November 30, 2015 - "when i woke up it was -10 degrees Celsius haha.. it also SNOWED yesterday like no other and it was so awesome! " "i hit 100 days on my mission this week ". "I [am] grateful for...it really came down to 3 principle things Family, Friends, Jesus Christ.

SNOOOOWWW I WAS SO HAPPY!

I walked in -4 degree weather for 2 hours haha my glasses fogged up and I could barely move my face haha

Area: Mont-St-Hilaire (near St Hyacinthe), Quebec, Canada 

Trainer: Elder Ross Rosenlof

Language: French

1. What made you laugh this week?

2. What have you been thinking about lately?

3. Tell me what it looks like when you go outside in the morning.  Smells, sights, sounds…

4. Have you heard from John or Gordan?  How are they?

5. What’s  a normal day look like for you?  What did you do this week? Any special plans for p-day?

6. What was one of your favorite things that happened this week?

7. What people have become especially dear to your heart? 

8. Do you need anything?  

Bonjour ma mere!  je suis ici!



this morning when i woke up it was -10 degrees Celsius haha.. it also SNOWED yesterday like no other and it was so awesome! well kinda it prevented us from doing what we scheduled because the roads were frozen and we tried driving and we were just slipping all over the place..

I am amazing as ever haha Again always happy always smiling! what more is there to say?? 

1- umm.. Great question probably when our crazy recent convert started describing this lady and I could understand what he was saying it was pretty funny but I was also very confused about the context of the story.. Other than this! Just life! There is laughter everywhere people act funny, talk funny! Everything is worth laughing about!

2- umm.. this week? I thought about a lot of things.... some things specifically as always is home but not in a " I want to go home" More of just like a thankful and happy kind of thought. It was thanksgiving this week after all so I thought a lot about what I was grateful for and it really came down to 3 principle things Family, Friends, Jesus Christ. There are many many others but I truly so thankful for my family and I thought about everyone a lot this week and how they are doing and what Gordon, John and Craig must be feeling like and how their missions are going etc.

3- Well specifically this morning when I walked out everything was blanketed in WHITE! whooo! and It is really cold but there is a stillness and peace and you can smell a campfire kind of smile from the chimneys! It is so so so amazing I absolutely love it that is one of my favorite things!

4- Gordon* haha Yeah I write them each week! It sounds like they are amazing haha Dealing with them same stuff I am dealing with here just a couple thousand miles away. I miss my two bros and after 2 years all the just missing and love is going to be rekindled and I think the three of us may just explode when we see each other..! ! !

5- Today? today is just a normal p-day we will go to the store buy groceries relax maybe make some sweets... chill in our nice warm apartment and read the scriptures etc. haha. But a normal day is we leave around 1 from the apartment because we have an hour of personal, and language study with 2 hours for companion study and an hour for lunch! along with getting ready, eating breakfast, and working out. After that! Then we go and visit members, less actives, we teach, we find, we walk! We eat dinner we drive to places! It is just a constant finding and teaching effort all day everyday haha. 

6- Probably when we went into a house to teach a lesson and it was nice blue skies and not too cold and then when we walked out there was like an inch of snow the skies were overcast the sun was gone haha and it was just snowing like crazy! I was SO HAPPY all I had on was my light rain jacket and it was like -3 degrees and I went out and all the snow from the roof fell on me because right as I stepped outside the wind just blew it all right on me! I just laughed though it is really really dry powder it would be so nice for snowboarding! 

7- who hasn't haha? I thought about this a lot my senior year and i mean really it is my family, and all my close friends, john gordon, alenka, josh, craig, david etc. All the people  that I have grown to love so much! Out here? Denis and My companion elder Vanaquer Elder Baldabinos etc. Everyone! I LOVE EVERYONE haha! 

8-  it would be extremely useful would be like quick meals to make that are simple! like a bunch of just quick recipes. You could ask natalie and devin what they cooked and write them down and send them to me that would be amazingly useful! Other than that I believe I am good for now! I Would like Madams email though and also mr. hawthornes is you can get it to me I would like to email them!

Well other than that. i hit 100 days on my mission this week which blows my mind.. that means I am 1/7th done how is that possible! it snowed!  Well love you so much! have a good week!

