It's a Christmas Miracle!!!
Things are going absolutely wonderful here. It hasn't snowed at all. It's kind of getting cold. It rained last night. This is my life now. I can't tell you when I can email because I don't know if I'll be here in Leamington until next Sunday, so I'll give you some more information then. It's good to know when you can though. 10:30 AM?? Are they only doing sacrament on Christmas?? The train sounds like a lot of fun. And Temple Square. Jealous. CCCCCCCCCCCCCHHHHHHHEEEEEEEESSSSSCCCCCCCAAAAAAKKKKKKEEEEEEE FFFFFFFFAAAAAAAAACCCTTTTTTTTTTOOOOOOORRRRRRRYYYYYYYY?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!??!?!?!?!?!?! I'm so jealous. That's probably one of the things I miss most about back home. I LOVE the Cheesecake Factory. The food, the service, the atmosphere, and of COURSE, the Cheesecake. We don't have any of those in Ontario (or even in Canada, I think). Sadness. Cheesecake Factory and Temple Square definitely trump Ward Party. ;)
I'll know if I got the packages this Saturday (that's when a big missionary meeting is). If not then, December 23rd is our Christmas Missionary Meeting where we'll get more mail. And yeah, Aunt Terri told me she was sending me a package. Yay! So this week basically went from bad to good to better to best. So buckle up Buttercup...
Bad: We drove two hours to go play sports with missionaries in London, Ontario last Monday. And no one really came to play sports. BOO!!!! Never trust a missionary. Just kidding, don't listen to me, trust missionaries, get baptized. But yeah, at least we were able to meet some of the other missionaries in our Zone. Then we drove two hours back to our area had a sweet dinner and a great FHE with the Velazquez family. That was good.
Better: Tuesday we met with one of our regular investigators. She had said earlier that she didn't remember getting taught about Joseph Smith. So we started from the beginning and taught her the Restoration. It was probably the second BEST Restoration lessons I've ever taught (second only to the legend, Jose Manuel). The Spirit was so strong and we committed her to baptism when she knows it's true. I started crying in the middle of the lesson. I'm such a baby. A sugar baby. ;)
Thursday, since it was the church's "Worldwide Day of Service," we put on our normal clothes, grabbed some rakes, and went to work. We met a little Venezuelan Lady last Tuesday our in her yard and asked her if she needed any help. She said she didn't want us to get our white shirts dirty, so we came back Thursday and raked her lawn. And he neighbors lawn. And their neighbors lawn. We got an appointment set up with her, a thanks from her neighbor, and about 15 cucumbers from the other neighbors. We then raked a members yard and her neighbors (of whom the husband has Cancer) and we were able rake probably about a million leaves from their yard. They were SO grateful and we going to go back there and baptize them.
Friday, I went on exchanges with one of our leaders to a little town called Chatam. I learned something really interesting about Charity. You really can have Charity and Love for people you have never met. True story.
BEST!!: We have been trying really hard to get new people to teach. On exchanges, my companion found two new investigators in our area. Then on Saturday, we were sitting down to do some planning, and we get a phone call from a less-active Mexican member. He was at his Brother's house and needed help with a broken thermostat (because all the instructions were in English). We came over, didn't fix the thermostat (because we weren't able to), but more importantly we ended up sitting down with his brother, teaching him the Restoration (well, I taught it all, because he doesn't speak English, unimportant), and he got super excited to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. Then we set up another appointment for this Wednesday. Solid!!
THEN! On Sunday, we went over to the little Venezuelan lady's house (Irma is her name) and we got in to teach her. She is SUPER prepared. Basically already a member. At first she said she's Catholic, then later on (talking about Joseph Smith) she opened up and said she's really confused about religion, too, and wants to know what the true church is. When we brought up the Book of Mormon she got super excited and started going off about when she reads the Book of Mormon and when the Holy Ghost tells her it's true, she'll know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that this is the true church and that she'll no longer be confused and she'll be in the right path. And we were like...uh...yeah. That's exactly correct. Then we asked her to pray and she said she'll do it, but we might not like the way she prayed. She gave one of the BEST, MOST PERFECT prayers I have EVER heard. Better than what most active members give. She prayed to God in the name of Jesus Christ and in the prayer she asked if the book she "is holding in her hands" is true. I was in tears. Again. That Restoration lesson bumped the one I taught on Tuesday to number 3 "Best Restoration Lesson." Twas a Christmas miracle.
I love you all and hope you watched the First Presidency Christmas Devotional. If you didn't, REPENT! Chao!!
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
LIGHT THE WORLD!!!!!!!
LIGHT THE WORLD!!!!!!!
Before I get into that...my Thanksgiving was pretty great!! A stellar couple in Branch named the Fiss's made us American Thanksgiving Dinner. They're both incredible cooks and they made us some of the best Glazed Ham I've ever had, and a lot of other great things. Yeah, no turkey, but hey, nobody's perfect. The husband used to be a Mennonite, which is the prominent religion here in Leamington, but now he's a rock-solid Mormon with a huge build and a huge white beard and he speaks German. AND he just got called to be our Branch Mission Leader, so we're pumped. After Thanksgiving Dinner, we helped a member move Food Storage from a Members house to his parents house, because he's moving. I LOVE doing Service. Especially as a missionary. So twas a good Thanksgiving. I'm glad you all ate enough turkey to cover for me. Sounds like you had a lot of fun.
SOPHIE!! Shreddin' up the ice GIRL!!! That's killer diller!!! You keep perfecting your Axel and I'll keep perfecting my "Blue Steel." And good luck on your ice skating test. Not like you need it. ;)
WHO IS OLIVIA CHRISTENSEN!?!?! LOGAN!! Send me pictures of Sadie Hawkins!! But not the ones of you kissing her (come on, I'm a missionary). Just Kidding...send me those ones too. ;) Sounds like it was a sweet date though. That'd be an awesome Eagle Scout Project too. And you best believe I've still got all the capitals memorized. Someone from every country in the world is here in Toronto, so I get lots of practice. It's funny, when people tell me where they're from, I say "Oh? Are you from (then I say the capital of that country). Then after saying "yes" or "no," they say "Have you been there before??" Then I say "No, I'm just super smart." ;) Or something like that, just more humble. I'm so pumped that you're going to Temple Square again to sing. Wish I could be there Bro.
