ELEVEN

Bonjour tout le monde!

I couldn't have asked for a more eventful week! I have learned, especially this week, to always expect to be surprised! We are promised in the scriptures that through our faith and faithfulness we can see miracles! Every day I spend here in Montréal as a missionary adds to my testimony of that promise! Thanks for the awesome email, Mom! It sounds like life is great back in good ol' PG! And snow! I can't believe that! It has snowed a few times here, but only early in the morning and then it melts in the sun. Today is actually a really nice day outside! The weather here is beautiful! I got here just as fall was passing and now everything is slowly turning into winter. Being in the middle of downtown you would think that there aren't many trees but the way Montréal has built itself over the years allows for trees lining every sidewalk! I just keep wishing I could take more pictures but we try not to look like tourists so I haven't had many chances to go out and take pictures. Anyways—let's get into the week!

So to finish off last Monday—after I finished my email we went out to the Angrignon church building for a zone activity. We played volleyball and Chinese dodge ball with our whole zone—so much fun! I got to see Elder Wright from my MTC district again which was awesome! It's always so much fun to see the missionaries from the MTC! Then that night after our activity we had FHE with the YSA and for the spotlight moment they picked me. So, I got drilled with questions about life before the mission and it was a little weird to be talking about! It was fun, though—they are all reading my blog now and following me on Instagram. It's actually pretty funny, so hello YSA if you're reading this on my blog right now! 

Tuesday we met with the zone again for zone studies. I'll keep saying this, but that's just because it's true, but my zone is the best! There are some amazing missionaries who can teach so simply with the Spirit! I've definitely enjoyed getting to know all of them. Elder Baker and I gave some training on "The Role of Repentance in the Plan of Salvation." I love putting together trainings like that. I've been trying to study the Plan of Salvation a little each day in my personal studies. It is a very simple plan. It can be understood by all people who take the time to receive it. The Plan has been given to us in its entirety—nothing is hidden, nothing is obscured. We know what is required and what is necessary of us. It is a complete plan. There aren't many things in this world that apply to every last person who has ever lived—in fact I don't think there is anything besides the Plan of Salvation that has involved every member of the human family. There aren't any loopholes or places where the seemingly most insignificant person could slip through. And in fact, it is so simple and so complete, those "seemingly insignificant" people become simply and completely meaningful. Like I said, I had a great time giving some training on it. After zone studies I went on splits with Elder Osorio from St. George (speaking of St. George—Nefi! I'm sorry I haven't written you back! I got your letter as I was packing up to leave the MTC. I'm excited to hear about your mission!) and I took him around my area to visit our investigators. We did a lot of knocking afterwards and then decided that we needed to see a less-active family in his old area. Luckily, my area, McGill, actually covers almost the entire mission! So we can go anywhere on the Island and in the Province. So we took the metro to the end of the line to visit this family. They are a less active Hispanic family with two sons. They were so incredibly nice! They fed us a really good oatmeal drink and some Mexican bread. They only speak Spanish and French so I tried to use a little of the Spanish that I've learned to talk to them! There is a good chance that I'll be learning Spanish as well—President asked me if I would be willing and I told him I could if he needed me to! It would be nice to be able to work in that area someday! The family thought I was from France when we first met them because of my accent! That boosted my spirits a little! After that we met some of the missionaries in downtown Montréal for dinner at a nice restaurant called Mike's—I had the best pasta I've ever had! We saw that Mitt had all but lost which was a little sad but—oh well! The Church is still true!

Wednesday started off great! We had Zone Conference with the Cannons! I absolutely love them! I've gotten to know them really well from all of the time we spend together at their house and on the phone. The conference was centered on K(now) A(sk) D(iscern) L(isten) T(each.) It's kind of the mission catch phrase almost—KALDT to serve! The senior couples made us a huge lunch! (I'll tell you more about it later...) And then Sister Cannon pulled me aside and gave me an iPhone 5! Okay, well, she gave it to me to set up for her. But that was fun! I gave her the same treatment that we would at the Apple Store! It was pretty fun to get to do that again. We ended our splits and Elder Baker and I went off to our lesson with Caitlin. Her parents still want her to wait for a year to be baptized so it's a little tough to know what to do from here on out. We're just going to keep teaching her for a while until she makes a set decision on what she is going to do. We talked about the blessings of baptism and she asked for a blessing to know what to do. She has so much faith and is such a great example to me! So...the last half of the story about lunch. We got home for the day and suddenly both Elder Baker and I realized that something was up. Needless to say, we both took turns all night in between the bedroom and the bathroom. The next morning we got a call from the Zone Leaders and apparently the same thing had happened to everyone in the zone! We all had food poisoning!

So most of Thursday was spent in bed or on the "throne." Only one sister was able to escape what we called the "Mount Royal Flush." So we basically just spent the day studying and trying to recover quickly. Elder Baker didn't have it as bad as me so he found another team who came over and went on splits. So Elder Baker went out and taught with Elder Bell while Elder Heinzlemier and I studied. Then we ended up going to our dinner appointment that night with the Aloi's—Elder Aloi (the mission employment specialist) was sick as well so we went really easy on the food. It was an interesting day to say the least!

Friday was a busy day! While we were doing our weekly planning Cedric, a member of the bishopric of a ward on the Island, called us. He asked us to go to the hospital with him on his lunch break to give a blessing to someone who had experienced a major stroke. It was my first time giving a blessing to someone that I don't know personally. I have a strong testimony of the power of the Priesthood. What a blessing it is to hold! Being in the hospital reminded me of all of the stories that President Monson tells. Cedric took us around on our way back to McGill campus to show us the area a little more. The campuses here are all absolutely stunning! The buildings are all very well designed and the mix of old Victorian and modern glass and steel is perfect. The Cannons picked us up at the metro and took us back to their house to work on the Christmas card a little more. It's coming along! We had a dinner appointment that night with a recent RM named Phil and his mother. They were so nice! We had these really good Venezuelan bread pocket things with chicken and beans.

Saturday was super fun! We had a lesson with Emma and taught her about the Plan of Salvation with a few members who are her really good friends. They wanted us to get "breakfast for lunch" with them at a really cool little restaurant called Fabergé. I had the best waffle I've ever had in my entire life! It was so good! I think the mountain of Nutella might have helped with that... We did a lot of knocking during the day and then met with Caitlin to talk about some of the questions that her parents have. We talked about temple marriage and the blessing that the temples are in our lives. (Sorry, I'm running out of time…we're going to go play volleyball with some elders soon.) We had the adult session of English Stake Conference (Cool story about Stake Conference, Mom! Elder Bednar is my favourite!) We met a guy on the metro going back that night who "dances for Jesus" and gave us a bunch of pamphlets. It was pretty funny. He would dance on the "wagons" (the metro cars) and preach. It taught me that I could definitely be a little more energetic and outgoing when I contact! 

Sunday we had Stake Conference and then went to the French Branch and the rest of our meetings. We found two new investigators when we went knocking who seem really interested! I've been wondering a lot why people actually listen when they already have beliefs. I wish I had more time to share some of my thoughts but we have to get going!

Je vous aime tous!

Elder Ellis