-Elder Masse'

November 23, 2015 - est-ce que vous etes la?, "when i woke up this morning it was -6 degrees...yes! " " If you want to change the world, you can't be of the world."

Area: Mont-St-Hilaire (near St Hyacinthe), Quebec, Canada 

Trainer: Elder Ross Rosenlof

Language: French


est-ce que vous etes la?

the weather has been going up and down when i woke up this morning it was -6 degrees # yes! 

Je t'aime - it means literally i you love

1. How was your week?  Tell me everything!  

2. What's hardest about being a missionary in Quebec?  What lifts you up on hard days?

3. What made you laugh and smile?

4. What adventures did you have this week?

5. How is your French coming along?  Can others understand you?  How's your lessons going?

6.  Do you study Spanish & French, or just French right now?

7. What spiritual experiences did you have?  Do you have a favorite scripture or chapter you've been reading?  

8. What do you think was a major thing that prepared you for a mission?

0 - I am great I am slightly jealous of the new house haha moving was always hard but there was always pros and cons it was like starting fresh and that is something that I have come to love so much about my mission is that at 18-19 thats really all you want and that is really what makes the difference that opportunity to start over with all this knowledge you have and really become the person you want to be. The best way to do that is a mission because it humbles you it strengthens you and it changes you into the person you want to be.

1- My week was great haha it was interesting we got dropped by 4 investigators this week buuuut they said we could contact them in December so I am hoping that will work out. umm other than that i mean everyday is basically the same haha there are variations and miracles everywhere but the same general structure! Umm temple dedication yeterday which was amazing there was 5 general authorities including president Eyring and president causee who spoke in the MTC while i was there!

2- umm the hardest thing? well the language barrier is pretty hard but once you overcome that... your success is in the people ...there are always people being prepared and miracles everyday! Umm what lifts me up? I dont know in order for me to be lifted up I have to be thrown down first which is pretty hard I am pretty diligent and optimistic buuuut. All I really have to do is smile and in order to smile I just think of my who I am my family, my friends my memories and I remember why I am here and that I am giving that same happiness to other people so I need to keep going.

3- umm.. Our recent convert Denis always makes me smile.  He always brightens our days etc. umm i think one thing that made me laugh? There is a million things one specifically? Probably when someones told us the story about how they passed a kidney stone.. ( we were just as confused as you are) But it was really funny when it happened. ALSO I found this thing i will show it to you in a picture.

4- umm it was a pretty strightforward week I mean dont really have time for a lot of adventures.. Cause I mean I am working 24/7 to be a missionary so dont know If i have much to say about this one..

5- French isn't that bad I can speak that isnt the hardest part the hardest part at this point is understanding what other people are saying haha there are some pretty bad accents here... BUT i got asked if I was from france twice this week! BOOM thats whats up thank you madame!

6- No I am just studying in french because I can't do both.. I have to learn one then the other I tried in the MTC to do both and it doesn't work it just jumbles and you dont learn anything in the end..

7- What spiritual experiences dont I have? umm this week? Just being guided to find people there was a man walking by and at first he walked by and we didnt say anything and wow ( never let anyone get by you as a missionary ) So i turned around and I asked him if he knew who we were and he ended up knowing us and he had been baptized but he wasn't on the records.. needless to say we found a lost sheep!! I read scriptures all the time haha.. Ether 12;27 my mission scripture we share all sorts of things.

8- I still think the biggest things came from the family Everything that I am is because of our family and that just goes into Being a great missionary. I am who I am because of my family and friends. This is the single greatest tool that has prepared me.

Other things i forgot to mention so we had zone conference this week with surprise flu shots haha.. President didnt tell anyone until they were there so there was really no escape haha so we got those and that was just funny and yeah other than that zone conference was good and life as a missionary is just fantastic! okay well  I love you all and I hope you have a good week. Stay strong and remember " If you want to change the world, you can't be of the world." - Elder Masse'

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- from Elder Vanaquer, Elder Masse's companion from the MTC (from France):

"Hey Sister Masse ... Ive just received you letter ... thank you so much, this is so nice!!

