P-Day #42 - Hope, The Light of Christ and using Canada's "Free Healthcare"....

Kitchener and London Zone Conference
Elder Perry 3rd Row 4th from the Left

This week has been a really good week in talking with a lot of people.

We have driven many miles and have seen many horse and buggies from the Mennonite people. It’s cool to see something I wouldn’t be able to see back home.

We had the opportunity to give away a Bible this week and it was interesting because we got the text and the person who wanted it was just 5 min away. We went and talked with her and delivered the Bible to her. Hopefully more to follow in the weeks to come.

Elder Perry
Back & Right - With the Colorful Tie

We moved a freezer this week and had to take off the doors to get into a member’s basement. After some twisting, turning, dropping and thinking, we were finally able to get the freezer out. I did get a souvenir, I got a nasty cut on my thumb…OUCH! Don’t worry Mom, I have Neosporin and a Band-Aid. I won’t let it go until they need to amputate. I’m taking care of it! I promise.

I have been sick for the past week and had to visit a walk-in clinic. It was a very interesting experience in Canada with the “free healthcare”. We walked in and there was a lot of people in the lobby. I had to wait over 3 hours, but I did see a doctor. I got the typical "once over" and some antibiotics. I have been feeling better though so that has turned out really good. 

My "Weekly Blog" would not be complete without a P-Day Selfie!

We have a very unique opportunity to give people HOPE. When you are able to share the Gospel with them, they seem to brighten up. This is when you have seen the “Light of Christ” enter into their lives! Sometimes they are interested in hearing more, sometimes not, but the invitation is always there…

We need to look for a new apartment due to the cost of utilities in our current one. President Shields asked us to find one, so we’re on the lookout.

For those who really read my blog, a special treat! Turn you sound down a bit and Click on this link...

Elder Perry and The Missionary Crew...

Remember, I Love You! I pray for you every night & day!

Elder Perry

Waterloo Ward

Kitchener, Ontario

Canada Toronto Mission

P-Day #41 - Teaching English Classes, The Children & SKYPE'ing for Mother's Day...

The Boy's of Kitchener
Elder Baker-Logandale, UT Elder Staheli-Enterprise, UT  Elder Valliere- Layton, UT  Elder Perry- Vernonia, OR

This week has been really good.

We have been working really hard at our English class. We have put up a lot of posters around Kitchener and Waterloo. For the past couple of classes, we have had around 6 to 7 people when before we had about 1 to 2.

We have been having some good success with the potential investigators that we have been going through. We knocked on the door of this one potential from years ago. The mother opened the door and we explained who we were. As we did, her children came to the door, looked at our tags and with excitement said "That we had Jesus Christ on our name tags". She didn't want to be taught and as she said this, her children said "Why? We believe in God and Jesus Christ". She said that we could come back and teach the children, who looked above the age of eight, so we will try again in the near future.

The Boy's of Kitchener
Elder Baker-Logandale, UT Elder Staheli-Enterprise, UT  Elder Valliere- Layton, UT  Elder Perry- Vernonia, OR

We have also had the opportunity to go to the small towns of our area and administer blessings to the members there. We had the opportunity to go to a dinner with some members who invited their non-member friends over. We got to know them and taught them a very simple 5-minute restoration lesson. At the end, we offered them the Book of Mormon and they accepted. We will continue to work with the members in the area and will continue to try and find through our own efforts.

Elder "Super Cool" Perry

It was great Skype'ing with you on Mother's Day. I miss You Mom!

I Pray for You Every Night and Day, 

Love, 

Elder Perry

Waterloo Ward

Kitchener, Ontario

Canada Toronto Mission

P-Day #40 - Regional Conference Broadcast, Having Some Success & A Breakfast Fit For 4 Elders...

Elder Perry and Elder Baker

Hi Mom and Dad, 

This week has been a really exciting week for us.

We had a Regional Broadcast for Conference this week with Dallin H. Oaks. He did a really good job on speaking about member missionary work and how it is a member’s duty. I was especially excited when I learned this broadcast was being sent to our entire region because I was watching the same broadcast as my sister Megan…at the same time, YEA!

