January 25, 2016 - MES FILS! My hair froze! Missionary Conference, Tim Tim Slams!,

c'est beau!

This is what our bedroom window looks like!

Area: Mont-St-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada 

Companion:  Elder Thomas Smith
French Speaking

All is well! and don't freak out or worry! This was such a fun week! we had exchanges we climbed the mountain! It was unforgettable! so to start of! 

Last monday we climbed mont st hilarie again it was a blast! it was so beautiful and there was snow everywhere! It was about -12 degrees and i was in shorts and long johns but, I always get super hot so all is well! In fact I got so hot I had to start taking off layers and I had a hat on and at the top of the mountain it was significantly colder because of wind chill like it was getting into the -20's for sure! But the point being at the top I took my hat off and the sweat on my head almost instantly froze and you can see the frost on my hair in some of the pictures that I took! Even my ears froze! It was pretty fun but we couldn't stay up there too long! Other than that we just passed p-day having fun and staying busy.

wednesday was somewhat stressful but all went well! So we dont have a GPS and have you seen our area.. yeah.. I have gotten pretty good with a map but you can only be so good with a map. We had to drive to montreal to switch our car so that it could get fixed and well.. we didn't have a map of montreal! But in the end we found it! That would have been fine if we had all the time in the world BUT! we had a worldwide missionary conference right after so with a new car that was actually 2 years older and there is no USB jack... yeah we had to get back to Longeuil in time for the conference again without a map! But we did it and all was well and it was great! Lot's of driving then right after I went on exchanges and I went to an apartment with 4 people it was probably one of my favorite days as a missionary! We just worked hard all day then at the end of the day we just had a blast together playing games and doing " Tim Tam Slams" You take this chocolate and you bite of two corners and you suck hot chocolate through the middle and it melts the chocolate then you eat it! SOO GOOD! This was in Granby. Anyways that was soo fun! AND one of the Elder there is new and he is guess where! California but specifically hunington beach and he graduated from the same highschool as KIANA! just one year before her so maybe she knows him I dont know! His name is Mathew Arnold. 

Other than that there wasn't too much else that was big that happened this week! We are teaching this family of 26 Africans who are from the DRC yeah that is right! and whenever we show up they always say " MES FILS!" My boys haha it is such a fun time! Other than that life is good here it did get a little cold hitting almost -20 but all is well! I have my nice warm jacket! well all is well here in Quebec! Hope everything is great back home Anyways love you !

-Elder Masse'

January 18, 2016 - Splits, fender bender, Elder Smith is THE BEST!, amazing week of miracles!

Area: Mont-St-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada 

Companion:  Elder Thomas Smith

French Speaking


1. Tell me something you don't want to forget this week!

2. Tell me something about your comp

3. What were some spiritual experiences or miracles? or What have you been praying and fasting about?

4. Tell me something in French (oh how I love your French!!!) 

5. What made you laugh?

6. Do you ride the ferry everyday?  How far do you drive on a "normal" day?  

7. How do you know your Heavenly Father loves you?  How would you explain/teach that to someone?

8. Tell me something you have learned about yourself

9. Tell me anything!!!  

1- this week? haha.. this week was a long week it was so fun though! There was a baptism in St. Jean that was pretty unforgettable! Oh and elder cichos and I had a little uhh well not so fun thing with the car this week! So you may or may not here about this eventually so I will just tell you now because well.. you will probably here about it one way or another! SO i was driving and hit a patch of ice and well things happen and skidded against a guard rail and dented the bumper right fender and back fender BUT! all is well we are fine and I am not black listed, ( i dont think ) it was a miracle that the guard rail was there and it was pretty unforgettable because I was pretty upset myself not that I could do anything but they are really small dents because I was able to maneuver the car enough to just have it skid against the guard rail so yeah! All is well car is well! yeah Dont freak out just laugh haha. 

2- Elder Smith is THE BEST! He is a great leader and he is always so happy and funny he inspires me to do better and he makes everything just fun! we can just go knocking and have no success for like 2 hours but at the end of it all we are both smiling and laughing because we just have fun together! He is swetT and smart and he is a really fun guy to be around! I will miss him when he leaves! 

