More Joy in His Service

Sunday,  September 9, 2018

We had no idea how wonderful this experience would be!! Anyone of you considering serving a mission, we would highly encourage you to DO IT!! There is so much purpose to our every waking moment…people to find, and eighty-three young missionaries as well as twenty-one inspiring seniors to love and encourage.  Any of you that are looking for opportunities to find greater fulfillment in your lives….plan on serving a MISSION!!! We are finding so much JOY as we SERVE, and are grateful for all the experiences we have had with many of you that have prepared us for this adventure. 

Our days are pretty structured; we begin most days with a physical 4Km+ run around part of Lake Banook before we have our personal study time. And then we begin the daily mission marathon….and we have been so blessed with good health, and energy to keep up with our demanding schedule. Thank you for your prayers.

District Council meetings are held in each district once a week, and our goal is to attend a district council meeting  in each district once a transfer cycle (every 6 weeks), which means that we are attending a different council meeting weekly, and sometimes more often, like this week when we attended four…. so this week our journey included visits to Annapolis Royal, Fredericton, Saint John, and St. Stephen, as well as our local Dartmouth district.  Monthly interactions with our missionaries has been lovely and we feel like we are really getting to know them.  We know the Lord has blessed us with obedient, converted Elders and Sisters that love the Saviour and the Canada Halifax Mission!!  Tuesday we attended the Dartmouth District Council right at the Mission Office and then Wednesday we headed through the Annapolis Valley to the Annapolis Royal District Council. It is amazing to be taught by these young leaders who are super prepared and directed by the spirit. I can’t believe we are getting to serve with these stalwart, focused, eighteen to twenty one year olds!! They have well-prepared power point presentations, and are master teachers. It really is sooo fun!! Thursday was travel day to Fredericton, and Friday was District Meeting in Fredericton, and yesterday we loved being taught, and teaching our Elders in Saint John. Today we attended Sacrament Meeting in Saint Stephen’s which is barely across the border from Calais, Maine, so ward members come from Maine as well as St. Stephen’s.  Along with President Straight from the Stake Presidency, Dad and I spoke. President Straight and his wife lived in West Lethbridge, and was in Stake Conference when Dad was released as counsellor and sustained as Stake President - small world!!

Last week we attended the Cole Harbour Testimony meeting, and a Sister Evans shared her testimony and recent experience of serving in the Temple when a woman  entered the Temple door, and asked to come in saying that she walked by the Temple every day, and wondered what it was like inside. Sister Evans let her come just to the Recommend desk, found out her first name was Tiffany,  and then gave her a Book of Mormon, and the Temple magazine. Well, Tiffany explained that she and a group of her friends have left their congregation, have formed their own group, and are looking for something….You can be sure our ears perked up at that…but…with only a first name how could we find Tiffany? Sister Evans had found out that Tiffany lived around Main Street so….. our Monday evening ‘finding plan’ was to have a District finding activity…. #findingtiffany!! Elder Foy the district leader split us into three groups, distributed maps with our assigned streets, and we were off. It was so fun knocking with Sister Swenson and Sister Clark!!! They are pro’s at door approaches, and I learned how to be more effective, and bold!! My usual approach is to chat about the perennial bed, and the lavender or hydrangea in their front yards, and then introduce ourselves.  I just love to be with the sisters because they jump right in without the chitchat and are are so enthusiastic and keen to share!! Actually we love to be with all our missionaries…both the sisters and the elders!! We did not find Tiffany..this time but we haven’t given up!!

Mondays find us at the Mission Office before 9am, first enjoying a  Zoom. meeting with our Senior Missionaries conducted by Elder Schow (from Cardston)who is the Senior District leader. Zoom is amazing because we have visual and voice contact with all our missionaries from far off Cornerbrook to Gander to St. John’s Newfoundland, to Summerside or Montague PEI to Sydney Nova Scotia - we can see and hear all of them!!! We are excited to host a Senior conference next month, and all will be here, including two of our new couples who will arrive in the next few weeks. Senior missionaries are Sister Arnold, the Boyles’, the Majeran’s, all serving in the Office, the Schow’s serving in St. John’s NFLD.,  Jagoda’s serving in Bay Roberts, Smith’s in Gander, the Bremner’s in Summerside PEI., the Dalling’s in Montague,  the Wilkinson’s in Sydney, NS., and the Livingstone’s who are CES service Missionaries live in Halifax. Elder Wentsell is the service missionary in charge of vehicles.  The Butler’s, Rouston’s, Shenfield’s and Lewis’s are due to arrive in the next month or two.  We are so grateful to have so many hard-working, devoted consecrated missionaries to serve with. Our tiny branches need the experience, commitment and testimony that our seniors offer.  Any takers?!

Our second Monday meeting is with our stellar office missionaries, and, they keep everything running smoothly…they send missionary birthday cards, make our flight reservations, pay all the bills, organize food for zone conferences, take care of our fleet of vehicles - ‘Rav 4’s or Rogue’s,’ organize mail, and delivery of all tracts and teaching materials, tend to the renting of apartments all over the mission, create memory booklets for every returning missionary, and…every other possible task we need done, and many more than we don’t even ask….and always with a smile!!!!

We have such a great time with these new, awesome friends!!

Ukulele club on Wednesday night is such a fun diversion. I cannot even hope to keep up with the other sisters that have been together practising for over two years, but Sister Boyle and I had so much fun doing our best to pluck away on our new ukes, and sing along!! If I could keep my Hawaiian ukulele in tune it would be good. Thank you Jan for tutoring me in the first four main chords!! Vincie Vincent, one of the charter club members brought an entire 120 page collection of  music over so I must carve out time to practise!..next week!!

Thursday night Richard had a fun diversion with President Gilbert Smith (his 1st Counsellor) who is a beekeeper. He spent several hours helping empty the honeycomb trays, and as a reward brought home a pint full of freshly harvested honey!! He does have his beekeepers license and plans on having beehives when we are in Alberta again, so this is fun practise for him…and a wonderful way to relax!!

Last night we spent the evening in St. Andrews by the sea - a lovely resort actually voted by USA Today as the best destination in Canada! Oh brother….here goes the travelogue…St. Andrew’s is a charming little town with beautiful two hundred year old clapboard sided homes, some unpainted and many with fresh coats of paint. Walking up and down the streets over-looking our very own Pete’s Dragon, Passamaquody Bay was like going back two hundred years..Shops are filled with local artisans wonderful wares, and after careful selection, my souvenir bag had a walnut spurdle, a red glass star ornament, and a walnut shaker box complete with tiny dowels and copper tacks. We are in awe of the creative folks in these parts!! Rural bumpy, backwood roads are the way to see, and get a feel for this neck of the woods!!! Fall is in the air, and some leaves already have a hint of gold with the occasional red tree in a sea of green! We know the next time we pass this way the colours will be stunning!!

Elder Allan Haynie of the Seventy and his wife arrive Wednesday and we are excited to give them a five day whirlwind tour of the Canada Halifax Mission!  Mostly we are excited to ‘show off’ our Mission and our missionaries! All three Zone Conferences as well as our Mission Leadership Council will be presided over by Elder Haynie, and we look forward to his training. Lots of preparation to do to be ready for our teachings at  MLC, and Zone Conferences, and also hosting the Haynie’s.  Amazing experiences everyday…and every week!!! Happy to report that our homesickness is waning…probably because we are excitedly anticipating three twelve year olds visiting us….Isabelle, Berkley and Claire….we can’t wait!!!!

Until next week we send much love to all

Richard and Gayle