Picking Blueberries

August 27, 2018

This week has been pretty good and pretty busy! Didn't do a whole week of service this week so that was kinda nice in a way. Had interviews and exchanges this week with Pres and Flin Flon. 

Did the usual service at Salvation Army on Tuesday and in the morning before that we helped bro Vera put up some drywall in a room in his place. 

Wednesday we spent baking for Pres and Sister Hitchcock. Made some bread and cinnamon buns for them which they thought was great. After interviews they took us out to subway for dinner so that was pretty nice cause we got to visit with them for a bit about whatever we wanted.

Had some pretty good exchange miracles this week while Flin flon was down. Me and Arajuo had a good last half hour miracle, in 5 doors we had 3 try backs and 1 new investigator! The new investigators name is Kelly and he's 22 does IT work for a living, loves gaming, fighting, and skateboarding. Super friendly guy. We had a hr. long lesson with him on the restoration and learning where he's at with things. He told us that his place when he was young burnt down and that it kinda left a bitter taste in his mouth for a bit when it came to God and religion but that eventually he broke and realized that he needed God in his life and that he could help him. Don't go to church or do much with any stuff like that but he prays here and there and reads a verse a day before going to bed. Part of his reason for not going to church is because he works 4:30-6 every day other than Sunday so he sleeps most of Sunday away. Anyway we had a super good lesson with him and he asked some good things when he felt the need and was very glad that we came to talk with him about this stuff cause he wanted it back in his life but just wasn't sure how to go about it. We committed him to read the B of M and pray about it and he was pretty curious about it all so he accepted the invitation, we gave him 3 Nephi 11 to read. When we asked for a return appointment he was more than happy to take us up on it! He told us to come back the next day at 7:30.
Did some blueberry picking with sis turners dad out in the bush for a few hrs. the next day (he's not a member) Didn't get to talk with him a whole lot due to him scouting out some places to pick as we picked other stuff. Was nice to get out of the place where people are and have nothing but the sound of the trees and grass moving around you. 
Had a good lesson with Kelly that night on the plan of salvation and answered some of his questions. He read 3 Nephi 11 so that was pretty good! After the lesson we invited him to be baptized and turns out he has already been baptized so we had to have that awkward conversation with him where we tell him it wasn't correct... He seemed to take it pretty well though and said he would like a few days to think it over and he'd get back to us about it so we said for sure. Didn't get to set up a return appointment this time due to his work schedule but we got his number and he's got ours so we'll keep in touch and try to keep him going.
The next day Kelly referred himself to us on the internet so that was kinda nice cause now we now he's looking into us in the right places. 
Did some service for the Frocks Saturday helping them weed and pick apples, along with moving a few things around. 
Later got to do some service with Kim and Sheldon doing some baking and cooking so Kim could get it done faster. 
All in all we've had a pretty good week I think so it's been nice.
Everyone thinks that I'm supposed to be home now that elder Berry’s home! I’ve seen a few members from old areas lately and they all thought that I was going home shortly after elder Berry so they're were kinda shocked to see me around still.

Still got a few months left before then.

Well love ya all, talk to ya next week! 

 

 

