CANADA Week 25-January 16, 2018

Da Boys. Elder Brough(far right) will be leaving this transfer. We had a solid transfer, and I will miss being the giant haha.

Transfers calls have passed and........ not much has changed haha. It's pretty sweet! I hope I can stay French for all of my mission, but well see... Honestly it works out well though, because Elder Rossi and I have a lot of stuff that we need to get done this next transfer, and I am pumped. I'll do my best to follow the words of President Nelson in his address today to serve and help the people here with every moment and all the energy I have over the next year and 7 months. 

I hope all of you had the chance to watch the address, and see the order of succession in the church. I am grateful that we have such great people leading and serving the church. 

Family Home evening with Soeur LaRoche and Raphael. 

This week we found a ton of young people to help and teach, and they pretty much all play soccer, so I am thinking about starting weekly futsal games at the church and inviting our friends. It's been a long time since I have played haha. Also we could show them around the chapel so they are more comfortable with the building. 

When Elder Rossi gets chilly during our morning studies...

Our phone is still lost and the postal system here is terrible, so even though they bought the one day shipping it has been about 3 weeks since they sent it haha. Fun stuff... But yeah we should be getting our smart phones soon (Thanks fam:) ) and it shouldn't matter too much. It is definitely going to be a little bizarre to have a phone like that, but it will make us more effective as missionaries. 

Bernadette and Frere Kikongi. They are way cool, and she makes some killer fish.

We talked with this sweet old guy a few days ago who has really been struggling. He has had one of the craziest lives of all time, and we shared the plan of salvation with him. We let him know that God loves us and has a plan for us, and he quickly recognized all of the times that God has helped him in his life. He was especially touched to know that we will be able to be together as families after this life. The plan of God is perfect, and knowing a little more about why we are here lets us have joy and light in our lives in all situations. 

I love you guys tons, and i hope you have an awesome week!

Also, I really hope that the Andrew family receive help and love in this difficult time. I will keep them in my prayers and I invite you to do the same. 

Elder Wilson

CANADA Week 24-January 9, 2018-Bonjour Da Fam et Amis!

It was Mamie's Birthday! We brought her a cake.

This week was pretty dang chilly! With wind chill, we were hanging in the -40's which was really fun to be in haha. Oh and it just keeps on snowing, and nothing melts, so we are getting some serious mountains of snow here. It is way fun!  

The church is literally under like 6 feet of snow! WARNING: If you jump into the giant piles without gloves during a snow storm you will get frostbite for real hahaha! That was really fun!

Did I tell you guys that I lost my phone? I have no idea... but anyways it is still gone, and a new one was supposed to come like 5 days ago. It was probably lost in one of the snow storms. So missionary work has been a little difficult because we can't really stay in good contact with our friends. But we have had some miracles and it has worked out.

This week Mamie decided she wants to be baptized on the 27th which is so cool! She actually wanted to be baptized this week but there are still a few more things we want to make sure she understands clearly before she is baptized. She has some serious motivation though, because she has been walking to church in the tundra of Canada every Sunday!

We also teach Mamie's sister, aunt, and uncle. They always make us food. This was okra, fish, and rice.

It has been incredible this week to see the effects of the death of President Monson. He gave so much, and so many people were affected by his passing. His words and actions will stick with us long after his death, and there is a lot we can learn from his life of devotion. 

Had an exchange with my frere Elder Brough this week. He is awesome, and has only one transfer more than me.

This is the last week of the transfer which is insane, so I'll tell you guys what happened the next week. I think and I hope that I will be staying here for the next transfer, but we never know. 

I hope all of your New Years resolutions and goals are going well! It is always good to be able to reflect and look towards the future with a more broad perspective, so I hope all of you have some things you want to change and implement. Love you all, and thanks for all of your support! Talk to ya again the next week!

Elder Wilson

CANADA Week 23-January 2, 2018-Des Temps

Quebec Independence.

Things are getting real here in Canada... with wind chill it has been like -30ish and it is awesome haha. I started wearing pretty much all of my coats and everything possible at the same time, and I am literally like 50 pounds heavier when I'm ready to head out. But I am warm!  

Sherbrooke was pretty quiet for New Year's, but we got to eat with Frere Kikongi which was fun. We know him pretty well, because he comes out with us all the time, but we got to meet his wife more. They also made a ridiculous amount of food, and they insisted that we ate it all, so we were like rolling out the door. We weren't allowed to do to much on New Year's, so we just visited with our friends and members. 

Sweet lady, interesting food.

This week has been kinda strange also, because we lost our phone. And it is now probably lost in the snow haha. So we have been using the other Elders, the members, and the phone in the church to keep in touch with all of the people we needed to.  But we should be getting our new phone tomorrow which is sweet. And as long as we can get the same number everything will be good. 

