Wow. Looking at the emails I received from some of you this week. I have the prettiest little Sister in the entire world. :) I love you N. I am so excited for you!
This week was really adventurous. I was so sick this week. I had this really terrible cold that had me coughing all day. One day was so bad that Sister Wilson made me go home and sleep for an hour. I was so grateful! That same day when we got home to plan I told her before going to bed that it was the hardest day I had ever had on my mission, physically that is. I was so exhausted all day and the coughing and caused me to have s many pains that it was really hard to talk with people on the bus. But, I did anyways and if it comes up on the new that Toronto had broken out into sudden sickness it is because sometimes you just can't help but sneeze or cough on someone! haha
Family History is where it is at! This week Sister Wilson and I got to help a young womens group learn how to do family history. About two weeks ago we had to use the church family history centre for an instruction we would be giving. As we went in there we started to talk a little about the volunteers family trees. After talking for a little about it I asked them if I could sing them the Family History song I once learned in Primary. After singing I told them about how much I love Family History work and how much my family loves it as well. I told them about our family history room, "Earl", and all of the wonderful genealogists my family has. They were ecstatic! They asked if we would come back and help them out. While we were there we were able to help this really cute 13 year old girl. She and her mom and had done so much work to be able to enter in the family information easily. After they had imputed a few names we told them about adding stories or memories to an ancestors name. They were so excited to put in stories about their grandparents. "I have records of my loved ones on my own family tree!"
One of our part member families we are working with brought up the desire to do family history work. When we went for dinner this last week we brought them a My Family book and challenged them to get started on it. A, the investigator, told us that she wants to come to the family history centre to start finding her family. A hasn't been progressing very fast. But Sister Wilson and I are excited to help A and S start to progress as they feel the spirit. They aren't currently married, they have been living common law for about 11 years now. They don't see the need for a "paper" that says they are married. We are excited to teach them more about temple work and how they can be sealed together and with all of their recently found family. "I am yours and you are mine now, for all eternity."
M: Here it goes. This week we taught M about the Word of Wisdom. The lesson was not the greatest lesson ( I studied Chapter 10 in PMG the entire week after that lesson haha), but she committed to start to cut back on her coffee. As we were getting ready to leave she asked a question about the Law of Chastity. We left her a pamphlet and scriptures to read so we could talk about it the next time we visited. Just two days ago we got a text from M telling us that she didn't want to continue to study with the Mormon religion. She told us that she wasn't ready to "conform" to the rules. :( MY HEART BROKE! 💔 We tried to talk to her about meeting with us one final time so we could clear about questions and concerns that she had, but she has never replied. As I stated previously I was really heart broken about the decision that she made to discontinue our meetings. But I learned so many important things from this experience.
"Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment to find, teach, baptize, and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost." (Preach my Gospel, Chapter One, Successful Missionary.) Sister Wilson and I pray every single day that we will be able to find future converts. The title of a convert is important. What does in mean to be truly converted? It means that we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, faithfully and fully. In the Canada Toronto Mission we baptize converts. :) Although M was not baptized at this time that does not mean that we are not successful missionaries. It means that we learned, she learned, and all of us can and will become better because of the experiences we had.
She is an incredible mother. She loves her children and has taught them so much. It seems to be a silly thing to say I learned from her but I honestly respect her as a mother and I hope that I will someday be able to show that much love to the children I have!
I have a faith filled companion who does not shut down or turn away when things get hard. Sister Wilson is such an amazing example of a diligent missionary. She studies so hard for the people that we teach and she always knows what we need to share with our investigators to help them. While teaching M I was always able to feel the power that comes from having Charity. Sister Wilson is a Christ-Like missionary. Christ-Like, isn't that a great word? She is like a savior Jesus Christ. I love her and I am so grateful to be her companion.
Something really cool happened this week. Sister Wilson and I were walking to the church and we saw this man sitting outside the church. When I first got to Toronto we saw the same man sitting outside the church. The first day here in Toronto Sister Jensen and another missionary went over and talked to him. They found out that his name was S and they shared a card with him. Four months later Sister Wilson and I go over and address him by name and start talking with him. He tells us about his family and occupation. He asks about Jesus Christ and God and we answer his simple but oh so profound questions. He told us that he just doesn't know if Jesus Christ was the son of God. At this exact moment in the conversation the spirit whispered to me instructions that were specific and so plain that I could not misunderstand. I obeyed, and said, "S. Look at me straight in the eyes. (he did) S, I know that Jesus Christ is my savior and your savior. God is our father. He knows each of us personally. We want to teach you how following Jesus Christ will give you a new life. Can we teach you about your Savior?" At that moment I felt the spirit re-testify to me that Jesus Christ is the son of God. S agreed to meet with us to learn more. I want you all to know the exact same thing. I know Jesus Christ is your savior and mine.
This Wednesday I have been in Canada for an entire year?! Last night at a dinner appointment I was telling a member about how I felt when I got here. I remember the pilot announce that we had just crossed from the United States of America to Canada. I looked out the window and realized that my prayers to ask if I should serve a mission were slim to almost non-existent. I had never really received an answer that I should serve, I just chose to come. At that moment I was so nervous. I didn't know what to expect for my next 18 months as missionary and I didn't know what to think about the new country I had just entered into. I then realized that I had already made my decision and that I was where I should be. Now more than ever I know that I am supposed to be serving a mission in Canada. I love the Canadian people who have won my heart, I love them so much. :) I am grateful to be serving in Toronto!
