"In striving for ultimate submission, our wills constitute all we really have to give God anyway.  The usual gifts and their derivatives we give to Him could be stamped justifiably 'Return to Sender,' with a capital S.  Even when God receives this one gift in return, the fully faithful will receive 'all that [He] hath' (D&C84:38).  What an exchange rate!" (Neal A. Maxwell)

Sister Tiff putting our
schedule together

Lesson preparations seem to take a lot of our time, as we strive to improve our presentations in order to enlighten minds, touch hearts, and strengthen testimonies.  Because we are working with university-age youth, we find they already know the "what" and the "how".  We're trying to instill within them the "why".  We prefer they take up class time discussing why certain lessons, passages, events, etc., are important to them and their eternal welfare.  If we can share something with them from the scriptures and lives of the prophets that will strengthen their love of the Savior and His gospel, and inspire them to live more closely to the standards He has set for them, then we have accomplished His objective.  We really have to seek guidance from the Spirit to know what to say, when to say it, and when to shut up and listen.

Tuesday was our first class at Dalhousie University.  We don't have a large gathering, because of student class schedules, so we try to find the best time to fit the greatest number of students we can.  We teach Tuesday mornings and Bro. Cartier teaches Tuesday and Wednesday afternoons.  It was a good experience and we enjoyed being there to give them a break from the "philosophies of men."  That evening we had dinner with our Branch President, Pres. Moses, and his wife and son.  He is a very capable leader for the YSA, with a great spirit and lots of leadership experience.  The members of the branch think he's great!

Our Family Home Evening didn't gel this week, as those invited to attend were sick.  Next week we'll try again.  It's a great opportunity to help the young Elders in fellowshipping and teaching some gospel truths, in a relaxed atmosphere.

A Moose Mountie

Colorful Bridgewater Real Estate

Our day in Bridgewater was very long.  We traveled there fairly early in the day to see a mechanic who checked out the brakes on our van.  We had been told we needed them changed, with all sorts of extra things to be done, to the tune of $1,300 (by a dealer).  This mechanic and a YSA who is an "auto expert" said all that was needed was replacing brake pads, to the tune of $130.  A friend in the Bridgewater Ward will do the labor for free!  Isn't it great to have good friends?!  Heavenly Father is really looking out for us. We hope we can return the favor.

In the evening we had a great class with the YSA and others in Bridgewater.  They are a very animated and eager group.  We have good discussions and responses, but as I mentioned, we have to take the time to prepare lessons that invite the spirit and stress the "why" of the gospel.  After the class, we drove back to Halifax (about 65 miles) in a pouring rainfall.  The dark and the rain made travel hazardous, but we finally made it home around 11 pm.

Elder Robert Gay
of 1st Quorum of 70

Elder Robert Gay, of the 1st Quorum of the Seventy, is traveling throughout the mission this week.  From 7:30 am to 3:30 pm, on Thursday, we were trained by him in the effective art of spreading the gospel.  His main theme was: "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through the doctrine of Christ."  His emphasis was put on training local priesthood leaders to help the missionary work by finding those who may be interested, then let the missionaries teach them.  Fellowshipping by members before, during, and after the teaching and baptism, will almost guarantee retention of new converts.

Nova Scotia Zone Missionaries
(Yours Truly in front) 

During the day, Joni and I were invited to role-play an interview with a bishop (Elder Gay), to convince him we were here to help his ward.  We did everything the MTC told us not to do.  So maybe we did it right, because Elder Gay then showed the missionaries how it should be done.  It was a good learning experience for everyone!

After the training with the missionaries we went to fulfill our assignment at the temple.  Serving in the temple once a week is a very special blessing.  We love to be there with such great fellow ordinance workers, and to feel the spirit of the patrons.  Joni doesn't feel comfortable with her assignments yet because they are so new to her.  But she is doing very well, actually, and the sisters working there love her.

Friday was a day of rest and lesson preparations.  We must be getting old, because we were very tired from all our activities this week.  But we do feel like we need to be doing more.  There are some less-active YSA out there who need a visit or contact by someone in the church, to buoy their spirits, listen to their challenges, answer questions, share a testimony, or just to know someone knows they are alive.  So we are going to try to regroup and see if we can be more effective in that area.  We have really been tied up so much in the administering that we haven't done a lot of ministering.

This evening we attended Bro. Cartier's New Testament institute class.  He went through the Beatitudes in Matthew 5, showing us how much our Heavenly Father wants us to be like Him, as pointed out in verse 48 of that chapter.  When we are hungering and thirsting after righteousness so much that it is an all-consuming thing in our life, then we can be taught by the Holy Ghost how to become like Him in the fullest sense of the word.  Everything we do to follow the path of the Savior is given to us by the Holy Ghost, therefore it is important for us to do what it takes to stay in tune with the Holy Ghost.  If we think "temple" while we read the Sermon on the Mount, we will begin to understand the deepest meanings the Savior was teaching.  A very powerful lesson.