3- I think definitely this week just finding people to teach! We do not have a very big teaching pool but this week we were able to find 2 new people and we also got like 2 more return appointments with some people from Cameroon and Mozambique! this was an amazing week of miracles in finding people! There is a lady whose daughter recently passed away and we found her and she is so ready for the gospel and I got to bear a really strong testimony about eternal families and it was just sooo cool! 

4- Je sais que tu aime le francais.. il y a beaucoup de chose que je peux dire mais vraiment je t'aime beacoup ma mere et je suis tres reconaissont for toute le chose que tu fait pour moi! Passez une bonne semaine! 

5- We had splits this week with Elder CICHOS! We had such a blast we laughed so hard and just had a blast together! At the baptism we also had many good laughs I love our district sooo much! they are seriously the best and whenever we are together we have the best time! 

6- A normal day we drive about 60-80 kilometers depending on where we are going. I have actually only riden the ferry once and during the winter it is pretty hard to cross the river because the only 2 places that are in our area are in sorel and mont st hilaire to cross the river so that can make things pretty difficult with teaching appointments on different sides but all is well! we are good at planning! 

7- Because I AM HERE! everyday I see that manifest through the little things he does for me! through answers to my prayers to seeing miracles! being protected and having things just work out! Just like our earthly fathers we have a spiritual father in heaven that loves us so much! He has given us this life so that we can learn, and progress and one day return to live with him again! 

8- I learned how much I love to learn haha. How much I love to study. If i dont pick a job that requires me to learn for the rest of my life I will not be happy! Out here I have just been soaking it all in! this is my first area and already my book shelf is filled with books about French about the gospel! you name it ( all approved of course ) but It is a necessity for me to always learn! 

9- this week was a good week as I said there was a baptism and we went on splits! I just had a great week of fun! It hasn't snowed too much like maybe half a foot or snow but it has been a little colder! it is supposed to get to like -15 tonight which is good! Maybe I will finally use more of my snow gear! We are going to go hike the mountain today again and I am so excited so you will get lots of pictures of that next week! other than that It was a pretty good week and we will be going to montreal next week so I should get your package etc. 

Anyways love you so much have a good week!

-Elder Masse'

January 11, 2016 - Quesadilla, African family from Yaounde! "Just because times get rough does not mean that you have to get discouraged. Yeah everything may be collapsing and all could seem lost but if you hold on to the faith and you keep moving forward everything will be alright. You have the agency to choose so you can choose to be discouraged or you can choose to pass the time with a smile on your face and remember how you laughed in the face of the odds that were against you. Just keep smiling that's all it takes! Remember why you are here and what means most to you and nothing can get you down! "

Area: Mont-St-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada 

Companion:  Elder Thomas Smith
French Speaking

 c'est beau!

So i was doing a little bit of geneology and well I think I went back a little too far..

1. How was your week?!?!

2. What made you laugh?  What was the funniest thing that happened?

3. Did you get snow- and did you love that?

4. Who did you teach this week?

5. Spiritual experiences?

6. What's something you love about your only sister?

7. What lifts you when you get discouraged?  What advice would you give another missionary who was discouraged?

8. Send me pics and tell me anything!  

9.  Tell me something in French!!

1- This was such an amazing week this was definitely a week of miracles ! There was just so many things that happened I dont even know If i can name them all i think the biggest one though was finding this family from AFRICA! they are from yaounde so yes... Devins mission! they said that we could come over so we did and yeah.. they are a family of 26! So it was a crazy big lesson and it was the first time I had taught to a group like that! they had a lot of questions but it was serisously SOO COOL! We also got to go to a baptism in Montreal and there is  a 21 year old less active who came to church for the first time in like 2 years! This week was just fantastic! Lots of miracles! It wasn't really that cold.. it got pretty cold then hot and melted and today again it is -8 but all is well! 

