experience new things and new cultures, but he wants proof. He wants to know why the Restoration happened in North America, why everyone with faith doesn't come to the same conclusions about religion, why God would care so much about him, why there isn't tangible evidence, and what's wrong with just living and dying anyway? You get the idea. Before we met with him the first time I was worried that I would not be able to explain things clearly, or that I wouldn't be able to answer his penetrating questions.

But we could. And after hours of logic and reasoning and questions and answers, Sister Loar and I walked away knowing more than ever that this is all very real. God is there, Jesus Christ lives, the scriptures are true, and Thomas S. Monson is a prophet. We know it not because of evidence that can be measured or signs that can be empirically observed and recorded. We know it because the Holy Ghost has borne witness to our hearts as we've studied, prayed, repented, made covenants, and kept the commandments. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is as real as it gets. It is true, I know, that the Lord calls the weak things of the earth to declare His gospel. But He doesn't leave us weak. He fills our mouths as we open them.

At the end of our last meeting Dariush told me that I would be a good teacher because I was well spoken and explained things well. He doesn't know yet that it was all the Lord, but we'll get there. I think he'll look great in a white jumpsuit. :-)

Okay, well, time is up and my companion is waiting patiently for me to finish. Being a missionary is the greatest privilege on earth, so go be one! Open your mouths. You'll be blessed. Love to everyone,

Sister Turvaville

p.s. Thanks for the organ music Grammy and Grandy! The branch president has requested a musical number, so he'll be pleased as well.


Copies of the Book of Mormon and two Bibles, all in different languages, representing the universal nature of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This isn't American or Judeo-Christian or cultural or Western or anything. It's true, and it's true for all of us. The Holy Ghost isn't limited by tongue or race, and everyone can have the same witness.

6 More Weeks! 1/9/2012

Well dear family, I've survived my first transfer and I get to stay a little longer in my area! Waiting for a call from the Assistants or President Scott that may or may not come is nervewracking to say the least, especially at the end of a miracle week for our district. Sister Loar and I were just sick with worry for most of the day. Fortunately our entire district gets to stay together for another transfer, something we are all grateful for.

Speaking of gratitude, guess who got two packages this week? Aunty Lynnette, I dropped off a letter to you mourning the lack of buttercrunch in my Christmas right before I picked up your package with buttercrunch! Oh happy day. Thanks McHardys for the Kinder Eggs (much appreciated by my companion as well) and the hand warmers. It's difficult to write phone numbers and appointments in your planner when you can't move your fingers, so those will be very useful as the temperature continues to drop. And Stewards! So many Christmas goodies! Thank you thank you thank you. Letters are going in the mail to all of you this week.

Speaking of letters, I don't have an address for David and Sara Walker, and they sent me a postcard! Also, it's really important that packages go to the mission office instead of the apartment, since I can only get them here with a photo ID. If I get transferred before a package arrives, then it will just sit in unappreciated loneliness in the post office.

The work is picking back up after the holidays. Christmas as a missionary is wonderful because you're serving the Lord. It's horrible because all of your investigators leave and no one wants to talk to you and you have to start all over again when they come back. We are thrilled that school has begun again. We thought that one of our investigators had lost interest over the break, and then he just showed up at church, dressed to the nines and ready to stay for the full three hours! We were floored, and grateful. No sooner did he show up than our newest investigator, Christian (what a prophetic name, eh?), arrived.

Christian is our biggest miracle. The elders tracted into him on his birthday, Wednesday 4 January, and he agreed to let us come over and teach him. When we showed up the next evening he was so excited that we didn't even have to knock- he threw open the door and invited us in. We got to know him a little, then started at the beginning with the Restoration of the Gospel. He has no religious background at all, but he soaked up everything like a sponge. We didn't make it to the First Vision before we had to leave, but he agreed to see us again on Saturday.

On Saturday we brought our ward mission leader (who is AMAZING. We couldn't do this without the members.) and continued where we had left off. We showed him Finding Faith in Christ, and he loved it. We invited him to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God, and I as I extended that invitation my heart was pounding. What if we scared him off? What if he didn't really want to commit? What if he didn't think it was a good thing?

