One busy week!

This week we were able to attend two great district meetings.  One in the Confederation Park Zone, where Elder Davis was the district leader, and one in the Calgary Zone with Elder Cajilig as the district leader.   It is so neat to sit in on these meetings conducted by the district leaders and watch these missionaries in action.  They gave such great training, and involved many in their district to help, and had great discussions.  I am really so proud of them.
We were also able to have our Retrainer's Meeting on Friday with all of the missionaries that came in 4 weeks ago and their trainers.  It was also a great meeting where we had a lot of good discussion on what we have learned in the last 4 weeks, and how we can improve as missionaries going forward.  This group had lots to share, and everyone went away feeling edified.  It is so awesome to hear them speak about how they have learned the value of a companion--how they support and lift and help and love each other.  And how important it is to communicate lovingly, and how they are learning patience.  We always tell them that a mission is a great training ground for marriage--you get thrown into a companionship not of your choosing, and have to learn to work together, and get along and be with each other 24/7.  You have to learn patience, and love, and compromise, among many other things! The difference in marriage is that you actually get to choose your companion!
We also this week had our interviews with all of our departing missionaries which will be going home this Friday.  We drove south and interviewed the 3 down there on Thursday, and then interviewed the ones in Calgary on Friday afternoon.  We had 3 leaving early, for unique reasons, so one sister,  left last Tuesday, and 2 left on Saturday.  The other 10 leave this Friday.  It's always hard to say good-by to these missionaries we have grown to love, but we are excited for what the future holds for them!
Our mission home is under full construction now!  At least the basement, and outside.  Bathrooms are torn out, and excavating is going on around the side of the home to put in new drainage systems.  All of the carpet downstairs is torn out and its kind of a mess--but it will look great when it is complete.  So, it does mean that all of the new missionaries coming in, and the ones that are leaving won't be able to sleep at the mission home as they have done in the past.  It will be a few months before we can do that again!
As I write this blog I usually write about all of the wonderful things going on.  But I do need to address a real issue, and that is missionaries that need to return early for mental health challenges.  We have had a few needing to go home for various reasons--depression, anxiety, panic attacks, not being able to sleep and others.  We do all we can to keep them here--working with doctors, our therapists at LDS Family Services and others.  But sometimes their challenges are more difficult and they need more help than what can be provided in the mission field.  And besides that, they need to be in a different environment than the stressful environment of missionary work.  We send them home with our love, and tell them that they have served an honorable mission and that they can answer proudly when someone says, "Did you serve a mission?"  They can say, "Yes, I served in the Canada Calgary Mission."  We tell them they don't need to then add, 'but I could only serve 3, or 6 or 8 months', whatever the case may be.  They served as well as they could, and the Lord was proud of their desire to come.  We always hope that when they return their ward families and friends will embrace them and put their arms around them and give them all of the support they need. They need people to give them hope and love them.  We watch with them a video produced by the church under the Mormon Messages on the church's website called, "Like a Broken Vessel", with Elder Holland.  I would encourage everyone to watch it.  We all need to become more aware of those facing mental health challenges and their feelings and what we can do to be of support.
The weather is so funny here--it can be 85 one day, or even one morning, and then drop to 55!  We have had both the past week.  So warm on one day you want a short sleeved shirt on, and the next day was cold and rainy!  It keeps you guessing!  We've been told that they are predicting the winter to be a rough one.  We will see!

Sisters Allphin, Ratliff, Schnebly, Padron (saying good bye to Sister Allphin)

Saying goodbye to Sister Allphin at the airport

District meeting in the Confederation Park Zone

District meeting in the Calgary Zone

Our oldest grandson, Miles, starting his first day of First Grade!

Elders at Retrainers Meeting

Cute sisters at Retrainers Meeting

More elders at Retrainers Meeting

and more elders!