This week started our great with a wonderful Family Home Evening with the Velasquez Family. I brought my collection of temple pictures, which has now grown to about 200+ pictures. And we played a temple naming/matching game. It was super fun. Gotta love those houses of the Lord.
Tuesday we had a lot of great and weird lessons where we talked about Phillipians 4, why Blacks didn't have the Priesthood for a while, we ate A&W, and we tried to commit a lady who likes to smoke to live the Word of Wisdom, with little success. Of course, these were all different lessons. ;)
Wednesday, I went on exchanges with Elder Matthewson, who is a great new missionary from Calgary, Alberta. He's a good guy and we taught a lot of good lessons.
Thursday, Thanksgiving. See Above.
Thursday night, we had some Elders stay the night, for we were car pooling to District Meeting the next day. And guess who got to be the Chauffeur?? Me of course. So much driving here in Leamington. And after driving in Toronto, my driving has improved a lot. And gotten a lot more aggressive. :) Luckily, here in Leamington, you have to be really bad at driving to get in a crash. And the only things you can crash into are the Green Houses. So yeah. District Meeting was good and we had Pizza Hut afterwards. Yum.
Saturday was a stellar day. The same man we helped move food storage on Thursday, we helped move the rest of the things in his house into storage or to his parents. We worked from about 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Twas nuts. Afterwards, we helped a stellar less-active member named Doug with his Family History (after he graciously took us out to Arbys). He's such a solid guy (other than the fact he misses sacrament meeting to play the piano for the Salvation Army's church services). He plays the piano like a champ, the guitar very well, he loves singing, and he super spiritual and pure in heart. So while working on Family History, we helped him find family ties that go back... (now don't get jealous, Mom)... 32 generations. Into the 1000s. It was INSANE!!! The church is true. We also found his last name, going back 13 generations. We were all super amazed. Later that night, there was a Santa Claus Parade in Leamington. So we went and passed out TONS of "Light the World" cards. It was SO fun. On Sunday, we also passed a lot of cards out to members and houses we knocked on.
For those of you who don't know what "Light The World" is. GET A LIFE!!! Just kidding. But seriously...let me tell you. Light the World, or Ilumina el Mundo (spanish), or Seja a Luz do Mondo (portuguese) or Si I Una Luce (italian) (did that all from memory ;)...is the church's new Christmas Initiative. Go to momon.org and WATCH THE VIDEO!!!! It's beyond words to describe. Just watch it. On December 1st, the church is doing a Worldwide Day of Service, so lace up your boots, pick up your shovels or rakes, and get serving!! There's also a calendar on mormon.org for the first 25 days of December, giving you ideas for doing service everyday and becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. That's what this is all about. Becoming like Jesus Christ. He really was the greatest example and leader in the world. And in addition to that, He is our Savior!! He atoned for our sins, pains, and sufferings. I know he did. I've felt his love and the power of the Atonement in my life. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week. LIGHT THE WORLD!!!!
Before I get into that...my Thanksgiving was pretty great!! A stellar couple in Branch named the Fiss's made us American Thanksgiving Dinner. They're both incredible cooks and they made us some of the best Glazed Ham I've ever had, and a lot of other great things. Yeah, no turkey, but hey, nobody's perfect. The husband used to be a Mennonite, which is the prominent religion here in Leamington, but now he's a rock-solid Mormon with a huge build and a huge white beard and he speaks German. AND he just got called to be our Branch Mission Leader, so we're pumped. After Thanksgiving Dinner, we helped a member move Food Storage from a Members house to his parents house, because he's moving. I LOVE doing Service. Especially as a missionary. So twas a good Thanksgiving. I'm glad you all ate enough turkey to cover for me. Sounds like you had a lot of fun.
SOPHIE!! Shreddin' up the ice GIRL!!! That's killer diller!!! You keep perfecting your Axel and I'll keep perfecting my "Blue Steel." And good luck on your ice skating test. Not like you need it. ;)
WHO IS OLIVIA CHRISTENSEN!?!?! LOGAN!! Send me pictures of Sadie Hawkins!! But not the ones of you kissing her (come on, I'm a missionary). Just Kidding...send me those ones too. ;) Sounds like it was a sweet date though. That'd be an awesome Eagle Scout Project too. And you best believe I've still got all the capitals memorized. Someone from every country in the world is here in Toronto, so I get lots of practice. It's funny, when people tell me where they're from, I say "Oh? Are you from (then I say the capital of that country). Then after saying "yes" or "no," they say "Have you been there before??" Then I say "No, I'm just super smart." ;) Or something like that, just more humble. I'm so pumped that you're going to Temple Square again to sing. Wish I could be there Bro.
This week started our great with a wonderful Family Home Evening with the Velasquez Family. I brought my collection of temple pictures, which has now grown to about 200+ pictures. And we played a temple naming/matching game. It was super fun. Gotta love those houses of the Lord.
Tuesday we had a lot of great and weird lessons where we talked about Phillipians 4, why Blacks didn't have the Priesthood for a while, we ate A&W, and we tried to commit a lady who likes to smoke to live the Word of Wisdom, with little success. Of course, these were all different lessons. ;)
Wednesday, I went on exchanges with Elder Matthewson, who is a great new missionary from Calgary, Alberta. He's a good guy and we taught a lot of good lessons.
Thursday, Thanksgiving. See Above.
Thursday night, we had some Elders stay the night, for we were car pooling to District Meeting the next day. And guess who got to be the Chauffeur?? Me of course. So much driving here in Leamington. And after driving in Toronto, my driving has improved a lot. And gotten a lot more aggressive. :) Luckily, here in Leamington, you have to be really bad at driving to get in a crash. And the only things you can crash into are the Green Houses. So yeah. District Meeting was good and we had Pizza Hut afterwards. Yum.
