And there winter went...

Elder Nelson, Smith, Martinez and Madrigal on transfer day.

Elder Nelson, Smith, Martinez, Madrigal and Paul last transfer day before Elder Paul went home.

Oi familia Tudo Bem?

  Well it has been another great week here in the mission and things are starting to warm up.  We had a little cold spell but now it is pretty much just raining and weirdly warm here.  We are supposed to go back up to around 13 degrees this week before sitting around 8 or 6 degrees.  So yeah... Other than that it has been a good week we were able to meet with our investigators pretty regularly as well as have some fun visiting all the members and preping for the integration night this week.  

   I am super pumped for this week and the chance we have to start with the #lighttheworld initiative.  I love the Idea of a month dedicated to service of your fellow man which we all know is just service of our God.  Most of the members here are off for the holiday's because it is too cold to do construction and so now they are really into just working with us and trying to spread the message.  We are hoping to have a great kick off this saturday with our integration night and getting the members pumped about how they can #SejaoLuzdoMundo and touch the lives of all those that are around us.  I really like the counsel we were given by Elder Oaks at last octobers General Conference where he pointed out that it doesn't matter how close our relationship is with someone because that doesn't affect their decision to accept the gospel.  And, If I may it doesn't limit the effect that we can have as we shed the light of Christ into their lives this Christmas season.

   Well some Questions

1. What did you do for American Thanksgiving?

We moved one dinner appointment to Friday and then we went to Bro Berkes house and had our classic thanksgiving dinner. 

2. What was the best thing that happened this week?

We got one of our investigators to go to a baptism and were able to see her like three times this week. 

3. Did you have anything unexpected happen this week that was great?

Well the first time we ran into that investigator we were infact dropping by her sister to make sure that she was invited to the baptism.  Instead of finding her sister we found our investigator and it was actually her sister's birthday too so we got some cake and donuts

4. What are you looking forward to this week?

This week we have Exchanges with woodstock and we have integration night

5. How are the ESL class going?

Good we found another new student this week and once again no one came on Saturday. 

6. Are you going to use the new #LighttheWorld campaign in your mission?

OH YEAH!

7. What are your pday plans?

Some Holiday Shopping to get some presents to send out in a package soon. 

8. How are your investigators?

Pretty good they are coming along pretty well right now and we are hopefully going to get more of them.  

9. What are you doing to work with the members?

We are going to work on many different service themed activities this month to try and drop by people the members know and that they would like to help out try and meet people that way.

10. Do you have any plans for Christmas caroling, or the like in your area this year?

Not as a zone but individuall probably.  

 

Well that is all family,

Loves,

Elder Smith

Winter is coming and Happy Turkey Day!

  

Elder Nelson as a burnt marshmallow

 Well it has been a great week here in the North and Winter is at the door step.  We had our first little taste of snow this weekend and Elder Nelson did not appreciate it.  Today he bought the largest snow jacket I have seen in my life and now he is ready for the long winter ahead.  We went to this store called Sail up in Hespler and they were having a pre Black friday Clearance on last years winter coats.  Elder Nelson scored a 600 dollar jacket for fifty percent off and with the exchange rate it came out to around 250.75.  He looks like a burnt marshmallow now in his coat but he is pleased with himself.  At the very least he will be very warm.  I got a new coat too because I found one for like a hundred dollars that is warmer and nicer than the one I got last year that started sheding feathers like the aforementioned turkey. So now I have a nice winter coat that I am looking to give or sell to one of the new missionaries for cheap.  It is still a nice coat and you can survive winter in it but it is not as nice nor is it waterproof.  I also for the first time in my life bought myself mittens.  I was stubborn enough to not do it last year but this year I have learned better.  

   Other than that though it has been a great last week full of the spirit and some wonderful miracles along the way.  We spent a lot of time this week with one of the members from the YSA.  He had sprained his ankle playing basketball last week so he had a week off of work to come teaching with us.  It lead to some miscommunication between him and our new member Sarah however it was quickly resolved.  Lets just say that hanging out doesn't translate well into portuguese and then Sand her Parents blew it all way out of preportion.  It did make for an interesting first impression with S's dad though who just arrived from Brazil on Wednesday.  He is a good guy and we are super excited to have him up here.  He is a return missionary and a former bishop. He has his quirks but he is still really cool.  Another great miracle about that was that S brought a friend to Lunch with us on Friday.  That was cool we are going to go there this weekend for lunch with her and her brazilian roommate and hopefully they become new investigators.  

