June 18, 2018 Last week in Waterloo

Hey everyone!!! Hope all is going good with all ya people out west. I miss seeing the mountains so next time you look out and see them be more greatful hahahaha. So it was 34°C yesterday and felt like 42°C with the humidity...that was good haha. This man yesterday was walking with us talking and he was pretending he was famous and we were his bodyguards. It was actually pretty funny becuase he had his shirt off and it was over his face and I think some people legit thought he was famous 🤣🤣. I guess wearing a suit walking home from church in 34°C weather isn't normal...hahahaha. For real though this week was amazing!! We were able to schedule a man to get baptized next month and we found another 3 investigators through a pretty cool experience. The one that has a date for baptism next week has been here for about 6 months now going to Waterloo university. He is from Ghana and we met him on the street downtown. We were able to talk to him for a second and we kept on going. Well two days pass and I feel the phone ringing and on the other side of the line it was him! He said I want to join your church and come to church this week!!! We taught him and he said he felt a push to phone us. He said something felt good so I had to follow through with it. He came to church and loved it! The members love him, he is going to be a real great member as well as leader. He is a very smart man as he is taking physics in university and is doing extremely well. Anyway that was honestly a huge blessing to see what we are doing here is truly blessing others!! We also had a chance to have a wonderful English party and give out some certificates to people that have been coming to our English class that we teach twice a week! We had a great turn out and it was so fun!! I'll put a picture in here to show you the ones that got a certificate. So this week I was able to have a wonderful study on "charity and love". This is one of the very major Christ like attributes that we should all be striving to obtain. It's honestly pretty hard to have these thoughts all the time and virtually impossible. But it's ok because Christ expects us to strive for it not be perfect at it!! There is a wonderful scripture that talks about this. It is in John 13:34-35 it reads "34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.". This just helps us more fully understand how important charity and love is. Since this is one of the commandments God and our Savior Jesus Christ has asked us to follow there is blessings that come from it, just like any commandment. In John 15:13-14 it says something very special that applies to all commandments as you follow them. It reads "13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.". This is one of the most powerful scriptures I have ever read. Do you understand what this is saying!!! Jesus Christ our Savior... our Savior, will be our friends!!! How amazing is that. We can find a friend in our Savior as we follow his commandments. I want you to know how much that means to me. I am at times beyond lonely or feel that way and to know I have someone to turn to means something more then I can explain. What a blessing it is to be able to talk with our Father in Heaven and know our friend has been through everything we have. That is irreplaceable. One of the many ways we can follow his commandments for his friendship is through the pure love of Christ, charity. Ether 12:34 says "34 And now I know that this love which thou hast had for the children of men is charity; wherefore, except men shall have charity they cannot inherit that place which thou hast prepared in the mansions of thy Father.". It is key for us to have that friendship and to be working towards to living with Our Father and Heaven and Jesus Christ once again. The best part is as we serve we can feel the spirit, the peaceful and good feelings that the spirit brings. If I've ever heard something good that's it haha. So I invite you all to really strive to show more charity and love in your lives because the blessings that come from it are remarkable. One way I was able to show charity and love this week was volunteering at "meals on wheels", a place we volunteer at weekly and get to work in their garden. It is always a great experience and puts a smile on my face (maybe because I get to wear shorts). Na but for real it feels good and I don't like when that feeling leaves. So I know I can keep that as I continue to serve in whatever capacity that is. So um ya be more like our Savior is what I'm trying to get at. As you do you will notice a crazy difference in your life and you will change more then you think. Anyways been a good week and some good times. It's continuing to be a good adventure and experience and has helped me grow a lot. I hope everyone is out enjoying the crazy sweet weather and taking it all in as we all know it's going to snow sooner then later....just kidding it's going to be hot forever so make sure you put on your sun block. Mostly I'm saying that for my sister as she seems to get a little red ever summer haha. Well love u all and hope you doing well. Keep it real. 🤙

Note from the Mom: not too sure what the pool is about hehe...but maybe it looks very appealing/inviting to him right now so he just had to take a picture of it!!