An old Cherokee told his grandson, "My son, there is a battle between two wolves inside us all.  One is Evil.  It is anger, jealousy, greed, resentment, inferiority, lies, and ego.  The other is Good.  It is joy, peace, love, hope, humility, kindness, empathy, and truth."
The boy thought about it, and asked, "Grandfather, which wolf wins?"
The old man quietly replied, "The one you feed."



Zone & District Leader
Training Mtg.

We are truly feasting on the good word of God.  It is a real joy serving this mission as representatives of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to work with the other senior missionaries and younger Elders and Sisters.  They are so great to work with because of their enthusiasm and love for the Gospel, and they truly have a spirit of love for their calling as His personal representatives.  We gain a lot of energy and rejuvenation just by our association with them.

Elder & Sis. Pierson (far left),
Elder & Sis. Romney (3rd From left),
farewell

We've had the opportunity to meet a few of the senior missionaries from other parts of the mission.  Elder and Sister Duncan, a couple from a small Wyoming town who are currently serving in Prince Edward Island, were here for a leadership training meeting with the missionaries.  They are a ball of fire, with a lot of energy and spirit.  We loved being with them for a couple of days and look forward to seeing them again before they leave the mission sometime in the future.  We also met Elder and Sister Romney, a couple from Utah who have been serving in Newfoundland their entire mission.  Pres. and Sister Leavitt had a very nice dinner and farewell for them and Elder and Sister Pierson, giving a number of senior missionaries an opportunity to say goodby and wish them well.  Both couples have served very honorably and now returning to home and families.  They will be sorely missed.

The YSA branch is filled with some really great youth.  They are truly an inspiration to us as we watch them organizing activities, both fun and spiritual.  The Church is in good hands with the young people who are our future leaders.  They definitely keep us going, between church/missionary assignments and activities.  They have fully accepted us into their branch and activities, so we are sometimes finding our worn and tired frames being pushed to keep up with them, and often all we have to do is be there for a little counsel and advice (and an occasional hug).

At our recent Stake Conference the YSA Branch was assigned to have a choir at the Sunday session.  They were amazing!  They spent a lot of time in practice, and we spent a lot of time and miles getting them there, but they were wonderful.  Then Hallowe'en came along, and we've never witnessed how much people get into Hallowe'en costumes as they do here.  After the institute class on Friday evening, they had a dance, and the costumes were phenomenol!  It was very well attended and they minded their manners very well.  Then Saturday morning they arrived at the chapel somewhat bright but early, to take their turn cleaning the building for Sunday.  Afterwards they went to the valley (on the Bay of Fundy coast) for an all day activity.  They visited a haunted house, a corn maze, and a number of activities that took the entire day.  Then they were right back to church on Sunday.  We love serving with them.

Hari and Ashley

We didn't go to the Saturday activity with them, as we were at the temple with Hari, a young man from India, for his first visit to the temple.  Ashley Croft, a young lady who taught Hari the Gospel of Jesus Christ as a missionary then went home to Utah, has returned to be with him.  They have plans for an eternal family unit, as soon as all papers are cleared between Canada, the U. S., and India.  It was a wonderfully spiritual experience being in the House of the Lord with them.

The Dalhousie University and Bridgewater institute classes are going very well.  We have good participation and the youth are very thankful to have us there.  It is a highlight to be with them in smaller groups, to share the gospel and to bear testimonies to them of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ, and His and Heavenly Father's love for us.  We are very blessed to have Prophets and Apostles on the earth once again, to guide us and give us hope in the resurrection and possibility of returning to be with our Father in Heaven and to be in His presence if we live worthily and make ourselves clean through the Blood of the Lamb.  The youth are very eager to share their own testimonies with us, and to express their love of the gospel.                                 
Fall colors in Milton, a small village near Liverpool (Sister Tiff's hometown).

The colors have been amazing, but our camera doesn't quite get the brilliance of it all.  A couple of the pictures are taken from our apartment window. 

Along the river between Liverpool and Milton.

From our apartment window.

