September 11, 2017--starting to get a bit colder!

September 11, 2017

This week has been an awesome one! 

Wanted to give a special shout-out to last weeks birthday of Honto! Hope it was all amazing!

We've been seeing great miracles here! We are going through the process with one family to see when they can be baptized so we'll keep you updated on that in the future. Sometimes situations can be sensitive in this particular work.

Another family is doing great and came to church. We've got to go over to their house and probably cast out some unclean spirits as well as give one of them a blessing. They otherwise are doing well. Busy recently, but well!

We'll see what happens with our investigator who has moved here from Montreal. We've met with her twice and from what we can gather she was really close to coming to church yesterday!

This Sunday we took a trip up to the New Market church with our investigator who came the first time up there! She was amazing and the ward flocked to her! She's going to be a great member of the church! We'll keep you updated on her. Only met her once so far, but she has had significant refiners fire experiences and I believe is among the most prepared people to receive the Gospel I've met on my mission! The greatest obstacle with her is our kilometer limit to see her more frequently. So we'll see what hoops we can jump through to create more available kilometers!

Sad to hear about the Cougs loss seems like that rivalry is all but over... Oh well haha.

Hope all is well back there! One thing that is a little alarming here is that it is already starting to great pretty cold haha. Wasn't like this last year and from what we are hearing it might be a type of things to come haha.

One cool miracle this week was that we were sent to a home of a former investigator who said her mom had passed away that day. Unfortunately, in this case, didn't let us say anything before shutting the door. BUT was powerful evidence to me that we really are on the Lord's errand. I know when we follow promptings the Lord will send us where He wants us to be for the good of His children!

Also, something I've been thinking about a lot lately is how a weakness of mine especially out here is having a desire to get the last word(even if that is a nice last word). I believe there will come a power into our lives when we spiritually and humbly retreat and make ourselves vulnerable, and in many cases let others have the last word in our exchanges.

Again Happy birthday Honto!!! 

Love you all and hope you have a great week!T

I asked Steve what he wanted us to send him for his birthday and this

is what he said....

For my birthday I would love all of you to go out of your way to serve someone in the family and then serve someone (at school, or neighborhood, or work) that no one else would think to serve. And everyone practice saying salaam!

So everyone be thinking of people you can serve. Steve's birthday is on October 24 so you have a little time to think about it!

 Also, Elder Bakker and I have some Iranians convinced to teach us how to cook Iranian food so be excited for that!

I love you! I love this work and am so grateful I grew up in a home and family where I could learn these priceless and Eternal truths and Principles and receive irreplaceable Ordinances. Have a great week!

Sept 5, 2017

Sept 5,2017

Well not a ton of time again this week, I guess that's becoming a little bit of a habit.

 It's been an awesome week! We are seeing miracles every day and I really am just so grateful to be a part of this work!

This Monday we had a cool talk with an individual who really is prepared for the Gospel. He is Chinese Mandarin speaking. After exhausting all of Elder Bakker and I's Mandarin we got to talk to him a little. The spirit really touched his heart. One thing I noticed talking to him was that he often would feel the spirit as we testified of truth, and in some cases get choked up and say that was very nice, but then I saw quite literally his countenance change as he would say, but this is the real world, that can't be true here. This happened multiple times throughout the conversation. It was a powerful learning experience for me to think how often I feel the spirit of the truth of something that is true that seems like may be too good to be true. We also met with a sweet individual who simply believes that he cannot pray,  because he doesn't already believe in God. How much joy we will feel as we choose to recognize God's hands in our lives and recognize that His truth and His love really are all that we could want or even hope they could be and more than we truly can begin to fathom. How grateful I am for the Lord Jesus Christ and the opportunity I have to come to know Him.

     Our Taiwanese new member is doing great, and we had him sit in and help teach a lesson we had here in Toronto! It was cool, went okay, but was really cool!

    Our other individuals we are teaching here are doing great! One I may have mentioned we were teaching in Quebec moved here and now we are teaching her here! Many are progressing and doing very well! We also can't wait to find more the Lord is preparing for the Gospel!

     Yesterday we had interviews with President and Sister Shields. I always feel such powerful love from them anytime I am around them. I am so grateful the Lord has given me some time to be ministered to from them and learn from them.

     I love you all and hope all is well! Sounds like the first week of school was a blast for everyone! Have a great second week!