Transfer 12 Week 1

Hey everybody!

Happy new years to all! Man it feels like I just said this a little while ago. I remember last new years eve. I spent it the same way wish this one laying in bed not being able to sleep and say happy new years to myself haha. Sad day. Oh well I enjoy giving myself my new years hug haha. I brought in the new years with a coke and some chocolate chip cookies! So good.

So this last week was my first week with ANOTHER new companion haha. Man I am getting a bad record here going only one transfer with each now it kind of sucks haha. But now I love my companion! His name is Elder Hatch. He is from Los Angles. Good old cali babe! He has some sweet hook ups there so I have been invited to go and visit him after the mission haha. Elder Hatch is once again super tall haha all my companions are just taller then me. i feel so short all the time haha! I have to look up at him and everything. I will send some pics of him in our apartment haha. He is 19 and was going to BYU to do Engineering. He is a pretty smart guy. Once again he is younger than me and has only had one companion. I feel very privileged to be serving with so many young missionaries. In the last little while I have re-evaluated some of the things I do and how I conduct myself. I am grateful that I have made the necessary changes to myself this transfer and hope to be able to influence these young missionaries for the good and help them see the joy of the work. I really do love this work and would not trade this amazing opportunity to be here in Ontario for anything!

So we got together Tuesday and got right to work. Our first day we went and saw the hemery's who are a PMF (part-member family) and quite old, Merlyn was baptized last year. We have been trying to help her get back out to church but some outstanding circumstances keep her from coming. Dennis is a little bit stubborn but we will keep loving him into the gospel!

Then we also met with Brother Jeffery! He is from Nigeria. He attends the catholic church as it is just right across the street. He was a referral from the sister missionaries to us. He has been taking his time to read the Book of Mormon. We had a great lesson with him and the Spirit was really strong. It was interesting as he did not keep his commitment to read and so all the questions he had could have been answered by him doing his own personal study. It is so sad when people do not keep commitments.

Wednesday came and that was our New Years Eve! I will send pictures from last week for Christmas! New years eve we were out visiting some less actives and dropping by different individuals. It was awesome as we were tracting this one building we stopped and decided to ask for God's help to find someone as we were having no luck. After that prayer we finished that floor and walked up stairs and then this dog came running outside. This cute little puff ball of a thing named Mitchell. We met this Iraqi family. We chatted and he was interested in what we had to share so he invited us in for drinks and a chat. We met his son and chatted with them for a bit. it was a neat experience to see God answer our simple petition for help. 

Thursday was an interesting day as we went to visit a Less-active member, David. He had a stroke last year and has been struggling. He is a very kind guy but man his apartment was disgusting. Elder Hatch had a cockroach crawling on his legs!!!! EWWW!!! It was so gross haha. Plus you could see the stains from blood and crushed bed bugs and nests on his bed. Man I felt so sorry for this guy but I wanted nothing more then to get outta there. That is the only down side of serving in a Ghetto area. Bed bugs and other in-welcome guests are sometimes rampant. We stripped down and made sure no critters came home with us haha. 

 So the two main invs that i must comment on is Mahesh who is a Christian from India finally came to church! It was so sweet having him there. He even participated and read and everything! No 1st time people EVER do that haha. I was so proud of him. President and Sister Clayton came to visit and they met him and they really liked him. I hope we can help him to progress and to work towards baptism. it will be interesting as his Fiancee is Catholic. Hmmm we will see! The other is an awesome family named the Risley's. Sis. Risley has not been to church since she was 16 and has been through a lot and now has 3 wonderful kids. Cadaen her middle child is an amazing guy! He is 12 and not baptized. So we have been working on reactivating the family and helping him to learn of the restored Gospel. Cadaen has strong faith in Christ and she really raised her family well to believe in Christ. As Cadaen has been meeting with us he has developed a desire to serve a MISSION!!! YAY!!! I was so excited to hear that. I hope and pray we can help him and his family become fully active and strong members. 

Photo with the mission president and his wife.  Elder Sopal is in the middle row on the far left side. 

Well everyone. This is a brand new year. If you have fallen away from your relationship with God or been slacking in some areas. I would strongly encourage you to start now. I know that the most important thing that will help us all improve in this new year is prayer. Through prayer anything is possible and that is how we grew to know our Father in Heaven. I love the Gospel. I am so grateful for my relationship with Him. By coming to know God, I know Jesus Christ better. Jesus Christ has had such a profound influence upon all whom will have have lived upon the Earth. I am grateful for the testimony of my Savior. I know that if you turn to Christ and to access the Atonement. You will see your challenges and the trials you face become bearable. And you will overcome them with God's help. He has helped me and I know he can help you. Never plateau.. Always more forward, trying to be a little bit better each day. I love you all have an awesome week.