Saying good bye to Sister Tilley

Saying goodbye to Elder Weidner

Mini Zone Conferences

Last week we held a series of mini zone conferences.  We began in British Columbia on Tuesday, then did the rest of the southern zones on Tuesday in Lethbridge, then came back up to Calgary and did two different conferences with them on Thursday and Friday.  It was a great week.  We have our regularly scheduled full zone conferences coming up in September, but we just felt there were things we wanted to train on and help our missionaries with before then.  So, we scheduled these, and we are so glad we did.  We trained on and discussed 'Finding People to Teach', which is the biggest challenge all of our missionaries have.  We spoke about finding through our members in the wards, and also finding on our own, and the main point is asking Heavenly Father for help in this area.  There is a phrase in Preach My Gospel which states, 'finding through the spirit is as important as teaching by the spirit'.  So, we emphasized the importance of going to the Lord to find out where to go--even in visiting members, and less active members.  We also discussed our visits with members and taught the importance of teaching simple, powerful lessons with the spirit to build their faith and meet their needs.  And then to help them prayerfully consider who they know that would be interested in and benefit from this wonderful message we have to share.  We also trained on keeping all of our lessons short.  We want to have our lessons no longer than 20-30 minutes.  As we do this, we feel that everyone, investigators, members, anyone, will be more receptive.  And we have already seen miracles from this!  Steve just let me read one letter from an elder that spoke of how after the training they were contacting a man they had been trying to reach for a long time and when they finally got him on the phone and asked if they could come teach him, his first response was, 'no'.  But then the elder said, 'we only have 20 minutes'.  The man then said, '20 minutes?  The last missionaries took over an hour.  If you can do 20 minutes you can come right now.'  So they went over, and now he is an investigator and they have a return appointment to teach another lesson.  The elder is so excited!
We are really trying to refocus on Preach My Gospel and all that it teaches.  It is such an inspired manual.  We really don't need any other training than what it contains.  We just need to study and apply it!  So, we were happy with our mini zone conferences, and felt they went well and were beneficial and motivating for our missionaries.  We want so much for all of the missionaries to find more people to teach.  They are so happy when they can teach--we know there are more people out there for us to find, if we will work hard and have the faith to find them.  We are so grateful for their desire to serve.  It really is a phenomenal thing to think about that these missionaries leave everything behind and come out here to do hard work!  You have to admire them so much.  They truly have good hearts, and want to bring people to Christ.  We love them so much.

Our BC zone having lunch in the gym before zone conference--they all brought their own!

We got a kick out of the big jar of peanut butter!

BC zone.  Since they are so far away, we do theirs alone--all the others are combined.

Us with Sister Kendrick and Leonard

Sisters Rasmussen, Smith, us, Elliot, Meyer at zone conference.

Sisters Brown, Blake, us, Lane, Sears at zone conferences.

Sisters Elliott & Meyer- selfie on my camera!

Busy, great week!

