Goodness this week has been jam packed so it feels like so much has happened but at the same time the time interval seemed very short! Time flies when you're trying your best! :) But seriously we're trying to just keep up with everything going on in our area. We're finding like crazy and teaching even more! At the end of the week we realized that we taught more than 20 lessons and didn't even know it! Blessings are every where!
My beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, the Holy One of Israel. Yea come unto Christ and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Continue in fasting and prayer and endure to the end and as the Lord liveth ye shall be saved.
I really enjoyed focusing on this message of partaking of Christ's salvation which is possible through his redemption/Atonement. In discussing it with Elder Brewer we found that each week when we partake of the Sacrament, we partake of Christ's salvation. It really helped me appreciate all that more as I better understand the Gospel :)
Monday the 2nd:
After emails and our regular preparations for the week we got to have dinner with the Desselles family. It was delicious as cuisine from Belgium always is! They really do cook for taste :) But after the meal we taught them the Restoration with their less-active son there. It was very powerful. Sr. Desselles was quite moved when we cited the First Vision. It just goes to show that the Spirit can testify to us again and again about the same things, only make our testimony and conversion stronger :)
Right after that we went to our regular FHE with the Jaegers and Raul. Raul had read up to 1 Nephi 13!! He's only 12! It's amazing! But we read from 2 Nephi 31 about Christ showing us the example of being baptized. We also showed some pictures from the Gospel Art Book and then Raul asked us "Can I be baptized?"..... "Uh yeah!" So right then we set a baptismal date with him of November 28! (Unfortunately there aren't enough Sundays of church between now and then so it'll be pushed back.) But we were so excited for him! Now we've been praying a lot that his parents hearts will be softened enough to let him be baptized.
Tuesday the 3rd:
I was on an exchange with Elder Brewer from the Longueuil Sud zone. We just went ham on the area! In the afternoon we didn't have any set rendezvous so we looked through some former investigators and chose out some to pass by. While we were out there we walked around the areas trying to just find these addresses but in the space of just an hour and a half, we passed out 3 Book of Mormons and set up a couple appointments too! Sooooo cool!!!! At one point a car drove past us and called out "Twinsies" because we were both in short sleeves and looked almost the exact same from the back. I thought it was hilarious! But then we caught up with them and we stood outside their car and they rolled down their windows and we talked to them for a while :) We gave them open house invitations and they drove away some. Then I realized they didn't have our number! So I ran to where they had stopped again and threw pass along cards into their car with my number on it. It was a beautiful zealous moment haha :)
That evening we finally got to see Sr. Lovell again! It's been a month that we just lost all contact with her but we were able to share some scriptures for her needs and help her feel the Spirit :) But also right before going to bed, I was able to give a call to a missionary who's struggling right now in a similar situation to what I kind of went through at the beginning of my mission. It just felt so great because I had empathy for him and was able to help him move forward to find some hope :) The Lord really provides those opportunities to help others through our experiences :)
Wednesday the 4th:
We had our district meeting and that's where we unexchanged. Then after our meeting it was go time! We had lessons every hour practically! But one of them fell through so we could send off our progress record digitally :) But in the afternoon we went to visit one of the people Elder Brewer and I found the day before. We got to the door and called them to let us in. The man who answered wasn't who we talked to so introduced who we are... Then the man said..."But I'm a member... I'm a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints..." We were dumbfounded! It turns out we had talked to his non-member son on the street the day before! We found a lost sheep!!!! :D So there we got to have a lesson with Fr. Benoit from Haiti who's actually blind. His son wasn't there but we were able to set up another lesson for that :) Amazing!
We had dinner with the Massenas down in Verdun. And afterward we taught them the Restoration too. Elder Lund and I both felt that it was the best we had ever taught it. We're getting in our practice that's for sure :) Then Fr. Massena followed us over to an appointment with Fr. Katanga. He's a less-active man and we felt like he needs to prepare a name to take to the Temple for baptisms. So we talked a lot about family history and read from D&C 138. The Spirit was so strong and he knew that's what he needed to do. It was awesome! :D So next week we'll be helping him to start his genealogy! :D
Thursday the 5th:
That afternoon we got to do some service for Mala, a joint investigator with the Sisters. She was referred to us by a member from Hawkesbury and our visit was golden! After the service we got to know her spirituality better. Elder Lund asked the golden question of "who taught you to believe in God?" which fueled the entire conversation. Her grandfather was a great example to her and also her father had something of an Alma the Younger conversion going from an alcoholic smoker blasphemer to a God-loving man who copied the Bible by hand. Amazing :) We were able to testify strongly of the Atonement of Christ with her :)
Later we visited an amie, Joceline, at her door. The Spirit really guided us in what we needed to share :) She was super happy to see us too :) Then that evening we had some ward meetings! :D Focused on people!
Friday the 6th:
After weekly planning we hit the asphalt! First we got to teach Ira for the first time. He's a student in civil engineering right now and he's very open to learn about religion. Our discussion kind of jumped around but we answered his questions and he accepted to start reading the Book of Mormon and pray about it. We invited him to be baptized but he wasn't quite sure yet so we'll keep coming back to that. But he said the closing prayer as we knelt which was awesome :)
Then in the same area we passed by Corina another amie. It was the first time I ever taught her but she has been so prepared! She's going through a lot of tough times but her faith is like a rock. So solid! Our little lesson at the door focused around the Doctrine of Christ which was perfect. Because then we got to reteach about baptism and commit her to it! I even was inspired by the Holy Ghost and committed her to be baptized December 12th! It was awesome! :D
We had dinner with the Meline family that evening. For our little spiritual message we got a bowl of water representing us, all pure and clean. Then in came the pepper of sin! Then we had their little 2 year old son touch his soapy finger to the water and all the pepper rushed away. They loved it! :D We likened the soap to the Christ's Atonement :) Then we took Fr. Meline with us and taught Sr. Lovell. We really got deep with her asking about her desires and fears. She really opened up to us and then we were able to teach to her needs. She felt like she was very alone but then Elder Lund shared from Luke 22 how Christ also felt alone but that he had an angel sent to him. Christ always knows exactly what we go through. It gave her a lot of hope for the future :) The Holy Ghost really touched her heart :) It was great!
