Montréal Est Week 2

Exchange with Elder Alejo​    

This week has been pretty crazy! We've had lots of appointments and business to attend to. I've said it before and I'll say it again, keeping busy is the best! So I'm happy!

Last Tuesday, after P-day, we met with Canje again. And he fed us one of the best meals I have ever had on the mission. It's called "Mais Moulure" in French, "Mayi Moulen" in Haitian Creole. It was so good, but also one of the fattening things I've ever eaten. They had a mix of a bunch of cooked marinated meats, and you use the grease from that to pour over the Mais Moulure to add extra meat flavor. It was so good, and he will be making us more food tonight!

Mayi Moulen ak Vyann (Creole)

Mais Moulure avec de la Viande (French)

We also had the opportunity to visit lots of district meetings this week. On Wednesday, we visited the Repentigny (an area east of Montréal) district, which was super fun. It was awesome to see Elder Cortez, Elder Alejo, and Sister Stanley, who all were in the MTC with me! The next day we went to to Laval (an island just north of the island of Montréal) as well. In Laval there is a restaurant called Le Poutine Bar that reputedly has (among missionaries) the best Poutine in Quebec. I was not disappointed. It was the best poutine I've had! Then the next day we had our own district meeting in Montréal Est. It was very busy, but super fun!

Also on Friday we had exchanges with Elder Cortez and Elder Alejo. Elder Alejo came with me to Montréal Est, and we had an awesome time! It was cool to catch up with him after not seeing him for so long! He has been in Ottowa for a few months now. He's doing great! We had an awesome miracle that day as well. We had an appointment with an investigator, but when we got there, he was not there. So we left and as we were about to go downstairs, someone coming up stopped us and asked if we were the Mormons. We said yes and asked how he knew, and he said that he had had visits from the missionaries a long time ago, and still had a Book of Mormon and everything! He said he was still interested in learning more, so we got to teach him right then in his apartment. It was so cool to see the Lord guide us to meet him! Sometimes when we miss out something we plan or count on, whether it be an opportunity like a job or in our case an appointment, at first we may feel unfortunate, sad, or even angry. But, sometimes, the Lord guides our lives to bring us something better! All we need is to have faith and ask the Lord to guide us to where we need to go! It was great to be able to share that miracle with Elder Alejo.

Le Poutine Bar

The work is going great, and I'm loving my life here in Montréal. I realized, as we were leaving the island to go to district meetings, that I had stepped foot off the island for the first time in over 8 months! Then I realized how much the time has passed by and, even though I have a lot of time left, it made me a little stressed out! I already don't want to go home! Being out here in the mission field and being able to serve others is the best place I could possibly imagine. As you lose yourself in the service of others, you really do find a lot of joy and happiness in your life. "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for [Christ's] sake shall find it." Matthew 10:39.

I love you all so much, and I hope you have a great week!

Elder James