This past week has been a great and busy week.
Monday, as usual, we went into the mission office and met with our senior couples there.  Can I just mention again how amazing these couples are, and how invaluable they are?  We have 3 couples serving:  The Peppinger's from Utah, The Thorley's from our ward in Sandy, Utah, and the Sefcik's from Calgary.  We are so grateful for each of them and all that they do.  There is so much that goes on  in the office to make our mission run efficiently and smoothly--and these incredible couples do it all.
And besides all of the administrative things they do, they are great 'nurturers' to our missionaries.  They are wonderful examples of couples that love the Lord, and love each other.
On Tuesday morning we drove to Lethbridge to attend a Zone Training Meeting there with our Lethbridge Zone.  It was a great meeting.  The zone leaders, Elder Dredge and Elder Purvis did a wonderful job of teaching what we had learned in our Missionary Leadership Council the week before.  We were proud of them.  We love being in any zone or district meeting with our missionaries and hearing their insights and hearing of their faith, and listening to how they encourage and help each other in the work.
After that meeting we met with Elder Evanson, our Area Seventy for southern Alberta.  Actually, he and his wife, Jody, invited us to dinner at their home with their family.  They have become dear friends to us, and we love them.  Following dinner we were able to discuss the needs of the mission and how we feel we can improve.  Elder Evanson is always so supportive of us.  After our meeting at his home in Lethbridge we drove to Magrath to meet with the new stake president there, President Maxwell.  We had a great meeting with him--he is just brand new, and is anxious to get the work going.  We just love the stake presidents we get to work with.  Then we drove back to our hotel in Lethbridge.
On Wednesday we attended the Lethbridge East zone training meeting with Elders Linford and Pugh, who also did a wonderful job conducting and training.  Also, in both meetings, the Sister Trainer Leaders, Sisters Dean and Trimble did training as well, and also did an awesome job.  It is so cool to watch these young adults stand up and teach and train.  They are the future leaders of the church, and they will be awesome.
After that meeting we had dinner with Steve's two counselors and their wives at the Gedlaman's home in Lethbridge.  It was great to be together the 6 of us.  They have also become dear friends.  After dinner, Steve and Pres. Gedlaman and Pres. Stephen met to discuss upcoming Ward Mission Leader trainings they are going to conduct in the stakes, and discuss Stake Conference schedules and who will be attending what conference.  After having July off from Stake Conferences, they will begin again in 2 weeks, and we had to reassign who is going where. After that we drove to Raymond to meet with the stake president, President Jensen, and his two counselors to discuss missionary work in Raymond.  Raymond is a predominantly Mormon town--but there are still those who don't have the gospel, or those who have had it and have fallen away.  Magrath is also similar to Raymond in this respect; so the work is different there than in the city of Calgary.  But they are great towns, and we want to find those who are prepared to hear the gospel either for the first time, or  again in their lives.
We drove back to Lethbridge from Raymond and got to our hotel about 10:45.  Then on Thursday Steve did some weekly planning with some elders in the morning, and I was supposed to go with sisters about 1:00, but there was a miscommunication, and it didn't work out.  I was disappointed because I wanted to be with these cute sisters.  Then that evening I went out teaching with Sisters Shaffer and Caldwell, and Steve went with Elders Larson and Mecham.  I was so excited to go on this teaching appointment because they were teaching a less active man and his new little wife who is a non-member.  The lesson was going to be held in the bishop's home.  So, we drove there and waited, and then the sisters received a text that the couple will have to reschedule because they were running so late.  I was really disappointed; but it happens!  So, they will be teaching them this next week.
I at least got to meet this bishop and found out he was a dentist, so he said he would be willing to see missionaries when they need dental help.  The LDS doctors and dentists in our mission are so kind and willing to help our missionaries!  I am so grateful!!!!
We drove home Thursday night late and Friday I was able to catch up on some laundry, grocery shopping and things like that.  It's always nice to have a catch up day!
Friday night for date night we drove to Bragg Creek and ate at a little Italian restaurant there that was so yummy!  We've now found two restaurants in Bragg Creek that are great-this Italian one, and a German one!
Saturday we had a day full of planning and preparing for not only our upcoming mini zone conferences this week, but for the next few months.  It's crazy to see the next few months so planned and booked up with transfers, interviews, training meetings, zone conferences, etc.  It never stops!!
There is never a dull moment!  And there is never a 'typical' day!  But it is all great work, and we love trying to help our missionaries grow in their faith and testimonies.  We are trying to help our missionaries seek referrals more often from everyone they meet, and the golden question they are to ask is: "Who do you know that would be interested in and benefit from this message?"  So, I throw that question out to anyone who reads this..."Who do you know?"  We are all so blessed to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.  Look at the happiness it brings.  So, we have to ask ourselves, 'just who do I know?'  If we prayerfully consider that question, I know someone will come to mind.  Now just act on that prompting!  We have the most wonderful message in the world to share.

We've had some crazy hailstorms the past while-this is our back patio table.

Lethbridge Zone Training Meeting

Lethbridge East Zone Training Meeting

  

