Great Start

June 27, 2016

Dear Family,

Saint John (also nicknamed the Dirty J) is such a cool place, I almost feel like I am in a new mission. It's nicknamed that because it really is just a pretty dirty place, and the water is almost undrinkable, just imagine filling the bathtub and the water is tinted green. Yeah, everyone owns a water filter, the water tastes nasty. It's a bit different than Nova Scotia, but hey, it is an entirely different Province, what do you expect? (Google map it if you want)

It is the biggest area population wise that I have been in and talking to people on the streets has never been more exciting because there are so many people out, and you get a lot of funny, interesting stories. Been here for only a couple of days so far and I already have some pretty weird and funny stories. The town is full of people who are, let's just say, unaccountable, and that's where a lot of the stories and experiences come from, so I've been told and am now starting to experience for myself. It's awesome, haha.

The ward here is so cool, and super welcoming. They will do anything for the missionaries, they even have a whole room in the church set aside for missionary use, that's a first for me.
The Elders Quorum, who is not just a bunch of old guys, like in all my other areas, had a burger competition on Friday, and we got to be a part of the taste testing group and rate the burgers. Oh they were so good, I would gladly do it again.

On Saturday we had a games night where all the guys, mostly young men, played soccer for the first part (got to bring back some of my soccer skills back) and then with some of the sisters in the ward we all played a very competitive game of Pictionary, which we won, nbd.

Sunday was the miracle day though! First day at church in the ward and they had Sister Deberry and I, the new ones, introduce ourselves and bear our testimonies. But after sacrament meeting was over one of the members, sister Raeburn, came up to us with this non-member and had him come around to class with us for the rest of the day. His name is Luis and originally he is from Central America, not sure which part, but has come, basically fled to Canada and has been here for many years. He loved the classes and we talked with him a lot. He is pretty hard to understand and like no one in the ward speaks Spanish, nor do Elder Maughan and I, so if you aren't focusing like everything you've got on what he is saying, you won't catch it. But we scheduled an appointment with him that afternoon and went with Sister Raeburn to teach him. He has a deep love for God and Jesus Christ as they have helped him through his life and bad experiences, and boy does he have some crazy stories. We gave him a Spanish copy of the Book of Mormon and he wants to read but may have trouble with the small print. Hmm, now how to find a large print B of M in Spanish, in an English and French mission, that is the question. He wouldn't commit to baptism because he was already baptized so we talked about authority and he is going to pray about whether he needs to or not. Such a humble man.

Great way to start the new transfer off. I'm so pumped.

"Problems die in the light and grow in the dark." -Sister Taylor

Love You!! Have a great week!

Love Elder Ray

Elder Maughan

Cruise ship, Saint John, and Rainbows

Wednesday Transfer

June 22, 2016

Dear Family,

It has been a long week, especially from not having P-day until today.

Well, On Monday we went up to Halifax and played wiffle ball and chair soccer with like twenty other missionaries, that was a blast. And then we spent the night in Halifax with the Elders there. On Tuesday we did what is called a blitz, where we had lots of missionaries, working in one area for the day. So we blitzed Sackville, since they are having a hard time finding people to teach. There were fourteen missionaries there and we all worked really hard and had a good time working together. I think with many others there it helped us to be more motivated and more focused.

On Wednesday was the last District meeting of the transfer and I was a little nervous because President Pratt was going to be there because we had interviews afterwards. But it went really well, especially because when you are trying to do a training on what he wanted, it was easier because I could just ask him a question and he would talk about it for a while. He said that he was impressed on how the meeting went.

Wednesday night we read in the Book of Mormon with Patty and answered any questions she has. With her being a teacher she sees everything in like an English literature book kind of way and a lot of her questions were language based, but before we left we gave her another chapter to read and asked her to not really think as much about it but to recognize how she feels when reading it. So hopefully that will help her come to gain a testimony of it.

Friday morning we had the Sackville Elders over for exchanges and Elder O'brien and I went down to Lockport to see Lloyd. He is fairly stubborn with the whole not smoking. He wants to do it but in his own way really, which isn't working out too hot. But we did teach the Plan of Salvation and right away he says that he believes it. So cool!