I miss your sone elder Masse haha Im serving in ottawa in spanish, its kind of hard because of the language but I keep courage! We have jsut 10 members spanish, its a groupe! So, its interinsting ahha sorry for my english sister, but I really want to thanks you for your letter, really, thanks you.

Avec amour"

Nov 16, 2015 - "Today is my 90th day as a missionary" "You get to decide who you want to be and when you finally decide that it changes you for the rest of your life. I am living the life that I want to be living now." Week 7 in Montreal! "bonjour ma mere ca va? je suis ici"

Area: Mont-St-Hilaire (near St Hyacinthe), Quebec, Canada 

Trainer: Elder Ross Rosenlof

Language: French

bonjour ma mere ca va? je suis ici   je pense que tu peux mettre les deux ensemble et faire "bonjour"

1- Haha.. those are 2 completely different people now. To be honest I dont know if I was truly ready to leave home at that time. Everyone talks so much about how much they want to leave and how they are ready to move on and I said this too but I dont think i was really ready. The boy that showed up the MTC was missing home, and he didnt know heavenly fathers plan for him. Its hard to describe what the difference is. It felt like just yesterday but, it has been an eternity. I have grown up in this short time. today is my 90th day as a missionary. in 90 days I have changed physically, spiritually, mentally, emotionally. These changes have only come as I have been put in these difficult circumstances and been forces to decide who I wanted to be. This is the best part of being a missionary. You get to decide who you want to be and when you finally decide that it changes you for the rest of your life. I am living the life that I want to be living now. when I entered the Mtc I was probably more ready than most. I was ready to learn the language I was so so so motivated and I still am. But i think i was relying more on myself than anyone else. Now i have learned to put it into the hands of the lord and just go where he wants me to go. My life has changed because of my mission.

2- Yes i feel successful. Success is a personal measurement that cannot be based upon the merits and achievements of others. Otherwise you will never feel successful and you will always ask yourself why you aren't better. I did everything I possible could this week. I worked with my heart might mind and strength i was exhausted! And it was so wonderful so wonderful to finally kneel at my bedside and say " i did it I got through the day, heavenly father please give me a good nights rest so that I can do it all over again tomorrow." then i do. Everyday. This week i found people that havent been contacted in 3+ years who have just been lost and now they are found because we made that extra effort. It was a great week.

3- Haha thats a funny question because in district meeting the question was asked " what makes you happy?" and when it got to me they said " What doesnt make you happy??" because I am always cheerful here! Always smiling.. but specifically? Umm I always smile well.. I always smile i can't think of something specifically right!

4- My district is comprised of 8 missionaries 2 sisters and elders and it is actually super big comparatively. It is almost half our zone.. and I LOVE THEM ALL! the sisters are the best and I love all the other missionaries half our district is being trained and we all just love each other and we laugh and we talk about what we can do to support each other and our district is really a family! I adore them! Umm well define how close? because no one will ever be as close as John, Gordon and I but i mean we are pretty tight and we laugh and just make jokes etc. We only see them once a week so.. Yeah but I love them to death!

5- Umm that is a good question.. You may have to ask  them haha! But i believe they see this dedicated missionary who really knows his purpose and is always willing to work hard. They notice how cheerful and optimistic I am and they can see that I really have a love for this people and many ideas on what we can do to help raise them up.

6- I realized this week that there is an underlining principle so to say that governs everything. It goes as follows : If you want a certain result you have to put in the right ingredients for that result. An apple seed that has been planted, watered, fertilized, and raised correctly will not grow into an orange tree. The correct ingredients mixed together create the wanted result of an apple tree. This same principle is applicable to everything. If you want more happiness in your life all you have to do is put the " ingredients" for happiness into your life and you will be happy. You can apply this to missionary work and literally everything spiritual and physical. While at the same time you can look at yourself and see this same result. You are the result of ingredients. You are the result of several experiences in the past that have put you where you are now. The most defining and biggest ingredient for me is my family. because of them I am who i am. My merits, my achievements, where I am is a result of you, of dad, devin natalie camdeyn and aiden. Nothing could have prepared me more than seeing the hard work, dedication, love, optimism etc. that was provided for our family. Everything I am is because of how my family influenced me and I will always be thankful for that. 

