Letter 33 - The City that never sleeps..... during World Cup.

Good morning brothers and sisters :)

How is all of you?! Sounds like you all had an AMAZING week which is so much fun to hear. HAPPY FATHER'S DAY to the fathers, future fathers, and amazing men out there. Specifically Happy Father's Day to my wonderful brothers, and more specifically Happy Father's Day to my own daddy. I love you daddy with ALL MY HEART. I am so grateful for you and will always be grateful for you. It was fun to take some time and reflect yesterday on all the wonderful experiences I have been blessed to have throughout the years with you like watching rain storms on the front porch, practicing foot work, seeing you on the sidelines cheering me on at EVERY event I was ever a part of, asking for advice, sitting in silence on longer car trips... I love you so much and am so excited for the never ending memories I am going to continue to be able to have with you :) It's crazy to think that I have brothers and a brother-in-law who are fathers/future fathers too!!! I love you all so much :)

So I guess I should start off by saying I love being in downtown Toronto during the World Cup. The event, first off, makes it really easy to find out where people are from because they wear t-shirts with their country's flag on it every single day. It's also easy to tell which team won the game because afterwards, everyone from that country who watched the game jumps into their cars and drive through the streets, honking their horns full blast, hooting and hollering with their flags hanging out of their windows as they drive. It goes on all day and all night. I love it so much :) The World Cup is a GREAT way to get talking to people - and it makes is that more fun to slyly slip in the gospel afterwards hehe.

So we had a dear sweet old Russian man come to ESL. He is probably in his 70's, he speaks very little English, and he has taken quite a fancy to Sister Bodine... After ESL, we invited him to come on a chapel tour with us. He isn't religious and didn't want anything to do with God, but continued to look around the building with us. We taught him using pictures on the walls. When we got to the chapel, we sang him a song. This cute little man went from saying "No" to a chapel tour, to "I'm coming to church". So V came to church. Haha during the sacrament I kept having to tell him "prayer" when we were praying and he would fold his arms, or "song" and he would get excited, hand me the hymnbook and say "sing music". When we passed around the Water in the Sacrament, he asked me if it was vodka haha. No V, it's not vodka. During Gospel Principles class, I sat down a little ways from him, and he looked at me and summoned me over to sit by him. I sat down and this sweet 70 year old man puts him hand on my leg. Hahaha I immediately move his hand onto his own lap and pretend like nothing happened. He told me later "Wherever you go, I go. Whatever you say, I do." He is very excited to come back to church to see Sister Bodine again. We gotta somehow get this man into the Book of Mormon haha

We have been working on an open house at our church the whole time we have been here. The Toronto and Christie wards have done an open house before recently and it went really well with a great turn out. We have handed out invitations to everyone we talk to for the past two weeks, and we were SO EXCITED for it!!!! The day and time came, and hour went by, and no one was there. We had 8 sets of missionaries out on the streets trying to get people to come in and no one would. We were praying and praying that God would allow even just one person to come and feel the spirit. And what did He do? He goes and creates miracles and He always answers prayers. We walked outside the chapel and there was a man standing at the gates. We went and got him and brought him in. His name is K. K has gone through SO MUCH in his life. In and out of jail, drugs, stealing, raised in abusive home and taught to fend for himself at a young age in all the wrong ways. He had brain cancer several years ago and that really opened his eyes to the desire of a better life. He has seriously considered going back to church - several times he found himself at the front doors of a church but couldn't get himself to walk in. His construction job randomly was cancelled for Saturday (the day of the tour) and rather than stay at home and watch TV, he decided to go out and get to know the city a little more. As he was walking he ran into some missionaries and they told him about the tour so he decided to go check it out. We found him and brought him in. The spirit was so strong during that tour. He is amazing. And he actually worked on the vents inside the Brampton temple several years ago!!! Small world! But I know that God is looking out for K and it was so much fun to be a part of it. He is preparing to be baptized because he wants to have that clean slate and a start to a new life. He will for sure get that through the Gospel of Jesus Christ!! I love this gospel.

Something I have been loving lately is hearing the conversion stories of everyone that we talk to, non-members but also members. If you ever have the time, I would love to hear all of your personal conversion stories of how you have gained your testimonies throughout your lives. If you would be willing to do that and then send it by mail, that would be so awesome :) Just in case, the mission address is:

197 County Court Blvd Ste 203

Brampton, ON L6W 4P6

Canada

That's all I have for today. I love you all and I know that God gives us nothing that we can not handle in this life. I know that everything happens for a reason, and this Plan is truly a plan of progression. Eternal Progression. That's so awesome :)

Make it a great week! Serve someone! Smile! Keep your standards! Jump in the nearest rain puddle! Pray for missionary opportunities! This is for you Sister Price!! ;) Sticky note attack someone!!! Woohoo!