Being a District Leader

April 18, 2016

Dear Family,

This week we helped a less active, who is only less active because she is allergic to smells and it would affect her badly with the people at church, do some gardening. And by gardening I mean digging and doing the heavy work getting an area prepared to plant. It was fun though.

Wednesday was my first district meeting as a district leader and it actually went pretty well, at least that was the feedback that I received afterward. Training made me a little nervous but it worked out, now I just have to do it every week for who knows how long, haha.

On Saturday we decided to work out in the areas of Shelburne and Lockeport, which are at the very edge of our area, an hour and a half drive away. Crazy, driving that long and still being in your own area. So we spent the day out there, seeing as how we rarely ever get to because it takes up so much time, but a miracle happened while we were there. We visited a less active member, who is less active for obvious reasons (distance to the church building), but is very active in the home. Her husband isn't a member and when they let us in they were about to watch Meet the Mormons, and they just finished watching the life of Thomas S. Monson, that's pretty cool. Her husband Lloyd, who we didn't know wasn't a member at the time,  talked as if he was a member. So when we asked him how long he was a member, he was like, "I'm not a member, but I hope to be someday." We were just like what!? All these thoughts of how this was going to work out were racing through my mind. He is on his third time reading the Book of Mormon and he loves the church, but he struggles with some things that will take time. Meeting will be hard but thank goodness for skype, which is what we are going to have to do, but good news is we can skype him into church, their situation being an exception.

Sometimes miracles fall right into your lap.

Love You!

Love Elder Ray

This was from last weeks trip to Newfoundland

It's been almost a year but I found another big chair.

Training the Mission

April 11, 2016

Dear Family,

Now this is a story all about how my week got flipped-turned upside down. I'd like to take a minute just sit right there, I'll tell you how Elder Quinton and I have many stories to share.

On Monday night we drove to Halifax to stay the night with the assistants, then we spent Tuesday morning driving to Amherst for the first zone conference. I was stressing out pretty hard, I have never given a training and my first was about to be in front of half the mission, and President Pratt. But our training on member missionary work was after lunch and brother Cartier, the man over CES in the Atlantic provinces, did a training first. He taught about the doctrine of Christ and went pretty in depth about Faith and how really it is everything, it's hope, it's obedience, it's keeping the commandments, it really all comes down to Faith. It was a very powerful training that helped me deepen my understanding of what Faith really is...Doing the Will of God.

Wednesday was the Nova Scotia zone conference, where the training went much better the second time and I think it's because we had a feel for it and knew what to expect, so the stress was a lot less, and it became more fun than work.

Thursday night, now this ones a story. We drove into Halifax to meet with Elder Hansen and Elder Argyle to catch our flight to Newfoundland, but they got out of a lesson late and by the time we got to the airport, no one was there to help us with the tickets. Turns out the plane left ten minutes early and we missed it, the only flight in that airline for the night. Yeah we freaked out a little, and then we said a prayer out loud in the middle of the airport. And we got a hold of one of the airline workers who was off of work for an hour but still helped us out. She tried to switch our tickets over to another airline but could only do two. So Elder Argyle and I were going to take those and he would do the announcements and I would do the training at the conference the next day, and Elder Quinton and Elder Hansen would try and get a flight in the morning and make it in time for the last half, but when she was in the process of trying to book those two seats one of them was taken and I was left without a ticket at all. So we came to terms that we wouldn't be going to Newfoundland, and then a guy from the other airline came over and he was like, "Let me see what I could do." He worked his magic and all four of us were put on stand-by for the next flight out, which was supposed to be full. And we all got on the plane, turns out there were fifteen empty seats by the time the plane left. Miracles happen. God is Real. We got there around one and were in bed about three in the morning, having to get up at 6:30 and be all bright and shiny for the last conference.