7- umm.. Thats a great question..Characteristic of a missionary in quebec? well he has to be prepared for the cold! Something funny in general is all the little quirky things that the people say here! and when people try and speak english. it doesnt always go well haha like someone said " whatever turns you on " .. I dont think he understood what he was saying.. But they always through in the canadian " Eh" but in french its " Lo ' for instance bien- lo or other stuff.. it makes it hard to understand and they really do say eh.. like all the time! 

8- Thats hard haha what do you want?  je sais que...... ma mere est le mieux. est le plus belle.  (Mom's note:  he gets extra brownie points for that!!!)

Well thats just about it this week i thought a lot about peace and I have come to realize that peace doesnt come from the absence of things going on. This is what I thought it to be. No peace comes differently for each person and everyone finds peace in different things and activities. But the true source of peace will always be Jesus Christ and so I truly have found peace on my mission,. Life may be hectic and hard and crazy at times but I am still at peace. Love you! have a good week!

-Elder Masse'

1.  How do you see yourself differently now than when you first got in the mission field?

2. What were your successes this week?  Do you feel successful?

3. What made you smile?

4. How is your district?  Have you made friends with other missionaries?  How close are the other missionaries to you in proximity?

5. How do others see you?

6. What is one way that being a Masse and growing up in our home, help prepare you for a mission?

7. What is something fun about being a missionary in Quebec?

8. Tell me something in French!!!  

November 9, 2015 - temple, beautiful skies, rivers, trees! My comp, peacoat, "I refuse to be a discouraged missionary", "a woman saw my name and thought i was from france and everything! She heard my accent and everything! (so THANK YOU MADAME!),

Area: Mont-St-Hilaire (near St Hyacinthe), Quebec, Canada 

Trainer: Elder Ross Rosenlof

Language: French

Bonjour ma mere comment ca va?  tu peux dire aussi Bon Journee

When/how did you see Elder Vanaquer?  How was the temple? When did you see President last?

Je suis ici ma mere! and I saw him at this meeting that we have 4 weeks after the new people arrive! There is a trainer and trainees meeting! The temple is amazing! it really fits the quebecois status there are maple leaves everywhere and it is just as beautiful as ever! Its the smallest temple I have been in thought! umm..  So each week we get an email called the trumpet and it varies its always amazing though! and i saw president.

I think haha time is just separating from me!

1- I did not get transfered! Woo haha I get another 6 weeks here in Mont St. Hilaire! elder Rosenlof is also still here with me. I have a feeling he will be transferred soon though because after this transfer he will have been in this area for 9 months.. yeah we got calls saturday night who was being transferred and the zone leaders just called us and they told us that our district leader was being transferred and that one of the AP's was actually coming in to replace him ... and yeah all I know is that it will happen on Wednesday...

2- I am absolutely great! as always I am always smiling always happy! I thought a lot about the family this week. i was praying for you and just everyone! But yeah there are hard weeks but I mean this is the life of a missionary of course its going to be hard! Thats the best part! It makes you better! You just cant dwell on those hard parts or you will never progress just put faith in the lord and take those next steps! 

3- Our area is huge.. So we went to sorel and St hyacinthe and we went to the temple which is in longeuil and st amable and st basile and st julie.. etc. There is a long list! beloeil mont st hilaire. Sorel is the farthest away place so we can only go there one every 2 or 3 weeks because it takes up like an eight of our miles.. its like 200 click days when we go there which is 3 times more than we should use in one day. So yeah we are all over the place it is sometimes hard actually because we cant visit everyone. 

4- haha umm.. what didnt? We had the funniest district meeting this week actually we just our district is awesome and everyone is really funny and we just were making jokes and analogies and  Ithink back and it really didnt make any sense but everyone needed to laugh and it was so fun! But also one of the most tender things happened this week because we have the 2 best sisters ever in our district and sister tuiara from taihiti i believe is so kind1 and she was also called in spanish but is speaking french and she is so kind and they make us these super cool planners and they put the portland temple on it and I was just filled with so much joy! distance really does make the heart grow fonder. I have never realized how much i love oregon and everything else that is gone but how sweet will be that day when i get to see it all again. 

