December 16th, 2018

Sunday, December 16, 2018 

District Councils and Farewell to Six Departing Amazing Missionaries

Three trips to the Stanfield Airport this week! Monday morning we missed our Office meetings taking an Elder out so he could return home. Real depression, and self esteem issues, made it so difficult for him to focus, although we found him such a great leader, and a wonderful missionary.  We hope and pray that counselling and medication will help him heal, and possibly he can return to us….When a missionary returns home for medical reasons, he is honourably released. With proper medical treatment, and with priesthood leadership approval, a missionary, within six months can return to his same mission. 

We sing “When Pioneers Moved to the West” when we head out to the Annapolis Valley.  Maybe our senses of humour are going nuts, but we chuckle as we sing ‘until we reach the valley oh.’ Greenwood and Kentville Districts in the dreamy Annapolis Valley combined for their District councils, and Tuesday we held that meeting in Greenwood. Before we arrived the seven missionaries had taken a poll and decided lunch would be A&W so with orders in hand, Sisters Hawkins, Rodrigues, and Brennan and I headed down to the local mini mall where the A&W is one of about three food joints in the food court, and loaded up on teenburgers, root beer and fries. Well fed missionaries are happy missionaries!! With having to interview each missionary once every six weeks, before and after these district councils is the perfect time for Dad to have these visits.  I love my informal interviews too…just visiting while driving to get food, or sitting in the Relief Society Room chatting I get such a feeling of how things really are going….or sometimes not going. 

Several of the common denominators we find in successful ‘missionary service’ are positive attitude, faithful obedience, desire, and a committed work ethic. Advice for parents or grandparents of missionaries in training:

 1. Teach to have a positive, cheerful attitude about everything…homework, making beds, visiting elderly people you minister to, helping tend younger siblings.

 2. Teach your children to be faithfully obedient to the commandments because they love Heavenly Father and the Saviour. One of my favourite quotes, (I hope I am remembering it right… I think President Benson said it….)(Maybe Megan can look at the framed copy of it at home and confirm it was him…)

Here it is: 

‘When obedience ceases to be an irritant, and becomes our quest, God will endow us with great power.’  

    Please teach complete cheerful obedience!

3. Teach desire to serve a mission…I think as your children watch you cheerfully serve wherever you are called, you are setting a pattern for them to cheerfully, obediently serve. I know you are all doing this already, so keep setting that pattern. Talk about serving missions, sing about serving missions, save for missions by working hard, talk about the blessings etc. etc. 

4. Teach diligent work ethic, and teach your children to work hard, and to work hard cheerfully!!

These are my Mission Preparation tips for the week. 

Wednesday we hosted both Halifax and Dartmouth District Council Meetings at the Mission Office. You cannot believe the depth of testimony and knowledge of the Gospel these young missionaries have; both our elders and sisters, and they are outstanding teachers to boot!! We are so inspired and motivated as they teach us. We love getting to teach them too!! 

Thursday was a day of preparing for our six departing missionaries. Elder Miller(Cardston), Sister Barlow (Lewiston, Utah),Sister Hawkins (SanFrancisco Bay Area) Sister Rodriegues (Mesa, Arizona), Sister Soucie (Blackfoot, Idaho) and Sister Wood (Barnwell)

Our sweet Temple President and Matron; President and Sister Vienot are so gracious and create a special three o’clock session for us everytime we have a departing group. Oh, how we, and our missionaries love that!! Did you know that we have gold leaf maple leafs on the ceiling in one of the ordinance rooms? Also they just received, and are hanging  about 20 new gorgeous paintings in the Temple. 

Departing roast beef feast was yummy, and Dad even had time to make his gravy and whip the potatoes just so! After supper we had a spontaneous handbell concert, and an inspiring testimony meeting. Who knew we could cry as many happy, and sad tears in one six month period? It is such an emotional calling. 

Friday morning again, we were making the 25 minute drive to the Robert Stanfield Airport to, with heavy hearts, bid farewell to our faithful six. It is not getting any easier hugging them goodbye. 

Friday afternoon we made the third trip to the airport to retrieve something one of our returning Elders had confiscated at Security.

We had a fun Pday afternoon activity out in the country collecting evergreen boughs, for our front step Christmas pot…and, I was excited to harvest a few redwood dogwood branches, and some lovely little red berry branches right by Lake Banook which I added to the greenery. Pday afternoon was a needed diversion for both of us!!

Friday night Dad and Elder Majeran attended a Moosehead vs. Wildcats Hockey game, and I actually figured out how the optic TV works, and found a Christmas movie on the Hallmark Channel!!!

Yesterday we had a lovely drive out to Waverly where we, along with 15 missionaries participated in a awesome service project called ‘Feed Nova Scotia,’ which was basically sorting food for Christmas food hampers.

And last night we attended the Cole Harbour Ward family Christmas Party, and it is fun because we are getting to know people in many of the wards and branches in our Mission. The ukulele club sisters performed three Christmas carols, but my poor attendance at Wednesday night practises prevented me from performing!! It seems like most Wednesday nights we are away or busy, and I know my job description does not include learning to play the ukulele, so I was happy to tap my toes and hum along!! 

And today we attended the Halifax Family Ward. Justin (about 30) is a ‘person of interest’ has just finished his three months of detox in New Brunswick and has a new glow about him. His cousins are faithful members in Ontario, and he just basically self-referred himself because he saw the happiness in their lives..we are excited about his new lease on life! We invited him for Christmas Eve and Day. 

