P-Day # 21 - Transferred to Weston North, Wonderful New Companions and SKYPE'ing on Christmas

Hi Mom and Dad…

Elder Jacob "JP" Perry....Looking Good!

WOW, lots of things have happened to me since my last P-Day Letter.

We had Zone Conference and I got transferred this week to Weston North Area. Weston is a suburb of Toronto, ON, so I am down south now. I am now with new elders.

Elder Monson(right) is from Alpine, Utah…and yes, he is the Grand Nephew to President Monson. Elder Strong(left) is our District Leader and from Alberta, Canada.

Snow in Val-d'Or, Quebec....COLD!

The weather is much milder here compared with Val-d’Or, QC. We have a really good view of the Toronto CN Tower and the people here are open to talking about religion…BONUS!

Elder Perry in One of His Selfies!

I am in a bus area and I’m finding out that a lot can happen with bus travels. It’s really fun to contact people on the bus because they can't run away until it stops. We talked to one guy about hockey and just sports in general. We gave him a pass along card.

Elder Perry and His Mom Love Little House on the Prairie!

Last night we had a quick exchange and I went to the south side of Weston. We had a dinner appointment with a lady from Nigeria. She is a recent convert and we taught the commandments. She was very nice.

We found out that even when you sprint to the bus sometimes you are just not fast enough and when the doors shut they don't reopen… even when you are standing just outside the bus looking at the bus driver. That's the city life, I guess. We got a lot of rain here which reminded me of Oregon. We also walked in the rain so we got our clothes pretty wet. You know that your coat is wet when you stand inside the elevator and your pants and coat are dripping water on the floor and the creases of the coat on your arm has little puddles dripping onto the floor every time you move your arm. We did some contacting of less actives and in the course of trying to find one, we talked to a guy named Anthony. He said that he wanted to know more so, we set a return appointment with him.

Super Elder....

We had Christmas and got to Skype our families so that was really fun and it was nice to speak with family face to face. I am realizing why missionaries are known to gain weight on their missions. On Christmas, we got a whole Christmas dinner and ,a huge pizza and we still had dinner appointments. We have had a lot of dinner appointments within the past couple of days with a lot of food at each one. The members here are fantastic here in Weston North and not just because of the appointments. They help us with referrals and help us find people to teach.

I am finding out that Toronto is a very diverse place. We talked to a couple of people from Nigeria and a couple of people from Hungary. English is mostly their second language so, they speak broken to us but they still understand enough to know what we are teaching about.

Grandma, Grandpa and Mom, Thank You for the Christmas Tree in the box that Mom sent. I thought it was fun to put it up and remember the true meaning of Christmas.

Christmas was a good day for us because the computers were working great. We had no problem with Skype and I got to talk to Mom, Dad, Megan, Matt and Benson.

Often times, I am riding the bus and remember the conventions Grandpa and I went to at the Car Show’s and with the Toy Trains. Thank you for those memories because they help me just realize why I am here. The gospel has made our family close and it reminds me that I can help other families become close also.

Fire in Rouyn-Noranda before we left for Zone Conference. A restaurant caught fire. We got to see it from beginning to end.

What a GREAT WEEK! I am thankful to be where I am and Thankful I am able to serve a mission here. I am especially grateful for my companions Elder Strong and Elder Monson. They are great guys and I’m learning a lot from them.

I pray for you every night and am thankful for technology this week with SKYPE!

Love,

Elder Perry

Weston North Area

Canada Toronto Mission

P-Day # 20 - Cold, Cold and More Cold + Snow…

Hi Mom & Dad,

Have I mentioned it gets cold up here in the North Country?

You know it’s cold when you step outside and cough because the air is cold and you feel the nose hairs inside your nose move as you breath…Now that cold there, I don’t care who you are…THAT’s COLD!

We have Zone Conference in Brampton this week. So, I’ll be heading out form Val-d’Or on Tuesday, pick up the other elders in Rouyn-Noranda and drive to North Bay. Wednesday, we’ll continue our drive to Brampton.

