Last week I said there would be more pictures of our activities and travels, especially since we were going to Maine to visit some early-morning classes, and maybe do a little in-service training.  When we got about 40 miles from home, we realized that we didn't have our camera.  Needless to say, we were very disappointed, but we continued our journey.

Our first stop was in Amherst, Nova Scotia, very close to the New Brunswick border, to visit some very good friends, Elder and Sister Steffen.

They went through the missionary training center (MTC) with the other Elder and Sister Tiffany (Elder T's brother and sister-in-law), and they will be going home next month.  While there, we had lunch, visited with the younger missionaries, and the Steffen's loaned us one of their cameras for our trip.

This is Elder and Sister Steffen from Fruit Heights, Utah.  We originally met them in Cornerbrook, Newfoundland, when we were here only two weeks.  They go home next month.  He's Branch President in Amherst, and ready for a rest at home in Utah.

 

We had lunch with the Steffens, and while we were there the younger missionaries stopped by - just in time to eat.  Elder Jensen (in the back) was a brand new missionary we worked with earlier in Halifax, and Elder Hawkes (in red) is a very friendly and loving missionary who was sent here to work in the Mandarin Chinese area (we didn't even know there were enough of that culture here to send a missionary).

 

This sign says "Welcome to New Brunswick" - and we're headed for Maine and the U.S.A.

And here we are!!

 

Can you believe it?!

 

We saw these signs all along the way, but never actually saw any moose!  Our entire trip was 980 miles, and no wildlife anywhere!!

 



Our ultimate destination!  Presque Isle, Maine, as well as Caribou, Limestone, and Fort Fairfield, Maine.

 



 Sister Holst has got to be one of the most loving and likable hostesses ever!  Not knowing us from Adam and Eve, when we arrived at her door, we introduced ourselves and she said bring in your bags and make yourselves at home.  We stayed with her for four days and she was like a long, lost friend.  Sis. Holst (Jacque) teaches early morning seminary (6:30 a.m.) every weekday, then feeds her students breakfast.  She is an excellent teacher, with a wonderful testimony and spirit.  Her husband passed away last year with Alzheimer's, and she has one daughter and 14 grandchildren, who live near her.

 



This is Sis. Holst's home on a corner of her 100 acres of forest land, frequented by moose, deer, and bear (which we saw none).

 

This was just down the road from Sis. Holst's, and a surprise to us, but these people say there are a large number of Amish who live in the area.  We actually saw a horse and carriage, but didn't get a picture of them.

 

This is Sis. Torruellas and half of her early morning class.  A very good teacher, who is well organized and has a great and humble spirit about her.  She and her family just moved to Maine from Oregon, a little over a year ago.  Bro. Toruellas teaches Spanish.  A very nice couple.

Here we have Sis. Patton, Erin, Beah, and Eileen (3/4 of her class).  The Pattons moved to Maine from Southern California, 9 years ago.  Bro. Patton  works for the Border Patrol.  They have a really great spirit about them and try really hard to be good examples in their area and schools.

 

Bro. Dave Smith is a local dentist who did some work on Elder Tiff while we were there.

 

Elders Tusa and McIntyre having an

amazing breakfast with us at Sis. Holst's.

 

 

 

The sign speaks for itself!  We crossed this on our way back to Halifax.

 

Welcome back to Nova Scotia!!

 

Sunday evening we had a spaghetti dinner (thus the aprons) with

Elders Gibbs, Johnson, Campbell, and Wolsey.  They don't get many dinner invitations, so we try to have them as often as our budget will allow.

 

On Monday we took Elders Wolsey and Johnson to Peggy's Cove.  The skies were clear, the waves were calm, the winds were fierce and sub-zero!

 

And Sis T was loving every minute of it!!

 

This past week was by no means a vacation for us, as we were up very early every morning, doing a lot of driving, and sleeping in someone else's bed.  It certainly was enjoyable, but somewhat of a challenge.  Visiting each early morning class was a spiritual treat, though, as well as gaining new friends.  Sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not always an easy thing, but it is ALWAYS worth it.  The people we serve and serve with, are living the Lord's commandments the best way they know how, and are continually seeking ways to improve.  The teachers are great examples to their students of what the Savior has taught and continues to teach through His living Prophets and Apostles.



 This has been a week of service to the younger missionaries and others.  Because we're assigned to the Young Single Adult Branch, we see that the younger missionaries don't get a lot of dinner invitations, so Sister T has decided to do whatever we can to make up for it.  And we love it!

Sisters Hart, Drew, and Ott having Breakfast at Tiffany's 

 

Elder and Sister Wiebe joining the Sisters at "Breakfast"

 

 

Elders Campbell, Johnson, Wolsey, and Gibbs

didn't get "Breakfast."  They had lunch instead.

 

 

The Sisters again, and we're so glad they can come to dinner often!

 

 

While we were in Bridgewater to do a class observation this week, we visited our good friends, the Davisons, and Anna showed off a quilt she made which will go into a Canadian national show of some sort.  (Sorry I cut off the top of her head to get in the quilt.)  There's some very intricate detail here that takes a lot of time and talent.  Congrats to Anna.

