Quarantine Exchanges...

Hi everyone! This week was fun we did a couple exchanges (or at least we tried) over technology so that was an adventure.
I've been grinding in language study trying to learn Swahili and this week we taught a guy we found over Facebook using a mix between French, English and Swahili. He speaks a little French and English and we speak a little Swahili. Between all the languages we explained the Book of Mormon and showed him a video. He loved it! No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing! I love you all! Follow the prophet and have a great week!

Quarantine & This fun virus, Loved our a Sunday Meeting, Change of Plans...

Well this week has been the craziest of my mission for sure. I don't know if you all have heard, but there's a little virus going around. Haha just kidding I'm sure you've all heard! Starting today we are quarantined in our apartments. I'm part of the group being sent home after 21 months so I'll be home in May. It's really sad, but I know that everything happens for a reason.
Other than that this week has been awesome! We got go to Montreal for exchanges with the APs and it was super fun like always. There are so many people to talk to around Montreal! Since we've been back in our area the work has been progressing and we met some super cool people that we're hoping to meet with using technology the next couple of weeks.
To take the sacrament on Sunday we met at the Chapel with the sisters and our ward mission leader and his wife and also did a little testimony meeting. It was an amazing experience! It was really spiritual and I definitely will remember that day.
I know that God answers prayers. It's so amazing that the Spirit speaks to each of us individually. God knows you and loves you. I love you all! Make it a great week!

Love,

Elder Tait

Exceedingly Astinished ...

Hey everyone! This week was great! We visited all the districts in the zone this week for district council and talked about using the tools we have been given to the fullest. We have so many tools we can use as missionaries to bless the lives of others, we just need to use them! We had a super good lesson this week with a lady we are teaching named Paula. She has so many good questions and she is willing to do the work to find answers. We had a member with us at the lesson and he and his wife were able to give Paula a ride to church on Sunday! The members were super excited to meet her and it seemed like she had a good experience. We have been doing a lot of finding and we've met tons of cool people! We send out tons of referrals to the other teams around the city and it's awesome to see them teach these people and help them progress! 

On Saturday night we were supposed to have a lesson with a family we're trying to teach. We showed up to their apartment and they were actually having a birthday party for the wife. They let us come in and join the party and it was sweet! We got to meet a bunch of their friends and some of them are interested in meeting up again. They gave us jellof rice and some other Nigerian food. It was a fun party! 

On Sunday night we were walking around downtown talking to people, just a normal night. We were walking down the sidewalk and there was a guy walking about 200 yards in front of us. All of a sudden he bent over to tie his shoe - at least that's what I thought. As we got closer we realized he wasn't tying his shoe. The man was pooping. For the second week in a row we were exceedingly astonished! I don't know why, but we've been seeing some weird things the last couple weeks. It provides some funny times though, haha! 

Yesterday we had a cool experience, we went to meet this lady at Tim Hortons and give her a Bible. She didn't end up coming, but as we were walking back to the car we were able to talk with this guy who has been trying to get a Bible, so we were able to give it to him! It's super cool to see how God works everything out for the good of his children! And it's so great to be a part of it! Have a great week! Love you! 

Elder Tait 

Inspiration and A Little Spill Down the Stairs...

Hey everyone! It was a great week here! We did a lot of finding and had some cool experiences and were able to find some interested people!
Last Wednesday we were in a neighborhood knocking on doors and talking with everyone, and it just didn't feel right. We made our way back to the truck and prayed. We felt like we needed to go to a different area so we traveled over there and there was nobody outside and started knocking on doors. As we were walking in between apartments we saw a guy waiting for a bus so we went and talked to him. He told us how he's heard about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and has been trying to research about it because he really wants to read it. We were able to give him a copy right there, and he was excited to read it and share it with other people! We were definitely led to him! We also had a similar experience last night where we were stopping by a member we didn't know, but on the way there we saw an apartment building that stuck out to us. We walked in the building and knocked on the first door we saw and the guy told us we were wasting our time in that building and closed the door. After he closed the door we felt inspired to go a couple floors up and knock on a certain door, so we went to the door we felt inspired and met this super cool guy! He had just been praying and was about to go to bed, but he let us come in for a little bit to share a quick message! In between the cool spiritual moments there were some funny ones too. We were walking down the stairs in an apartment building when all of a sudden, my leg gave out and I took a spill down a flight of stairs. I tried to get up fast so nobody would see, but Elder Thacker saw the whole thing. Luckily I was fine after the fall though! Missionary work is awesome! Have a great week! Love you all!