I don’t think I have ever told you this, but we have our 3-hour block meetings on Sunday one week in Rouyn-Noranda and the next in Val-d’Or. It’s about an hour and 45-minute drive between the two. This way the members who can’t travel can attend at least twice a month. This is why we’re also with our other elders so much in each town.

My Companion Elder Taturu from Tahiti and I are in Val-d’Or. Elder Feth and Elder Hunter are in Rouyn-Noranda. I really like hanging with Elder Hunter. He’s from the UK. We play chess when it’s too cold to go out or Elder Feth and Elder Taturu are on splits. Elder Hunter and I are going out to see some sites today since it’s P-Day. Elder Hunter and I are still getting the hang of the French Language.

I want to thank those who have sent me cards, letters and packages. Also, a special thanks to my former YM President Dan Jordan for helping my parents get a huge box full of goodies shipped up here. I really appreciate ALL of you. Those little touches of home keep me going!

I get to SKYPE my parents next week…. Awesome!

Merry Christmas to ALL! Praying for you Every Night!

Love,

Elder Perry
Abitibi Branch, Val-d’Or, QC
Canada Toronto Mission

P- Day # 19 - Branch Christmas Dinner, Being a Senior Missionary and Sleeping at the Church....

Our Tree in the Mission Apartment

Hi Mom and Dad,

This week was an OK week. We didn't get very much done in the way of missionary work because it’s really cold and when we contact people, they don't say hi back to start a conversation. We did go to a college club fair and supported one of our investigators and looked at the different clubs. That was pretty fun and reminded me of my senior project board that I did.

Elder Tuahivaatetonohiti or Elder “T” for short is going home this week so Elder Feth took him down to North Bay. We had transfers and I am now back in Rouyn-Noranda for the next 7 weeks with Elder Tatauru. He is from Tahiti and speaks French. He is cool and I like him and am looking forward to getting to know him better. I am now the Senior Elder in my area. Elder Feth is picking up a “Greenie” and they will be in Val-d’Or for the next 7 weeks until Elder Feth goes home. I don't know what President Shields is going to do when Elder Feth leaves. If we are in a tri-companionship, then probably one of the areas will be closed and it would probably be Rouyn and we would all stay in Val-d’Or. Maybe President Shields can find another French speaking Elder.

Today and tomorrow we will pack up our things and go back to Rouyn. We have an appointment on Wednesday and then on Thursday we will have to get winter tires for the New Toyota Rav-4. Another round of dealing with tires.  I just did this two weeks ago.  Noooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

On Christmas Day, I will use SKYPE to Video-Chat with you. We have a computer here that will have SKYPE on it. I will e-mail you on Christmas when we are ready. We got a new camera and I will have to install it on the computer. 

I got Sister Westerns Christmas card today. That was so nice of her and Brother Western to think of me!

Goodie Table at our Branch Christmas Dinner

We had a Branch Christmas dinner and we had a lot of food. I could actually have conversations with people and talk about random things. Heavenly father blessed me with the Gift of Tongues, so I had a lot of fun!

Cleaning Up after the Branch Christmas Dinner

We have been trying to look for people to shovel the snow but the problem is they all have little snow blowers and beat us to it. I’m kind of sorry they beat us to the punch, but not really sad. Next time, I’m going to learn how to use the snow blower. I can tell it’s going to be tough for winter because people don't like to talk to the missionaries in general let alone in -20c.

The past couple of days, the other elders were doing last minute things with Elder T, so I slept in the church building on chairs that I made into a bed I have been running on 4 hours’ worth of sleep and it has caught up to me. I have a feeling this winter we will be inside for a long time because of the cold. People say it looks like it will be a bad winter.

Elder Jacob "JP" Perry on P-Day #19 12/12/2016

Not much else is going on here. We just keep on, keeping on. People, I think, have a misconception of missionary work. They believe that it will be hard… yes! But for the most part sunshine and rainbows. This is very wrong. Missionary work is like crab fishing in the Bearing Sea on a long grind. Every now and then you find a good spot for crab (or investigators). You just have to be willing to go through the grind to find them.