As you can see - color is not just in the leaves, but in homes, shops, and downtown Lunenburg, also (home of the sailing ship "The Bounty").

These are little shops at Fisherman's Cove in Eastern Passage - on the east side of Dartmouth.

Note the colors on the trim of this home in Mahone Bay.  Much brighter than the camera is showing.

 

Also along the river to Milton from Liverpool.

 

This is Mahone Bay harbor before the changing of the leaves.

Another angle (opposite direction across the bay) of Mahone Bay and the "Three Churches".

Halifax harbor with 4 or 5 cruise ships at dock.

Halifax, Nova Scotia harbor - 2nd largest natural harbor in the world (Sydney, Australia is 1st).  Halifax on the left, Dartmouth on the right.

This is Chester Basin, north of Mahone    Bay.












The message we are sharing with the world is either true or it is not.  We can know it is true by the Holy Ghost, as promised in the scriptures.  After reading and pondering the message of the Book of Mormon, any who desire to know the truth must sincerely ask in prayer to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ, if it is true.  If we ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, He will manifest the truth of it to us by the power of the Holy Ghost.  "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.  But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering... (James 1:5-6).  That tells us He will answer all our prayers, if we ask sincerely.  We know of a surety that what we are sharing with the world is from our Heavenly Father and is true.

Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated in"My Missionary Commission" what we are here for: "I am called of God.  My authority is above that of kings of the earth.  By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is my master and He has chosen me to represent Him - to stand in his place, to say and do what He Himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me.  My voice is His voice, and my acts are His acts; my doctrine is His doctrine.  My commission is to do what He wants done; to say what He wants said; to be a living modern witness in word and deed of the divinity of His great and marvelous Latter-day work.  How great is my calling!"

Pres. Dieter F. Uchtdorf,
2nd Couns. in First Presidency,
LDS Church

Pres. Uchtdorf of the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints gave this advice to strengthen our faith and our discipleship:  "My dear brothers and sisters, don't get discouraged if you stumble at times.  Don't feel downcast or despair if you don't feel worthy to be a disciple of Christ at all times.  The first step to walking in righteousness is simply to try.  We must try to believe.  Try to learn of God: read the scriptures; study the words of His latter-day prophets; choose to listen to the Father, and do the things He asks of us.  Try, and keep on trying until that which seems difficult becomes possible - and that which seems only possible becomes habit and a real part of you." (Oct. 2009)

Our "Home Evening" group
(with a lot of missionaries in attendance)

There has been a social at the mission home with Pres. and Sis. Leavitt each of the last two Sundays, for new members and investigators.  The idea of the get-togethers is to teach a little of the doctrine that the missionaries don't get into in their regular meetings with these people.  Pres. Leavitt is the instructor and does a great job at getting a point across in an understandable way.  The atmosphere is friendly and non-threatening and those who are new to the church enjoy the spirit and are strengthened in their understanding of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is also an opportunity for everyone to feel the strength and power of the young missionaries in their zeal to be about their Father's business.  These socials won't be held every week but rather, as often as the Pres. can schedule them with his busy and full appointment book.

Pres. & Sis. Leavitt, Griselda,
and Elder Deem (who taught her)

Sister Griselda Campos will be leaving us this week as she departs to go back to her home country on Thursday.  She will be greatly missed.  She has come so far in the gospel, and shines with the Spirit.  We love her and hope that she will find all is well as she rejoins her family and shares with them the truths she has gained about the Savior.

The leaves are changing slowly, but very surely.  As we drive around the area, and especially down to Bridgewater, we see a lot of beautiful sights in foliage, but don't get a chance to get a lot of pictures.  We'll try to be a little more attentive to that, as we know the colors of fall in New England and Atlantic Canada can be breathtaking.  So far, though, it is still mostly green.

