"Can you believe it! It has been a month. Ha General Conference was for sure amazing, as always! I loved being able to watch it and hear what they had to say. It was for sure crazy to hear that the age has changed to 18 and 19! I think it will be really good though. Obviously there will be more situations that arrive, but I think it is also showing just how much more we are being trusted and that we ourselves need to take the next step to do better and be better. A lot of friends at BYU told me how jealous they were that I could go on a mission at 19 and that they had to wait until 21. Ha I guess we'll see how this plays out in the next few months! It reminds me of the mormon messages given by Elder Bednar about light and how he says that receiving light isn't always easy and how that is probably because "He trusts us." I feel like the same thing applies here. "He trusts us" to act our part and be missionaries.
"I really like the area I'm in right now. Hochelaga and Montreal East are great wards/branches to be in and the people here are always nice!
"It's been really neat to get to know more and more of the people in our wards. Because of conference, we've been able to eat with the members at the church for the last two days and I can definitely tell that there is a change in our relationship with them and I totally feel like it is for the better! Yesterday we ate lunch with the French bishop and his family and it was funny because we were just talking and they were asking about our talents. So I said that I really liked to play sports and especially soccer. Ha they were so excited with that because they like playing it too! Elder McMurrin said that he likes to play it... but that he isn't very good at playing it. To which the bishop responded "C'est en vous. It's in you. It's a gift from heaven to play soccer!" Oh goodness I loved it.
"This past week we've been trying to focus on getting ourselves organized and prepared if we do have people smurf us - so we've been color coordinating our ward lists, making appointments to see them and also coordinating who lives close to which investigators so that we can go see them if our appointments fall through. It's been good to go see these families who are less active and see how we can help. Each time we have gone they have been way friendly to us and have offered us food.. so obviously as missionaries we love that! It feels good to share a spiritual thought with them and then just feel the spirit there testifying of the truthfulness.
"The people here are a mix. There have been times when we have had someone come up to us and say "I respect you and your religion. But leave it as soon as you can!" and then ride his bicycle off. Ha There are some really unfriendly people who you say hi to and then they don't really notice you, but there are also others who are also nice and are really excited to talk to people "Who bring the good word." For the most part, African descent people are the nicest. But there was a really nice man who is Qua, he is from here and whatnot but he was way nice! He gave us a ride the other day all the way back to our house. We went back this week and had an appointment with him, showed him some mormon messages and where he can watch general conference. It turns out he is one of the most friendly people ever and a great benefactor to the people here. He has a farm for the mentally ill where they can be around animals and have space. Another business that helps kids who don't have money. And another which funds those two."
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"The missionary opportunity of a lifetime is yours. The blessings of eternity await you. Yours is the privilege to be not spectators but participants on the stage of priesthood service" (Thomas S. Monson).
How wonderful that so many more young people have the opportunity to serve a mission, and the added emphasis to prepare for it early!
Love,
Jess
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