I will try to buy some Thermal Underwear this week. President said that probably at -30c we could call it and stay inside so we will use caution.

Have a Great Week and Know that I pray for you Every Night...Love You!

Elder Perry

Abitibi Branch

Canada Toronto Mission

Parents Bonus Note... 

On Thursday Jacob will be 19 Years Old 12/15/2016. How time flies... We want to wish our missionary a Happy Birthday. He has been such a blessing to our lives and we hope Canada loves him as much as we do. Happy Birthday Elder Perry

Elder Perry - Same Place - Primary and Just Before He left on a Mission

Jacob and His Dad Steve in New Suits - 2005

Jacob at 8 Years Old....Happy Boy in the Snow...

Jacob On his Suzuki 90 - 2003

P-Day # 18 - Downtown Toronto, Exchanges and Traveling Like a Seventy

Elder Jacob "JP" Perry at the CN Tower Downtown Toronto Canada

Hi Mom and Dad,

On my last P-Day in Brampton, we went into downtown Toronto. We went into a couple of shops and we went to a bakery. They had some really good rolls and then we went to the base of the CN Tower but we did not go up because we didn't have time. And no, I didn't eat Ducks Feet in Chinatown.

This week has been interesting. I got off my exchanges with the AP’s and left Brampton, Ontario.  Then  joined a new exchange with the Elders in Timiskaming and worked with a new Elder that had only been out 3 weeks. This was kind of weird because I was a “Greenie” and the Senior Missionary. This only lasted a few days, then I was assigned to work in Rouyn-Noranda for the next week with Elder “T” since I am a designated driver. He goes home at the end of the week, so for the moment, I don’t have an official “Home Base”. This reminds me of how it was when I arrived. President Shields said for me to leave my stuff in Val-d’Or, Quebec and we’ll figure it out next week after transfers. So, for now, I go to Rouyn-Noranda for a couple of days, then back to Val-d’Or for a few days. President Shields made the joke I was like a “Seventy” with all the traveling I’m doing. I thought…Yep, he’s right!

Downtown Toronto Canada

Elder Feth has a new companion Elder Tatauru from Tahiti. Elder Tatauru has been in the mission field for a little bit learning English and I actually met him in the MTC. I like him, he is really chill. The native language in Tahiti is French, so there’s a bonus!

We have another greenie coming up next transfer and then after Elder Feth leaves at the beginning of February. Then we will have only three French Elders for two areas. I don't know what’s going to happen. Maybe, with only three elders in February, this means we would have a tri-companionship and the possibility of an area being closed because there are not enough elders to fill the area. 

The work is going slowly here because people don't want to stand in the cold talking to missionaries. I got my first taste of bible bashing. I’ve learned to rely on the spirit. If the spirit is not present when we’re teaching and things feel like they’re going south, we wrap up and just leave with a good word and a prayer.

Downtown by the Rail Yard

It’s been snowing for the last week here and its -5c. I finally got some boots and they are rated at -60c. They are keeping my feet dry and toasty. There is a layer of ice under all this snow, so we have to be careful not to slip and fall. 

Well, that’s pretty much it for the week.

I'd like to take a quick minute and thank a few people for e-mailing me while on my mission. I don't have much time to get back to everyone, but please know I appreicate everyone's kind words of encouragement and please keep the letters and e-mails coming....

Thanks to;

• Mil & Linda Gibson - Grandma and Grandpa
• Lucie Richardson - Former Citizen of Val-d'Or
• Bro. Dan Jordan - Former YM President
• Troy & Heather Gibson - Uncle and Auntie
• Johnathan Levenseller - Life Long Friend
• Jared Cook - Friend/Soon to Be New Elder in Detroit
• Drew Cheney - Friend/Current Elder in Thailand 

Love You and Pray for You Every Day & Night!

