Today is Sunday, February 10, 2019
Out our kitchen, and dining room windows we have a beautiful shrub bed with a variety of about a dozen different shrubs - I only know the names of a few…like hydrangea, boxwood, and rhododendron.
Our rhododendron act as a weather gauge for our outdoor or indoor exercise activity, and rather than check on our phones to get a read on whether we run outside or head to the gym, we simply look at the rhododendron shrubs which if it is -7 and colder look pretty sad and droopy; and warmer than that, they look healthy, vigorous, green, and pretty perky, which simply tells us we get to enjoy the crisp air, and run/walk outdoors. Lest you think I have loved digging in this rich dark soil around our lush plants..think again…it is the same bed our resident rats have been seen; so my love of playing in the soil has to be stifled!! Someday when I reread this Mission record, I need to remember our close encounters with these nasty critters…(the only distasteful thing about our beloved Mission Home!)
The week of January 28th (Megan’s Birthday) was almost a record bed and breakfast week with our Bay Roberts couple - Elder and Sister Jagoda, and our Corner Brook couple - Elder and Sister Shenfield, Sisters Powell, and Newman (they call themselves the ‘Island Princesses’!!!)from Summerside, PEI, as well as five of their branch members - Cat, Zoe, Jamie, Emily Carroll, and Eliza Law, all stayed. We are blessed with lots of comfy beds, and are happy to have space for these wonderful saints to stay while they are attending the Temple. We are grateful to have so many new friends come and visit!
After receiving diagnosis of Sister Shenfield’s lymphoma, Elder and Sister Shenfield packed up their truck with all their belongings, hopped on the overnight ferry from Newfoundland, and spent the night with us before heading west and home to Rocky Mountain House. All our local senior missionaries joined us for a Farewell Dinner party which, for all of us was bittersweet. Chemotherapy treatments were to begin the day after arriving home, which I believe was this past Friday. Our thoughts and prayers are with them. CornerBrook saints are devastated having the last two Senior couples - Shenfield’s and Datweiler’s both leave them..and both for cancer diagnoses. Richard has requested for another senior couple to serve there..hopefully we will hear soon.
French seems to occupy our minds and much of our time, and while I struggle to conjugate verbs, speak simple phrases and understand this foreign language, we have the faith to know the Lord will bless us for our simple efforts. We will keep praying for the Gift of Tongues. Tutoring sessions are a challenge for me especially, and although our tutors are gifted French speakers, my progress is slow. Richard is helping me by creating sentences using my conjugated verbs…I know this will really aid me in remembering verbs as well as help me in communicating with people. Someone also told us that it is really good for an old brain to learn a new language…maybe I can slow memory problems down by trying to become bilingual!! Richard had an amazing experience on Thursday night where he shared Joseph Smith’s First Vision in French with a new person of interest! Eric his tutor had just had him share it in his tutoring the day before, so his relearning French is progressing really well!
Last Saturday we had about a half hour to try out our ‘new to us’ skates, so with lawn chairs in one hand and skates in the other we headed across to Lake Banook. Beside the path there is a little brook (hence our street name - Brookdale Crescent!!) and this little brook, of course empties into Lake Banook. We were smart enough to not try skating on the ice at the mouth of the brook, but went further down the shoreline thinking the ice looked nice and stiff. People skating out in the middle of the lake made us feel the ice was safe, but just to make sure Richard with boots still on, stepped out, and immediately was through the ice - up to his knees! Next time we will go to the other side of the lake where no freshwater is entering !! We laughed, but were so grateful it was shallow there!! Another perfect day will come along for us to give it another go!! I have several pair of ‘homemade by Jan’ socks that will fit perfectly under the skates, so it will be a fashion statement when we finally get on the ice!!
Last Sunday the Halifax Elders had 9 investigators needing rides to to Church so we got in on that excitement and taxied five to the Lacewood Building. About a year and a half ago this group of Congolese immigrants moved to Halifax, and we are finding them!! They are receptive, and anxious to hear the gospel!! I asked Sarah, the oldest daughter how she felt about her experience at Church, and she replied ..“I just loved it!” They all seemed excited, and engaged in both Sacrament and Sunday school!! We are anxious to get a report of their experience today!!