Milford (brother), Joni, Ruby (sis-in-law), & Dot

Nephew Jeff
& Oxana

Saturday we are spending with the young Elders and with family members.  This is a great work we're involved in, and we hope we can set a positive example for everyone.  We're here, apart from our family, to bring other families together.  Our family still has some struggles and some victories, and we still miss them and love them, but we trust Heavenly Father is taking better care of them than we can.  One of those struggles for Kirsten's family this week has been an accident Matthew had on the football practice field.  A fellow team-mate tackled him, hitting him in the leg with his helmet, and broke his leg.  Matt's out for the season, and feels pretty bad about it, but he's strong and will weather the storm.  We would like to think this will be the biggest challenge in his life, but know he's going through this to make him tougher for the bigger mishaps.  He's receiving lots of love and support from all of the family, and we pray for him and send our love.

 

"I counsel you to look to the lighthouse of the Lord. I have said it before; I will say it again: there is no fog so dense, no night so dark, no gale so strong, no mariner so lost but what the lighthouse of the Lord can rescue. It beckons through the storms of life. It calls, “This way to safety. This way to home.” It sends forth signals of light easily seen and never failing. If followed, those signals will guide you back to your heavenly home." (Pres. Monson-2012 General Conference)

The Relief Society of the Halifax Ward spends time each week making quilts for the women's shelter, so this week Sister Tiffany got involved and spent time with the ladies in a good cause.  She enjoyed this time doing some sewing, something she hasn't been able to do since she left Centerville.

 

Sis. Tiff here in the front,
makin' that machine sing!



Part of a small group of students
we'll teach at Dalhousie

We met this week at Dalhousie University in downtown Halifax to arrange for space to meet during the week for institute classes. The final arrangements have been made, schedules have been set, and we go into full swing this coming week. We're excited to get this show on the road. We'll be teaching on Tuesdays, and Bro. Cartier will be there on Wednesdays.


Wednesday we drove to Bridgewater to teach our first class there.  On the way we stopped in Mahone Bay to have dinner with some very dear friends.  We took a few pictures, as the weather is so beautiful right now.  The class went very well, with a good turnout, albeit half were YSA and half were "older".  We're looking forward to the friendships we're able to renew, but more importantly, we can share our thoughts and testimonies of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon as a second witness of our Savior Jesus Christ.

We finally had a chance this week between meetings and classes, to visit the Halifax harbor.  It is much more picturesque than these pictures.  We have been here for three months, and this is our first visit here.  Our schedule will really pick up speed, starting this week.  We teach a Sunday School class to the young single adults on Sunday, Monday we have family home evening with new members and investigators, Tuesday we teach at Dalhousie University, Wednesday we teach Book of Mormon in Bridgewater, Thursday we serve at the temple, Friday we attend the religion class in New Testament in Halifax, Saturdays are activities with the YSA.  All this along with going out with the young elders when we can, and trying to motivate new converts to do their family histories.

Elder Tiffany trying on a Nor'easter'
(or is it a Sou'wester'?)



Sister Tiffany staying away from
Elder Tiffany

Elder Baskin & Elder Jensen
enjoying some Mexican food!



Elder Jensen (a newbie) from
Alberta & Elder Baskin from
Utah.
 

When we can, we try to help out the young Elders with a meal or two.  We've been around to some of the Elders' apartments, and we know there fridges are about as bare as Mother Hubbard's cupboard.  And we think it's probably not healthy to eat what they do have in there.

Altogether, we're getting some things done early this week that we don't think we'll have time to do from now on, with our new schedule. 


The gospel is true and our Heavenly Father loves us.  We're very happy to be serving Him as missionaries and know He will bless us as we strive to keep the commandments and do His will.  We bear testimony of the love our Savior has for us and His atoning sacrifice in our behalf should not go to waste.  We must declare the glad tidings of the gospel to all the world.  We're humbled by the trust He has put in us to call us to be His representatives in the Halifax area, and we pray that He will care for our loved ones while we are away from them.  We are apart from our family to help other families come together. 

 

 

 

In Acts 5:34-42, we find what the attitude and response was to any "new" and seemingly different religious movement was at the time of the Savior, as well as now.  It could be called  The Doctrine of Gamaliel: "38 - And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone: for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to naught:  39 - But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it; lest haply ye be found even to fight against God." 


And so we go into all the world with the authority given to us by the Savior, to"teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world."  (Matt. 28:19-20)


Elders Jarvis & Harding
Kingston, N. S.