Thanksgiving dinner at the Choo's

Bro. & Sis. Hartling

Our Canadian Thanksgiving was "stuffing".  We had a really great dinner and visit with JJ and Sheldon and family, as well as Melissa.  JJ is such a good cook, and Sheldon is so kind and gentle with everyone and allowing us to visit their home.  We may never be able to repay them for all the kindnesses they extend to us on a regular basis.  Melissa is always on the lookout for things she can do for us or give to us to make our living area so comfortable.  Besides the Choo's (JJ & Sheldon) and Melissa, we had another Thanksgiving dinner on Monday with Sharon and Burt Hartling and their family.  We work with her at the temple and really love her friendship and caring for us.  They are both really great people.

Last week we had an opportunity to serve at the temple twice, again.  Our normal assignment on Thursday was wonderful, as usual.  We had some very spiritual moments with a few members from Newfoundland, and Elder and Sister Steffen.  This couple was serving in Newfoundland, but have been moved to Amherst, Nova Scotia.  They are also friends with Elder and Sister Tiffany who are serving in Guam (Elder Tiff's brother and sister-in-law). They came to the temple to be here with the Newfies they served with.

Elder & Sis. De la Cruz

Saturday saw three busloads of members come to the temple from New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.  We had over 50 youth and many adults.  It was wonderful to see so much activity at the temple!  We were asked to be there to help with the crowds, and we loved their enthusiasm and spirit.  A new couple, the De la Cruz's, from Hawaii, are now serving at the temple, and they were a little nervous to have such a large crowd so soon after their arrival.  It was great to be working with them in their new assignment, and we love them. They are a little apprehensive of what they may be facing with a Canadian winter, but they are excited to be here.

Some scarecrows aren't
all that scarey!

Anna & Roger Davison and
Ofa Pahulu (granddaughter)

We had a chance to take a brief drive through our old hometown of Mahone Bay, last week while on our way to Bridgewater.  It happened to be the week of their "Scarecrow Festival." A lot of funny, and some scarey, arrangements.  We also drove past the school where our son, Brad, attended.  It brought back a lot of fond memories.  While there we visited and had dinner with Anna and Roger Davison and their daughter Andrea and family - Sauesi and Ofa.  What a loving and beautiful family!  They have been very kind to us and have had us there for dinner a number of times while in the area to teach our institute class in Bridgewater.  We love them and hope our friendship may become even more solid over the years.

Angel "Old Guy",
just hangin' out

We also had the opportunity, a week or so ago, to see where the Angel Moroni "hangs out."  The temple has an extra Moroni statue for the top of the building, that is stored in a shed on the Stake Center grounds.  I was allowed to get a picture of him while he was "hangin' out" there.  Our granddaughter, Lily, calls him "Angel Old Guy"!



President Thomas S. Monson,
Prophet, Seer, & Revelator

We love our service to the Lord.  We hope that we can be worthy of all the blessings He has poured out upon us.  Three of our four children at home got together this past weekend for a belated Canadian Thanksgiving dinner, and they all seemed to be in good spirits.  Heavenly Father is trying to get through to them how much He loves them and is there for them.  We know He will take better care of them than we can, if they will let Him.  Our service as missionaries has taught us more of His love for His children.  We each have a purpose while we are here on earth - more than just living.  It is our desire that we may all find joy in giving - our time, our talents, and our love, in service to others.  Our Prophet, President Thomas S. Monson, has said: "All who have studied mathematics know what a common denominator is.  For Latter-day Saints, there is a common denominator that binds us together.  That common denominator is the individual call each of us receives to fill assignments in God's kingdom here upon the earth....Like a glowing searchlight of goodness is the life of Jesus as he ministered among men.  'I am among you as he that serveth.'"  May we all lose ourselves in our service to others, and He will make our own burdens light and easier to bear.

"When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them.  Sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you."

We don't have many sick days here, as the Lord watches over us continually to help us spread the Gospel.  But last Sunday Sister Tiffany was not feeling well at all.  We made it through the first Sacrament Meeting in the other ward (Primary presentation with Anisa), then Sister Tiffany went home and the rest of the day Elder Tiffany was without a companion (senior missionaries can do that).  She had a good day of rest and was feeling well that evening.

