A Volunteer Hospital, Part 2

I had to laugh as I read Elder Hardings last account of his trip with Nelson to close two missionary apartments --- what an adventure they had! Life is never boring in the mission field, that is for sure.

I thought I would just take a few minutes and write some more about us all being volunteers in a Hospital. Elder Harding and Nelson were definetly volunteers in the Hospital, meeting needs and doing things that needed doing, and having some fun along the way, despite opposition.

Back to this thought that I mentioned previously, that President Leavitt shared at a meeting:

"In the mission field, it is like being in a volunteer hospital. Sometimes we are the patient and sometimes we are the doctor, nurse or administrator. Through our participation in this exercise we not only assist in healing others but in the process heal ourselves" .."for he that shall lose his soul for my sake shall find it"  President Leavitt. 

   A Returned Missionary spoke in church three weeks ago, about a man that she and her companion had taught on her mission. She said that when they first started to teach him, he had a LOT of things to overcome, then she stopped and just repeated, a Lot!  She said that he struggled and at times would feel like he couldn't do it, it was just too hard. One day, she told him that on his own, he would not be able to overcome these things, but with the Lord's help and faith in the Lord, he would be successful, so he got on his knees and humbly asked God to help Him. And, she said, God began to work in his life, and to heal him. He was finally able to change, to give up his many addictions,  and to be a different person.She said it was a miracle for  them all. 

   How many times have we been in need of the Atonement, of Gods help in our lives. We are all in such need, at different times in  our lives, and then at other times, we are called upon to be the one that strengthens and gives help. 

   
   Last week was a challenge for some  missionaries in our mission, there were some "emergency" mid-transfers that had to happen.   As our District met for District Meeting, it seemed as though many of the young missionaries came in sort of discouraged, maybe because of things happening around them, or for other reasons, but the Spirit told me right away that  I needed to speak up in the meeting and help strengthen these young missionaries that day. So, as the meeting went along, I tried to listen carefully to what the spirit was telling me to say, and then said it --- things began to change as we let God's   insight and spirit "heal" and lift us all back up. Also, our District Leader, a young man who is only on his third week as the DL, got to his feet, and spoke calmly and in a straight forward manner about things that needed to be talked about ---- it was wonderful to watch.  I marvelled at how things changed in that room ---- it went from a definite feeling of some discouragement, to laughing at ourselves a bit, feeling the spirit, and being lifted up again. As the Missionaries left, they were happy, chatting with each other and ready to face the world again.

I leave you with my Testimony that Christ is the Great Physician and as He turn to Him, He can and Will, heal us and will even allow us to assist in healing others, as we listen to and act upon His wise counsel.   As President Leavitt said, through our participation in this, we not only assist in healing others, but in the process, heal ourselves!

There is an amazing story of courage and healing that you can read online, about a young man named Glen Cunningham, born about 1909, who was badly burned, told he would never again walk, yet never gave up --- in 1934,  he ran the mile in four minutes, 8 seconds, the worlds fastest indoor mile! His story continues to inspire, encourage and "heal" as he went from being a patient in a hospital, to the equivalent of a Doctor, who assists in inspiring and healing others through his personal example.

 "They who wait upon the Lord shall mount up as on Eagles wings"

On a lighter note, here are some things that we saw and did on the weekend, eating some excellent seafood chowder, in a chilly restaurant where we had to keep our coats around our shoulders,

Enjoying the view of the many boats in the Harbour,

and laughing at these lobster traps all decorated up for Christmas!

Laughter is healing, the Spirit Heals us, the world is a good place to be.

Blessings to everyone -- we love you all.

What can you do in 24 hours

Had  a real busy couple of days but loved it.  I am tired but satisfied.   Went on a road trip to close a couple of apartments.   I took a young man, Nelson from Dartmouth Ward with me.   I couldn’t seem to find a traveling companion and then I saw this Young Man, he is about 30 years old, head out of Priesthood and I ran after him.  He was excited to go.   He has been a member for five years.  We had a good time together and I hope it was enjoyable to him.

Left 8 pm. Wednesday,  drove to Hopewell rock which was really cool.   This is on the Bay of Fundy which has some of the highest tidal wave changes in the world.  It is a huge tourist attraction in the summer but it was all closed.  We ran down to the shore line and took some pictures of the low tide and could see where the high tide comes in.   Amazing, where I am standing the water would be over my head at high tide.    We then stopped for fifteen minutes at a train museum which Nelson loved.  

I was dressed half way between casual work clothes and missionary clothes.   It was that kind of trip. 