Speaking of Christmas festivities…we are excited to pick Jonathan and Jordan up early Tuesday morning, and will love partying with them, and many of our missionaries!!

We continue to feel the blessings of our service here in the amazing, wonderful, Canada Halifax Mission, and love our associations with the great people of Atlantic Canada. Thank you all for your love and support of us. We feel the power of your prayers on behalf of all the missionaries.

With much love, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Richard and Gayle, 

Mission prep 101

Sunday, December 9, 2018. Macie Megan turns One!!!
Monday, December 10, 2018

Winter is here, and Friday morning as we ran around frozen Lake Banook we saw the splendour of December in Nova Scotia!! Every corner we turned was another calendar photo....just stunning!
Just a brief synopsis of our Zone Conference Week!

Monday morning we loved hearing our Senior couples report on reactivation efforts and their 'Light the World' activities, which included booths and floats in their town or city Christmas parades. Without exception our parade entries were the only representation of the Christmas Story...unbelievable! Our seniors missionaries are such an amazing support to our young Elders and Sisters, and do everything from helping build floats, to stapling candy canes to Light the World cards, to feeding them at least once a week, to helping them with discouragement or homesickness, to sharing and teaching gospel truths in District Council Meetings or Zone Confernces.

Tuesday we were off on the three hour drive to Moncton for our interviews and New Brunswick Christmas Zone Conference which we held on Wednesday. Moncton Relief Society provided a delicious meal. Home Wednesday night

Thursday was Nova Scotia Christmas Zone Conference in Dartmouth. Cole Harbour RS provided a turkey dinner. Huge Nor'easter in Newfoundland cancelled our Thursday night flight to St. John's so....

Friday we had somewhat of a P'day. I Brasso'd (brass polished) my big brass pot and one of our activities was to go collect pinecones to fill the pot but we could not find nary a one, probably because the snow storm had hit Dartmouth and the ground was white!  With all the evergreen trees around there must be a mountain of them hiding in some massive composting pile! I will probably have to head to Superstore to buy some scented ones!

Late Friday Air Canada flight had us arriving in St John's just before midnight. Glad to have a rental car rather than have Jonathan and Jordan or the the Schow's come collect us. Sheraton downtown has a gorgeous view of St. John's harbour, and we love to stay there. Great bed, but we opt out of the $30.00 breakfast buffet!! We refuse to pay that for a measly bowl of oatmeal or cereal, which is all we eat for breakfast.

Christmas Zone Conference highlights included hugging, and interacting with all our 74 missionaries, eating together, presenting each missionary with their loaded Christmas stocking, and enjoying a talent show together. (All our senior missionaries as well as RS sisters in some of the metro wards, donated homemade baked goods which filled those fuzzy red stockings to the brim!)

Our contribution to the Talent show was a clever puppet show written by Dad, and it drew tons of laughs as he roasted Elder Boyle and his Rockstar quitting with Elder Livingstone's help; and Nurse Sister Arnold suggesting vitamin D, use of a happy light, and rubbing permethrin on everything including an ingrown toenail; a spoof on Elder Holman who was stuck in our laundry chute for about 15 minutes, and a cute reenactment of Sister Swenson rescuing Sister Brennan from a dog attack, by grabbing the dogs tail and throwing him down! Sister Swenson is from Northern BC, and has wolf hunted with her Dad! You can imagine how hilarious the puppet show was!  The Sister missionary puppets all had Christmas bells dingling in their hair. Oh, and the puppet assistants kept dancing not the 'I Carlton,' but the 'I Nephi,' as they came onstage.

Some of you have requested we share some of our challenges, as well as some of our spiritual experiences, and missionary success stories.

Our greatest challenges deal with missionaries being discouraged. The work is so very hard, and many days all they get is rejection. Using happy lights is a real thing, and I don't mean to make 'light' of anyone that uses one...the reports we get is that they do help. We do our best to encourage, build up, cheerlead, and love, love, love.
Loving all our missionaries is easy for us. And it is wonderful because they love us right back!
We have another Elder heading home tomorrow...he is so depressed, and not doing well at all..in fact our Medical mental health advisor called us yesterday with basically an SOS, so again we have the heartbreak of sending an Elder home...it will be an honourable health release, so we are so hopeful for him. That is an emotionally draining part of the calling. As I have stated many times: Obedience is the standard in the Canada Halifax Mission, and we feel so blessed to have an army of Elders and Sisters who strive to be 100% obedient. We are grateful for all the previous CHM Mission Presidents who set this precedent, which we are determined to have carry on.

Another very real challenge for us is taking a weekly P'day, and we are still trying to carve a play day into our week. Travel is such a major part of this expansive mission and travel days seem to sneak into what could or should be a P'day. We are working on that!