The last conference was great though, it was held in a hotel in Gander and being in three of the same conferences, you still learn something new every time. And we are probably one of the only missions to have more than one conference at a time because you just can't, it's way too spread out. A group of us after the conference traveled to Twillingate just to take pictures because President Pratt said that it was supposed to be a great spot, and it was. Plus this was Elder Quinton's only time in Newfoundland because he goes home in a month. On the drive though we were trying to keep up with the sisters car, and both cars got pulled over, but let us off with a warning. So many miracles, how great a week it has been. Plus with all the driving and flying really we've just been living off of junk food. I don't know how my areas been though because I haven't been there all week. But crazy weeks are the best weeks, that's what I always say...not really.

Don't worry I'm being safe.

Love You so much!

Love Elder Ray

Training Preparation

April 4, 2016

Dear Family,

Really the past week has been dedicated to the curriculum and the training that we are giving this week, it's been a huge project in the making and it's almost unreal that it's happening already but I'll fill you in on it next week, this week is going to be so awesome though.

The Superbowl... I mean General Conference, same thing right? It's always so inspiring and definitely gives me hope in many things. I just feel so spiritually uplifted by the end. And I love President Eyrings ability to wing it when it appears the teleprompters aren't working, haha. The Priesthood session was by far the most important to me though. I can't believe that Conference is just here and gone, just like that. But I know that as we follow the counsel given that we will be blessed .

Love You!!

Love Elder Ray!

District Leader

March 30, 2016

Dear Family,

What a crazy weird, long week it has been, and in long I mean that it was nine days until we had a P-day.

Friday night we and the sister missionaries and sister Harlow and brother Whiting, spent the evening setting up for the Easter Pancake Breakfast and Egg Hunt that we planned for Saturday morning. It was a big success in our eyes, many less active members and non-members came and enjoyed it. Elder Quinton and I served the pancakes while the sisters went around and talked with everyone.

Easter Sunday was a bit of a struggle though when you and your companion are fighting head colds and have to teach a lesson, but we pushed through.

We stopped by a referral that a member had given us and this couple, Patty and Linden, are awesome. They have met with missionaries before and had some struggles then but seem super open to having us over to teach them more. They even invited us over for dinner this week, which is awesome when a nonmember invites you for dinner. Member work is where it's at, the Nillson's, who were the ones that referred us to them, have been super good examples and member missionaries to Patty and Linden opening the door to them receiving the gospel. The Lord truly does prepare people, in His own way and in His own time, but He does.

It's also transfer week, and Elder Quinton and I are both staying in Bridgewater, a big part President said is to finish the Institute semester, and to finish the program that we have been working on. Also I have been called as a District leader, so that will be cool. But with the program on member missionary work, we created a training and us and the sisters will be traveling the mission next week and training the whole mission on this new initiative. No pressure. I'll be on a plane sooner than I thought I would be, seeing as how now we get to go to Newfoundland for a bit, but it will be so cool. It will be my first time doing a training and it happens to be in front of everyone, but we have three different conferences because the mish is super spread out, so three trainings. This is huge, a lot is happening... I'm pretty nervous not gonna lie.

"Every Member A Missionary" -David O. Mckay

Love You All! Happy Late Easter!

Love Elder Ray

When you hardcore photo bomb your districts picture.

The chefs from the Easter Breakfast.

The Work is Progressing

March 21, 2016

Dear Family,

We finally met with our investigator Trevor, who could only meet once every other week, tough, I know. But we taught him the Restoration and he loves talking about it and asking questions so we had a great conversation going. We asked him what it would mean if this was true and he said that he would probably just keep living his life the way he is now. It was probably one of the boldest lessons I have been in and we straight up told him that this is the most important thing that he will hear in his life and that it will improve the way he is living. He was completely fine with what we had to say but we aren't sure where it will go from here, him not wanting to commit and all, but hopefully he will realize it for himself.