Made it to Fredericton New Brunswick which is a beautiful City with Old Buildings and bridges.  Very picturesque.   We had 30 minutes to spare but we were sent to the wrong Uhaul.   This now put us 30 minutes behind.   In  the next  24 hours, exactly, we accomplished the following.

Picked up a 26 ft. Uhaul.   Moved all the contents out of an apartment with four Missionaries and cleaned as required.  Bought them supper.   Did a final inspection with the Landlord.  (We heard that their was snow coming and I said.   “As long as we can get the uhaul and load the apartment before it snows I will be happy”   While we were having supper with the Missionaires it started snowing.

Got Gas and almost took out the Gas Station.    Another story in and of itself.  No injuries, no damage claims.

Drove 4 hour in a Blizzard. (Usually a 2 hour drive)   Got to Moncton Apartment.   No beds so we slept on couch and floor.   Visited a member from Dartmouth that was in Moncton for Cancer treatment.  (Had to park the beast in the middle of the road because there was no where to park  and put 4 ways on)  

Emptied Moncton apartment with 5 missionaires, cleaned and inspected with Landlord.  

Drove to Amherst and picked up another bed   Snowing all the way until we hit Nova Scotia again and then it turned to rain and eventually stopped.  

Met four Elders at Storage unit in Dartmouth, emptied all contents and then took Uhaul back.   Not bad for 24 hours work and it was a lot of fun.   Better than sitting at my desk although it looked like someone had take a wheel barrow and poured paper on it when I got back.    All part of being a Mission Office Couple.

A Volunteer Hospital, Part one!

IItIt has been a super busy time in the Mission field with Transfers and then Zone conferences. November has flown past, and soon we will be at the three month point. The Tempo picks up, and a bit of anxiety kicks in as young missionaries wonder where they will be going at Transfer time.   We always have a Seniors Conference call on the Friday before Transfer week, as President Leavitt has all of the Senior couples come online at the same time, and we take turns sharing what we are doing in our different areas, and chatting together. Then  President  tells us what transfers are going to happen the next week and who will be going where. That way, we can be on the look out for new Missionaries coming into our areas, and be ready to welcome and help them along. He always warns us, though, that the young missionaries know about the conference call, and they will be very tricksy in trying to get us to tell them everything we know about transfers!  So about 1/2 hour after the Conference call was over, three young missionary sisters wandered into the Mission Office and came right up to the desk where I was working away,  and they  were so smiley and chatty, wanted to know how I was doing, etc., then one asked how the conference call went!   It took all I had not to laugh --- I said it was great, as always, then she asked if there was anything that I wanted to share with her, and I looked confused and said No, I didn't think so,  So then they got more "direct" and just out and asked what I knew about transfers, "Come on, they said, the other Senior couples always tell us!"   - Good try girls!  Ten out of ten for effort, for sure!  I just laughed and replied that it was all just so confusing for us Senior Missionaries, and the  President went so fast, I just could not remember anything! Good fun! Love these  young missionaries to pieces!

   Our fellow Maritimers have commented more than once on the weather back west, and commended us on our "good sense" in being out here in the East where the climate is so much more mild! Our friends here  have a pretty fun sense of humor and we really enjoy it --- as we were driving into the office last week, I looked around and said to Elder Harding, look at how green the grass still is, and I had to roll my window down and take a picture. Except for the fact that there are no leaves on the trees, you would think it was spring or summer. As I was getting my hair cut at J. J. Choo's, from Dartmouth ward, she said that they wonder each year whether they would have a "Green" Christmas or a "White" one ---- I thought for a second and then replied, "Back home, it is a choice between "Brown" or "White",  "Green" is not an option!

So, not to rub it in or anything, but this is what the  ground looks like here right now! On the bright side, they are needing more senior couples here, and we have a couple of empty apartments! Ha Ha! 

 I am not sure if this video will upload onto the site or not --- it will show a picture of my program, at the Family History Fair last weekend, but it is a recording of 3 women singing "Farewell To Nova Scotia". I did not want to video their faces while in the chapel , so I just recorded the music as the audience joined in with the singing -- it was great! So much of the history here is about the comings and goings of the Fishermen, and now also of the younger generations that leave the Maritimes to look for work out west. It was a great conference, and the event was posted in the local community newspaper, to invite non-members and members alike to come out. Very well attended, with the missionaries acting as Guides.

An interesting thing happened that I wanted to share with you. Part way through the Family History Fair, we had to leave and go find an empty classroom because we were scheduled to join in, via Skype, with the Zone conference in Newfoundland, and assist  in doing some training for the group for about 1/2 hour. Elder Harding was setting up  and I was standing in the hallway, about to go into the classroom, when I saw two of our Sister Missionaries sitting  in the entrance way and I had a distinct feeling that I should go over and chat with them.