Saturday was a stellar day. The same man we helped move food storage on Thursday, we helped move the rest of the things in his house into storage or to his parents. We worked from about 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM. Twas nuts. Afterwards, we helped a stellar less-active member named Doug with his Family History (after he graciously took us out to Arbys). He's such a solid guy (other than the fact he misses sacrament meeting to play the piano for the Salvation Army's church services). He plays the piano like a champ, the guitar very well, he loves singing, and he super spiritual and pure in heart. So while working on Family History, we helped him find family ties that go back... (now don't get jealous, Mom)... 32 generations. Into the 1000s. It was INSANE!!! The church is true. We also found his last name, going back 13 generations. We were all super amazed. Later that night, there was a Santa Claus Parade in Leamington. So we went and passed out TONS of "Light the World" cards. It was SO fun. On Sunday, we also passed a lot of cards out to members and houses we knocked on.
For those of you who don't know what "Light The World" is. GET A LIFE!!! Just kidding. But seriously...let me tell you. Light the World, or Ilumina el Mundo (spanish), or Seja a Luz do Mondo (portuguese) or Si I Una Luce (italian) (did that all from memory ;)...is the church's new Christmas Initiative. Go to momon.org and WATCH THE VIDEO!!!! It's beyond words to describe. Just watch it. On December 1st, the church is doing a Worldwide Day of Service, so lace up your boots, pick up your shovels or rakes, and get serving!! There's also a calendar on mormon.org for the first 25 days of December, giving you ideas for doing service everyday and becoming more and more like Jesus Christ. That's what this is all about. Becoming like Jesus Christ. He really was the greatest example and leader in the world. And in addition to that, He is our Savior!! He atoned for our sins, pains, and sufferings. I know he did. I've felt his love and the power of the Atonement in my life. I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week. LIGHT THE WORLD!!!!
IT'S BEGINNING TO FEEL A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!!!! EXCEPT WHEN YOU'RE IN A SAUNA!!!!
HA HA!!! I'll get to that part later. The week has been great for me. That's super sweet, Micah, that you're getting recognized. That's a huge honor. And one thing I learned in High School, Mom, is that sometimes your grades don't represent very well all the hard work you put in. I feel like in High School I put in a lot of hard work, I tried my hardest, but I didn't get straight As, or As for that matter. But I was content because I worked my hardest and I felt like I really tried my best. And I think that's the most important thing. To put in our best.
This Thursday. A member family invited us over for American Thanksgiving (well, two member families did, but one let the other family feed us). I'm so excited. The husband is an ex-Mennonite (there are TONS of Mennonites here in Leamington) (they're like Amish people) and he's HUGE and has a HUGE beard. They are SUPER excited to have us over and we are PUMPED to go over there at eat with them.
Okay, well $475 US dollars is like $1000 Canadian. ;) and with $300 more it's like $2000!! No, I'm kidding. I'll definitely not use my card much anymore. If at all. I have lots of souvenirs already and have done all the fun things in Toronto. When did you stop talking out money?? I would like to keep putting in $100 each month. If that means I'll only have the $300 when I get home, I'm fine with that. I'll get a job fast. Also, by the way. I have 200 American Dollars on me for emergency. But don't ask me how much I want! That's a dangerous question and it should be a surprise. SURPRISE!! You get $10!!! YAY!! Haha. Hopefully more than that though. :)
So this week has been a blast. Elder Olson and I are getting along just like Nephi and Laman, or better yet Cain and Abel. Haha! No, we get along great. And we're getting a lot of work done. Some highlights of the week: Last Tuesday, I took Elder Olson to get Pupusas for his first time and let me tell you, they make some of the best Pupusas here in Leamington. SUPER GOOD! Later than day we taught an investigator who believes the Book of Mormon to be true (because why not?) but can't come out to church because she takes care of her sick, member, mother. So we're just trying to have her get a solid testimony of the BOM and quit her bad habits. She's solid though.
We've been helping TONS of members set up Family History accounts, from Burmese members who speak little English to Irish members with whom we made a sweet discovery on his Grandma's side of the family.
The members are GREAT here. We've had many meal appointments this last week and the members are SUPER nice.
I've been trying to work with a lot of Spanish people so I don't lose my Spanish. We have a Mexican investigator who loves meeting with us. So we'll be going over there a lot. His names Felipe and he's sweet, he just doesn't have a strong desire to read the Book of Mormon...not yet.
Our most recent member that was baptized, we work with a lot. Her name is Maxine and she's SO NICE! She call herself the missionaries mother, so I now have a mother here in Leamington also. She tells us to just come into her house whenever we want to and she's super solid. She hasn't been able to come to church recently because she's been taking care of here Aunt with Dementia. But she came yesterday!!! Woot woot!!
Last Saturday, there was a Christmas parade in a little city called Kingsville. So we went and in the middle of the parade, it started SNOWING!!!!! A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!!! While there we passed out TONS of Christmas cards. The church has a new Christmas initiative coming up called #LightTheWorld and it's SO SWEET!! But I won't fan girl about it just yet, because we still have Thanksgiving this week.
The weather is weird here. Last Friday, it was like 20 degrees Celsius (which is really hot). Then on Saturday, it dropped to like 3 degrees Celsius and it snowed. It was nuts. But no matter...because we have a sauna. OH HO HO HO! YES WE DO!!
So, we found out that our apartment complex has a sauna which NO ONE actually uses. So these last couple nights, we used it. And it's super nice. So, this is Elder Flint, emailing you from the beach town Leamington, while chilling in a sauna, drinking a Pina Colada. Haha, I wish. Oh, I got a hair cut too. My curls are temporarily gone.