But he accepted without a moment's hesitation. Christian is the embodiment of childlike faith, Mosiah 3:19 in the flesh. He is incredibly sensitive to the Holy Ghost and readily accepts everything that we teach him. We finished up by telling him about the First Vision and the Book of Mormon, which he gladly accepted, then we invited to church the next day. He was thrilled. Jack (the ward mission leader) set up a ride for him (seriously, we're toast without good members) and we went home dumbstruck at how the week had gone. We called our district leader (who found Christian) to tell him the good news, and guess what? They had just set a baptismal date for their newest investigator, a young man that we found and referred to them! We spent about ten minutes celebrating over the phone and going all the other miracles for the district this week: the zone leaders baptized a long time investigator, we found new investigators, members are coming back and giving us referrals.... the list goes on.

Christian came to church, and stayed for not one but two parties afterwards. He made friends, felt the Spirit, and ate up everything that he was taught. His only questions were "When do I get to be called brother?" and "Who is our prophet now?". He's even started shopping for suits. Christian was prepared and waiting for the gospel, and he is meek enough to accept it. He is an example for all of us.

Street contacting has gotten so much better now that there are actually people to talk to on the streets. I've kept a mental list of the nationalities of people we contact and teach, and here's what I've got so far: Canada, the USA, England, Ireland, Portugal, France, Switzerland, China, Korea, Vietnam, Malaysia, India, Pakistan, Iran, Afghanistan, Nigeria, Mauritius, Morocco, and Russia. The ones italicised are actual investigators.

So that's what's happening in my neck of the woods. The Church is true. Jesus Christ is our Savior. The path of discipleship is difficult, but worth every step. We do not walk it alone, but with our brothers and sisters in the gospel, our families if we are so blessed, and of course with the Savior. I love you all to bits and pieces.

Sister Turvaville


Sister Loar and me street contacting in the snow. It's all melted now, though, but I have high hopes for more.


This is Carmen's baptism. Carmen is from Romania and came here to escape Chuchesku (I have no idea how to spell his name, but you know who I mean, right?). She has had a hard life, but she's always had faith in Jesus Christ. After 9 months of meeting with our Zone Leaders, she finally decided that this was the right church. We love her so much!

Many are called, but few are frozen 1/3/2012

Hello wonderful family! A proper Canadian winter has finally hit; it was -14 C when we left this morning, and there is snow on the ground! Sounds like the trip to Homossassa (spell check?) was wonderful. Mom, why does everyone look so glum in the Cross Creek picture? Ligthen up, you're in Florida! 3 cuban sandwhiches in 4 days seems like a good idea. Did deviled crab ever make it onto the menu? Or butterscotch pie from the Goody Goody? Did you ever make it into some kayaks? Katie, as something of a gourmande myself, may I say that the hearty nature of cookies and cream ice cream does not lend itself well to the delicacy of a gelato spoon. Grammy and Grandy, some organ music would be great if you get the chance.

Things here are finally returning to normal. Between Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year's Eve, New Year's Day, and an extra day off for everyone on 2 January, our missionary schedule and work in general has been thrown way off. I do no appreciate being thrown off my groove. That said, we have had many sweet experiences, and now I am genuinely grateful to be able to walk around and talk to people for hours at a time.

During the holiday season we spent a few hours as a district (8 elders, 2 sisters) caroling in downtown Kitchener. Missionaries seem to attract the characters in any locale, and bring out the unusual in any one. This is certainly true of downtown Kitchener. One man approached me and insisted on conversing in Polish. When I told him I didn't speak Polish he looked at my tag and said "Nice, nice" over and over, then kept speaking Polish. We sent him on his way with a handful of pamphlets and Church magazines, which he wanted (we determined from scattered English) for his family. I don't know if anyone will be baptized because of it, but I think we brightened things up a bit and maybe helped a few people to remember what the whole point of Christmas is.

We had another fun encounter yesterday outside of Tim Horton's (Krispy Kreme is better, by the way, but that maple donut...). I finished a phone call and returned to my companion just in time to hear the man she was talking to say "Oh Mormons, yeah, I love yous guys. You're real beautiful and peaceful, man." Imagine sharing the gospel with Oddball from Kelly's Heroes; he sounded exactly like that. Nobody told this guy that it wasn't 1965 anymore. One thing I have been taught over and over again, though, is that you absolutely cannot tell who will accept the gospel and who won't, unless the Lord decides to reveal it to you. People I think are golden end up giving us fake numbers. Devout Muslims and determined Atheists agree to meet with us. Our hippy friend at Tim Horton's wasn't interested, but we're here to invite EVERYONE to come unto Christ.