5- Haha no its not nearly as big as ours.. The Newberg ward is HUGE haha we have abuot 60-80 people that come each week it is not bad! there are a lot of less active people though and we work alot with them but the ward is super loving and there are some great families! one family the palletiers i think is how you spell it sister pallieter loves me and she is just like a sister miller! ( but nothing could replace sister miller;)  ) But she is so kind and sweet!

6- What dont I love about my brothers? Devin i mean its devin cmon.. He is my bro! I love his wisdom and our chale attitude! It will be a legendary experience when we come back and are reunited. Camdeyn! My man - camdeyn has so much potential and he could change the world if he wanted to. I miss his jokes and his hugs and playing the xbox with him. He is so smart and i know that he will move mountains in his life. Aiden... Sweet aiden. It was hard to say goodbye to all of you especially camdeyn and aiden. I really miss aidens sweet hugs as well. his little devious mind. He is so smart and he has so much love. I miss his voice and rocking out with him and playing minecraft. I will always cherish those days. 

7- Discouragement is a funny thing as a missionary It can be the greatest tool of the adversary so simply. I dont let myself get discouraged. I refuse. I just dont let it happen I get into gear and i keep going. I refuse to be a discouraged missionary. I have a lot of motivation to be successful and Heavenly Father has called me here for a reason so i will do all that i can to fulfill that calling. 

8- YES! Again! I just picked it up this morning ! I normally wouldn't have gotten it for probably 2 weeks but! a sister from the office was coming to visit a friend where we live and she dropped it off!!! how kind is that! so it had everything i asked for it was perfect! Though i must have to say i think i have all the french materials i need now though.. But i don't think i really need anything i will probably buy a hat today but other than that.. I am truly perfect... umm.. yeah if i think of something i will ask you. Music actually would be nice. some of the sheet music that john and i sang but i think that is at the house and no longer accessible and you can just send that to me over email. Other than that! I am perfect I mean i can just buy stuff like deodorant and stuff so thats not a big deal! I will think of things i can only get in the United stats and i will send you a list! 

9- so we live right next to a big river and so we were trying to get to the other side and it was just faster to take the ferry i believe that was in Sorel though. it cost like 2 dollars but it was awesome! I truly do miss the water though haha.. but thats the life!

10- Okay let me tell you just a little about my comp! One he is super smart i really do appreciate him so much! He speaks  french very well and he really just has such control over what he says and how he directs lessons and I truly appreciate this about him it is a characteristic that I want to learn from him. I truly do love him and i am glad i get to spend another 6 weeks with him!

Other cool thing! one of the younger men in our ward came up to me and gave me this suuuuuuper nice jacket.. Just like that its like a peecoat but longer and less pockets and its super classy and wow.. I am excited! i dont know why either it was so kind he said i could have it if i wanted it!

 Umm other than that i got to give someone a blessing and i went to the temple like 3 times this week and yeah it was a great week! As always haha we are finding new people and yeah.. Something hard actually was we have a progressing investigator and we were teaching the word of wisdom and well.. he said that coffee was a part of life lol. so that will be a tough nut to crack lol. but its all part of the fun!  love you have a good week! ( this is just cool i thought of this a women saw my name and thought i was from France and everything! She heard my accent and everything! That was so cool! I dont speak very much but i am told i have a pretty good accent so THANK YOU MADAME! ) 

love you 
-Elder Masse'

1.       Transfers Week??  Are you getting transferred?  Do you find out on Saturday who is being transferred?  How do transfers work in your mission?
2.       How are you??
3.       Where did you go this week?
4.       What made you laugh and smile?
5.       How are things in your ward? How big is your ward?  (is it the same as ours?)
6.       What do you love about your brothers?
7.       What do you think about when you get discouraged?
8.       Did you get any of your packages?  Do you need anything?
9.       Where was the ferry you rode on that you sent the pics of?
10.   What do you like about your comp?

