January 23-29, 2023

I know it must seem that I am obsessed with winter here in Montréal and … I am.  Except for 18 months serving in Ghana, I have never lived anywhere without cold and snow during the winter months.  So it's not as if I'm new to the experience but Quebec is a different winter experience for me.  Once the snow arrives, it is here for the duration.  The temps rarely warm up enough for any of it to melt.

When we returned from Zone Conference on Wednesday afternoon, the snow trucks were clearing the street where we park.  All the plowed snow was collected and taken away so that the curbs were visible again.  It snowed all day Thursday and Friday.  This is how the same street looked when we tried to park on Friday morning.


And how do you collect your mail here?  How does the mail person even deliver it?


The senior couple serving on Prince Edward Island survived Hurricane Fiona when it hit in the fall.  The destruction there was pretty bad and they have some scary stories to tell, but also some very sweet and tender experiences.  When they sent their Christmas greetings, they shared a survivor bread recipe with us.  I don't make a lot of bread but on a very snowy day when we couldn't go out and about, I decided to give it a try.  It was really easy and delicious.



Hurricane Fiona Bread

Part 1:
2 1/2 cups very warm water
1    tablespoons yeast
4    tablespoons honey (warmed to liquid)
2    tablespoons olive oil
Whisk ingredients together; set aside and let rise (15-20 minutes)

Part 2:
6    cups flour
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
Combine parts 1 and 2.  Let the dough double in size (about 2 hours, depending on how warm your kitchen is).  Divide the dough into two equal parts.  Using a small amount of flour, knead each section and shape into loaves.
Butter or spray 2 standard loaf pans.  Place the dough into each pan and allow to double in size again.
Bake at 375 F for 30 minutes or until the loaves are nicely browned.
Rub with butter after baking (optional).


The focus of Zone Conference this week was baptism.  What can you learn from your own baptism?  What can help your friends accept an invitation to be baptized?

"God wants to connect all people to the covenant He made anciently with Abraham.  Thus, missionary work is an essential part of the great gathering of Israel.  That gathering is the most important work taking place on earth today... God wants everyone, on both sides of the veil, to enjoy the blessings of His covenant... [A]s part of the covenant, a special mercy and love - or hesed - is available to all who enter this binding and intimate relationship with God... Making a covenant with God changes our relationship with Him forever."  (President Russell M Nelson, "The Everlasting Covenant," Liahona, October 2022).

Summary of what we discussed at Zone Conference:
  1. Baptism is fundamental to the Doctrine of Christ
  2. Baptism opens the door to the celestial kingdom for God's children
  3. God knows where to find those who will be baptized
  4. The desire and faith of a missionary makes all the difference
We shared a lovely meal with Heather Ashby and the Sister missionaries tonight.  It has been snowing all day and was only 15 F but we felt like we should drive back into Lasalle and spend some time with her.  It was a good decision!

Us, Sister Ashby, Sister Ledding, Sister Schaffer



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