Pres. & Sis. Moses -
Two of the very best!

In the scriptures a "man of Christ" is mentioned as being "sanctified."  In our class at Dalhousie we discussed what these words and phrases represent.  In the experiences we're having on our mission, we sometimes are in the presence of such individuals who represent the Savior very well.  These individuals strive to "do good continually," and we can see in their countenances a love for their fellowman, with a desire to be of service at all times.  They accept whatever challenges come to them as a means of growth, rather than an obstacle.  They continue to strive to become a true Saint, by helping others arrive at that pathway as well.  They recognize that becoming a "Saint" is not a destination, but rather a journey.  We both feel that Pres. Moses, our Branch President, is such a person.  He is constantly on the lookout for those who need an extra hand, a minute or two more, perhaps an encouraging word or hug, maybe a little admonishment to redirect their efforts - "showing forth afterwords an increase of love."  He truly is a "man of Christ," and we love serving with him and his dear wife in the YSA Branch.  They are such good people. We hope some of these attributes will rub off on us.

 

Melissa & Joni-
Celebrate baptism of 50 yrs ago

Melissa & Elder Thatcher-
2 piano officionados

JJ & Sheldon and
our delicious meal

Elder & Sis. Wiebe, Leah (JJ's sister), & Joni

Some kitchen activity - Leah & JJ (front),
Sis. Calvert and Sis. Choo (Sheldon's Mom)

On Sunday, Feb. 24, 2013, Sister Joan E. Roy Tiffany and Sister Melissa O'Connor celebrated their 50th anniversary as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  50 YEARS?!  

Slater Street Chapel - former site of LDS Church,
now an ambulance service center
(still in the process of saving people)

Wow, they're old!  They were baptized on the same day in the only chapel, at the time, in Nova Scotia, and they have been very good friends ever since.  On Saturday evening, Feb. 23, we had a little party to help them celebrate.  Melissa's daughter, JJ, fixed a really great dinner and a beautiful cake to enjoy.  With a few senior missionaries and friends, we congratulated, laughed, reminisced, and looked at a display of pictures of the two of them taken over the years.  Elder Tiff met Sis. Roy eight months after her baptism, and the rest is history.

 

 These pictures were taken a couple of weeks ago, but it still looks pretty much the same.

Winter is still residing in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  We keep getting cold winds, often mixed with snow, and the temperatures are not allowing much snow melt.  Some days are spent entirely inside because of the unrelenting winds and cold air.  But we don't think we're getting as much snow as our family in Utah.  We appreciate them having the snowy winter while we're away.

Part of the cleaning crew - Josh, Cory,
Nathaniel, Ben, Janell, & Chelsea 

YSA- Harper & Cosman -
The window cleaners

We spent a part of last Saturday cleaning the chapel with the YSA.  They always have a great group show up for service projects, and their enthusiasm is fun to be around.  Our YSA Branch members are fulfilling many of the goals the Prophets have had for YSA Wards and Branches.  Their leadership skills are being mastered, their social skills are improving, their understanding of the gospel is increasing, their desire to choose the right is more evident, their faith is moving from their heads to their hearts, and they are getting engaged to be married!  Within the last three or four months we've seen "hardware installed" (engagement rings) between five couples.  It's Spring and love is in the air.

Todd & Samantha -
Our newest Betrotheds

Seminary and institute classes are doing very well.  We have the opportunity to visit classes, have in-service meetings, and talk with the teachers.  We have a great group of instructors who have a real desire to work with the youth in strengthening the gospel in their lives.  The end of the institute school year is only about 5 or 6 weeks away.  We're already in the planning stages for institute graduation.  My, how time flies!

 Sis. Miehe (pronounced mia - like Mama Mia), was transferred with Sis. Rust to New Brunswick about 5 days after she arrived.  The first 19 year-old sister missionary we've met.


Danielle, Sisters Rust, Miehe, and Hart

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Within the last two weeks we've met two of our newest Sister Missionaries - Sisters Miehe and Drew.  They are both 19 years old and both are from Alberta.  They have really great testimonies and a whole bunch of enthusiasm.  Sis. Miehe was transferred, but we still have Sis. Drew with us - we hope for awhile.

Within our blog, this time, we would like to share a few pictures we haven't posted before.  There are so many people, places, and things we haven't posted before that we felt like we'd like to show you.  This is just a very small part of pictures, and they are not in any definite order - just thrown in at random.  We'll try to comment on them so you know what and who they are (if Elder Tiff can get the computer to cooperate).

