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

Companion Leaving

May 9, 2016

Dear Family,

Throughout the week everyone has been saying goodbye to Elder Quinton because he goes home this week and it's a sad but exciting time. A lot of missionaries say that they are sad to end their missions and are pretty scared to go home, but we all know it has to come at one point. Hopefully mine doesn't fly by too fast, which I feel like it just keeps picking up speed as time goes by.

Well, seeing as I knew I would be getting a new companion this week, I will be staying in Bridgewater and will be serving with Elder Wilson, who is from Lethbridge, Alberta...and the Canadians keep on coming. I have had more companions from Canada than any other place.

We have been trying to meet with Bill, a former investigator since I have been here and we finally got a hold of him, but at a hard time. He has had nothing but bad things happen to him lately. He went from having cancer to having his dying mom in the hospital right now, and on top of that ten minutes before we knocked on his door his girlfriend broke up with him in a fight. So here we have this fifty year old man drinking and crying while we comfort him on his couch, and we told him that what he needed in his life was the gospel of Jesus Christ. But we wanted to share with him at a better time so we are meeting with him tonight.

Happy Mother's Day Mom!!

Love Elder Ray

Peggy's Cove with the District!

Elder Quinton's Funeral Photo

The Breakfast Club

A few odd things that we found this week, phone booth and a dome house.

No Ordinary Week

May 2, 2016

Dear Family,

This past week I did my first baptismal interview for Katelyn, who was baptized on Saturday. She was being taught by the sister missionaries in Sackville. The same day we had a full schedule, and then three out of four lessons cancelled, so that was a bummer.

Had a good lesson with Lloyd, the investigator that lives an hour and a half away. One problem is that they don't have a web cam and so right now they can't skype into church or have skype lessons, but that is our next task, getting one set up for them. It would make it a lot easier for everyone.

Wednesday evening we were just about to leave to go on an exchange with the Kentville Elders for the next day when Elder Quinton cut his thumb open pretty good on jagged metal. We stopped by the church to print something off before we went and sister Caulfield was there so we asked her if she could look at it, seeing how by this point it was bleeding for 45 minutes. She put the hanging chunk of skin back in and put pressure on it, and just as I put a chair next to him he passed out and we had to catch him and sit him in the chair. Yep, then we went to the hospital and were in and out in about 45 minutes, which never happens at the hospitals here, so when we told people they were surprised at how fast it was. No stitches though so that's good. Then we drove to Kentville and got there late, obviously. What a crazy night that was.

In Kentville though, we went to a dinner appointment with the Messia's. They are from Barbados and are pretty hard to understand to where you have to pay super close attention. They are awesome though and so funny, and joked about me being white just because I didn't put anything on my "white rice" haha. (They are black)

We taught another investigator Rodney, who's mom and sister were there as well. But right before the lesson began his mom had to go back to work, so she left. Then half way through the lesson Rodney stands up and is like "I have to run to the bank real quick, I'll be back in fifteen minutes." Then he just ran out before we could say anything. We had sister Nilsson with us and she needed to go soon but we were awkwardly left there to wait until he got back. But we finished the lesson and he is willing to read the Book of Mormon, so something did come from the awkward lesson and it worked out.

No day has been ordinary since I started serving with Elder Quinton, it's always different, and you never expect it. If we knew what would happen throughout the day there would be days that I would just go back to bed, haha.

Love You more than Canadians love Hockey! (The stereotype is so real)

Love Elder Ray

And this is Popcorn.

New addition to the team. Still deciding on a name though,
so far it's come down to Lance or Puff.

We have one little dirt road to get out of our cabin and we were going out to
go knocking, but this then happened. Someones barn was on fire and the
fire chief wouldn't let us through so we had to wait until they were done.

FYI here is a picture of the town of Lockport.

One of Those Weeks

April 25, 2016

Dear Family,

It's been one of those weeks where it seems really long because nothing went as planned. We tried setting up many appointments with our investigators but not one could meet this week, so we didn't get to see any of them. :( So instead we focused on less active visits.

On Tuesday we had the Sackville Elders spend the day with us and so Elder Goeders and I had a fun time. We drove down this really long back road (everywhere here is a back road though) and came around this corner to basically a secret community. It was like in the middle of nowhere and hidden behind hills, and on the other side was the ocean. It was so beautiful there and we spent some time knocking, we even had to cross some small bridges because some people pretty much lived on islands, it was awesome. I also tripped into a small, spiky bush and got some gnarly scratches on my leg.

We hope to have better success this upcoming week.

Love You!
Love Elder Ray