Our sweet phone.

I also had an exchange this week with our District leader Elder Eakins. He is awesome, and he will actually be finishing his mission in about 2 months which is crazy. I was able to learn quite a lot from him, and it was really fun. But it was like the coldest day of all time haha. It is the humidity and the wind here that are the killers. 

Oh and this week there was a Sherbrooke ward plague that started with the Bishop and went to everybody. This Sunday there were like 20 people there, either because it was too cold and too much snow, or they were sick. But our friends Bernadette, Mamie, and Finda came! It was really fun to have them with us, and they really loved it too. Me and Elder Brough were sick too this week, but now we are feeling better. Elder Rossi got lucky haha. 

Mamie and her brother got my camera and it was filled...

I hope all of you had a great New Years, and you are ready for 2018! This is a great time to figure out what you really want to accomplish and become in this upcoming year, and I invite all of you to align your plans with those of Gods. To do that you just have to talk to Him a little. I love you all, and have a great week! 

Elder Wilson

P.S. Oh and hello padre! I cant believe you went back up to Bogus! The last time I remember going up with you, you fell asleep on a pile of snow by the lodge haha.

CANADA Week 22-December 26, 2017-Noel

Our brother Jamil. He is 21, and paralyzed from being shot by ISIS in Syria, and still has the brightest smile possible. He has been in that room for over 2 years now, so we spiced it up with Christmas lights and tons of paper snowflakes.

Joyeuses Fetes! It is crazy that Christmas is already over, but I hope you guys have an awesome New Year's also. It was sweet to talk with you yesterday, and it certainly did me some good. Elder Rossi too, he is pumped up to get back to work.

I am so grateful to be here in Canada, even if sometimes I can't speak the language and it is getting cold enough that even thinking about outside is a challenge haha. It just makes those beautiful moments all the brighter, and Idaho seem a lot warmer.

Les boys and our friend Soeur LaRoche. She brought us all Christmas gifts.

This week was filled with Christmas jazz. We did like a solid day of caroling for all of the members in our ward and for some of our investigators. It was cool, we could really see how much it helped some of the members, and I think that I will have those songs stuck in my head for the rest of my life.

Christmas feast! By the way that pie was filled with boar that this guy literally killed with a spear. Pretty much the manliest pie of all time.

Also we had like 3 Christmas meals, and after each I was decently sure that I was going to die haha. Especially with all of the home made eggnog . . . But we also got to do some service shoveling porches, and Christmas night we were able to visit the hospital, and it was seriously incredible. I would not have traded it for anything, and it honestly made me think more about the example of Jesus Christ. In almost every situation he made sure that he was able to be with and to help those that were suffering. Whether it was spiritual or physical, Christ was there to heal, help, and change those around him. There is a lot that we can learn from the example of Christ. Christ said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."  Like Elder Holland said, the score has already been set, and the game is decided. We just need to decide what jersey we would be willing to bear. As the new year arrives I invite all of you to reflect and refocus. Remember to find peace in the midst of commotion and distraction, and make the decision now to bear the jersey of Christ with joy and determination this upcoming year. I can promise you that nothing is more rewarding, and I haven't been doing it that long.

I love you all and wish you the best!!

Elder Wilson 

Asher this is for you cause I ate real Peruvian food this week. No idea what it was.

None of the doorways here are big enough for my pull up bar, so I've been hanging it off of the stairs. I'm just waiting for the day that the bars on the stairs break haha.

CANADA Week 21-December 19, 2017-Dashing through the snow . . .

The stairs are starting to disappear.

This week seriously flew. We had the ward Christmas party and we were busy with life, so I didn't even think about the days until we were already here. But it has been fun! 

So our apartment used to be a sisters apartment, and I found this sticky nose thing, and it must have either been really good, or really old, because I seriously almost ripped off my nose when I pulled it off haha.

The snow is starting to get real here, and the walls of snow on the side of the roads get higher every day. Which is super cool, but it also means that literally everyone who isn't working is hibernating inside their homes... so we have had to be pretty creative with finding people to talk to haha. Elder Rossi is really good at working with the members here, and they have been able to help us a lot. Also we always have snow shovels with us so we are ready to help people clear their driveways.

A member in our ward invited us over for lunch, and she made us salads from her indoor greenhouse. They were actually really good. Then her husband, who said he knew what he was doing but I'm not really sure, adjusted our backs. Honestly I feel pretty good, so maybe he did haha.

We had a really great experience with an investigator this week. her name is Bernadette and she has been an on and off investigator for over 4 years. This week, she decided it was time to finally come to church, and she did, and she loved it. She felt the spirit, and she savored every minute. She inspired me to be more appreciative of the blessing of church, and make it more of a occasion than a habit. 

When you found out that the eggnog you have been drinking all week is made with rum...