November 2, 2015 - Halloween, Temple Opens!, Rode on a Ferry!, "I have never truly realized the importance of member missionaries and the importance of being involved in everything but it is a network for success"

​Area: Mont-St-Hilaire (near St Hyacinthe), Quebec, Canada 

Trainer: Elder Ross Rosenlof

Language: French

1 - that is an impossible question haha. there are so many things on my mind all the time. I just cant believe I am here and i have really been thinking about what we can do to do better. There are so many little adjustments that we can make as missionaries that can help us move mountains. The work can be slow here sometimes and the people can be harsh but if missionaries would really just put there full heart into this work and if the members would also be missionaries I know that there would be so many mighty miracles out here. I have never truly realized the importance of member missionaries and the importance of being involved in everything but it is a network for success. So i have just been thinking about what we can do to really motivate everyone else to get the vision for what the work can be like here. There is so much to do here. 

2- I got.. a package i believe I am losing track of days haha I got all the stuff you sent in french like all the scripture mastery stuff and scriptures! that was great! It was such a nice surprise! If you want to send me more stuff I will always be in need of protien bars and.. I dont know you could send me a LITTLE bit of candy every once in a while haha i will ask if i need something! Other than that I havent gotten any letters but i love you so much mother! You are trule the best missionary mother in the world I brag about you all the time!

3- umm.. this week? talking spanish with people who didnt expect me to speak spanish! watching Jean charron try to flirt with pierrette haha.. Umm.. Seeing ELDER VANAQUER AGAIN! !!!!! missed him and love him! he is in ottowa speaking spanish! We had a halloween party this week so watching all the little kids etc. We have some great families in our ward! 

4- umm.. I don't know if i saw anything unusual this week.. we found some Islamic people and they invited us in and it was a really good learning experience! There was some interesting events.. At the very end a lady walked down the stairs and asked " have you told them what the book of mormon sais about black people? oh you haven't? well you should really read that part its not nice." yeah.. that was interesting haha she was not very kind about it either but all is well! We just shrugged it off and we didn't have the chance to respond.. sadly.. but C'est la vie! Other than that not really.. 

5- Umm I love the cold here and really just nature. It is absolutely beautiful here and everything is in french and its so cool walking out every morning in the cold being able to see your breath and there is this big field by our house so looking at it and seeing it covered with frost its so beautiful! the sunsets and the sunrises are always spectacular. 

6- umm.. because it was the end of the month we had almost no " clicks " ( miles) left and so we walked almost everywhere we stayed pretty local so.. we just stayed in mnt st hilaire! BUT the temple opened up this week and we got to go to a special missionary showing with our investigators and that was so cool! it was so beautiful! 

7- umm,. i definitely have a better grasp on the language but i mean i still cant believe i am here it just feels like a dream and french is just starting to become normal its so weird. people will speak and i will just understand what they are saying and respond and its so abnormal.. but its normal now!

8- umm i have 2 pairs of shoes and i just rotate them! so i wear them pretty equally but! No not always if its super rainy than we do but it just depends we usually ask them and just follow what they are doing. So its a 50 50 type thing.

9- I am honestly always happy i am always smiling and I am so happy to be where I am! I don't think i have ever smiled so much in my life.. 

OTHER THINGS! 

we went on a lesson with a return missionary and he really understand what we go through.. so after we taught the lesson he took us to the story and bought us STEAK! yeah so we had an amazing meal the next day i have a picture!

we got to cross a on a ferry! the sky and the trees are so beautiful here!

Yeah we had a halloween party! umm we were instructed to be extra safe.. so we just moved our studied to the night time and tried to stay indoors for the most part. I dont think they celebrate it here as much as the U.S Other than that yeah its the same. And we do our laundry in our apartment! we have a washer and dryer!  this week really wasn't super exciting just a lot of finding activities! 
Love, Elder Masse'

1.      What have you been thinking about lately?

2.      Did you get any packages/letters?

3.      What made you laugh?

4.      What did you see that was unusual or did you try something new?

5.      Tell me something you love about Canada

6.      What’s a place you went this week?

7.      How do you feel different now than when you first arrived in Montreal?

8.      Do you take your shoes off when you go into people’s homes?  What shoes do you wear most often?

9.      Are you happy?