Canada Calgary Mission - President and Sister Miles: February 2018

Tuesday, February 27, 2018

Beautiful baptisms!

As I've said before, one of the special things we get to do in this calling is attend convert baptisms. We aren't able to get to all of them because of conflicts in or schedule, but when we can we always do. This past weekend we were able to attend three and they were all beautiful. We were able to see three sweet children, Xander, Damien, and Isabelle all be baptized. They live with their grandparents who are raising them, and the grandparents are also taking the lessons and wanting to be baptized, yet they struggle with smoking, which they are trying so hard to overcome. But the grandmother told everyone at the baptism that it will happen! And she also expressed how grateful she was for the way everyone loved them and treated them and welcomed them at church. I have come to realize more than ever how we need to be so inclusive...no matter how people look, dress, or smell. We can tend to make quick judgments if we happen to smell smoke on someone sitting next to us at church--and yet they might desperately be trying to overcome that habit and repent of it. They need us to love them and encourage them as they try to change their lives and come closer to the Savior. I've also seen here how people who are recent converts or who are investigating the church might come to sacrament meeting wearing jeans or other every day clothes. We need to remember that they are learning...they've never been to a church where people dress up. And as they grow in their faith and learn more of the Savior, they will come to realize that we wear our best clothing because as we do, it shows the Lord we want to be at our best in his house. And as we love them and accept them, we can help teach them these things.
We were also able to watch the baptism of Lily, in our Mandarin branch, and also of Elizabeth, who was baptized in the Midnapore ward in south Calgary. She was introduced to the church through her friend of 27 years. It was such a beautiful baptism as well. It really is a privilege and blessing for us to see these people change their lives as they take the lessons and feel the spirit and begin to experience the atonement of Jesus Christ in their lives as they repent and come closer to him. It's an incredible thing to see.
Last Friday we held our training meeting for the missionaries that will be training the new missionaries that arrive tomorrow. They were all excited to receive the assignment to train, and we know they will be great. We feel like we are being blessed with wonderful missionaries coming to our mission. It's so fun to see how missionaries grow and progress--some of these trainers have just finished being trained, so they have only been out 3 months! And others have been out over 18 months, and some anywhere in between that. But we know as they are obedient and faithful the Lord will bless them and help them. There is a lot of trust given to a trainer. We know they can help set the tone for the new missionaries whole mission.
One of the more difficult things we do on our mission is deliver the sad news of the death of a grandparent, or friend, or some other loved one to a missionary. We never like making those calls. It is very difficult for them to be away from home when they get that news. We have had many missionaries lose their grandparents. Some have lost family friends, some cousins, and a few have lost parents. We always pray that they will each feel the peace and love that only the Savior can give. We have also seen how the glorious Plan of Salvation becomes ever more meaningful to them--and as they teach it, they have more conviction as they tell someone that because of our Savior, there is life after death and we will all be resurrected, and that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us.
It is through some of these difficult times that their testimonies grow the most.

We were invited to have dinner with the cute Sandoval family and Hermanas Vera and Smith--best Mexican food!

Hotdog lunch with all of our missionaries who will be training new missionaries!

Sisters Romo & Carillo with Damien, Xander & Izzy at their baptism.

Baptism of Lily with Elders Chan and Tu.

Saturday, February 17, 2018

Zone Conferences & Interviews Complete!

We have just been so busy that I really haven't had time to sit down and write about the past few weeks! We began our zone conferences on Monday Jan. 29 and ended in BC on Feb. 5. In these conferences our morning was spent watching training videos from Elder Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Elder Brent H. Nielsen, director of the Missionary Department. The videos were all on the use of smartphones and how to use them appropriately for missionary work. We truly learned that these devices will be a great blessing to the work as long as we use them to fulfill our purpose as missionaries, which is to invite others to come unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end. Every time we open our phone we are to ask ourselves if we are using it to fulfill that purpose. If we are, then use it! If we aren't, then put it away! We are excited about getting phones, but also know that it will require our missionaries to be more diligent and more focused, and determined to rely on the spirit than ever before.
The second part of our conferences was spent improving our teaching. We are really trying to help our missionaries become effective teachers--teaching simply and with the spirit, and using scriptures and asking inspired questions so we can meet the needs of all those we teach. It is an ongoing process, and one we will always work on.
We also had a wonderful, spirit filled testimony meeting in each conference. As I've said before, I wish everyone could be at a zone conference and hear the testimonies shared of the missionaries. It is an incredible thing to experience. It touches me every single time! It is such a joy to see how these elders and sisters come to know the Savior, and come to feel how His atonement blesses them.
We are enjoying reading the Book of Mormon together as a mission, and it has been fun in interviews to hear the missionaries talk about how they are learning just how much it testifies of Jesus Christ. They also are better able to use it in their teaching and also, to testify more powerfully of its truthfulness.
Besides interviews and zone conferences Steve and I have been involved in the Confederation Park Stake Conference with Elder Rulon F. Stacey of the Seventy. We have been with him in several other stake conferences and really enjoy being with him. We were also able to participate in the Lethbridge YSA stake conference, which was also a treat. And then we were able to be in the Calgary West Stake Conference with Elder James E. Evanson of the Seventy. He is our Area Seventy we work with down in Lethbridge, and he and his wife have become good friends, so that was fun to be with them at this conference. Although we attend many stake conferences, and have to speak in all of them, we are always blessed to feel the great spirit in each of them, and to hear the different messages given. And also to hear the choirs! There are some incredible choirs we get to hear! Each stake conference is inspiring.
We also held our MLC on Feb. 7 which is always great. We love meeting with these zone leaders and sister trainer leaders. We also role-played on teaching skills there, so that these leaders will know where they need to improve and will work hard at it so they can help their zones. Over the past few weeks we have had several companionships teach us the Plan of Salvation, and then we evaluate with them, to help them improve. It is fun to see their teaching improve as they practice. Learning to teach simply determining which scriptures to use, and what questions to ask takes a lot of preparation, but the payoff is so worth it! When they practice, and role-play, it really brings the spirit into their lessons.
We are now getting ready for transfers. This week we will interview all the departing missionaries that leave the next week, and we will do everything else that needs to happen before the actual transfer.
We have also been able to Skype with the new mission president and his wife, President and Sister Keung, who have been called to take our place on July 1. They are wonderful and will be such a blessing to this mission. We pray for them as they prepare to come.
This is such great work, and my testimony of how it is truly the Lord's work has really grown. He really does guide us in it, and we have to trust in that. I am so grateful for this wonderful gospel and for how it has blessed my life and the lives of my family. I have had so much happiness in my life because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.