Elder Perry

Abitibi Branch, Val-d’Or, Quebec

Canada Toronto Mission

P-Day # 17 - Best Week of my Mission, Chinatown and Being a Temporary AP in Brampton, Ontario

President and Sister Shields with Elder Perry

Hi Mom and Dad,

Exciting things happened this week. Our Mission President had me do a swap with one of the Assistants to the President this week. So, I drove all the way down to Brampton (Suburb of Toronto where the Mission Home is) on Wednesday. President Shields assigned me to do the work of an AP this week to get some extra training. I and got to see what the AP's do, which is fun. They do a lot of what we regular missionaries do, but they just travel more. The AP’s here in Brampton are really fun people to be around. 

Thursday, I went to work. We took President Shields out to a lesson and taught with him. We were teaching the Plan of Salvation to a 7-year-old girl and pretty much knew the entire thing because she goes to primary.

The buildings are huge. We went to another member’s apartment who lives on the 38 floor of an apartment building and it’s the penthouse. I thought it was cool because I have never been in a penthouse before. And let me tell you it’s pretty high, Dad would have puked. We taught a guy who wanted to know if the previous baptisms he had were valid and I was able to use an analogy from “The District” videos, so my training payed off!

  

It’s been the best week of my mission. We have been really busy all week. We have been doing so much missionary work, it's been epic.  We only come back home for food and at the end of the day. Other than that, we are out talking to people and knocking on doors.

We met this guy who was super cool. He was a referral from a friend of his and was investigating the church some time before. He and his friend had the best time and just watching them make fun of each other in a loving manner was so funny. We taught a lady who was really excited about the gospel and she even had her own teaching record and marked things off. It was great.

The people hear “rock”! I met Elder Taylor, whom you met in the mission office when you came up while I was in the MTC. The Elders here “rock” and we have done some cool things. This morning we got a cake for Elder Carroll who is one of the Assistants to the President and sang Happy Birthday to him. We did it really stealthy, so that was fun. 

We were able to have Thanksgiving dinner with the office missionaries and a companionship of sister missionaries, just like home!  

My temporary companion is cool and we joke around a lot, but we also do a lot of missionary work and taught really well together. Brampton “rocks”. If I could stay here my whole mission, it would be awesome. The people here are mostly Indian (India) and so we get a lot of the phrase " God is one" in their accent.

We got “anti'd” a little, but we were out and about so that didn't bother me. I got to play soccer with this little kid who wanted to become a missionary and a doctor for his religion, which I thought was so cool. I was a hero to him, which I thought was awesome. 

We joke and laugh and I love being a missionary down here. I am going to try and make our area as much like this as I can.

I have to return to Val-d’Or tomorrow. I would like to stay in Brampton longer, but I am really needed there since our mission only has 4 French Speaking Elders and they are all in my area.

We are going to downtown Toronto today and we will be going to Chinatown. I am really excited. I am so happy I was able to come down and see what happens down here. I have had so much fun and people here are so nice. 

The AP's are in a YSA Ward, so I got to go and it felt just like being back at home in the Forest Grove YSA branch. I loved being there and met some cool people. 

I have gloves and a hat but still need boots. I will get them when I get back to Val-d’Or. I still can’t find my glasses, so I think they are gone. I’ll get some new one’s when I get back to Val-d’Or, also.

I have received email from Sister Richardson. She’s so sweet. She told me all about her family when they were here and some friends that are still here. I plan on looking them up when I get back.

Well, what else can I say. It’s been an awesome week. Best week of My Mission.

Love You and Pray for you Every Night,

~Elder Perry

  Canada Toronto Mission 

P-Day #16 - Mission President Visit, -4 Degrees C & 25 Lbs Lighter...

This week has been a really good week. Not in the way of missionary work and extending commitments, but improving the quality of life. We got a chance to have our Mission President over in our apartment because he had never been to our area before and wanted to see what the northern parts of his mission are like. Also, to see what the French was like up here and get a feel for what complete French immersion was like. We read some scriptures from the Book of Mormon and talked about some needs of our investigators of the church. We went to a mental hospital and talked with a less active member who was there and just sat and talked with him.

