"And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.  But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.  And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?  Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see: for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have." (Luke 24:36-39)

Our lesson this week at the Dalhousie University Institute class was on the Atonement.  This was a hard one to pull together, because the subject is so all-encompassing.  There is nothing in the life of any mortal who has ever lived, worlds without number, that it doesn't affect.  To help the students to allow this doctrine of Christ sink deeper into their hearts, to help them gain a greater love and appreciation of the Father and the Son, became a challenge to narrow down to a one hour session.  In our recent CES broadcast, Elder Nelson reminded us that we will all stand before the Father to account for our mortal existence.  He asked how we are preparing for this interview with God?  What behaviors and characteristics are present in our own lives that would indicate we are earnestly preparing for this interview?  In his book The Continuous Atonement, Brad Wilcox says, "The Atonement must be used to escape sin and be comfortable with God rather than trying to escape God and be comfortable with sin."

Speaking of institute classes, this is Bill and Julie Haas.  Julie is our wonderful secretary for the Church Educational System in Atlantic Canada.  She keeps all the teachers and coordinator coordinated.  They are a really great couple, and we love them both.

Rick Cartier, our CES Coordinator, instructs the Friday evening class on The Book of Mormon, at the Halifax chapel.

We used to meet in the chapel, but decided to set up a "classroom" in the cultural hall, so the students are more into class discussion and closer to the teacher for greater interaction.

Sister and Elder Tiffany were hostess and host to Elder and Sister Tiffany.  Elder T's brother and sister-in-law, Dixon and Rosemary, recently returned from their mission in Chuuk (an island in Guam).  They visited us to see beautiful Atlantic Canada and to see what missionary life is like here.

We assured them we don't spend every week this way, and always try to have a gospel conversation with someone while out and about.

Of course we had to take them to Peggy's Cove - where else?!  While there, we had our picture taken with the Piper. 

 

Here we have them standing at the base of the famous lighthouse of Peggy's Cove.

One of the beautiful spots on the south shore of Nova Scotia is Chester Basin.  This picture is looking over the coastline from Haddon Hill, a spot where Pres. and Mrs. Clinton came for some "high level" meetings back in the '90s.  Dixon is the baby brother of the family - is there any resemblance?

We were able to get a picture of some royalty at the Mahone Bay Scarecrow Festival, standing here with some representations of someone from Great Britain.

The Lunenburg Academy is a very old structure used for many years as the schoolhouse for the village.  It is a well-known building and has been used in some TV commercials and movies.  It is now open only for tours and a few rooms for office space.  We were able to share a gospel message with our tour guide and a secretary.

Some of the "school rules" of Lunenburg Academy.

Class is in session with Elder Tiffany in a student's desk instead of standing at the front, looking cross-eyed and trying to control his pupils.

During the same week of the Tiffany's visit, we had the opportunity to spend time with Bruce and Susie Cameron, good friends visiting from California with Melissa O'Connor.

James Aulenbach is one of the most talented keyboard musicians ever.  He and Elder T served in church callings together when we lived here in the 1970s.  He is requested to play at many events and churches on a constant basis.  He gave us a private concert at this Anglican Church in Lunenburg, where many movies are filmed.  He plays here almost every week. 

James at the organ.

The interior of the church is absolutely beautiful.  The building was almost totally destroyed by fire a few years ago, but has been rebuilt and is the pride of the entire community.

On this altar at the front of the chapel is carved the scene of the Last Supper.

The invited guests of this special organ recital - the Camerons, Melissa, the Tiffanys, and Sis. Tiffany.

The baptismal font of the church.

We had the opportunity to visit with Lil, while Dixon and Rosemary were here.  Of course we had to eat, and loved the time with Lil and her family.

This happened to be Dixon's birthday, so we sang and watched him put everything he had into blowing out the three candles.  We won't say how old he is but each candle represented 21 years of his life.

We visited John, our brother-in-law, at his room in the hospital.  He looks really good and was in great spirits when we saw him.  We really love this guy.

This is another one of those utility boxes in the area.  This is a depiction of Halifax from across one of the bridges at night.  We wish all municipalities did this with their utility boxes, instead of leaving them open for graffiti, which we rarely see on them.

Our brother-in-law, Milford, his wife Ruby, and her sister Dot, wanted "Breakfast at Tiffany's", so we invited them over one Saturday morning.  Sister T, once again, served up a delicious meal.

If it seems like we have a lot of company, we do.  Sister Tiffany is a great hostess and was once given a blessing that she would have a lot of guests in her home, and we do. Elder T just stands in the back and waits to "gofer" what is needed to help make the visit pleasant, and do whatever physical moves need to be made to be a complete success.  Nothing fancy, just friendly.

 

When we arrived, the mission president told us to make friends, don't get into trouble, don't cause trouble, and leave a good impression.  We've fed and entertained many people - in and out of the church, some from right off the streets, and it has been fun and most often a spiritual boost to ourselves and guests alike.  We feel very blessed to be able to serve in this way, and pray that we've brought some closer to their Savior.