Shawinigan est belle à mes yeux c'est l'endroit où je suis tombé vraiment à connaître mon Sauveur Jésus-Christ et sais vraiment que cette église est vraie ! reconnaissant pour toutes les personnes incroyables, que j'ai eu la chance de rencontrer.

Weekly questions from home for the elder. His response in his return email received today.

Q1. Well soeur Darche sent a instant message via Facebook to us regarding her sadness you are being transferred (more on that in the letter below).
A1. Yes I will be getting transferred this Wednesday. Haha she sent you that message directly after I announced it in Sacrament meeting.
Q2. We are hoping J.-L. meeting with the Stake president went well, any updates there?
A2. Umm nope I don't have any updates but hopefully I will tonight!
Q3. We are getting ready to ship your box out so that you get it next zone conference.
A3. Okay now that I'm in Montreal my church building is the mission office so it will be a lot easier for me to get packages and I won't have to wait for every zone conference now!
Q4. Who can we pray for besides those you have requested, J., A. B., J.-L.? We pray for the Darche’s, including her son that a miracle will be granted them for her love to you and the missionaries.
A4. Just for the great people of Shawi!

Salue tout le monde!

What another glorious Monday to hear from my amazing famille! Brings great happiness and joy to hear that everything is going well with you guys. Sounds like another good week football wise! Pretty funny Thursday night as I was heading in for the day I received a call from J.-L. and he was telling me he was just scrolling through the channels and saw BYU vs Houston and decided to watch it. He was giving me some play-by-play analysis and I was filling him in on my boys! He was getting into it hahaha. He shared with me pretty much half of the 2nd quarter on the phone. It was awesome truly could feel his love for me through that call. He was super pumped for me to be there in a few years! Gotta love ESPN ayyy! da da daahh!!

Church building for the Shawinigan branch

Yes the big news for the week is I am being transferred to the island of Montreal! I am excited about this as I have always wanted to be able to serve on the island in the big city! Looking forward to serving in Montreal. I will be serving in an English YSA ward haha I know I thought it was pretty funny and cool that I will be able to be in a YSA ward and learn how to do work there. I'm eager to be able to work with the young people like myself. Don't worry though since it's Montreal everyone on the island knows both French and English so I'll have many opportunities to speak French. I won't have a car since Montreal is super busy so I will be using the Metro system which will be nice for me. Also the best part about all of this is since I am in YSA..I WILL BE ON FACEBOOK again haha. Really pumped to be able to use facebook to share the gospel! My new comp is Elder Flintton from Park City. He'll be my first comp from Utah. I'm pretty familiar with him as we served in the same zone as me for a little bit. Overall, I saddened to leave Shawinigan, yet super pumped and excited to serve in this new area..should be fun!

Well this was a really great week here in Shawi!, I wouldn't wanna end in any other way!

Wednesday I was able to do a split down in Trois-Riviere with Elder Sinjoux. It is always a good experience to be with Elder Sinjoux and to work hard and learn from him. Likewise it also very good to be in 3R`s. I always enjoy my time down there. We were able to do some service and help the Elders Quorum President out with his home teaching. After our visits he took us too this mean buffet haha that has many different sections of cuisine from all around the world. And you know how 2 Polys get when they have food buffets hahaha. Oh yes it was bomb! Afterwards it was about 8:30 PM and very dark so we decided to go visit an investigator who lives in literally the Ghetto. He lives in pretty much a government house where they put people in just so people wont be homeless. The area was sketchy. I saw at least 3-4 drug dealings go down it was crazy. We got the man from his room and we decided to just go for a walk around the city with him. Really powerful moment such a humble man who has a deep desire to find God and to follow him! He and I became good pals haha. After Elder Sinjoux and I talked about how awesome that was and how we felt like we were really doing what the Savior did while he was on the earth ministering..going to visit the poor and the needy! Great night!

Thursday we were able to go and do some service at an investigators home. We helped them dig a garden which was pretty cool.

Friday night I decided to pass by A. B.'s because he still hasn't been coming to church. It was another funny meeting with him. I shared with him Jacob 2:18 "18 But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God." and how we need to put God first in all things and the rest will follow. It was a powerful moment and he really understood. He told me we have to come back after the mission! It was cool he finally came to church yesterday!!! Glory to God!!!

Cleaning the church in Shawi

Saturday was really good we had a branch activity that was put on by elder Veyrier and Frere Levert or Branch Mission Leader. It was a corn-on-the-cob activity! And I have to say the corn up here in Quebec is the best around it's so good. After we ate we played some Hockey and oh man these Canadians are soo good at Hockey, I was getting smoked haha. All-in-all it was a fun experience as it was my first time playing hockey haha. It was a good turn out as about 58 people showed up.

Yesterday, Sunday was very good! It was weird to think it would be my last Sacrament in Shawi. It was a tender moment when I announced I would be getting transferred. I looked at J.-L. and tears filled his eyes. It really touched me as I have never seen him like that. He took it pretty tough. After Sacrament meeting he had to go outside and calm himself down. When he came back into the room we had a great talk together. We thanked each other for the good times and the memories we've had and I assured him that it's not the end that we will be forever eternal friends. Man I'm so grateful for J.-L. and all he has taught me definitely a man that has impacted me and changed my life so much. Haha kinda funny as I was writing this paragraph he called me and gave me the update on his case. The stake is moving everything up so he should have a meeting with the council in November and if all goes well could get baptized in December before Christmas!!!

Well looking back at my time here in Shawi I never would of thought I would have these feelings for Shawinigan at first. It has no doubt been the absolutely the toughest 5 months of my life so far. Never before have I been pushed to my limits like I have here. Shawinigan is forever beautiful and sacred in my eyes as it is the place where I truly came to know my Savior Jesus-Christ and to know the church is true even more! Humbled, grateful for all the amazing people I've been blessed to meet. When I first arrived here I wondered why am I here? Now I know and I am eternally grateful for it and the people, saints in Shawi!!

Looking forward, excited for what's ahead and to be able to serve in Montreal and amongst the Young Adults. Famille, I love you all so much. Every day I am grateful for your continued love and sacrifice on my behalf. I definitely couldn't do this without you all. Hope you have a blessed and happy week! Love you all so much!

Avec mon amour!

Elder Gautavai