There goes another week for our history book in Canada.  Another week of snow and below zero temperatures.  We did have the opportunity to enjoy a little sunshine when we drove from our little Hope ,in the shade of the towering mountains , to the big city of Abbotsford. It was actually sixteen degrees warmer there as well. We traveled to Bellingham for Stan a dentist appointment and to buy groceries & gas that was affordable. Gas in Canada is now $1.30 per Liter.  That's about $4.70 a gallon. Cheese is $12.47 a pound...we buy it in Bellingham for $3.60 a lb. It's a bit of an ordeal to cross the border back & forth. Our little blue car has our Idaho license plate. When we go through the border gate, they always ask : "where is Home ?  Stan answers :" Hope". Then there is a big explanation if we live in Hope why do we have an Idaho plate ?  Then we have to explain we are missionaries .All the while the officer is glaring at us, looking in our car, while wearing a gun, badge, bopping stick & handcuffs. So far so good. We haven't been searched yet.
      We had a magnificent Zone meeting this week. In Abbotsford again. There's not much in Hope. It's wonderful to be a missionary , to wear a name tag everyday being examples for Jesus Christ. Stan has a hard time remembering to put on his tag so I put a couple of extra ones in the glove compartment (or jockey box if your from Idaho) of the car. Like my glasses; my tag is the first thing I put on in the morning and the last to take off at night. I've been known to sleep with mine.
      We took our dear eighty year old friend , Lucy , to Chillwack for the day Thursday.  We found her an amazing cane so Stan bought it for her. Lucy doesn't need a cane to walk, she collects them, and uses them when she goes places for "old lady effect". It works, everyone opens doors for her and let's her be first in line. I love her. She is hilarious. She walks along really slow and wobbly as she says :" oh boy...oh boy....oh boy".  She collects canes with character, like wood carved or wood hand painted ones. "They are conversation starters " she says. People always stop and talk to her. We took her to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. She's a vegetarian who loves Chinses food. I spilled a little lunch on my white blouse and she announced in a very loud voice :" We can't take you anywhere ". People stared.
       We have been helping Jack, an elderly man in our branch , do his family history. He waited fourty years to go to the temple. So now we want to help him with temple work. We set up a Hope Branch baptistry date for Friday. He took sixty names to be baptized and confirmed. We have five youth in our branch , however, only two went to the temple with us. So Stan and I both got baptized. I don't know about Stan, but I haven't done baptisms for the dead since I was a teenager.  I don't like water, even a little bit. I made the man baptizing me promise not to leave me under the water. First they asked me to do 22 names. I gasped... and started to cry so they gave me only fifteen. Even though it was a fearful event, it was a joyous occassion. The branch was able to complete all 120 ordinances for Jack's family. He was a witness as he is unable to be proxy. Another sister from the branch had twenty names as well.Two of the names where mine from the Widmer side of our family. It's always awesome to be in the temple.
     I was asked to help with Activity days this week.  My mind said : "Say no ". I didn't  listen. It turned out to be a disaster. In this little branch they don't have cub scouts so the 8-11 year old boys are combined with the 8-11 year old girls. I gave myself permission that night before I went to bed , to say "no way " next time.
    It was Stan's birthday this week. He still looks and acts like a 30 year old. He chose the menus for his meals all day and I made him a birthday cake. He even survived  me singing Happy Birthday to him. He's a good sport. Although it isn't fair; he only has one birthday on our mission and I  have two. sigh.
    The mission President announced this week who our new mission president will be when he completes his mission in July. It is a member of the Seventy, Elder Chong. That will be great. I think all mission presidents must be great. Ours certainly is. We love him ! We probably won't get to know Elder Chong much because we will complete our mission in August.
      We love being missionaries, we love the gospel of Jesus Christ. We love and miss you all. Be faithful every single day; that's happiness.

Love, Elder and Sister Fisher