Worldwide Missionary Broadcast

January 25, 2016

Dear Family,

This past week was great. After struggling for a couple of months, we found a new investigator. One evening we were knocking, but not having any success, and the last house on the street we met Vincent. He let us in and we taught him the Restoration. The lesson was so smooth as we taught with unity. As we were teaching, he said that we were just telling him things that he already believes in. How cool is that! We are trying to meet with him this week and talked to his wife over the phone and she seems to be on board with us coming over so we will hopefully be teaching the two of them. Which is a miracle because the majority of the people on this little island are strong Catholics and won't even want to hear you out because their religion goes back through their families and no one wants to change from what their families believe, which is hard for us because everyone is related, haha.

With David, who I have been teaching for almost six months, hasn't been going anywhere. We, along with some of the members, feel that he is not willing to change and we can see that as he hasn't been keeping commitments, and that he avoids us when we try to get him rides to church and stuff. We think that because he is a retired man who lives by himself that he just wanted people to visit him. Which is alright by us, I just wish that he would just tell us. So we are planning on visiting him once in a while, but probably won't be teaching someone who really doesn't want to change.

Our District meeting was replaced by a worldwide missionary broadcast on teaching repentance and baptizing converts. One thing that Elder Bednar mentioned that stuck out to me was that we cannot control the outcome. Which is so true, everyone has their Agency, all we can to is invite them to act.

I gave a short, five minute talk today in church. It's hard not to give a talk in a small branch, which is awesome though. You are more likely to give a youth talk though mainly because their are only three of them. I could speak on anything and prayer came to my mind, but I thought that prayer was broad and talked about quite a bit (that's because it is important) but I focused on family prayer specifically.

Be Good. Be Worthy. Have Faith. -Elder Bednar
Hymn 112

Love, Elder Ray

Names Kleinkopf, Elder Kleinkopf.

District Meeting and Snow

January 18, 2016

Dear Family,

I'm trying to remember what even happened this past week it went by so fast.

Let's see, Tuesday night until Wednesday afternoon there was a big snow storm. We had to have our district meeting over skype and almost didn't make it out of our parking lot. We had to dig our car out and push it through the snow until we got to a plowed road. During the skype meeting we were doing a role play and Elder Kleinkopf closed the clerks office door behind him and it was locked... with our keys, our phone, and our shoes and jackets, inside, haha. So while the meeting was going on we listened to what we could through the door while a member that lives down the street brought us a spare key to get our stuff. When explaining over the phone in the church what happened, all brother DeVries could do was laugh.

After the meeting, the snowstorm was finished and there was just over a foot of snow on the ground. We spent the whole afternoon driving around Montague and seeing what houses were not yet plowed. The ones that weren't we just jumped out of the car, shoveled it real quick, and drove away when finished. Some noticed and came out and we had some good conversations, and some very thankful people. But yeah my arms were pretty sore the few days after, but I'm sure that I will get used to it the more the snow comes down. A few days later we were knocking a street where one of the houses on the street was one that we shoveled out. And we knocked into a guy that wasn't interested in learning about the gospel, but he saw us the day that we shoveled his neighbor out and thanked us for it, even though it wasn't for him. It just shows that you never know who's watching you, so always be an example. That is what we are focusing on here now in the Montague area, service. Since I have been here five months now I've knocked pretty much every street in this little town, and we have found that the best thing to do for this area is service, because knocking doors obviously isn't working.

We taught one of our investigators, Jennifer, the Restoration this week which went pretty well. She does believe in God but has a hard time with it because of all her trials, which are many. But Jennifer is a friend to us and we talk with her just about everyday. She is a very strong person and loves the missionaries. She works at a group home for people with disabilities, and since we go over to see Jennifer at her work, which is right across the street from the church building, we are pretty good friends with all the people there, and they love visitors because they don't get many.

Every Friday we go to see a less active in the town of Souris, and that area hasn't been worked in much, so we are going to work there more. Before the lesson though we knocked for a bit and met this guy called the candy man. Him and his wife are very Catholic, you can tell jut by walking into their house, and they are so nice. When he was in the army sixty five percent of his body got burned and he has had over fifty surgeries, but he is the most humble guy and praises God every day for being here. On the way out he gave each of us a big candy bar, and says that he passes candy out to all the kids, hence the name.