Church was good, Elder Wilson and I both spoke but there were no talks on Father's given, like it wasn't even Father's Day. If I didn't have an assigned talk I would have done it for sure, but I talked about music instead, oh well. Anyways, Happy Father's Day!!

Well, it's official, it's time to leave Bridgewater.

Though this last transfer has been pretty hard I feel like I have learned a lot from it. I have really loved my time in this area and I always hate to say goodbye to those who have impacted me and touched my heart. A lot has happened, and in a way the ward and branches I serve in feel like home, a good warm feeling. I am going to Saint John, New Brunswick and will be companions with Elder Maughn, who I don't know too much about.

"We do the best we can and we manage the situation. But when we've done all we can do, we endure. Hang in there and count on light at the end of the tunnel." -Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

I love You!!

Love Elder Ray

The Nilsson's!

Hirtles (also our wonderful landlords)

I FOUND IT!

Mission Book of Mormon Study

June 13, 2016

Dear Family,

For the month of June, we are doing a Book of Mormon study as a mission, like the Atonement one we did in April.

We had a great visit with Johnny, he's a less active member from China who has been here a couple of years and is super hard to meet with. But now that he quit his job he is willing to sit down and talk.

Really, as usual, many of our appointments fell through but we did get to talk to a lot of nice people this week. Canadians, I tell you.

Love You!
Love Elder Ray

Continuing with Investigators

June 6, 2016

 Dear family,

On Monday we had FHE with the Beck family and we taught their kids about the Priesthood Power. Then afterward we played an LDS Jeopardy... and Elder Wilson won.

Got to go on an exchange with the zone leaders and spent the day in Kentville. We were teaching one of their investigators and she asked us what we wanted her to study. It was cool because usually they don't ask us, it just shows her desire to learn more.

So to try and create a bit more unity in my district I have been trying to come up with fun things to do. This past week I made a video tutorial on one of our missionary recitations in sign language and we are all learning it together.

Had a good lesson with one investigator Patty, it was mostly just a Q and A with her but it was awesome, she really is curious as to what we believe but not sure if she will act on it, all you can do is pray in Faith and the Lord will do the rest.

Sunday though was so great! All the missionaries from the Dartmouth and New Brunswick stakes, along with so many members, traveled to Sackville New Brunswick to listen to Elder Gong from the Seventy and Elder Renlund speak. It was at a college auditorium and everyone got to shake their hands. It was an amazing experience to get to be so close to a modern day Apostle. And it was a big reunion for so many missionaries because we all got to see so many people from past areas.

Love You!!

Love Elder Ray

Love the Harlows!

Free Lemonade

May 30, 2016

Dear Hobos... I mean family, (Hope that's not offensive)

First District meeting of the transfer went pretty well. I can at least say that I am more comfortable giving trainings in front of people than I ever have before. Together our district discussed and made a plan on two things we are going to work on together this transfer, which are being more consecrated, and have more motivating love. Then I gave a training on Obedience, where we played Simon says to relate to it, it was fun.

On Thursday we found two new investigators (amazingly things are picking up). George and Joan are an old couple, like late eighties, early nineties kind of couple. George just got diagnosed with cancer and doesn't have long to live, and that's where their concerns come in. We taught them the Plan of Salvation and they had so many real questions that the lesson was so focused and the spirit was strong. We took brother Mackenzie with us and when Joan told us that she prays all the time, but doesn't feel like God answers her prayers, he turned to her and bore a simple, yet strong testimony of how God answers his prayers and how He will answer hers as well. It was the peak of the lesson, and was a very sweet moment for everyone. Before we began to teach them George said that if he felt like he didn't want to listen to us anymore he would ask us to stop. But by the end when we asked them if we could come back next week, he said, "Well I'm not going to buy a magazine that leaves me at a cliffhanger" Haha, they are a very special couple.