One thing I've been studying a lot about this week is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Yesterday, at church, I was able to teach a Spanish class to the ONE Spanish member that stayed after sacrament meeting. He a solid member. So we talked about the signs of the Second Coming. It's honestly kind of a scary thing, because in Thessalonians 1:5 it says that "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." So we don't know when Jesus will come. Jesus doesn't even know that. Only God knows. BUT, we can see that many of the signs of his Second Coming our happening, especially the scary. I will make no political statement except the fact that I don't like the fact that there are tons of riots and civil unrest in the US. When Christ first came to the Americas, he basically destroyed all the wicked people before coming down. So we must be ready. The coming of Christ will be a beautiful and glorious thing. We need not be afraid if we are worthy. So prepare yourselves now because we don't know how soon it will happen. Repent. Be the elect. Don't get destroyed. Because that would stink. ;) I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Elder Flint
Canada Toronto Mission
HA HA!!! I'll get to that part later. The week has been great for me. That's super sweet, Micah, that you're getting recognized. That's a huge honor. And one thing I learned in High School, Mom, is that sometimes your grades don't represent very well all the hard work you put in. I feel like in High School I put in a lot of hard work, I tried my hardest, but I didn't get straight As, or As for that matter. But I was content because I worked my hardest and I felt like I really tried my best. And I think that's the most important thing. To put in our best.
This Thursday. A member family invited us over for American Thanksgiving (well, two member families did, but one let the other family feed us). I'm so excited. The husband is an ex-Mennonite (there are TONS of Mennonites here in Leamington) (they're like Amish people) and he's HUGE and has a HUGE beard. They are SUPER excited to have us over and we are PUMPED to go over there at eat with them.
Okay, well $475 US dollars is like $1000 Canadian. ;) and with $300 more it's like $2000!! No, I'm kidding. I'll definitely not use my card much anymore. If at all. I have lots of souvenirs already and have done all the fun things in Toronto. When did you stop talking out money?? I would like to keep putting in $100 each month. If that means I'll only have the $300 when I get home, I'm fine with that. I'll get a job fast. Also, by the way. I have 200 American Dollars on me for emergency. But don't ask me how much I want! That's a dangerous question and it should be a surprise. SURPRISE!! You get $10!!! YAY!! Haha. Hopefully more than that though. :)
So this week has been a blast. Elder Olson and I are getting along just like Nephi and Laman, or better yet Cain and Abel. Haha! No, we get along great. And we're getting a lot of work done. Some highlights of the week: Last Tuesday, I took Elder Olson to get Pupusas for his first time and let me tell you, they make some of the best Pupusas here in Leamington. SUPER GOOD! Later than day we taught an investigator who believes the Book of Mormon to be true (because why not?) but can't come out to church because she takes care of her sick, member, mother. So we're just trying to have her get a solid testimony of the BOM and quit her bad habits. She's solid though.
We've been helping TONS of members set up Family History accounts, from Burmese members who speak little English to Irish members with whom we made a sweet discovery on his Grandma's side of the family.
The members are GREAT here. We've had many meal appointments this last week and the members are SUPER nice.
I've been trying to work with a lot of Spanish people so I don't lose my Spanish. We have a Mexican investigator who loves meeting with us. So we'll be going over there a lot. His names Felipe and he's sweet, he just doesn't have a strong desire to read the Book of Mormon...not yet.
Our most recent member that was baptized, we work with a lot. Her name is Maxine and she's SO NICE! She call herself the missionaries mother, so I now have a mother here in Leamington also. She tells us to just come into her house whenever we want to and she's super solid. She hasn't been able to come to church recently because she's been taking care of here Aunt with Dementia. But she came yesterday!!! Woot woot!!
Last Saturday, there was a Christmas parade in a little city called Kingsville. So we went and in the middle of the parade, it started SNOWING!!!!! A CHRISTMAS MIRACLE!!!! While there we passed out TONS of Christmas cards. The church has a new Christmas initiative coming up called #LightTheWorld and it's SO SWEET!! But I won't fan girl about it just yet, because we still have Thanksgiving this week.
The weather is weird here. Last Friday, it was like 20 degrees Celsius (which is really hot). Then on Saturday, it dropped to like 3 degrees Celsius and it snowed. It was nuts. But no matter...because we have a sauna. OH HO HO HO! YES WE DO!!
So, we found out that our apartment complex has a sauna which NO ONE actually uses. So these last couple nights, we used it. And it's super nice. So, this is Elder Flint, emailing you from the beach town Leamington, while chilling in a sauna, drinking a Pina Colada. Haha, I wish. Oh, I got a hair cut too. My curls are temporarily gone.
One thing I've been studying a lot about this week is the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Yesterday, at church, I was able to teach a Spanish class to the ONE Spanish member that stayed after sacrament meeting. He a solid member. So we talked about the signs of the Second Coming. It's honestly kind of a scary thing, because in Thessalonians 1:5 it says that "For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night." So we don't know when Jesus will come. Jesus doesn't even know that. Only God knows. BUT, we can see that many of the signs of his Second Coming our happening, especially the scary. I will make no political statement except the fact that I don't like the fact that there are tons of riots and civil unrest in the US. When Christ first came to the Americas, he basically destroyed all the wicked people before coming down. So we must be ready. The coming of Christ will be a beautiful and glorious thing. We need not be afraid if we are worthy. So prepare yourselves now because we don't know how soon it will happen. Repent. Be the elect. Don't get destroyed. Because that would stink. ;) I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!
Elder Flint
Canada Toronto Mission
Monday, November 14, 2016
Well.
I'm sorry to inform you that I have taken a vacation from my mission. I'm in a nice beach town called Leamington. The weather is warm, the apartment is very nice, there are tons of Mexicans (and Pupusas right by our place), and we have a car. HAHA!!!!
