CANADA Week 66-October 30, 2018

It was the birthday of our friend Jessica!

Salut le monde

This week skipped right on by, and je me suis rendu compte que this could be my last week with Elder Purahui and my Haitian people . . . . hopefully I'll be staying at least one more transfer here in this area, so we will all see next week.

I wanted to share the story of a wonderful servant of the Lord that I want you all to know about. His name is Jhonel. During my time here, I think I have spent more time with him than I have with my companions haha. He calls us and asks to come out teaching just about every day. He loves to laugh, and he loves Latina and mulatte peoples. His FAVORITE thing to do every week is to go to church. He is preparing for a mission. He oftentimes tries to con us into buying him Haitian food haha. 

I just wanted to explain, that I have seen Jhonel in all kinds of situations. Happy and sad. Scared and excited. But this week, after 5 months of trying, we were finally able to teach him and his own family together. I have never seen him so peaceful and joyous as in that moment. He testified to his brothers and mom about what he knows to be true. And they were genuinely happy. I can testify that families are ordained by God to bring us happiness and allow us to learn. We were given our family for many reasons, and no matter the circumstances we can decide to help them, even if it is just by our prayers.

I love my family and I am so grateful for their support. I have felt their love every day here in Canada. Be happy this week, because God wants us to be :)

Elder Wilson

ELDER JAMES WAS BACK!!! It was wild to be back with him in the same area!

Halloween cake with cute old Quebecois couple in our branche. Frosting is still a struggle.

Pday exercise with the best.

We needed a baby seat, and God blessed us with one haha. We had to take it from the trash piles on the side of the road.

This squirrel is our friend.

Elder Christopherson.

We woke up because there was a bunch of people on our roof at like 2 in the morning haha. They were getting it ready for winter.

Elder Hall and Elder Jeanneau busting out the big guns to chop this chunk of frozen meat.

Jhonel was mind blown by how high the river is.

CANADA Week 65-October 23, 2018

The tallest best friend a man could have, and the sisters in our district.

Salut le monde! Jaimerais bien vous ecrire en francais... mais mon francais est terrible donc je vais continuer en anglais haha.

It is a good day. I appreciate my time here in Canada as the leaves change color and the coats and scarves start popping back out. I love my brothers and sisters here in Canada who are just searching to be happy. I love this old Canadian man who is always here when we do our emails, and who refuses to tell me his name haha. But he shook my hand today. I oftentimes seem forget about what wonderful things I have, because I think about those that I don't. 

This week we saw many miracles. I wanted to share one that came from pure Tahitian faith and inspiration. We have a friend, Jean, who really needs help. He is in a situation that seemed to not have any viable solutions. So Elder Purahui suggested doing a kneeling prayer just for him before we left the apartment. As we arrived at our next destination, we got a call from him. We were amazed as we heard this humble man praise God for the few good things in his life. I can testify, like my friend Nephi, that our God is a God of "tender mercies" (1 Nephi 1:20). He wants you to be happy👍

I had the chance to speak with my incredible mission president this week (He is from Idaho too) and, seeing as how he is an inspired man, I prepared several questions for him. I set time aside to meditate about the things that are important to me, I went prepared, and I came out of our discussion feeling edified and with several things to apply in my daily life. In thinking about this experience, my perspective started to change. I realized that multiple times a day I speak with God, my Father and creator. He has a perfect knowledge. I asked myself, "How do I normally prepare to converse with this all-powerful man who loves me? How should I?"

I would like to invite you all to think about how you prepare to speak with God, and what you want to accomplish by doing so this week. I would also like to share a quick quote of how the Prophet Joseph Smith prepared himself, and prayed, to receive a vision that made eternal life a possibility.

13 At length I came to the conclusion that I must either remain in darkness and confusion, or else I must do as James directs, that is, ask of God. I at length came to the determination to "ask of God,” concluding that if he gave wisdom to them that lacked wisdom, and would give liberally, and not upbraid, I might venture.

14 So, in accordance with this, my determination to ask of God, I retired to the woods to make the attempt. It was on the morning of a beautiful, clear day, early in the spring of eighteen hundred and twenty. It was the first time in my life that I had made such an attempt, for amidst all my anxieties I had never as yet made the attempt to pray vocally.

15 After I had retired to the place where I had previously designed to go, having looked around me, and finding myself alone, I kneeled down and began to offer up the desires of my heart to God. 

Sorry it was so long, but I love you! Have a great week, and enjoy the cold weather!

Elder Wilson

Cute Haitian kid who was rolling all over the place in our class haha.

CANADA Week 64-October 16, 2018

 Enjoying the last moments of sun... 

Salam Alikoum

We met some awesome people this week that taught us a little bit of Arab. It is crazy all of the people here. Yesterday I met 2 men from Grise Fiord which is literally like the North Pole. They told us about how they used to fish through the ice when they were young, and how during the winter there was no sun, and during summer there was no darkness. 

We had a changing experience with a man we love named Marc this week. We got a call from him, and he was sobbing uncontrollably. Which made his call a little hard to understand haha, but the idea of the message was that he was in an ambulance, and that he was sure he was dying. He wanted us to be with him when he died. We asked where he was going, but the call cut off, and we were left in the dark. 2 of our visits that night had surprisingly fallen through, so we followed the promptings of the Spirit, and contacted the hospital Fleury. He was there, and was waiting for us. 