And here in Waterloo and Kitchener we do get to talk to everyone. This week the list of nations has grown to include Malaysia, Pakistan, and Afghanistan. There's a house near the Waterloo campus with a banner that reads "Chabad on Campus: Your Jewish Home Away From Home". They aren't really interested in our message, but I would love to talk with them for a while anyway. And of course there is a massive Chinese community. The University of Waterloo has a well known and extremely well funded engineering program, in addition to math and science programs, and this is what brings people from all over the world. The Chinese people we speak with are polite and often very interested, at least academically. The fact the missionaries are not allowed in mainland China or most of the Middle East does very little to hinder the work there; the gospel is being preached to (almost) every nation, kindred, tongue, and people right here.

A new year isn't that big a deal as a missionary, just another day to teach and preach and work as missionaries do. Mom, I loved your point about the Sacrament. If we prepare properly and partake of it worthily, the Sacrament is an opportunity for a new beginning every week. If we're living the gospel the way we should, then goals and changing our lives should be a constant process. Elder Holland counseled missionaries to "repent every day, every hour". My missionary goals usually fall under the category of consecration: not wasting a minute, talking to everyone, loving everyone as Jesus loves them, turning every thought and breath to missionary work. All are still very much a work in progress, but Elder Christofferson taught that the Lord does not expect immediate perfection, just immediate progress. All of our goals should line up with Moses 1:39 and 2 Nephi 2:25. Do they help us achieve immortality and eternal life? Will they bring us joy? If yes, then we'll have the Lord's help, and with Him, all things are possible.

Thank you SOOOOOO MUCH for the Christmas packages! My last Burt's Bees chapstick broke a few days before Christmas, and I just love Yardley's. Kadilly, I will be putting the paper and pens (especially that shiny silver one) to good use today. I was pleasantly surprised by a package of cookies and other yumminess from the Stewards as well. Thanks to everyone for making it a wonderful Christmas.

On the subject of gifts, we spoke to a man on New Year's Eve that helped me realize what an extraordinary gift the gospel of Jesus Christ is. We stopped him on the street, introduced ourselves, and asked him about his religious views. He replied quizzically that he didn't know our Jesus, and that his Jesus was probably quite a bit different. Well, people who don't know "our Jesus" is the whole reason we're out here, so we asked him what he meant by that. He has an interesting and not uncommon idea that Jesus is the mortal incarnation of God, who emptied Himself of diety to come to earth... and he couldn't explain any more because who can understand God? We were able to bear testimony of Jesus Christ as the Son of God, the Savior of the World. I told Him that we are His representatives, that He has a prophet on the earth, and that the Book of Mormon teaches us exactly who Jesus is and His role in our lives. We talked about Christ's baptism, when the Father bore witness of the Son and the Holy Ghost descended like a dove. The Book of Mormon and the teachings of modern prophets give us a beautifully simple understanding of that event: we believe in God, the Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost.

This knowledge is a great gift, one not to be taken for granted or kept for ourselves. It is impossible to become like Jesus Christ without sharing His gospel, something we covenanted to do at baptism. Even if the people we share it with aren't interested, like that man on the street, our own testimonies grow as we share them. Jesus Christ taught that eternal life is to "know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." He gave us His life; we can give up some of our fears and open our mouths, even to do something as simple as invite a friend to an activity, FHE, etc.

Lots of love to everyone!

Sister Turvaville


SNOW!!! The drifts cover our boots.


Hat hair and rosy cheeks after street contacting in some crazy sauce wind. Ice and snow kept hitting our eyes and going up our noses (that's an interesting feeling). But we got an appointment out of it!


Lamb kafta, taboule, beets, and hummus at Al Madina. The Chinese place we usually go to with Yu Jin was closed, but this place rocked my socks. It's run by a very Muslim (hence Al Madina) Egyptian family. The patriarch passed us with his prayer rug while we were stuffing our faces. We went again the next day for chicken shawarma and fries. Yummy.


