Hey everyone,
My companions have been asking me about what I think about going home in a week, and my response to them is "I don't." Haha, I've been really trying to not think about going home too much and I've tried even harder to just focus on what I am currently doing, which is the most important work that any of us can do!
I think that our diligence has paid off because this week we had an incredible week!! Literally, we've been so busy and this next week is looking like its going to be the same way! We are just going from appointment to appointment to appointment pretty much all week. We have seen some incredible things this week.. and had some hilarious experiences, and some.. kind of scary ones.
First off, it just happens to be gay pride week here and there is an area of town that is all about pride.. and we just happen to have to walk through it a lot more often than we'd like. We have seen some pretty OUTRAGEOUS things and I continue to become more shocked every time that I'm there. People are crazy. Downtown Toronto is nuts!
We had a pretty sketchy experience, that I ended up being grateful for. We had a referral that requested a Book of Mormon, so we went to the address (and thankfully had our ward mission leader with us) and knocked on the door. I kid you not, as soon as the door opened I was like.. oh no.. The apartment was dark, all the windows were covered with dark red sheets and it smelled so strongly of smoke. The guy invited us in and I felt the Spirit leave immediately. We looked around and there were demonic things everywhere. Like, witch hats and super scary masks and all of these really satanic things. We talked to him a little bit about the Book of Mormon and invited him to church, but I wanted to get out of there so fast... I literally felt so dark and it was so scary. Actually, one of my companions broke down into tears after we left because it scared her so bad.
The reason I was grateful for this experience is because I didn't realize how much the Spirit truly is with us until it wasn't anymore. I am so grateful to know and feel of the light of the Spirit and to be able to be worthy of having it be with my at all times. I know that there is an absolutely noticeable difference between having it and not and it really made me think about what I need to do continually in order to ensure that the Spirit can always be with me, and it made me appreciate the thought of 'standing in holy places.'
This past week we have found some of the most solid investigators that I've met since being in the Canada Toronto Mission. One of them is Ausra. She is currently living at a YWCA and is in a wheelchair. She is in a wheelchair because she attempted to commit suicide by overdosing on drugs, but her attempt failed and she ended up being passed out for a long time.. so long that she damaged one of the nerves in her back and it prevents her from being able to walk. Anyway, this woman is so prepared to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. When we extended the baptismal commitment to her, she accepted without blinking an eye. It is so incredible. Meeting with her completely humbles me and reminds me how blessed I am, and how precious this knowledge is.
As I look back on my mission as a whole, I have been completely blessed and I will never be able to articulate all of the things that I have learned and gained but what I can say is that I have become so completely converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and will continue to deepen my conversion building on the things that I have learned in this past year and a half. I am so excited to work my hardest in this past week and be able to fulfill this sacred calling to the end. I look forward to seeing you all again and I am so grateful for all of the support that I've received throughout my mission.
Well, see you soon then!
With love from Toronto,
Motra Vermunt
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