Anne of Green Gables

October 31, 2016

Dear Family,

Well Charlottetown isn't entirely new to me but now I can explore and get to know it better. My companions are Elder Smith and Elder Browning, they are so fun. I am looking forward to this transfer and what it has in store for us.

For P-day we went to the Anne of Green Gables sight and toured the house and the land and stuff, if was cool just to say that I went, haha. It was the last day until it closed down for the winter so everything was in the process of being put away and we were some of the only people there.

Church was really good though for my first week here. Some people I recognize from most likely seeing around last year. Our ward mission leader was just called last week and he didn't know that he was teaching gospel principles class so we taught on the spot for him. Then the third hour was a combined and it was the missionaries hour. So we talked about the effort of the missionaries and we shared a short Restoration lesson with them and the sisters shared a short doctrine of Christ lesson to help show more of what we do and how they can help. It was awesome, very powerful spirit during that meeting. Charlottetown is a ward and there are about 100 active members, so same as Saint John.

Love You!

Love Elder Ray

Back to Prince Edward Island

October 26, 2016

Dear Fam Jam,

Crazy last week in Saint John. For district meeting I had Elder Johnson do the last training on companionship unity and it was really good. I told him that working on a training was to prepare him to become a district leader next transfer and guess what.. he is. Haha. I knew it was going to happen. As for me I don't have to have the extra responsibilities of a leader anymore, which I like but don't all at the same time.

We taught Theron twice this week, once about Tithing and Fasting, which he pretty much seemed to already know. He is on his second read of the Book of Mormon and he also started the Doctrine and Covenants. The next lesson we talked about the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthoods and how he will be able to receive those after he is baptized.

On Thursday we helped the Hampton elders investigator Judy pick apples from her trees and stack some wood. It is beautiful out here. The country side is where it's at, we don't see as much of the fall colors because we are in the city and Hampton is just outside of it. Then Judy referred us to go help her friend, Rose, who happened to live in Saint John. On Monday we helped Rose do some yard work and put a bunch of things away for the winter. Then we asked if we could come back and teach her, and she said yes.

During Institute we get a call from President Pratt and sadly it turned out to be what I was hoping it not to be, Elder Sulzen's visa came in. And we got him ready to fly to Salt Lake Monday morning. It sucked that he had to leave but he is where he is meant to be. He is a healthy eater and is afraid that he will gain weight from all the meals in Utah, so I'll just have to visit him and bring him some donuts, haha. He would hate me. But for the past three days I have been in a trio. Again. It's transfer week though so it's ok.

I'M GOING BACK TO THE ISLAND!
I'm being transferred to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, where I very well could end up dying there (finishing my mission). I honestly thought that I would never go back because there are very few areas there and I was already there for six months. I'm sad and happy at the same time, only because I wanted to stay in Saint John one more transfer because we have about four baptisms planned in the next transfer. But it will be nice to hear that they happen. This could be the last leg of the race for me, we will see. I have loved it here, there has been some crazy and amazing things that have happened since I have been here and I will never forget it. On to the next.

Love You's!
Love Elder Ray

Some Fall Pics for ya

Ammon

October 17, 2016

Dear Family,

With Theron we may have a breakthrough. We were very straight up with him in our last lesson. We asked him what God would want his next step to be and he said, baptism. We said that that is right but that in order to be able to do that he has to be willing and coming to church. Long pause, then he said that he thinks he will just keep doing the Sunday lunch and flea market with his dad and his grandfather... we thought we were losing him at this point and that he made his decision. But then a minute later he was like, but my mom and dad are going to move to Florida in November for six months so I might be able to then. Holy cow, we had been freaking out over this and the whole time there would be an opportunity for him to come, we just have to wait. Once he starts doing that I think he will love it and continue to come even when his parents get back next year. He already comes to institute and our Book of Mormon class, he's never missed a lesson and he retains it so well, can tell you exactly what was talked about in the lessons he has. And he is reading the Book of Mormon for the second time. We had to take him off date for now though until later in the year, but are hoping to help him pick a new date soon.

On Saturday we helped a less active from St. Stephen move into Saint John (btw the license plate on the U-haul was from Arizona) and the sister missionaries there were teaching two of her kids and starting next week we will be teaching them, they are both primary aged girls, hopefully they like us as much as they did the sisters, haha.

We had stake conference this weekend and it took place in Fredericton so it was being broadcast to our chapel. And when we showed up like three taxis pulled up and this group of Mormons got out to come to church, they were from the cruise ship but it was Sunday so they went to church. But they looked bored though, haha I probably would be too. Watching someone else's broadcasted stake conference on your cruise ship vacation. They get points for trying.

Before we went to see Rob, the less active we have been meeting with every week, we didn't have anything to teach him, and had been trying all day to think about what he needed. He was our last appointment of the day and we were on our way, not sure what to do. Elder Sulzen asked me in stake conference a few hours before what we were going to teach and all that came to my mind was Ammon, nothing else, just the name Ammon. But I didn't think that would apply to him at the time. So as we were driving to his house, Elder Sulzen asked me again, and all that came to mind was the name Ammon, but for some reason I didn't say what I was thinking to him. In meeting with Rob, we talked for a bit and then somehow got on the topic of decapitation, then it hit me, yep, we're about to talk about Ammon. Just then Elder Sulzen opens up his scriptures and says that he wants to turn to the story of Ammon where he cuts peoples arms off and why. I am not sure what Rob needed to take from it but we felt that that is what should be talked about. Right after we left Elder Sulzen said to me that even though I didn't say before that I was thinking about Ammon, he knew that I was, because that's what kept coming to his mind too. I love the way the spirit works. We don't always know what people need, but the spirit does. It was a spiritual experience for us both, such a cool way to end the night.

