Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Sista Sista

Hey, cuties! How are you all doing?! I feel like you're all so close and yet so far. Just a couple more weeks and I'll be seeing you! It's weird to think that I'm definitely on the final stretch. Younger missionaries have this love of reminding me that I'm about to go home. I remember when I used to do that to departing missionaries. Man, now I feel like a jerk! They don't realize how awful it is to ask an old sista what music she's going to listen to get back or the first movie she's going to watch. Enough is enough! I'm just trying to enjoy the moment here! Well, in any case, get that Frozen movie in the DVD player and blast me some Joni Mitchell and the Sounds! I have my trunky moments.

This week was fabulous! We had a lot of fun events and sweet moments. This week we did two exchanges. Sister Berry and I served our last split together, and it was ohhhh so much fun. We had a very Russian themed day. We finally were able to take one of the Ukrainian members of our ward to Marina's house! They just talked and talked and talked in a language that for the life of me I will never be able to understand. It went incredibly well, and it was super helpful to have someone who knew how to explain gospel terms in Russian. The night before when we were confirming our appointment with Marina, she told us she had this strange dream that a little girl was going to come to her house and surprise her. She took that to mean that it must have been her subconscious preparing her for Sister Tulieva to come. Well, that morning we were confirming the appointment with Sister Tulieva, and she asked if she could bring her little six year old daughter. Surprise! We had no knowledge of this! Marina is totally psychic, and all this event did was confirm to her her inner-spiritual-energy-universe-readingness. Ha ha. It was an amazing visit though! She shared with Sister Tulieva that ever since Sister Orozco and I met her she has had the spirit back in her life, that she has something to live for and that her whole world is filled with color and happiness again. Now all she needs to do is come to church and see that she has a whole family of spiritual people waiting for her!

On Wednesday we taught the Law of Chastity to our returning member Karen, which is always a great experience. She has taught me a lot about how to scare away men with baseball bats and vicious verbal threats. Ha ha. She really has the best stories. I'm going to miss this woman TERRIBLY when I have to leave this place. Well, I'll miss everyone terribly, but especially her.

On Thursday I went to the east end of Montreal on the opposite end of the green line for exchanges! I flirt-contacted this beautiful man named Remy on the metros, and it saddened me to realize that I have just one more time to go into the metros and flirt to convert. I've got to make this last one count! I love talking with people in the metros. You meet the most fascinating people and have the funniest encounters. :( No more Muslim men giving me their numbers. Not sure how I'm going to feel about losing that added boost to my self-esteem. Anyway, exchanges were great! Sister Ferguson and I taught the most AMAZING golden investigator I have ever met my whole mission. His name is Peter and he is determined to become a Mormon. He just looks at us and says, "I'm going to do everything in my power to become a Mormon. I want to be with you people." Aaah! He was so cool. He asked us if there were any single Mormon moms that could use a husband... and then it got awkward. Ha ha but he is so golden. I'm super glad I had the chance to meet him. We also taught their recent convert Bryan, who is literally the coolest guy ever. He played "Let it Be" for us on his guitar, and my oh my. This man sings like an angel. He plays the guitar in the metro for a living! How cool is that? I had a super fun, exciting, fulfilling day filled with super cool people.

This Saturday we got to go to Laval for a baptism! One of Sister Orozco's investigators from back in the day got baptized, so we got to go on a little road trip with the Cornwall sisters! It was a beautiful day and a beautiful baptism. She was the niece of one of Sister Orozco's AMAZING converts. It was fun to meet all of the people that Sister Orozco blessed in Laval, but it made me super jealous that I wouldn't get to return to Quebec City before the end of my mission. :( After the baptism I was standing in a circle of four elders just chatting, and all of the sisters made fun of me because they think I'm preparing for when I have to go back home and flirt with all of these guys. They're just like, "Daaaaaang! Sister Cutler! You can't wait two more weeks to flirt with all of these men?!" And I literally wanted to singe all of their eyebrows off with the fierceness of my death glare. I can't help it that all the elders love me! It's not my fault! Ha ha. If only you all heard what my conversations were like with said elders, you would know that all I know how to talk about now is the gospel and spreading the good word. Lol. The Cornwall sisters stayed for a sleepover, we played some ridiculous future-telling card game that in my opinion is like Mormon-marriage tarot card reading, and then we went to bed waaaaaay too late. But it was such a fun week! I'm cherishing every blessed moment out here. I literally cannot believe that I'll be seeing everyone back home in about two weeks. Life is flying by!

