But this week I finished Isaiah completely! I am tearing up the Old Testamant! But I loved reading chapter 54 because I was familiar with so much of it from a song I sang my junior year in high school. My Kindness Shall Not Depart From Thee by Rob Gardner is so powerful! And much of it is quoted from Isaiah 54:7,8, and 10 :) Go check out the scripture and also the song! I also love how the song quotes D&C 122 which is another power scripture passage! But one phrase that I love from the song is "how long can rolling waters remain impure?" Truly we are in rolling waters constantly being pushed and shoved through life. But as we see the bigger picture we can see that it truly purifies and sanctifies us. What a great blessing :D
Tuesday 3rd:
Tuesday morning we went down to Lac Brome and got up on Frere Boulanger's roof and did some shoveling :D He had about a foot and a half so it needed some work haha :) Although on the top we had to straddle the peak so we wouldn't slip. Let's just say I should have stretched more that morning haha! But then that afternoon Kalila wasn't doing so hot but Frere Donovan came to the rescue! I am so grateful that we have members to work with us because I have never had a child so I have no idea how to raise them! But before we left there we gave her a blessing. I find it such a blessing to be able to give blessings because it is a chance for me to truly experience the power of the Spirit speaking through me. The words aren't mine and I get to learn and be edified almost as much as the person I give the blessing too. Being a vessel of the Spirit is the best! :D
Wednesday 4th:
In my study of Isaiah that day I read a lot about the gathering of Israel and the Second Coming. Man there is some exciting stuff going on today because we are seeing the fulfillment of the prophecies about the gathering. I'm doing it even now as a missionary! I have also found that D&C has so much Isaiah in it which is awesome! Because honestly, the Lord isn't quoting Isaiah, but himself haha :)
We had another lesson with Marquis that day about the Restoration and we got to do some power testifying! By the end of the lesson he committed to read the entire Book of Mormon and was even asking for info about when and where church was. Sadly though he just got his knee operated so he's not too mobile yet. Then right after we were inspired to stop by the Randalls who live down in Waterloo, our area, but go to Sherbrooke. When we got there Brother Randall told us how he had someone coming over to check out the house and he had a lot to do. So immediately we got to work helping him. He said it was an answer to prayer that we showed up! I love being the answer to others' prayers!
Sadly we got a call from Monique and she said that she's too busy to continue with us and is even starting to work on Sundays. But we should be able to restart with her in a month or so. Satan is working hard on Granby and he may have won this battle but we will always win the war! That night we went over to Granny Addie's and got to meet her neighbors which was awesome! Addie is doing missionary work! :D
Thursday 5th:
That night we went and saw Cheri and finally taught her the Restoration. It was awesome even though she had a friend over who was clearly drunk. But by the end they were both committed to read and find out and we got them thinking about baptism too through a soft invititation. She's ready to start changing! Then right after we went and saw Nannette. We used a lot of pictures from the pamphlet about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She has trouble reading so we're working with her through more explanations but this time around it's going a lot better! Then she committed to come to church too! Baptism could be in the near future for her!
Friday 6th:
Happy Birthday Hannah! I was thinking about you! (Also a letter for you is in the mail with notes for other family too :) ) We visited Tania with the Fremonts. It turned into teaching her mother by answering questions she had in the Bible and even teaching her the Plan of Salvation! It was awesome! That afternoon we coordinated with the sister missionaries of Tania's mom's area and she's going to get taught more!
Right after that the Fremonts took us out to lunch at Ô Max. Let's just say we lower the average age there by at least 20 years... but it's a great opportunity to get out among the people. As we were leaving a couple men stopped us and asked who we were and so we introduced ourselves and told them we share a message. I handed them a Book of Mormon pass-along card and he seemed genuinely interested. Before we had gotten back home, he called us still at the restaurant! He wanted the book! :D So cool! Then that night we got to meet a newly arrived family from Tanzania that doesn't speak much other than Kirundi. So instead I sang for them and it was very different because the head of the household gathered all the kids together so that they'd all listen respectfully. It was such a great experience :) Now we're going to get them Kirundi copies of the Book of Mormon!
Saturday 7th:
So I was reading in Revelation chapters 13 and 14 (yes I enjoy reading the hard books haha :) ) and I found a little connection. They both talk about how in the last days people will be marked with the name of the beast on their forehead in 13 but in chapter 14 it speaks of how the saints will have the name of the Father on their foreheads. So i thought about that and wrote next to it "whose name will we be called by?" It relates a lot to enduring to the end because that is what truly matters after we have taken part in the saving ordinances. So reflect on that and do your best to represent whose team you're rooting for :)
That afternoon we delivered a Book of Mormon to Gervais, who we met at Ô Max the day before. He was super open and invited us in which is surprising on a first visit. But he said he was very interested but sadly very busy too. But we'll find a way to teach him! That night we went knocking again. Woo! Once I get knocking all the boldness comes right back and the fire of the gospel! We also got a call from Mara who returned from her trip and the fire of the gospel is still strong in her! :D
Sunday 8th:
We had some people missing at church due to the weather (yes it was snowing) and also the time change. But we had Shelley, Nannette, and Mara which made me very happy! :D We had great talks about not sleeping through the Restoration, which in case you didn't know is still happening today! We got to teach Shelley about the Sabbath day that afternoon and then we went back to knocking (because we got dropped by 4 people and others faded out). But I had an answer to prayer! I prayed during companion study that we would find someone who was ready and that we would have a lesson with them right then and that was exactly what happened! We knocked into an african woman and we introduced ourselves and got to know her some. She told us she hadn't been too satisfied with the church she was going to and she needed a good place to baptize her 7 year old daughter. We introduced the Book of Mormon to her and immediately she said something like "oh I knew there had to be something other than the Bible." It was ridiculous! So we gave a Book of Mormon and she was super happy! Then her chum (quebecois for boyfriend) in the back asked if he could have one too so we went inside and gave him one too. Then the woman, Mirette or something, asked more and more questions. So we finally stopped and said a prayer and had a lesson with her right there! Answer to prayer!!! But she was telling us that the Book of Mormon was true and that she didn't need to read it. We even explained how children that aren't baptized are saved which she liked a lot. It was so awesome!!! :D
Then today we got invited to go to a Cabane à Sucre (Sugar Shack) which turned out to be a Quebecois breakfast at an érablière or maplerie where they collect and make maple syrup :) We went with the Wus and her shuffle board group so it was all old people and they all spoke english. Too weird haha :) But they were very impressed by us cute young men and they encouraged us to keep going and it was just a great fun for us :) But goodness we ate so much! But we actually did something cool for P-Day! :D Tada! :D
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| maple sap tubes! |
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| Inside the Érablière Bernard :) |
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| A native in shorts :) |
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| They pour out maple syrup on snow and it turns gooey and so good! |
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| Maple taffy! |
So that was my week. It's been great here and I'm excited for what miracles are going to happen this week! We continue to work hard and continue to see the blessings. We can only imagine that it's because we're almost a branch that Satan is trying so hard to tear the members down. So many are have trials but I know that it's just a precursor for the blessings to come! :D
I love you all so much! Hannah you're so old! 17!! Don't grow up so fast!
Have a wonderful week! I love you!
Love,
Elder Kennen Brooks :)
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