Happy New Year!!!
Today is Sunday, January 3, 2021!!
Brittney celebrates her 31st Birthday on Tuesday and
Jordan celebrates her 27th on Saturday!! Happy, Happy Days!!
How could I forget to share with you last week, the incredible, thoughtful Christmas gift our dear missionaries gave to us?? After our opening hymn and prayer on Christmas morning, before we began our beautiful Zoom Testimony Meeting, our Assistants instructed us to go get the gift which was tucked in our mailbox, and to open it, while the whole mission watched. In a red zippered pencil case we found a memory stick, and a colourful little 4”X4” guide to what was on the little memory stick!! Imagine our delight, and surprise to discover that they had secretly recorded their voices reading the entire New Testament!! Alphabetically listed were the names of every one of our missionaries currently serving, and the New Testament verses they had read. Oh what a thrill to hear their voices…and as years pass it will be an even greater treasure!! Can you imagine coordinating that huge project?? It is so fun to listen and identify who’s who without the guide!! We are so very blessed, and so very grateful!!
Our New Years Resolutions are written, and we have started the year out determined, and excited to continue serving with our whole hearts. What a magnificent experience to serve a mission!! We can’t imagine a better way to strengthen any relationship…and highly recommend it to all of you! Maybe I have mentioned about some of our inspiring senior couples that were serving their fourth or fifth missions!! Such a great way to grow together!!
Zooming today was wonderful, and we tuned into both Copperwood Ward to hear Michael bear his Testimony on the occasion of his release as first counsellor in the Bishopric; and into Westminster Ward Testimony Meeting where we were surprised and thrilled to hear Megan bear hers. I wonder when covid settles down if virtual meetings will continue? We have been so very grateful to have been able to attend baptisms, confirmations, sacrament meetings, funerals, as well as family prayers, family home evenings, and many, many Mission Meetings… incredible technology!!
A great week with Monday Office Meetings, Tuesday and Wednesday Mount Royal Interviews. Thursday (part1) and Friday (part 2) from 10-12, we held Mission Wide Learning Conferences which we felt were a great way to end 2020, and a great way to begin 2021!! Of course we talked a lot about goal setting…and had an emphasis on ‘Developing Christlike Attributes’ and ‘Improving our Studies.’ It was fun to teach, and then send them away with an assignment, and an invitation to come back and report the next day - New Years Day!! The Christlike Attribute evaluation sheet at the end of Preach My Gospel, Chapter 6 was the assignment, and oh my goodness, how I wish we could record, and share the amazing comments made by missionaries from all over this Mission…from Quebec City, Quebec, to Ottawa, Ontario to Montreal, Quebec to Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to Moncton NB; these are the best of the best, and we are so inspired by their committed conversion… A musical highlight was Sister McGillis playing ‘If you Could Hie to Kolob’ on her flute. She recorded twice, first playing the melody, and secondly the countermelody…and then put them together...it was beautiful!!
One Elder, as we discussed about Christlike attributes reminded me of something I love to think about…. He shared how he is working on the Christlike attribute of Knowledge, and said that the best knowledge is spiritual knowledge, adding that The Book of Mormon is the best spiritual textbook! I challenge our missionaries to make the ‘The Book of Mormon’ the Keystone of their lives with Jesus Christ as the Chief Cornerstone. We know if they (or we) all become committed to the habit of reading The Book of Mormon everyday, everyday, everyday....they (we) will always be on their (our) own covenant path, and that is our goal......
Abraham 3:22, 24-26 reads: And they who keep their first estate shall be added upon;….And they who keep their second estate shall have glory added upon their heads for ever and ever.”
The two simple words ‘Added Upon,’ I think have such application for all of us. As we understand, and apply simple gospel principles, we are given more understanding..it’s a ‘line upon line principle.’ The more we think we understand, the more is given us to understand…thus we are ‘added upon.’ While keeping the first two great commandments; Loving and Serving God and our fellowmen, i.e. ministering as His disciples, both our hearts and our minds are quickened, and we are ‘added upon.’ Prayerfully giving Christlike service provides the means whereby we create our own covenant path..and the more we serve, the more we are ‘added upon,’ and our covenant path becomes more well worn, more comfortable, and it is exactly where we want to stay. Reading the Book of Mormon daily, as well as offering fervent prayers are also key in being 'Added Upon.' Certainly ‘Added Upon’ could be another of our life’s mantras.
Yesterday was a delightful, relaxing PDay; the highlight being cross-country skiing right across the street in our ‘Darling Park.’ Richard created perfect ski tracks, and it was so fun being out in the crisp winter air with a fresh blanket of perfect skiing snow!! In Ottawa for Interviews and Zone Conference this week; we’ll pack the skis and plan for another little adventure!! Atlantic Zone Conference on Friday!!
And there you have another quick report of life in the 'Canada Montreal Mission!' Oh how we love our service, and are so grateful for every new day, where beautiful little miracles abound!!
Have a wonderful week!! and Thank you for your prayers....
With Much love, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Richard and Gayle
Keep Smiling!!!
And here are the January 3rd, 2021 Missionary Miracles
Victoriaville Elders: David Joseph was Baptized yesterday (Saturday)….he was found gaming!!
Hochelaga Elders:
« You can tell Sister Low this. Our friend John is a teenager and we've been teaching him with the bishop and his teenage son. It has always been a struggle getting John's mom involved because she always just says she's busy. Sister Low suggested to Elder Yanez in interviews that we invite the bishop's wife to the lessons if possible to try and get John's mom to participate. We finally got her to come yesterday. John's mom still didn't come, but at least this time he went and invited her. I'm grateful he did that. But she did a great job in the lesson explaining her conversion story and even offered to arrange to get him a triple combination because he's been going to seminary and will need it to study D&C next year. We were going to offer that but then she did without us even saying anything. It was really nice and I'm grateful we listened to Sister Low's advice. «
Levis Sisters:
« In fact we had a super cool experience on Christmas Day. We had planned to bring some baking to an older less active member and his wife. For whatever reason, we could not find their house for the life of us. We spent a good 20 minutes trying to find them. Finally, we decided to try again later and to see if they was anyone in the area we could bring something to. We decided to pray about it, and from area book, the name of someone who had been formerly taught stood out to us. We drove over to her house, but there was someone standing directly in the window, and since we wanted to stay anonymous, we decided that was a no go. Then, Soeur Hechmati pointed out that we were in the same area as a someone we had brought a bible to. We dropped off a card and some cookies at her doorstep and headed home. Later in the evening we got a text from her saying that she was really happy about it.
We might not have been able to deliver to all the people we had been hoping to deliver to that night , but we learned a lot about how we received revelation as a companionship. We were directed step by step, and we needed to think that those two other people were going to work out. Otherwise, we would never have thought of Hélène ( bible drop off). «
Hochelaga Central Elders:
« We had somewhat of a miracle on Sunday. A man had asked us for a Bible so we asked him to meet us at the church 15 minutes before church started. He came and then we invited him to stay and watch the meeting in person. He agreed and stayed the whole time. At the end of the meeting we asked him if he had any questions, he had a ton. We answered some and then scheduled a video call. We had the call last night and it was amazing, the spirit was very present and everyone felt it. We shared the restoration and our testimonies. The best part was the member we had with us. Who was the same age as this man when he was baptized. His testimony was so powerful and it left us all edified. It was a miracle find! «
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PDay Photos
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