December 9, 2013

Hello everyone!

It sounds like everyone is freezing in Utah! We have been getting lots of snow lately, but it hasn’t been at its coldest. This week was a very busy one starting with a trip to Montreal for a trainers meeting for all the new missionaries. Montreal is sooo different from Ottawa it’s like you travel to a new mission or something because it’s a different language, look, people, everything. As soon as I stepped out of the car at the mission home in Montréal, I bumped into an old man and started apologizing to him of course in English. Very confused the man started talking to me in very fast French, but what I got was "beacoup de Mormons, beacoup de Mormons" which means a lot of Mormons, a lot of Mormons. I just laughed and realized I was definitely not in Ottawa anymore. The training was so great by President Patrick. He made sure that the new missionaries or their trainer’s didn’t have any questions and were getting use to the missionary life style. He shared a video with us from the new mission presidents training he attended in the MTC in July. It was Elder Perry telling the new mission presidents that this time with all the new missionaries goes at the top of the list with, the Book of Mormon, The First Vision, and the Restoration of the Gospel. This time with all missionaries going out is so important because we are the ones telling everyone about the Book of Mormon, the first vision, and the restoration!! Why are those events important if nobody knows about them?? I got to see all the missionaries I came in with from the MTC and it was so great! All the sisters did a huge group hug. President Patrick couldn’t believe how close we were and he told us we couldn’t move because he wanted a picture of it. I was so fun to hear all the crazy stories they had already accumulated from their different areas. They all told me I was lucky to be in Ottawa because all there companions told them Ottawa is the land of milk and Honey and I couldn’t deny it! This area is the best and I feel so lucky the lord chose me to be here. Sister Houde and I have been very busy this week tracking down all the students with their finals. Taylor, our amazing investigator that I have been sharing awesome experiences with every week told us just yet another miracle. This girl is so amazing she was so prepared to find the true gospel. She told us she had been praying really hard to have help from her Heavenly Father because she was struggling in life.  The next day she met us in the street and she new it was a sign from her Heavenly Father. This week when we met with her she told us that she had done what we told her to do. It is what every missionary tells all their investigators:  if you read the Book of Mormon and pray about it the Holy Ghost will testify to you that it is true! Sounds easy right? Well its not, we struggle a lot getting investigators to actually do it. Taylor told us she read some scriptures from the Book of Mormon, and then prayed. She said she felt the spirit so strong and was so happy. She said she went on with her day and she said she felt the spirit leave and she was sad, but at the same time so happy. I testified to her that when we get baptized and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost we have the opportunity to have it with us all the time!

This week I have been thinking a lot about Mosiah 15:28 "And now I say unto you that the time shall come that the salvation of the Lord shall be declared to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people." When we went to Montreal at the mission office I went into the room where they keep all the Book of Mormons there were shelves and shelves of Book of Mormons in every language you could think of! there was so many Book of Mormons in different languages because were able to give them out in this mission because of the diversity. Missionaries are not allowed in most of China and Middle East, but here in Ottawa I have already had the opportunity to teach many people from China, and Afghanistan… you name it! Some times missionaries here will just go out with a different language Book of Mormon each day and find someone that can read that language. Heavenly father knew this time would come! President Patrick in the trainers meeting shared with us D&C 33:2 "behold, the field is white already to harvest; and it is the eleventh hour, and the last time that I shall call laborers into my vineyard." I feel so lucky that before I came to earth that I agreed to do missionary work and now I have stayed worthy enough to do what I promised the lord I would do! I love the gospel so much and love you all so much and I feel so lucky to have so much support! I wish you warm thoughts and I hope nobody freezes!!!

Love,

Sister Dick