letter #7

Monday August 23, 2010

Mission Office

Dear Family,

I went out walking early this morning at around 5:15 and it was so beautiful. Mont Royal, where we live is very green, I guess that is because it is quite humid. The other reason is, as I have mentioned before, the people of Quebec love to beautify their surroundings. It is really wonderful. Even the apartments where they have access to a tiny little balcony will have pots of flowers or a tomato plant or two. It is a very pleasant community.

This has been a very “full” past week. I thought I would get a head start on this weeks letter. I am not on a schedule, but write whenever I get a second. Today we will leave for Ottowa for interviews that begin at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow. It is a beautiful 2 hour drive. In the morning, the President will interview each missionary in the Ottowa Zone. It is a 10-15 minute interview for the purpose of finding out if all is well with that missionary. This will be our first round of interviews. We do this at least quarterly if not more. We also see our missionaries every 6 weeks in training sessions called zone conference. I feel like we see the missionaries quite frequently. Much more than I ever saw my President and his wife. I don’t ever remember having a conversation with her and my interviews with President were brief. I suppose if I had had problems they would have been longer. As the President interviews one missionary, I will sit in the next room with his/her companion and chat with them. I want to know and make sure that everyone is receiving a weekly letter. If not, I plan to write them. I also had a few of the senior sister missionaries come to the mission home and we mixed up batches of their favorite recipes of cookie dough which I will bake and take to interviews. The missionary can have a cookie or two and a glass of milk while we chat and I sew on buttons or whatever for them. I figured that could also be a time for me to teach them how to lead music correctly if they don’t already know how. It is a very small thing I can do for them. They work so hard. I love these young people so much. It is a privilege to know them and work side by side with them. We learn so much from them.

We drove to Trois Rivieres (three rivers) yesterday to attend church at a very small branch as well as attend a baptism after. I have to say that being a mission president and wife will be the closest thing that dad and I will ever come, to being celebrities. I was going to say Rock Stars, but that is so completely far fetched, I couldn’t bring myself to write that. I say this in all humility. It seems that whenever we go any where within the church, we are welcomed so warmly, people treat us like royalty. It is a bit uncomfortable to be in that position. It is not often they have the mission president and wife come to visit. They have us speak or sit up front. They usher us around and treat us with the greatest of care. I only hope we will be worthy of such kind acts and be everything they need. It is humbling to say the least.

The chapel was located in a beautiful area that was heavily forested. In fact when we turned into the entrance that wound itself through trees and foliage we wondered if we had turned at the right spot. But there at the end of the road was a small red brick chapel. I think there were maybe 60-70 in attendance. I have to say, from beginning to end, the meetings lasted about 5 hours and it was all in French. Oh, the tactics I have devised to stay awake during these meetings are pretty innovative. I will spare you. Suffice it to say, I need to start studying big time. I don’t see, spending the next three years in darkness and confusion. So, since I did not understand but a wee bit, that does not keep me from seeing stuff that goes on around me. I love these wonderful, faithful members. Today in our Sunday school class, this sweet young mother was teaching. She had tons of discussion going on, people were even chuckling and involved. In the middle of that teaching time, she pulls out a can of Zero Coke from her bag, pops the top and proceeds to guzzle. At first I thought it was part of the lesson but no, she continued taking sips though out the rest of the lesson. I love how different it is here in Quebec. The doctrine is the same, the programs are the same, the people are very different in a wonderful way.

We moved on to Relief Society. The R.S. president was wearing a neon orange cotton t-shirt, an oversized skirt, large black tennis shoes and floppy white gym sock. This was most likely the best outfit she owned. This good woman lead us in an opening song. She is was a very quiet, shy woman. But when the music started, she totally got into it. She closed her eyes, her hands were swaying in rhythm to the music and she entered her own world. It was so cute because normally, they don’t have a piano player so she plays a CD they sing along with. But yesterday there was a young woman who used to live in the ward who is a now, famous, opera singer throughout Canada. She plays the piano and in fact played 8 times before she went home that day. In Sac. Sun. School, R.S. and at the baptism. What a wonderful service she rendered. But back to the R.S. Pres. Even though the young woman was at the piano playing the intro to the song, this R.S. Pres. was in such a habit and so used to pushing the button on the CD player she did it any way and her sisters of the ward had to tell her to turn it off. She did it again for the closing prayer. She was so embarrassed but so lovely. These are great people who serve every week without fail.

Then, on to the baptism. This was such a sweet experience. This young man Gabriel was baptized. He is 19 years old. His best friend Martin L., is a member of the church. They have been life long friends. Martin is leaving for a mission this week to go to the only French speaking district in the U.S. and that is in the D.C. area. He will be such an asset for the mission there. He has been such a great influence on his friend as has Martin’s family. The entire L. family gave talks and prayers and Martin baptized his best friend. He, Gab. Was so happy. I seriously thought he was a returned missionary when I first met him. He has a wonderful family. They are Catholic and they were not happy about it at first but then saw how happy Gab. was and gave him their blessing. In fact the entire family came to the baptism to support him. What good and kind parents and siblings they are to Gab. Gabriel will be such a wonderful strength to that little branch. New members are so full of vim and vigor and they bring a newness with them that is infectious.