Visit from Brother Mike Hemingway

I'm always happy at the end of each P-day when I haven't had any calls about injuries!  Last Monday about 5:00 I was thinking we made it through the day without incident and then I received 2 phone calls--one from an elder that had badly sprained his ankle, and another from a group of elders in the West zone stating that Elder Johnson had broken his nose colliding with another elder.  So, Elder Whicker, the one with the sprained ankle came to our home to get crutches, and I gave him an ice pack and some ibuprofen.  Elder Johnson was taken to a walk-in clinic where they told him he had to go to the ER!  For a broken nose, really?  So, he got to the ER and they put in a couple of stitches where he was split open, but they wouldn't reset his nose--which I thought was odd.  They said they usually wait for 10 days to 2 weeks to do that.  So, as Steve and I got to the hospital, we looked up and out walked all 4 elders out of the ER, and one of the elders had the bishop of the ward where he is serving on the phone, and this bishop is an ER doctor.  He told us we could come to his home and he would reset Elder Johnson's nose.  So, that is what we did!  Thank heavens for the good doctors we have in the wards here in our mission.  They help me out a lot with  medical issues!  I had to call one yesterday (Sunday) down in Raymond to help me with a sister missionary there who was in severe pain--and he had her come to his clinic and diagnosed her and got her taken care of.  So, I am very grateful for their help!
Last week we had the blessing and opportunity to have Brother Mike Hemingway, who is the Director of Proselyting for the Church, in our mission with us for 3 days.  He brought his assistant, Garret Beeston, with him.  They met with Steve and I for 2 days discussing the needs of our mission, and giving us suggestions and ideas.  On Tuesday evening they went out teaching with different missionaries- our assistants and some zone leaders, and Steve also went with zone leaders, and I went with two of our Sister Trainer Leaders, Sister Earnhardt and Sister Frandsen.  It was great to be out with them.  We taught 3 different lessons--one to a gal who is a member but has been less-active, but is wanting to come back into full participation.  The other two were nonmembers who are investigating the church.  It is always great to see the missionaries give the lessons they have prepared, and to see them share their testimonies of the gospel and of the Savior.  All of the women were wonderful women, and you just want so badly for them to feel how the gospel could bless their lives.  I'll be anxious to hear how they progress.
Then on Thursday we held a Mission Leadership Council with Brother Hemingway and Beeston.  They did most of the teaching and training at this council, and all of it came from Preach My Gospel.  We have been emphasizing Preach My Gospel the past transfer in our mission, and trying to get our missionaries re-focused in this inspired book.  So, this was great to have Brother Hemingway just train from it.  He shared wonderful experiences he has had being out with missionaries all over the world, and also shared so many insights from Preach My Gospel that we can use to be better missionaries and bring more people to Christ through baptism.  It was a great MLC, and the missionaries went away from it so inspired and motivated!  We want so badly to find more people to teach and baptize here in our mission, and we know they are there if we will work hard and exercise our faith to find them.  We also discussed that we need to involve the Lord more in every decision we make as missionaries, and have the faith that He will guide us.  Too many times, we want to do it our way, and we don't rely on His guidance.  So, we are going to continue to implement the things we have learned into our Zone Training meetings, district meetings, and zone conferences.  We are so excited to raise our vision of what this mission can do!  We want everyone to know what we know, and have the happiness we have because of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Sunday we drove to Drumheller to meet Elders Smith and Crockett so Steve could do a baptismal interview for their investigator.  It was great to meet with them for a bit after the interview and talk about the work in their area.  Drumheller is about 90 minutes from Calgary, and it is a city known for its' dinosaur findings.  We feel like there is so  much potential in that area!  We can't wait to see what these two elders can do.
We've been having crazy weather!  One day will be warm and sunny, and then the dark storm clouds will roll in and it will rain  and hail so hard!!  In Drumheller they have had 28 of the past 31 days with rain.  There is nothing like a thunderstorm here!  I kind of like it when I am inside and can watch it!

Elder Johnson after having his nose reset--Elder Parker is the supportive companion!

Us with Mike Hemingway and Garret Beeston.

  

Our new missionaries!

Our new missionaries!!!

Dinner at the mission home!

Finishing up dinner--and they are still awake!

Transfer week!

