Snow storms, zone conferences, and "snow angels"

Today is Sunday, March 10, 2019.

Two weeks have flown by and we have much to report!!

Last weekend we flew to Fredericton for their Stake Conference and were thrilled visiting the wonderful saints from all over New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island and the little pocket of Maine, and Amherst Nova Scotia! Last fall the Stake Centre was pretty empty, but with a General Authority - Elder Randall Bennett in attendance, the place was packed!! Last fall they had  skyped in outlying units so although the Stake Centre looked empty there were many people in attendance at their own buildings. Anyway, it was a great meeting where Elder Bennett praised these good people, shared sweet personal experiences from his growing up days in Edmonton, and helped everyone relate to some of the challenges he had experienced. When he was just eight his Mom took him aside and told him that his parents would be divorcing, and he would have to decide who he wanted to live with…, and then for nine years he woke up everyday thinking, was this the day?? They did divorce..his Mom left the Church, and was pretty anti until I think he said about 10 years ago when she returned to Church activity, and now serves as a Temple Worker!! His sharing this and other very personal stories sure put the congregation at ease, realizing that this General Authority had lived through what some of them are currently dealing with. What a great, and powerful teacher!!

Saturday evening session, along with stake presidency members, and us,  two members of the Stake spoke; one was Brother Pitt who had been less active for many, many years and shared his remarkable reactivation story.  Branch members had ministered unceasingly to he and his wife, and loved them right back… All of you are master ministers…And then..Elder Bennett asked who had ministered to the Pitts. President Elliott (a member of the Stake Presidency) had been the chief minister (if there is a chief!!)Elder Bennett had him come up and stand with Brother Pitt, and Elder Bennett, and then he invited him to share some of his sweet ministering efforts in Brother and Sister Pitt’s reactivation.  It was such a lovely way to validate the efforts of those who ministered. Of course President Elliott was somewhat embarrassed sharing some of what he had done..but effective in that, we all felt…we could increase our ministering efforts.

Sister Paterson, a convert of about two and a half years, shared her conversion story. Her best friends growing up in New Brunswick..I think Fredericton but maybe it was Saint John, were Church members and were such powerful influences for good. In fact one friend lives in Utah with her husband and children, and Sister Paterson visits her regularly.  She condensed her life story, but we could tell she had experienced many of life's hardships.. Her friend, I think her name was Julie kept sharing sweet gospel experiences, and her testimony, and her friends around NB. loved her, and opened their hearts and homes to her as well. Again Elder Bennett had those who had been instrumental come up to the stand, and share how they had welcomed Sister Paterson into their lives, and how they had shared the gospel. The spontaneity and the simple sharing of what they had done was just beautiful, and again had us all so motivated…we could do that!! We all can share the gospel…it starts with opening our mouths. It really isn’t hard to share something we love so much… 

Richard is the best at opening his mouth...and I have to admit I am getting bolder!! I always tell who I am, and what my name tag is about, but it is now getting easier to give pass along cards...I have supplies in the car, in my purse, and bag...try it!! We need to flood the earth...

“After all that has been said the GREATEST and MOST IMPORTANT DUT Y
                           is to
PREACH the GOSPEL.”  the Prophet Joseph Smith

On our first visit to Fredericton back in the summer, I got to go on splits with the sisters and met Sister Susan Hebert, a 70 plus sister who grew up in Toronto. Well she is such a visity lady, and we made connection after connection with all my Ontarian relatives, and she pretty much knew everyone - Mom, Nancy, Jane, Boucher’s etc. In fact Anne Boucher was her hero, and she said she was her shadow!! Anyway we enjoyed a wonderful supper Friday evening with her, and loved looking at her Toronto Branch History book!! She promises she will come visit us in Alberta!!  

We have remarkable missionaries everywhere….but I have to share about Sister Degraffenried serving with Sister Shultz in faroff (5hrs away) Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  Sister D. (as we call her) has grit, determination and fervent testimony. Last week they were knocking in the midst of a big snowstorm…(totally obedient) and knocked into an elderly couples home. (They were invited in because the couple felt sorry for them.) Wife has a belief in God, but not the husband, and neither was interested in the sisters returning. As the sisters were leaving, they asked if they could shovel their snow, and the couple said “no, don’t worry about it”…Well, the next morning didn’t those two angel sisters get up super early, and went and shovelled the snow!! Just as they were finishing, the elderly man discovered them being pixies, and came out to shovel with them. Sister D. described him just watching them…he couldn’t believe these sweet sisters would do such a thing!!! Such is the epitome of a CHM missionary!! Incredible!!! We are in awe of the way they live the gospel. These same sisters also serve in two Church kitchens in Yarmouth - one an Anglican, and the other we aren’t sure..at first people were unsure of having missionaries from another church serving in their kitchen, but these sisters have won them over!!  In fact this week their colour photos serving, were on the front page of the local newspaper!! They are actually teaching one of the ladies from one of these churches!!

Service is such an amazing way to show the world what we believe, and who we believe in!! Keep SERVING!!! 

Zone Conference Week was a whirlwind. Because of severe storm warnings in New Brunswick we chose to hold New Brunswick Zone Conference right after Stake Conference so all our missionaries could get back to their areas, and not have to travel to Moncton on Monday for Tuesday conference. This worked beautifully. We and our missionaries travel so much, and we are constantly on weather, and road watch.  Occasionally we have to make quick changes!! Saturday while Dad was interviewing, Sister Edwards helped me make a quick Sobey’s run to get indoor picnic supplies!!  

FUN and yummy!! 

Dartmouth Zone Conference was Thursday and we feel so invigorated and enthused after being together…have I raved enough about these great missionaries?! My trainings were about apartment cleanliness, and nutrition. I also loved challenging us all to Ponderize…remember Elder Devin Durrant’s General Conference address in October 2015?  As a Canada Halifax Mission, we have taken the challenge, and weekly our missionaries will report their scripture of the week. Exciting!! 

Thursday evening we flew to Newfoundland for both Zone Conference and Newfoundland Conference - (like Stake Conference). We love being with our dear friends there - missionaries, and branch members. Zoom works great for having all our Newfoundlanders in attendance…from CornerBrook to Bay Roberts to Gander to St. John’s we are all there!! 

I might have had a little melt down this morning when I was having Dad change the font and font size on my talk, which was all on my iPad…Can you guess what happened?  You are right if you guessed that half my talk disappeared…you know just like the lost manuscript…that is exactly what happened. Oh my goodness…definitely out of my comfort zone to speak

 without even an outline!! “More purpose in prayer” was my topic so I had to go almost totally from my memory… It all turned out fine. 

In case you are wondering about French…it is ok…this week we will have more time to focus on parlez-ing and practising. 

Hot off the news…Elder Martinez told us that he has a friend who received his Mission Call, and his Call letter told him that he would find out at Conference where he will serve?!!! Can’t wait to hear!!!

I just glanced at the clock, and realized I have been typing away for two hours…this must be a long letter!!…I guess it is two weeks worth!

Hope all is great with all of you.

We send love from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia where we are loving our service, our missionaries, and the wonderful people of Atlantic Canada!!

Have a wonderful week!!

Keep Smiling!!

Love Dad and Mom, Richard and Gayle, Grandpa and Grandma.