Week 95: Elder Arnold is Coming!!

Hello family and friends! 

Again, crazy week. Elder Mervyn B. Arnold of the Seventy will be doing a "mission tour" this week, meaning he will be here for the next few days and have a few meetings and teach the missionaries and what not. He'll be spending tomorrow in the office and Thursday and Friday doing zone conferences So this week has mostly been just preparing for that. It is such a privilege to have first an apostle and now another general authority coming to our mission! 

One funny experience I wanted to share. :) We had to choose an active member family with children to visit with Elder Arnold and President Shields to share a message. Bishop gave us some suggestions, so we called one of them, and the dad answered, and sadly said their family couldn't do it because he had to go to stake high council meeting. He seemed really bummed out. About 30 seconds after hanging up, we get a call back from him saying in a very humbled, nervous, yet excited voice, "My family overruled me. I'm going to have to explain to the stake president why I can't be there Wednesday night. But yes, my family will be home. We'd love to have him come. It will be a great experience for my family." I can just imagine the rebuking from his wife of turning down a general authority visiting their family, haha.

I'm kind of nervous, Elder Arnold has scheduled an hour meeting with just Elder Carroll and I tomorrow, I'm guessing to talk about the needs of the mission?? I just have no idea what he is going to ask us to do during the zone conferences he is running this week. He is also going to come inspect several missionaries' apartments and interview them, starting with our apartment. Exciting but terrifying at the same time. Last night as we were scrubbing the floors like crazy, I sent a text to all the missionaries in Brampton and the west side of Toronto warning them that a general authority might come to inspect their apartment. I think it scared a few of them based on their reactions, haha.

Everyone in the mission office has a mix of excitement, nervousness, and a slight touch of panic as we are hurriedly rushing to get everything ready for Elder Arnold. President Shields especially. He had an apostle and now a seventy visiting his mission within his first few months here, haha. Sometimes I feel bad for him, mission presidents have SO much to be constantly doing, worrying, thinking about. And I only see the tip of the iceberg. And yet he always has a smile on his face and has an upbeat attitude.

One cool thing from last week, on the street we talked to this 18-year old Indian guy who just came to Canada a few days ago for school. We got his number and called him that night, and he tells us, "Brother, I now have 3 friends in Canada, you two, and then one other person." It was so funny and a little sad. But we met with him and he came to church on Sunday and loved it! He comes from a Hindu religious background, but he set a baptismal date for October 9th! His name is Rohit. He was showing me some pictures from back home and a video of his plane leaving India coming to Canada... and it hit me how lonely it must be for a lot of these international students coming to a foreign country. "It was always my dream to come to Canada" he says. That alone makes me want to help him have the best experience possible here in his new home. :)

I'll send some pictures. :)

Elder Holt

洪长老

Exchange picture with Elder Wehi and Elder Certonio

One of our investigators, Ripan, Left to Montreal this week. :( But she got in contact with the missionaries there before she even left, so that's good! :)

Played pool with DJ and our investigator Nav on preparation day. :)

In front of the temple sign :)

 

Goof off selfies

Reunited with the Mississauga Chinese YSA crew! They all got back from vacation :)