I think my biggest challenge though is feeling, and staying connected with all of you at home...especially our children, grandchildren, our siblings, our Moms, and our aunt. I hope you know how we pray for you. We love to remember our precious family times together. We pray that you are doing everything you can to strengthen your  testimonies, and that you are all preparing to serve missions! The best thing you can do to prepare is to pray and ask Heavenly Father to help you.
Another suggestion to help you prepare is to learn to be charitable...Here is a sweet story from today: at the Mission Office we were visiting with Elder Pitcher and Elder Holman (laundry chute celebrity) when Elder Holman started telling us about how kind Elder Pitcher is...Elder Pitcher immediately covered his ears because he was so embarrassed..apparently they had just been to Subway to get lunch (they are in the process of moving so have to do fast food for a day or so)...anyway they see this homeless man who is begging for money so sweet Elder Pitcher gives the man his subway sandwich! Elder Pitcher has a heart of gold...and also said to me Sister Low...don't worry about Elder......(who just went home today) I will take care of him, even though they live no where near each other Elder Pitcher who returns home the first of January will minister and continue loving his fellow CHM missionary.
Be charitable, and practise on your siblings...old and young.
We can't emphasize enough how important it is to read, and study your scriptures...even memorizing scriptures will help you prepare.
Participate in Family Home Evening cheerfully..even plan and teach lessons...AND
I will give you more ideas next week!
I'll wind down this epistle with a quick story from NewfoundLAND..
Last week the Elders Musgrave and Broadhead were walking down a St. John's street when a man named Chris Fudge saw them and ran after them. Chris had joined the Church 7 years ago, and even before receiving the priesthood asked to have his name removed. Recently he has felt an urgency to have God in his life, and prayed that very day for God to help him know what he was to do in his life...and then he saw the missionaries...and so....now he is going to be retaught!! Incredible!! So Exciting!!
I will sign off because it is an hour past bedtime!
With love to all of you...

New Missionaries, Goodbyes, Visits to PEI, New Brunswick, Cape Breton

November 23, 2018        December 2, 2018           We've been here 5 months!!!!

Another whirlwind Week 6 is behind us and I am pleased to report everyone survived!!

With five new missionaries arriving, and eight departing, grocery shopping seemed like it was on my to do list everyday!! Elder Ben Strong from Edmonton (formerly Lethbridge - and in Michael's Young Men's) Elder Fife from Arkansas/Logan, Utah, Elder Albertson from Vanderhoof BC, Elder Lee from Alaska, and Elder Jorgensen from Mesa, Arizona, are our new Elders and are a keen, enthusiastic bunch. Hot taco soup with fresh buns is my welcome to the Canada Halifax Mission go-to supper, and these new missionaries are appreciative customers happy to eat at 10pm or 3am...whenever they arrive!!

Richard talked to missionary travel and had the travel route changed to go through Boston rather than Toronto which is working much better! I must admit it was challenging to go to bed at ten, set the alarm for midnight, and then head to the airport for a one or two am arrival, and feed the new missionaries when we arrived home! 

After a quick muffin, fresh fruit, and yogurt breakfast, Richard and the new elders head to the office for orientation, and I begin preparations for the 'Welcome to the Canada Halifax Mission' supper, which this week included spiral ham, baked potatoes, carrots, spinach salad, jello, and turtles cheesecake. Capping the evening, after Richard has shared with them their new area of assignment, and who their new companion is, we have a lovely testimony meeting where these youngsters bear such simple faithful witnesses,  Sleep for us comes easily, but I wonder how many hours these 'new recruits' actually sleep?!

5:30 am comes really quickly, breakfast menu is repeated, and with our assistants assistance driving the loaded truck and cargo trailer we make the five minute jaunt to the office for rendez-vous with new companions!  You can imagine the excitement in the air!!

American Thanksgiving on Thursday was 'celebrated' with our eight departing missionaries  (Elders Boardman, Weston, Day, Jones, Ball, along with Sisters Anderson, Bond, and Youngberg) had mixed emotions about leaving their home away from home, and we sure had mixed emotions letting them go!! Turkey dinner with all the trimmings was yummy, especially Dad's gravy!!

Friday morning we are up before dawn and our departing group are so excited to return to their homes.  What a great group of our favorite missionaries we had to bid farewell to... We know they all leave a part of their hearts here, and a chunk of our hearts go with them...Tears are the norm for us...

Saturday we travelled via ferry over to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island for District Council Meeting, and then to the Elder and Sister Dallings darling Montague cottage in the country. I don't know if I mentioned that this is their fourth mission! We are sad to report that because Elder Dalling needs a hip replacement they will be returning to Rexburg right after Christmas.

I must rave again about how incredible all our senior couples are.... The Dallings have woven themselves into the hearts of the entire Montague Branch, and Sunday the cute little eight year old Sadielynn who they have ministered to since arriving was baptized.. The Dallings had even bought a darling cream-coloured baptism dress and sweater for Sadielynn. This is only the second baptism in four years for the Montague Branch, but they were sooo thrilled!

Week 7

Tuesday our drive from Dartmouth to Fredericton was a nail-biting experience...the  snow flurries forecast was really an out and out blizzard!! Now we know what the definition of a snow flurry is! Roads were not good, but we are Albertans and know how to deal with snow and ice on the roads...we just slow down!! A great district council ...fun to be taught by Sister Bailey Nelson from Mountain View. With all our overnight out and backs, you can imagine the number of hotel beds we get to sample! Our votes for best bed, best linens, mildest Neutrogena bar soaps and shampoo, and creamiest oatmeal goes to the Hampton Inn! Anytime we can stay at a Hampton Inn, that is where we head!!

On to Saint John, New Brunswick, Thursday,for another District Council, and home again Friday night, with Elder Jorgensen, one of our brand new missionaries who is heading home today. Hopefully he will be back within six months! 

Back to the airport Saturday to deliver Elder Jorgensen who flew home to Mesa, Arizona, and we were off flying to Sydney, Cape Breton, NovaScotia to visit our awesome missionaries Elder and Sister Wilkinson, and Elders Anderberg and Scott. 