We headed home and called our AP’s Elders Sorensen and Corbett. Elder Corbett is our new AP (assistant to the president). He is wonderful. We love these Elders and work very closely with them. They do so much for the president. Dad has so much help and support from the AP’s and all of our senior couples along with the four office missionaries. We could not do this with out them. The Elders came for a spaghetti dinner. It was so funny, on the way home I called them to see if they had plans for dinner. They were SO excited as a member had just given them a frozen pizza and they were on their way home to bake it. I realized they may not want to join us. I made the offer anyway. They assured me “OH no Sister Cannon, no that is just fine, we can wait, and we would much rather have spaghetti, we can eat this another time.” They are so fun to feed as they are always so appreciative and think everything you make is delicious and fancy. When I put napkins on the table, I fold them a certain way and they love that. They think it is “fancy”. I love them. They brought a surprise dessert as well. They wanted to introduce us to the “Tim Tam Slam” dessert. I guess most of the missionaries do this and all know what it is….we however, did not. Here is how you do it. You open a sleeve of cookies called Tim Tam’s. They are 2 chocolate rectangular shaped cookies with fudge filling that have been dipped in chocolate. You make a cup of steaming hot chocolate. Honestly, could this be more healthy? I think NOT! You proceed to bite off the ends of the cookie therefore allowing you to insert the cookie in your mouth and lean down so as to suck the hot chocolate through the cookie. As you do this, the cookie will soon soften and when it does, you suck it into your mouth. I took a video of this but I am not sure if depicts the true experience. You have just to try it your self. I am sure you could find a similar cookie in the states. Oh the wonderful things we learn from the missionaries.

I taught a young man this week with the Elders. He is from Ghana . He has no family here other than a cousin in Ottowa. He was disturbed by the fact that his cousin was baptizing their infant child. He wondered why that was so, as that infant is not capable of sinning. So why was he in need of baptism? And the purpose for baptism is to symbolically wash one clean of ones sins after they have repented. We talked a bit about that and how the Lord has revealed the age the 8 as being the age of accountability. They know right from wrong at this age. He said this made total and complete sense to him. He is such a hard worker. He is seeking to build a better life for himself and his future family. His life reminds me of my mom and dad when they moved to the states and left their families behind. What a tough thing to be alone. He is such a sweet man. He is Muslim but has become disillusioned by it all. He is seeking Christianity and believes in a God and in Jesus Christ even though this could mean his family disowning him and the fact that he can never go back as a Christian. In some cultures that would result in death. He is willing to give that all up and take that chance. He is a true pioneer, a true hero in my eyes. He was so kind and earnest, desiring to learn. He is working two jobs and is going to school. He has so little time to do anything else. He loves the Book of Mormon and reads quite a bit. He wants to come to church as soon as he quits one job. So hopefully we will see him at church next week. It is an honor to teach and testify to these wonderful people we meet of the truths I hold so dear. I am grateful the Elders call on us to teach.

Well, it is time to bake cookies, go through my perpetual pile and file a bunch of stuff. It is our p-day and I need to go to the office and run off some copies for interviews. I wanted to give the missionaries copies of all the senior sister’s recipes for the cookies they will be partaking of.

So grateful to Dru for all her help with my mom, for the kitty finding trips, calls to mom and for helping Tracie in the job finding process. Dahlink how can I ever thank you enough?

Congrats to Tracie on your job. You will be such a blessing to those special Ed. children. E. Elementary will be blessed to have you. And thanks for hosting members of our beloved family. You are so dear. By the way, I love the name of that school. It reminds me of someone who I love so much.

We hope Emy, our sweet, dear Emy had a wonderful birthday yesterday. We love so much Em. I know the cake that Ben and Clara made for you was super delicious!!!

Daney, thanks so much for all you do to get the house back in shape and for putting up with the contractors. Sorry it has taken SO long. Sorry you had to deal with this mess. Hope the “red tape” concerning the job turns “GREEN” for go Dane.

Thanks to Wynny for driving all that way to come and see us and for slaving away. You were a life saver and a joy to be around. And your stomach was so beautiful, especially the contents. OK, that sounded weird. You know what I mean. Can’t wait to see that baby girl and you too James.

I hope my NY girl is feeling better and that you and Mark had a super time with your friends. Good luck with school. Lauren and Chase are now in NY. Hope you get to see them some time. How are all the applications going Mark? Hope you are both in good health

I hope that all went well in Ca. for you dad. I hope the reunion with your family helps the healing process of losing your older brother, my uncle Mehdi. Please drive safely back home and stop at our friends house in Vegas. Know of our love and prayers for you at this time. I hope you give all my cousins, and Aunt Malak my love.

Love you all,

Mom/Shir/Soeur Cannon