We get to talk to our children on the phone quite often, and sometimes we Skype with them.  We love them and miss them, so talking to them helps us get through our challenges here.  They are all actually doing fairly well, with a few highs and lows, but nothing out of hand.  They are all so supportive of us, it is very helpful in keeping our spirits high.

Part of the
Bridgewater group

We're teaching from the Book of Mormon this year, and it's really quite gratifying and humbling to learn the messages of the Savior which have been written there.  The Prophet Isaiah, from the Old Testament, is quoted often, and his writings are sometimes quite hard to understand.  We know that Heavenly Father had Isaiah's writings inserted in the scriptures to teach us some gospel principle, but often that teaching goes unheeded because his writing is on a higher plane than we are thinking.  We're studying the book of First Nephi right now, and Elder Tiffany thought he had his lesson prepared.  But as he looked back over it, he realized there wasn't a lot of "meat" there.  After a quick prayer asking for guidance, he was prompted to search the scriptures, using the footnotes and references, and found a gold mine of doctrine there.  It was very inspiring.  When he thinks of all of the times he skimmed through Isaiah and never really studied him, he's sad to see how much of the things of the spirit he's missed.

Dalhousie University classes are getting better, we believe.  We have a great group of students there, and they are pretty intelligent in every way, especially gospel-wise.  We really enjoy their spirit, and they always have valuable input to our lessons.  Getting to and from the university is much easier, also.  Maybe we've mentioned it before, but the bus picks us up a half mile from our apartment and drops us off right by the building where we teach.  And the day that we teach there (Tuesday) is free day for us seniors!  No driving, no cost, no time spent looking for parking space - it doesn't get much better than that.

We finally met Bro. Cartier's family.  They are a lively bunch who love their mom and dad.  Six children age eleven and down to just under a year.  A lively group with a great loving home atmosphere.

The temple is still very much a part of our work here.  We actually had an opportunity to serve there twice last week.  Thursday was our normally scheduled day, then we went Friday evening with the YSA Branch.  We had a good representation there of the youth, and it was good being there with them.



Saturday was Baptismal Day!  At noon we had a baptismal service for Haibin Liu, a Chinese student at Dalhousie.  Elder Tiffany was asked to perform the baptism, which was a great honor.  Haibin is tall, Elder Tiffany is short, and the water was a bit low, so it was a bit of a challenge to make sure it went well.  It did!  In the evening, two ladies, Carmelita and Lynne, were baptized.  The spirit was very strong!



Elder Tiff &
Haibin Liu

Elder Jensen, Carmelita, Al (a member friend),
& Elder Baskin

                       



Elder Hardy, Lynne,
& Elder Fisher

                               

On Monday, October 1st, we took four young missionaries to Peggy's Cove.  Was that a brave move on our part, or what?  Actually the day went very well, and it was quite refreshing to be with all of that youth and energy - much like being at a YSA Branch activity!  The weather was absolutely beautiful, a bit windy, but not raining as it has been for two or three days.  We all took a lot of pictures, watched the waves crash against the rocks, wormed our way around all the tourists (five cruise ships landed in Halifax today), bought some souvenirs, had an ice cream cone, and made it back home in safety.  We were very happy we didn't lose an Elder or two to the pounding surf.

That evening we had Family Home Evening at the Mission Home, with Pres. and Sis. Leavitt conducting, teaching, and serving goodies.  We had over twenty people there, and Pres. Leavitt decided he wants to do that as regularly as he can schedule it.  As often as possible, we try to feed the poor, starving Elders.

Elders Fisher & Hardy




Pres. Heber J. Grant,
Prophet, Seer, & Revelator

We all are striving to be the best we can be, and our Heavenly Father is always there to help us.  A former prophet, President Heber J. Grant, said: "I do not believe that any man lives up to his ideals, but if we are striving, if we are working, if we are trying, to the best of our ability, to improve day by day, then we are in the line of our duty.  If we are seeking to remedy our own defects, if we are so living that we can ask God for light, for knowledge, for intelligence and above all, for His Spirit, that we may overcome our weaknesses then, I can tell you, we are in the straight and narrow path that leads to life eternal.  Then we need have no fear."