A less active branch member named Josh Demeers just had major surgery and we were happy to head to the Hospital to meet and visit with he and his Mom.

Lucky for us it was the Sydney Branch Christmas party last night complete with full turkey dinner...and they even served turnips! Sister Donovan made nine apple pies. 

The Silverstein's brought friends who are not yet members, but seem interested, and there were many less active folks in attendance as well, so the Elders were pumped!

While Sister Oliver, a gifted pianist softly played Christmas carols, three wise men from the East shuffled in bearing loaded gift bags for each of the children in attendance, (as well as for our Elders!) We loved the variation from the typical Santa visit!

Elder and Sister Wilkinson were the ultimate in hosting guests, and tricked us into sleeping in their room, which was even more comfortable than our Hampton Inn! They are the amazing couple from Pleasant Grove, Utah who are determined to serve missions for ten years. Over the past few years, there  have been some very challenging issues in Sydney, and the Wilkinson's are determined to help create unity back in the Branch. We know they can do it. Wonderful testimonies in Testimony Meeting. Relief Society Council meeting was amazing where they talked about challenges sisters in the branch are having, and how they could help; there is a real problem with anxiety, and bipolar depression in Atlantic Canada, and it seems like everywhere we visit they are dealing with that challenge. I loved hearing how sincere, and concerned all the sisters were for those not in attendance. I must rave about the two gorgeous sesquicentennial quilts hanging on the walls in the Relief Society Room...quilts like you would see in the General Relief Society Building in Salt Lake City with beautiful piecing, and embroidery! I'll try and have Dad include the photos of these masterpieces!

The Wilkinson's took us on a lovely Sabbath drive all around Cape Breton with an amazing stop at the Rob and Norma Silverstein's home. Now, Norma is an incredible rug-hooking Queen...the best I have ever seen..even better than Deanne Fitzpatrick. These folks are so crafty and wool wizards!

I will wind this little report down, send it with much love

Richard and Gayle, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma

Gander Group Creation...November 18, 2018

Hello again,
Just a quick PART TWO of this morning's report! The newly organized Gander group is great with Brother Thamas as group leader, Brother Paradie as assistant, and Brother Fisher as the Facilities director, which means he organizes the rented Lion's Hall for Sunday meetings - sets up, and takes down chairs, sacrament table, and pulpit. All three are converts, and are excited to learn how to lead. Ricks and Sandra Smith, and Jessie Datwyler zoomed in so in total we had 24 attending!
Dad did an awesome job talking about "Fresh Starts and New Beginnings," and challenged us to have Gander ready to create a Branch within a year!! He always gives me a chance to bear my testimony, and I enjoy doing that. Playing the Yamaha keyboard was a bit stressful since anytime one of my fingers bumped a key, even one I didn't  mean to touch..the Yamaha thought I was playing it! I would much rather play a real piano!
Like I have mentioned..these folks love to socialize after meetings, and eat! I don't think they have potluck every week, but every time we are anywhere it seems like we are treated to a pretty fancy buffet!  Sylvia White who came with the Smith's to the Temple about a month ago, was there with her husband, and it was fun to see her again. You can't believe the devotion, and commitment of so many of these Newfoundland Saints! Some of them have to travel over an hour to attend Sunday Meetings. Brother Butt in Cornerbrook told Dad they used to drive to Halifax via the ferry to attend Leadership Meetings every three months. They are good, good people,many never complain..at least I never hear them. One funny thing...after Sacrament Meeting..Brother Fisher came up and asked me where in Newfoundland I was from?! ...all because I pronounced NewfoundLAND CORRECTLY; he thought I was a native!! I took it as a compliment!!!
And now we are 'home,' planning Week 6..transfer week!! It will be another marathon week! We LOVE our Mission!
Hope you are well!
Love to all 
G&G, R&G, G'pa&G'ma xoxoxoxoxoxo...

Cornerbrook Chili Cookoff and Scottish Country Dancing November 18, 2018

Yesterday morning we woke up to our first snowstorm in Dartmouth, and locals claim it is a month earlier than usual! Good thing we try to be flexible and creative with our Plan B's!! Let me explain!!...Our delayed flight to Deer Lake still had us arrive just in time to make the half-hour drive to Cornerbrook where the chili cook-off judging was ready to begin!! Such great cooks...everything homemade..rolls and buttertarts by Patti Shenfield, and pies by Linda Sheppard. Spending time with our people in these isolated branches and twigs is important for them, and for us.
Back to DeerLake and to the Holiday Inn for the night. Forecast for overnight snow had us wondering what we would face this morning..which we soon found out...a blizzard and another cancelled flight!! Air Canada rebooked us for the next available flight to Gander on Monday, November 19, which, of course would not work!  Our main reason for coming to Newfoundland this weekend was to create the Gander Group, and this afternoon Dad has a slate full of interviews SO we determined to try the snazzy 2019 Infinity QX 60 on the snowy, drifted roads, and brave the blizzardy, wintery conditions, and forge forward. His interview is at 2:30 so our speeds between 60 and 80 will still get us to Gander on time.

About a half hour into our 'dogsled' adventure, right on the road in front of us were two  of Santa's reindeer, but because of the drifting Dad couldn't stop to get a photo, still it was fun to see wildlife and...actually they were caribou! Pretty fun!