 

Elder T, Pres. & Sis. Leavitt -
on the ferry to Newfoundland (July 2012)

Joni & Larry at Peggy's Cove
(July 2012)

Chester Basin Harbor
(summer 2012)

Wayne & Diane Hunt & Gloria Tustian Richards
Very close friends from Bridgewater, N.S.
(Summer 2012)

Shirley Wentzell Elderkin,
Roger & Anna Davison, and Ofa
More really great friends in Mahone Bay, N.S.
(summer 2012)

Some YSA at a summer service project in a
community garden - Halifax, N.S.
(summer 2012)

Halifax 1st Ward/YSA Branch Chapel
Clayton Park, Halifax, N.S.

Our mission office

Halifax Bay

Halifax skyline

The Royal Family
as depicted in the Scarecrow Festival -
Mahone Bay (Fall 2012)

Looking at Halifax Harbor
through a maze of small fishing boats

Along the Mersey River
between Liverpool and Milton, Nova Scotia
(Fall 2012)

Chapel Hill Road
named by Elder Tiffany - 1974
next to Bridgewater, N.S. chapel

Boat Harbor
downtown Liverpool, N.S.

Joni's learning the game
at niece Karen's home
(winter 2012)

Senior's U.S. Thanksgiving dinner
(November 2012)

Andrea & Ofa Pahulu and Sis. Tiff

Kate, Samantha, & Emma (YSA)
Sis. Hart & Sis. Rush (missionaries)

JJ Choo at our
Dalhousie classroom

Notice the colors - Halifax, N.S.
Most of N.S. is like this 

After dinner at Bro. & Sis. Fox's
with Elders Baskin & Woodward

Nate & Marcie in Palmyra, N.Y.
on our trip to the Canada Halifax Mission
(June 2012)

Angel Moroni monument
atop the Hill Cumorah, N.Y.
(June 2012)

 

We mentioned earlier that the folks here say February is the worst for winter weather.  Mother Nature is trying to live up to that.  In the past two or three weeks we've had three or four major snowstorms, with high winds bringing in the snow.  We always thought Wyoming was the only place where snow never falls - it comes in sideways!  Nova Scotia can match it!  It does make for some exciting and adventuresome travel, though.  And sometimes it is really beautiful.  Just think of what we would be missing if we were on some island in the South Pacific.  Those poor souls out there!

l to r-Elders Wolsey, Johnson, Nielson,
Unger, Fisher, and Moss

l to r-Sisters Rust, Hart, Kowalski,
Broadhead, Tiffany

We had District Meeting this week with the young missionaries.  It is such a treat to meet with them because of their enthusiasm for serving and sharing the gospel.  Their attitude is contagious.  The problem we have with working with them is that we get attached to them, and when transfer time comes, or when they return home at the end of their mission, we feel a real empty spot in our life.  The good thing, though, is that someone takes their spot (not their place), and we learn to love the newbies just as much.  This week we're seeing Elder Fisher transfer to Annapolis Royal (on the Bay of Fundy).  He's been here since just after we arrived last summer.  He's from Saskatchewan and has a great testimony and a very humble and sweet spirit.  He will definitely be missed, but Elder Baskin is coming back from Newfoundland, and we love him dearly.  He was serving here last summer.  Sister Rust is transferring to New Brunswick.  She came down from Newfie land, and has been a lot of fun.  She's very animated and expressive, with a great testimony.  We'll definitely miss her.  Sis. Ott is coming from Newfie land, and Sis. Miehe is here brand new from Cardston, Alberta.  We'll have a threesome in sisters for a few weeks.

Front-Chelsea & Samantha Jong,
back-Todd Smith & Samantha Fielden,
Part of the "Dal" group



Pres. Uchtdorf
2nd Couns. in Presidency,
LDS Church

The Dalhousie classes are going very well.  Last week in our Teachings of the Prophets class, we discussed Pres. Uchtdorf's conference talk: "Of Regrets and Resolutions."  In talking about regrets the dying have, he mentions the three most often quoted as: wishing they had spent more time with those they love, wishing they had lived up to their potential, and wishing they had let themselves be happier.  Sometimes we spend a lot of time climbing the ladder to success only to find out we've had the ladder against the wrong wall.  We shared with the students the challenge Pres. Uchtdorf gave - don't take for granted one single day, and don't wait until they are ready to die before they truly learn to live.  We should be looking less with our eyes and more with our hearts, to enjoy the journey and not spend all of our time wondering what is next.  We have only six weeks of classes there before school is out for the summer.
Our Book of Mormon class is in the middle of Helaman, discussing "secret combinations," the value of listening to "the watchman on the tower" (the prophets), determining if we are striving to be "men (and women) of Christ," and what it takes to be truly "sanctified."  Are we becoming what our Heavenly Father wants us to be, and what we have the potential to become?  It is very rewarding to listen to these young people talk about how they feel about their Savior and the blessings He has showered upon them.

