Transfers

Hey everyone!

It is transfers this week, sorry to make ya freak out about not getting emails. It's hard for me to realize that it's hard for you guys to remember that at least every six weeks I email on Wednesday. So I'm sorry. 

This week has been a lot of fun though! Transfers is like Christmas every six weeks, its super exciting. I am staying here in Dieppe again, with Elder Smith. Elder Sawa-Sawa is going to Halifax to be the new AP, and Elder Carlson is replacing him as Elder Day's companion! I'm very excited to be working around him again! I'll have a lot of the same people I started my mission with around me. 

Elder Smith has just under a year, he hit his year mark this transfer. He's only one transfer ahead of me, we were both being trained in Edmundston together, if you remember that long ago. Elder Sawa-Sawa had three months left, Elder Day has four I think. This is Elder Carlson's last transfer, so just a month and a half for him!

Yea, I've been to Tim Horton's many times, lol. It's the bane of most of the missionary work here. SOOOO many people are addicted to coffee here. I've heard some Canadians say that Tim Horton's does add additional addictive substances to their coffee so people keep coming back, but I don't know the veracity of that. But I do know that pretty much everyone in the Maritimes at least goes there. People get up early to go get in massive lines / drive-throughs for their morning coffee before work. They do have some good hot chocolate. Still think Starbucks is better though.

I did hear that France won, and I was pretty excited. But as for the French Canadians, they don't relate whatsoever to the French. For the most part, they hate them. Just can't stand them. The Acadien people are very protective of their own identity. I've seen more Acadien flags than Canadian. They love their Acadien heritage, and hate pretty much all the others. They don't like France, they don't like Quebec, it's pretty interesting. They also heavily associate their religion with their Acadien identity, for the most part they're French Catholic, and to change would be seen as rejecting their heritage. It makes a very interesting mix of reactions to people, because they're also some of the nicest people. 

No new investigators this week, but we've met quite a few really cool people. We're going to be meeting this dude we met in a car who was going on a date. We didn't have a lot of time to talk to them, but invited them to check out the website. He was curious, and he did. Then he texted us, and told us he was curious, and he's had more questions than he thought he would, so we're going to be meeting this week. We also met a Spanish family living in Shediac, who want a Book of Mormon, we're going to see how that goes. They seem super cool, they don't speak any English or French, but with the help of Google, and some Spanish speaking members, we're probably going to teach them this Sunday. 

Concerning meekness. I have found it is one of the most valuable attributes in leadership. Doctrine and Covenants 121:41 is accurate in stating that "no power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned." There have been many times when I could have felt insulted. One was quite recent. One of my leaders wanted to help me do a better job in part of my work. My inital reaction was like I was being insulted. I felt I did a pretty good job at it, but as I thought about it, he had more experience than me, and that his insights would be valuable. I had to humble myself a bit, and because of it I soon saw that I wasn't doing the best that I could, and that his suggestions did indeed improve the quality of my work. That only names one example, but there have been many times it was needed.

In developing it, meekness comes by study and faith. I recommend that you study talks about it, Elder Bednar's General Conference address, he has several about it from BYU speeches, one that stands out is "Walk in the Meekness of my Spirit." But in addition to studying it, we have to practice it with our actions, exercice our faith.  I think one way I've recognized how do greater develop it is to recognize when I am feeling insulted, or like I'm not being fully appreciated, because when I'm feeling that, I'm not being meek. I can then make a conscious choice to change my reaction to one that the Savior would have. Another way I've seen to practice it is noticing how quickly I'm responding to what people ask of me. If someone asks me to clean some of my dishes, and I jump to it, that's being meek. I'm trying to serve, and I'm putting someone else's concerns above my own. 

Ultimately, meekness will lead us to becoming the kind of people who inherit Eternal Life. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not simply about being saved, or having our sins forgiven, but by becoming the people who are capable of living in God's presence. If I had more time in this email, I'd like to talk about a parable the Savior gave about a master of the house, and how he prepared a feast. It talks a little about people who rejected him, which is an important part, but too long to get into now. I encourage you to go back and study it on your own. But this parable finishes by talking about those who DO attend this feast, and there was one there who was found to not be dressed in the feast garment, he probably snuck into the party through a window or something. Anyway, he was thrown out. I relate the story because it's not just about "getting into heaven," but rather being the people who will feel comfortable there, who are prepared and possess the qualities necessary to dwell with our Father, like he is. Meekness enables us to learn, and then to follow. 

Love you all! Have so much fun in England!!!

Elder Marsh