An interesting lunch appointment, freezing rain & Transfers!!...

Hello everyone! It's transfer week again! I'll be staying here in Ottawa and getting a new companion, his name is Elder Thacker. I'm really excited to meet him and get things rolling here! 
Last week we got to do exchanges with the Gatineau elders and I was with Elder Johnson for the day. We had a ton of fun! We visited a member in their ward named Charles and had lunch with him. Charles is a very old man from the Congo and only understands French and Swahili so it was a very exciting experience! He had us make fufu for lunch. Fufu is an African meal that's a fun experience. I've heard it compared to edible play dough, but I guess all play dough is edible if you try hard enough. So we were in this guy's house working hard in the kitchen while he watched from his chair. We cooked a mountain of fufu. While we were stirring it a little piece hopped right out of the pot and onto the stove and before we knew it the kitchen was filled with smoke! The fire alarm started so I quickly grabbed a chair and a newspaper and fanned the alarm until it stopped, meanwhile elder Johnson kept the fufu alive and opened the window to let some fresh air in. All this time the member just calmly sat there and watched. Eventually we got everything taken care of and safely finished the fufu. When the fufu was done, Charles went in to his room and came back out with the finishing touch. Some kind of water serpent in a mystery sauce! He warmed it up in the microwave and then we all enjoyed some fufu and African mystery meat together. Definitely a meal appointment I will remember! That was the highlight of the week! 
The rest of the week was good too, we had a basketball activity at the church and it went really well! We also had a freezing rain storm come through on Sundayso church was really interesting. Not very many people came and the power was shaky throughout sacrament meeting. 
I hope you all have a great week! 

Love you!

Elder Tait

Re: Put in the work & see for yourself...

Thanks for this message Elder Tait, it really resonated with me as the Bishop of our YSA Ward as I hear this all the time, "how can I know for my self". Your instruction in Alma on how to find out for our selves, through fasting, prayer, and putting in the work is a great lesson that I hope to share with my Ward the next time I have a teaching moment with them.  It sounds like you are having a rewarding mission and learning a lot about sacrifice and hard work. I know your parents are proud of you and the rest of the family as well.  Keep up the good work that you are doing, I promise you that it will be something you cherish the rest of your life.

We love you brother!

Uncle Jon

Jon S Tait

Cell: 801-301-3504

Email: jontait02@gmail.com

On Fri, Jan 3, 2020 at 8:17 PM Sheri Tait <sheri@7taits.com> wrote:

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great week and a Merry Christmas! Christmas here was super good we spent the day eating lots of food and visiting people who were alone it was awesome to be able to go and help some people feel God's love on Christmas. The next day we took a bus to Montreal for a meeting. We stayed the night in an apartment with 4 other elders it was a fun night! We had our meeting the next day and then hopped back on the bus back to Ottawa and we've been back here working since then! 

 I wanted to share a scripture I really liked this week it's Alma 5:45-46

 45 And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?

46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me. 

Alma literally saw an angel, but when it came down to him knowing the truthfulness of the gospel he had to put in the work to fast and pray and he came to know the truth through the Holy Ghost. I haven't seen an angel like Alma, but I put in the work and received an answer by the Holy Ghost that the gospel is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth! Go try it out for yourself! Have a great week! 

Love you! 

Elder Tait

Put in the work & see for yourself...

Hey everyone! I hope you all had a great week and a Merry Christmas! Christmas here was super good we spent the day eating lots of food and visiting people who were alone it was awesome to be able to go and help some people feel God's love on Christmas. The next day we took a bus to Montreal for a meeting. We stayed the night in an apartment with 4 other elders it was a fun night! We had our meeting the next day and then hopped back on the bus back to Ottawa and we've been back here working since then! 

 I wanted to share a scripture I really liked this week it's Alma 5:45-46

 45 And this is not all. Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things whereof I have spoken are true. And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety?

46 Behold, I say unto you they are made known unto me by the Holy Spirit of God. Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might know these things of myself. And now I do know of myself that they are true; for the Lord God hath made them manifest unto me by his Holy Spirit; and this is the spirit of revelation which is in me. 

Alma literally saw an angel, but when it came down to him knowing the truthfulness of the gospel he had to put in the work to fast and pray and he came to know the truth through the Holy Ghost. I haven't seen an angel like Alma, but I put in the work and received an answer by the Holy Ghost that the gospel is true. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth! Go try it out for yourself! Have a great week! 

Love you! 

Elder Tait