Alright. Now. Before I forget, there was another special event that happened last week..... HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the most beautiful, sensational, inspiring, hilarious, hypnotic, mysterious, sultry, fabulous, wonderful best friend in the world! Happy Birthday to my sweet Vanessa Hope! I hope it was a magnificent day, and I hope you did your 21st right!!!!!!! Rain check on all the REAL partying though, because I need to be there!!! Just wanted to let the world know how much I love and adore this girl. We made cupcakes for her birthday and gave them to a beautiful Brazilian man in our ward haha. I thought she would like that. Anyway, Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday, my lover! I miss you terribly! But not for long. :)

Well, that was the week that was! I hope you all had a wonderful week and that you're still enjoying your beautiful summer months. Pray for me! I'm still not home yet and I still need your love! Ha ha. I miss you all more than I can bear. The closer I get to coming home the farther away it seems. No bueno. Can't wait to be back in your arms! But until then, I love you all to the moon and back! Bisou bisou! BYE!

Love,

Soeur Cutler

Thursday, July 17, 2014

Outlaw Sister

Hello, beautiful family and friends! Do you miss me? You better all be going CRAZY with anticipation that I'm coming home so soon! News flash... my mom just informed me that I'm giving my homecoming talk on August 10th, so y'all BETTER be there! I have no idea what time though... ask my mom. But yes, make sure you're at MY homecoming and no one else's. That's all I have to say. 

Well, this week was glorious! Nothing overwhelming or crazy happened, which was a nice break for my psyche. I'll tell you what. This mission has been one big roller coaster! But obviously I have loved every single dang minute of it. SERIOUSLY. I have no idea what I'm going to do with myself when it's over. NO idea. Uh.... lock myself in my room for a few days and cry? Facebook stalk everyone? Let my eyebrows grow back (I did it again....) Hm. We'll see what becomes of me. I can already feel the awkward RMness oozing from me, and I haven't even set foot in the airport yet. Just love the awkwardness away, okay? I'm not ready for this!

Which is why I still have a little more than three weeks left.... thank heavens! So this week was GREAT! What to say? Well, I went on exchanges with Sister Jordan again. We had a blast, talking talking talking till the break of dawn and hearing disturbing stories about Warren Jeffs. Ha ha. Our returning member Karen came across a movie about Warren Jeffs this week and thinks that he looks IDENTICAL to our ward mission leader. We then spent the next hour talking about the "Outlaw Prophet" and his uncanny similarity to the brother in our ward. We went to his house on Tuesday and told him, and guess what... he looks nothing like him. Ha ha. Okay, maybe a little. Anyway, that was the story of exchanges. Good times.

On Friday we had a Relief Society activity, and our less active member that I've been working with my ENTIRE time in LaSalle FINALLY set foot in the chapel since I got here! It was truly a miracle. She also came to a baptism on Saturday and then to church on Sunday! I prayed that I would be able to see her at church just once before I left, and I ended up seeing her there three times in a row! Blessings! The activity was a riot though. We ran around the chapel like a bunch of hooligans playing some sort of scavenger hunt game, all the sisters throwing elbows and relief society arms at each other to get to the prize. Hahaha. It was one great mess. I got a nasty cut on my leg during all of the mayhem. I learned that adults are no worse than children when it comes to that competitive spirit.

On Saturday there were three baptisms in our ward. One was of the sweetest 8 year old girl and then two boys that are the sons of one of the recent converts in LaSalle. It was such a special day! I slaved in the kitchen preparing wings and chicken nuggets and then I sang a special musical number with the former Sister May. It was heavenly! The son-in-law of our investigator bore his testimony while the kids were changing into dry clothes, and we were all bawling our eyes out, especially his mother-in-law. It has been amazing to watch her grow and literally shine as she has been living and learning about the gospel. It just reaffirmed to me that the gospel truly changes lives, that the power of the atonement is real, and that God has a plan for each of us. This woman is remarkable. Teaching her has truly been one of the greatest blessings of my mission. 