2- Well we were trying to eat a quick lunch and well I was cooking a quesadilla we got a phone call from a less active member who we have been trying to get a hold of for like 3 weeks and SHE LOVES TO TALK! So while i was on the phone I forgot about my quesadilla and well.. yeah it burned but while i was on the phone I ran to save my burning quesadilla and i grabbed it and just flung it onto the table and cheese and meat just went all over the floor.. that was pretty funny! I still ate it haha! not the pieces on the floor buuut! it turned out not half bad! That was one thing in particular!  

3- It didnt snow this week except last tuesday I think and it rained and got hot so a lot of the snow is gone and there is a lot of ice now. And YES everytime it snows I get so excited! I still havent used like half of my winter stuff yet! it hasnt been cold enough but yeah I love it when it snows!

4- OH another miracle! a former investigator who dropped because he wouldn't give up coffee started meeting with us again and said that he would do it and be baptized so that was another miracle! We taught him and the big African family twice! and lots of member families and our recent converts! A Single dad with 2 small children! WE HAVE SOME GREAT INVESTIGATORS! I love them all so much! this was definitely a week to remember! 

5- Well in particular at the beginning of this week we had very few people to teach and during fast sunday I prayed and fasted that we would be able to find people to teach this week - Everyone that I said in 4 came from this week - the African family, the single father with 2 children, the former investigator. They all came from this week! 

6- What don't I love about her haha! SHE IS THE ONLY ONE! I talk about my family all the time and I say how many brothers and sisters I have and everytime no one asks about the brothers they always ask about my 1 sister so I get to talk about her almost more than anyone else. She is beautiful she is funny and honestly she saved my life in high school honestly I don't know what I would have dont in Ap lang without her.. ! Our family would not be complete without natalie! she is the cherry on top! I miss those late taco bell runs and our netflix parties! She is an incredible young women who I miss dearly! Love you sis;) <3

7- Not be discouraged haha. Just because times get rough does not mean that you have to get discouraged. Yeah everything may be collapsing and all could seem lost but if you hold on to the faith and you keep moving forward everything will be alright. You have the agency to choose so you can choose to be discouraged or you can choose to pass the time with a smile on your face and remember how you laughed in the face of the odds that were against you. Just keep smiling that's all it takes! Remember why you are here and what means most to you and nothing can get you down! 

8- okay umm.. I dont know if there is too much more to tell! I didnt realize how close I was to the US I could be in new york in like less than 2 hours! We went to montreal and we ate at a place called schwartz! we are definitely going there when you come! umm I saw elder rosenlof at the baptism!.. Other than that I dont know if there is too much else for this week but it was definitely amazing! 

9- le temps n'est pas loin jusqu'a je serai avec vous encore ma mere;) gardez la foi and continuez a traivaille avec force;) dit a pere que je l'aime. passez une bonne semaine ma mere! 

Can't think of too much else! Love you have a good week!

-Elder Masse'

January 4, 2016 - Happy New Year!!! "The greatest gift that God has ever given us is our agency. With this power we have the ability to choose for ourselves what we want from this life, the ability every day to decide who we want to be. But at the end of the day we are only human. We will make mistakes and we will fail. But there is a God in heaven that loves us so much. He has given us this life so that we may learn and grow and become greater than we have ever dreamed. If we truly aspire for greatness it will come by aligning our will with the being that has given us this chance in mortality. The greatest way that you can do this is by serving a mission. This life is a time to prepare to meet God and nothing on earth will do this better than devoting 2 years of your life in the service of the God that has given you so much. As you truly serve with all your heart, might, mind, and strength you will change. You will change into something better. A true disciple of christ. You will see the world through new eyes and you will be blessed for the rest of your life for those 2 years. Your life doesn't end at your mission but it begins. "

this is my house! my face was frozen..

this is my house! my face was frozen..

 SUCK IT EL NINO! 