We had one of our investigators, who we have been working with for a month and a half, come to church for the first time. We had invited him several times, but he just showed up, out of the blue. We were really excited! He seemed like he enjoyed church. We will be trying to meet with him again this week. He had to leave half way through the broadcast, but he sat thru the part I think he needed the most and missed the parts he may not understand being a non-member.

We were able to help a lady get some peace. She came up to us and asked us in church if she could have a Book of Mormon. We said of course she could. We made an appointment and we will be meeting with her this upcoming week. She started to cry and it was awesome because the Spirit was there! 

Elder Baker and I are getting along great. We had the Spanish speaking elders over and I made everyone breakfast. I made homemade hash browns and over a dozen eggs for four elders, using half the package of bacon crumples you sent in your box. You should have seen it, it was a sight to behold…!!!

That reminds me, I did get your box. Thanks for all the goodies, Elder Baker and I are almost done with the Easter candy. Also, thanks for all the other things in the box, it made my day!  Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa Gibson for their letter and support while I’m out here. I really appreciate all the E-Mails, Letters and goodies I get from everyone, many thanks to all!

We have been working through potential investigators this week and have had a little success, but not very much. We talked with a lady who is coming back to activity and she shared an experience on paying her tithing. She said that it was hard right now. We were able to promise blessings will come and we have an appointment with her this week.

We set up an appointment the week to meet with a family where we are able to practice the activity for member missionary work found in preach my gospel. This activity is where they make a list of names they would like to see have the gospel in their lives.

We get to SKYPE you for Mother’s Day on Sunday. I can’t wait to see you and talk to you.

I Love You and Pray for you Every Night and Day!

Elder Perry

Waterloo Ward

Kitchener, Ontario

Canada Toronto Mission

P.S. I promise more pictures next after Mother's Day !!! Love You!

P-Day # 39 - New Companion, Lots of Moving and Horsing Around!!!

Elder Valliere, Elder Staheli, Elder Baker & Elder Perry

This week has been a good week.

The exchanges with the Zone Leaders went very well for transfers and we were able to make the exchanges with very little incident.

Elder Baker and I have been getting along very well and have been busy this week. Later today I think we’ll go to Mel’s Diner. They have great Monday burger deals and Elder Baker wants to take the “2 ¾ Cheeseburger “Godfather” challenge…. Good luck to him. I’ll let you know if he makes it or breaks it. Pictures to follow next week!

Elders Perry, Staheli, Hanks and Stephens Morning Exercising!

We helped an inactive member move a couple times during the week. It was a lot of things to move but we got it done. We became hero's and we felt pretty good about what we did.

We also helped a lady move who was not a member and as we did, we found a Book of Mormon and a video of the Restoration. She asked if it was one of ours and we said it was. We asked her about if she had read the Book of Mormon and she said no. We then shared about how she had been on a spiritual journey looking for something that was missing. We bore testimony of the Book of Mormon and how it would benefit her life. We gave her to the sisters because she was not in our area and we hope that the sisters will be able to start teaching her.

Elders will be Elders...Nice Shirt!

We haven't found any new investigators this week but we have some members that are doing really good on their missionary work and we hope that those will work out.

The Lord answers prayers. My mission card was low on funds and I didn't want to use personal money last month. I was hoping the Lord would take care of it and he did. We had a Bishops Storehouse drop off. When people do not come to pick up their food orders, the missionaries get to take the leftover food home. We had so much food afterward that we didn't really need to buy food this week. Blessings!

All is well here. Remember, I love you and pray for you night and day,

Love,

Elder Perry

Waterloo Ward

Kitchener, Ontario

Canada Toronto Mission

P-Day # 38 - Transfers, The "Godfather" Cheeseburger Challenge and Meeting a 90 Year Old Sling Shot Expert!!!

Elder "Super Cool" Perry

This week has been a decent week for me.

