February 24, 2014

Wow Ronnie looks huge!!! 

Well here I am in ottawa, in a giant family history center attached to a steak center eating...WENDY'S!! It is undoubtedly the best feature of Ontario. Living in YSA is nutso. The people are all young and hip, and we get to use facebook for 15 minutes every day. Otherwise we couldn't get in touch with half the people. Also my legs will be buff by the end of my time here because we have no car and walk a lot. 

Well in the answering questions portion: My companion is Elder Castrejon (from southern California again). He is Mexican, a published rapper, barely older in the mission than me (six weeks), and shorter than me. We get along great. Yes Ottawa is the Capital. We live a few blocks from very large government buildings. It is a much prettier city than Montreal, and a lot less like Sodom and Ghommorah (seriously). Yes young people are very curious and often searching for answers. Yes we do try to speak french with eachother. We also teach some in french. Not much but a little. On Saturday we went to a YSA's family's house for dinner. He is hispanic and so they and my companion started speaking spanish. I was ready to barely understand anything when the mother turned to me and started to talk in French. I was so relieved! I could communicate with these people! It was a startling experience to realize how much I have internalized the language. I have truly been blessed with the gift of tounges. I find myself with language skills better than missionaries who have been out more than twice as long as me. It has been another testimony to me of the Reality of God and his love and care for his authorized servants.

I don't have a companion with a cord now so I can't send pictures for a while. Guess maybe later in my mission.

Goodbye all!!

February 17, 2014

8:16am

Hello all!

Got my transfer call on Saturday. Am I going? Am I staying? What color sweater am i wearing? Tune in next time to find out!!!

8:29am

Just kidding. I got my call and I am going to Dow's Lake in Ottawa. It is completely English, oh and Dow's Lake is a YSA ward. That means I get to only talk to young people and use Facebook. Not gonna lie, leaving Sherbrooke is the hardest thing I've had to do so far on my mission. I love the members here so much, and I was startled to discover that they loved me too. I have got some pictures to send of some of the families that I especially have grown to love. 

That is actually pretty much all the news I have. I will be companions with Elder Castrejon. I don't know anything about him, but I guess I will find out. We won't have a car in YSA, so hopefully my growing girth will have an opportunity to shrink a little. 

It is super awesome that Tanner is so close to getting his call. I just have this feeling that he will be coming here and that I will train him...

Ok that probably won't happen, but I can dream right? I know that T will be a great missionary wherever the Lord calls him. In fact I have a picture of his MTC companion: his name is Aubert

He is getting his papers in here too.

I love you guys and know that the Lord is in control of his work. I don't know what my e-mail situation will be in Ottawa, but I will be sending one some time next monday.

Bye!

The Beaudoin Family (plus Eden Jette on the bottom left)

February 10, 2014

Hello all!

So it is the last week of the transfer again. Next Saturday is transfer calls and I will find out what is happening. I am excited to see!

First off wow, that so incredible the progress that it sounds like is happening back in Spokane! Next up dad you need to baptize one of your partners. Ronnie is so huge!! He is seriously the biggest guy on that team! I

wish i could have been there to watch the games.

In any case things are shaky here in Sherbrooke right now. Both of our new converts are struggling. Maintaining the obedience that brought them to baptism is proving hard for them. One has started smoking again and doesn't feel worthy to come to church anymore. She got a bus pass to come to church from fast offering money, but so far hasn't used it. The other is struggling with tithing, and his problem with coffee has randomly re-surfaced. I am terrified to leave Sherbrooke. I feel a certain responsibility to them because i have been teaching one for seven months, and I found the other. I am worried I will leave and someone else will be left with all these problems.

In other news, why am I writing early? because we are going to Longueiul for a zone activity today, then a zone conference tomorrow. We are all excited because this might be the time for our mission to get ipads. Also there is going to be a meeting mid march in Montreal where all missionaries will come and a member of the Quorum of the 12 will be there! That also might be when we get a tech upgrade. We are noticibly excited about all this. 

I don't really have time today to write a ton, but I love you guys. Next Monday I will know my fate. I will attach a picture or two to this now.

