July 4th

To All: HAPPY CANADA DAY!!!....I mean uhhh....HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!....oh man I'm so torn. We've been listening to the Mormon tabernacle choir's "spirit of America" CD today, and I'm wearing red white and blue...but other than that it's a normal day in Truro Nova Scotia. Canada day was so much fun though! I dressed up for that too. I had a bright red skirt and white top (I don't know why they don't have a 3rd color, it just makes sense to add one in...) and we went to the branch activity in the park. It was kind of hillarious because here we are 2 girls from California, our first Canada day and we're matching in all red and white just marching down the street like a walking billboard for Canada. Cool. Apparently they had a parade but we missed it and then most of the festivities go on at Victoria park that day. They had awful singers....I mean really bad...but a lot of free stuff and a BBQ. sweet. Our branch had a little section of the park. We even put up a GI-normous sign with our churches name on it and did free face painting. It was a hit! We had crowds flocking to our station. It was awesome. We saw a TON of people we knew too. It was such a good missionary opportunity because well this town is pretty small, and with everyone gathered in one place you tend to see people you've seen before. So we ran into a lot of less-actives, and people we had formerly taught. Nathan, our investigator, came and it was a blast. We played washer toss with the branch....a little game I think only known to Nova Scotia....or maybe I'm the only one who's never heard of it. It's like horse shoe except you have washers (hence the name) and you try to throw them in a can that's in a box. sounds thrilling. I know. but it was pretty fun. We ate cotton candy and tried to endure the entertainment. It consisted of a really mediocre country singer singing, "brown eyed girl" and a chilling Ozzy Osborne imitation band singing some song about satan. Entertainment for the whole family! Oh Canada....p.s. a little known fact... a lot of Canandians don't know the lyrics to their national anthem. Apparently some of the words were changed recently in history and it mixes them up. I motion for a national awareness day of this sad epidemic.
Ok so Nathan is doing so good! This guy when we first met him didn't think he would ever join a church and he kept telling us over and over, "it's going to take you a looong time to get me to step inside a church." He's the one who feels like churches are full of hypocrites. Now he's on date for baptism, came to our activity for Canada day AND came to church! After fast and testimony Sister Glenn went to talk to him and he said that he really enjoyed it and had a good vibe and was trying to hold back tears and then he took a kleenex and whipped his eyes. awwww Nathan. AND he said the closing prayer in Elders quroum! What?! who is this guy?! I'm so excited for him! He said that the book of Mormon is the best book he's read ever.He just finished 2 Nephi! And he says he knows the book of Mormon is true. When I asked him how he knew it was true he said, "It just makes sense, and I don't think that Joseph Smith would lie." So cool. He's the best.
Steve is doing good. He came to church on Sunday. He's pretty steady in his reading. He's really quiet, so sometimes it's difficult to know if he really understands what we're teaching him. We're working on it though. Amber is doing great too. This week we found a new investigator Rob. He's pretty cool, we thought he was going to be argumentative but he actually listened, was a bit skeptical, but is reading from the Book of Mormon. He's really into the native practices and going to sweat lodges. He loves nature and feels really intune with it. I was so excited to tell him that we have a record of the people he's studying with!
On friday at the party we got to talking with Jason, he's a members son-in-law and used to be really anti-mormon. He's penecostal, but is now finding that he disagrees with some of their doctrine and is more open to listening to us. We had talked to him before and he really didn't want to listen, but now he's changed. It's amazing. The Lord is really preparing him. He came to church on Sunday and we're meeting with him this week. He even got up to the pulpit and bore his testimony of the Savior on Sunday. The whole time I was on edge hoping he wasn't going to say anything bad, but it was actually really nice. He's native, which is so exciting, I can't wait to be like, "the book of Mormon is about your ancestors!!!" So cool. I love the Book of Mormon. I'm with you Nathan, it's the best book ever.
Last Monday we went to the wild life park with Sister MacInnis. The nicest lady on the face of this planet. Seriously. I want to be just like her when I grow up. We saw this gigantic black bear and cougars and birds, a ton of peacocks, and horses, caribou, and yada yada. No moose sadly. They died in the winter! I was so bummed. I'm determined to see a moose before leaving Canada. I've heard the craziest stories about them, they're really dangerous. Who knows maybe I'll run into one and learn how to ride it. Not likely but a girl can dream. Afterwards Sister MacInnis took us out to...drum roll please....TACO BELL! AHHH! you have no idea how happy I was! So to canadians anything remotely close to being spicey is like so hot it's going to burn their mouth. They hardly ever use spices when cooking and most of them don't even know how to make a taco. I'm serious. Sister Priest made tacos upon request for us and she had to follow the directions on the taco kit box. Afterwards she said something like, "wow that was really easy, I should do that again!" We had heard that taco bell in Canada was gross but we decided to try it and it was so good! They even had HOT SAUCE...no fire... but I'll take hot over medium any day. Their hot salsa in the store here isn't even hot. It's ridiculous. So anyways the tacos were good, the meat was a lighter color than it is in the states, but I ate it anyway. I was so happy. my life is complete. So Sister MacInnis moves into my #1 member spot for that good deed of the day. Congratulations Sister MacInnis.
So odds are I'm leaving Truro in a week and a half and can I just say how terribly sad I am at that thought. It breaks my heart a little. I love these people. Seriously. I just love them. They are my family. I know them so well, and they know me and my humour a little too much now. :) but I'm just so sad at the thought of leaving them. If I don't leave and Sister Glenn does I'll be so sad too. We've had the best 6 months ever and it's gone by way too fast. I hate change. I know no matter where I go I'll love it...learn to love it. But I know that transition period will probably be difficult. The idea of not being able to see these people for a long time just makes me so sad. I really hope that I love my new area...if I leave...just as much...but I'm not sure that's possible. The church is true! I love the gospel and the opportunity to serve is such a blessing. God lives and loves each of His children so much.
Love,
Sister Crane