 

Elders Perry, Thompson, "T", Feth & Carman

I am finding as a Missionary and just as a Church Member, sometimes we are not in a certain place at a certain time to teach lessons and extend commitments, rather we are there to be friends and love others. This is a skill I had learned in our Young Single Adult Branch in Oregon. I am finding that as missionaries we are to reach out with love and compassion, not be robots and teach doctrine. How grateful I am to have learned this skill before my mission and for the Forest Grove YSA branch in Oregon. 

Elder Perry - A Fisher of Men

 The rest of the week has been playing sports with investigators and teaching doctrine specific to their needs.

- 4 c Snowstorm From our Balcony

We got a lot of snow and we can tell its winter time. Today its -4c, so we rejoice when it is 4c. I bought snow tires this week for the Nissan Rogue.

Elder Perry - Selfie at Lac Dozoi

I like the area up here and the Native American people here are friendly to us. They are always willing to listen, even if they don't accept. We went to a place called Lac Dozoi. You can't even find it on google maps. It looks like a Boy Scout Camp so I was right at home there.

Elder Perry and His Self Induced Haircut

So, here's a funny story. I was running low on my Missionary Funds Card and decided to give myself a haircut instead of paying someone up here $20. So I just went for it. I think it looks pretty good, don't you?

Elder Perry - All Cleaned Up & 25lbs Lighter!

This week has been really good and I have had a lot of fun just teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ.

--

Elder Perry

Abitibi Branch, Val-d'Or, Quebec

Canada Toronto Mission  

P-Day #15 - Attending the Temple, TIWI and Being a Body Guard.....

Elder Perry before he left for the
MTC & The Canada Toronto Mission

Hi Mom & Dad,

This will be a short letter this week. Not too much has happened and my internet/E-Mail time is not very long.

We had a new investigator and we taught her the restoration. At the end, I got to bear my testimony in French and she started to cry… the spirit was strong and I think we really did some good. There was an investigator who thought she was being followed so at 5:30 in the morning, so we went and walked her home. I thought it was cool to be a body guard of sorts. We went to a nursing home and took the Sacrament to a really nice fella. As we were administering the Sacrament, I looked at him and he looked at me and he didn't stop. It was like he was looking into my soul or something. I thought it was cool we could help him feel the Spirit. 

The Toronto Canada  LDS Temple

While we were in the Toronto, we attended the Temple and it was great! I loved going. Things are going good for me and we have been able to help some people this week, so that was good. 

Now that I am the designated driver in my companionship I have to tell you about this thing called TIWI. TIWI is a thing that attaches to your windshield and yells at you when you’re going too fast or driving too aggressively. It also yells at you when you hit a bump too hard. It says “Check your speed” or “Aggressive Driving”. It sends a report to the Mission Home. My companion always says I’m driving like a grandpa, but I just tell him…” Who is the designated driver and who has their driving privileges revoked because he got a ticket and rear ended another missionary at transfers? Shut’s him down every time!

Got to Run.

I Love You…Pray for You Every Night!

Elder Perry

Abitibi Branch, Val-d’Or, Quebec

Canada Toronto Mission

P-Day #14 - New Furniture, The Flu Bug & Transfers....

Elder Jacob "JP" Perry

Hi Mom & Dad,

Guess what…. We have furniture! I slept in a bed for the first time in a long time and it was wonderful. New bed, new sheets…ahhhhhhh!!!!  I sleep so well now! We also have some pots and pans and utensils.

This week has been a slow week for us. The weather has been getting colder and we love when it is just 3 degrees C. The flu has been going around so most of our investigators cancelled their meetings.

That's Our Boy! - Mom & Dad

We were able to watch the broadcast of Teaching the Saviors Way with Jeffery R. Holland, which was exciting. The broadcast did not buffer which was a huge blessing.