This week we welcomed 18 new missionaries to the Canada Calgary Mission.  Six sisters and 12 elders! 16 we will keep, and two are waiting for their visas.  As always, it is so fun to greet these new missionaries at the airport.  This group had a direct flight from SLC to Calgary, which is unusual.  Most of the time they are flown from SLC to either Seattle or Minneapolis before arriving here.  So, this group only had to get up at 4:00 a.m. instead of 1:30!  And you could tell!  They were more alert and awake throughout the day.  And it is a great group.  We are so excited to have them here serving in our mission.  We did our usual bite of lunch and training with them starting about 2:30, when we finally got back to the mission home.  Then we had a yummy dinner about 6:00.  Following dinner we did just a little more training, but this time it's more casual--the assistants did a question and answer time, and the missionaries also tried to guess where in the mission they will be assigned.  We also showed them the video we have that introduces our family to them, so they can get to know us a little better.  After that we got them off to bed since they were pretty tired!  It was a great day.
Then on Wednesday morning we went to the church at 9:00 for an hour and fifteen minute training and then we welcomed their new trainers in to meet them.  That is always so fun.  Everyone is a little nervous--the trainers and the new missionaries.  So, it is good to get them together and send them to their new areas.  By 11:30 they were all on their way! Then I went home to wash sheets and towels!
I counted up, and between the missionaries that stayed here on Tuesday and Thursday nights, I washed 42 sheets and 21 towels!  
Then Thursday was our regular transfer day which went really smoothly.  We had great weather--no thunder storms!  In fact, we have had quite hot weather--25-27 degrees celsius, which translates into about 80-85 Fahrenheit.  Perfect for summer!
We got everyone transferred smoothly and brought back the departing missionaries and took them to the temple.  This time we had only elders going home.  And they were a great group going home--we will miss them.  We had such a nice temple session--this has turned out to be a very special time with our missionaries...to spend their last afternoon of their mission in the temple.  It has become a great tradition with them.  Following the temple we came back to the mission home and had a wonderful dinner with them and then our testimony meeting.  I wish everyone could have heard this testimony meeting.  These elders shared incredible testimonies of the Savior and his atonement and how it has changed their lives.  It was so touching.  And what we realized is that when missionaries are obedient and have worked hard their whole missions, they are blessed with deep, abiding testimonies because of it.  They leave with no regrets, and know their service has been acceptable to the Lord--whether they had a baptism or not, they know they have been successful.
Friday morning we took them all to the airport and sent them on their way!  It is hard to hug them all good-by!  But I just think about their mothers at the other end waiting for their son to come home and it makes it easier to send them off!
So, another transfer week has come and gone.  This will be the last group to spend the night at the mission home for awhile.  When we were having all the rain here in Calgary our basement bedrooms flooded..and we came to find out that the foundation has cracks in it where water was seeping in, and also coming through an improperly installed window in one of the bedrooms.  So, we are now in a renovation downstairs!  Carpet has been pulled up, sheet rock removed, big fans in there to dry it out.  It's going to be quite a project to fix it up right.  So, we are kind of sad we can't house missionaries for a few months!
This weekend we drove to Taber for a meeting with missionaries, then to Raymond to deliver contacts to a missionary there, then to Lethbridge.  Then this morning we drove to Cardston to meet with 2 Stake Presidents, attend a ward council meeting and then speak in a sacrament meeting.  We got back about 5:45 just in time to eat something quick before our assistants came for a meeting.
This week we are looking forward to a visit from two brothers from the missionary department who are coming to visit and help us in any way we need them.  It will be a great week.
This is great work out here.  We know the Lord leads and guides this work and helps us in it every day.  We are grateful to be part of it, and just hope we can be an instrument in His hands as we lead and guide these missionaries.

All of our Mandarin speaking elders at transfers

We always hope all the luggage gets picked up!

Unloading the van on transfer day!

Loading up in the van to go to the temple!

Van ride to the temple!  This was my first time riding in the mission van!

At the temple with our departing missionaries!

Rainy and wonderful week!

