Waffles & A Close Call 1/9/17

What a week, it was quite the adventure. After Preparation day on Tuesday we had to drive to Brampton for MLC, we spent that night down there because MLC starts at 8am and we have a waffle breakfast at 7am. It's always fun to talk with all the Zone Leaders about everything that's going on in the mission. I also love hearing about what's happening in Barrie! I always spend like 20 minutes talking to Elder Bliss about what's happening there. MLC was awesome, we've been focused on goal setting and planning on a mission recently, so we continued to talk about that. It can be pretty difficult, but I look forward to becoming better at it and it's definitely a work in progress.

 

After MLC we made our way home, and got hit with snow on the way back, so it took us quite a while. By the time we got back, the day was over which was too bad cause we wanted to get a few things done that day and see a few people. Oh well, the next day went well. Friday came around and we had our monthly Zone Council, we had a really good time. We talked about finding joy in missionary work by fully committing to the Lord, one of those ways is by using our personal talents to help other and find those to teach. The Sister Training Leaders talked about goal setting and had a hot chocolate drinking contest, I thought someone was going to die while it was taking place. Luckily everybody survived.

 

Aggie has been doing very very well, she came to a baptism on Saturday in the London 2nd ward and loved it so much. It was the first baptism she has been too and all she talk about afterwards was how excited she is for her baptism in March. Hopefully I get to be here for that! If I stay next transfer I will, we'll see what happens!

We started teaching this super awesome lady named Karen this week, she is a single lady who works from home. We tracted into her a few weeks ago and were finally able to talk with her about the Book of Mormon. She lived in Samoa for a few years and while she was there she had met with the missionaries there a few times but nothing ever really came. Sounds like the missionaries got transfered or something. We'll be seeing her in a few days, so we're looking forward to that. 

At the baptism with Aggie on Saturday during the talks I learned a few things that were super cool. The first was shared by President Hoffsteter, he compared the word "Remission" used in the context of baptism and cancer. It was interesting, he talked about how remission in cancer is to be freed from and escape the pains and ailments that come with the disease, similarily, when one receives a remission of sins, they are relieved and freed from the burdens of sin. I thought that was a cool way of looking at that term. After that I was thinking about the gift of the Holy Ghost and realized that I've been thinking of it wrong. I thought that the gift would mean more like constant impressions, but I realized more so, it is how we feel, like the fruits of the spirit. So when things happen and as we live our life, we feel differently because the spirit is speaking to us. I hope that makes sense, if not I'll try to elaborate more. 

Sunday morning came around and we got slammed with Snow, we were sitting at this stop light at the bottom of a hill and I looked in the rear view mirror and saw this car pounding down the hill, all the sudden it starts to slide and ends up parked next to us sideways. When I saw it coming I though it was going to hit us, the Lord protected us though! One last thing I learned at church on sunday is how when the scriptures say "Son of Man" it was actually cut short from "Son of Man of Holiness" when referring to Christ in order to save the scribes some writing. Really cool, I've never understood that phrase very well but now I do! Hurrah! 

I love you all!

Elder Adam Taylor