Today is Monday, December 2, 2019
and Sunday, December 8, 2019 and tomorrow is Macie’s 2nd Birthday
What a Beautiful Day in the Canada Montreal Mission!! Maybe that is a bit plagiaristic, but I am just loving the “A Beautiful Day in the Neighbourhood” book I bought at the Moncton Airport. Such a lovely read..chalk full of lovely little ‘Words of Wisdom’ on everything from relationships, to childhood, to creativity and play, to discipline, to learning , and many more topics on how to live and be happy…by Mister Rogers himself.…
“A love of learning has a lot to do with learning that we’re loved,”
is just a sample of the profound little snippets that fill this book. Some ‘quiet night' we will look up the movie with the same title starring Tom Hanks….I know there is no way it will be as great as this book!!!
Interviewing last week was great, and we found almost all our missionaries in great spirits! We flew to Moncton, New Brunswick, Monday night, and interviewed Tuesday. Flew back to Montreal Tuesday night and Wednesday was a twelve hour interviewing day…from 10am to 10pm where we visited with our largest zone of 39 missionaries! Thursday we drove to Ottawa and interviewed from 1pm-7:30pm.
As I was contemplating ‘my’ interviews I felt impressed to take some watercoloring supplies and see if anyone wanted to paint?!!! Sometimes the wait can be up to an hour to visit with President Low, so painting was a great way to relax as well as to pass the time!! There were only two Elders that avoided the painting relaxation exercise!! Everyone else was so thrilled to relax as they created!! I gave a short little tutorial on how to paint a Christmas wreath on a card, and without exception every single wreath was beautiful!
I had a pretty remarkable experience at our Montreal airport…
Monday night we arrived two hours early for our flight to Moncton, gate A-1 was pretty much vacant except for one cute elderly lady..(imagine about 100 empty seats.) Richard suggested I should go sit beside her…so I did. I struck up a lively conversation, and found out this sweet, fit, 90 year old gal, from Amherst, Nova Scotia, who ice skates three times a week, was returning home to take care of her affairs as well as her recently deceased husbands, (who died in September) after being in Boyle, Alberta caring for her 72 year old daughter who just had a knee replacement. Is that enough information for one sentence?! Before we boarded I pulled our my business card as well as the new Light the World…One by one card..Gladys almost hugged me…she was so excited, and said she was a Christian, and would certainly watch the new Nativity video. After our flight while we were getting our rental car, I watched for Gladys to come through with her luggage. We met again and hugged…she said I will always remember Gayle Low…. I was happy (as I always am) that I opened my mouth. Having a little gift….like a pass along card, for me, always makes it easier, so keep a supply with you…
Well, my little story doesn’t end at the Moncton Airport where we arrived. Next morning as Richard began his interviews, I began my informal interviews..just visiting our missionaries. I shared my experience at the Airport, and asked the Elders if they could go visit Gladys in Amherst. Elder Tait, one of the Zone Leaders typed Gladys Riley into his area book, and you guessed it…..she and her husband Jim had been seriously taught ten years ago!!!! We don’t know why they discontinued being taught but…you can be sure the Elders will be heading to Amherst to reconnect, and hopefully teach her again!!! There are no coincidences…
Simply being friendly, and opening our mouths is how we start. People love to tell their stories, so listen. It doesn’t start by passing out copies of the Book of Mormon..it starts by being a friend, and genuinely caring about people. Maybe I have mentioned that it could take 7 interactions with members of the Church for someone to decide they would like to learn more…
Ottawa interviews on Thursday were great, as was the watercolouring!!
Our missionaries are so good, and doing so well. Sister Lee, our area mental health advisor, was thrilled that we had painted…she said she has been encouraging missionaries to paint, but no one ever did…until now!!! I was glad she gave it her rubber stamp of approval!! We spent the night in Ottawa in anticipation of the big shopping day Friday!
Knowing Black Friday sales, (which our friend Bert from Brooks Brothers says are the best of the year,) began at 7am, motivated us to get to the Factory Outlet mall and the Brooks Brothers shop first thing. All Richard’s uniform essentials were there: three beautiful new suits, some white shirts, ties, and socks. We think he might be set for the next year and a half!!
By nine thirty am, our arms were laden with brown paper packages tied up with strings, so we unburdened back at the car, and headed back for a few more necessities…like Bath and Body liquid soap! After another hour or so we were shopped out, and heading back to our car when we noticed a TV cameraman, and announcer arriving. Thinking I could save them time hunting for the crowds, I approached them to say just head down that way to the ‘Coach’ and ‘Michael Kors’ outlets where the throngs of women were lined up. They didn’t seem to even care about that…they just wanted to interview us!!! So…we ended up being on the six and ten o’clock CTV Ottawa news, Friday night…pretty funny!!
