A Long(ueuil) Way from Home

May 9, 2022

Bonjour bonjour!

This has probably been one of the busiest weeks of my entire missions, so I'll just get right into things! 

Looking back, my last few days in Québec city are an absolute blur, full of bittersweet goodbyes and also some really cool experiences! I'll share one specific miracle that came Monday night as Elder Van Orman and I were visiting some of the few remaining people that had been formerly taught that I hadn't tried contacting before. The address we had ended up being for a motel, and as we were about to give up on finding the person we wanted to visit I saw a lady walk out of the office building and I decided to make one last effort and ask her if she knew the person we were looking for. Much to our surprise she said she did and a few moments later we were able to talk to Serge, the man we were looking for, and he was really grateful to see us and excited to meet in the near future!

Tuesday and Wednesday were really busy trying to say goodbyes, but I still got to do service one last time at the thrift store and we had a good lesson with our friend Gondo as well as a chapel tour with a man named Mario that I have been messaging for months now. It was satisfying finally getting to meet him in person, and to make it even better we had Frère Laval who is originally from France join us and I absolutely love him and his wife. Frère Laval is older and he has an incredibly strong testimony of the Gospel. I had no idea when we asked him to join us from the tour that he and his wife don't actually have a car, so Frère Laval walked an hour to the church for the tour and another hour back afterwards. The tour ended up going pretty well, but Frère Laval's example of faith is something that I'll definitely never forget. I ended my time in Québec with a bang by once again having dinner with the Ferland family. I'll miss getting to see them and all of the other wonderful families and friends I met in Québec, but I am so excited for this next chapter of my mission!

I drove down from Québec to the mission office in Montreal with some other missionaries and there were lots of fun reunions with other missionaries I've had the pleasure of serving around in New Brunswick and elsewhere. After finding my new companion we took a short drive across the Saint-Laurent River to my new area in Longueuil. Since getting to Longueuil our days have been absolutely packed with lessons, meetings, and honestly quite a few miracles! My new companion Elder Lund is an awesome missionary and his level of urgency is unmatched. There's been a lot to take getting to know a new area, a new ward, new missionaries, and in planning for the upcoming transfer but so many good things have already happened. One really cool miracle we have seen since arriving here came the same night I got to Longueuil as we were going to drop off a Book of Mormon. I opened the door for a girl who was waiting in the entryway and we started talking to her. We found out that she is from Senegal and she is Muslim, but she was really interested in coming to church with us sometime! We were able to have a chapel tour with her and the Sister missionaries in our ward the next day before heading back to a meeting in Montreal, and she is planning on coming to church next week with some of her friends!

Our mission is placing a big emphasis on simply talking to everyone, and in the last few weeks and these past few days especially it has made such a big difference. As we boldy testify of the unique truths found in the restored Gospel and invite everyone we can to come to our church and feel the Spirit there I know we will continue to see miracles as help bring God's children closer to him! 

Love you all,

Elder Jackson