The Messenger
Canada Montreal Mission Mission Canadienne de Montréal Misión Canadiense de Montreal	January, 2005 Mission Office: 1-514-731-0612 Contact President or Sister Ulrich at dou@umich.edu or wendyulrich@videotron.ca

New on the North Shore

We happily greet the new year with the addition of a new place for investigators and members on the North Shore of Montreal to meet mid-week for spiritual refreshment. We will begin cottage meetings there in January in French/Creole, and hope to begin in Spanish shortly. This will be a great way for people living far from the church to get a spiritual boost and learn more about the church.

Media Records

The recent French media campaign for the video, AQue la terre soit dans l=allegresse@ [Joy to the World] resulted in 1069 referrals. In addition, Salt Lake typically receives twice that number of requests for videos to be mailed rather than delivered. This means that about 3000 people in our mission responded positively to our TV-invitation to hear a message about the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. We look forward to teaching and following up with this record number of media referrals for our mission.

Welcome to President Jarvis

President Svenson of the Montreal Mount Royal Stake and his counselors (Pres. Glowa and Pres. Carpenter) were recently released after years of devoted service at great personal sacrifice. We are so grateful for their example and devotion. President Eric Jarvis with counselors Koffman and Stefanelli have been sustained as the new stake presidency. We look forward to their leadership and enthusiasm, and pledge to sustain them and their families with our prayers and actions.

Mission Miracles and Memories

We were out lost, searching for a media referral, and we knocked on a door, and asked for directions, then made an invite out of it. We set up a time to come back and ran into a 20-year-old young man who had been searching for the truth, and having family troubles. We taught a quick first, and he really opened up to us. He told us everything he had been studying, and all the attempts he had made to find God, and failures, and everything that was going wrong with his family. Then we told him about Joseph Smith, and how we can come to know the truth just like he did, and he took the Book of Mormon, and started reading... Just so amazing to see how God will allow us to get "lost" a little so that we can help someone like that. Elder Saunders

We are teaching a man who has many questions, and many [questionable] answers. The spirit was not really there. We said we had to go and he asked us to sing. We sang a beautiful cantique that=s only in French. As we sang the room filled with the Spirit of the Lord - that spirit of comfort and peace, indescribable joy and love. He began to cry. We said a prayer and told him that is the spirit of truth. I used to think that knowledge was the most powerful thing. Reason has always meant more to me than it should, I suppose. But I am finally learning that the Lord gives an undeniable confirmation of truth that surpasses all logic or the answers that men create for themselves. I am grateful for the Spirit of the Lord in my life. Sister McDowell

We had an appointment at an apartment building with a guy who smurfed us. We knocked on his door a couple of times and some other person came out of a different room and we talked. He wasn=t interested, but just as we were about to leave a Haitian man opened his door and asked who we were. We talked for 5-10 minutes and I was just about to invite him when he invited himself! He is a very promising investigator. I realized after that the Lord had led us there to meet him. I love this work. Elder England

We searched for someone who could give a ride to our investigator with a broken foot - to no avail. We retired to bed tired and short on hope. I prayed and told Heavenly Father that I had done what I could and needed help. The next morning our phone rang. Because of two separate cancellations of a person= church obligations, this person was open to help us. Elder Webster

All of the sudden, the members have realized that there is something happening here. They were still a little incredulous back when we announced Micheline`s baptism. Now, a long-time investigator, who everyone absolutely loves, and who has been coming to church on and off for about 5 years, committed herself (quite literally) to be baptized the 23rd of January. She tracked me down after Micheline`s baptism to tell me all about who would be doing what (talks, ordinances, etc) at HER baptism. She made sure that I wrote it all down too. That combined with Gilles coming to church, and announcing in Gospel Principles his intention to join his wife and be baptized. So the branch suddenly got all excited and full of energy. Elder Myler

From New Members

My story begins twenty years ago. I lived in St-Eustache and two missionaries knocked at my door. At that time I was not ready, but a few weeks later I tried to recontact them by phone, but without success. In March, 2004, having ordered the Lamb of God video, missionaries came to bring it to me and I was able to ask them a few questions. A few weeks later I agreed to have them teach me the gospel. I devoured the Book of Mormon and asked a lot of questions. I was so impressed with their way of praying, their patience, their intense faith, and their desire to please the Lord. Several times I wanted to stop everything. I was afraid of being pushed, used, and of not being able to fulfill all the requirements of the Church. The missionaries helped me pray, hope, and understand with my heart as well as my head. This resulted in a change of my heart and a serenity that is with me still.