We helped a member of our Branch clear a path in her storage for her snow blower. It was very big and I am interested to see what the snow will bring.

We ate dinner at a member’s apartment and she helps me practice my French. We spent most of our time talking about Harry Potter and the multiple Disney movies that she had. We also talked about the books that she had and did the dishes. She said that if she could clone one of us she would just keep us which I thought was funny.

We have done a lot of contacting this week to find new investigators but with not much luck. This is ok because this is part of being a missionary.

I'm on A Mission.....

We are on our P-Day in North Bay on our way to Brampton tomorrow for transfers.  I heard that for this transfer pretty much 80 percent of the missionaries are getting transferred to new areas. This is a major mission shake up but we are staying where we are because they have no one else who speaks French. I guess we are part of the 20 percent. We will be able to attend the Temple while were in Brampton. That will be awesome. 

I Love You and Pray for You Each Night!

Elder Perry

Abitibi Branch, Val-d’Or, Quebec

Canada Toronto Mission

P-Day #13 - Snow, Wild Dogs and Doing the Lords Work......

Elder Perry and The Dinner of Missionaries....Beans and Rice!

Mom and Dad, 

This week has been a good week.

We cleaned up our area book because it was outdated. We did a lot of walking this week because we need to find new people to teach and we can't find new people when you are driving a car. This is when comfortable footwear really pays off. 

We contacted the former investigators and managed to find some new ones, as well. We met a girl named Hilary and she is a friend of a recent convert here. We were able to talk with her and she does the same thing we do only a little differently. She gives people hope at a local homeless shelter. She was open to here our message. We taught her the restoration of the gospel and she actually prayed for us at the end of the lesson. We are always ecstatic when investigators pray because that gives them the opportunity to receive the Spirit.

We still don't have furniture yet because the company that had the furniture previously purchased for our apartment didn't deliver up here. We took a day with another set of missionaries and just bought the furniture locally. They said it should be delivered this week.

We didn't have many investigators at church but that's OK because we are still in contact with them and are setting up appointments with them to teach them. I am starting to understand why Christ spoke in parables and didn't reveal everything to the twelve. It was because they would not understand and they would reject his message. I am learning to just throw myself into the scriptures and learn about Christ teachings more thoroughly. This gives me great strength and comfort!  

My French is getting better but is far from perfect. Slowly but surely, I am able to teach and not have to try and say the phrase over again. It’s coming, slowly but surely!

We went to a place called Lac Simon which is a reservation and got to see how we were going to open up the area. It's very remote and pretty much only houses are there but the people are nice. Wild dogs roam all over the area which I thought was weird but at the same time interesting.

View from our Balcony, First Snow of the Season!

The weather is changing quickly and its snows every other day but doesn't stick. winter is definitely on the way.  Other than that, it's mainly just been the normal missionary stuff.  The rest of the week has been fantastic. I still haven't found my glasses but I will keep looking. We stayed at the other Elder’s apartment and I have them looking there, also.

I Love You and Pray for You Every Night,

Elder Perry

Canada Toronto Mission  

P-Day #12 - New Apartment, 11 Investigators and Zone Conference....

Elder Perry in Val-d'Or, Quebec

Mom and Dad, 

This week has been good.

We finally got permission to move into our apartment and we did as fast as we could. We don't have any furniture yet so we have to wait for that. We were going to get our furniture on Tuesday but the moving people got the address wrong and sent our furniture to Quebec City (which is 8 hours away). They then had to send it back to the warehouse. We just got notification we’ll get it on Tuesday(Tomorrow), YIPEEEE! I will never be more grateful to put clean sheets on a bed then when we get our beds and I can sleep in a real bed. We’ve been sleeping mostly on mats since I have arrived in Canada.

 West Sudbury Zone Conference, October 2016

We had Zone Conference and Transfers. Elder Carman is now in a tri-companionship with Elder T. (Can’t pronounce his name) and Elder Thompson (My companion all through the MTC) and they have been assigned to labor in the Rouyn-Noranda area. Elder Feth and I are assigned to labor in the Val-d’Or area. We had an incident or two on our way to Zone Conference.