   Other than that the other highlight was when we went to visit Sister B.  Sister B is a less active that we have been working with since the first time that I was in this area.  She is super cool however she struggles with a lot of things.  Mainly repentance, she says she knows she is not repenting fully and correctly however she doesn't know how she is supposed to do it.  I am blown away constantly by the love of the Saviour for each and every one of us and the way that the atonement changes our lives.  Sister B is not the type of person you would expect to be going through these problems nor even the type of person that you would even want to talk to member or not.  However every time we are over there I just fill up with charity and just so much love.  It is great and one of the best things about being a missionary.  

   Well on to questions

1. Are you doing anything for American Thanksgiving?

We have back to back dinner appointments right now so that will be fun. 

2. Do you have a mission motto or mission song? 

We have had zone anthems but nothing too serious like that.  

3. What was your favorite thing that happened this past week?

Probably our lesson with Sister B or when we went on a hike with Brother P

4. What are you most looking forward to in the coming week?

Turkey Day it is going to be great. 

5. Who are the missionaries serving in your district or zone this transfer?

Elder Adam James Brand, Elder Bryce Smith, Sister Nicole Seegmiller, Sister Meleisea Talaitupu Jennifer, Elder Hayden Nelson, Elder Samuel Smith, Sister Sarah Short, Sister Nelli Vorimo, Sister Sarah Dominique Gousse, Sister Hayley Hunter, Sister Krista Nicole Moody, Sister 鄧伊媛, Elder Cody Bahr, Elder Jaymon McDevitt, Elder Alexis Dardon, Elder Kaileb Olson, Elder Seth Linden Callor, Elder 吳浩賢, Sister Audrey D. Nelson, Sister Shannon Spencer, Elder Daxton Coffey, and Elder Noah Davis
6. How are your investigators? Anyone new this week?

No one new this week but some solid potential.  Also we met with our new investigator from last week again and he is crazy.  So we might not be seeing him anymore.  Another testament of not drinking alcohol.

7. What did you do for the members this week? Any service?

no but we have two moves in the next two weeks that we are helping with and we do service at the food bank every tuesday. 

8. What are your pday plans?

now we are going up to Kitchener I need some tailoring done and then we are going to spend time with the other missionaries. 

9. What have you been studying lately?

The plain and precious truths that were taken from the book of mormon and how to find people.  

10. What are you most grateful for this Thanksgiving?

Loving members that make lots of food. 

Well that is all fam,

loves,

Elder Smith

All mixed up!

Oi familia tudo bem!

    Well it has been quite the week.  Transfers have come and gone and things have changed once again.  Elder Nelson and I are just getting things calmed back down after the big shuffle.  This week has just flown by since we got the news on Sunday that Elder Martinez was getting sent back into Toronto.  Monday was just flying around saying good bye to everyone as well as just trying to do all those things that he had been saying we would do for weeks that we never did.  One of which was going and baking cookies with a lovely older sister in the stake.  She meant really well, however, the cookies really didn't turn out.  Hopefully, we will make them better next time. 

   Tuesday was pretty cool we went and met one of Elder Nelson's dad's friends from college.  He had some cool stories and he also knows all the Portuguese members in his ward and is willing to help us meet with them all and see how we can work together to get the member work growing in this part of the area.  It was definitly the highlight of that day.  Tuesday we had to do the paper work for Elder Nelson's Visa extension which was four of the longest most boring hours of my entire existance.  I would not recomend trying to apply for a visa in Canada, four years of Trump will pass faster than those four hours.  

   Other than that it has been a great week we have had a lot of sucess in getting members out to lessons and contacting some new investigators.  We have been working a lot on setting goals and making plans for our week.  I am personally super excited this was the direction that my studies had been taking me for the past few weeks was in the ability we have to make our dreams realities through the process of mastering goal setting and accountability.  Needless to say I am super excited about this new direction we are taking.  

Questions

1. Was your belt lucky this week?

yeah we found a new investigator and we got to see some cool miracles working with the members.