Yu Jin! One of our investigators. We go out to eat with her once or twice a week. She comes from a tiny town that I can't pronounce in northern ( think) China. She learned English by watching American movies. I love this girl.

NOT ENOUGH TIME!!!! 12/28/2011

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone!

Boy howdy has it been a weird week in the mission field, especially in a YSA area. All of our investigators went home. All of the members went home. All of the people to contact went home. We had no one to talk to, much less teach. On top of that, the library was closed for Boxing Day, so we didn't even have a normal p-day. I am a creature of habit, and every single one was completely thrown off. Grrr.

We had some fun experiences, though. I went tracting for the first time (that should tell you how desperate we were). We prayerfully selected a street in Kitchener, and just started knocking. You would think that people would want to hear about Jesus Christ at Christmas time, but no, they're too busy with Christmas for that. We were barked at (dogs hate missionaries for some reason), laughed at, rejected politely, rejected rudely. One young man was interested in hearing a little more, but he was alone, so we couldn't go in. Great. But just like every other missionary tracting story, we knocked on one more door before calling it quits, and a sweet elderly couple in their pjs answered. They were the ones we were went to talk to. Her sister married a Mormon, so she was happy to talk with us about faith, prayer, and family. As she told us about how much prayer means to her, I remembered the Book of Mormon in my backpack and was impressed to share it with her. I pulled it out and told how much it meant to me and how it had helped me to develop my own faith in Christ. Guess what? She stays in Marriott Hotels whenever she travels, and reads the Book of Mormon while she stays there. She had never been able to really study it though, so we left her with her own copy and asked her to read 3 Nephi 11. She's not exactly YSA, but the Lord wanted us to talk to her. I am humbled by the trust He puts in us to find and teach His children when my own faith is so weak.

Our Canadian Christmas was more salt and pepper than white, but it was lovely anyway. Our whole district was struggling to teach enough, so we spent a few hours caroling downtown. We sounded pretty good (4 parts a cappela baby!) if I do say so myself. We spent Christmas Eve with the branch president and his wife, than went with some of our elders to another member's house to relax. She has three guitars, and we have a lot of experience singing together, so we put them all to good use. She sent a link to a youtube video to Mom- have you gotten it yet?

Christmas morning I played the organ in Sacrament meeting, then we spent the afternoon with a lonely investigator. I was worried that 6 missionaries in a little apartment would be too much, but she loved it. As we went from place to place I knew that there was no where else that I wanted to be then with these people. I missed my family, but there is so much love to give and receive here.

Time is up (like I said, weird week), so I'll tell more on Monday. Thank you soooo much for the Christmas package! I love you all to bits, and I'll write a novel for you next week.

Sister Turvaville

12/19/2011

Oh my goodness gracious, I GET TO SKYPE WITH YOU NEXT ON SUNDAY!!!!!! I'll give you a short call on Saturday evening, probably around 9 pm, to plan the exact time. Thank goodness for kind members who are willing to share their computers. I am eager to see and talk with every one of you, especially Linaynay-Binaynay.

Well done on the Christmas decorations! I have my little Nativity up on my desk, right in front of the Madonna from the Vatican. The party mix looks delish. I'm sending a little Christmas present today, which means it'll probably get there in January. Sorry about that.

Thank you so very much to Aunty Lynnette again for the ARI, and to the Stewards for their letters! I write back to everyone, but it takes a while since we have limited time and never seem to make it to a mailbox. Your letters are coming though, promise. Grammy and Grandy, if you send me your mailing address I'll write you! We have very little snow, only an inch or snow, but it's plenty cold. I would rather bundle up and do missionary work than sweat through it any day. I love Canada.

My first zone conference was this week, and it was wonderful. Our mission vehicle coordinator had a special Christmas present for us: a 2012 Subaru Impreza. That's right. 2012. Our elders are a little jealous. Now we have no fear of icy roads and snowy ditches! You know how I haven't had a music calling in about 5 years? Well, the Lord has decided to make up for that all at once. President and Sister Scott love musical numbers, and with Christmas coming they decided to have a musical fireside for the last half of the conference. I ended up accompanying for 2 singing groups (O Holy Night and Angels We Have Heard On High). I also attempted a first for me: my own arrangement of Silent Night as an organ solo. I wish I could say I was happy with the results, but it brought the Spirit, and that was the whole point. Now I'm taking a few minutes on Sundays to practice the organ and write arrangements so that I'll be ready next time. Any simple organ arrangements would be much appreciated.