Last week as we visited with Elder Allard I started suggesting, or promoting for Newfoundland to get a TEMPLE, and you can be sure that for the next three years that will be what I plead for in every conversation with General Authorities! Oh, how these islanders need a Temple! Travel to Nova Scotia is so expensive, and most of the Newfoundlers barely have enough money for food and housing. Temple attendance for them is a luxury they just can't afford. When I think about the portable temple the children of Israel had, I know the Temple architects could design a tiny one just for Newfoundland!! It would be such a strength for them, and they need a temple.
I have three years to make my case!! 

Sunday morning
Elder and Sister Smith from West Jordan, Utah are wonderful, picked us up at the airport after we checked our rental car in, and welcomed us into their home. Warm soup was waiting for us, and while I spent a quiet afternoon visiting, resting, and practising the portable Yamaha keyboard, Dad interviewed and extended callings. Sister Smith served a yummy crockpot roast beef dinner, and we were stuffed!
At eight we ventured off with Sisters Hawkins and Rodriegues to have a lesson with their investigator named Andre who has been meeting with missionaries since March. He is a brilliant 60'ish emerg Doctor who lost his wife just over two years ago, and is really seeking to know...we call him elect. Our lesson last night was testifying of our identity as children of God, and Sister Hawkins and Rodriegues were both master teachers and testifiers. We love to get to teach with our missionaries! We have no idea how many times he has been challenged to be baptized, and again Sister Hawkins extended the invitation. Andre explained that you can lead a horse to water, but you can't force him to drink...he is getting closer to making the commitment...we can see him being the Branch President when Gander gets to be a branch....
It truly was an amazing day, and really a miracle that we made it here! We realized that had we not made the trip to Cornerbrook on Friday, we would not have made it to Gander because all flights were cancelled..The Lord is in charge, and he blessed us to get here safely..it is His work...and ours too!

I'll send this off with much LOVE,
Dad and Mom, Richard and Gayle, Grandpa and Grandma

Have a wonderful Sabbath day!!

Winter Wonderland and another Miracle. November 16, 2018

Dear Family, 
Because of a winter snowstorm, we have been delayed a couple of hours flying to Cornerbrook, Newfoundland. In September, when we were last in Cornerbrook, they invited us to attend their chili/ Scottish country dance Branch party November 16, and we have excitedly anticipated getting to be with our new Cornerbrook friends, and party! Dovetailing mission activities is getting to be something we specialize in, and tomorrow morning, we hop on another plane to head to Gander where, on Sunday, Dad will create the "Gander Group" - a group is what is before a branch, and sometimes it is known as a twig! 
Our New Missionary Conference last week was a great success..so fun to be with our new missionaries, and their companions. Sleeping, and feeding big gangs of 14+ elders at the Mission home is so fun! They are enthusiastic, and trying so hard to be 100% obedient; we love watching the senior companions teach and train! Highlight for all of us was the Special Temple Session. President And Sister Veinot are so accommodating and  are always willing to create a session for us...this time we had 50+ patrons which was over the maximum by about 6, and we are not reporting that to the Fire Marshall.

Having Grandma here was awesome, but her three and a half weeks flew by! We crammed in a bunch of activities like trips to Moncton, New Brunswick, PEI on the ferry, and back over Confederation Bridge, Annapolis Valley, Peggy's Cove, Lunenberg, Mahone Bay, McCormack Beach, Halifax Boardwalk, visits with Jeff and Julie Marshall, plus every mission meeting we held. She was comfortable in the General Authority suite, and even when we had GA Elder Allard with us on Saturday night, I think she was happy that she trumped him!! Sad to see her leave on Tuesday!

JJ Choo - our Bishop's wife is my Mission hairdresser, and is great, and $100.00 cheaper that the first hairdresser I visited! I did get a makeover Wednesday night ...just in time for our Mission Leadership Conference which was yesterday. 

Another gang of 16 Elders slept over.. for MLC so I made a huge pot of turkey soup, fresh buns, and cookies! They are appreciative of home cooked food, but for breakfast they had to settle for store-bought muffins, yogurt, and fruit 

MLC was awesome, and this time, we included our District leaders as well as Zone leaders and STL's, so we had about 50 in attendance..including us and the Office missionaries. We taught and talked all about Christlike leadership, and had great participation. Dad and I did a break out training session with our Sister Training Leaders (STL's), and we felt that was beneficial.

Interior Painting is underway at the mission home, and Brother Boswell has finished the Dining Room and today and tomorrow will complete the Living room and Dad's office!! Monday begins Week 6...transfer week, so it will be wonderful to have the main 
level looking 100% better! Painting will continue the week after transfers. Thanks to David for the Sherwin William 7567 and 1015 colour suggestions. (which we are using!!)
Dining room, living room and office will all be 7567...I think Charles is worried about using the darker everywhere so 1015 will be the lighter colour everywhere else.

We have departing missionaries coming on Thursday so their goodbye meal will also be Thanksgiving dinner which will be so fun and then,....I'm so excited to get decorating for Christmas, and planning parties.

I'll send this little report off to anyone who wants to read it!

Zone Conferences, Bay Roberts - "Fill the World with Love" November 2018

Monday, November 5, 2018

We always feel invigorated, excited, and maybe exhausted after our Zone Conference week. Halloween night we drove to Moncton, New Brunswick for our first zone meetings, stayed overnight at our Hampton Inn, and began our training by nine the next morning. Travelling with us were Mom H, and Elders Boardman and Olsen - our assistants. Both Assistants served for several transfers in New Brunswick so it was like going home for them, and you can imagine how thrilled they were to go back. Stopping in Truro at the Stanfield’s underwear factory and outlet, and finding white short-sleeved hoodies for $1.99 was the deal of deals for frugal missionaries!! 

