Early out and enjoying the olypics.

At the end of February it was Early out SEP's for Landon.  The first two days he went to friends homes.  Wednesday we had a friend come to our house, so Thursday he wasn't feeling to good and didn't want to play with anyone so we grabbed a lunch and had a picnic outside in the warm weather.  Brecken of course gets out by 2 everyday so he joined us a hour or two later out in the beautiful weather. He is working on a beanie for his cca class at school.  Also, in February we watched a ton of the winter olympics.  We loved it and it was on 24/7.  I  did snap a picture of Landon before church watching the Gold Medal Men's Hockey Final.   It was USA against Canada.  We won in overtime and it was amazing.  We were a little late to church because we had to watch it of course but sit down before the hymn had even started.  

 

Shaylee's MissionFeb 17th-23rd

CHAPTER 33: Gateway YSA/ Downtown Edmonton 

Ya i know what you're thinking... Sis. Monson haven't you been there forever and the answer is yes, yes I have... and we just got transfer news and im staying another 6 weeks

WEATHER: -41 °F (NEW PR) we had a huge cold front move in this week and it was freezing! We had to delay transfers because lots of the flights got delayed coming into canada! The yellow knife flight got delayed twice because they were up in the -50s up there. And than the flight coming in with new missionaries got delayed as well because of the huge storm. One day we saw the road and sidewalks... and the next day it was completely covered in snow again... welcome to Canada 

TRANSFERS:

Okay y'all in all honesty you didn't get an email from me last week because your girl was pretty bummed about transfers but basically im staying in YSA! We were shocked and all i can say is I do not recommend waiting to open the transfer bored with your district #notagoodidea

Anyway my goated comp Sis. Ashby went to join my old comp all the way up in Cherry Grove! She will be greatly missed! As for my new comp...im training in YSA again! My trainee is from Wyoming and she just turned 19 like literally two days ago! We could not be more opposite but she's super sweet and we will do great things together! Here's to another 6 weeks in YSA... 

HIGHLIGHTS: (from this week and last week since I didn't write an email last week) 

♡ Went running 5 miles with Ronak 

♡ Got flowers on campus! 

♡ Had 4 people cancel on us on valentines day 

♡ Filmed ads for 4 hours

♡ Broke up with my goats Taylor and Rayden... #willbemissed

♡ Sung amazing grace with Taylor and Rayden and had a testimony for our last lesson ever

♡ Sister Stuckis birthday! 

♡ Had a fire walk in to go get my trainee. Basically the mission president announces who their trainer is and you run in and idk do something fire and I absolutely aced it! 

♡ It was reading week so I survived my second reading week here... #fullcirclemoment

♡ Went into canadian tire for the first time! (Also no its not just a tire shop) 

♡ Ronak took us to Chipotle

♡ Said goodbye to my JD district! (Me and Sis. Fox will be holding down the fort) 

♡ Said goodbye to my quad! (Me and Sis.Miller will be holding down the fort) 

♡ Had 7 people at church for what i thought was my last week 

♡ Got to see all of my besties at transfers 

♡ Ate dinner with pres and thought we were bonding and totally thought i was going to go to the most blessed area in the mission... 

#bondbroken  #igwewerentbonding

♡ On sunday all of the members blamed canada loosing the hockey game on us 

SPIRITUAL THOUGHT: 

Craziest story this week and i figured i would write it out more for my sake to remember it. However, if you read this all... congratulations. 

On Wednesday we were supposed to have transfers however, due to pretty bad weather the flights were all messed up and so wednesday remained a normal day of missionary work for me and Sis. Ashby. I was still pretty bummed out about transfer news and i remember praying that morning that we could find a miracle. Our area desperately could use a miracle. That was all I said in my prayer but it was basically a plead or cry for help. As I was praying I recieved a random thought that we needed to go to the ETS station in a certain part of the city. I instantly got rid of the thought because 1. It was freezing cold and I didnt want to go finding outside. 2. The ETS station was another 15 minutes on top of where we were planning on going which was the mall. And 3. We didn't have tons of finding time that day so it would be a waste to drive all the way there for very short and limited time. So in all reality it truly didn't make any remote sense to go there. We were doing daily contacts that morning and i was going through our list of friends and none of them were progressing or responding. I was so bummed out to be staying yet another transfer in YSA. In that moment I remembered yet again that I needed to go the that ETS station. We continued our day doing other things and than we came home for lunch. After lunch was the time we had sat aside that day to go to the mall and do some finding. On our way to the mall I told Sister Ashby that I had the strongest feeling to go to that ETS station and that we were going to go finding there instead. I told her it was probably me just being in my own head but it was better safe than sorry. So off we went to the ETS station. When we got there we decided to go inside a towns center that was beside the ETS station due to the -30 weather we were in. As we reached the entry to that building I gave Sis. Ashby the look and we instantly turned around. I had the strongest feeling we needed to be outside. So off we went to the ETS station. I saw this guy and went up and started to talk to him. I found out he's been to church with his roommate before and that the missionaries have even been over to his apartment. His bus came so our convo was only about 4 minutes long but i was able to get his contact information and set up a return appointment. 