Five Temple couples joined us for Sunday dinner last week, Randalls x 2, Larson, Andrus (family history), and MacIlmoils, and we loved hearing them laugh and share experiences of their Temple missions. Randalls and Randalls are brothers serving with their wives..one Randall couple came here about two years ago, loved it so much, returned home and talked the older brother and his wife into serving again here!! (The one Randall couple are neighbours of Neil Harker’s uncle Kent Crookson - amazing the connections we make!!)Soooo any of you considering a mission…Temple Missions are pretty amazing…getting to be in the Temple a few days a week seems like a dream to me…next mission!!!
Another invitation for a sleepover had me spending Friday night with six sisters - Sisters Crowley, Boelke, Brennan, Mavy, Gillett and Green over in Halifax. I love to take them to the grocery store to get important supplies like strawberries, grapes, and muffins for breakfast, as well as some evening treats like ice cream, and potato chips and dip!! Those sisters love to get me talking, and don’t seem to tire of me sharing our love story!!!…they love the “I’m considering you for marriage” line!!! Exercising even happened yesterday morning at the Church where we played basketball and chair soccer!!! So much fun to be with these awesome, converted sisters.
Our nurse Sister Arnold is returning home to London, Ontario this week so her responsibilities will now be mine, and yes I am a bit concerned about this. We do have many resources, and great back-up help…but I am hoping and praying no-one gets physically or emotionally sick! Our farewell Sister Arnold party is tomorrow, and our office seniors will join us for that party. We will miss her cheerful, willing presence in the Office. She certainly has been a fixture in the Mission, and has helped so many missionaries with both physical and emotional issues. Our CES couple - Elder and Sister Livingstone (Carole’s cousin) also are completing their service here, and heading home to Arizona, so this is a triple header farewell party. FYI - I must add that Sister Livingstone - Arnon Bateman was born May 25, 1954 - the day before me in St. Michael’s Hospital in Lethbridge!!! Elder Livingstone was the first Stake President here and they have done so much with CES, as well as reaching our to less active friends from when they lived here many years ago.
Yesterday after we attended Nikita Glanfield’s Baptism, we had an adventure out to the valley..remember ‘until we reach the valley oh!’ We even picked up a hitchhiker named Mark who looked like he might freeze if we didn’t. Elder Peterman and Elder Olaveson who are serving in Kentville told us about the bald eagle mating sight in Sheffield, down the road from Kentville. Apparently there have been hundreds of eagles there..December through the end of February, and we were excited to see about a dozen of the magnificent birds flying around. Big black ravens circled around scavenging leftover chicken parts. A local farmer throws out chicken guts for the birds.
February 10, 2019 and it is Week 6 again!! Tuesday night we get to welcome our eight new missionaries. Hot taco soup and fresh buns is our go-to meal. Wednesday we orient this enthusiastic new group, and welcome them with a big dinner Wednesday night.
Thursday we have the group to the office by 6:30 am to meet their new companions, and they are off!! New missionary orientation is not limited to that Wednesday office orientation…every Friday morning for the next 5 weeks, we have Zoom meetings with our new missionaries, and discuss a variety of inspired topics that help with adjusting to Missionary life. I have been grateful for strategies, and suggestions we talk about, and know they work, because I have used them as we have adjusted to our missionary lives!!
And then Thursday we have our Farewell Dinner for our five departing missionaries: Sister Nelson, Sister Gillett, Sister Crowley, and Elder Bringhurst, and Elder Willoughby. The highlight of the evening is always hearing each of them bare heartfelt testimonies, and share stories of conversion - others and their own.The longer we serve, the more attached we grow to OUR missionaries, and it is so hard to say goodbye.
Well …there you have it… the latest report from the Canada Halifax Mission, and
Dad and Mom, Richard and Gayle, and Grandpa and Grandma xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
Keep Smiling and CTR!!!
Happy 13th Birthday to Isabelle tomorrow, Jennie on the 15th and Charlotte -6 years on the 16th!!!
Suggestions for future missionaries:
Read the Book of Mormon everyday…try to apply what you learn, and write it down in a scripture book
Exercise hard everyday - sweat!!
Drink lots of water
Smile at everyone you meet
Pass out 'pass along cards' - get a supply..keep them in your backpack, car, purse, and pass them out!!!
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