The great saints of the Moncton Branch started preparing a turkey dinner for us the day before our Conference, and they pulled out all the stops!! Their preparation included Autumn table centre pieces, party favours, and even homemade apple pie. Zone Conferences are always very full days of trainings, including power points, role plays, with plenty of instruction by us, the Assistants, the Sister Training Leaders, and the Zone Leaders. With emphasis on our Mission Culture points, the key indicators, and general teaching and training, we all leave motivated to be more effective, bolder, and more powerful teachers!! We teach, teach, teach!!! New Brunswick East and New Brunswick West Zones, include St. Stephen, Presque Isle, Maine, Edmundston, Bathhurst, Miramichi, Fredericton, St.John, and Montague, and Charlottetown PEI, so some pretty big drives!

Back to Dartmouth for another Conference on Friday, and interesting how even though we repeat our training, each conference is different, with missionaries all learning and gleaning different take-aways, that are just right for them. Our Dartmouth Relief Society prepared a delicious pulled pork meal for lunch, and again, we so appreciate their service to us. 

My Mom opted to come for the afternoon portion of the big day, and she enjoyed the association and attention paid to her by our missionaries. We were all motivated to be more effective member missionaries!! Zones on Friday included Nova Scotia North, and Nova Scotia South with missionaries from Yarmouth, Sydney, Bridgewater,  Truro,  New Glasgow, Kentville, Annapolis Royal, Greenwood, Sackville, Halifax, Dartmouth, and Cole Harbour.

Friday night we took the just under two hour flight to St. John’s, Newfoundland for the Saturday Zone Conference. With Cornerbrook an eight hour drive away, we had the Shenfields, and Elders Tait and Call fly.  Gander, GrandFalls, Bay Roberts and St. John’’s Elders and Sisters made the drive. Training was awesome. Fun to have our Assistants join us…They are inspired, enthusiastic, and converted, and their love of the gospel is contagious!! Mom chose to not come so she is holding down the Mission Home fort!!!

Sunday we finally got to attend meetings in Bay Roberts, and loved meeting and worshipping with the wonderful saints there,  and were thrilled to have Jonathan and Jordan join us. The Jagoda’s our Senior couple serving in Bay Roberts, are amazing, and minister with unconditional love. We are so grateful for them. The combined Relief Society/Priesthood meeting was all on emergency preparedness, and we are determined to get loaded duffle bags or backpacks for each missionary companionship. Well-presented, and prepared, and we even came away with a bottle of processed moose meat!! Unfortunately it would not make it on the plane so we let Elders Broadhead and Musgrave inherit it!! Like I have mentioned before, these islanders know how to eat, and what a treat for us, to have them to host an all you can eat Potluck following the block!! 

Nearing the end of our meetings we got notification that because of hurricane force winds our flight off the island had been cancelled, which although we were anxious to get back to keep my Mom company we were happy to spend unhurried time visiting, and getting to know our new friends. For years I have been thinking and dreaming of giving a talk entitled  “Fill the World with Love,” so it was fun to share some of my thoughts! Here is a little outline: 

Bay Roberts Sacrament Meeting                      November 4, 2018

Did I Fill the World With Love? 

We love Newfoundland, and we love the people of Newfoundland..that's you!! 

Compliment on how hardy, how resilient, resourceful, creative, loyal, musical, sincere.  Our dear friends Lee and Lorna Gordon who served here a few years ago returned to Lethbridge with raving reports of their time here in Bay Roberts, so, when our Mission Call came to serve in the Canada Halifax Mission we were thrilled with anticipation of meeting and serving with you! We love our missionaries....Elders Calvert and Leavitt, and Elder and Sister Jagoda!

When I was a teenager I loved the 1970's movie "Goodbye Mr. Chips," not so much for actors Peter O'Toole and Petula Clark portraying the romantic love story of a middle age university professor bachelor falling in love a lovely student...but for the lyrics to one of the movies songs: "Did I Fill the World With Love?" And actually it is one of my life's mantras...did I fill the world with love? Did I Fill the World With Love??

When it is my time to leave this mortal life, one of the questions I will be asking myself is this very question. Did I Fill the World With Love?

Filling the World with love for me, or for any of us, cannot wait until we are ready to pass from this mortal existence. I believe, and I know that as children of our Heavenly Father, and as covenant keepers, on the covenant path, we must fill the world with love everyday!! 

Weekly as we partake of the sacrament...what do we covenant? Mosiah 18: 8,9,10

Fellowshipping in our wards and branches of the Church is a powerful way to fill the world with love!  And we must do it! Arriving in Atlantic Canada the end of June and visiting many wards and branches we have been overwhelmed with the warm, heartfelt welcome we have felt. It is your way, and I want it to be my way too! 

Last summer in Lethbridge we had major stake and Ward boundary changes where we were totally shuffled, and found ourselves attending a meeting house clear across our city with 80% of the ward members totally new folks. It was really pieces of five other wards lumped together..a very diverse combination of people from all demographics, and economic groups. My husband and I immediately decided we would embrace the change...we were going to make new friends, and had a goal to weekly introduce ourselves to at least five new friends and to have little groups of these new friends over for Sunday dinner. This and many other similar fellowshipping efforts created a strong feeling of love and unity in our Ward that people began to express over the pulpit! Within six months my husband described our experience as the Westminster Miracle (Westminster is the name of our home Ward) Our Westminster Miracle taught all of us the power of fellowshipping, and the power of filling our Ward with love. 

