Family,
This is uncle Elder Holm checkin' in to say congrats on the BABY. Merci is alive and healthy, that's good to hear! It's interesting, she was born on Saturday, and let me tell you, I should have known that a strong and powerful GOOD was coming into this world because Elder Brown and I faced a terrible and awful BAD that day. Definitely one of the worst of my mission. I was looking for a good feeling or a little confirmation from the spirit when Merci was born, I didn't even think to consider all the opposition as a sign of a safe birth. But hey, we learn these things as we go.
We were going to have a baptism next week, but our committed, the lovely older lady we've been teaching, called us saturday to have an emergency meeting. We knew that that was not a good sign. Being rather disgruntled, I walked into our bathroom and knelt and prayed. I asked the Lord to bless me with peace if everything is alright, or is going to be alright.
We stopped to do some tracting right before our meeting with our committed. The first door we knocked on, an old man came out and truly and sincerely expressed to us just how Crazy Joseph smith was and how foolish we were for being here. Not a good sign, most contacts usually don't comment on Brother Smith like that.
We arrived to the lesson, I was still filled with beehives of anxiety and terribly disconcerted. We sat down for the lesson and the first thing she said was "I don't want to be baptized anymore. " We asked why, we had talked to her just two days ago, helping her set up a time where she could go do baptisms for the dead at the temple, for her mother. She was more than prepared. Her husband had shown her that morning some ANTI MORMON material on the internet. And...that was the end of that. It hurt really bad, and I testified with all boldness, hoping that somehow if I showed how strong my desire for her to know the truth was, that it would somehow change her choice. It almost did, the spirit was so strong she was almost moved to tears. I know she will be back for more one day, sadly I won't be there when it does happen. Oh, and by the way, apparrantly Thomas S. Monson drinks coffee...that was a new one. BLASPHEMY.
We left that lesson a little heavy hearted and commenced a 4 hour block of tracting, to be followed by another 3 hour block after dinner. Full of hate, beautifully flowing streams of curses and insults from the doors we knocked on. Just one of those days. Nobody let us in. I really should have known that Merci was being born.
Other than that, we had a great week, a fantastic one at that. Our district is going better than ever, teaching more lessons and finding more investigators proportionally than the elders of Montreal. There is some powerful momentum in our area, and opposition always precedes success.
Well, that's that, transfer calls are this Saturday. Terrebonne ward might get their own missionaries, so I might stay and open up that area (just keeping working in the half the area we have now.) Or I might move on somewhere else. OR I might stay. No idea. President Cannon is unpredictable. I like it better that way.
Well family, have a good week, say hi to Merci for me.
Peace be the journey,
Elder Holm (1)