We have been working with the members to set up dinner appointments with their friends for missionary work and it's been going well. We have some members who are setting those within the next couple of weeks.

We have been working in the English class and that has been going good. Unfortunately, other churches has started to do English class and  some of our regular students have stopped coming, so we are in the process of trying to figure out what is working and what isn’t.

We helped an inactive move some things out of her house into a trailer. We didn't get it finished, but we did make a large dent in helping her out. We also had the opportunity to visit an inactive in the hospital and he was doing really well. He had been in a coma for the past couple days and was up walking and talking.

We have met with our investigator that we haven't been able to meet with for a month and he has been going through a rough patch, but still wants to meet. So, we will keep working on that.

We went to visit a member and give him some cookies. He invited us in and then said "I want to show you boys something", he then pulled out a sling shot and we went on his back porch to go shooting. I thought it was pretty cool because he is like 90 years old and still knows how to have fun! 

Elder Perry Diggin' In!

I attempted to eat a HUGE cheeseburger named “The Godfather” and lost. I ate 2 & 3/4 pounds worth of food. That was a lot of food and I was full for three days…The attempt was worth it!

Elder Perry...Tappin' Out!!!

Transfers happened and Elder Hanks is going to Napanee near Kingston. I will miss him, he’s a good guy! I am getting Elder Baker from Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. I also hear good things about him. I am happy I am not moving for the next 7 to 8 weeks. It’s nice to have a transfer where I’m not living out of a suitcase.

I'll report out on Elder Baker and my adventures....

Next Week....

                      Same Bat Time....

                                                    Same Bat Channel......

I Love You and Pray for you Every Night & Day!

Elder Perry

Waterloo Ward

Kitchener, Ontario

Canada Toronto Mission

P-Days #36 & # 37 – A Little Bit of Fun, Transfers Coming Up & The 3lb Hamburger Challenge

Elder Perry and Elder Hanks (Left)
Elder Staheli from Utah &
Elder Stephens from Texas (Right) 

Thank You to Johnny Levenseller & Terry Grosnick, Jeff Cheney and Grandma and Grandpa Gibson for e-mailing me this week and Thanks to Dan Jordan for helping my parents send a box to me. I haven’t got it yet, but transfers are next week and I’m sure I’ll get either then or before then.

As I said, transfers are next week and I’m sure Elder Hanks and I are going to get split up. We’ve been together for just under 2 transfer and President Shields usually doesn’t go beyond that. Elder Hanks and I are like brothers, we always come through together.

We have not been having much success in finding new investigators. We do a have a few, but one cancelled the meeting and asked us not to return. Bummer….I guess she doesn’t understand we’re offering her eternal gifts. We met with a less active named Paul and he didn't keep his reading commitment like we hoped, so we read it with him. The Spirit was in the room and I bore a powerful testimony of the scriptures. I think we did a good balance of being devastated and loving at the same time. We committed him to read the remaining verses and he said he would so we will have to see. Please pray for them.

I had a testimony building experience this week on how we are blessed in the church to have more knowledge of Jesus Christ and his Gospel than most others. Some non-members invited us to an Easter service that was held in their Senior Center Home and so to help fellowship them we went. The service went in a completely different direction than what we were used to. It was a very depressing meeting and we could feel the Spirit leave because they weren't celebrating his resurrection, they were focusing on his death, not understanding the gift of the Atonement. We visited with them, but after we left, we had to see some members and then we had to watch some bible videos to get the Spirit back. We learned our lesson and won't do that again! 

So now, I’ll concentrate on some fun we had…

One day for lunch, we met up with the Spanish Speaking Elders in our area and went to a place called Mel’s Diner. It had pictures of John Wayne on the wall and Lucille Ball from I Love Lucy. It was a cool place. They have a 3 Pound Hamburger Challenge...Eat it all and it's free and you get a free tee shirt, I wanted to see if Elder Staheli could do it....

Elder Staheli from Utah Took the Challenge
...and only finished half.

He gave it his all, but we helped him finish up the rest. As you can see the rest of us didn't go hungry either...