The district enjoying p-day

Bye!

A light dusting

baby Xavier B, the worlds best German speaking Quebecois baby!!

February 3, 2014

Hello the Fams!! 

So you guys want a run through of a missionary day huh? First I will address some concerns: Jordan, I can't tell you exactly what it requires for you to establish good habits, I can only tell you what happened to me. I went into the MTC, and some of my problems just vanished, such as waking up and going to bed on time. Other ones are a continual struggle to completely vanquish, but I can bear testimony that any of the Lords servants who are earnestly seeking to follow his commandments will find that he has prepared a way for them to do so. All God asks is that we are sincerely trying to change, Christ's atonement takes care of the rest. 

Also Jimmy got baptized yesterday. I'll send some pictures now that the computer is deciding to notice the camera again.

Now for a normal missionary day (in Quebec): I'll do this last friday because that was a pretty good day.

•               6:30 to 8 exercise, shower, and eat

•               8 to 11 studies

•               11 to 12 lunch

•               12 to 1 Lesson with Scott (less active)

•               1:30 to 2:30 Lesson with John (recent convert)

•               2:30 to 3:30 lesson with Jimmy accompanied by John (investigator)

•               3:30 to 4:30 weekly planning (it's Friday. normally we'd knock here)

•               4:30 to 5:30 eat dinner

•               5:30 to 6:30 pick up John and drive to Stanstead for lesson

•               6:30 to 7:30 lesson with Mr. and Mrs. Ruf and John (new investigators)

•               7:30 to 8:30 return to sherbrooke

•               8:30 to 9 try to finish weekly planning (didn't had to finish the next day)

•               9 to 9:30 nightly planning

•               9:30 to 10:30 unwind and prepare for bed

•               10:30 bed

So that is a pretty busy day in Sherbrooke. Some days see less lessons and more knocking and member work, but all in all that is what it is like. It is far crazier in other missions. If you serve somewhere in Utah you don't nightly plan I've heard. The ward mission leaders call you and tell you what your schedule is, who you are teaching (lessons all day every day) and what you are teaching. Elder Wilbur met someone who waited for his visa in Orem and he had 21 baptisms in two weeks. So yea, the work varies from place to place.

Anyway, pictures time: Me Elder Wilbur, Bishop, Jimmy, and John

January 27, 2014

WWWWWHHHHAAAATTTT!!!! Mission call?!?!?!? OREGON!!! Wow. I am so happy!! Jordan you are going to be a wonderful missionary! Just don't be surprised when your trainer is like barely 19 years old. Also we will only be seperated by a little less than six months! I am so excited!

In other news our investigator's baptism is this coming Sunday. I can't believe it is going to be February in just a few days.  This last two weeks were the best weeks either of us has ever had with referrals. We received 2, and contacted 5 this last week. We are beginning to find the value of coming into member's homes and bringing the spirit. 

I have also been amazed to find that I have grown close to several families in the ward. The Beaudoin family, the Bergeron family, and Bishop Desjourdy's family have all grown very dear to me. It will be extremely difficult when I finally leave Sherbrooke to say goodbye to them. 

Also we went down to the Stanstead area last Thursday to contact some referrals. We wandered around the Ayer's Cliff and Way's Mill areas and went to Stanstead to see the border. We wanted to get as close as possible to get a picture, but we ended up on a road that WAS the border. One side of the road was U.S, the other Canada. When we passed a sign facing the other way saying "Bienvenue au Quebec" we turned around and drove back very fast. We didn't actually leave the mission, but we got way too close for comfort.

With regards to the glasses I keep just forgetting to put them on. I still need to get the nice ones fixed. The problem is every time I try to get the Costco card they just give me a temporary day pass. I'm getting frustrated.

Anyway we are going to play Risk and maybe some basketball with the sisters today for p-day, so that should be fun. Don't worry, none of it is against mission rules. We recently had a rule change that we could do activities with the sisters on p-days so now we hang out most p-days.

That is just about all. Oh and transfers are in three weeks, but we get mail every time there is a zone funcition, and there is a zone training meeting this week and a zone conference in two weeks. So there is really no stress about timing it right.