 Mont st hilaire

This is my kind of sunrise

Area: Mont-St-Hilaire, Quebec, Canada 

Companion:  Elder Thomas Smith
French Speaking

1. How was your week?

2. Do you have any new years resolutions?  What are some goals you have for yourself?

3. What made you laugh or smile?

4. What would you tell someone who isn't sure if they should serve a mission or not?

5. What is a way your friends and family can most support you on your mission?

6. Any Spiritual experiences or tender mercies that stand out?

7. Tell me anything!

1- IT WAS AMAZING! I LOVE ELDER SMITH SO MUCH! he is seriously the coolest guy ever! Every second of every day is just a party with him and we work SOO HARD like inexhaustibly I totally just like passed out yesterday I slept so well but we really just go for it! This week was particularly amazing though because of SNOOOOOW there was this big storm! well not really big it was kinda small but it snowed for like 5 days and the result was about 2 feet today and it is currently -18 so winter is finally starting! I finally had to use my beefy winter boots! I haven't used my nice jacket or wool socks or really my under armour/ long johns but it is getting there! I hope it gets colder it is supposed to get to like -25 ish so WHOOO! I love the cold so much everyone thinks I am crazy yesterday it was -7 and i just had a light wool jacket and a scarf and we were knocking! It was so fun! 

2- New years resolutions that is a great question of course! really if you think about it...this is my year! This is the only full year in my entire life that i will be a young missionary in quebec  I have though for hours what i would do specifically this year that would change the rest of my life. In short it will be a year of work. I have big goals for myself with scripture reading and the different standard works in the church but there are spiritual goals physical goals and fun goals! I want to learn to juggle and solve a rubix cube, I want to read jesus the christ and all the standard works, I want to go through the " the teaching of jesus christ and his apostles" There are many many goals. Physically being super healthy. But I thought about that a lot what I would do with the 1 year that I have. 

3-  Laughed what didn't make me laugh? I love our district Elder Smith and I laugh all the time at just awkward situations or actually ! we were doing some knocking and this lady just opened the door and started yelling at us and said "see this address- yeah write it down and never come back!" and we just stood there smiling asking her if she wanted to learn more about jesus christ and she slammed the door and her son came out and totally apologized and it was all pretty funny! Everything here is just a matter of perspective if you aren't optimistic the world will get you down here.

4- The greatest gift that God has ever given us is our agency. With this power we have the ability to choose for ourselves what we want from this life, the ability every day to decide who we want to be. But at the end of the day we are only human. We will make mistakes and we will fail. But there is a God in heaven that loves us so much. He has given us this life so that we may learn and grow and become greater than we have ever dreamed. If we truly aspire for greatness it will come by aligning our will with the being that has given us this chance in mortality. The greatest way that you can do this is by serving a mission. This life is a time to prepare to meet God and nothing on earth will do this better than devoting 2 years of your life in the service of the God that has given you so much. As you truly serve with all your heart, might, mind, and strength you will change. You will change into something better. A true disciple of christ.  You will see the world through new eyes and you will be blessed for the rest of your life for those 2 years. Your life doesn't end at your mission but it begins. 

5- By being missionaries back home. I have come to realize that missionaries dont lead missionary work.. They cant. There is only 80,000 of us and there are 7 billion people in this world. It is impossible for us to do it all. We require the aid of those faithful members around. The biggest thing you can do is to be missionaries where you are right now. Starting with the simple things reading your scriptures, praying. As you strengthen your spirituality heavenly father will trust you enough to put people in your life that need your testimony. The best way that you and everyone else can help is to aid in the work of salvation. It is only when you truly help bring others unto christ that you become converted. ( conversion - true to the faith 4 points )

6- Tender Mercies.. Well every day is a spiritual experience haha I AM A MISSIONARY! But tender mercies specifically this week.. I can't think of any of the top of my head... other than just things working out. Where sometimes the day can be planned kinda "Ify" so to put it but in the end it all works out.  that actually happened yesterday! Other than that I can't think of too much else I mean besides elder Smith! he is a tender mercy!

7- I dont know if I have too much more to tell but this week was really amazing! It was just jammed packed with visiting members and helping people move and just really deciding what I would do for this upcoming year. I thought a lot about that! Other than that I dont know if there is too much else! Other than that. You could send me some juggling balls so I can learn how to juggle haha! Other than that I am perfect here! I love you so much! Have a good week! you will always be in my heart mother.Happy new years! 

-Elder Masse'