Doing things on the fly seems to be the way of life here. We got a call at 10:15 Saturday night from the Branch Presidency saying that one of the planned talks fell through and asking me to speak the next Sunday. Sister Loar and I are grateful that the Branch leadership trusts us, and after talking to people on the street for hours every week, giving a talk to a captive audience of believers is a luxury. I based my talk on President Eyring's message in the December Ensign on Gratitude at Christmastime. If you haven't read it yet, repent and read it!

The members in Kitchener and Waterloo are wonderful. We're in the YSA branch, but the members in the family wards feed us every other week. I love visiting their homes and being reminded that yes, people accept the gospel, and yes, it changes lives. Our last dinner appointment was simply smashing. We were with a large, boisterous family with a loud English mum, lots of musical instruments, and plenty of holiday cheer. When we sat down to dinner my chair crumbled underneath me, and I found myself on the floor surrounded by broken wood. Everyone laughed, and much to my surprise Sister Nabrotsky started cheering and accusingly pointed at her husband! Apparently that chair has needed repair for a long time, and Bishop Nabrotsky never got to it. I offered to sit on anything else that needed fixing. (Simply smashing, get it?)

Street contacting was a little rough this week. Rejection doesn't offend me personally, and usually we just walk right on to the next person. But one evening this week I just couldn't let things go. One kid had been told by his pastor that the Book of Mormon was heresy, and only his desire to be polite kept him in speaking distance. We bore testimony of Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon, but at the end he would only take a pass-along card because I refused to put it back in my pocket- he gingerly accepted it between his thumb and index-finger, lest he become a heretic by osmosis I suppose. Sister Loar and I both wanted to have words with that pastor. Later we stopped a young woman who pulled out her earbuds just long enough to say "Are you Mormons? I'm an immoveable atheist" before she walked on. That was it for me. Jesus Christ suffered and died for her, and she is too smart to accept it? Really? As we walked home and were rejected over and over again, I thought about the love that God has for His children and how hard it must have been to send us here, knowing that some would never make it back. How great, how important, must celestial glory be in order for Him to accept that risk? In order for us to accept that risk?

But this week was a miracle week. One of our longtime investigators FINALLY came to church and loved it. She is already living most of the commandments, even before we taught them to her. Sister Loar and I think she'll look great in white. Another investigator prayed to know if God is there- not only did he receive an answer, but he recognized it. He said he thinks he should start believing what we believe. That's right he should!

One last thing: missionaries are jedi. Really. When we go street contacting, we stop at every intersection and Sister Loar asks, "What do you feel?". I immediately think of Obi-Wan Kenobi- "Reach out with your feelings". Appearances can be deceiving. We have no idea who is ready for the Gospel of Jesus Christ, but He does. He guides us with the Holy Ghost. Without that gift we are lost.

May the force be with you.

Sister Turvaville

ps I love every one of you so much, and there never seems to be enough time to respond personally to your emails each week. Know that they are read, appreciated, and much needed. I'll get better at managing my email time.

Open Your Mouth 12/12/2011

Hello Family!

Wowzers, it's been quite a week. Time flies on the mission, but so much happens every day that it feels like an eternity. First the annoying business things: could you email me my USAA checking balance? The tights I brought are already starting to die, and are woefully inadequate against the winter wind, so I'd like to buy more. There's an H&M right next to our grocery store. Also, it's time to refill my omeprazole. The RX number is 216116843. Please and thank you.

It's exam week at the University of Waterloo, and now I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that exams are EVIL. They hinder the work of God. Rather, they just give people a really good excuse to not meet with us. Some of our current investigators, and even recent converts, have dropped off the radar until after Christmas. January will be amazing. We do have a few investigators (well, 3) who are able to take time out of their schedules to meet with us and even keep their commitments. And this past Sunday, we had an amazing gift:

ONE OF OUR INVESTIGATORS CAME TO CHURCH, AND HE STILL LIKES US.