So I'm still a missionary and we are still working super hard, but I'll be honest, I feel like President sent me out here to give me a vacation. Training and having a sick companion and being a District Leader for 6 weeks and busing around (except when I'm chauffeuring the Zone Leaders) in the cold and busy town of Toronto really does wear you out. So President generously sent me to Leamington. And I LOVE it out here. It's both and English and Spanish area. There are tons of Mexican immigrants who come up here to work on the farms. It's funny to see them walking around all bundled up because they think it's freezing here. Whereas I'm wearing short sleeves and not feeling a thing. My new companion is awesome too. He lived most of his life in Price, but his family recently moved to St. George. He's a firecracker and we're pretty crazy all the time. He's a hard worker though and we're getting a lot of good things done.
I'm happy you're going to start working part time, Mom. That's great. Would you be able to tell me how much I have on my card. When I try to check my account online, I can't because it wants an authorization code that I need to get from my home email or through the phone at home. Which stinks. I'll definitely be more careful on my money though. I had to dip into my card with my last companion because he didn’t have any money (because he bought a bunch of medication and I’m pretty sure he never got it refunded by the mission) and I should have asked the mission for more money instead of using my own, but I was too dumb and stressed by everything going on. Law of Consecration I guess. Sacrifice brings blessings. Or homelessness. ;) I can't really think of too much else for Christmas. Ties, cuff links, missionary stuff.
So last Monday, we said goodbye to one of my other favorite families. The Lugos (and Kimmy too). And we were all very sad. I truly miss all my family back in Toronto. I hope to be back soon!! Toronto Trunky!!
Tuesday was a lot of driving. We all woke up super early to drive to Brampton, where I said goodbye to the dying missionaries, got my new comp, and then we drove about 4 hours to get to Leamington. We stopped in London on the way there to eat Smokes (of course, don't tell Dad) for Elder Olsen's first time. But the drive was very long. Since we've been here in Leamington, we've done a TON. We've stopped by many less-active members (many who had no desire to come to church and one who talked for a long time about how everyone manipulates everyone else and there's no way to avoid it, it's just life). One less active member, Brother Bailey, is a huge hot-wheels car collector. I'll have to get a picture because he has walls covered in Hot Wheels Cars. He's a super funny guy, used to be a bouncer (where he once fought a Leprechaun), and has a strong testimony of the Gospel. He just doesn't feel welcome at church because he's very different and supposedly there's a lot of judgemental people in our Branch.
The Branch supposedly has about 40 people come out every Sunday and everyone says they're like a super close-knit family, but on the other hand, every says that basically all the members have been offended by other members and the Branch doesn't like activities at all and that no one likes to be social. So we'll have a lot of fun with that. One of the leading families in the Branch is the Saunderson family. They are an older couple (not super old, like late 50s) and he's from England and used to be a Bishop, Branch President, and Ward Mission Leader. We had dinner with them last week and they're stellar and help us out with the missionary work a lot.
Last Sunday we had Stake Conference and afterwards we had a Potluck where I was able to meet some more members of the Branch. They all seem super nice and I'm excited to see the work here progress.
Our Stake President here is powerful. His talk during Stake Conference was intense and he made a lot of very powerful statements. One thing he said that I really liked, and I'm paraphrasing here is that "If you are not willing to clean the feet of your enemy, you are not worthy to enter into the Kingdom of God." We've had a lot of run-ins, here in Leamington, with people that want to debate with us. It always very frustrating but in the end, we just have to love the people and hope the best for them. They are just confused sons and daughters of Heavenly Father and they need some more light in their lives. I feel like I'm going to have to teach a lot of Forgive and Forget in this Branch because people aren't realizing that when we leave the church or get angry because we took offense to what someone else said or did; all we are doing is hurting ourselves or impeding our own Salvation. So, Forgive and Forget. If you're holding any grudges, let them go. It's not worth it. I love you all and hope you're having a wonderful week!!
--
Elder Flint
Canada Toronto Mission
Tuesday, November 8, 2016
Things are bout to get nuts over here.
So we got transfer calls last night. And I am going to be going to a little town called Leamington. It's the most Souther Part of Ontario and it's basically a hick town (agricultural stuff). My new companion's name is Elder Kaden Olsen. He's an English missionary and I've never met him before. So the area is an English Area (with an English Branch), but there's a lot of Spanish people there. So I'll have some fun. I'm super excited though. Elder Valliere, my trainee, is going to Mississauga (my last area) and I super pumped for him.
I'm sorry you got sick this week, Mom. Most all of the missionaries here have been sick too. The coughing is endless. It's funny because we all really like the cold, so we always sleep with the windows open and blow the AC in the car (although it's already quite cold outside), and that problems doesn't help our colds at all. Still we do it. Missionaries are a strange folk.
I'm glad to hear about all the fun Halloween stuff, driers, music, Ice Skating (not sure how that rink is going to work??), and DI.
So apart from sending a companion home, this last week was quite fun. We worked a lot with our Blind Mexican Member. We went thrift shopping with him and bought him a white shirt and tie for Sunday. He looked SO Fly yesterday. He's one of my favorite people in the world. I'm going to miss him.
Last Friday, we had a fun Zone Council, where the Zone (aka Another Elder and I) made breakfast for everyone. It turned out really well and the meeting was great.
Yesterday (Sunday), we were blessed to have a lot of our less active members come to church. We were able to get one of them a temple recommend and family names to take to the Missionary Sponsored Temple Trip this Saturday. It was SO sweet to get everything set up for that trip. I just wish I could go. :'(
Later that night, we met with one of my favorite Spanish Families, the Sifuentes; and another member families. The food was incredible and because I figured I was going to be leaving, I shared with them John 15:12-14, which reads "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." I couldn't even get throught the scripture without bursting into tears. I later told them that they were my friends and they were one of my families in Toronto. Many tears were shed. I'm struggling right now just typing this. I then bore my testimony to them and then Hermana Sifuentes (probably my favorite mom in Toronto), gave the closing prayers. And the waterfalls came out. It was quite the bittersweet goodbye. I pray I'll come back here. But I know that that scripture I shared with them is true. "Greater love hath no man than...laying down his life for his friends." People are incredible. The church is incredible. You form much stronger bonds with others as the Spirit is involved. I love all of my family here in Toronto. I'm sad to be leaving them. But that's life, eh?? I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week.