Today we went bowling with a bunch of missionaries in the Riv Sud. Yeah... definitely not my area... but we were with the two sisters in our district, so that's technically allowed. Meh. What are they going to do? Send me home? ;) Ha ha. It was super fun! I got four strikes! Not in a row though. But still. Be proud! It just got me excited for all of the bowling I'm going to be doing on all of those dates that I know are just waiting for me when I get back. Ha ha kidding. Dates=0. You're about to see how truly awkward I am. At the baptism on Saturday this woman not of our faith was trying to set me up with Elder C, my district leader. She kept walking over to him and telling him that he needs to keep his eye out for me and no one else. Ugh... hmmm... yeah. As much as I love being a cougar, I would prefer it if these elders didn't get any ideas. 

Well, that's the week that was. I really honestly don't know what to say because I'm saving all of my good stories for when I get home. And trust me, there will be plenty. But until then, have a beautiful, glorious, magnificent summer week! I love you all bundles! And I miss everyone quite terribly. It's strange. The closer I get to seeing you all, the more I miss you! Hang in there! I'm keeping my eye single to the glory for the next few weeks! Smooches and hugs!

Love,

Syl

Tuesday, July 8, 2014

Botanical Babes

Family Reunion
June 30, 2014

Hola, mamacitas! How are my little angels doing? I miss the heck out
of y'all! What's new? Are you going to light up the 4th of July
without me? Boooo! Wish I could be there. :( Let freedom ring loud
enough for me to hear it all the way up here in maple country! And
we'll ALL celebrate later when I roll off that plane in my
star-spangled glory! Aaaah. It's hard to be a girl without a country.
The 4th in a country that doesn't celebrate America just isn't the
same. Believe it or not, Canada actually isn't the 51st state like
many 'muricans suppose. So while you're eating hot dogs and lighting
fireworks on the 4th I will have already celebrated Canada Day on the
1st. YOCO! (You're Only Canadian Once.) Or I guess YOQO would be more
accurate given my present circumstances. I often forget I'm in Canada.
Anyway, all of this just to say, "HAPPY 4th of JULY" to you all! I'm
so proud of MY heritage. :)

Hmmmm... the week that was. This was another one of those burdensome
weeks, but we had lots of fun. Comme d'habitude. The reason this
letter is entitled Family Reunion is not to say that I'm trunky or
that I ran into any family members up here in the Great White North.
No, I am referring to my state as a mission mother. This Wednesday we
had a big fat transfer, and what do you know? ALL of my babies, all
FIVE of my babies that I trained, were at the transfer! It was
GLORIOUS! And yes, I did get a posterity photo. Not all of my
grandchildren and great-grandchildren were there, but still. I felt so
fulfilled! The best part of all is that my baby Sister Guevara is now
in my district! Halleluja! Mama is going to die happy. The transfer,
although happy, was also the saddest day of my life. I had to watch
some of my favorite elders go HOME! And SISTERS too! Oh my gosh... it
was awful! There was one sister that was leaving that actually got to
the field a week after I did. So that was WEIRD. Guess that means I'm
next or something. Meh... don't want to think about it. You all on the
other hand better start partying it up and get ready for my glorious
return when I roll home on my Canadian tire. Whooo!

On Friday we had mission leadership council, which always brings a
smile to my face. Mostly because we get to eat pizza at the end. But
still, it was such a fun DAY! When you're a missionary and you're
alone with your companion 24/7, it's always a special treat when you
get to interact with a gang of missionaries. Then on Saturday we had a
meeting with missionary leaders and ward mission leaders from the
stake. The thing that got me to it was the pancake breakfast they held
for us in the morning. It was fun though because I got to see one of
my old investigators from Montreal ward who is now a ward missionary!
I love going back to my old haunt. It's fascinating to see how much
growth has happened in just one year after leaving.

We also ate a ridiculous amount of food this weekend. It was my
mission mama's birthday (Sister Morales), but we also had a dinner
appointment with another family in the ward, and so I hopped from
pancake breakfast, to cupcakes with my favorite New Zealander Sister
Ross, to THANKSGIVING dinner with the Dupont family, to BIRTHDAY
Chinese dinner with the Morales family. We. Wanted. To. DIE! I realize
that I talk a lot about food in my letters... but that's kind of what
my life revolves around as a North American missionary. At least take
comfort in the fact that we definitely do not starve. It does however
mean that six weeks to sexy is out the window, so I hope you will
recognize me when I get back. Meh. We'll see.