Sister France Laquette, St.-Jerome

Patisseries and Poutines

Super-duper pats to Elders Borrowman, Jones, and Wilbur for a superclean apartment and extra-mile welcome to the Stevens couple missionaries. Pats to Elder Lindberg for a personal visit to his parents= sacrament meeting from his congressman supporting his renomination to the Air Force Academy. Pouts to Elder J. Jenson for getting stuck in the snow trying to help someone get unstuck from the snow. Pats to Elder St. Clair for (on his third day in the field) knocking on the window of a parked cop-car and inviting the officer (in French) to hear the gospel. Pats to Sister Salmon and the office staff for managing referral overload. Pats to Elder Hubbard for listening to the spirt=s promptings to visit an out-of-the-way member (as requested by his bishop) while on splits with (Chinese) Elder Hong, and in the process finding a Chinese lady who is now committed for baptism. Pats to Sisters Weeden and Ballew for pushing a broken down van to a gas station, then contacting the driver. Paternity pats to Elders Gamble and Marsh for having their investigator name his new baby after them. Pats to the Ottawa elders for recognition at midnight mass. Amen!

November-December Baptisms

Champlain: Nancy Gallegos Martinez; Dow=s Lake: Arlynn Belizaire; Greenfield Park: Rima Sawabini, Robert Kucey; Hawkesbury: Adam Keith; Kirkland: Mary Rajotte; LaSalle: Xiao Yang; St. Laurent: Akofa Ahiabo, Runhuan Feng, Mary-Eva Hermana; St.Lazare: Justin McCallum; Hochelaga: Claude St.Louis, Luce Cameau, Guerline Duverneau-Fontaine; Laval:;Anael Lussier, Florence William; Montreal: Lydia Melnyk, Hua Chen, Hang Huang; MonteRey: Veliz Moncayo; Valleyfield: Jacques Halle; VilleMarie: Joel D-Aout; Zarahemla: Karina Escobar; Drummondville: Sarah Tessier; Mascouche: Hugo St-Jaques; Trois Rivières: Joseph Francoeur; Quebec: Shawn McDermott, Melissa Ferland, Neema Kiza.

Welcome to...

Office: Elder Gamble B Assistant

Elder and Sister Snell B Office finances and office secretary

Senior couples: Elder and Sister Fraker B Montreal (CES)

Elder and Sister Watt B Hochelaga

Elder and Sister Whiffen B Québec

Elder and Sister Stevens B Trois Rivières

Branch Leaders: Elder Marines, counselor, Chicoutimi

Elder Duval, counselor, Chicoutimi

Elder Stewart, counselor, Drummondville

New Zone Leaders: Elder Stewart, Eastern Townships

Elders Herrera and Marines, South Shore

Elder Beckstead, Mount Royal

Elders Allred and Markey, North Shore

Elders Hansen, West Island (Elder Whiting moved to WI)

New District Leaders: Elders Baret, Fly, Hong, Howes,

J. Jenson, N. Johnson, M. McMullin, Skinner, J. Smith, and Wilbur. District Trainer: Elder Olaveson

New Missionaries and Trainers:

Fr: Elder Beevers (England) w/ Elder Caruso (Duvernay)

Elder Freeman (Gilbert, AZ) w/ Elder Teubner (Westmount)

Elder Lemmons (S. Jordan, UT) w/ Elder Calder (Cholula)

Elder Porter (Texas) w/ Elder M. McMullin (Chateauguay)

Elder Topham (Sandy, UT) w/ Elder Rousseaux (Duberger)

Ch: Elders LeBaron (Hurricane, UT) and Wiley (Layton, UT) trainers - Elders Hong (Chinatown) and Patten (Monk)