Just another day of work....

So, this week we had a baptism... Two actually! Alexey Orlov and Maurina Orlova. They are a Russian couple. One of the more recent converts in the ward brought them. After coming to church for almost two months, they finally agreed to take the lessons. We taught them everything in like a week. Just met every morning for a week and they were baptized yesterday. It was kind of surreal. Like it was a baptism, so it was way cool, but it just didn't feel like I could claim them as mine. Which you know, I can't because it's all the spirit, still, it's a strange feeling...

 

Next sunday, we are going to baptize a lady named Hoda. She is of Iranian descent which makes it really tricky. The Iranian government is so crazy, if they find out that you have converted from islam to christianity, they will find your relatives in Iran and torture\kill them. Even if you're no longer a citizen of Iran. so with Hoda, we have to be very careful. She technically lives around 30-40 K's away from the chapel, so she takes a bus to a member's house (same member who gave us Alex and Marina, Brother Rizi, who is also Iranian) and he drives her to church. We have met with her twice and taught her everything she needs in order to be baptized. All we have to do is interview her, and because of her situation, President Scott has to do the interview. we've been talking to him a lot on the phone lately to figure things out with her. (when I say we I mean I, since I'm in charge of the phone.) We extended the invitation at the end of the first lesson, she accepted. Then we told her that we thought she could be baptized on the 30th of June and she flipped! She was freaking out! She said "I had already decided that I wanted to be baptized and I was trying to think what day I wanted to do it on. My birthday is July 1st and so for some reason the 30th popped into my mind." She took it as an answer to a prayer, and so, so did we. How's that for a cool mission story?

 

Funny story, a few days ago, we were out contacting maybe 1\2 K from home, it was getting close to quitting time, President called, so I stepped aside to talk to him, then after a while I looked at the time and we had 6 minutes to get home. So, we ran and I had a conversation with president Scott while running to be home on time. Fun life eh?

 

Transfers are at the end of this week, so we participated in a mission tradition and bought "Kinder surprise eggs" basically a chocolate egg with a small toy inside, you're supposed to interpret from the toy what the transfer holds in store for you. I picked a "Cars" egg and got Doc Hudson. Elder Binford thinks that that means that I will be put with an Elder who is on his last transfer, I disagree. I don't know what I think my toy means, but I get the feeling that I'm leaving Aurora...

Only time will tell.

 

This last week was awesome as far as food goes. I think I told you about eating Galupsi (Stuffed Cabbage Leaf) basically meatloaf wrapped in cabbage with a yummy sauce. Then on Monday night we had a nice pork Goulage. (as opposed to the hedgehog goulage in sherlock holmes) loved that.

 

We had Zone Conference on Wednesday, I think Elder Binford and I are growing on President's good side. He loves us. It was such a good conference and I learned so much. I'll have to mail my study journal home so you all can look at all of the learning I've been doing. So awesome...

 

Our area has exploded in the 3 months we've been here. Going from next to nothing, to having 10 investigators who we are teaching, 4 of those are moving toward a baptisimal date, they will probably all be baptized. We've done some good work, I think. Makes me not want to leave so I can see the fruits of our labors...

 

I love you all and hope you are doing well. Stay tough and power through the bad, There's nothing but gold at the end of the rainbow, but you have to climb up the one side before you can get down the other. (Just made that one up)

 

Love you,

Love,

Elder T

Looking Forward to the Future!

Recently, I have been wondering about how well I am really recieving personal revelation. I was concerned that because I wasn't having strong feelings or hearing voices that I wasn't doing a good job listening. I realized that the spirit speaks by a "still small voice" sometimes, I think that it's me thinking something, but now, I'm not so sure... The point is, for me, i think that wether it's the spirit saying it to me, or me saying it to me as long as it's in line with God's will, it doesn't matter who it came from. But if the thought gives me a bad feeling or even just slight ehhh, maybe not. Then not to do it. It seems simple, "still small voice" but that's the beauty of the gospel. It's simple.