 I hesitated because I did not want to be late for the Skype call, but again the spirit prompted me to go over, so I walked over and said Hi. They asked how I was, etc.. and I told them that we were about to do some training for the NFLD zones, and they said, "But Sister Harding, didn't you know that the Wii Fii is turned off in the Building today for the Family History Fair".   I sort of froze and looked concerned, and they said, "Don't worry Sister Harding, do you have an I-Phone? Then all you need to do is Tatter with your phone and create a hot-spot!"  I looked at them like they were speaking another language, which they sort of were, and said, "You ladies need to come with me and help us!"  So up they jumped and in a few  minutes they had us connected to the Skype call in NFLD and we were good to go!  We were only a few minutes late and President laughed when I told him about our experience and he said,  our motto here is 

"We cannot be stopped!!" 

So my testimony to you is that God is just SO mindful of us that He knows what we need, even before we know that we need anything!  And He will help us and guide us, and bring people into our lives to give us the assistance that we need, even before the situation itself  happens. How wonderful it is to Know that we have a Father in Heaven who loves us, watches over us, and  stands ready to help us, if we will but listen to and act upon the promptings that He sends to us, through the Holy Spirit. I pray that we will know and feel of His great love for us. I love Him and  I am so grateful for the direction, guidance, comfort and love that He sends to me.

"In the mission field, it is like being in a volunteer hospital. Sometimes we are the patient and sometimes we are the doctor, nurse or administrator. Through our participation in this exercise we not only assist in healing others but in the process heal ourselves" .."for he that shall lose his soul for my sake shall find it" ( President Leavitt.)

I will write more about this quote another time ---this thought is intriguing to me.

 Love to all! Elder and Sister Harding, from Green Gables and Green Grass country! 

A Divine Work

 I was really taken by the words that our Bishop spoke last week in Sacrament Meeting --- he said, "We are all called to do a Divine Work as Trusted Servants of our Heavenly Father. It might be missionary work, or Temple work, or helping someone move, or serving in our families --- whatever it is, as we feel and act upon the Spirit in our individual lives, as Trusted Servants of the Lord, we can collectively do much good."    Where ever we are at, whatever stage of life we are at, we can all contribute and do much collective good in so many different ways.  There is a young deacon in our ward who was born with some kind of disability, I am not sure what,  and it doesn't really matter, but what does matter, is that he is willing and trying to contribute!  Each Sunday, either his father or another young man in the ward, stands behind and helps this young Deacon as he joins with the other Deacons to pass the Sacrament. It is perhaps one of the most touching things I have seen, to watch this father stand patiently behind the young Deacon, ready to prompt and guide him as he passes the sacrament. The father stands steady and calm, the young Deacon occassionally looks back at his dad and   gets the help that he needs to do his part. I am almost brought to tears  -- is this not a Divine Work?  How many others stand  patient and strong in the background, with a steady eye, ready to help, and how many children Know their parents are there, ready to support them.
  This young man's mom spoke in church recently and said how important it is not be discouraged, to just do our best, and to know  that through Grace, which is a Divine means of Help, given to us through the Savior, we are enabled to do good works on this earth. She speaks from the heart, from experience!

This is another example of a Divine Work --- this is a picture of our District. We get to meet with these fine young people every Wednesday in the Mission Office, and  hear them repeat their Mission Commission, and share their testimonies and experiences. It is so fun to associate with and learn from them and we are growing to love them more all the time, and  getting attached to them.

We had this group over for supper before transfers happened, as we knew they would be going to other areas to serve. Elder Steimle, Hansen, Watson and McNabb.  Look at the light in their eyes ---  serving the Lord and bearing testimony cannot help but bring more light into a persons life, even if there are times when those you teach are not yet ready to accept the message you bring. Someone always benefits and that can always be the missionary.

On Thursday, we had the farewell dinner for the Departing Missionaries at the Mission Home and we had to take a "Fun" picture. There was a Lot of sparkle and joy in this group of young people, they had served with all of their hearts, their testimonies were strong and sure, they Knew and Testified and Loved the Lord and they were Happy!  I came home from this meeting feeling I needed and wanted to increase my own personal testimony. I need to share it more often!

We took a little time on Saturday to go and see the Military fleet that is only about 20 minutes from our apartment. Sometimes we can even hear the horns on the boats in the evenings -- pretty cool. This is a picture of the Angus MacDonald bridge, and the Military fleet is to the left and the right of the bridge.