Service at the Salvation Army

August 20, 2018

This week has been good, did some service as usual and even have to do some actual finding finally!
Ran into an ex communicated member that no one knew about so that was cool. They weren't interested but they visited with us for a few minutes on the doors step.
Found a guy named Trevor and his little boy Tradin. He told us the reason behind the name was because once he dies (Trevor) that his son is going to be a trade in of him so yeah, kinda cool I guess.
Talked with Trevor for close to 2hrs out on his deck. Got to hear a lot of his life story and what he believes in and why. In short he doesn't believe that religion is needed cause all it is people fighting over who's right and who's wrong and why you should follow them and no others.
It's true that's a lot of what religion seems to have become but there's more to it when you get past that. Also believes that religion is just something for people to lean on when they are scared, which is also true. A lot of the things he brought up were true but had some distortion to them but that's just how he saw it all so can't say much there. Super nice guy with lots of past behind him. What Trevor really wants is just for his son to have a better life then he did and to have what he needs. He told us we could come back and discuss things again but that we weren't gonna convert him haha challenge excepted.
Helped out the Salvation Army load up a truck full of clothes and shoes for other places throughout SK and Ab I think it was something close to 1600 bags of clothes... Took about 3hrs to load it all even with close to 20 people helping out.
Pres Nelson, his wife, and elder Anderson and his wife came out to Winnipeg this Friday to talk to the members on temple work and being a temple ready people. I don't remember much of what was said due to the connection we had over the internet but from what I caught it was good! Pres and sis Craig were there with pres Nelson so that was nice to see them again.
Sunday we helped the Kim and Sheldon move some more things into their place for more animals! After we got done moving the new stuff in we were out standing on the deck talking and their dogs popped the gate open and got up where we were and started jumping all over everyone and not listening to them when they said to get our get off. Finally once they got them back down Kim was like yeah we need to get that dog trained better, she just doesn't listen to us! So I offered to do that for them and Kim was like sweet when can you start!? So later today I’ll be going over there to start it, we'll see if they want me back after tonight... I told her yesterday the way we train our dogs are a little old fashioned with no treats other than petting them when they do good and dragging them back to where they are supposed to be when they don't listen but she didn't seem to care. Could be fun!
Had a lesson with a Filipino family last night as we were tracting! The lesson went pretty good despite the fact they couldn't understand English super well. We did find out though that they aren't super interested as of yet due to the fact that they feel all you have to do is believe in God and know he saved you and your good, also don't see much point in the scriptures cause they aren't 100% correct. They did however take the commitment to read and pray about the book of Mormon. No return appointment but they said we could come stop by and see how they were doing sometime.
But yup that was our week basically.
Bro turner invited us out to his place Saturday to help skin his Elk when he gets back from his bow hunt so I'm lookin forward to that! Might get to see Sauni get squeamish so it'll be fun haha.
Well Love ya all talk to ya next week!

Making Homemade Pie

August 13, 2018

 

Well I wish I could remember more of this week but I guess I'll just tell ya what I can remember as best I can, the days are all running together again lately.
Monday we spent making a pie with one of our members LA sons, he was giving us tips on how to make a good homemade pie and it turned out pretty good other then he got nervous and had us add a bit too much cloves haha but it was good anyway.
Did FHE with the old people like usual on Monday and as usual it was a hoot haha old people are funny.
Tuesday we spent driving around to members and Las places and visiting them since some of them are way out there and don't get to church very often. The Mondala’s the Filipino family you might have seen on FB with me and elder Sauni, they are moving close to Calgary so we went out there for a last super with the missionaries as they called it. They told us when we get home that we all have to get together and do something with them so that would be fun!
Wednesday the Flin flon elders were down for exchanges so we went and played balloon tennis with the old people! Me and elder baker were together so we watched these two old ladies fight over who hits the balloon out of turn when the other one misses it haha it was kinda funny especially when the one would growl at the other one haha
Did some service out at bro Pretes pretty well the rest of the day trying to help him get all his garlic in before he leaves this week to work. Me and elder baker had a race to see who could dig the most garlic and clean it properly and all that, just to try and make the time for faster.
Thursday was ZC and I may or may not have fallen asleep during it off and on... It's okay though because I told sis Hitchcock before ZC started that I might do that and she just laughed.
ZC is kinda boring for me now cause I feel like we have been trained on all the same stuff a thousand times and we do all the same practices. I know it's all for us to be better missionaries and all and if P Craig was here he'd say "learning is spaced repetition, so repetition is good." it's still hard to stay alive though sometimes.
When we got back from ZC we had a hr. left so we went and played some kids in basketball in our suites and got our butt kicked haha but we made some friends with them and it was fun so it was good!
Friday was weekly planning and more service with bro Prete doin garlic. I think I might die if u have to smell garlic again...! I don't mind the work but the smell is starting to get to me and yeah it's bad haha
Saturday we had a bday party for Caelynn our investigator so we helped her family put that on at the United Church. Kim (the mom) she had me do up the turkey and make the gravy cause she said she can't do those things very well. Once I had finished that stuff she was like "Sheldon I think I'm gonna take him home! He know how to do stuff!" haha
Sunday I gave me talk in church finally!! I’ve had a talk in church since I first got here but haven't actually gave it till yesterday! Did it on the atonement and Grace which the members said they liked so yup that was good.
Sis turner she put us down for dinner Wednesday night and put on it BRING GUITAR on it haha so I guess we might be doing some singing and playin!
Had dinner out at bro Pretes with bro Harrald and the Reesons, had pizza and peaches n ice cream along with garlic and peanut butter.... I didn't have the garlic though.
Went to a lesson elder Sauni and Arajuo set up while on exchanges but sadly they weren't there. Maybe next time.
Well that was pretty well our week!
Love ya all, talk to ya next week