Alright, so that's the week that was! Sorry I don't have too many
interesting things to say. It was a calmer week as far as Juan
Martinez is concerned. I love you all SOOOOOOO much though! Smooches
and loves for all. Have a fabulous 4th! Cause baby you're a firework!
Come on, let your colors burst! Make em' go.... well, you know the
rest. LOVE YOU LOTS!

Love,

Syl

**********

Botanical Babes
July 7, 2014

Why, hello! :) How are you, my lovely, lovely bunch? How was the grand 4th of July celebration? I hope you all had a fantastic week! I certainly did. Just to get the trunky fever out of the way now, I'll let you all know that I'm coming home in exactly ONE MONTH! GET EXCITED! GET READY! You're about to see the new and improved, softer (fluffier) around the edges Sylvia! I'm going to give it my ALL this month! I love the mission too much to waste a single minute of it. 

So the week that was... CRAY CRAY! Ha ha. But really. So many awesome things happened that I don't even know where to begin. First of all, we have an AMAZING new investigator! She is the mother of one of the members of our ward, and she is seriously the most incredible person I have ever met. We have had the most spiritual, tearful, loving, happy lessons I have ever taught on my mission. I feel so blessed to work with her and am excited to watch her progress. She is doing amazing. Her daughter was telling us how she would fast every single fast Sunday of her mission that her mom would start listening to the missionaries, and now she is FINALLY taking the discussions! It has been a miracle, and I'm so happy to be a part of it. 

Alright, who's ready for a crazy story? Yes, you guessed right. It happened at the Sri Lankan family's home. Where else? So here's what happened. The father of the Sri Lankan family wanted to have us and the Montreal West sisters (their original missionaries who began teaching them) over for his birthday, my birthday (early celebration) and the 4th of July. So we take the Montreal West sisters and the former Sister May, now Cherise, over to their house after our Zone Training Meeting. We hadn't eaten since like 7, and it was now 2 pm by that point. SOOOO HUNGRY. We go in thinking we're about to have a Sri Lankan feast. Well, we get there and the daughter tells us that her dad is out and that he's drunk. :( So sad. This is the second time we've heard of this. The mom is still so nice though, but doesn't speak any English whatsoever, so she brings us out some birthday cake and what appeared to be orange juice. We finish our birthday cake and Sister Orozco goes for her orange juice. Then Sister May. Both of them just look at each other and want to throw up. They're just sitting there laughing and I'm like, "Give me my dang orange juice!" So they did. I take a sip... tp tp tp... hmmmm... Yeah, it was DEFINITELY not orange juice. Guess who broke the Word of Wisdom for the first time ever? Ha ha. And as a missionary! Whooooo! So yeah, in case you were wondering, I definitely partied HARD this 4th of July. Turns out we were drinking a nice blend of OJ and alcohol. The best part was that I kept falling off of the couch I was sitting on, so it totally looked like I was drunk. Don't worry, I literally took one sip before wanting to die from how awful it tasted.

After our lesson we headed over to meet our potential Ed by the river. We brought Sister May with us because we had a feeling he thought it was a date. I'll admit I felt like I was investidating ALL over again when I started that lesson, but it ended up being one of the most beautiful, spiritual lessons I've ever taught. Ed is very soulful and very thoughtful. He asked a lot of great questions and philosophized with us a ton, but I was so ready for whatever he threw at me. We weren't sure what he thought of the whole experience... two hott girls meeting him on the street one week and then preaching to him the next.... but he accepted a Book of Mormon! And he's meeting with us again. :) So that was cool!

In other news... we had a FABULOUS lesson with our investigator Marina this week. Marina is a very soulful person, so she wanted to be taught the Plan of Salvation out in nature. On Saturday she took us to the Botanical Gardens of Montreal for our lesson, and it was UNREAL! Oh my. Oh my oh my oh my. Such a BEAUTIFUL DAY! One of the most perfect days of my mission. I seriously get to teach the most amazing people out here. She is very spiritually in tune, and being in the gardens talking about creation was just one of the most beautiful experiences ever. I'm sending pictures. :)

Anyway, that was my week! I hope you all had a fabulous time without me this summer holiday season! I love you all to the heavens and back and will be seeing you SHORTLY! Take good care of yourselves. Eat lots of shaved ice! Think of me often. Miss me terribly. I LOVE YOU ALL!

Love,

Syl