Even more than the thrill of getting such great Black Friday deals, was our Red Lobster lunch, visiting cousins Colleen Hicks, Alyssa Wong and Heather Hicks. It was wonderful to reconnect with these family members. We will contact them again. I’m thinking of making an appointment to have cousin Bonnie clean my teeth…
Brother Yvon Johnson from our Montreal Ward texted Richard and invited us downtown where he would give us a tour of some landmarks..we are getting really good at pretending we are native Montrealer’s and hop the subway to get here there and everywhere!!…Our favourite landmark was ‘The Forum’ where for many, many years the Montreal Canadiens played hockey!!! It is no longer a hockey arena, but there are gold plaques in the sidewalk outside, as well as the centre ice logo right where it would have been, and there are some great old photos. We finished our touring in an old Verdun Presbyterian Church, where we enjoyed a free Christmas Korean Dinner. Entertainment was the Korean pastor enthusiastically leading us in group singalong carols. It was a delightful couple of hours with Brother Johnson. He will join us for our Boxing Day Christmas feast.
Last Sunday we sustained our new Bishop Stewart, and counsellors Brother Schindler, and Brother Brao. Brao’s are from the Philippines and have been trying for years to have a family. Over the pulpit Sister Brao shared their miracle..family friends in the Philippines were aware of their trial, and also knew of a young girl who was looking for someone to give her expected baby to….so the Brao’s are going to get a baby…She had us all in tears as she shared that story….oh my!! So exciting for them!!!
Our Nova Scotia fir Christmas tree makes us almost feel like we are home…I am so happy we brought some of our home with us…You can be sure we were grateful the relighting of the tree I did last year survived the move!!
Our FM friend Michel will string outside lights across the front of the Mission Home this week so we will be truly festive, along with all the other million Montrealers who LOVE Christmas and deck every neighbourhood with sparkly twinkly lights. It is the most wonderful time of the year!!
Week Six - Transfer week was great..13 new missionaries arrived on time Tuesday evening…same old menu of taco soup and fresh buns hits the spot. Because they get up at 3:30 am in Provo, when they arrive here they are exhausted…we have a brief testimony meeting, and send them to bed.
Orientation on Wednesday was informative and exciting. Office missionaries teach, and Sister Little and Mecham plan a nutritious lunch for the new group before they head out contacting with some of our local teams.
They all arrived back to the Mission Home for the ham feast, and for a final night before heading to their new areas Thursday morning.
Thursday our departing group of 13 started arriving around noon and were excited to watercolour and play handbells as Richard in his Office had farewell interviews with each departing missionary, I prepared roast beef supper! Actually Richard prepared the roast…I did the rest!! With our senior office missionaries our group of 25 filled both tables…meal was delicious!! Spiritual feast at the Temple was even better.
Richard just forwarded this to me: it was included in Elder Thackers LTP this week:
“This last week we were able to finally meet with a referral we got named Scott and he was so awesome! When he sat down he said "Hey guys so I've been thinking about joining your church". I was so shocked I honestly didn't know what to say:) so we were then able to talk about the restoration and he really liked it and then he asked if he could visit our temple that he drives by every day to go to work. So we explained to him that to go to the temple you have to be a worthy member of the church and so then he asked what he had to do to be worthy and so we said keep all the commandments and he said so I have to stop drinking coffee? And we were like yes and he was okay I can do that! He was so cool and so then we asked him what made him interested in the church and he had met Sister Low at the airport and talked to her and it made him interested to learn more!
Unfortunately he is not YSA aged:( so we had to send him over to the Elders in Dartmouth but it was still a really cool experience!”)
Scott is my Halifax Airport souvenir shop friend who I have visited with as often as we are in Halifax!
This morning we travelled an hour and a half to the Eastern townships to the town of Grandby where we spoke in the Branch Sacrament Meeting. Before the meetings began the Branch President took us aside, and told us English speakers as well as French were in the congregation, so we spoke in both English and French!! That was a first for me!!
Mike and Sandy Wong, who’s Japanese Gardens we visited back in the summer invited us for ‘lunch’ after meetings today. Sandy prepared a delicious Chinese dinner for us and three other branch friends. I can’t remember if I told you about Sandy’s quest. Her goal to visit 100 Temples, is coming to fruition and her bulletin board with photos of the almost 80 she has visited is filling. She and Mike are an amazing team with the same goal except that Mike is not a member of the Church YET!! He accompanies Sandy on every trip all over the world, and waits outside the Temple visiting with gardeners, or temple engineers, or other temple patrons. He also comes to all Church meetings, drives with her to the Montreal Temple every week as she serves as an ordinance worker, and is an amazing support. We can see him as a Branch President or even a Stake President…someday!!
And today we congratulate eight year old Solon on his baptism..our newest family member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!! What a wonderful gathering of family and friend support! Great decision Solon...you are on your own covenant path now!!
Mom’s Chemo treatments began on Friday, and we learned that her diagnosis is stage four lymphoma. Her PET scan showed cancer in her other leg as well as a spot on her spine… Thanks to many of you who are ministering angels and giving her love and support. You… are answers to our prayers.
Our new round of Zone Conferences begin this week in Quebec City, and also in Nova Scotia so… we are on the road and in the air again!!
We feel so blessed to serve here, and are grateful for all your love and support. Missionary work is the most rewarding work we have ever been involved in. How blessed we are to be involved in the great gathering!!!
The Restoration continues.
Enjoy your Christmas preparations!!
We send much love to all of you.
“Light the World….One by One”
Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, and Richard and Gayle
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