Let it be known, I was not involved as the driver in either one!

Before transfers, we were driving to Zone Conference and one of my companions was driving. He got pulled over for speeding and got a $249 ticket. The Police Officer spoke in French and I had to give him all the information.  Luckily I understood him in French. I prayed I would give him the right stuff. We were late to Zone Conference and when we walked in our Mission President we were meeting for the first time, gave us a bow and said “thanks for joining us” in front of our entire Zone. Embarrassing!

Then after transfers, another companion driving our car and another missionary was driving their  car with 2 other elders rear ended us . The other missionary hit the back of our Nissan Rogue and caused quite a bit of damage to their car a Chevrolet Equinox . The Nissan Rogue had some damage on the rear bumper and hatchback handle, but not very bad. Lucky us, everyone now has lots of paper work.  Let’s hope this is the first and last experience with the police, and car accident paper work.  But We are all OKAY!

Lesson for the Week- No speeding.......and don't rear end the other missionaries. 

Positive Bonus for the Week: I am now our designated driver.  

Most of the week has been getting into the new rhythm of a new area and I think I am starting to find my stride. We spend a lot of time in the church doing our morning studies and planning because the church has chairs and tables which makes it easier.

We had skills and interviews with the Mission President. He said that we were kind of like pioneers up here because of it being a new area and new branch. We had a goal to find 3 new investigators for a day here and as the day progressed, we talked to a lot of people. At the end of the day we actually found 11. Ask and ye shall receive. A couple people we found were drunk at the time, so I hope that they will come around.

The country up here is just like Oregon but a lot windier and a lot colder. Winter is moving in and we can tell because for a couple days, we woke up to snow on the cars. The snow melts away with the sun, but one day it won't.

That’s all for this week. 

I will be praying for you every night and every morning.

Love,

Elder Perry

Canada Toronto Mission

Abitibi Branch, Val-d’Or, Quebec

P-Day #11 - 6 New Investigators, New Furniture & Feeling The Spirit !!!

Great View! Elder Jacob Perry from the balcony of his apartment in 
Val-d'Or, Quebec, Abitibi Branch, Canada Toronto Mission !!! 

Hi Mom and Dad,

This week has been a very successful week.

For most of the week, in the mornings, we have been helping President Och's (pronounced “Ox”) with his house. He is doing some foundation work and needed some help shoveling dirt to build a wall for the drainage pipe that takes water from the foundation away from the house. This was not easy to do, but we were able to get the task accomplished and we also got a good workout which made us feel good also.

We were able to have dinner over at one of our investigators house and I always love going over there just to have nice conversation (the best I can understand) with her. We did that for a couple of days this week because foundation work is generally a multi-day project.

We have done a lot of driving which is the usual schedule for us now, but it should end soon. We got our delivery date for our furniture which made us really happy.

We had some lessons with a recent convert who just got baptized. We taught the plan of salvation and I found that I had the most interesting time trying to say “Kingdoms of Glory”. After about the 5^th attempt, the recent convert helped with pronunciation. The members are very helpful in helping me get the language down.

We have begun playing sports with investigators and less actives almost daily. This doubles in several ways for us because we get our exercise period so we don't have to do it in the morning when we are tired and we also get people involved with gospel discussion and are able to teach lessons to investigators who have questions. I have practiced contacting people on the street multiple times and I feel that I am starting to get the hang of it. It’s easy to say now, but in the moment, I see how far I really need to learn. 

We taught a lesson to a less active family and she had questions about why temptation is in our lives. The Spirit filled the room and I was able to explain that trials are necessary and that its Gods ways of testing us to see how faithful we will be and to show how strong we actually are spiritually. She said that answer really helped her. I walked away with a much greater appreciation for the role of the Holy Ghost / Spirit in our lives. As missionaries, we are able to invite and bring the Holy Ghost to the investigator but it is completely up to the investigator to allow the Holy Ghost to enter in his or her heart. 