Love You all so much! Keep truckin'

Love Elder Ray

Was wearing this tie all day and no one knew, goes perfect with a sweater

Was defrosting a frozen banana and it was set for nine minutes
but I was going to leave it in their for only one...but then I forgot
about it and seven minutes later I realized, IT WAS STILL GOING! Haha.

Gina Time

October 10, 2016

Dear Family,

When the sister missionaries were here they did something that they called "Gina Time." It's where they went with Gina Crilley, an awesome member in the ward, and they deliver food or treats with inspirational quotes on them to members of the ward. So this week we got to do that. She made cookies and put quotes from church leaders on them and then we delivered them to people and had great visits with them and got to know them better.

Because we were in a trio with Elder Maughan and we had Jake come with us to Theron's lesson, we felt that it was overbearing for all of us to go. So we decided that Jake and Elder Sulzen would go to teach, and Elder Maughan and I would go talk to people on the street. It was probably pretty scary for Elder Sulzen because he has been out for three weeks and I already threw him into leading out the lesson by himself. I wouldn't have done it though if we had someone else besides Jake, because he is a returned missionary, so he could back it up. Heard it went really well though.

On Tuesday we found out that Elder Maughan would be getting a new companion, and is training again. Well, the trio lasted about a week, and now we have to transfer around again. I feel like I am involved in these a lot, haha. So on Wednesday right after district meeting we grabbed lunch real quick and then drove to Amherst, Nova Scotia, to pick up Elder Kyler, and there were a few other companionship's to pick up other Elders as well. It is mid transfer but the reason for it is that these missionaries are also waiting for there visas. We are getting so many of them, it's starting to turn into a visa waiting mission. The three missionaries are all waiting to go to Trinidad, in the Caribbean, that's crazy. And then we drove back here and did a Book of Mormon class where Carol Crilley taught it, it was so good. That took the whole day.

Spent Thursday in Fredericton on exchanges with Elder Breinholt, he's pretty rad (from Gilbert). We had a great lesson with one of their investigators Grace, on Faith and prayer and the nail was hit on the head of getting it across. I even used a pizza delivery as an analogy where you have to work for it, you make the call and ask for what you want, but then there is that waiting period but you know that it's coming, just not sure the moment when, and when it does, then you have your pizza (blessing or answer). I didn't explain it as well as I did in the lesson but I thought it was cool. Then that evening we went to a retirement home with four other missionaries and we sang hymns with them for an hour, that was fun.

All week we have been praying for service opportunities and then our prayers were all answered on Saturday. We had planned to help our ward mission leader paint the windows on his house but then unexpectedly before that the opportunity arose to help his brother move, so between those two things that was half the day. On our way home we stopped by a lady that we are trying to start teaching, Frances, and she was just finishing some gardening and so we asked if we could help her put all her stuff away in the shed, good thing we were still wearing service clothes. The reason we went though is that she had made us a pie for Thanksgiving so we were there to pick it up and that service opportunity arose. Then when we got home there were people moving in next door and so we were going to go ask what we could do to help, but then as we walked outside a member, who takes care of our building, was working on the exterior, scraping, painting, etc. and she needed help moving the scaffolding to the other side of the building and by the time we were finished doing that the people moving in were done as well. I guess when you "over pray" for these opportunities they come in abundance. We had a lot come up and couldn't seem to get to them all, but that was our entire Saturday, it was awesome. Well and then we had Thanksgiving dinner at the Woodruff's, so good!

The talks in church were so good this Sunday, the talks were on fasting, Grace, and Service. The spirit was so strong. The one on service was so powerful that the speaker had most of the congregation in tears, including me. Then Sunday all meetings (not church) were cancelled for Thanksgiving and we went over to the Cosman's for another Thanksgiving dinner, I loved it! If you didn't get the vibe it was Canadian Thanksgiving weekend and today is actually Thanksgiving! Really great week!

Love You all!

Love Elder Ray

Elder Batley going home to get surgery on his leg,
I'll miss him, he was so awesome.

Squad's all here

Conference

October 3, 2016

Dear Family,

Oh My Soul! This past week was for sure an interesting one. Elder Hoole from the other Saint John companionship got emergency transferred to Caribou, Maine because one of the Elders there was going home to get surgery on his knee. :( So they needed someone for his companion. So Elder Maughan was put into a trio with us, so now I am serving with him again, at least for a short time. It's fun though, trios are awesome.

Friday morning we helped a member move, luckily they didn't have a lot of stuff to move, so it didn't take long. And then Saturday morning before conference we helped other members move, which they had quite a bit more stuff, and we still made it to conference on time, which didn't start until one in case you forgot. Our investigator Theron came to both Saturday sessions and throughout I was getting so much out of it, the spirit was so strong. And at the same time I kept thinking to myself, yes, he needed to hear that, sweet, he needed to hear that! It was so awesome! Wanting answers and confirmations for yourself is awesome but wanting someone else to receive answers makes it a different experience because you aren't really thinking of yourself but you are thinking of others, and that's one thing that I've recognized on my mission, is that the person you probably think the least about is yourself, because you are so focused on helping and loving others, but through it you find yourself.

Love You!
Love Elder Ray