I don't know who was more nervous, him or us. The lessons in priesthood and gospel principles were Exaltation and the Law of Chastity, neither of which we have taught him yet. Sister Loar and I were praying the whole time that he would at least feel the Spirit. He wants to meet with us again, so things must have worked out. I am so grateful for members who are willing to teach with us and fellowship. I don't think our investigator would have come without the help of one member in particular. It was a great Sunday.

We try to spend as much time as possible out teaching, but finding is important, too. Here in Waterloo that means street contacting, a lot. We bundle up, fill our coat pockets with pass along cards, say a prayer, and hit the streets. There are two universities and Blackberry's big research facility, RIM, within walking distance of us, so there are usually plenty of people to talk to. Not all of them want to be spoken to, though, especially with the cold (we hit -6 Celsius this week) and exams. Their objections are either humorous or frustrating, depending on my mood:

"I'm a Christian." Great, so the Restoration will make sense.
"I'm not Christian." Awesome, you need to hear our message.
"I'm atheist." Okay, you REALLY need to hear our message.
"I need evidence." Pray about the Book of Mormon.
"I'm in a hurry." Tell me about it. There are 7 billion people on the planet without the gospel, 13 million are in my mission, and I have only 18 months.
"I'm not interested." YOU SHOULD BE!!!
"I'm busy with exams." The Holy Ghost can help.
And my favorite: "It's freezing, go home!" THE MESSAGE IS STILL TRUE!

Of course I don't say any of these flippant things, and thinking them doesn't really help the Spirit. When I first got here I was so focused on getting people into white jumpsuits that I forgot about the whole point of baptism: to bring us to Christ, to enjoy the blessings of the Atonement, to have peace in this life and eternal joy with our Father in the next. When I think about that, the wind isn't so biting, the groups of friends at bus stops aren't so intimidating, and talking to people with headphones isn't so awkward. Sister Loar look to the sons of Mosiah as examples of good missionaries: "Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble." (Mosiah 28: 4)

Speaking of scriptures, I've started reading a psalm every day as part of my personal study; I highly recommend it.

I love Canada, and I love my area. Waterloo is an exceedingly groovy college town, although I readily acknowledge that I am more than a little biased. People come from all over the world to study engineering here; this week we taught a young man from Iran! Granted he's been here since he was 7, but still. Iran. We're praying that he'll still be interested after finals. We also met people from China (usually near Shanghai) and Trinidad this week. Oh, another favor. We meet a lot of Sikhs, and I've realized that I know very little about their faith. Any pointers? It's been a challenge to explain Jesus Christ and the Atonement to people who have no Christian background whatsoever, so I've dedicated quite a bit of study time to finding a simple way to teach this ultimate truth. The gospel is simple, and I feel that if I can't teach it simply then I don't understand it clearly enough. Nephi gloried in plainness for a reason.

There are outdoor ice rinks at the city hall, used book stores, and tons of Indian food. Any idea what shawarma is? Most of the restaurants around here sell it. I have no idea what it is, but I want to try it. Despite all the international influence, it's very clear that Canada is part of the Commonwealth. For example, we live on Albert St. In our area we have Victoria, King, Keats, Shakespeare, and William streets, just to name a few. Not to mention the Queen on the coins (speaking of which, there's been a new portrait since we left Montreal) and stamps. And yes, I already sound a little Canadian. I've disappointed some people by my lack of a Southern accent (although I use y'all all the time, it's so handy), and surprised others by being American at all. The accent is SO THICK here. In the morning I sound American, but by the end of the day my -ou is more of an -oo and the conversation-inviting "eh" creeps in. Speak the language, right?

We have Zone Conference tomorrow, and guess who's playing an organ solo? This sister missionary! Guess who didn't have time to obtain any music from home? Me! Guess who managed to figure out a passable arrangement of Silent Night? Me again. I haven't had a music calling since 2006, and I absolutely love that I get to play piano, and now even organ, all the time.

Okay, time to go. I'll send a few pictures in another email. Love to everyone!

Sister Turvaville

The other email...

I'm almost out of time, but I wanted to share with you some good missionary scriptures that I've found. I HIGHLY recommend memorizing scriptures.