Bro. Greg Lambert and his table set for royalty.  They didn't show up, so we enjoyed the meal for them, with two other couples - Bro. and Sis. Bezanger, and Bro. and Sis. White.

 Looking to the right from Bro. Lambert's, and below is looking to the left from the deck at his home.





Lunch at Sis. O'Connor's

Dinner at JJ & Sheldons

JJ in a Winder Dairy apron

We are definitely enjoying this part of our journey.  In spite of the cold temperatures, the people here are very warm and loving.  We are continually blessed with hugs, handshakes, smiles, and invitations to visit their homes.  This past weekend we were invited to four different homes for meals and visits: Bro. Lambert, Bro. and Sister Choo, Elder and Sister DelaCruz, and Carmelita.  This gives us a chance to get to know the members better and to find those whom we can call on to fellowship some of the new members and less-actives.  The Halifax Ward members have been especially kind to us, even though we generally spend only Sacrament Meeting time with them, as we are assigned to the YSA Branch.  And we feel the young single adults are more and more like our grandchildren.

The YSA had a Valentine's Day dance on Friday evening.  We showed up to watch the crazy gyrations some of them go through and to to get in with them in a dance or two, ourselves.  Of course, we picked the slow numbers to dance to.  We had a good turn out with youth from all over the stake.  We didn't stay as late as they did,

but we had fun while we were there.

Elder & Sis. DelaCruz
in Mahone Bay

Does "Escape from the Usual"
include the town and the people?

We also had a chance to go to Liverpool to visit with some family members.  We spent the day with Elder and Sister DelaCruz, the temple missionaries here from Hawaii.  They love to see the snow, but they're not too crazy about being out in it.  They love being here, but happy their mission is just one year and they'll be back in Hawaii before next winter begins.

The past week was a typical Nova Scotia winter weather week.  We had some really nice days, mixed with some snow, rain, and windy days, and some of this all in the same day!  It was a good week to lay low and watch the weather go by - but we didn't.

We finally met Elder and Sister Thatcher from Orderville, Utah (a very small town in southern Utah).  They are our new mission office couple who are anxious to get going and are very well qualified.  Sister Thatcher was an elementary school teacher and Elder Thatcher was a clinical psychologist (we think).  He is also a very accomplished organist/pianist.  We're glad to have them here to take some of the load off Elder and Sis. Wiebe, who have been filling in since Elder and Sis. Foley left.

Our district (minus Elder Tibbits &Truro Sisters)
Elders Wolsey, Moss, Johnson, Fisher
Sisters Rust & Hart

On Tuesday we attended a missionary district meeting for training for the young missionaries.  They are so anxious to do what is right and to share the gospel in the most effective way.  We love working with them when we can, and to feel their enthusiasm for the work of the Lord.  After the meeting we had a lunch prepared by one of the members, Sis. Hartling.  She's been wanting to feed them at one of these meetings for quite some time, but never could make connections.  She connected, and we had a wonderful meal.  Sister T prepared brownies to go with the fruit and ice cream for dessert.  YUMMY!  The missionaries loved the food and that it was FREE for them.

Thursday was our day at Dalhousie and we had a good group show up for class.  It went as we planned: playing Elder Holland's 1988 BYU talk on the law of chastity.  It's on You-Tube, titled: "Of Souls, Symbols, and Sacraments," and everyone should listen to it.  It's 45 minutes but well worth the time, especially if you're working with youth or have young people in the family.  It covered everything Alma talked to his son, Corianton, about in the Book of Mormon (Alma 39).  Breaking the law of chastity, including all of the ways it can be broken, is a very grievous sin, including our thoughts, pornography, viewing immoral movies and videos, songs, literature, our words, and so on.
Then we reviewed the great plan of redemption prepared for us by a loving Heavenly Father, as discussed in Alma 40-42.  If we have broken a commandment we are not lost if we will repent, ask forgiveness, and strive to live the commandments thereafter.  If we have broken a commandment and then truly repent, forsake sin, and earnestly strive to follow God's will, we can be forgiven and restored to the good graces of our Father in Heaven.  We cannot be happy while in a state of transgression.  As Alma told his son, "Do not suppose, because it has been spoken concerning restoration, that ye shall be restored from sin to happiness.  Behold I say unto you, wickedness never was happiness." (Alma 41:10)  It is all a matter of mercy and justice.  Justice requires that every sin must be paid for, otherwise "justice would be destroyed, and God would cease to be God.  But God ceaseth not to be God, and mercy claimeth the penitent, and mercy cometh because of the atonement; and the atonement bringeth to pass the resurrection of the dead; and the resurrection of the dead bringeth back men into the presence of God; and thus they are restored into his presence, to be judged according to their works, according to the law and justice." (Alma 42:22-23).