 

So, this sunday Elder Binford and I will be baptizing a Russian couple named Alex and Marina. They have been prepared so well that Elder Binford jokes that a donkey could teach them. haha. Our first lesson with them was last thursday and they have recieved all of the necessary lessons. All that We're waiting on, is time. They had us over for dinner and fed us Galupsi. Which is not how you spell it, that's how the russian name of it sounds that I can't really spell because I don't speak Russian. It means stuffed cabbage leaf. Maybe one of the weirdest things that I've eaten so far.

 

Also, we are teaching a lady named Hoda, she will be baptized on the 30th. She is persian so that is tricky. If they convert from islam to Christianity, it means big trouble for family back in Iran and possibly for her. So, we can only teach her on sundays when she comes to church so we will be teaching her basically everything but the restoration next sunday. More on her when I know more about the situation. It's a good story.

 

Other than that, We're just doing work. I hope all is well with all of you, and I'm sorry but time is dwindling so I have to go.

 

Love you all Talk to you Soon!

 

Love, Elder T

Shoulder to the wheel, especially when you don't want to!

You may remember my dream from last week telling me to read my Patriarchal blessing. I'm glad I did.

 

We met a man named Joe. He was on the phone but wanted to talk so he invited us in. when he got off, he told us that almost an hour before, he had been with his lawyer and signed a stack of papers which would save him from 2.8 million dollars of debt (an aquaintance who was the head of a bank broke company policy to save his hide, another miracle) as well as keep a nasty guy who kept threatening him away. We were there for literally two hours while he told us stories about his life, we talked for maybe 15 min to tell him a story about nephi in 1 ne 3:7. Everything else was all him. Told us we were an answer to a prayer. He just needed to talk and vent. Awesome guy, I really want to go back and check on him.

 

Also, there is a Russian couple who have been coming to church for the past 5 weeks. The member who brought them finally let us teach them. Alex and Maurina are scheduled to be Newmarket South's (my area's) first baptism on june 23rd. That's exciting eh?

 

Saturday night, after dinner, we were headed out to tract a neighborhood. On the way there and when we got there, I had just an aweful feeling that something was not right. Whether it be with what we were doing or maybe something bad had happened back home... I didn't know, something just felt wrong and made me want to sit on a bench so I could think about it and pray a little. which Elder Binford was more than willing to let me do, but I'm stubborn and figured that I could pray between houses so I could keep working. We ended up talking to a lady who was "spiritual" but didn't believe in organized religion or in a need for a savior. If Elder Binford didn't like to talk so much, I would have exploded at her. she was frankly.... Dumb. Kept telling us to come back in 20 years when we've matured so we can have an open mind and talk sensibly. Talking to her definitely did no good other than to strengthen my testimony in a need for a savior and a love for Him.

 

Sunday came, bad feeling was still there, accompanied with a thought that had been there as long as the feeling had. "My mission will end soon and unexpectedly." I was able to get enough control over the thought to put my head down and get to work and as the day wore on, I talked about it to Elder Binford as well as Ali Kazazzy. They are such great friends. Definitely a blessing. They helped my force the feelings and thoughts away by convincing myself that someone *ahem ahem* was messing with me.

 

So, that is basically our week. We did a lot of teaching, but that's most of the spectacular stuff.

 

My mission area is so cool. Toronto really is a melting pot for all cultures. We've met people from every mission that any friend or relative has ever served with. Polynesians, Indian, Iranian, Iraqui, Russian, Brazillian, Californian, Arizonan. And then some... 

 

I love you all and hope that everyone is well and that someone really was just messing with me.

 

Love, 

Elder T 

Short week, but it was filled with shawarma!

Yes, it's true. I finally partook of the fruit of the shawarma tree of life. Elder Rowley says it's not as good as the Shawarma you can get in Toronto, but I have experienced that cultural phenome. I hope you're proud Matt.