On Tuesday we spent the whole day in Sackville working with the Elders there. Elder Quinton and I have both served there so we knew the area pretty well still. We split off for the day and worked with each others companions. It was like deja vu being back there, old apartment, same work, it was almost like I never left. It was really weird. Got to visit a few of the members and the best thing of the day was when we took Owen, the investigator that was found by Elder Quinton right before I got there and then taught him, and who is now baptized, to a lesson with us. It was so cool that I got to go back and see someone progress so much and make those covenants with God, and now he is an awesome member missionary. Ah, such a good day.

Well, the record for hardest door slam on my mission was broken the other day, it was awesome!

On Sunday we were leaving Sacrament meeting when in the back corner of the room was Jennifer and James, two investigators from Montague that Elder Quinton also found and that I was teaching as well. They are so awesome and surprised us with a visit. They just got engaged, which is a miracle in itself because we thought it might never happen, and they both invited us to the wedding, which is in September of 2017, haha, pretty far away I would say. But James said that they are planning on being baptized after they are married! They came to Gospel Principles class with us and brother Whiting thought they were members because they were participating in the discussion and what was funny was that when he asked if they were members James instinctively said yes and than was like, well not yet. So cool that it was his reaction though, it made Elder Quinton and I both excited.

The blessings are real, you can see them everyday.
#Hallelujah
Love You!
Love, Elder Ray

Brother Whiting, our ward mission leader,
is one of the coolest people I have ever met.

Surprise visit from Jennifer and James!

Teaching

March 14, 2016

Dear Family,

Earlier in the week we met and talked with Archie, who is a Buddhist but loves the Mormon church. He is so involved in Buddhism but he said that we get it, we have it, and he knows it, and that if he wasn't a Buddhist that he would be a Mormon. He said that nothing has shaken him in his Buddhism except for Mormons... what was crazy is that he talked a lot about God and Jesus Christ as if he believed in them but when we asked him if he believed in God he said no. Oh we were so confused. He asked us to what end is the point in meeting with him, so we straight up told him that we would be there to go through some discussions with him, have him do things like read, and pray, and go to church, and then eventually he would need to be baptized. He liked that we were up front with him and not beating around the bush. He said that he could see why Christ was baptized but that he didn't feel that he needed it. We marked in the Book of Mormon where Christ appears to the Nephites and teaches them about baptism, then committed him to read and pray about it, and he said that he would. It was a crazy lesson, and we are hoping to meet with him again but he never seems to be home or answer the phone, but we pray we will work with him, it will be interesting.

While Elder Quinton taught Institute this week I went with a member in the ward home teaching to a less active member. This member is very involved in a German club and we got talking about the name Schnepf, and he asked me some questions and I realized that I have no idea about our families names/ancestors but he loves to talk about it. So maybe one day I'll look into it.

We did some good service this week as well. We helped make lunch packages at a food bank and we also helped Andrea, who we were helping move last week, finish moving on the weekend. Couches, beds, and dressers to move for days, haha.

Weeks go by fast. Cherish the moments you have. Look for all the blessings and miracles in everyday life. The bad is always followed by the good.

Love You so Much!!

Love, Elder Ray

Building lunches at the Food Bank

Winter's not over quite yet.

Study of the Atonement

March 7, 2016

Dear Family,

Found a new investigator on Monday. His name is Trevor and he has met with missionaries before, he believes that there is a Creator but isn't sure if it is God and wants to know. He went off about evolution and how it was completely impossible, it was pretty funny not gonna lie. We both feel like he has great potential, one road block for us is his insane work schedule, limiting us meeting with him to once every two weeks. But we can make it work.

Since Easter is at the end of the month, our mission is doing a month long study of the Atonement, and it is awesome. Every week we get a study schedule and the things that we can study. It's only been one week and my understanding and testimony of the Atonement is stronger and deeper, what an amazing thing, so simple yet insanely complex.

On Friday we spent a big chunk of the afternoon helping an ex-member move houses... it was great but let's just say I am fine never having to carry a washer and dryer upstairs again.

What a wonderful time to live and have the knowledge of the gospel in our lives. I have had many experiences that show me the blessings of living it and the true happiness that it brings. The church is true.

Love You!

Love Elder Ray