Dear Friends and Family:

Elder Hunt is doing amazing. He and I have been struggling a lot this week just to find people to teach. This is the same problem that we have had this last week as well, so we are both seriously introspecting to find out what we can do differently to always have people to go to teach. This week we felt that one of our strengths was being diligent throughout the week, and not ignoring the elephant in the middle of the room. We were constantly throughout the week looking for ways to get new investigators and we were constantly trying to contact the investigators that we had.

We came to a few conclusions on things that we can do to improve this week. For one thing, we are going to study the Holy Ghost this week, and focus on being guided and directed by the spirit as we plan and as we go out to work. We feel that this will show greater faith that we will receive guidance, and so God will bless us with the revelation that we need to continue each day. As well, we will restart seeing a recent convert/less active member every day so we can keep focused on our purpose even when we don't have too many investigators to teach.

We didn't have anybody come to church this week, but our zone leaders extended a challenge that every area in our zone baptize this week. They also promised that as we make plans and work diligently, God will make it possible for us to do it. So we are going to focus on finding someone ready to be baptized this very Sunday, and we are going to help them get to the font!

Parents: How did you like the Griot and the other food? Also, the picture you sent me didn't show up in the email. Could you send it again? Maybe you could attach it, instead of embedding it in the email itself. Thanks!

I'm excited that Britney is almost going home. It's really weird to think about, it seems like such a short time ago that I opened my mission call and she left a few days later.

I know Elder Mason. I never got to serve in the same apartment as him, but he was trained a few transfers ago by Elder Burgoyne, who I spent 4 transfers with. (In the same apartment, even if we were never companions.) I didn't know he was related to anyone in our ward!

How bad has the snow been this year?

Thanks,

Elder Slade

The Field is White

First before the weekly report, a little summary of the weather. It has snowed everyday this week until last night where it all magically melted and dried up. I am currently sitting here with only a light spring jacket on...I am kind of feeling like I am in the eye of the storm. Danger is on the horizon.

I am LOVING this area! As I mentioned before we have a lot of Haitian foods here...I mean people... And there isn`t anything better than learning how to make these delicious foods...through obviously these amazing people. Anyways I learned how to make rizcollé this week which is basically a type of fried rice and beans. Which is also known as heaven in a bowl. Literally can`t get enough of it. We`re making it again after we finish emails today.

I have seen so many miracles this week! A less active that we have begun meeting with has started to overcome challenges and attended church with her daughter yesterday! Our area used to be part of a giant ward that covered all of Eastern Montréal that would meet in a building in the South East portion of the Island, until about a year or so ago the stake decided to form a group in the North. They had realized that many members became inactive just from being so far away from the church building. So most of our work out here is rounding up the less actives. This being said we work so much with these people that we don`t generally teach investigators as much as I did in Mascouche. However this week something changed. We had a day where we were both feeling really sick and maybe a little down trodden when we decided to hitch up our skirts and head out the door. In just three hours we were able to find two new investigators and teach five lessons! Talk about reaping the benefits.

Sometimes we feel as if we are maybe a little bit better than the rules or that we don`t need to accomplish the things we are asked to do because we feel justified. Its at these times that we have a choice, we can give in to the justifications or we can travel through the hard times. Its at those moments that God blesses us the most after we have proven to ourselves and to him that we are strong enough to be worthy of his gifts. It is only then that we can not only receive the blessings he gives us and recognize the blessings he gives us. I know that our Father in Heaven loves us and I know that I am in the right place that I need to be to learn these things. I know that through the Prophet Joseph Smith that God Restored his church on this Earth. I know that this is the only true church. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Je suis un Bonhomme de Neige

This directly translates to I am a good man of snow, which of course in French means snowman. Because here is the news this week ladies and gentlemen. We have snow. And I don't mean just no flurries. I'm talking up to ankle high snow. Which means Sister Cummings has officially broken out the winter boots.

 Don't get me wrong, I love looking at snow but some of the magic is kind of lost when you realize you have to actually walk through the "magic" for hours on end. The magic is not lost though on my beautiful Tahitian companion, who has now officially played with snow for the first time.

We have had three baptisms this week into our beautiful little group of Hochelaga, each one had the opportunity to share their testimonies of how they found the church and the first moment they knew the church to be true. Which made me think of when I received my first testimony. As a tradition in our family we receive a pair of scriptures on our eighth birthday. I had received mine but it wasn't until my younger brother Jared had received his that I really began to read them. If any of you know my brother he is really good about making a goal and achieving said goal. At the age of eight he made the goal that he would read a chapter a day of the scriptures. So as any competitive older sister I made the same goal. Admittedly I didn't follow through nearly as much as he did but there was one scripture that everything changed. I read the scripture in 1 Nephi 22:30 which is where Nephi gives his testimony. It was at that moment when I was ten years old that I got down on my knees and asked if the Book of Mormon was true. I will never forget the feeling of comfort that I felt at that moment. That was my answer. And every time after that I pray to know the truth I receive the same feelings. That this church is true. That this gospel is true. And that through divine guidance the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon so that we can be able to read and know the truth for ourselves. This week I ask you to pray once more to know the truth of the Book of Mormon. Even if you already know for yourself, feel of his love again.

I love you all!

Kayla

Photos from the week

Staying in Fort Lauderdale

Dear Friends and Family:

I wanted to include a lot this week, because I didn't email last week, but there's someone waiting for the computer. Sorry!

The news: I stayed and trained. Elder Kwon left. This means that I will be in Fort Lauderdale east for the next three months, over Thanksgiving and Christmas and New Years.

