August 29th

I had to come all the way to Canada to exeperience my first earthquake! Seriously?! We were in a lesson and I felt the couch rock back and forth, I looked to either side of me and saw that no one next to me was rocking so I didn't think too much of it until I came outside and saw fire trucks and downtown buildings being evacuated. Apparently earthquakes don't happen here often because people were freaking out. oh canada.
In other news I worked in a hurricaine for the second time! I don't even know what hurricaine this one was but the same thing happened this time last year. The Elders decided they wanted the car back on Sundays, because one of the Elders can't fit on our small girly bikes, and they took the car back just in time for us to have to bike and walk in the hurricaine. Awesome. So we booked it up the GI-normous hill to our apartment. Half way through I took off my hood and embraced the rain. There was no point trying to stay dry. We started singing called to serve at the top of our lungs in the pooring rain with the crazy wind and people driving by giving us weird looks. I am such a missionary sometimes.
Have you ever heard of Hot pot?! pretty much the coolest invention ever. We went over to Affe's for supper the other day and she and her 3 other chinese friends made us hot pot! It's where you take this huge pot and put it in the middle of the table and it's full of spicy soup mix. Then you take all this food and dump it in and it cooks it and you take your chop sticks and get the food out and put it in your bowl and eat it. It's like fondu but without cheese, just soup, and chop sticks. I have to say it was pretty much really embarrassing trying to master chop sticks in front of 4 chinese people. Not my talent. But I ate the craziest stuff! I ATE COW'S STOMACH! Yes me. I actually ate it. I know you don't believe me. I didn't believe myself. I also ate Lamb for the first time. It was pretty good. Tofu is ok, the cabbage was the best, and the bean curd sheets were pretty good. Pork balls were a little chewy, do not recommend those. Overall it was a cultural enlightening experience. I love foreigners.
So let me tell you about a couple, Claude and Janet. They are so cool! They are both on date for baptism for Oct. 8th! woop woop! Last lesson we got there and did a bit of small talk and Claude excitedly said, "ok well should we get started with a prayer?" before I could say, "hey that's my line!" he got on his knees! We don't normally start our lessons with a kneeling prayer so Sister Davis and I exchanged a look and then hurriedly got to our knees. Claude looked at us and said, "oh you don't have to get on your knees, I just really want to...ok so who's going to say it?" ..."uhh...Claude did you want to say it?" I asked. He beamed and then said a great prayer. At the end of the lesson we started to talk to Janet about baptism, Claude had already agreed to a date but Janet had not. I extended the commitment and she said she wasn't sure. Claude then chimmed in with, "well that's because you're not reading the Book of Mormon every day! you need to read and pray and then go to church and open up your heart." Claude just kept stealing all of our lines! It was awesome. I felt like he was the 3rd missionary. So I then extended it again and said, "Janet I know you can be prepared by Oct. 8th, will you.." She then cut me off with, "oh I know I can!" haha! ya Janet!
I really love the members here! They have been so generous to us! It moves me to tears sometimes just thinking about how generous these people are. The Hatt's gave us a ride to and from our supper appointment yesterday because the member that we ate with didn't have a car, and the Hatts didn't want us to bike across the bridge in the hurricaine. One couple who was only here for the summer and went back to British Columbia on Sunday, gave us all of their food that they didn't finish! Our fridge is now full! Another cute young couple went with us to an appointment, but it was a no-show, so they drove us home to get our rain jackets and then to our next appointment and in the middle of all of that bought us these amazing things called BEAVER TAILS! ah! sooo good! It's like fried dough with cinnamon and sugar. To die for! ah! Andrea, this amazing member who is 21 and getting ready for a mission comes teaching with us all the time and drives us places. Gloria, our investigator, (not a member, but she might as well be) bought us these sweet Canada shirts! Mine has a moose on it, it's the best, and she gave us New Bruswick pins. Saweet! Who are these people that are just so generous and kind? It's the nicest ever and I just feel so grateful that people care about the work we're doing and want to help out. It lightens my load so much when a member serves me.
The church is true! Oh P.S. I played the organ on Sunday, I was a last minute fill in because the organist was sick. I was crazy nervous. Didn't even attempt the peddels. yike. Missionary work really makes you step outside your comfort zone sometimes....more like all the time...Wish me luck in the rain today, hopefully this hurricaine is over for good!
Love,
Sister Crane