Wednesday, September 5, 2012

August 27, 2012

Goodness Gracious my friends... This week was jam packed..... Let me get started here,

1st! We headed down to Quebec for Zone Conference. We drove to Chicoutimi to pick up the elders there, Elder Fitzgerald and Elder Christensen, and we car pooled down. It was basically the awesomest thing ever. Monday, we went to this chocolate museum, and the Zone Leaders thought it would be super cool to visit! Then, it turns out that it was this tiny 2 room building, and one was the chocolate store. We didn't spend a whole lot of time there, but they did have a dress made of chocolate and a working clock made entirely of chocolate too! Then after that we went and visited Old Quebec. Man, it was pretty! Old shops, cobblestone pathways, Cannons, Castles. Beautiful. I have about a Bajillion pictures, I have no idea how I am going to choose just a few to send this week. That night, after we spent time with the other missionaries and such, we went to go blitz an area, Elder Heder and I worked with one of the Assistants to President Cannon, Elder Glenn, he is super great too. But we got to do something that we don't have the chance to do in Alma! They are called Buzz ups! You go to an apartment building and you try and have someone buzz you into the apartment so you can do some door contacting. Which kind of sucked, because people really didn't let us in. BUT!! And this is where the story gets super exciting, we got let into this building, and we were talking with the people, and we were talking with one lady at the door, and I hear someone tapping on the glass door to get into the apartment complex, and I look over, and it's two police officers! SOMEONE CALLED THE COPS ON US!!!! =D =D =D They couldn't do anything besides kick us out of the apartment building, but still! It was really cool, and something I didn't think I was going to experience, but I did!

2nd. Zone Conference: That was fun. We learnt a lot, and we ate well too. The members who fed us basically gave us a 5 star meal. it was amazing. And not even because we were missionaries, like it actually was just an amazing meal. They had mashed potatoes, and in the mashed potatoes, WAS BACON. I know, right?

Next, Friday night we went with our friends Renée and Paul to their chalet on the lake. We had an amazing dinner there too, and got to spend some time around the campfire. We gave a cool little "Spiritual thought", but not really because they don't want us talking about the church, but we gave the CTR rings. 8] and they are starting to ask questions about the church, and about missions, and about our message. We are slowly opening the door, and then slowly sticking our foot in the crack so they cant slam the door on us. hehe... But that was super fun, and trust me, as soon as I'm done my mission, Mom and dad? We are coming back to visit. Partially so I can show you the beautiful country up here, partially so I can introduce you to all the amazing people I have met already, but mostly so I can swim in the stinking lake. It's killing me not to able to strip down and jump in the rivers and the lake here...

Saturday we had a Branch activity. It was the "L'Epluchette de Blé d'Inde". Literally translated into "Peel the Wheat from India", but what it actually means is we had a Corn Bust! And man, we had miracles there.... All week long we had been inviting people out to this activity, and as a result, we were struggling to meet our goals for the week for lessons taught and new investigators found and stuff, and it was starting to wear down on us. And then we showed up on Saturday to start to get ready for the activity, and people just started to show up. And they didn't stop coming. Our Branch has 9 people in it. There were over 30 people at the corn bust! We had 21 investigators show up. 21!!!!! THAT'S INSANE!! There were kids! THAT'S INSANE TOO!!!! Luckily, we had two huge bags of corn, because people were eating and eating and eating! We had a Frisbee, and some friends of our branch president brought all their musical stuff and their speakers and amps and mikes, and put on a little show for everyone too! It was amazing..... Elder Heder and I basically killed ourselves trying to keep everyone entertained, because the members were so outnumbered! Ah! It was a great day!

Sunday! Elder Heder and I gave the talks in Sacrament meeting. We even got to pick our own topics. I didn't like that part. I don't mind talking about something, as long as I am given a few guidelines on what that thing should be. I ended up talking about Grace, and Elder Heder talked about The joy of being a missionary. And, we had our Friend Richelle come to church again this week with her kids. They came a few weeks ago, and the kids said they were a little disappointed because they thought there was going to be other kids and a lesson for them and stuff, but we didn't know they were coming so we didn't prepare a primary lesson for them or anything. But this time we knew they were coming, so we had a primary, and they kids really seemed to enjoy themselves! In fact, it was Danique and Amalia, the two kids in my pictures from last week! 8] They are so awesome! 