I'll send the rest of the pictures of the Toronto Island/Halloween, later today, hopefully. ;)
So we got transfer calls last night. And I am going to be going to a little town called Leamington. It's the most Souther Part of Ontario and it's basically a hick town (agricultural stuff). My new companion's name is Elder Kaden Olsen. He's an English missionary and I've never met him before. So the area is an English Area (with an English Branch), but there's a lot of Spanish people there. So I'll have some fun. I'm super excited though. Elder Valliere, my trainee, is going to Mississauga (my last area) and I super pumped for him.
I'm sorry you got sick this week, Mom. Most all of the missionaries here have been sick too. The coughing is endless. It's funny because we all really like the cold, so we always sleep with the windows open and blow the AC in the car (although it's already quite cold outside), and that problems doesn't help our colds at all. Still we do it. Missionaries are a strange folk.
I'm glad to hear about all the fun Halloween stuff, driers, music, Ice Skating (not sure how that rink is going to work??), and DI.
So apart from sending a companion home, this last week was quite fun. We worked a lot with our Blind Mexican Member. We went thrift shopping with him and bought him a white shirt and tie for Sunday. He looked SO Fly yesterday. He's one of my favorite people in the world. I'm going to miss him.
Last Friday, we had a fun Zone Council, where the Zone (aka Another Elder and I) made breakfast for everyone. It turned out really well and the meeting was great.
Yesterday (Sunday), we were blessed to have a lot of our less active members come to church. We were able to get one of them a temple recommend and family names to take to the Missionary Sponsored Temple Trip this Saturday. It was SO sweet to get everything set up for that trip. I just wish I could go. :'(
Later that night, we met with one of my favorite Spanish Families, the Sifuentes; and another member families. The food was incredible and because I figured I was going to be leaving, I shared with them John 15:12-14, which reads "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you." I couldn't even get throught the scripture without bursting into tears. I later told them that they were my friends and they were one of my families in Toronto. Many tears were shed. I'm struggling right now just typing this. I then bore my testimony to them and then Hermana Sifuentes (probably my favorite mom in Toronto), gave the closing prayers. And the waterfalls came out. It was quite the bittersweet goodbye. I pray I'll come back here. But I know that that scripture I shared with them is true. "Greater love hath no man than...laying down his life for his friends." People are incredible. The church is incredible. You form much stronger bonds with others as the Spirit is involved. I love all of my family here in Toronto. I'm sad to be leaving them. But that's life, eh?? I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week.
I'll send the rest of the pictures of the Toronto Island/Halloween, later today, hopefully. ;)
HOO HOO HOO HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!
This week has probably been one of the BEST on my mission. And when I say "probably," I mean DEFINITELY!!
I am still jealous though that you had a crazy good spook alley. Wish I could have been the one getting his legs chopped off or kicked in the balls. Wait what?? All your costumes look SICK though. Logan, did you take of the t-shirt for the costume?? You better have. Boxers don't wear t-shirts. And Micah..................... HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You want to hear something weird. I'm still a teenager too. We're both teenagers. We're in the same boat. You know what that means?? You need to start working on your mission papers. ;) And the bacon mignon sounds super good. Save me a piece. ;)
Like I said this week was a great one. Tuesday we tried to stop by a lot of less-actives and didn't actually find any. But I wore a scarf, so that's good. Wednesday we at with Colombians and picked up my favorite blind Mexican and went to our Wednesday Friendship Night. It was super fun and it was good to see him (the Mexican) because he's been sick and not at church for a long time. Thursday and Friday we helped prepare (and practiced) for the Ward Multicultural Night on Saturday. Then Saturday came...buckle up.
So it started out by my Zone Leader and I going over to another areas English Classes and it ended up that they were having a little Class Halloween Party. So that was a fun pre-party. Good food. Then the real party happened.
So for this activity, every country in our ward was supposed to bring decorations and food from their country to represent. So I brought an American Flag, a HUGE deep fryer that we have, and lots of stuff to deep fry. I tried to deep fry ice cream but the freezer at the church was terrible and the ice cream melted a lot when it hit the hot oil. So that stunk. But some member gave me a pity compliment and told me that the fried ice cream was good. Oh how I love pity compliments. ;)
Then came a talent show. Then it was USA turn to represent their country with a talent. So picture this...
The gym lights turn off, then you hear a keyboard start playing "The Final Countdown" by Europe, then a door opens and you see me in a black rocker wig waving an American Flag. I then hand the flag to another missionary, salute it, pick up an Electric Guitar (hooked up to an AMP); then a pianist, a drummer, and I (the guitarist) start rocking out to the song. IT WAS SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We all had crazy rocker wigs on and we were rocking SO hard core. THEN, the music slows down a little bit, then you hear my voice belting the lyrics over a microphone. It was glorious. We got SO many compliments and people have told us that the video has gone viral (online). So if you would like to see it, it should be on my Facebook page. It was so good though. An accomplishment and memory on my mission that I will never forget. America!!!!!
After that, there were a lot of other great acts, and then the three-hour Spanish dance started. I was SO TRUNKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never wanted to dance with a girl in my LIFE!!!!!! Everyone was dancing with each other and having a great time and the missionaries were just sitting in a group, crying, because they couldn't dance with anybody. Sad day. Some of us did get to do the limbo though. I fell on my back. It was awesome. All in all, the party was INCREDIBLE!!! Best ward party that I've ever been to.
Sunday, less people were at church because everyone was swamped from the party. Nevertheless, Sunday was great. I got to take the sacrament. That's always a plus. Then today happened.
TO Celebrate Halloween, the Zone Leaders and us went to Toronto Island!!!!!! WOO HOO!!! It was a blast. We took tons of pictures (see below). It was really fun. Now, in a few minutes, we're going over to a member's house to carve pumpkins, eat candy, etc. For my costume, I went to a thrift store and bought a two-dollar Bumblebee Mask from the movie Transformers (because everyone here says I look like Shia Leabouf, and my zone leader, Elder Thomas Madrigal Jr. always yells "BUMBLEBEE!!!!" when he sees me).