Nice to get to see a bit of the history of the area, and appreciate our country. Especially with Remembrance Day this week, I am reminded of the sacrifice that many have made so that we can have the religious and personal freedoms that we so abundantly enjoy. We are indeed blessed here in Canada.

I just want to end with my Testimony that God is so mindful of each of us, He hears our every prayer, He desires to bless and help us. He will strengthen and assist us, in whatever Divine work we are called upon to do , in our community, our families, our church. I know that all of it works together for the common good and as we get involved and act upon the promptings we receive, we will be so blessed and happy. There will always be some uphills parts, that is an essential part of the plan, but we can overcome, we can persevere, we can learn and grow and be happy in our lives. This is my testimony.

Keeping Your Fishing Line In The Water

   My Dad and Mom used to take us kids fishing and camping in the mountains quite often as we were growing up. I really enjoyed those times, as we walked along the mountain streams, and enjoyed each others company while we fished.  Maybe that is why this quote, on page 152, of  "Preach My Gospel"  stood out to  me--- it reads, "None of us should be like the fisherman who thinks he has been fishing all day when in reality he has spent most of his time getting to and from the water....Fishing success is related to how long you have your line in the water, not to how long you are away from the apartment."

     I have been thinking about this concept and how it relates to our time here in Halifax. I want to be sure that I "have my line in the water" here.  As we have been learning new tasks in the office, it often requires a lot of concentration, and because I am on the front desk, the phone will often ring or someone will come up with a comment or a question and I would struggle at first to re-focus and be gracious about changing tasks. Then I realized that I needed to change my perspective about what I had been called to do --- I wasn't really there to enter data into a computer, or least that was not my primary purpose. I was there to greet and welcome people, show an interest in them. I think of this in relation to how we were trained in the Temple, we were to be "the face of the Temple", to welcome patrons and assist them in any way we could so they would feel Gods love for them, through us.

We are all , in a sense, called to be "Fishers of men."  Just this past week, I answered the Mission office phone and there was a man on the other end who wanted us to pass a referral on to the missionaries on behalf of his friend, who had accepted the invitation to have the missionaries come over and teach him. Moments like that are a treasure!  Or, the other day when two young Elders came into the office, looking sort of downcast, and were sitting with a slouched over appearance, but after a long visit with their Mission President, they both left smiling, heads up and shoulders back, and as they walked out the door, one of them turned back and thanked me for visiting with them while they waited. It touched my heart, I knew that I had done very little in reality, they were feeling better because of what their Mission President had said, but it had all worked together. 

I Love, love this picture! It was taken in the front entrance of the Mission home,  and was posted on the facebook page, "Mormons of Atlantic Canada,". Underneath it  was written, "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings unto them, that publisheth peace" (3 Ne 20:40) .  Do you notice how these shoes are getting a lot of miles put on them? Doesn't it make your heart melt, to see the shoes of these young Elders and Sisters. It does mine.

I was thinking about how the Savior, how wherever He went, people wanted to talk to Him, question Him, touch the hem of His clothes, draw strength  and healing from Him. He always had time for people, He had so much to give. I know that we are still mortals and so we get tired, but I am learning, again,  that we can be stretched, we can do more than we thought possible. It is not always a pleasant process, this stretching business, but God is there to help us along, and the results are pretty great.

It is a beautiful world that we live in, we have been blessed with an amazing gift, the knowledge of the Restoration, to know that God speaks to mankind, and has provided a Savior for us, so that we can repent and return.  

Here are some pictures of this beautiful corner of the world we live in right now. The top one is the view from the balcony of our second floor apartment, the second one is a duck pond we stopped by two weekends ago, for some fresh air. and the third one is down by the Harbor, were we went for lunch one Saturday

One last note about the yellow flowers.  I had seen these dead looking plants in a planter on our balcony, they were there when we arrived in September. I basically ignored them, as I do not have a green thumb and they stand a much better chance of survival if I just stay away!! Ha ha!  Anyways, I thought about uprooting them and throwing them out, as I thought that they were dead. Then the rains came and the brown stems turned green and began to sprout buds and one week, these pretty yellow flowers opened up. I was so surprised--- I love them, they remind me that you just never know what is inside of people, never give up on people in your life, in your family... there is beauty, waiting to blossom. Love to all!

A week in the Life of a Missionary

We have very busy weeks with lots to do in the office to keep everything going.   An enormous amount of detail and desk work that allows all the Missionaries to have a roof over their head, food in their belly and of course phones to communicate with etc. etc.   We know this work is important.   We do this Monday to Friday peppered with some great experiences with the Missionaries that are so full of life and enthusiasm.

The other couple working in the Office, Elder and Sister Hendrickson from the valley in Utah, left this week but we have two couples from the local congregation,  Bill and Alice Green and Merlin and Diane Wentzell that are volunteering to help out.