My new companion and trainee - Elder Hunt - is amazing! He already teaches better than I do after a year in my mission, and he has an incredibly strong testimony. He and I have been getting along really well, through our ups and downs in the area. And he's also working diligently to improve his Creole.

This week an unfortunate thing happened with our investigators. All of them decided to drop off of the map or lose their fire to be baptized at the same time. Elder Hunt is taking the low point like a champ, and we are both resolved to find many, many amazing miracles this next week as we work hard and apply the training we will receive in zone conference.

We are in particular working to improve by being more personable together, and by improving our baptismal invite so that those we talk to have the best possible opportunity to feel and accept the spirit in their lives.

Sorry I don't have more time to email, especially after last week.

Thanks,

Elder Slade

Crazy Week

Dear family,

We had a crazy week that absolutely flew by. Tuesday we had zone conference, Thursday we had Mission Leadership Council, Friday we had an exchange, and Sunday we had cottage meeting. Lots of sharing testimony and lots of very spiritual experiences. I'm so grateful for my mission! I really don't know where the week went to.

The highlight of my week was that the exchange on Friday was with the Halls Lake sisters. Sister Smith stayed in our area and I was able to go back to my old area with Sister Stringfellow! We saw so many miracles and so many people that I used to work with from those transfers. By the end of the day I felt like Heavenly Father was reassuring me by saying, "You have done enough. Your sacrifice has been acceptable to me, just look what a difference you have made!" It was exactly what I needed.

The sisters have an investigator named Brandon who I met Thursday night at volleyball. Brandon is preparing for baptism in December. When I introduced myself he looked at my name tag and said, "Wait a second, are you the only missionary named Sister Slade?" I told him that I was and he proceeded to tell me that almost a year ago some sisters had knocked at his door and he had wanted to listen, but he knew that his roommates would be rude, so he didn't invite them in. He said, "I have no idea why, but I've always remembered the name Slade. You don't happen to have been here around that time?" I can't count all of the doors that Sister Glancy and I must have knocked when we first whitewashed into Halls Lake a year ago. I don't remember Brandon, but it was so amazing to see where he's at now and to see that somehow he remembered that I knocked at his door. We never know the impact that we may be having even when we obediently do all of the small, seemingly insignificant things!

The other highlight from the exchange was that I got to see Melissa! I lost her email so I haven't had contact with her since her baptism and wedding 8 months ago. I got to talk to her and Randy and it was so rewarding to hear that they are both 100% active, loving everything about the gospel, and preparing to go to the temple in a few months! Not only that, but she just found out that she's pregnant with TWINS! Too much joy to contain!

Still excitedly looking forward to Heathers baptism! She meets with President one more time this week, and if he feels that she is ready he will officially write the First Presidency and everything should be clear for the 22nd. Please keep her in your prayers this week.

Love this quote from Gary E. Stevenson: "I express my utmost confidence in your abilities. You have the Savior of the world on your side. If you seek His help and follow His directions, how can you fail?" I hope you all have a week full of feeling the Saviors love for you and lots and lots of successes!

Love all of you!

Love, Sister Slade

People of Montreal

Its official world. It has snowed here. And I have broken out the winter coat, as well as half of Montréal.

Speaking of which many people have asked me to tell any funny stories, so in keeping with the oncoming winter I'm going to tell this one. My companion and I were waiting in line to receive some medication when a rather large woman (I mean large as in tall and well built not as in «woah that girls has eaten way to many poutines») An elderly oriental gentleman, who was standing behind me in the line, flinched and gasped as she walked by. Of course, me being the onlooker, made eye contact with the gentleman. He told me in French «That woman scared me,» He asked me why I was here (obviously asking for what need I was in the pharmacy) and I took the opportunity to say I'm a missionary. After determining I was from the United States and that I had never felt a winter as hard as those in Montreal the conversation quickly turned to ancient Chinese medical practices. After instructing me to put onions on my feet for a cold he told me he knew how to never get sick in the winter and that he wanted to show us. Well after we had received what we were waiting for the man led us over to a wall and promptly instructed us how to get rid of winter sickness. This took the form of the man slamming his head against the wall seven times while not breathing. If any would like to try this it is seven times for a man and nine for a woman. I had to try so hard not to laugh at the fact that this man was slamming his head on a wall in a Pharmaprix in the middle of Montreal Canada.

Well considering the conversation above was in full French I believe I am growing in the language. I have been mistaken twice as someone from France and told four times that I do not have an American accent. *Fist pump* I seem to have mastered understanding the Quebecois accent and now I need to understand the Haitian accent. The area we are working in has a high Haitian population (say that five times fast) and therefore a high possibility of eating Haitian food every night. And as I am sure my wonderful cousin in the south can attest that Haitian food is heavenly.

Good news! I got all moved in!

This weeks miracle is this. We visit with a woman in the group that is young woman age, but since there is no young woman`s program in our little almost branchist thing we help her with her personal progress. We were doing so one day and we noticed that there was something bothering her. Afterwards we were talking about the lesson, my companion decided to call her up and ask her if she would like a blessing. Something about Sister Avemai is that she has such a testimony in the priesthood that she never stops seeking for the opportunity to share it with others. The sister said yes and we scheduled a time with the Elders so that they could give the blessing. The change in this sixteen year old girl from before and after the blessing was instant. She felt the love from the blessing and you could tell that a huge burden had been lifted off of her shoulders. We do not know what was the thing that burdened her so much but I can honestly say that I have never before been in a lesson that the spirit has been so strong. I know that this church is true and I know it holds the true authority from God to give priesthood blessings such as this. I love this Gospel and I love these people. And I know Montreal will forever have a place in my heart.