Miracles Once More and one Last Zone Conference!

Sister Douglas and Sister Cardon reunited!

Sister Dias and Sister Cannon with Sister Cardon

Sister Cardon's District

Sister Cardon reports one of their investigators has committed to follow their instruction on reading, praying and attending church and work toward a baptism in November. She feels it's a miracle to watch these happening unfold as this investigator has been struggling.

She was able to attend her last Zone Conference/Development day. As usual, it was so much fun. They played fun games like Yoga Football, Capture the Flag, Egg Toss etc. She was able to go on exchanges with Sisters she has grown to love. She shared her departing testimony, which is a requirement for all missionaries leaving the field at their last Zone Conference. She express sadness at having to say good-bye to so many wonderful freinds. 
She  shares, 
"This week I experienced the ,"I don't want to go home!" feeling. I never believed missionaries when they said they weren't excited to go home but I really felt that for myself this week. I felt in a very real since that the world I have lived in for the last 18 months was going to be shattered. I wouldn't see any of my new favorite people for a few months or even years, I wouldn't be able to preach the gospel, I now had to worry about normal life, all the people I have grown to love with all my heart, I was leaving behind. It was a very sad thought. I am still excited to come home but I realized coming home is just as sad as it is happy."

Blown Away in Stornoway!

Windy  Stornoway

Exploring the Isle

Sister Cardon reports the weather is "JUST CRAZY!" She said when the winds got up 50 mp she thought there were going to be blown away and water was blowing from the sea over the barriers into the street. Members have told them  that 80 mph is the average in the winter and sometimes they get up to 120 mph which blows peoples roofs off. 

Sister Cardon said the best thing about the week was conference and as a Branch, everyone wrote down 3 questions that they had. She shares, 

 "All of my questions answered in the very first session I watched! I feel on a mission we receive so much revelation.  We receive it for us as individuals, for our area, and for our family. The spiritual insight that I gleaned was by Elder Packer. I loved how he mentioned that often we feel like we experience injustices of the world. I know I have especially faced a lot recently. We are tempted to make someone pay for our injustices, or to cause the person pain that caused us pain. But I was so touched when he said, "someone already suffered for that pain." Christ already suffered for the injustices we have in our life. I think,"didn't Christ already suffer enough pain for us without us adding to his suffering with our anger and unforgiving hatred towards others who have caused us pain?" We need not think that someone must pay, because someone already did!"

Front Yard View

Sister Cardon said the work is going well. They are teaching a family and have even found some new investigators. She is working hard to keep missionary work going on the Isle of Lewis. The mission president may shut down the Isle for the winter months. She said it's very hard to do missionary work in gale force winds. She said they hear the wind all night long and even had to stay in a bit this week due to the winds.

Sister Cardon states, "I have come to understand the Atonement even more, with the experiences we have had. I am doing a sort-of last 40 day challenge thing before I come home and its has been a spiritual furnace this past week where I have felt like the Lord is refining me into who I need to be before I go home." 

One Transfer Left!

Glasgow Conference

Glasgow Conference

Sister Cardon reports she enjoyed the conference in Glasgow. Everyone there kept reminding her she was going  home soon - just one transfer left. She is determined to remain focused until the end. They have a new tall investigator in Stornoway. She is staying "relatively" warm and she met a recently returned Elder that was born on the Isle of Lewis. He served in Africa and just happened to be the companion of one of Sister Cardon's friends she went to High school with. Small small world! 

Wonder City of Glasgow

City of Glasgow

Sister Cardon shares,

 "The best part of our week was stake conference in Glasgow. We had an area 70 came, but they kept introducing him with different names so I can't tell you what his name.  It been such a blast to stay at Sister Cannon and Sister Dias flat for the past few days. 

I love that we have the opportunity in this church to receive divine revelation from our Heavenly Father. Such revelation we receive for us is personal and we can receive on a day to day basis, not just at conferences. But conferences are inspired. The area authority said the revelation we receive are commandments for us individually, that we need to obey them. He told us that us we need to take notes to know what commandments we need to work on. We all can improve, there will never be a conference or a church meeting in which we won't receive new commandments for ourselves because we will never be perfect. That's the great thing about this life, that we don't' have to be perfect. It doen't matter how many right or wrong question we got on the "test of life" it is who we are when we turn the test in.  It's about Who we have become!