 

Also, it has come to my attention that you children had a small competition as to whom I love the most being measured by number of paragraphs I wrote to you. You may have noticed that you all recieved equal amounts of paragraphs. So ha! I win.

 

It's only been four days since I last wrote, I can't say that too crazy much has happened.... Picked up two new investigators, did work. That's the life...

 

John is from columbia. His parents are members, but have fallen less active. He is the only one in his family who speaks any english. That's thanks to his wife. She was born and raised in Toronto, but her family is from portugal, so she speaks portugese. they both love what we teach and are very prepared. We hope to continue having powerful spirit there every time we teach. He is very in tune with the spirit and learn a lot from it, as well as us.

 

Make sure that Uncle John and aunt Michelle know that they've been in my thoughts and prayers. It wasn't hard to hear about what happened there. Canada almost seems more interested in what goes on in the states than they do here. Not a lot happens here ha.

 

Not a lot happened in four days, but I think I will close with this thought...

 

Every day is a step in a new direction. It's which direction you pick that counts. "....as for me and my house, we will serve the lord!"

 

Also, I learned that you can use fasts to make yourself better too. Not just fasting for others. Ammon and his brothers fasted and prayed to grow more bold and powerful, so I've been focusing fasts on myself a little bit more and I've seen a difference. Just something I wanted to pass on. It may be hard, but it's worth it!

 

Love you all much! I promise I'll have more stories next week!

 

Love,

Elder T

Party with Phillippino's

I thought I would lead off this week with a dream that I had last night.

 

I had just arrived in Canada. All of our gear was loaded onto this bus which would take us to our areas. We got onto a dirt road, which eventually led up to a REALLY steep hill. The bus driver made us all get out while he tried to climb it. He tried, didn't get up very far, started to try again when a police man came up behind us and started yelling at the bus driver to take the path that led up at an angle which the bus hadn't noticed, (nor had I) until it was pointed out. Apparently, the policeman was a mormon because he was talking to mission pres. like a friend. Then, they started talking about patriarchal blessings. The police man turned to me, looked me in the eyes and said, "missionaries should read their patriarchal blessings every week" Okay big, scary, police man. I get the point.

 

Big birthday shout out to Christian Anthony Silva! The coolest cat-fish I know! If you get a big white package in the mail that says "Elder Silva" we'll call that my bday present to you k? k.

 

This week we almost hit standards! (Standards are mission wide goals that we strive toward reaching every week.) If we could have gotten people to come to church we would have, oh well, try again.

 

Highlights:

 

There is a family in the ward who were baptized just under two years ago. Four weeks ago, they brought some friends of theirs to church. Those friends have come every week since them but the family, (The Rizzi's) wouldn't let us teach them until they got more comfortable. Sunday, we got the green light! Future looks bright for us. Especially because June is a big month for missionaries and we are looking to break a mission record for most baptisms in a single month. So, every companionship wants to contribute, in fact our zone leaders made us make a commitment that we would participate in "the harvest"

 

Highlight number two, a member has a significant other, who wants her to marry him, she won't give in unless he learns about the church, then they will reevaluate. So, lucky us, we get to teach him about the church. He's a rough guy, it could get hairy. Good thing we're not the real teachers eh?

 

We went to a less active phillipino lady's for lunch on Saturday. She was having a party with a lot of phillipino friends for her boyfriend's birthday. (He and Elder binford and I were the only white people there for a long time) Basically, the food was really good! They had all kinds of different things that they cooked on the barbeque that I think were chicken and beef but you never know with different cultures. I doubt it was crazy like dog or something, but it was still fun! I also think there might have been some squid in another dish that we had. My favorite though, was the Tilapia. They had fried it. Not fillet. This thing still had scales and bones and eyeballs and lips. You just picked the meat off of it. So tasty. So much fun. Which leads me to ask, where/when exactly did uncle Mike serve? I mentioned that he had, and they all went berserk asking me and I was embarrassed not to know wo now I have to repent.

 

I love you all!

Only 21 more fast sundays!

 

Love,

Elder T