 

The light of your testimony

The light of your testimony

There was once an old rancher that hadn’t been to church in a while and one day the preacher came out to see him. As the two sat down around the old ranchers wood burning stove the preacher pulled a coal out from the fire and put it on top of the stove. Sitting there in the quiet home they watched as the glowing coal slowly turned from red to black. When the coal turned black that's when the old rancher leaned forward and said “I know what you mean, I'll be at church Sunday."

There are times in all of our lives when we get to the point we feel like our coal is growing cold or is cold, when we feel our testimony is getting weak. It is at times like this that we like the old rancher need to sit back in the quiet away from the noise of the world and ask our self’s what am I missing in my life, what do I need to be doing differently? Eventually as we ask ourselves this question we like the old rancher will know what is missing and what we need to do to get that coal glowing bright again.
We might be missing something that we think is small like praying for example. Prayer is what connects us to our father in heaven, it opens the door for Him to help guide and direct us in our life.
Think of prayer like this. Have you ever ran into an old friend you haven't seen in a long time and when you two get together everything feels as if you had never been a part but there’s also so much to catch up on and it just makes you happy to have ran into them? When you pray it is like that, your heavenly father loves to "run into" you and hear about all the things that happened to you during the day and week. Even though he already knows how it all was he loves to hear it directly from you as you take a few moments out of your day to talk to him just as you would an old friend.
Never give up on the little things we do in life that bring us closer to our father in heaven. Don’t let your coal grow black. If your coal is black find someone whose coal isn’t and ask for help, lean on their testimony and do that until you feel you are in a place you can keep your coal burning on your own, the same goes for you whose coal is growing dim. The lord will not give you trials in your life without a way out. Once the fire is out you can always relight the fire.
Your heavenly father loves you. Sometimes the best people have the worst experiences, because they are the most ready to learn. He knows what you are going through and he knows what you can handle. He know when your coal is growing cold and he knows the way to bring it back to life, we just have to be willing to listen and act.
I know this church is true. I know God and his son Jesus Christ live and love, and know each and every one of us personally. He knows where your heart lies. I know we can overcome the hardest of times with the help of the lord.
I Love this gospel and I love my savior, and I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen. 

Nacho...

August 6, 2018

This week has been pretty decent. We seem to do a lot of service around here which I'm good with but that's about all we did again this week.

Did some work over at the Salvation Army sorting and tagging clothes so they could be priced out.

Helped out sis Turners mom with a surprise birthday thing she wanted to do for bro turner out on his driveway. She said "you only turn 40 once so we gotta make it good!" she brought a bright orange toilet from salvation army and a walker (she one of the head people there) 40 flamingos that we stuck up in the grass around everything, a few scare crows holding a big happy birthday sign, and a couple big 40 balloons. It looked like a wreck but that was kinda the whole point haha it was fun though.

Had a birthday lunch with the turners and Boston Pizza the next day which was Wednesday. After lunch we went up to the skate park with them and were gonna watch Lucy ride her skateboard but she forgot a helmet so she couldn't... But me and elder Sauni got to talking with a 13 yr. old kid names Nickolas who was pretty open with us after he found out we weren't FBI haha quite a few kids thought we were cops or something like that.

Played balloon tennis with the old people at the old folks home this week for a half hr. that was kinda different. We get a balloon and some badminton rackets and then we get them all in a circle and we walk around with the balloon and hit it back and forth with them a few times and then go to the next person working our way around the circle, and that's it.

Went and helped out the Friazers (our investigator family) move their other fish tank up to the main floor of their place and then played with the kids for a little after that. Araccellie their 6yr old she came up to me after she talked to her mom 3 times about if she could ask me if we would go on a walk with them later but every time she would come to ask me she would chicken out and go back to her mom. Haha eventually she came over though and asked "will you go on a walk with me later tonight after you help my dad?" so later that night we went on a walk with all of them to the skate park and played around there for a little. Me and Sauni got on Carteea's long board and we went down the street a ways on it together haha they thought we were gonna wipe out but we made it alright.