No, I didn't eat ALL of it, we shared it, but would you look at that Banana Split, Unbelievable!

We had to fix our potentials in our area book because other missionaries had created duplicates because the hand writing was bad and I had to translate them into a new record. That took some time but we were able to get them done and now our area book is updated, fixed and ready for the missionaries who will be here next transfer. We had a great time and that's all I have for this week...except for one of my selfies.....

Elder Perry in his "Cool Shades"

Love You Mom and Dad, I pray for you every night and day!

Elder Perry

Waterloo Ward

Kitchener, Ontario

Canada Toronto Mission

P-Day #35 – 8 Months Out, Zone Conference Pics and Cleaning Up After A 30 Year Old...

I can’t believe I have been out 8 months already. I am so thankful of where I am & what I’m doing. All the sacrifice has been worth it.

Hi Mom & Dad, 

I can’t believe I have been out 8 months already. Time really does fly when the Lord is on your side. I am so thankful of where I am and what I’m doing. All the sacrifice has been worth it.

This week has been a good week and a testimony strengthener for me. We still haven't been finding any new investigators but have been working with the less actives in our Ward.

Elmira Maple Syrup Festival

We got to go to the Elmira Maple Syrup Festival to see if we could talk to some people. We got some dirty looks and I realized just how much that some people don't like us. The festival was cool. It reminded me of The Vernonia Friendship Jamboree back home….without the dirty looks!

We Met with a man who was active and then went less active because of family issues. During the Zone Conference when we were talking about the Doctrine of Christ, I got the impression to talk with him specifically about what we as missionaries teach and the doctrine we are teaching. We had originally talked about going through studying the scriptures, but we taught him our purpose instead. He had kept the commitment of trying to pray and as we talked, you could tell the Spirit was there and his face changed. You could tell that he felt the Spirit, and that is what he needed. We could tell that he was making a sincere effort and as we got up to leave, he said “you guys don't have to leave”, you could tell that he wanted us to stay, but we had to make curfew at 9:30 pm. We felt like we had accomplished our purpose and that we had helped him. He committed to read three chapters of the Book of Mormon about the Doctrine of Christ in Alma 32-34. Before we had the lesson, he said a prayer that his heart would be open and that he would be willing to accept the commitments we gave him to improve his relationship with God. Heavenly Father answered our prayers and we have had some good progress with him.

Elder Jacob Perry, Canada Toronto Mission
at the Brampton, Ontario Temple

We have been talking with everyone we see but still haven't found any new investigators yet. We will keep it up though and hopefully we’ll find who needs us soon.

We helped a lady take out some garbage because her thirty-year-old son didn't clean his room and it was bad. There were over 100 coffee cups that had not been taken out. While we helped her clean, her son just sat in another room. I know that my Momma would have got on me, if my room ever got near that point. (❤ You Mom!) We helped her and she was very appreciative.   

Zone Conference
London and Kitchener, Ontario Zones
Elder Jacob Perry, Back Row(Again)

This was General Conference weekend.  It was good and I thought the talks were geared for missionaries than members, but the principles they taught are exactly found in Preach My Gospel and Elder Ballard even said the Mission Motto: Begin with the end in mind!

My companion Elder Hanks and I were eating with President and Sister Shields. In our discussion, we volunteered to help President Shields in doing an analysis about a town named Walkerton, Ontario and if missionaries should go there or not. I thought this was fun. We volunteered to help him by finding the closest set of missionaries.  Also, we were able to recommend if it would be effective to have missionaries assigned full time there or have another companionship cover it.

"What do you mean we can't go to the temple all day ??
Don't make me turn on my Angry Eyes..."
 Elder Perry & Elder Hapuku having some fun at Zone Conference

Being a Missionary is either Feast or Famine, slow or busy. It doesn’t seem like there is a balance… but we’re glad to be busier this week compared to last week.

I Love You and Pray for You Every Day & Night!

Elder Perry

Waterloo Ward

Kitchener, Ontario

Canada Toronto Mission