Hard Week!!

It's been an pretty difficult week this week.

We have seen lots of miracles though!

The work goes on, and I know that it is real and true.

I am grateful that I get to be a missionary at this time!

Have a wonderful week and know that I love you!

Richmond Hill North Area, June 12th

This week was a wonderful week! We are having a blast up here in this Richmond Hill (North)Area.

   This area is awesome! There are some great members and a lot of work to do through them! The whole ward really is great!

    We also have lots of wonderful investigators that are doing very well!

     One cool miracle we saw here last week was accidentally (or not so accidentally) knocking on the wrong house, who ended up being a member. Who happened to have the other missionaries(English) not show for an appointment for whatever reason. Who wants her daughter to be taught so she can prepare to be baptized! That was pretty great!

    We are excited to see the miracles that are yet to come as we labor here!

    I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I have been reading and attempting to understand it. I feel a great power that comes from that book, and while I don't know often what the specific words and phrases mean in Persian, or how to pronounce them, I feel the power of the Holy Ghost that it is true.

     I can't tell you how nice and welcoming and genuine Persian people are. It's very inspiring. I am so grateful I get to serve in a way among them.

     Happy Father's Day to Dad next week! I am so grateful that I get to be your son.

     I also would love to hear how keeping the Sabbath day holy throughout your life has blessed you!

     From what I hear summer vacation has started out wonderfully! Lubes, Cooch, Hont, and Toast, I love and miss you a lot! I can't wait till we get to be reunited again!

    I hope you all have a great week and know how much I love you! I'm just so grateful for Heavenly Father's great and glorious plan. I know it's real. Love you!

Transferred to other FARSI AREA!! JUNE 5th

What a great week!

I had my first Skype call with some other missionaries in Germany which was actually really fun and super cool. I have probably said this, but there are about 10 Farsi speaking missionaries in the world right now!

     We also had an eventful exchange this week! Elder Holden(Elder Ward's companion) came here for a day! It was pretty nuts because we had a full Farsi(family doesn't really speak any English) service and lesson! It was pretty crazy and super funny! Within two minutes I was trying to say something, even though they don't speak English, they said to speak English(must have thought we had better odds haha) Anyway English didn't work, but Farsi mostly did! The service didn't end up working out, but we did read Maroni 10:3-5, and they said they believe the B of M is true, and I was able to testify, and they committed to read and pray about the B of M every day! It was honestly super exhilarating and the spirit was as strong as I have ever felt it in a lesson! I was also able to speak at honestly a much higher level than I was capable of before that! It was incredible!

     Our Ward had a cake auction this week and we baked a pretty legit cake (thanks to Elder Bakker's baking background). By the way, I have never eaten so well as a missionary. We eat like Kings. It's crazy!

     Some of the other missionaries put a bunch of money into the cake auction and we won a cake for $135. It was a good cake! Also, like 4 other cakes were donated to us!

     Fast and testimony meeting was wonderful! This ward really is incredible! We had transfer calls, and after just coming into this area, Elder Bakker and I are both being moved to the North area Richmond Hill. Elder Casdorph(15 months out) is being transferred to English work as a Zone Leader, and Elder Mcbeth is training a 9-month missionary who is now just learning Farsi, they will be in our current area, aka Farsi South Don Valley. 

     Also crazy Family history news, I will get this sisters email to you. SHe's from Scotland and broke down why our name with spelling(she is positive) is actually originally from England and was adopted into a Scottish clan. She was showing me the kilts of my clan and whatnot. WE were going to have dinner with her and she was going to show us a bunch of stuff, but now we are getting transferred. however, the blessing of Farsi work is I'm guaranteed to return haha. but I will send your email to her and she is planning on sending a bunch of information to you. 

    I know this work is real, and I am exactly where the Lord wants me to be. Your prayers are appreciated and felt. I do not walk alone. Love you and have a great week!

First Week Speaking Farsi! Everything is now a secret!

We got a little worried when this email was labeled "The BIG ONE!"

Sent on May 23,2017

No time to email. Craziest week of my life. I love my Heavenly Father, and I love you. Pray for me

Sent May 28, 2017

Actually, this has been a ton of fun and I never knew how much I would enjoy learning a language! And quite honestly it's actually A LOT easier than I thought it could be!

This week I had my first Farsi meeting. Which is where the 4 of us Farsi Elders get together and talk about moving the Farsi work forward, it was cool. We also Skype Germany every so often and talk with them about moving the work forward, so that' cool. I think we are doing that tomorrow for my first time.

     Last preparation day we went and Elder Ward, Holden, and Bakker got haircuts that ended up taking 2 1/2 hours, hence no emailing time.

     This last week we got to mow and trim a lawn and take down some Christmas lights which were super great! Haven't got to do that in a long while!

     By the way, I can't really tell you about any of our investigators or Farsi members or their names because that's super under raps. Which honestly I am pretty pumped about! You can just know that the work is going super well and we are seeing miracles!

     It is definitely different being in Farsi work(in addition to the language), while we still get to talk to Farsi people, most of the people we talk to are English speakers, and most of the potential investigators we find we pass right along to some English missionaries. on the flip side, we get referrals from them which are awesome!

     One definitely great experience this week we got to give a blessing to a Brazilian member, what an incredible experience it always is to be able to participate in blessings. I know of nothing which testifies of the divinity of this work to me more than participating in the administration fo a Priesthood blessing or receiving one.

     I was happy to see and hear that dad ran into Elder Merkley! I sure hope he is doing well!

     I know this work is real, and that it's the Lord's work, he has said "I am able to do mine own work" and He does. stop being afraid, just believe.

    I love and miss you all! And hope you have an incredible week!

*note from mom...

I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that he can't share with us who he is working with. And especially that Steve is super stoked about this!!