Elders Lassier-Houle & Gibbs
Bridgewater

We took a few days to inspect missionary apartments and vehicles.  Most of them are not bad - livable.  One of them we had to challenge to take a day or more to clean up.  We guess the two of us were taught quite well to keep a clean living space.  We're sure the mothers of the young missionaries taught them also, but when you get two 19-20 year-old boys together, they sometimes forget some of these things.  We challenged all of them to be clean and organized "in every needful thing."  A couple of teams weren't aware they should wash dishcloths or pillowcases and sheets occasionally.  And if it's crawling around in the fridge, don't eat it - throw it out!

Jim Aulenbach
Very good friend

Our inspection tour took us to Bridgewater, where we lived back in the '70s.  We had a chance to reunite with many dear friends at their ward BBQ on Saturday.  We stayed overnight with Bro. and Sis. Seymour, two very dear friends we love and appreciate, then went to church on Sunday.  They have a beautiful chapel, quite different from when we lived there. Afterwards we visited with Bro. and Sis. Laurie and Althea Wentzell.  They've had some health problems so we went to their home - just like we'd never been away.  We think Laurie was a counselor to Elder Tiffany when he was Branch President there.


Bro. & Sis. Frelick
Stalwart friends in the gospel

Laurie & Althea Wentzell

Maynard & Delma Dorey-
Friends from way back in the '60s



Sauesi Pahulu
Husband of Andrea Davison.
An excellent young man!
 














Dave, Nat, and Karen -
Chowin' down.

We stayed with family in Liverpool during the Labor Day break and had a wonderful visit - Lil and John, Dave and Nat, Karen and Clayton, Albert and Sylvia, Kevin and Sherry - they're all so good to us and we love them dearly.  Joni's old home is being totally remodeled, which is great to see.













Relaxin' in an Adirondack!
We may appear small in stature here,
but we're big in spirit!

Then on to Yarmouth, the southernmost tip of Nova Scotia, for another inspection and a canoe trip with the Primary.  Elder Tiff even got to paddle this time!  We saw Cape Forchu, a well-known lighthouse area there.  It was really quite an awesome sight that pictures can't relay in magnificence.


Sis. Anne Moses -
A welsh convert

You can see why Elder Tiff
was allowed to paddle this time!

Sis. Anne Moses invited us to stay with her.  She's a very lovely lady from Wales and we love to listen to her accent.  She taught us a new word that Elder Tiff's trying to learn (it's the name of a place):  Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychchwyndrobwllllandysiliogogogoch (bet you can't say that three times fast!)


A French Catholic
Cathedral

From there we made our way up the Bay of Fundy coast through some totally French villages, for three more inspections, and finally back to Halifax.  It was great to see that half of the province, but even better to get back home!







Feeding the masses!
(New missionaries and mission transfer day)

Barely enough left for
Elder & Sister Foley

 

This week was transfer week for the young Elders, and we saw Elders Deem, Parsons, and Marks leave the area and will be greatly missed here.  We were at the mission home for a luncheon for 14 new missionaries and all those being transferred.  Boy, can they put the food away!  What a spirit of dedication they all have to the work of spreading the gospel.  We felt humbled just being in their presence.



Some of the YSA

weeding a community garden

Even Bro. Cartier (on right) is a gardener -
of sorts

The Institute opening social was this weekend.  Bro. Cartier gave a fantastic lesson to begin our study of the New Testament.  His method is not to teach a lesson, but to get students to study and internalize the gospel.  He is an excellent instructor!  After his class, the YSA had a dance (which we didn't stay for), then this morning we had a breakfast, some workshops (one of which we led - "Being Unique While Being United in the Gospel"), then a service project weeding a community garden in downtown Halifax.  They went on to an archery activity, but we didn't have any spring left, so we came back to our apartment.  What a great group of youth we have!


Griselda found out she is leaving to return to her home in El Salvador in mid-October.  We'll definitely miss her and her beautiful spirit.  She bore a beautiful testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel the other night. 

We spent a few minutes on Friday visiting Elisha's daughter, Anisa, in the hospital.  She has been there since Tuesday with a bad case of pneumonia.  She's on the mend but may be there another day or two.  Elisha was invited to share her testimony with the missionaries at their luncheon at the mission home.  She's doing very well and has a good spirit about her.

Next week we start our own teaching session in Bridgewater on the Book of Mormon.  We're a little nervous but excited about getting them into the gospel and not lecturing them.  We want them to know and internalize the "why", because most of them already know the "how".

Senior missionaries are called to serve in many different lands to fill many different assignments.  We are all needed, to do whatever and wherever we're called to do to the very best of our abilities.  Our Heavenly Father knows our strengths and weaknesses, and he doesn't necessarily call us because we may be "really good" at one thing or another, but that He will accomplish with and through us His work.  He will make us equal to our tasks.  We love our call as missionaries, and are thankful to everyone who has made it possible for us to be here.  Our priesthood leaders, those we serve with, and the young missionaries are real inspirations to us, and our family, friends, and ward members are greatly appreciated and loved.  We hope we represent them, and most importantly Him, well.  Our Lord will judge us by what we have done and not by what we have got.