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,