Hello everyone! Life is great despite the cold :D Things are going well here. We're learning a lot and becoming better each day through this refining experience :)
So I have recently made it to the war chapters of Alma. You may infer that it has influenced how I am viewing things a lot currently :) But it's so great! I love how much Alma is applicable to all that we are going through in the world today. So much missionary work is going on (Alma 11-34) and we're really fighting against evil at all times (Alma 43-62). There's a reason it is as long as it is because it applies so much to us today. But I really feel the battle that is going on against Satan in this area. A we say in French, we're wrestling against him to win and bring souls unto Christ. We're making progress in the fight though! :D But I encourage you to look to those war heros in the Book of Mormon as examples to how we need to fight against Satan and all his followers. And remember, when we follow Christ we're on the winning team every time. We know the outcome so we must live accordingly to be found at his right hand at the last day. So join in the struggle and put in your best swings at Satan! ;D
Monday the 8th:
We visited Sr. Mingione. She had read 1 Néphi 8 like we asked her and then Elder Barreiro took us through the vision using his gospel art book. It was awesome! We really dug into that vision for all its worth. The Spirit was very strong especially as we asked her what she can do to better stay on the strait and narrow to follow the Iron Rod :) It was great! :D
Tuesday the 9th:
We got to go to the temple to help out with the Sisters recent convert. I got to be a witness and then perform the confirmations which was such a joy! I love when people bring their own names to the temple :) I had some time to actually go through the scriptures while I was there and I felt like Dad with his little weekly insights :) I found that most of what I read tied back to faith as part of salvation and this work that I am a part of. It was a great reminder :)
Wednesday the 10th:
After district meeting, us Elders went over to La Belle Province and got poutine together, it being Elder Barreiro's first. It was great haha! His first reaction was that it is "Half gross, half amazing." That about sum's it up haha!
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| Elder Barreiro's first poutine :) |
Then we got to have our first lesson with Mahmud an investigator. It was in his pizza restaurant during some down time. He's from Turkey and he's really open about religion so we had a good lesson with him on the Restoration. He understood a lot from it especially about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. He committed to read and pray about it but he wasn't too open to be baptized so we'll have to help him understand that some more.
Thursday the 11th:
We had our first visit with the Betancur family who are Latin American (I believe Argentinian and Peruvian... or Honduras..ian...) It was a great visit! They're a family of 6 who haven't been to Church for a long time due to work but with the hour change they are looking to come back. They were so attentive to us as we taught and we kinda threw our lesson plan out the window when we got in there. Instead we watched some of the general authority trainings on the Sabbath Day. We watched them in Spanish and it was powerful to be able to understand most of it anyway. But I was so happy when Elder Barreiro really stepped it up and taught a lot in Spanish. The Spirit was so strong as we talked about the blessings of the Sacrament and being cleansed through this holy ordinance. Then when the Spirit was strong we committed them to come to Church! They accepted! They're not sure about this week but they will the next! :D It was awesome! :D
Friday the 12th:
We passed by a lot of former investigators and old potentials to try and build up our teaching pool some more but we didn't have much success. Although we met Jose from Peru who was happy to talk with us (but clear about not changing religion... yet!) and Elder Barreiro once again had a great chat with him at the door. Then we went up to L'Assomption which is a smaller city up north. It was really cool because right when we got out of our car to get some dinner at Subway this girl is walking on the sidewalk and we start talking to her and she's a member! Too cool! :D
A little later we were passing by some people. As we were walking we saw a man outside and waved and said hi. Then he said something back that I couldn't understand so we went to his driveway. He got pretty close being about a `5' Italian man and he asked me with a big smile on his face, "Avez-vous un problème?" (Do you have a problem?) I replied not at all and then introduced myself and who we represented. Immediately he started going off about how he's poor and his pension isn't enough. then he just looked at me and smiled then he patted my stomach twice and walked away saying "Ciao!" Haha it was way too funny!!! :D
Saturday the 13th:
It was a pretty cold day. It was the first in a long time where I saw below -20 degrees C (-4 F, -40 F with windchill). But we got out and worked! We even did some snow shoveling haha which was fun! Once we got back into the car we kind of just thawed out for a while haha :)
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| Out working in the snow! :) |
Boiling water cloud :)
(see the video on the blog)
But a little later we went to see Fr. Bienvenue and start teaching his mother-in-law. It was pretty interesting having to go through Fr. Bienvenue to talk to her because she can't read and only speaks Créole. But it went well! She was open to the idea of baptism and as we taught about the Plan of Salvation it rang true with her! :)
Sunday the 14th:
Church was just great! I took notes during sacrament meeting and I got so much out of it! The stake patriarch talked about patriarchal blessings which I loved :) Then Elders Quorum was so inspirational! Our new president came in with guns blazing in saying that he wants us to be a rowing team all rowing in the same direction. It was powerful! And he's giving us missionaries the supporting role in it all to help out these members! It's so great to really see him taking responsibility for it all! And he tied it all into chapter 3 of Howard W Hunter on adversity. So powerful! :D
It was pretty crazy because by the end of the day I participated in three different blessings, two of which I was speaking for. I have such a strong testimony of the priesthood and how when I give blessings it's not me speaking but the Spirit speaking through me. I'm grateful for that opportunity each and every time :)
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| Utah Snow resort stickers anyone? |
I'm also convinced that "The Voice" (Or here in Québec "La Voix") on TV is of the devil. That night as we were knocking we heard one apartment was watching it so we went down a floor to go back during a commercial break to give them the best chance. On the floor down we heard both sides watching it as well.... It was so creepy! So many people in that one small building were watching that show and it was impeding the work!
Then today, Monday the 15th, we hit up the stores to get Elder Barreiro all geared up! I gotta say I'm a little jealous because we hit all the end of season sales and he got a really nice coat for only 90$! Pretty sweet! But I got a nice scarf so all is well :)
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| A nice picture of us both |
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| Sporting my new infinity scarf (That was only 7$!!) :) |
So there's my week! There's your glimpse into my life as a consecrated servant! It's the dream!
I love you all so much!
Love,
Elder Brooks :)
Elder Brooks :)
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