Then during planning we got a call from Joey whom we left a little note on his door when we passed by that day. It was awesome! :D
Saturday the 7th: When we found 5 new investigators in one day.
That morning after personal study and a brief comp study we had to get going. Up in Saint Laurent we picked up Fr. Bonville to go to a first lesson with Celine, a referral from other missionaries. She was excited to see us and then two of her roommates joined us, Reynard and Conrad. I was amazed when Conrad said that he knew who we were because 30 years ago in Congo we knew some Latter-day Saints or saw a church but that he never thought to see them again and here we were. Amazing! But we gave them an overview of our message and gave them a Book of Mormon. They were especially sensitive because a friend of theirs had recently passed away. But as we wrapped up, Reynard looked at us and said "we're sorry we don't have more time today but I want to hear more. Will you come back next Saturday at the same time so you can tell us more?" You can imagine our response :) Such a cool experience!
We also got to have lunch with Sr. Loudin and her son. We shared about the Book of Mormon and shared from the introduction of how we can know it's true :) He liked that a lot :)
Then we picked up Fr. Pellissier and when back up to Saint Laurent. There we got to teach Fr. Benoit's son Jacques. It was great! We even found out that Fr. Pellissier and Fr. Benoit have friends in common from the Hochelaga ward! But Jacques is all on board to learn and be baptized and his father is going to help him too! :D It's wonderful!!!
That evening we got to teach Joey for the first time. He's just too cool and I love that he's a pro-musician. He was really grateful of our note and thinking of him since he just got out of the hospital that night before from his surgery. But we got to teach him the Restoration in depth on the Apostasy and Joseph Smith's story. He was grateful to hear the real story of us Mormons and not what other people say. He says it's all possible because he believes in crazier things in the Bible. But he's really looking for that family feel in a church because it's missing in so many today. He understands well that the church is in us as well as outside of us. He has such a great understanding of the gospel along with his witty performer humor which makes him a blast to be with. But after we finished we had a bunch of questions for us but my favorite was this. "So do you guys celebrate Christmas?" "...yes..." "And do you sing Christmas Carols?" "...Yes." "Like the classics like Silent Night and O Little Town of Bethlehem?" "Yes we do." "Oh good cause I love Christmas!" Haha it was too funny :) He's really honest with us and he wants to learn which is so cool :) Maybe I'll be able to even learn some music from him too :)
Oh and then when we got home, we made the transfer calls to all of the zone leaders. I can now officially tell you that Elder Lund has been transferred. But where you might ask? Why none other than GRANBY!!!! :D He's going to my old area!!! :D I'm super excited for him :) My new companion though will be Elder Ritz from Georgia! It should be great! :D
Sunday the 8th:
We had Stake Conference that morning and our ward was the Choir. We sang prelude of Sweet is the Work but during the meeting we sang "Oui, Je Crois En Christ" (I Believe in Christ). We had 4 soloists and I was one of them. (Another funny thing is that of the 4, 3 of us were American anglophones being me and two of the Patrick kids!) But it was great to be able to share my testimony with them :) After the meeting so many people came and complimented me. Even one couple said that they recognized my last name from the Mission Mom page on facebook... So Mom if you got a note from someone that would be them haha :)
The Conference was just wonderful though. We had talks about being charitable, being meek and lowly of heart :) But my favorite was President Patrick. He laid down pure simple doctrine of the 5 steps in the Gospel (Faith, Repentance, Baptism, Gift of the Holy Ghost and Endure to the End) and the 5 saving ordinances (Baptism, Confirmation, Melchizedek Priesthood for men, Endowment, and Sealing). He explained that a big lie is that our ordinances save us. A woman from the front row even said that she thought that was true. Then President said `No we are saved by Jesus Christ and ordinances are the conditions he set.`` It was awesome :) But so simple that children could do it on both of their hands :) But our Stake President shared a crazy story of getting stuck in Toronto with no wallet, money or identification. He likened it to our state that we cannot do it alone. We need Christ in our lives. It was powerful :)
After church we got to teach Joceline with Fr. Pellissier. We read from 1 Nephi 4 and talked about Faith. Then we wanted to see where she is with the Book of Mormon. She shared that she knows it's true!!! :D So awesome! Then we linked it to baptism to give her a clear vision of where we want to help her go :) It was great! Then we visited Everett so Elder Lund could say goodbye. He was sick sadly so he wasn`t at church. But he's come so far :)
Then for dinner we were with the Rakotomalalas and the Ballins as well as the Rako's friend Jennifer. It was a pleasure to be with all of them and then after the meal we taught about the Book of Mormon. Jennifer was so excited to have her own and she committed to read it and pray about it and that if she did find out it was true that she would be baptized. It was awesome!!! Her copy was signed by all of the family and she had us sign it too :) it was great :)
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| Me with the Ballins and Rakotomalalas |
So there was our week! Life is so good! The area is going super well and miracles are always happening :) I cannot wait to see who we will meet this week and what miracles await! I know this is the Work of the Lord for the Salvation of everyone! :D It's the best thing I could be doing in my life right now :)
I love you all! Take care of yourselves and read your scriptures every day :)
Love,
Elder Brooks :)
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