Thursday was also a day of pouring rain and great gusts of wind.  On the way home from Dalhousie on the bus, the wind rocked the bus as though we thought we would tip over.  Many people who climbed on the bus were totally soaked.  It was quite a downpour.  Then, on our way to the temple, it turned fairly nice.  Nova Scotia weather.

Elder & Sis. Tibbits
(the "Tibbi")



Pres. & Sis. Leavitt

Elder & Sis. Steffen

Elder and Sister Tibbits, from Alpine, Utah, who are assigned to St. Stephen, New Brunswick (right on the U.S. border at Maine), came to stay with us for the weekend.  All of the senior missionaries in the mission came into Halifax/Dartmouth for a Seniors Conference.  It was a very nice time to meet together with missionaries from all over the mission.  Pres. and Sis. Leavitt put together some great training for us in how to be more effective and productive in our service.  Because we are CES missionaries, our assignment is quite different from everyone else, but what we learned will help us in our work.  Friday's meetings were at the stake center in Dartmouth, with lunch at Subway and dinner at a very nice restaurant on the wharf, overlooking the bay and the Halifax skyline reflected in the water.  At that dinner, in casual conversation with Elder and Sis. Davis (assigned to Newfoundland, coming from Logan, Utah), we learned that Sis. Davis was in the very first seminary class Elder T ever taught at Logan High School in 1967-68!  Who woulda thunk!?  Afterwards we all went to the temple for an endowment session.  What a great experience that was.  Saturday we met at the mission home for more training, open discussion, and a great lunch - with Sister T's fish chowder and Sis. Calvert's amazing desserts.  During the course of the meetings we had an organ recital by Elder Thatcher and a violin recital by Elder Call.  Elder and Sis. Call arrived in the mission on Wednesday, and he was Dean of Music at BYU Idaho.  After the meeting on Saturday, some of us stayed awhile and listened to a rehearsal for a fireside.  It featured Elder Call on the viola, Elder Thatcher at piano, Elder Hunt at violin, Elder Woodward at cello, and Sis. Bruce (a local 16 year-old) at flute.  Hunt and Woodward are young missionaries.  It was a wonderful treat!  They all are amazingly talented!

Elder & Sis Davis

Seniors at Dinner

Sis. Davis with one of
Sis. Calvert's desserts

Seniors in Conference

Another angle on the Seniors

All of the Canada Halifax
Senior Missionaries

Our musicians at work!

The Tibbi and Sis T
at burial site of Titanic victims

Saturday afternoon and evening we took the Tibbits (Pres. Leavitt calls them the Tibbi - as in plural Tibbits) on a tour of Halifax and Dartmouth, then to dinner. It was cold, but sunny and clear.  Part of the tour took us to one of the cemeteries where most of the Titanic victims are buried, right here in Halifax.

Outer Halifax Bay-
Part of our Saturday tour

Part of our Sunday evening
dinner crowd

Sis. Tiff with some
fantastic rolls and cookies

Sunday morning we awakened to 6-7 inches of snow.  We attended Halifax Ward Sacrament Meeting then YSA church meetings, then came back to the apartment.  For dinner we invited all four Elders, two Sister missionaries, and the Tibbi were still with us.  It was a great feast, and Sister Tiff did it again with a fantastic meal.  After that, Elders Tiffany and Tibbits went to visit the Choos.  They just happened to have the Super Bowl on and forced us to stay and watch it.  We reluctantly gave in to their coercings and tried to enjoy our evening with them (it was great!).

It snowed again on Sunday night but Elder and Sis. Tibbits were finally able to get away on Monday morning to return to their assigned area.  She and Sis. T are so much alike it's scarey!  Elders T and T just sit back and let them do their thing.  It was so much fun having them here with us for the entire weekend.  They will be transferring to Prince Edward Island in March, so we're looking forward to perhaps visiting them this summer when Nathan and Marcie are here.