THIRTY-FOUR

Bonjour tout le monde!

Salut à tous et à toutes! J'ai beaucoup de nouvelle à vous dire! So much has happened this week! But sadly... I forgot my planner because we just started a new one and so I don't have a day by day breakdown of we've done. I'll just try to share a few stories with the few pictures that I took this week and some of the recent happenings in Rimouski!

(Then) Président Dupont making fondue au sirop érable! (Maple syrup fondue!)

On Friday night we went to have dinner with the Dupont family. They have got to be some of the most energetic people in Rimouski! Actually, they live in a small outskirt town called La Rédemption about 45 minutes from Rimouski. We brought Frère Hébert and Catherine (their daughter) with us from Rimouski and stopped in to see her grandmother on the way there! She was excited to see us. All of her children have joined the Church and she knows almost everything about it. The problem is is that just before her husband passed away she promised him that she wouldn't change religions. I'm sure that if they had a moment or two together now he would gladly give her permission! We'll continue seeing her and help her come to further realize the Plan of Salvation and the part her family plays in it. 

Dinner was great with the Duponts! Soeur Dupont made some very good lasagne! Mmmmmm.... lasagne.... anyways! We talked for a while about the branch and how things were going. I can't remember exactly how but my monkey attack story came in. I love telling it now because people will go watch it on YouTube or the Travel Channel and it helps build connection! I'm not just a black tag and tie! We were able to skype with their daughter and her family. They live in Idaho right now and have a little girl—she speaks the cutest French! I want to teach my kids French!

Clothes lines are very common around here and you'll see a number of them as you walk, knock, and talk! We did a lot of knocking this week and have found a number of really interesting people! Most of the them are still in the "potential" camp right now but we hope to soon convert them! We met a nice girl named Shirley-Anne (that is such an English name) who is "searching for a way to feel God's love for her." We're happy to help her find that way! Hopefully there will be some news with her in the upcoming weeks! We also found another guy named Jimmy. He had met with missionaries before and was happy to spend a few minutes chatting with us. At the beginning it was a very odd lesson. It was clear that he has done quite a bit of religion hopping and knows a lot about each one. That was a red flag to me saying, "He's looking for the truth and doesn't know where to find it!" (Ring a bell, anyone? D&C 123:12, perhaps?) We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and a few scriptures to read. This upcoming Saturday he'll be back from Montréal and we'll see him again!

Greeeeennn Jeeeelllllooooo.... ha. 

And these tiny little potatoes... We received them as a gift from one of our neighbors and have absolutely loved them! You can pop them in your mouth like popcorn almost. But beware... If you eat too many right before a big meeting with members of the stake presidency you could be... cough cough... pinching cheeks.... cough cough for an hour or so. 

My email wouldn't be complete without a sky shot!

Powerlines ruin everything that is good...

Okay I just realized that in between finishing this email and updating my mission president I am completely out of time! I feel like a few of the authors of the Book of Mormon when I say, "this isn't even a hundredth part of what went down this week!" This is probably the lamest email I've ever sent! Enjoy it anyways! :)

Avec amour,

Elder Ellis