So all in all. It's been an incredible week. One thing that I've been thinking about a lot, and I've said many times before, is that you can really find a family wherever you go. Especially in the church. In the church, you will always find people who love you for who you are, and will help you, and will party with you. I LOVE my family here in Toronto. And of course I LOVE my family back home. But, I'm trying to make the best of my time here with my Torontonian family because I don't know when I'll leave. And that's the message of it all. Love those you are with when you are with them. Enjoy your time with them. Don't worry about other's that aren't there (if you can't get them there). ENJOY LIFE!!! LOVE PEOPLE!!! People are SO awesome. Love those while you have them. I love you all, but I must love those now who are with me. ;) and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!
This week has probably been one of the BEST on my mission. And when I say "probably," I mean DEFINITELY!!
I am still jealous though that you had a crazy good spook alley. Wish I could have been the one getting his legs chopped off or kicked in the balls. Wait what?? All your costumes look SICK though. Logan, did you take of the t-shirt for the costume?? You better have. Boxers don't wear t-shirts. And Micah..................... HAPPY BIRTHDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You want to hear something weird. I'm still a teenager too. We're both teenagers. We're in the same boat. You know what that means?? You need to start working on your mission papers. ;) And the bacon mignon sounds super good. Save me a piece. ;)
Like I said this week was a great one. Tuesday we tried to stop by a lot of less-actives and didn't actually find any. But I wore a scarf, so that's good. Wednesday we at with Colombians and picked up my favorite blind Mexican and went to our Wednesday Friendship Night. It was super fun and it was good to see him (the Mexican) because he's been sick and not at church for a long time. Thursday and Friday we helped prepare (and practiced) for the Ward Multicultural Night on Saturday. Then Saturday came...buckle up.
So it started out by my Zone Leader and I going over to another areas English Classes and it ended up that they were having a little Class Halloween Party. So that was a fun pre-party. Good food. Then the real party happened.
So for this activity, every country in our ward was supposed to bring decorations and food from their country to represent. So I brought an American Flag, a HUGE deep fryer that we have, and lots of stuff to deep fry. I tried to deep fry ice cream but the freezer at the church was terrible and the ice cream melted a lot when it hit the hot oil. So that stunk. But some member gave me a pity compliment and told me that the fried ice cream was good. Oh how I love pity compliments. ;)
Then came a talent show. Then it was USA turn to represent their country with a talent. So picture this...
The gym lights turn off, then you hear a keyboard start playing "The Final Countdown" by Europe, then a door opens and you see me in a black rocker wig waving an American Flag. I then hand the flag to another missionary, salute it, pick up an Electric Guitar (hooked up to an AMP); then a pianist, a drummer, and I (the guitarist) start rocking out to the song. IT WAS SWEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We all had crazy rocker wigs on and we were rocking SO hard core. THEN, the music slows down a little bit, then you hear my voice belting the lyrics over a microphone. It was glorious. We got SO many compliments and people have told us that the video has gone viral (online). So if you would like to see it, it should be on my Facebook page. It was so good though. An accomplishment and memory on my mission that I will never forget. America!!!!!
After that, there were a lot of other great acts, and then the three-hour Spanish dance started. I was SO TRUNKY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've never wanted to dance with a girl in my LIFE!!!!!! Everyone was dancing with each other and having a great time and the missionaries were just sitting in a group, crying, because they couldn't dance with anybody. Sad day. Some of us did get to do the limbo though. I fell on my back. It was awesome. All in all, the party was INCREDIBLE!!! Best ward party that I've ever been to.
Sunday, less people were at church because everyone was swamped from the party. Nevertheless, Sunday was great. I got to take the sacrament. That's always a plus. Then today happened.
TO Celebrate Halloween, the Zone Leaders and us went to Toronto Island!!!!!! WOO HOO!!! It was a blast. We took tons of pictures (see below). It was really fun. Now, in a few minutes, we're going over to a member's house to carve pumpkins, eat candy, etc. For my costume, I went to a thrift store and bought a two-dollar Bumblebee Mask from the movie Transformers (because everyone here says I look like Shia Leabouf, and my zone leader, Elder Thomas Madrigal Jr. always yells "BUMBLEBEE!!!!" when he sees me).
So all in all. It's been an incredible week. One thing that I've been thinking about a lot, and I've said many times before, is that you can really find a family wherever you go. Especially in the church. In the church, you will always find people who love you for who you are, and will help you, and will party with you. I LOVE my family here in Toronto. And of course I LOVE my family back home. But, I'm trying to make the best of my time here with my Torontonian family because I don't know when I'll leave. And that's the message of it all. Love those you are with when you are with them. Enjoy your time with them. Don't worry about other's that aren't there (if you can't get them there). ENJOY LIFE!!! LOVE PEOPLE!!! People are SO awesome. Love those while you have them. I love you all, but I must love those now who are with me. ;) and HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!
IT'S BEGININNG TO FEEL A LOT LIKE CHRISTMAS!!!!
Hoo hoo hoo and a ho ho ho. It's getting C-O-L-D here. I love it. Christmas is just around the corner.
I'm glad Zermatt was fun and relaxing. I'd be very jealous that you have the nicities of buying a gallon of milk, but now I can too!!! I will NEVER get used to bagged milk. It's so dumb. And more complicated. I hope the choir concert goes well for Logan. Hey Logan! How is it working with Mr. Bills?? When playing the piano, is it hard to follow him?? Does he ever yell at you and correct you or does he treat you like a king?? He did a little of both with me. We be tight though.
Wow, yeah. Frightmares does bring back some memories. I'm very glad they've kept the tradition going. HAHA!!! SHASTA FOR DAYS!!! I'm sorry the machine didn't work though. Sad day.
