Sunday July 18, 2010
Dear family,
Hello from somewhere between Montreal and Drummondville. It is a very beautiful day. The sky is very blue and we are enjoying a view of the most gorgeous, billowing, clouds. It would seem I was back in SL. The weather is a bit cooler today and for that we are grateful!!
Well I did not get too far as we are back in the car and are just leaving the wonderful branch of Drummonville. Every three weeks this little branch, who is led by an amazing 29 year old Branch President Poulin, has a linger longer pot luck dinner together to celebrate baptisms or anything else they can come up with. They have serving in their branch, three of our wonderful missionaries, Elders Ninatype, Dallimore and Gonzales. We also have the most wonderful senior missionary couple, Elder and Sister Dosch. This couple has been serving here in the branch for two years. They will be leaving in two weeks. For three and a half hours, this small branch expressed their love and appreciation for the Dosch's by reading poems, singing songs by the Elders, Primary, Relief Society, Young Women (in English and this is a French speaking branch), by cooking up the most delicious pot luck dinner we have ever eaten with at least 60 things to choose from, playing the piano, an accordian solo and most especially by getting up to the pulpit and sharing their love with the Dosch's. They have touched every life in this branch. They have served in every capacity working with the women, the kids, the youth, and everyone else in between. They have taught them how to be a branch, they have taught them leadership skills that will bless this little branch forever. They gave them everything they had for two years. They also teach two English classes every week and that has been very successful. I don't think I have ever felt such love and gratitude being exhibited. Everyone was weeping, grown men could not speak. They spoke of Elder Dosch's kindness and humility. They praised him for his love and support of his amazing wife. She is a dynamo. It made me want to be a senior couple. Hey wait, we are seniors and we are a couple. But after this mission, I would love to serve a proselyting mission in a small branch somewhere and just serve all day long. What an inspiration the Dosch's are to me. What an example they have been for so many and for me as well. We all want to be like the Dosch's. I feel it a privilege to know them. Wow, that was long winded. Sorry.
Well, this week, I don't even know where to begin. So much has happened that I must choose just one thing or this will certainly turn into novel. Let me share one of the most fantastic nights I have had since I have been here. We had Zone Conferences in Ottowa, which was our very first. I think the training went very well. What this is, is where Nels, I and the two missionaries that work as Nelson's assistants, called A.P.'s (assistants to the President) work out a training schedule for all of the missonairies. This is all new stuff coming from SL that we learned in the MTC. So since our missionaries are all over Quebec, we travel to these different destinations and teach them for two days then move on to the next Zone, or area. We will do this four different times and it will take us three weeks to complete. After the first day of training, we decided to go out with the missionaries and have them implement the things they were taught that day. I had the pleasure and good fortune of going with Elders Crewse and Sonnefeld. They are such dynamic, sweet, humble missionaries. They had set up two appointments for us to teach and had planned to do some street contacting. Now mind you I have not done this for 33 years. We went to our first appointment at the Carlton University where we met Fab, from the Gold Coast. He is a Christian but has not felt at ease in his church. He is 19 years old and is so kind and very genuine. His dad lives in Tennessee and the rest of his family resides in the Gold Coast. He had tons of questions and was earnest in his desire to know more. As we taught him I asked him if he found what we were teaching him to be true, would he consider being baptized. To my surprise he said yes. He said, "it is either true or very false so I have nothing to lose." He committed to read the Book of Mormon, my favorite chapter which is Alma 32. It changed my life. And then I taught him the four steps of prayer 1. Address Heavenly Father 2. Thank Him for all your blessings 3. Ask Him for those things you need and 4. Close in the Name of Jesus Christ Amen. I went over that twice. He then offered the sweetest prayer ever. It was humbling to hear this young man utter his first prayer out loud. It was as if no one was around. Just us four. Even though we were sitting in a university lunch room with students all around on their lap tops. He wants to come to church so that is good. Basically he was the perfect young man to teach. It could not have been more exciting for me. I will be interested in his progress. The Elders are going back in a few days to teach him again. Those sweet Elders, they are so awesome, they literally contacted every person on the street we saw from the car walking across the street to the apt. bldg. We talked to and made appointments with folks from Dubai, Albania, Serbia, Congo, Turkey and some other country I have never heard of. Anyway, Fab was such a nice young man. I hope all goes well for him. We also went to another incredible meeting with William. He is a fairly newly married (one year) man with a beautiful wife who is just pregnant. She is LDS. He goes to church with her and reads one verse of the Book of Mormon each night. He has such an incredible life story. He was born with kind of a hunch back, he had cancer that should have killed him when he was young. He has had 7 surgeries. He was completely crippled and was told he would never walk etc. etc. Long story short. He not only walks, he is the first to have graduated from H.S. and then get two degrees. He is now working on a third degree as a nurse. He is amazing. Such a handsome man and the Lord loves this guy. It is incredible what he has overcome. Since he married he said his life has done a 360 and he has had nothing but good luck as he calls it. He wants to know for himself that the church is true, not just because his wife says it is. We went through some steps he needs to go through to "test " the church out and see if he can find out if it is true. I asked him if he had specifically prayed about the Book of Mormon, felt the Holy Ghost witness to him, felt good at church, had blessings come his way, etc. We talked about these and how to show his faith. Sometimes you just need to live the gospel, show the faith to do so and then the confirmation comes. He agreed he had not really tried and had not been earnest and honest in heart in his efforts. He really did want to know. It was a great experience getting to know this good man. He is truly remarkable. I hope I get to meet he and his wife again as well as Fab. This night, for me was so exciting. I love missionary work. I love sharing the gospel. I love teaching it to others. I am grateful to be here.
Sorry this was so long. It is 12:45 in the eve and I need to get to bed. We are feeding a few Elders breakfast at 8;00 and then have a 10:00 meeting with our office staff.
I love you all. Thank you for your prayers and support. We can't wait to see anyone who just might wander this way.
Much love,
Mom/Shir
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