2..What was the must unexpected thing that happened this week?

We found a new investigator who was someone that I had talked to about six months ago.  He was super rude last time I talked to him and we really didn't want to teach him but we went back this Saturday and he was one of the nicest men we have ever talked to. 

3. Did you take any photographs this week?

yes two

4. What is the most exciting thing that happened this week?

we went to a baptism that was super cool 

5. What are your pday plans?

we are making a sign and doing lots of other things. 

6. What are you looking forward to this week?

working to acheive our goals

7. How are your investigators this week?

doing well we met with three of them 

8. What are your plans with your members this week?

trying to set up times to meet some of their non member friends so we can try and get some new investigators.

9. Did you do any service this week?

we raked so many leaves.  It was ridiculous.

10. What are you most grateful for this week?

probably Jesus.  The atonement is pretty cool...  Also I am grateful for sleep so that we can relax and recuperate for the next day.

Well that is all folks

Loves,

Elder Smith

The breaking up of the fellowship, or a new beginning

Oi familia beleza?

   Well it has proven to be a great last week of the transfer and of course that means that they have changed absolutely everything again on us.  We got our transfer calls last night and Elder Martinez is leaving us.  He is going to go and be a zone leader with Elder Madrigal out in Toronto again.  It has been fun being back together with him these past two transfers.  He is a great guy and is going to do wonderful things out in Toronto.  Elder Nelson and I will be staying here though and we are pumped.  This transfer is going to be super exciting and fast.  WE are only going to have five weeks because of the departing missionaries and the holiday season however it is going to be so much fun.  

   This week already proved to be super cool.  First off we had a wonderful Zone Council with some great instructions that both hit on things that I really needed to hear it was truly inspirational.  Even better we got our mail, and sorry mom but we got our Christmas presents and I also was sent my birthday present.  Needless to say I didn't even look at it long enough to tell before I ripped it open to see what I got.  Sooo thank you for all of that.  I love the CTR ring and the tie.  Also Uncle Ted's belt really is lucky, (Although a little big on me), I will tell you more about that later.  

   Another Highlight this week was that we were able to go to stake conference.  We had Elder Smith of the Area Seventy come and visit our stake this weekend.  It was really cool to sit and learn under his voice of the things that he felt prompted to share with us.  He was a very interesting man, worked as a senator for over 18 years before receiving a call to serve as an area seventy in the north america northeast area.  He has a wealth of stories that are truly astonishing and that I have written down to share with you all later.

   Finally the highlight was the story of Brother P.  Brother P is a member that we had been working with a couple of weeks ago until he simultaneously got a new job and a girlfriend.  He then kind of fell of the map for a little bit and stopped talking to us.  After we had a great lesson with our investigator A on Saturday, (lucky belt strike one he stopped smoking), we felt like we should go visit him.   Which led to a great old detective movie montage as we went and followed a bunch of leads from people that had seen him around til we found him sitting in a bar crying.  We sat down and it was great to see him look up and see us and just change.  He said that we were awesome to care enough to come and look for him and told us the whole story of the last few weeks and how he needed us so we can come and help him back up.  It was one of the coolest experiences I have had on my mission.

On to some questions....

 1. Transfer news?

Elder Martinez is gone

2. What are your pday plans?

we are going to go and eat lunch and have a baking lesson then some alterations on a suit I found and some other shopping needs then journal signing with the zone. 

3. How are your investigators this week?

A is quiting smoking and we are looking towards baptism in a few weeks, and N is back at home and her baby is getting better and better. 

4. What did you and your companions do this week that was unplanned, or unexpected yet awesome?

find Brother P

5. Did you do any service this week?

nope we didn't we need to go mow a lawn this week and rake leaves. 

6. What was church like this week? Any new people? Members? Investigators?

we met a members boyfriend who is a potential for the Toronto elders now. 

7. How are the English classes?

working on it. proving to be one of those that only comes out by prayer and fasting.

8. What are you looking forward to this week?

Lots of good things planning and working to grow the area.

9. What are you grateful for this week? 

elder Martinez and the example he has been to me. 

10. What is your favorite thing you have learned, done or experienced this transfer?

Probably the Tripan life things are going to be a lot harder now with only two but we will figure it out. 

Well that is it this week all!

Loves,

Elder Smith