After trying to meet with a certain less active in the branch for the time that I have been here, we finally had a visit with him, and he invited us back over for FHE with his family next Monday. Although not much is happening on the investigator side of things, the less active work is really booming. One less active family that we have been working with has come to church two weeks in a row! We were fasting this past Sunday for missionary work and the less active mom fasted with us!

In church Elder Smith, Elder Kleinkopf and I sang I Need Thee Every Hour for a special musical number during sacrament meeting, and people told us that it was really good, and they always love hearing new voices in a small branch. This week was great, and things are happening, it makes being in this area for this long worth it.

This past week I made a goal to have better prayers and to be more positive, and I know that it makes a difference.

I love you all and hope you have a great week. Now it's time to ball it up with the PEI district, Montague missionaries are gonna crush it. Stay Safe!

Love, Elder Ray

How do we get around? "Snowmobile"

Training

January 11, 2016

Dear Family,

Now that I am in a trio with Elder Kleinkopf and Elder Smith, we are able to visit single women because there is a rule that we have to have a third male. There are a few women in the branch that never could have missionaries over for dinner but are now allowed to, so we have a dinner appointment almost every night.

Since it is the start of a new transfer we had our zone training, as always. And I actually did quite a bit for this one. I recited a scripture for the group, was the chorister for the music, was part of a roleplay, and was called on at the end to bear my testimony. Luckily I didn't have to give a five minute talk because I didn't prepare one, haha. It was really fun though, they always uplift and enlighten for the start of a new transfer.

Training is pretty awesome, plus it's a review and refresh for myself as well. But Elder Smith is way more prepared than I was when I started my mission and just jumped right in to it. It's like he came pre-trained. It sucks that he has to go to San Jose eventually but he will do great there, and will take our mission lineage with him to California.

We spent a morning at the branch President's house helping him do chores for his farm animals, which was really fun. (I want a farm when I get home) He appreciated it, especially since he has a broken rib.

Our recent convert Tom was called to be church building coordinator and he signed up to clean the chapel and it was his first time, plus it was just him. So we went to assist, and the four of us got the whole building cleaned in an hour. But it's that quick when it's a phase one building, small.

We had a great experience over the weekend. Over the past couple of months the work for finding new investigators has been hard, but we were knocking in the cold/snow, you know the usual, and met this Paula, who let us right in. She said that her sons used to be involved in a church and that they fell away but would like them to learn more. She said that she was praying for an answer and then fell asleep, but then woke up to us at her door. We hope to meet with her family this week!

We had thirty-five people at church this Sunday, which I think is the highest since I have been here. It's growing, slowly but surely.

I am grateful for the area of Montague and for the opportunity I have to be serving here for as long as I have been.

Love You!

Love Elder Ray

Took a family photo at zone training.
Elder Smith, then Elder Kleinkopf and I are the parents,
then my parents and his parents, we left room for Elder Woodbury,
who already went home, to photoshop himself in.

Guess who's off the rock (Newfoundland) and is now on the island (PEI)?
My old companion Elder Sortomme.

Who wouldn't want to let these studs in?

Happy New Year

January 4, 2016

Dear Family,

It's 2k16!

We spent New Years Eve at the Dourte's house where they fed us Chinese food, which I think may be the first time a member has fed us Chinese food on my mission.

We were supposed to have Elder Smith by Thursday but his plane got delayed and so we picked him up on Saturday. He is awesome, he came more prepared starting his mission than I was. It's like he came pre-trained. Being in a trio is pretty crazy but fun though, it gives us more opportunities for things in the area. Elder Smith is from Calgary, Alberta, and he is here with us who knows how long because he is waiting for his visa for the states. His actual mission is in San Jose, California. So our mission lineage will be there down the road. But hey, he will still be on his mission when Elder Kleinkopf and I are home so we will have to visit him or something.

New Years day was pretty relaxed, most of it was time to update everything, make new plans and goals for the new year, should be great.

Had a great lesson this week with a less active member where the spirit was really strong as they shared an experience they once had at the temple. It's just crazy how people can have these experiences and still fall away, but I'm sure with time that they will make those commitments again.

Our investigator David kind of disappeared. After he came to church that one time he won't answer our phone calls and when we drop by he won't answer the door...Don't know what happened because there has been no contact.

Love You!!

Love Elder Ray

Had New Years Dinner with uh, a bunch of experienced ladies, yea I'll say that.

Mountains of snow that just sit around and never melt.

Elder Smith!!