Monday, June 17, 2013

June 17, 2013

THIS IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY. I REPEAT, THIS IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY.
You might think Canada, is just a "weird America". You are wrong.
Quebec is like its own country. It is so different. Beside having 536485378 languages, its soooo beautiful.
Especially the island of Montreal, where the mission home is located. Let me tell you about my mission, the culture, and my experiences within the 15 minutes I have to type this.
 
The mission: They told me the first day, that THIS IS a Baptizing mission. The field is white and ready to harvest, and because that is true, we tract 40% of the time and it works. Its so insane. The mission president said that this mission has the "super soldier missionaries". The missionaries who can take on the challenge. Its true, all the Elders and Sisters I have met are spiritual giants within themselves. Crazy stuff.
 
The history: So in the past, there was a rebellion against the Catholic church. And all of Quebec rejected religion because it tried to take over all of Quebec. Now, there are abannoned HUGE catholic churches everywhere. Abannoned. They look so european and dope though.
 
The culture and people: In the City of Montreal, more people speak smoothly and more modern French. In Ottowa, people speak more English. The farther you go east, it is the country side of Quebec. Which americans like to call "Texas French" or "Hick French". The people call themselves the "QUEBEQUAS". The culture is awesome and the people speak really fast. The first days it felt like purrrreeeeee chinese. Having a Normandy France Native companion helps out a lot. He is 6 foot 6 and he is so cool and diligent. He is also the district leader. Yup.
but also, the older people here are really against organized religion and are soooo bitter about what happened in the past. They really reject us and slam the doors. Theres A LOT of older people here. A lot of veterans who went through all the religious mess.
but it is awesome, because a lot of the younger people are HUNGRYYYY FOR the gospel. They are so prepared by the Lord, and we just gotta knock and find them. A lot of people smoke and drink here its crazy. We have a baptism in a week and we are so excited for Kareen.
 
The languages: So far, my language is going good. I gave my testimony on my first Sunday (happy fathers day!) and the 28 year old branch president told me I am the best "non-french speaking greenie" he has had because of how well I speak. I still feel like a suck! anyway, theres a TON of collumbian refugee's here and I gave an hour lesson to yeny all in Spanish. I used both languages so much because my companion knows very little spanish. We help out each other a lot. To survive as a missionary here you have to be bilingual, I can't see any other way haha. Anyways keep praying for my tongue to be loosened by the Lord.
 
The land: The land is beautiful, whole bunch of trees, whole bunch of green, its been raining a lot but we still beast through the rain on our backs. OUR AREA IS HUUUGGEEE and we are the only pair of missionaries in Victoriaville. Crazynessss.
 
We get a new mission president next month. President Patrick. He's a really rich man. Thats all I know. And he's coming from Florida with 4 kids. He was a CEO and dropped the bussiness to serve. So cool.
 
The food: THE FOOD IS GREAT. We get fed well in Victoriaville! The Branch Presidents family is like 14 big and they are so determined to help us with whatever we need. The mom of the Branch President washes our clothes. The dad of the branch president gives us rides and gets free food from a Mormon owned grocerie store for us. We are so blessed here. I've eaten some coooool multi cultural stuff here. Nothing I haven't really liked. But my companions diet is different then mine, a lot of FRANCE influenced stuff: Sugar sugar sugar cheese cheese cheese.

Lets see, what else.
oh yeah, the first door I knocked on, they let us in and we gave a lesson. We were about to head home but then my companion invited my to knock and thats what happened! haha! Begginners luck! Everything is in French, the milk cartons, the signs, the stores, everything. The stop lights are sideways, horizontal instead of vertical. The air is good ummm... the church building is really cute and small. And I got eaten by bugs doing a service project for a catholic family.
 
I'M LOVING EVERY SECOND OF THIS.
KEEP PRAYING FOR ME. I'M DOING GREAT. THE LORD IS ON OUR SIDE.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

June 11, 2013

I have arrived in Montreal!!!! It is so beautiful, and I am in shock. So many different people here! I am so hungry, I can't wait to eat here at the mission home! I get assigned tonight! AHHHHHH!!!! Love y'all!

Monday, June 10, 2013

June 10 (earlier), 2013

I AM SO PUMPED. I leave tomorrow morning, and I am so ready to proclaim my testimony to this foreign world.
I have only heard good things about Montreal from teachers here that have served there!
"The field is so white!"
"The people are so ready"
"The French is not French, its Quebequa" (quebequa is a form of french they speak in Canada, its like really crazy and jumpy. A totally different dialect, and all I know is FRENCH FRENCH) I'm so stoked to just be blown away by the culture there.
They told me that one time, a elder there wrote down all the people from different countries he met in that area for the time he was there before a transfer, and he said,
he met 40 some people from different places around the world and wrote them all down.
I AM SO EXCITED, and the 3 other members in my district always tell me I'm the most efficient in the language, but I feel like I suck still.
I can't to see whats first, Spanish or French.

June 10, 2013

 

My companion and I were one of the elect chosen to be the Preach My Gospel "example missionaries" for the incoming 940 missionaries this week. We taught "acting" investigators and were microphone'd up to teach in front of 100 new greenies and be the example. There was a moderator who dissected the lesson and taught as we went on. We taught two people. It was super cool.