LONGUEUIL June 20, 2016

June 20, 2106

Another great week flown by... It's getting nice and toasty. I didn't realize how hot and humid Quebec gets... we're in for a hot summer. Haha funny that I feel like I'd so much rather endure 2 Quebec winters than 2 summers... I'm just counting my blessings :) Last night Sister Beaumont and I slept on our back balcony... a little campout together on our air mattresses. It was so lovely... and so much better than our hot apartment.

There's so many wonderful people we're working with here. Longueuil ward is a great place... the ward is really working to coordinate their efforts with us, and it's amazing to see how much we can accomplish as we really try to work with the ward council and other members. There are so many members that love going teaching with us. We're working with a lot of less actives who are awesome and excited to come back to church and prepare to go to the temple. Life is great here in Longueuil :)

Our main  friend is Robert... the cutest, sweetest man who's 73. He's one of those golden investigators... and amazing evidence that you're never too old to change. He LOVES the gospel so much. He's been learning how to read just so he can read the scriptures, and has been progressing amazingly in reading the children's histoires du livre du mormon, as well as the missionary pamphlets. It's so amazing to see the joy and power of the spirit changing his life.  He used to smoke several packs of cigarettes each day, and now it's been several days since he smoked at all. I love seeing his joy in learning and progressing. His excitement to really change and come closer to Christ. He's pretty hard to understand... a crazy accent and talks with his mouth a little lop-sided and mumbly. But's he's just the sweetest... we're working to help him be baptized on the 2 of July :) Yay!!

We had a great lesson with one of our less actives, Soeur Lemieux, this week, too. I hadn't met her yet, and wasn't sure what to expect. But then we had such a powerful lesson. It was amazing to see her vision of going to the temple. She'd previously struggled with the word of wisdom, but she excitedly told us it had been several weeks since drinking any coffee. She was tired, but could feel such a positive difference in her life. The spirit was so powerful as she talked of the changes she's seeing and her need to place her will entirely in God's hands. It's amazing teaching these people, because every person I've worked with as a missionary has taught me things that I need to learn as well. We're all working on the same concepts. I've never had any problem with coffee or cigarettes... but each of us has our own weaknesses and things we have to learn to put in God's hands. Each of us is learning more and more to follow our Savior's example in coming to do the will of our Father in Heaven.

We also had a cool contacting experience this week. We'd decided to go walking for a little while before a lesson, and were just talking to people on the street. We'd tried to talk to one man, but he just said he didn't have time and kept walking. A few minutes later he came back to where we were. He just said he'd realized that he'd said he didn't have time to talk about Jesus, and that he needed to take the time for that. He said, "maybe you guys have a message from him that I need to hear". SO COOL! So we had a great conversation with him, and ended up leaving him with a restoration pamphlet and a Book of Mormon. He was hesitant to give us his number, but promised to read and pray, and that he'd give us a call. So please, everyone pray for our friend... I just hope he'll feel the power of the restoration and be open. the spirit definitely prompted him to turn around, come back, and talk with us. 

So that was an amazing miracle :)

I definitely know that miracles are real... missionary work has really given me such a testimony of the Lord's hands in his work, and in our lives when we turn to him. I know he's there, and that he loves each of you and watches over you. We just need to place our trust in him and continually strive to strengthen our faith :) I love you all and wish you the best this week.

love,

Soeur Heather Shelley :) :) :)

                                            It's soooooo hot outside!  ( That 's 100 degrees Farenheit )

                                        Escaping the heat with a sleepout on our balcony.