Saturday we drive down to Manitoue Beach to meet up with the turners and cheer bro turner on as he ate the pound burger and fries to try and beat the record of 24 min, which he did no problem! He finished in 18 min...!! It was pretty crazy, you kinda had to be there.

Sunday we had a lot more people at church then it sounded like we would. Sounded like we would only have us and maybe 2 other families for church but it ended up almost being fun from visitors! Mostly bro Pretes family.

Later Sunday night the branch go together and had a little birthday party for sister Bradley and Caelynn (investigator) at sister Migeachies place which was pretty good. 

This morning at 7 we went and ran hills at the high school in town here and I know what you’re probably thinking, hills what's hills you’re in SK!?.. Well they made a hill by the football field for as good as our guess is probably the same thing we used it for, running hills. So we did that then got the great Idea from FB to make tacos so we ran to the store and got all the stuff for that and made tacos for breakfast! Then the tacos led to us making a little video of us reenacting Nacho Libre the scene where Nacho makes the kids all the salads after they lost their first fight haha

And yeah that’s been us so far this week..!

Love ya all talk to you next week! 

Weeds, the Atonement, and Testimonies

July 30, 2018

So as you have probably been able to tell from my last couple emails we have been doing lots of weeding/gardening the last few weeks. The other day while wedding I was thinking of random things while pulling weeds and I came up with this little analogy.

Weeding a garden is much like the atonement and the gospel in our lives. We have been given the hand book (book of Mormon) and the know how to garden and get our plants (testimony) to grow. We know it's not easy to keep a garden free of weeds and we know it's not easy to keep our testimony as strong as we sometimes wish it was especially in this world we live in now. If we let our garden go to long without being weeded it will be overrun with the weeds and it will be near impossible to keep our plants alive, that is why we must be out there in the garden down on our knees in the dirt every day pulling the weeds from yesterday out from beside our plants making our garden clean again. 
Ways we can keep our garden free of weeds is by reading scriptures daily, going to church, praying every day, and doing the things we know are right, all simple primary answers. When we do these things we can keep our testimony strong and our minds free of all the things the world tries to put in it. God loves you and he knows what you need in your garden. 
"Don't give up... Don't you quite. You keep walking. You keep trying. There is help and happiness ahead - a lot of it. You keep your chin up. It will be alright in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come." 

Elder Holland.

 

 

Lucy's Team

July 30, 2018

So this week was another service week for us.

Helped out at the Turners place quite a bit throughout the week. We had FHE the one day with the while clan and Baylee their oldest (she's ten) did the lesson for us on pioneers and what they are and why they are important and at the we got out some cream and made butter as a treat haha sister Turner had us do a little hunt to try and find Bob the man in the tree and whatever team found it had to take a selfie with it. I was on Lucy's team (she's 6) and she jumped in their go cart and told me "get in get in we are going to win this!!" she's a crazy driver but hey it payed off cause we won! Haha

Wednesday we went and played guitar outside and sang for the old people at the museum here in town as they did a BBQ, that was pretty fun. Sister Turner she's trying to get me to sing at those things now with her... We’ll see.

We were back out at the tuners place Saturday and helped bro turner finish up his roof inside the house and building a new add on to their playground. 

Bro Angell from Flin Flon showed up at church this Sunday to speak so that was a nice surprise for both of us! It's crazy to think the last time I saw him was a little over a yr. ago now. Also saw Bro Drennan and Gwen from up there too. They didn't come till after church though, Bro Drennan was looking for bro Angell because he was supposed to get a ride with him back home but bro Angell had already left which they weren't too surprised about. It was good to see those guys again. I'll be seeing a lot more of them in the next bit because the new district is us and Flin Flon! Gonna be weird to go back up there but nice to see it all.

Had dinner out at the Frocs Sunday night and had a good visit with them talking about all the Las we can try to work with and who else would be good to try and get back in touch with.

We are going out to the Frocs today at 1 to have Sis Froc show us how to make her bread so Sauni is excited for that!

We that's about it for this week that was exciting and new.