Thursday, January 5, 2017

Week 82 and 83


December 26, 2016  

Happy Christmas! (The British way of saying it)

This was a wonderful Christmas! Because it was Sunday and because of the direction of our new mission president, it was a lot more outward focused than last year. We did a TON of caroling between the 23rd and 25th at rest homes, care units, and stores. I really got better aquatinted with the Christmas hymns and learned to love, "Help us to sing with our hearts and voice!" From "Far, Far Away on Judea's Plains" because that's what we needed to hit those high notes after a few go arounds. I was nearly laughing as I sang because it was fun and so difficult. At the end our ward mission leader was sad that Christmas was over, he had had such a good experience going with us. I was also grateful at a home for people with mental disabilities that many years ago my family went to visit the Alzheimer's unit once a month, so that I had no fear afterwards to go shake all of their hands and try to talk to them.  And if they had wanted to drool on or kiss me it wouldn't have even given me PTSD this time.

I felt so much joy yesterday; I overheard one of our few Maltese members speaking to our investigator O. I thought she was talking about her temple experience, and it turns out she was! She was finally able to attend the temple in England for the first time and LOVED it.  She was happily telling O. how when he goes to the temple for the first time she will be sure to be there with him. Yay! 

We had the Christmas party this week! I'm not sure what the non-members thought of the African gospel music that got sung or the rendition of a Christ-centered "All I Want for Christmas is You" complete with the Teachings of Gordon B. Hinckley manual and angel costumes, but at least they came! We also were blessed that a less-active member brought a few friends, and some other cool families and friends!

We did a gesso [street contact] with the question: "What does Christmas mean to me?" I am so grateful as I thought about it last night that for me, Christmas means peace, joy, forgiveness, repentance, and a whole lot more. They are all cliché things but the good news is that they are all true!

Right now, we are waiting in the airport. Elders Blaylock and Haroldsen go home today. I'm so grateful for the two of them. They are such good elders and I have been really blessed with a great, united district which is important when we are so isolated.

Love,

Presbiteru Cannon


The district plus one extra


Skyping on Christmas







January 2, 2017

Wow! What a week! We said goodbye to our companions and then Elder Pineau and I got to work, and it went great!

We went to see a contact who wasn't at home. Outside his house there was someone talking on his phone so we just stood there for a few awkward minutes to ask him if he knew our friend. Finally, he asked us, "are you anzianos?" Turns out he was an investigator from Rome who just moved here to Malta!

We also got in contact with C, a member I worked a lot with during my time in Rome 6!! He moved to Malta. It was so great to see him. I think he'll be a great strength to the African LDS community here on Malta.  We want to help them strengthen and activate each other. We could have like seven or eight of them in church each week.

We taught O, which went great! We can only give him a copy of the Illustrated Stories from the Book of Mormon since that's all we have in Maltese, but he has already gained a testimony of its truthfulness. And C, our member fellowshipper, is reading it as well so we can all be on the same page. We are really happy to be helping the two of them simultaneously. Wednesday went so well that I wondered who had had the better day: me or my brother who got married ;) 


Now I'm with Anziano Grizzell. I had met him before in Bari. He is a transfer older than me so I might kill him [send him home] as well. On our first night together he told me how none of his companions have ever wanted to go running with him in the mornings, but if I wanted to we could. I just about started crying on the spot. He is a great missionary. He speaks the language better than any missionary I've ever meet and is an SYL monster.

bl-imħabba,

Presbiteru Cannon



Friend from Rome 6

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