Mosiah 28:4
Enos 1
2 Nephi 33:6
Doctrine and Covenants 4
Doctrine and Covenants 100: 3-6
Mosiah 2:41
Alma 26:12
Ether 12:6
Ether 12:27- The only way that you'll survive, much less be successful.

Love you!

More MTC pictures!


Thanksgiving dinner at the MTC. I missed Mom's stuffing.


Sister Loar and I after street contacting in the rain. We were soaked. It took a week for my shoes to dry.


We are as (Arnold Friberg's portrayal of) the Army of Helaman


Christmas lights at the MTC!


11/11/11! Me and Sister Messer; Sister Palinikova and Sister Stout (Netherlands); and Sister Garlick and Sister Moser (Germany Frankfurt).

Oh, Canada 12/5/2011

I freaking love this place. Pardon my language. Quick update on the new email rules: I now get up to 2 HOURS!!! But I can still only email immediate family. I wish I could email everyone, but there are blessings that come with obedience. My main email is written with a larger audience in mind, so feel free to forward what portions you feel appropriate and interesting to the rest of the family. I also write letters back to every one who writes. Promise. Many thanks to Aunty Lynette for taking the time to mail me the ARI! Mail is a blessing for a missionary, a welcome and needed breath of support and love from home. I've also received emails from Kami and from Grammy and Grandy, to which I cannot respond. Would you mind sending me their snail mail addresses, as well as the Jones and Walkers?

Okay, now to the good stuff. To follow up with the tale of my tooth: it was badly infected, so I was sent to an oral surgeon to haveit taken out. The infection was so bad that a) my left cheek was swollen like a chipmunk (much to the delight of the elders in my district) and b) local anasthetics would not be effective. I normally find general anesthesia quite alarming, but for tooth extraction it was wonderful. I woke up pain free and a happy camper (see Matthew 5:29). My companion enjoyed my recovery process; she commented that the gauze hanging out of my mouth gave the impression that I had eaten a mummy, to which I replied (still loopy and giggling) "Yummy mummy". Even when doped up, the Peterson play-on-words gene is a powerful thing, I also got to spend a few hours in the MTC sick bay. That's right, sick bay. What a delight for this Trekkie. My district leader and zone leader had given me a blessing that the procedure would go without complication and that I would recover quickly, and the Lord came through. Missionary work never stops, and I spent the rest of the day teaching around a mouthful of bloody gauze. Yummy mummy.

Before I left I was concerned about other health issues impeding my ability to work, and these concerns were addressed in my setting apart, in the blessing I received at the MTC, and especially in my prayers. Yesterday I was able to participate in a full fast for the first time in months, with no ill effects. The night I have slept best on my mission was a night that began with excruciating pain (tooth infections are bad) and no hope of relief outside of fervent prayer. The Lord takes care of His missionaries, and all of us when we do everything we can to obey Him.

Anywho, Thanksgiving at the MTC was a blast, even without Grandmommy's cherry pie or Mom's stuffing. The day began with a special devotional from Elder and Sister Nelson. Let me tell you, when Apostles come to the MTC it is a matchless experience. They speak to us as companions in apostolic work, special witnesses of Jesus Christ to the whole world (not The Apostles, but apostles; does that make sense?). My district served as ushers, and one of our elders gave the opening prayer; I love participating in meetings. Sister Nelson encouraged us to serve our missions after the manner which the Lord would show us, and not after the manner of men. It's harder than it sounds, but even after 5 days I've seen that it's the only way to go. Elder Nelson first sent his thanks to our families, then spoke about the word Alleluia, which means "praise Jehovah". He seconded his wife's exhortation be exactly obedient, serve after the manner of the Lord, and to always give thanks and praise to the God whom we serve.

Oh, I almost forgot- I got to speak in Sacrament meeting at the MTC! Everyone in the branch prepares a 3-4 minute talk on an assigned topic, and then the speakers are announced from the pulpit. I had a feeling that I would be speaking, and it was neat to have that impression confirmed. My favorite part of being a missionary is feeling the Spirit work through you. Ammon said it just right in Alma 26:12; I have had very little to do with my most powerful lessons. The Spirit does everything.