Last week was Stampede week here in Calgary, and it rained buckets of rain every single day!  Along with hail, and thunder and lightning!  I even got stuck at the grocery store one day because it was hailing so hard I couldn't go out to the car!  I had to wait inside until it let up--at least until the hail let up-and then I made a mad dash in the rain with  my groceries to the car!  And now this week, with Stampede over, is going to be warm and dry.  And that is good because we will be welcoming 18 new missionaries tomorrow!
So, last week, we were able to meet with our Spanish elders to help them in the work, and we felt like it was a great meeting with them, and they were motivated to go out and work hard.  We were also able to attend a district meeting in the Calgary North Zone, with Elder Dredge as the district leader and it was also a great meeting.  I am so proud of these district leaders and their abilities.  They always put so much thought into their meetings, and try to make them edifying and uplifting.  It was good to be there!  And afterwards, Elder Dredge shared Oreo cookies from the states that his mom had sent up.  The missionaries all swear that the U.S. Oreos are better than the Canadian ones.  I wouldn't really know!
We were also able to interview all of our departing missionaries that will leave this Friday to return home.  This is a great group of elders leaving us (no sisters this time), and we will miss them.  I am so thankful to have had this past year with them and to see them grow in their testimonies and faith, and to see what dedicated, wonderful missionaries they have been.
We also had a new trainers meeting on Friday for the missionaries that will be training our new ones coming in tomorrow.  We always love this meeting, and are grateful for these missionaries that are excited and ready to train.  This is one of the most important assignments a missionary can be given-to train a new missionary, because they really set them on the path of how missionary work should be.  They can really set the tone for their whole mission.  We feel we have a great group.  After the training we had a hotdog lunch for them upstairs.
Then this past weekend we were able to attend 3 incredible baptisms-  Ben Venema, Ryan Ford, and Aydin Baltaci.   As I've said before, to attend a convert baptism is so special.  All 3 of these people being baptized are pioneers in their own families.  They are the only ones to become members of the church, and one with a little bit of opposition.  I am always amazed to see their faith to embrace the gospel and go forward even when they don't have any support from family.  Both Ben and Ryan are young single adults, and have been greatly influenced by their friends.  It was so neat to see the love and support from their peers.  And Aydin's situation is so unique.  He and his wife and son are from Turkey.  They immigrated here about 2 1/2 years ago to escape the problems in that country.   So, they are of the Muslim faith.  But they moved into a neighborhood where they had a Mormon neighbor who befriended them.  And, eventually they began taking the missionary lessons from Elders Roberts and Misiluki.  Both he and his wife read the Book of Mormon and gained a testimony of it, and of the prophet Joseph Smith, and of living prophets.  They both wanted to be baptized, but were a little hesitant because of her parents who are still living in Turkey, and were wondering what they would think.  Aydin also didn't know if he could commit to paying tithing.  But, then they both decided he should get baptized because they wanted to have him have the gift of the Holy Ghost to be in their home.  How sweet is that?  So, Steve interviewed him just to be sure he was really ready, and to determine if it would be alright with extended family, even though they are not returning to Turkey.
All throughout the lessons, and in Steve's interview, they have had a returned missionary from Turkey there to translate.  Aydin's wife, speaks English quite well, but Aydin's english isn't nearly as good, so they wanted to be sure he was understanding everything being taught.  This returned missionary, James Clark,  loved being able to use his Turkish outside of the mission field!  So, what a great experience for him, and he is the one that performed the actual baptism.  Anyway, it was such a sweet, tender baptism.  His wife told us afterwards that she just 'felt the Holy Ghost the whole time'.  And their little boy, James, was upset, because he wanted to be baptized as well!  We really feel that the mom and James will end up being baptized soon.  Her parents are coming from Turkey to visit for 6 months--and they want to introduce them to the gospel and this new religion they have found and show them how wonderful it is.  Another neat component in this story is that another couple from Turkey, who are also converts to the church and live in Edmonton, have been fellowshipping the Baltaci's over the phone and sharing their testimonies.  And when we got to the baptism on Saturday, this couple had driven down from Edmonton to be part of it!  It was all just so neat.
That's what this missionary work is all about.  To bring these wonderful people, who knew nothing about our Savior, Jesus Christ, into his gospel.  It is just inspiring to see them and hear of their faith.

Meeting with Spanish elders in Calgary

Eating Oreos after district meeting!

Hotdog lunch with new trainers!

Another view of the hotdog lunch at mission home!

Sister Sears, Ryan Ford, Sister Lane

Elder Misiluki, James Clark (translator) Aydin Baltaci, his wife, Elder Roberts

The couple second from the right are the converts from Turkey who came from Edmonton

Ben Venema's baptism (middle back) with some of his friends
Elders Moffitt, Stringam and Chen, who taught him.