The Pure Love of Christ

Charity. We met Charity last Wednesday after she ordered a Bible online. By the end of our first visit, she had accepted a Bible, a Book of Mormon, and a baptismal date. We had another lesson with her that week, and then she came to church on Sunday! She. is. perfect. She introduced herself in Relief Society and announced to the room that she was getting baptized next month! She also cried in sacrament meeting because the opening hymn was so beautiful and she felt the Spirit so strongly. WE LOVE HER! 

Yeah. That's probably the biggest news of the week! But other than that we found a couple more new investigators and set up two other upcoming baptisms! This area is BOOMING! We are so crazy busy now - last week we had to orchestrate this crazy member split in order to get to twice as many appointments on night (I had 4 different companions that day), and this week we're going to have to do it again plus we're doing two exchanges and going to the temple. Crazy!

We've also been having more and more fun with the cultural diversity of our area. This week we took a brief trip to Iran, stepped into Ukraine, and brushed paths with Italy. That's on top of the usual mix we get from all over the place. This wonderful, wonderful returning less-active we've been working with to quit smoking and come back to full activity in the church was able to go to the temple last Saturday for the first time EVER. As a thank-you and to celebrate his success, he took us out to this super fancy (and super good) Iranian restaurant. (He's a chef, so he knows where all the really good food is in Montreal.) Another time, we passed by a less-active Afghani man in our ward but he wasn't home and instead we tried to communicate with his wife who only speaks Ukranian and Russian. That was a party, but at least now I can say like 3 things in Russian! 

On a sadder note, we said goodbye to President Patrick the other day. He's not actually leaving for another week, but they've begun their end-of-mission tour, and our zone had the first farewell devotional. I've learned so much from both President and Sister Patrick, and I'm going to be really, really sad to see them go. I'm excited to meet President and Sister Phillips too, but the Patricks will be dearly missed.

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. 

For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end 

they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of 

never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." 

- Mosiah 2:41

Love,

Sister Shaver