That is about all! Happy this week everyone!

January 20, 2014

P.S. Go Seahawks!!

Sorry about that pre-script. I don't know who wrote that, maybe Elder Bottello did it while I was getting a drink (cough).

Anyway, had a pretty good week this week. Our invesigator’s baptism is finally settled for the 2 of Febuary (yes a fast sunday. Bishop really wants it on a Sunday). Other than that our new member is doing well. She is going through some adversity with regards to her past. I had a cool opportunity to testify to her on Friday about the nature of our life here on earth, and what it means to become like Christ. She is still struggling to forgive some people from her past, and doesn't want to accept that Christ would act differently. We have had some good moments teaching, and also have had some success with teaching active members. We received three referrals last week, though they are all in Stanstead (one hour drive south). We are also should start teaching Michelle this week, she is a really cool referral from Aubert. He gave her a Book of Mormon two months ago, and she is already through 2 Nephi and really liking the book. We really have high hopes for her.

In other news...there isn't much else. The sisters are being normal sisters, meaning they don't understand areas very well. First they marched into our areas and started teaching all the less actives, and are still fuming because Elder Wilbur told them to stop teaching most of them. Now they are trying to get their hands on some pass-off investigators in our areas (meaning investigators from elsewhere who moved into our area) just because they want them. Jordan Paige and Lizzie, when you are missionaries remember that the Lord assigns us to our specific areas for a reason. There are cases when sisters should go see single women outside their areas, but they shouldn't just go and start teaching EVERYONE without once informing the Elders whose area it is, and then go and get furious when those same Elders accidentally call a less active single man in the Sisters area and get invited over for dinner (and DO tell the sisters about it).

Sorry about that. I've been a little frustrated with this whole thing for a while. It's really sad that Jordan's papers are delayed.  Jordan don't let this get you down. The Lord has his hand in everything, especially when it comes to missionary work. Maybe your husband is running six months behind ;) 

Today is a letter day. I am going to write a letter to the MISH class, maybe some others, and definitely to Jordan. 

Dad: stop getting older while I'm not there!

Mom: There is no greater triumph in motherhood than 6 children strong in the faith.

Jordan: Laugh.

Tanner: never forget the most important trick in sharing the gospel: flirt to convert! (joke)

Paige: love others like yourself, but don't love yourself too much, so careful how much you care about others (joke again)

Ronnie: You are too tall.

Lizzy: Brontosaurus (for lack of a better phrase)

Elder Hardy

January 13, 2014

bonjour y'all!!

Welcome to week two of "Season of Soul!" The weather has turned wierd. It has warmed way up and started raining a lot. It makes me startled to think if it had all been snow. It makes all of us antsy for things to be so wet. The moment it drops again the world will turn back into an ice rink. 

The new Elder in our apartment is Elder Botello, from southern California again. He is spanish speaking and hilarious He is about three transfers older than me in the mission. Me and Elder Wilbur are focusing on finding new people to teach through other means. We have knocked twice in these two transfers so far. We have been trying to find through referrals, referrals from members, less actives, investigators, and God. Our teaching pool is not huge, but all of the names are solid. Some of them were found while tracting, but only Jimmy actually came from knocking on a door. The others were the result of following the spirit and talking to everyone. Knocking a lot has the opposite affect. Lots and lots of names on the white board, but very few of them are actually interested and not just polite or lonely. 

Holy cow go seahawks! a Washington team acutally worth rooting for! Definetely tell me who wins the superbowl and who they beat. Not too many people care out here in Quebec. All they care about is the NHL. Qubecers are really frustrated because a Canadien team hasn't won the Stanely cup (NHL superbowl) in a very long time. 

On a more relevant note, Jimmy is moving towards baptism on the 25th. 

Well that about does it for now. Oh one more cool thing. I found studying in 1 Nephi today something I really liked. In 1 Nephi 11 right after the angel asks Nephi "knowest thou the condescention of God?" I really was struck by Nephi's response. He displays a true understanding of the base of all doctrine, and is thus ready and capable of understanding further knowledge.

Now I am done. Bye bye everyone!

Elder Hardy