I am grateful for eternal progression! I love you all so much!"

Two Families of Five

Branch Missionary Bulletin Board

Sister Cardon shares, 

"Sister Sawyer and I have put together some really goals, We'd like to help the Lord accomplish by the end of the year 2014. One of these goal was to baptize a family of 5. This past week we found 2 families of 5 that we set up appointments with and it was such a miracle.

We are going to Glasgow later on this week, which I feel like I shouldn't be excited too get off the island, but I totally am! Even President Brown said, "don't you like to get off the island?." So, I thinks its OK to look forward to sunshine :). I am such a missionary, quoting scripture in normal conversation. Exceedingly is my new favorite adjective. We had Ward coordination and they seemed to criticize  people and investigators. I was quite distraught. It was really sad because it's that kind of attitude that will keep members from coming back into activity. It doesn't matter how many times they may have disappointed you or hurt you in the past, you love them anyway. I just wanted to share this quote with all of them, 
"When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it! " Elder Uchtdorf

Zone Interview Training and a Branch Mission Plan

Sister Cardon and Sister Sawyer off to Zone Training

The Fort Tradition is Carried On!

 Sister Cardon shares,
"Yesterday we presented the first "Branch Mission Plan." We have spent a lot of time coordiating and developing it. The members seem to take it really well and were excited! Sister Sawyer and I are really happy to get started and our whole Branch is fasting to have the missionary work move forward. We gave each member a calendar of things they could do everyday to have the work move forward and also challenged them to make a personal goal for the month of September. We have had a great year in this Branch but we are just getting started and we want to have lots more baptisms and reactiviations before the end of the year."

Planting Seeds and a Holiday in Glasgow

Sister Sawyer and Sister Cardon on the flight to Glasgow

The Flight out of Stornoway

Another Flight Picture

Sister Cardon has stated again that it feels and smells like winter on the" Wee" Isle of Lewis. She and Sister Sawyer went to a Zone Development Day in Glasgow. She enjoyed the trip and had fun playing Capture the Flag. She said all the experienced missionaries are out of shape. She is very sore from trying to chase the new missionaries that are still in shape and quick! She said it was nice to go somewhere "warm." Before being on Stornoway, I don't think Sister Cardon would have called Glasgow warm! They continue to have investigators on Stornoway and were able to plants some seeds, especially with a wonderful 10 year old girl this week.

Luxuries in the Mission Home and Sister Sawyer from Wales!

Trainers and Trainee's at Pratt's Hill

 August Trainers and Trainees in Mission Home

Sister Cardon and Sister Sawyer from Wales

Edinburgh Sister Reunion 

The Scotland Highlands while traveling from Isle of Lewis

Sister Cardon enjoyed going to the mission  home and loved the luxuries there including delicious food and a very soft and comfortable bed full of pillows, that reminds her of home. She has a new trainee, Sister Sawyer. Sister Sawyer is from Wales, and according to Sister Cardon, has the coolest English accent. She reports summer of over on the Isle of Lewis and the winter has set in! She even stated that she can SMELL snow coming! It's high time for hurricanes again as hurricane season is in full swing and many hurricanes roll up her way. She said she hopes she doesn't die during the winter! She was able to buy some new winter water proof boots, her third pair since on her mission. While in Edinburgh she was able to with meet up with previous loved companions! She said there will be very little travel off the Isle over the next few months as weather doesn't permit such travel. She is committed too working hard and living the "Isolated Life" for the Lord's work.

A Baptism and a Lashing Rainstorm

Sister Lowry, Calum and Sister Cardon

Stornoway Branch Members

Sister Cardon reports they had a wonderful week. Calum was baptized and they continue to teach more investigators. Sister Lowry is going home. Sister Cardon is traveling to the mission home to take Sister Lowry back and pick up a new trainee. She will be on the mainland until Thursday. She is excited to be training again. Sister Cardon was unsure they would get to leave today as they woke up to a "Lashing Rainstorm" unlike anything she has seen yet! However, the winds calmed down and she thinks they will be able to go. The plane and ferry will not travel in "lashing rains or winds." She has been informed that missionaries have been stuck either in Scotland trying to get back to Stornoway or the other way around, due to wild weather. 

Sister Cardon calls this the Wee Ferry-part of the travel to Stornoway

A picture in her Stornoway Cottage