Leaving the MTC was bittersweet. Half of our district went to Oregon, and I miss them still a little bit. No one here calls me Sister Toyvaville or Sister Turtleville anymore (at least not yet). I also miss my instructors, Brother Taylor and Sister Christensen. But, there were 15 of us on the flight to Toronto, all pumped up and ready to baptize all of Ontario. That is, until we got to the airport, pass along cards in hand, and were too scared to open our mouths. The MTC looked a lot nicer in hindsight. We had a lovely evening in the mission home, eating a home cooked meal, sleeping in real beds, and sharing our testimonies. As a missionary I have found that my capacity to love has just exploded; I instantly loved President and Sister Scott, the assistants, the other missionaries, my new companion, and everyone in our area.

We were not assigned to our trainers until the next day, after some orientation meetings. We were all fit to burst, but the moment finally came. One of the elders from my MTC district is now learning Farsi! We have the only Farsi speaking missionaries in the world, all 5 or 6 of them. They are called English speaking, and then when they arrive in the field the mission president calls them to speak Farsi. Elder Bybee couldn't even read his new alphabet, but he was so happy. I was one of the last to get assigned. My new companion is Sister Loar, from Twin Falls, Idaho, and she has only been out 6 weeks. She's training before she finished being trained! She has already taught me so much about trusting the Lord, expecting miracles, loving everyone, being patient with investigators, and letting the Spirit teach. And teach we do, sometimes in lessons, sometimes on the street, sometimes in a Tim Horton's. We role play constantly. In fact, the other night I woke up and heard her teaching the first lesson, the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In a panic I rushed to testify of what my companion was saying, only to realize that it was about 3 in the morning. Turns out Sister Loar talks in her sleep. I'm not exaggerating that much when I say we teach 24/7.

We are serving in the Kitchener/Waterloo YSA area, which means we only teach young single adult age investigators. There are two major universities here, University of Waterloo and Wilfred Laurier University. This means that we do a LOT of street contacting (OYMing- Open Your Mouth). The Lord sent me to an area where I would have to rely on my greatest weakness in the MTC. It is so hard to condense the message of the Restoration into 30-60 seconds! But we do it, sometimes for hours at a time; fortunately the weather isn't too bad yet, just sort of grey and wet. I was surprised at how many people actually stop to listen and chat, although trust me, plenty of people just ignore us. The students here are from all over the world: Korea, Dubai, Armenia, Hong Kong, Pakistan, Shanghai... you never know. We've spoken with atheists, agnostics, protestants, Sikhs, and of course Muslims. It's frustrating to not be able to teach them in their native language, but I keep reminding myself that my calling is from the Lord, through a prophet. He wants me to speak English, so English it is.

It's exam time, and then every one is going home for the holidays, so most people, even our investigators, are too busy for lessons or coming to church. Agency is a frustrating thing sometimes. I am guilty of sometimes fantasizing about the Nacho Libre approach: sneaking up behind them with a dish of water. But agency is a blessing and a gift, and we won't force them into anything. We fast for them, pray for them, call them, text them, teach them, and hope that they take the leap of faith to accept the gospel. And it does take a lot of faith to be baptized: we ask them to break up with (or marry) boy/girlfriends, reject the faith they were brought up in, quit jobs, take time away from studying, leave friends. At least, that's what we ask on the surface. What we're really doing is asking them to come unto Christ, and live their lives in a way that makes them worthy to make covenants with their Heavenly Father and enjoy the full blessings of the Atonement. When you put it that way, the leap of faith isn't quite so hard a thing to ask.

Today we get to go grocery shopping; fingers crossed I can find smarties, aero bars, and MAPLE SYRUP!!! I love you all so much; everyone is in my prayers. Take care!

Sister Turvaville


Recovering from surgery


My MTC companion, Sister Messer, and I at the famous map!


My district with Brother Taylor, our instructor. Left to right, top to bottom: Elder Thompson (district leader), Elder Jones (zone leader), Elder Bybee (now speaking Farsi!), Elder Rogers, Elder Perrine, Brother Taylor, Elder Griffin, Elder Webb, Elder Tilley, Sister Messer, Sister Casner, moi, and Sister Dowd. Elder Rogers, Elder Bybee, and all of the sisters are in my mission.


Sister Jensen (brand new and very cool), Sister Tuisku (from Finland, my "grandma", since she trained Sister Loar), Sister Loar, and moi!