I hope you guys all have an incredible Christmas and make some solid memories! You are always in my prayers! Also, I want to second the testimony of Nephi in the Book of Mormon, "I know that he (God) loveth his children, nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things."  Just like Nephi, I don't know very much. and I am sure there are some things that I will never know. But I do know that God loves his children, and I invite all of you to search for that love this Christmas season and help give to those around you. Merry Christmas!

Elder Wilson

This fish made my life. It is in an investigators house, and I honestly have no idea how it is even alive, but it was awesome.

CANADA Week 20-December 12, 2017-Sherbrooke

Last night with Elder D!

Bonjour les boys 

One thing that I have really started to appreciate on my mission as have started to understand French a little better, is Quebecois haha. It is like this funky mix of English and French and Redneck, and it makes me laugh every time. It also happens to be impossible to understand haha.

This week was crazy! It was transfer week, so I had to pack up all of my stuff and get ready to go last Tuesday. Honestly leaving Gatineau was a lot harder than I ever thought it would be, but I need to be in Sherbrooke for a reason, and I am excited to find out why. My new companion (Elder Rossi) is a lot different than Elder D, but it will be fun to see a new perspective and get to know him better. It also is going to be different than last transfer, because he speaks even less French than I do, and our ward and investigators are all French haha. It actually has been really fun though, and it helped me to realize that at least I can communicate. 

The man, The myth, The legend... Elder Rossi....checkin out my family pics.

It was really great timing to come here, because on Saturday there was a baptism for a family of 5 (Nanga family). They were awesome, and it was cool to see how important their baptism was for them, and how great they felt afterward.

The start of this week with Elder Rossi was tough, because he lost his planner from last transfer with all of the information of the people we talk with here, and he had no idea where to go haha. So we really have had to follow the spirit, and honestly it has been awesome! Even though it did make me decide that I will never lose mine... But really, a couple times this week I really felt like I was an instrument in the hands of God, and it was so satisfying. 

We also work a lot more with the members here which has been awesome! It is way different than in Gatineau, and working together really does bless both the member and the investigator which has been cool to see. Also, we literally have the most interesting man in the world in our ward, and maybe if I have time I'll explain a little more about him another day haha. 

Thanks for all of the prayers and emails and letters! I love hearing from you guys, and you help me so much! Oh and always remember that no matter how cold you think you are it is always colder in Canada haha. Love ya and stay safe!

Elder Wilson

CANADA Week 19-December 5, 2017-Au Revoir Gatineau...

My brotha Christian and I. He really has been loving Church, and he is friends with a lot of the members.

Hullo fam! Thanks for all of the pics and emails this week, it is so awesome to hear from you. Oh and sorry if I don't get back to everyone... It's crazy how much can change in a single week haha. I am always excited to learn what happened with da Wilsons. 

If you know a little bit of French, you guys probably realized that I am leaving Gatineau. I actually was pretty sure I would stay, but I guess it is time to move on. Thursday morning I am going to head to Sherbrooke!!  I haven't heard too much about it, but all of the members in our ward who have been there say that it is beautiful. It is further east than Montreal, so it will be like a 5 or 6 hour trip I think... At least it is still mostly French speaking! My new comp is going to be Elder Rossi and he is from Ecuador. (Asher keep working on your Spanish cause I'll be fluent by the time I get back). It was really sad to say goodbye to members and friends here. Some of them didn't really understand why, so it was sad. But we do have a bunch of meals with the members this week, because they want to send me off on a good note! Elder D was pretty happy with the meals at least.

The Gatineau district.

This week I met one of the most incredible ladies of all time (Her name is Melissa). She has a really tough life because of a lot of different reasons, but she still took some time to listen to us. We had to teach her outside in the cold because she didn't have anyone else with her at that time (as missionaries we can't enter a house if a man isn't there as well), so we decided to make it really quick. We simply taught her that she has a loving Heavenly Father, and that we can pray and talk with Him. At the end we invited her to pray, and she was nervous but she decided that she wanted to. She started to pray and instantly felt comforted. She had to gather herself for a while before she could even speak. After we left her porch that night I started to think a little about how often I take prayer for granted. How often times it is more of a habit than an honest discussion and plead. When Elder Clayton came to Montreal he said, "Present each topic like a pearl" when he was talking about the missionary lessons. That night I realized that all of the things that really seem so common to many of us really are a vast wealth to others. 

The Dream Team. We helped the Zone Leaders pack up and leave this week because they got a new apartment in Hull. It was sad to see them go, but we got one last picture in. I also happen to be the only native English speaker in our apartment haha. We have French, Dutch, Spanish, and English.

I hope you guys are all having a fun Christmas season, and remember to #LIGHTTHEWORLD (I don't even want to say how long it just took me to find the # on this dumb Canadian keyboard...)

Elder Wilson