Baptism

February 20, 2017

Dear Family,

It's the Final Countdown.

I almost have more pictures for you this week than words in an email, haha. JK.

Great week, slow but fantastic, great way to end my mission, meaning that Mike was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday!! Woohoo!
It was awesome, Tuesday night we met with Mike and talked a little more about Enduring to the End and President Monson and then right after he had a skype baptismal interview with President Pratt, such a long thirty minute wait. And he passed. Most of the week was preparing everything for it and getting the assignments out, which was done on Thursday since we were stuck inside for the day because of a second snow storm. Two in a week is too many, so much snow.

Funny part about it though is that there was no hot water to fill up the font so the whole time it was filling Elder Wynder and I were boiling multiple pots of water on the church stove and dumping them in, haha it took so long but we got it fairly warm. Everything went so smoothly it was nice, and Mike only had to get dipped once, no redo's.

Love You!!

See You's soon!

Love Elder Ray 

Mike's Baptism!

Apparently there is this thing on PEI where if a storm is coming
you go to the store and buy chips to eat while stuck inside.
They are called storm chips. Had to do it, get that full islander feel.

The Dourte's in Montague name their brown baby goat Logan!

Snow Storms and Tithing

February 14, 2017

Dear Family,

Just a wee bit of email time today due to the big storm we had yesterday. We were stuck inside all day, it's the worst, which means all that energy we didn't use will be used shoveling peoples driveways today, haha.

Good week, pretty stressful all around.

I think I'll just talk about Mike since our other lessons fell through this week. We taught Mike all the commandments this past week and he had a big concern on tithing, which made us nervous. Then we had another lesson just on that where we brought Brother Gauthier and he just slayed it. Bearing testimony and giving personal experience of it, it was awesome. Mike said at the end of that lesson that if tithing got brought up he was going to walk out. But we did, and he stayed. I think Brother Gauthier may have saved us from losing Mike and he is fine with it now. phew.

His baptismal interview is tonight and when he passes he will be baptized this Saturday!

Have a great week!

Love Elder Ray

Continuous Miracles

February 6, 2017

Dear Family,

Continuous Miracles!

On Monday we taught Mike and all the week before I was praying to know what to teach him, and I felt that it was either time for him to hear the Plan of Salvation, or if he was ready to hear the Word of Wisdom and neither stuck out more than the other so we decided to do the plan of salvation. Halfway through talking about our life on earth Mike brings up the concern of alcoholics, so we explained it to him and it somehow turned into a word of wisdom mix, which now makes sense to me that I didn't receive a solid answer because we were supposed to do both. He committed to no alcohol and no drugs but we didn't bring up coffee or tea in that lesson. Very powerful end to the lesson, I almost didn't want it to be over the spirit was great.

Right after we drove to Amherst, Nova Scotia to spend the night for a zone conference that we had on Tuesday. We had ten Elders in one apartment and that means that no one is going to be sleeping. Zone conference was great though, a lot of stuff was covered. Usually they go from 10 to 4 but this one started at 9 and it went over until about 5, oh it was long, but good. From the two zones there are seven missionaries going home this next transfer, including my favorite senior couple that I have served around for ten months, the Brewsters. So we all went up to bear our testimonies, hard moment for us all I think. Really gets you reflecting on your time as a missionary.

Right after the conference for the next day we had an exchange with the zone leaders in Moncton. They aren't teaching anyone at the moment so most of the time was spent knocking doors. Classic. Elder Shambrook, my old companion, and I went knocking in the evening and the last house we knocked just before we had to go the guy turned us away. But then a minute later a lady came out wanting to know who we were, so we explained. She gave us the opportunity to teach her about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon and said we could come back, so I won't be but now the Elders in Moncton have someone to teach. :)

So on Thursday we met with Mike again, I love Mike, and we planned to finish the Word of Wisdom, which was making me nervous because Mike drinks coffee. It was really funny though because a half hour before the lesson Mike calls us up and asks if he could bring coffee into the meeting house, haha awkward. We told him no, thinking in our heads, enjoy it now because it's your last one. He was kind of concerned when we told him but he said that if it's what God wants him to do, he'll try, even though he's not sure if he wants to or not. He hasn't had any coffee since that lesson, woohoo! He said that in his mind it makes sense because it will save him money, do good for his health, and then he said he doesn't even like the taste of it. Haha, everything was pointing to, quit.

Sorry this letter is pretty much all about Mike, but he's all that's happening, and quick too. On Sunday he walked into church and he just looks at us and goes, "yes." We were like, what? Then he says, "I believe it. I wasn't feeling good and so I wasn't going to come to church, but then I got up and started reading the book (Book of Mormon) and a voice inside me told me it was true, so I'm here today." I was so happy I told Elder Wynder to punch me in the face. It being fast and testimony we were fasting and praying for Mike to receive an answer. Earlier in the week he said that he wasn't sure if Joseph Smith was a Prophet, but then at least half the people during sacrament meeting bore great testimonies on Joseph Smith and before he left church he said that he was really glad he came today. I think he received an answer to that too.

It's all coming together so well, at this rate he will be baptized the Saturday before I go home.

Have a non-boring week!

LOVE YOU!

Love Elder Ray

Dave at the soup kitchen bought chef hats and aprons like his for us to use
while we do service there. He's awesome. We are moving up in the world. Haha