Okay pause that story and let me take you back in time...

So here's me and sister ashby at the beginning of the transfer. We had a member dinner at a returned missionaries apartment. We went over there and were introduced to some of his roommates. One of his roommates was hilarious and really cool. He wasn't a member. He didn't stay for dinner but after that dinner me and sister ashby both felt really strongly that he needed to come to church. All transfer we brainstormed how we were going to get this guy at church. We didn't want to tell our member to invite him because that felt weird but we continued to think about this guy all transfer....

Now we can go back to present time...

So after my discussion with this guy and hearing his name i put two and two together. IT WAS THE ROOMMATE. I HAD LITERALLY MET THIS GUY BEFORE. I was the missionary that had been over to his apartment before. The timing of meeting him was insane because his bus came right after our convo ended. So this is a miracle alone and the craziest story ever... but wait... there's more.

So this guy comes to church on Sunday with his roommate (his white friends call him C) So i see C and relay what I just relayed to yall about me having met him before. Than he asked me why I went up to him out of all of the people at the ETS station. So I told him my crazy story about the spirit guiding us there. Than he told me that right before our interaction he had actually just been fired from his job. He told me he was having an awful day and that he said a prayer to God and than 5 minutes later I showed up! Wow. Literally so crazy. Definitely not a coincidence either. 

Anyway so there's your really long story and if you got this far congrats. But I know that God is in the details. And I know he answers prayers. I know the holy ghost can guide us if we let it. And I know that things like this are not coincidences but god actively working in people's lives!!! 

I love and miss you all!!! Email me!!! 

Sis.Monson

 

Surprise for Jer Bears Birthday.

Grandpa's birthday was on a Monday. We decided to have a surprise party for him on Sunday at my house with cake and icecream after sunday dinner.  Everyone showed up after we had ate, and he was so surprised and excited.  We missed a few people but had a pretty good turn out. Lisa made Jer's favorite German chocolate cake and he was in heaven.  Brecken and Addison stole my phone and so of course they had to get posted as well. 

 

A Few Random Happenings.

While Brecken was home healing from getting his tonsils out it snowed one day.  He was in heaven and ran outside so fast.  They were big fat snowflakes, but they didn't stick around for long.  Dean and Landon took in a dinner and show when I  wasn't feeling too good. Landon took my spot.  Spending time with my sisters even if it is at the spa getting our blood drawn will always be a favorite of mine.  Then of course Brecken had to finish up his apron since he missed some school so they allowed him to take it home.  Good thing we have Grandma and Grandpa who were able to help him finish it up.  I could have helped him, but I  can not thread of figure out my sewing machine. lol.  Addison also got another piecing in her ear and this one swelled up like a balloon and wouldn't come out.  We had to get some special tools to help us and get her on some medication stat.  We finally got it out and I  hope she stops all the piercings.  She has to many as it is. lol.

 

Winter Cup 2026 (coldest days of the whole winter)

The 19-21 of February our club team had signed up for a soccer tournament.  The winter cup.  Boy, was it winter.  We had games Thursday night, Friday all day, and then Saturday if we won.  As the tournament got closer we realized it was going to be wet and cold.  High of 37 and lows in the 20's during the day. Thursday evening.  I  had a district training I  had to do, and so I  would be missing this nights game.  It was raining, windy, and turning to snow with a wind chill of 35 maybe.  The boys dressed as warm as they could, but they were so cold they were crying.  It was a rough game.  We played a team from up north who probably practiced in this type of weather all the time.  They ended up winning us 5-2.  Landon came home with his hands still frozen and cold and jumped right into the shower.  The next morning at 8:00 it was 27 degrees, but at least we had sun and no rain/wet.  The boys were in better spirits this morning probably because they got to miss school for these games.  They had a fun game and won 5-1.  Landon had a couple good shots on goal, isaac had a shot, miles had one and I  think thad had one as well.  We had a little break in between games so we were able to run home grab a lunch, clean up and then head back down to sullivan fields for our next game.  It got a little cloudy, but wasn't a bad day.  Still low 40's maybe.  The boys fought so hard for this game.  They new if they won they would be in a tie to go to the games tomorrow.  The played their hearts out and it went back and forth the whole game.  Landon fought and played tough.  He took some good hits and the kid who was on him got a yellow card.  We ended up losing 3-4.  It was a rough lose, but the boys played as good as i've ever seen them.  It was a good learning tournament for us, and it was fun for the boys to do it before the season starts in a few weeks.