Ministering since April 2018 is the new buzz word in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and actually ministering is not a new word.prophets of old ministered, and the Saviour Jesus Christ himself spent His life ministering, and teaching us how to minister. In my minds eye I love imagining the Saviour ministering to the throngs as he taught the Sermon on the Mount, and my heart swells wiith emotion as I think of Him raising Jairus' daughter from the dead!  When we think of the life of the Saviour, his entire life was a life of ministering, of filling the world with love. The beautiful realistic Bible videos make imagining easy!

I think for us to minister in 2018, it really is just the same as in the Saviour's day. All that is required is time, an open heart and just a bit of creativity! 

Let me share an experience when my friend Carole knew I needed ministering! I was recuperating from a Caesarean section delivery from delivering our sixth son Jonathan who is sitting right there!

Well, Carole showed up carrying her cleaning tote, and said I'm here to clean your bathrooms...she knew I needed a pick me up, she knew I needed my bathrooms cleaned, and she knew I needed ministering to. Mostly I needed a friend, a sister to visit with.. That is the definition of ministering..of filling the world with love..

As missionaries, and as church members another GREAT way to fill the world with love is to share the gospel, and like President Martinez mentioned...to read the Book of Mormon, to share the Book of Mormon. That is why we are here in Atlantic Canada, why we are in Newfoundland! 

Quote in program 

Testimony...Hearts knit together in love...let us fill the world with Love by filling the world with the Book of Mormon. It is my testimony that simply sharing The Book of Mormon with our friends will make a difference in the world…

Having my Mom here for almost a month was delightful…we kept being missionaries, and she joined right in!! She returned home this past Tuesday, the 13th, and her room feels empty!!

Probably the best thing to do would be to submit this to the blog page, and then add a few emails as well which will update anyone that wants to be updated!!

Hope all is well with all of you…we send love and wishes for a Happy American Thanksgiving!!

Autumn, 3 Twelve year olds, Mom Hamilton, Cleveland, Kirtland, Ohio, and Shingles!! October 2018

October 7, 2018

Autumn is in full Fall SPLENDOR, and it is absolutely breathtaking!!!! We have fallen in love with the lush green forests that cover Atlantic Canada, but now we get to appreciate how absolutely stunning the mixed forests are!!! Imagine a watercolour pallet with every red, pink, orange, gold, brown, and green hue!!! It makes me wish I could take a brush and record some of these magnificent scenes!! With stately red maples beside rust-coloured oaks, flanked by golden birch, and lacy lime-green larch, forest green balsam fir, and towering deep green pines, the Maritimes truly have a corner on autumn beauty!!!  

Logging trucks almost monopolize the highways which makes us sad to know they actually chop these trees down…I’m just glad they don’t do it in view of the highways we travel.

Thursday, October 4th, was a banner day for us!!  For three months we have been anticipating the visit of Isabelle, Berkley, and Claire, and had butterflies as we made the quick 6:15am jaunt to the airport to collect our three twelve year olds!! They are so excited to be here and we are even more excited to have them here!! We keep remembering four years ago, travelling with these three when they were little eight year olds, to attend General Conference in Salt Lake City. After they had a quick rest at the Mission Home, I collected the three and brought them to the Dartmouth building for our meeting. Part of our presentation at MLC (Mission Leadership Council) included 3-5 minute talks by each; Isabelle talked about prayer, Berkley talked about scripture study, and Claire talked about repentance. We were so proud of their well-prepared, and well-presented messages. We love our MLC meetings, and especially love our interactions with our wonderful missionaries!!

Friday was our second ever P-day, and we drove in to Caribou, Nova Scotia and hopped on the ferry bound for Prince Edward Island. Those kids were so excited about everything, and were snapping photos right and left. I loved hearing them say: Claire can you airdrop that to me, or Isabelle, can you send that to me, or Berk I love that..I want that!! They were delightful travellers, and loved being together! And we loved being together with them!! It really was a PEI whirlwind visit, but we did see Green Gables, we explored several Cavendish Beaches, drove over hill and dale through Avonlea, had ice-cream at the famous Cows ice-cream parlour, slowly drove by Confederation Hall (under restoration)where in 1867 the fathers of Confederation met, saw fields and fields of potatoes, and many cute little farmers market stands with every freshly harvested vegetable imaginable!! The Anne of Green Gables gift shop seemed to have souvenirs for everyone, so PEI was a hit!! Driving back to Dartmouth over the Confederation Bridge was a thrill, and when Claire found her commemorative coin at the special New Brunswick gas station she was elated. Isabelle and Berkley loved finding cute animal sling shots for their brothers at the same gas station. What unselfish kids always thinking about their family members back home!

Richard found General Conference online as we travelled,  so we heard President Nelson as we were in the back country on dirt roads, following Berkley’s directions to get down to actually see the Bay of Fundy!!! What exciting changes for our Sunday schedule!!

We stopped in Amherst at my favourite shop - Deanne Fitzpatrick’s Rug-hooking shop, and each of us found a kit we loved!! - Claire had the shop lady adjust her kit to include yellow for her flower, Berkley found a fun lighthouse kit, and Isabelle had the greens adjusted in her pinetree kit. A quick stop at Michael’s to get embroidery hoops, and we were all ready to 

rug-hook while listening to General Conference! 