He ended up being stable, but he was very weak, and in a state of complete depression. He had no desire to be on the earth, but was ready to be with his Father in Heaven who loved him. We comforted him, taught him, and blessed him. 

While thinking about this experience I read a quote from Elder Eyring from this last conference. He said:

"Since the beginning, the tests have not been easy. We face trials that come from having mortal bodies... My reassurance is this: the loving God who allowed these tests for you also designed a sure way to pass through them... He (Jesus Christ) experienced all the sorrows, the pains, and the effects of our sins so that He could comfort and strengthen us through every test in life."

Marc wanted us to be with him in his last moments because as missionaries of Jesus Christ we carry His comforting spirit with us. Our God is a loving God, and he wants us to be happy. He has prepared the way for us to be happy, and is willing to support us in the darkest moments. 

Elder Eyring promised, "As you help children of God in their troubles, your own troubles will seem lighter. Your faith and your hope will be strengthened." I know that by turning ourselves towards Christ and others, we can be strengthened in our own. That is my entire life here in Canada, and I am happy to be here. I hope that you will all find ways to serve others this week, because they need you.

Elder Wilson

Elder Jeanneau the Chef! He actually worked in a French kitchen, and has made some incredible things!

CANADA Week 63-October 9, 2018

Haitian Thanksgiving (Thanksgiving here is October 6th...) with my Haitian Grammy. They don't even celebrate le jour de grace, but she made us a meal because she is a sweetheart.

Allo des gens! 

Thanks for all of the emails and prayers this week. You are causing miracles here in Canada, and I can't explain how grateful I am for you.

The hand of God becomes clear in your life when you ask for it, and look for it. He wants us to know that He is there, and He knows us personally. That is something that my simple (he loves that word haha) companion Elder Purahui has taught me. I have seen him invite God into his life day after day. Whether it be by opening a door without a key that was locked a few seconds ago or praying diligently for the well being of others. He seems to be fearless.

I loved the teaching of Elder Rasband this week. Fear narrows our perspective (I hope that is what he said...). What is it that we fear in this life? How does that fear fit into the plan of God?

I love the People of Ammon in the Book of Mormon who "feared not death." They willingly gave their lives because of their love for their brothers, and because of their unshakable faith in the suffering, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ broke the restrictive bands of physical death, and removed the eternal guilt and shame that comes from our bad decisions and sins as well. He loves us, and because of His love and His life, we have nothing to fear. 

How important is our Savior Jesus Christ in your daily life? What could we do differently to remember him. I am excited to follow the invitation of the Lords Prophet, Russel M Nelson, and prayerfully meditate about the way that I use my time. I am certain that I will find a way to better remember and better serve my brother and example, Jesus Christ. I hope you all follow the direction from General Conference and the Holy Spirit in your lives as well.

Have a fun week, and love what you do! It is a beautiful and sunny day here in Montreal!

Elder Wilson

Our Friends dog left us a gift on the carpet. I almost kneeled down to pray in it without knowing because they didn't have lights, but my wonderful Tahitian comp saw it somehow...

Oeuf a la coque. Elder Jeanneau is a French chef, so we have been trying all kinds of French cuisine.

Pantouffles. Canadians love them.

CANADA Week 62-October 2, 2018

Hullo des gars! I don't know what happened, but it's cold here now... I think we forgot about fall this year haha. But winter is good, and Montréal is beautiful as the seasons change. 

This was a quick and important week for us, as many Haitians say, "Grace à Dieu". 

We sent off Elder Amichia, and he is headed back to France. I lived with him with like 4 months of my life, and he taught me how to be a more faithful servant of God, and the importance of others in our daily lives. Life is simple when we can remember that we are all children of God. 

My mudda wrote me a wonderful email about the small and simple things this week (she is the greatest). President Oaks cautions, "It is in failing to do the small and simple things that faith wavers, miracles cease, and progress towards the Lord and His kingdom is first put on hold and then begins to unravel as seeking after the kingdom of God is replaced with more temporal pursuits and worldly ambitions." (April 2018) 

I have seen many people in Canada change their lives due to the small and simple experiences that they have had. Myself included. 

Elder Ballard once gave an invitation to start doing one thing that you have been pushing off and stop doing one thing that you know you shouldn't. It is through our simple, everyday efforts that the Lord can work great miracles. 

Example: One of the incredible people we meet with named Marc wants to stop smoking. We made a simple goal with him to smoke one less cigarette every week, and while it is a daily difficulty for him, he now smokes just 2 cigarettes a day and expects to be finished in 2 weeks. 

I am so excited to see what council we will receive from this General Conference, and learn how we can better prepare ourselves to meet God this weekend. The more we put into our preparation (Finding questions, praying, fasting, reading scriptures and previous talks) the more clearly we will be able to hear the soft voice of the Spirit speaking through our leaders and Prophet. 

I love you all, and Elder Purahui sends his love your way too! Don't mess around with Tahitian love haha. Have a great week! 

We ate with the cutest old grandma and Marc this week. She made some delicious chicken, and when I had finally (barely) finished, she whipped out like 10 homemade cakes.... Yes I am still sick haha.

It was Jhonel's birthday, and he wanted to do the work of the Lord, so he came out with us. We made him banana bread, and I have never seen him so happy haha.

Round 2 with Love Gina and crew!