 

 

Sis. T with Anna's granddaughter, Ofa, showing off her new glasses (play).

 

 

A shot of one of those freight container ships heading out to sea from the Halifax harbor.  These ships are HUGE, and with all the weight they carry in these containers, we wonder how they stay afloat!  A lot like the great big airplanes carrying a lot of cargo or military machinery - how do they get into the air then stay there?

 

 

It doesn't appear that we've done much this week, but we have, just didn't get a lot of pictures to show off our busy schedule: teacher's inservice, institute classes, temple service, fellowshipping and teaching appointments with the young missionaries.  And, let's not forget Sister Tiff's Primary class and Elder Tiff's Branch Presidency duties.  We also had a young and struggling couple into our apartment for dinner one evening this week.  It has been a very busy and fulfilling week of service, and we love it.

 

 

This coming week we're headed for the far southwestern borders of our mission - upper Maine, for early-morning seminary teacher observations and in-service.  We'll be sure to get some photos to share and some spiritually high minutes with the Saints in that area.

 

 

 

This week has been filled with some interesting events that were fun and exciting, and a bit scary.  On Sunday we were sustained in the Halifax 1st Ward as Primary workers.  After an hour in the nursery we were interviewed by Pres. Glanfield, a counselor in the stake presidency, and he called Elder Tiffany to be 2nd counselor in the YSA Branch presidency.  So, Sis. Tiff will teach the children ages 8-10, while Elder Tiff attends branch presidency meetings.


Sister Tiff -
surrounded by little ones!

David - a favorite with Sophie

 

Primary munchkins in the front, and Dave and Eric in the back.  These men are dental students from Utah, studying at Dalhousie University in Halifax.  Halifax 1st Ward has a large number of Utah dental students.

 

 

Bro. and Sis. Madsen are among the dental students who spend 4 years here.  Elder T was privileged to assist in the blessing of their baby at church.

 

 

Sisters Hart, Drew, and Ott enjoying a dinner at our apartment.  Sis. Drew is another 19 year-old missionary just arriving a week or so ago, from Alberta.  Right now there are just 3 sisters in the area until the next wave of incoming missionaries.

 

 

We're in the sisters' apartment.  It's labeled as the nicest in the mission, so we had to get a peek of it.  It is very nice.

 

 

And this is the locater sign for our home away from home.  We're at

210 Glenforest Drive.

 

 

Here we have a front view of our apartment building, with Sis. T sitting on the bench (can you see her?).

 

 

About 5 minutes from our place is the Halifax Harbor.  This is the shipping container lot where very large cargo ships unload and load containers going to and from ports all over the world.  We told our kids to spray paint our name on our container at home with all of our furnishings, so that we could pick it out if it ever came through this port.  So far we haven't seen it (maybe we missed it!).

 

These are the huge cranes that move the containers from ground to ship.  It's hard to get good pictures of this area because it's right on a main highway and there's no place to stop for pictures.

 

 

We've talked about a favorite restaurant of ours called "Wharf Wraps."

This is it, nothing fancy, with the fishermen's dock behind. 

 

 

Sister T enjoying an order of fish and chips at Wharf Wraps.  Look at the size of that one piece of haddock!

 

 

This ocean vessel is an automobile carrier.  Not sure how many cars they can get in there because it's about 600 or 700 feet long - about the same size as the container ships we see just about everyday.

 

This is the chapel in Kentville, about 60 miles from us.  When we lived here they didn't have a chapel, so this is great to see.  It does show the growth of the church in Nova Scotia.

 

We were sitting in on a seminary class in Kentville, then an inservice with the teachers afterwards.

 

 

We took a short drive east of Halifax/Dartmouth, and saw this beach.  It's not a swimming and tanning beach, the water is the normal frigid North Atlantic, and, as you can see, even Sister T is bundled up against a very cold wind.

 

 

And Elder T is not basking in the sun either!

 

 

Joni and Melissa - braving the cold March winds.

 

 

This is a little farther down the beach.  If you look really closely you can see three black dots out there in the water.  Those are SURFERS!  Can you believe that?!  They're nuts!! The North Atlantic in August is still very cold!!!!

 

 

This is Shane, and he said we could take a picture of him before he goes out to surf with the others.

 

 

 

Saint Mary's University (founded 1802) is even older than Dalhousie University where we teach, and is located fairly close to downtown Halifax.

 

 

Main building - Saint Mary's University.

 

 

On Sunday evening we watched a CES broadcast of Elder Bednar, 4 hours after church let out.  These young single adults stayed at the church and played board games all during their wait.  Clockwise from Kate in the front, we have Tyler, Connie, Corey, Mark, and Amber. Our CES broadcast was at 9 PM as we are 3 hr. ahead of Utah

 

 

 

Elder David A. Bednar,

Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ.

 

One of the many memorable statements he made in his CES broadcast was:

"Not shrinking is more important than surviving."   (He was quoting Elder Maxwell)  He was talking about accepting the Lord's will when we pray for relief from pain and suffering.  Are we willing to accept the Lord's will if He doesn't heal us or take away our pain?  The results of strong faith are still according to God's will.