Starting to do some more creative finding with the summer just about here and the people are coming out to play. We did a lemonade stand, handing out free lemonade, in Lunenburg on Saturday and talked to a lot of people, mostly tourists. I have met so many people from all over the world just by standing in one little spot and calling people over. A lot of the time people don't speak English though :(

"Obedience brings blessings, Perfect obedience brings miracles." (Thanks aunt Suzanne for the quote, I used it in my district meeting)

Love You All!!

Love Elder Ray

Free Lemonade!

Before Elder Quinton went home, he went out with a bang...and I helped.

Road Trip

May 23, 2016

Dear Family,

We had a zone conference in Dartmouth on Wednesday and Elder Bennet from the Seventy was there to train us. Very inspirational man, that's for sure.

Brother Whiting, brother Edmonds, Elder Wilson and I roadtripped it together down to Lockport to see our investigator Lloyd. It's an hour and a half drive but while there brother Edmonds, the tech genius that he is, worked on their computer to find a way to skype them into church. The computer was so old and not working, it still had windows 98, so we are planning on getting an old computer from a member and setting it up for them. Oh we are so close with them. While he did that we had a lesson with Lloyd and went over the stop smoking program, and he is so willing to do it. Every morning we call him and check up on him to see how he's doing because we can't go see him all the time, and just this morning he told us that he wants to be baptized on June 30th because that's the day they lost a grandson so it would be even more special to them. I am so excited for his progression and how quick it is. I just pray that I will be here for that day because it seems that whenever I am teaching someone who is a bout to be baptized, I leave the area, and it's happened every time. But all that matters is that they do get baptized, I would just like to be there for at least one haha.

The youth did a potluck fundraiser one evening and our investigators, Patty and Linden, came to that and said that they really enjoyed it. It was a great time for fellowshipping and we also gave them a church tour and talked about the organization of it, which was one of Linden's biggest concerns but he seemed pretty interested.

We found a few new investigators this week which was a miracle. Kimberly and Cody, Elder Quinton and I found knocking but we had a lesson with them about baptism because Kimberly is concerned for her four month old baby and where to get him baptized, so we talked about age of accountability and what was interesting was that she said that people kept telling her to get him baptized but she thinks she should wait, and isn't really sure why, so we helped her out with that question.

Now Sheila was a former investigator and we tried so many times to see her but to no success. One day we were headed to Liverpool which goes by near where she lives but we didn't think much of it. As we passed by I got the impression that we should stop by, even though we just did a couple of hours before, and just then Elder Wilson turns to me and says,"I feel like we should stop by Sheila." So we turned around and did, and she was there. She just got home and was only there for a bit before having to run out again. We taught small portions of the Restoration and the Plan of Salvation, but then also talked about her future and finding hope in her life, as she has many hardships. It was a testimony builder in what following promptings can do.

The week was great, but now my responsibilities kick in again seeing as how I am starting to prepare more meetings for my district, but like I always say, "It will all work out."

Love you more than Abraham loved Isaac (Well, not sure about the whole sacrificial part so I probably can't) But I love you nonetheless!!

Love Elder Ray

Role Playing

May 16, 2016

Dear Family,

Thursday was transfer day and Elder Quinton is now home, he is finished. Now I am with Elder Wilson.
We did get to go to the temple though which was so good considering I haven't been in almost ten months!

We had a lesson on transition phrases (saying something that would transition from having a normal conversation into a gospel conversation) with one of our families that we are helping with member missionary work, and then Elder Wilson and I roleplayed an example of using a transition phrase. Then we had them do the same in a situation that was common for them with someone they knew, like seeing someone they know in a grocery store line. It was kind of fun, helping them to see what they can use in a conversation, I'm not sure they thought it was as fun as we thought it was. The wife has a hard time with conversations and that's why we roleplayed with her. She brought up that she can pipe into a conversation but is not one to start one...so we had her start one. It was awesome. They will be coming up with a few transition phrases of their own before we meet next.

Not a whole lot to report, just running around trying to get the area in shape and ready for the this transfer. Miracles are to come, I can feel it!

Love You!

Love Elder Ray

Transfers and Temple