I love you all so much! Have a great week
--Sister Chelson
This week was really adventurous. I was so sick this week. I had this really terrible cold that had me coughing all day. One day was so bad that Sister Wilson made me go home and sleep for an hour. I was so grateful! That same day when we got home to plan I told her before going to bed that it was the hardest day I had ever had on my mission, physically that is. I was so exhausted all day and the coughing and caused me to have s many pains that it was really hard to talk with people on the bus. But, I did anyways and if it comes up on the new that Toronto had broken out into sudden sickness it is because sometimes you just can't help but sneeze or cough on someone! haha
Family History is where it is at! This week Sister Wilson and I got to help a young womens group learn how to do family history. About two weeks ago we had to use the church family history centre for an instruction we would be giving. As we went in there we started to talk a little about the volunteers family trees. After talking for a little about it I asked them if I could sing them the Family History song I once learned in Primary. After singing I told them about how much I love Family History work and how much my family loves it as well. I told them about our family history room, "Earl", and all of the wonderful genealogists my family has. They were ecstatic! They asked if we would come back and help them out. While we were there we were able to help this really cute 13 year old girl. She and her mom and had done so much work to be able to enter in the family information easily. After they had imputed a few names we told them about adding stories or memories to an ancestors name. They were so excited to put in stories about their grandparents. "I have records of my loved ones on my own family tree!"
One of our part member families we are working with brought up the desire to do family history work. When we went for dinner this last week we brought them a My Family book and challenged them to get started on it. A, the investigator, told us that she wants to come to the family history centre to start finding her family. A hasn't been progressing very fast. But Sister Wilson and I are excited to help A and S start to progress as they feel the spirit. They aren't currently married, they have been living common law for about 11 years now. They don't see the need for a "paper" that says they are married. We are excited to teach them more about temple work and how they can be sealed together and with all of their recently found family. "I am yours and you are mine now, for all eternity."
M: Here it goes. This week we taught M about the Word of Wisdom. The lesson was not the greatest lesson ( I studied Chapter 10 in PMG the entire week after that lesson haha), but she committed to start to cut back on her coffee. As we were getting ready to leave she asked a question about the Law of Chastity. We left her a pamphlet and scriptures to read so we could talk about it the next time we visited. Just two days ago we got a text from M telling us that she didn't want to continue to study with the Mormon religion. She told us that she wasn't ready to "conform" to the rules. :( MY HEART BROKE! 💔 We tried to talk to her about meeting with us one final time so we could clear about questions and concerns that she had, but she has never replied. As I stated previously I was really heart broken about the decision that she made to discontinue our meetings. But I learned so many important things from this experience.
"Your success as a missionary is measured primarily by your commitment to find, teach, baptize, and confirm people and to help them become faithful members of the church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost." (Preach my Gospel, Chapter One, Successful Missionary.) Sister Wilson and I pray every single day that we will be able to find future converts. The title of a convert is important. What does in mean to be truly converted? It means that we live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, faithfully and fully. In the Canada Toronto Mission we baptize converts. :) Although M was not baptized at this time that does not mean that we are not successful missionaries. It means that we learned, she learned, and all of us can and will become better because of the experiences we had.
She is an incredible mother. She loves her children and has taught them so much. It seems to be a silly thing to say I learned from her but I honestly respect her as a mother and I hope that I will someday be able to show that much love to the children I have!
I have a faith filled companion who does not shut down or turn away when things get hard. Sister Wilson is such an amazing example of a diligent missionary. She studies so hard for the people that we teach and she always knows what we need to share with our investigators to help them. While teaching M I was always able to feel the power that comes from having Charity. Sister Wilson is a Christ-Like missionary. Christ-Like, isn't that a great word? She is like a savior Jesus Christ. I love her and I am so grateful to be her companion.
Something really cool happened this week. Sister Wilson and I were walking to the church and we saw this man sitting outside the church. When I first got to Toronto we saw the same man sitting outside the church. The first day here in Toronto Sister Jensen and another missionary went over and talked to him. They found out that his name was S and they shared a card with him. Four months later Sister Wilson and I go over and address him by name and start talking with him. He tells us about his family and occupation. He asks about Jesus Christ and God and we answer his simple but oh so profound questions. He told us that he just doesn't know if Jesus Christ was the son of God. At this exact moment in the conversation the spirit whispered to me instructions that were specific and so plain that I could not misunderstand. I obeyed, and said, "S. Look at me straight in the eyes. (he did) S, I know that Jesus Christ is my savior and your savior. God is our father. He knows each of us personally. We want to teach you how following Jesus Christ will give you a new life. Can we teach you about your Savior?" At that moment I felt the spirit re-testify to me that Jesus Christ is the son of God. S agreed to meet with us to learn more. I want you all to know the exact same thing. I know Jesus Christ is your savior and mine.
This Wednesday I have been in Canada for an entire year?! Last night at a dinner appointment I was telling a member about how I felt when I got here. I remember the pilot announce that we had just crossed from the United States of America to Canada. I looked out the window and realized that my prayers to ask if I should serve a mission were slim to almost non-existent. I had never really received an answer that I should serve, I just chose to come. At that moment I was so nervous. I didn't know what to expect for my next 18 months as missionary and I didn't know what to think about the new country I had just entered into. I then realized that I had already made my decision and that I was where I should be. Now more than ever I know that I am supposed to be serving a mission in Canada. I love the Canadian people who have won my heart, I love them so much. :) I am grateful to be serving in Toronto!
I love you all so much! Have a great week
--Sister Chelson
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