Elder Perry in one of many "Selfie's"

We had 6 investigators at church this week, which was amazing. We pretty much filled up our small chapel and had more people in Gospel Principles class than in Sunday School. We had a great time at Church because we had so many investigators at church and the Spirit of the meeting was awesome. We didn't have bread so we started a little late though. I guess small town branch hiccups are the same no matter where you go, but we got bread and all was well. I look forward to the coming week and to the upcoming spiritual experiences when we are permanently in Val-d’Or. 

It’s been a really good week.

Love You and Praying for you every night!

--
Elder Perry
Abitibi Branch, 
Val-d'Or, Quebec
Canada Toronto Mission

P-Day #10 - Polar Bears, A Baptism and Way Too Much Driving......

Elder Perry's Email is jperry@myldsmail.net 

Hi Mom & Dad, Grandma & Grandpa, Megan, Matt & Benson,

We have been really busy up here. We had a baptism in a hot tub and I got to be a witness for it. Our branch was officially created over General Conference weekend, so for that Sunday, we had 8 hours’ of Church because we had meetings in between Conference Sessions and a potluck.

We talked to a drunk Native Man and gave him a pass along card so he can remember the missionaries when he gets sober. We helped a less active Lady move some things from her storage this week. She had some heavy things, but we got it done. We have a family who has been having tough times and have some struggles. Every time we go over, things always seem to turn out better for them. We just baptized one of our investigators and need to teach her the lessons again and we have a reactivation in the process and a new investigator joined us in church this week.

We had Zone Conference in North Bay. I got to see some of the other Elders from Sudbury that I made friends with when I first arrived in Toronto. I also got to see a friend from the MTC.

Elder Carman, our District Leader has only 3 weeks until he goes home and Elder Feth, our Senior Companion leaves in February. I sure hope my French comes quickly. 

Fall is Here, Winter is Coming!

We have been having rain here, but the elders say by November it should turn to snow. It has been cold up here for the past couple of days. Winter is definitely on its way. We got our first snow fall this week and were able to go out and experience it. The snow didn't stick, but it gave us a chance to see what the winter would bring for us.

We have done a lot of driving this week. We are waiting for word that we can move into our new apartment in Val-d’Or. We don't have furniture, a stove or a fridge, so we can't move in just yet. I am starting to feel how grandpa felt on his mission with all the driving.  We drive an hour and a half for one area and then we stay in that area for the day. Then we drive to another area and stay the night there. We do that every other day, so it is a lot of driving.

My French is getting better and I am actually able to understand what they are saying but I am still having trouble with the responding part of the conversation. The gift of tongues is real and when you don't have that gift, that's when you have to worry.

Canadian Thanksgiving was this week on Monday. The Saturday before, we had dinner at an investigators house with turkey and all the trimmings. Sorry, I might be a little late for the U.S. Thanksgiving Dinner this year and putting you on notice, probably next year too. I miss our thanksgiving dinners at your house and just being with you all at the table.

Today we got to go to a polar bear habitat and look at the polar bears. They are very big! We got to get within 1 arm’s length of them, it’s cool just to say that I got to stand next to a polar bear. 

Grandma and Grandpa, I have not received Your letter yet. When you send it to the Mission Office, it can take a month or two for me to get it because we only get mail at Zone Conferences. We can receive mail at the apartment, but because our living arrangements are up in the air, we will have to wait on that. Thank you for sending letters. It is nice to get handwritten letters from you and I like reading them. I have been seeing a lot of potential places to fish but realizing that I can't because I don't have my fishing buddy who brings me good luck(Grandpa).

I got an e-mail from Brother Jordan, my former Young Men’s President this week. It was nice to hear from a familiar person from home.

Well, That’s it for this week. Tell everyone “Hello” in the Vernonia Branch and the Forest Grove YSA Branch.

To My Family, I Love You, Miss You and Pray for You Every Night.

Elder Perry

Canada Toronto Mission