Remember that couple I told you about last week? The Pentecosts? We had a lesson with them Wednesday night, and it was a complete gong show. The Husband had gone online and found some anti-Mormon site we assume, because he had all these scriptures that "proved" that the book of Mormon was wrong. it was really really sad. And the training we had received at Zone Conference talked a bit about the spirit of contention and how we want to try to avoid anything that can lead to contention, so all Elder Heder and I did while we were there was sat and listened while He tried to prove us wrong. Scriptures like where it says in the BOM that the Savior should be born in Jerusalem. He was all up on that because Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Yes. We know that. But Bethlehem was a suburb of Jerusalem at that time! It's like saying that if someone is Born in Mill Woods, and then someone else, who lives in Cambodia who doesn't know anything about Canada or Alberta or Edmonton at all, says that that person was born in Edmonton, then they are wrong. No, just because they don't have every detail perfect, doesn't mean that they don't know where he will be born! There is no difference between Mill Woods and Edmonton. But, there isn't much we could do about that. They obviously were not ready at all to accept the gospel if that is how they wanted to meet with us. The only way that someone can receive a witness that the book of Mormon is in fact a true book, and contains revelation from God is to ask God. One cannot receive a knowledge of God from Man. 

Anyways, I think that is about all I have to this week! The next few weeks should be pretty busty too, we have exchanges this week, and I will get to ride in a semi truck! One of our investigators just finished Trucker School! (Kaden, I now know exactly what the difference is between engine breaks and other breaks), and then the next week we have zone study, so we are right back down to Quebec, and then that week we have transfer calls! Time has blown by! Gah!

Anyways, I love you all, and I hope you all have a great week!

Mosiah 3:3

Et il me dit: Éveille-toi, et entends les paroles que je vais te dire; car voici, je suis venu t'annoncer la bonne nouvelle d'une grande joie. 

Mosiah 3:3 

And he said unto me: Awake, and hear the words which I shall tell thee; for behold, I am come to declare unto you the glad tidings of great joy.

This is our message. We as missionaries have this news, these things of "Glad tidings of great joy". And all we want is for people to experience this Great Joy themselves in their lives. We know that with this message of the restored gospel that we have the only means whereby man may achieve a fullness of joy in this life, AND in the life to come. My invitation is for everyone to come and to see for yourself if these things can bless you in your life. And I promise you that if you have a desire to know the truth of this message which we have to share, and you ask God, he WILL give you the answer that these things are true. I know because I have done this myself. I prayed and asked my Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon was true, and the answer I received was powerful and absolutely undeniable, and I know, with certainty, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that through its teachings, every human being can receive a fullness of joy.

This is the working clock, made completely out of chocolate! (Except the pendulum...) 

 Door contacting for Elder Christensen is hard. He is just too tall!

 There is this store in Quebec. It only sells Christmas stuff. 

This is a little disturbing... Could you imagine having that in your house for like 2 weeks? I would probably end up lighting it on fire......

 OK, they have some of the coolest graffiti here in Quebec City!


 There were a lot of missionaries who stayed in one apartment for the Zone Conference...

Tell me you don't want to just swim in this lake?

Paul and Renée's Family. Super awesome time at the chalet!

They are French. They eat like they are french, and they cleanse palate like they are french. It was so good!

Philippe and Albert. Super awesome kids, and both very active and into sports!

This is as close as you will get to a sunset picture this week. You are all very lucky... Because trust me, I have more.

This is WAY to much corn for 11 people. But a perfect amount for 30+

Frisbee Champs of the world! We have Richelles kids, and we have another friend of ours kids, David, and I have absolutely no idea what her daughters name is. It made passing her the Frisbee really hard...

That is the fullest this parking lot has been in years. I know this probably doesn't seem to impressive, but trust me, it is.

Some of our friends enjoying the free concert!

 Quebec may have some crazy graffiti, but so does Alma!! AWE YEAH!


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