I sometimes get an opportunity to ride my bike home from the office.   I take a backpack in with helmet and a pair of runners and a rain jacket.   With my white shirt and tie,  I pull my socks over my dress slacks to keep them from getting in the chain, put on the helmet and rain jacket and head home.  30 minutes through Shubie park past Mic Mac and Banook Lake with a couple of  30 second stops to take in the beauty and thank God for the beauty of this place.

Saturday we buy groceries, Laundry, and view some more of the scenery.   Yesterday we went to all three Lakes that are within 10 minutes of our place   Charles Lake and Schubienacadie Canal were beautiful with geese at our feet.    There are literally 5 other lakes within another 10 minutes of these and of course Halifax Harbour front.  No end to places to connect with nature.   The fall colors are breathtaking.

The people here are very friendly.  Tonight we visited a family that live in our complex from Tibet of the Hindu faith.  It was a great experience to share our faith with each other and learn that there is much common ground as we all try to promote peace and goodness in this world.

"The Covenant Path"

    I amazed at the energy of the young missionaries in the Halifax Mission, and their joyful countenances. They come into the mission office each day with a smiling face and a warm greeting. We were able to gather at the mission home this past weekend and watch a session of General Conference together, then eat some of President Leavits' homemade chili, made from a secret family recipe ----- ie, open a Can of Chili from the local grocery store, add some more corn, stir well, don't stress about meals, and eat!   It is more about being together than slaving over a hot stove!  I like that, I get that, and that is how I cook!  I still have my friend, Blanche's, cookbook right here on the counter in our apartment, and I do promise to use it, but I also like these "Secret Family Recipes"!
   Another thing Elder Harding and I have learned as we get together with these wonderful, fun young missionaries, is to never leave your ipad just sitting around, because young people love to take "selfies"! Here are a few  that we thought it only fair to post, after deleting the other 20 or so that mysteriously appeared on the ipad while we were doing dishes in the Kitchen and had our backs turned!! Ha Ha!!

   Apparently Elder Jason, who appears in the most of these picts, was the main culprit!  He is one of the AP's and  is in and out of the Mission Office a lot ---- we love him, as we love all of the Missionaries! Elder Jason is from Guadalope, and he is never quite warm enough here in Canada. I also am never quite warm enough, and so when the heat in the office somehow gets turned up, the two of us are very happy, but everyone else starts shedding layers and wondering what is going on with the heating system!

    As we listened to General Conference this past weekend, Sister Carol McConkie's comments about being on the "Covenant Path" really struck a chord with me. What does it mean to be on the covenant path?
I have watched these young missionaries put their best foot forward, be patient when making endless phone calls trying to get someone to come out to church, working through companionship stuff, and trying to represent the Lord in the best way that they can. They are a good example to me of what it means to be on the covenant path. Here are some more thoughts about what it means to be on the covenant path.

 When we are on the "Covenant Path" we have power given to us in our lives to help us do the things that are challenging or difficult, and as we exert our Faith, and turn to our Heavenly Father for His light and help, as we uphold and honor our covenants that we have made with Him, God has promised us that He will sustain and assist us.

It has been a real learning curve  to prepare for and then to come on a mission. As we have persevered through each stage,  we have found joy in the journey, joy in being on and striving to stay on the Covenant Path. 

 It was a real joy and a great blessing to be able to return to Alberta last week and spend a few days helping our daughter and her husband with their first baby, little Sarah Lynn.  She is a real treasure, what a treat to be able to be there with this family. This is one of the blessings of being a Senior Missionary -- there are times that you Can return home, if needed --- And Yes, it was hard to say Goodbye to them, BUT we are all on the Covenant Path, them and us.  

 Elder Harding and I trust our loved ones to the Lord, and thank those that have stepped in, in our absence, to bless and help not only this little family, but all of our family.  We are so Grateful!

Now  I am  Back in Halifax, associating with the fine people of Eastern Canada and rubbing shoulders with some wonderful young people, and we are getting our feet more firmly under us in the mission office. It has taken us time to get our heads wrapped around the many details in the office and sometimes we felt like we were swimming in deep water, But as Elder Harding said, President Leavit just kept throwing us a life line and eventually we came out of the deep water and got our feet on more solid ground. Here we are below at the Halifax Temple and the Mission Home --- this is one of  the Blessings of serving in the Mission Office, getting to participate in these events.

So, Life is good here in the Mission Field. There are sacrifices made by many, no question, but there is also a lot of  joy and unexpected bits of sunshine one the Covenant path. We are looking forward to more!