Arriving home to Dartmouth, we were thrilled and screamed when we came home to find Jonathan and Jordan sitting in our Office!!! Richard, and Berkley had been in on the fun surprise, but were great secret keepers!! It felt like Thanksgiving with some of our dear ones with us!!!

We loved watching Conference here at home. Rug-hooking kept us all wide awake, and focussed on both listening and hooking! Deanne, our new friend loved when we forwarded a photo of us happily rug-hooking away!!!Associating and interacting with all our missionaries is the highlight of our service, so were thrilled to have some of our Halifax metro missionaries join us for the afternoon session of Conference. Thanksgiving feast turkey, dressing, pumpkin pie, fresh rolls, potatoes, etc. aromas kept us anticipating the dinner ahead!!  With twenty-four in our dining room including all of us, metro missionaries; Sisters Gillett, Cartwright, Swenson, Clark, Elders Boardman, SawaSawa,                    office missionaries; Elder and Sister Boyle, Elder and Sister Majeran, and Sister Arnold, as well as friends Emma Robarts, and Harley Westerman. What a thrill to have family and so many wonderful new friends, who feel like family join us for a meal of Thanksgiving. Know that we certainly dream of Thanksgivings past, and, future Thanksgivings with you, our dear ones at home.  Another perfect day!!

Monday morning  dawned the ideal day for sight-seeing with Jonathan, Jordan, Isabelle, Berkley and Claire. Driving to Peggy’s Cove, Mahone Bay and Lunenberg on the glorious Thanksgiving day was amazing; brilliant fall colours with Nova Scotia beauty around every corner!! Again the kids phone cameras were snapping photos…such fun!!

Richard had organized and reserved seven spots for a four hour deep-sea fishing adventure starting at one o’clock in Lunenberg and you can imagine how excitement built!!  Gravol, and the anti-nausea patches we stuck behind our ears Sunday night, sort of helped us with the ocean motion! Everyone was thrilled learning to jig on the ocean, and were especially thrilled as their jigs actually worked and caught fish!!! (I was so excited to watch each of them catch their fish that it didn’t matter to me that my line was empty everytime I reeled it in!) Berkley’s catch was especially thrilling as he caught two massive cod at the same time!!! We can’t even tell you how wonderful it was to have those GREAT kids here!!!

And now it is three weeks later…Thursday, October 25, 2018 and we are in Cleveland, Ohio

Monday evening, Dr. Fox who practised in Fall River, confirmed our area medical advisor - Dr. Keyes diagnosis of ‘shingles.’ My forehead is where they have manifest themselves, so I carefully place a polysporin dabbed bandaid parallel with my eyebrow to try and conceal the nasty blotch.  Dr. Fox prescribed some huge blue anti-virus pills to hopefully contain the spread..(I think) I am suspicious of two more spots - another on my forehead, and one beside my nose…. After Richard finished his Presidency Meeting, and Mom and I returned from the Dr. we packed up our loaner van and headed to the Alt Airport Hotel to spend a few hours!!! Since our flight was international, we needed to check in at four am, so we were happy to have a little sleep, and just a walkway away from our checkin spot. 

Twice a year we get to attend a Mission President and Companion Conference, and so…our reason for being in Cleveland. Our flights were from Halifax to Newark, New Jersey where we found our friends the Vest’s who are serving (with their five children) in Utica, New York. Oh my they have stories to tell!!! Richard description as this Conference being EFY for Mission Presidents on steroids is pretty accurate!! Instructing us are our Area Presidency : Presidents Randall Bennett, Kevin Hamilton, and Allan Haynie here as well as Elder Robert Gay and Elder Whitney Clayton, along with their lovely wives who I just love to listen to!!! We love listening to all of their inspired, motivating council, and have so much more we want and need to do!!!

Tomorrow we have a morning of instruction, and then we get to take the half hour bus ride to Kirkland, where we will be taught in the Kirtland Temple!!! Wow!! It has been 30 years since we were there last…who remembers that??? 

Cleveland is a neat old city, and they say it is the city of forests, and the city of Rock and Roll—who knew? There are some great old buildings that look like they could be in Washington, DC or even Paris…someday we will have to come back and explore. From our 22nd floor room view we have a beautiful view of Lake Erie so after supper we enjoyed a little jaunt down towards the water, BUT…there was a freeway in the way of us getting right down to the shore!!

Leading the music was a thrill…singing ‘We are all Enlisted’ and ‘How Firm a Foundation,’ with

our dear Mission friends was a thrill, and a bit scary!! I tried my best to not have a shaking head!!

The Church of Christ which still owns the Temple, are very friendly with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and have made arrangements so we can take special tours, and have meetings in the Temple which is amazing….Being taught by Elder Christofferson in the Kirtland Temple was the highlight of all our training. He reminded us of the amazing visits by the Saviour, and by Elijah, Elias and Moses in the Kirkland Temple, restoring all the Keys. Brother Anderson, the Kirtland Patriarch, and a local expert historian was our bus tour guide, as well as a guide in the Newel K. Whitney store, and oh my, he knows his Kirtland history…in fact has written a historical book commissioned by Elder Neal A. Maxwell which we are excited to read. It was astounding to hear of  all the amazing events that occurred in and around Kirtland!!