If you want to see my wish list from the LDS Bookstore, go to https://ldsbookstore.com/store/shopcart.aspx?cartid=EbSnyQlpBWY%3d
(my username is ammonflint and my password is Amazon Fruit).
So this week was a short one. Well, it felt like that. To begin off, we went to Toronto's Ripley Aquarium. It was STELLAR!! So worth it!!! I think my favorite thing off all were the Cuddle Fish. SO COOL!!! I want to Cuddle with a Cuddle Fish, except for the fact that it'd eat me with insane speeds. I'll send pictures.
But with great fun, comes great sickness. Tuesday and Wednesday I got super sick. Stomach problem stuff. BUT! I didn't throw up and I'm feeling much better now. What really healed me was the famous drink Choco-Nogo!! So for District Meeting, I brought two of the most delicious drinks in the world: Chocolate Milk and Egg Nog. Then I combined them and had everyone try the invention of Elder Joseph Shearer and Elder Ammon Flint. CHOCO-NOGO!!! It was SO good. And afterwards, I felt great! So it's really a great medicine.
Thursday-Saturday I went on exchanges with my good friend Elder Brett Babbel. It was NUTS!!! The first night together, we stayed up talking until 5:00 AM!!! Then we accidentally slept through the alarm and woke up at 8:00 AM. Woops!! The next day, our sushi appointment bombed, which was very upsetting. And our next appointment bombed. Which was also upsetting. But we had a Pupusa appointment and later taught our progressing investigator, which was very successfull and fun. That night I ended up falling asleep around 11:30-12:00. Which was better.
Saturday we had Stake Conference. It was super good. It was all about Missionary Work so I was all for it.
Sunday morning we had Stake Conference again. Also super good. On the way there, we ran into a Colombian member who shot super fast Colombian at me the whole way there. And she rode with us back. It was great. I got super excited to go to Colombia (one day), and I understood just about everything she was saying, so that made me feel good about myself. :) Later that day, we had dinner with one of my favorite Mexican families. Which was fun.
One scripture that has had a big effect on me this week is D&C 121:43. It's not one you'd expect, but it's talking about leadership and it reads. "Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;" I do love this scripture. I've had to use it a few times this week. Reproving, or rebuking others for things they have done. And at times, it is definitely a necessary thing to reprove someone, but it's very important to show an increase of love afterwards. That love shows many strong points of the reprover: humility, charity, etc. So for all those who need reprove someone. Make sure you love them afterwards, because not only does it help the reprover feel more love for the person; it helps the person feel cared about and loved, which is very important. I love you all and hope that I don't have to reprove any of you...but we'll see. ;) Chao!!
Hoo hoo hoo and a ho ho ho. It's getting C-O-L-D here. I love it. Christmas is just around the corner.
I'm glad Zermatt was fun and relaxing. I'd be very jealous that you have the nicities of buying a gallon of milk, but now I can too!!! I will NEVER get used to bagged milk. It's so dumb. And more complicated. I hope the choir concert goes well for Logan. Hey Logan! How is it working with Mr. Bills?? When playing the piano, is it hard to follow him?? Does he ever yell at you and correct you or does he treat you like a king?? He did a little of both with me. We be tight though.
Wow, yeah. Frightmares does bring back some memories. I'm very glad they've kept the tradition going. HAHA!!! SHASTA FOR DAYS!!! I'm sorry the machine didn't work though. Sad day.
If you want to see my wish list from the LDS Bookstore, go to https://ldsbookstore.com/store/shopcart.aspx?cartid=EbSnyQlpBWY%3d
(my username is ammonflint and my password is Amazon Fruit).
So this week was a short one. Well, it felt like that. To begin off, we went to Toronto's Ripley Aquarium. It was STELLAR!! So worth it!!! I think my favorite thing off all were the Cuddle Fish. SO COOL!!! I want to Cuddle with a Cuddle Fish, except for the fact that it'd eat me with insane speeds. I'll send pictures.
But with great fun, comes great sickness. Tuesday and Wednesday I got super sick. Stomach problem stuff. BUT! I didn't throw up and I'm feeling much better now. What really healed me was the famous drink Choco-Nogo!! So for District Meeting, I brought two of the most delicious drinks in the world: Chocolate Milk and Egg Nog. Then I combined them and had everyone try the invention of Elder Joseph Shearer and Elder Ammon Flint. CHOCO-NOGO!!! It was SO good. And afterwards, I felt great! So it's really a great medicine.
Thursday-Saturday I went on exchanges with my good friend Elder Brett Babbel. It was NUTS!!! The first night together, we stayed up talking until 5:00 AM!!! Then we accidentally slept through the alarm and woke up at 8:00 AM. Woops!! The next day, our sushi appointment bombed, which was very upsetting. And our next appointment bombed. Which was also upsetting. But we had a Pupusa appointment and later taught our progressing investigator, which was very successfull and fun. That night I ended up falling asleep around 11:30-12:00. Which was better.
Saturday we had Stake Conference. It was super good. It was all about Missionary Work so I was all for it.
Sunday morning we had Stake Conference again. Also super good. On the way there, we ran into a Colombian member who shot super fast Colombian at me the whole way there. And she rode with us back. It was great. I got super excited to go to Colombia (one day), and I understood just about everything she was saying, so that made me feel good about myself. :) Later that day, we had dinner with one of my favorite Mexican families. Which was fun.
One scripture that has had a big effect on me this week is D&C 121:43. It's not one you'd expect, but it's talking about leadership and it reads. "Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy;" I do love this scripture. I've had to use it a few times this week. Reproving, or rebuking others for things they have done. And at times, it is definitely a necessary thing to reprove someone, but it's very important to show an increase of love afterwards. That love shows many strong points of the reprover: humility, charity, etc. So for all those who need reprove someone. Make sure you love them afterwards, because not only does it help the reprover feel more love for the person; it helps the person feel cared about and loved, which is very important. I love you all and hope that I don't have to reprove any of you...but we'll see. ;) Chao!!
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