Cheers for Michael

July 22, 2024

大家好！Hey Everyone!

Big news from this week:

MICHAEL WAS BAPTIZED YESTERDAY!!!

It was a super special day; he told me afterward that he felt very peaceful and somewhat relieved. This is the first baptism out here I’ve seen/participated in where things seemed to go relatively smoothly. There was a miraculous number of people who are being taught that attended too! It’s usually extremely hard to get other friends to attend a baptism.

Elder Labrum and I also felt a bit of opposition leading up to Sunday, which was interesting. After Zone Conference on Wednesday and Thursday, we both felt super poop*d and tired, and on Friday Elder Labrum got super sick and nauseous so we did a lot of online proselyting and studying. By Saturday we were feeling better and actually had a cool experience in the morning by stopping by someone previously taught by missionaries. We were welcomed into their house and had a nice 20 minute chat with a guy named Richard. We have high hopes for future visits!

All of the challenges from this week paled in difficulty to Sunday morning when I tried to stitch up a hole in my pants. It was a fantastic learning experience. I learned that sewing has got to be the most aggravating thing a body can do. Huge respect to everyone out there who can sew.

Tuesday brought a fun surprise with the visit of some neighbors [from home]! I’m always amazed at the familiar faces that pass through Calgary!

I had a cool epiphany during personal study this week. I was thinking about the concept of “Kingdoms of Glory” or degrees of heaven while looking at a few resources referencing revelations recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants that bring this doctrine to restored light. It occurred to me that the word “Kingdom” also applies to animals as a classifier in order to differentiate between them. Likewise a “Celestial Kingdom” of heaven may be more of a class of people—the kind of person we’ve chosen to become—as opposed to an exclusive gated community only for those who've deposited enough good works to enter. Dallin H. Oaks reminds us too, “In contrast to other preaching, which teaches us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.”

This week I'd invite you to think a little bit about who you'd like to become, and identify one aspect or one thing you can do to help you get there. Joy truly does come through growth and achievement, and through the Christ who enables us to do that

Have a great week and stay cool! . . .Actually though it's h*cka hot outside so stay cool for real!

Love you all! 爱你们！

-熊长老

 

[Side note for all email recipients: I'm gonna start putting all my photos in a shared album in the attempt to help everyone's email storage, some earlier photos are kinda scrambled.]

https://photos.app.goo.gl/yBaTy1Mc3BcoogrG6

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Dinner with Neighbors!

Elder Chapman's Last Zone Conference

Leaf?  [Can you find the moth?]

Baptism (featuring 7 year-old Chase)

 

 

 

Tree of Life - Calgary style

 

 

It's Super Effective!

 [Title refers to this Pokemon meme.]

大家好！Hey Everyone!

What a fantastic week this has been! It’s really amazing to have some incredible weeks like this in the mission, especially in contrast to the kind of weeks I was having about 6 months ago! I’m so grateful for these experiences that the Lord is giving me, both bitter and sweet.

Quick update on the usual friends:

• We’ve been sending various resources to Michael over text, which has been going fairly well. Before we met with him on Sunday we texted him some small passages about the principle of tithing, and he was really anxious about it, due to a ton of financial stress he’s under. We were nervous going into our lesson with him on Sunday, but to our great surprise he showed up in a white shirt and tie and told us that he had no clue how God would take care of him and his family, but that he’s committing to pay tithing regardless!! We’re super excited for his baptism next week!
• Sam wasn’t able to make it to church, but we met with him on Saturday and explained some other tough commandments including the Word of Wisdom, and he also surprised us by telling us that he was “eager to follow” God’s commandments!! We’re so lucky to see his faith in action!

We got to participate in a funny youth activity, a Pokémon Go competition. As one might expect, it was mostly all youth from the Mandarin ward with about 5 kids from other wards. We got to wander around University campus a bit, say hello to some FSY counselors, and got a few cards to take home. I’d say it was a pretty good “finding” activity for the missionaries.

While reading in the Book of Mormon this week I stumbled into an odd symbol. During a great war between tribes, the Nephite tribe was trying to find a way to retrieve some prisoners. The method they chose was having a Lamanite dissenter bring wine to the overzealous enemy guards who, perhaps as planned, fell right asleep after a good bacchanal. This let the prisoners escape easily, and the city was then taken back by the Nephites without any injury on either side. What I noticed during this read was how the wine was the essential element that saved the Nephites in bondage. Like these Nephites, we also are saved by the wine so to speak. The emblems of the sacrament are a continued tradition of the bread and wine that, as Christ has said, represents His body and blood. And so it is His wine that saves us from bondage; it is his blood that redeems us from the bonds of death and sin and lets us return home to the family of God.

It’s getting hotter for most of us around the globe, so be sure to stay hydrated! Keep soaking up the words of the Living Water as well! That is by far the most refreshing water when the heat comes.

Love you all! 爱你们！

-熊长老


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Poke-and-mon

Today's bbq and view

Impromptu karaoke by the Ukranian Elders

Stampede

July 8, 2024

大家好！Hey Everyone!

The Calgary Stampede has ridden into town! In a wild turn of events, we’re experiencing the biggest celebration I’ve seen in Calgary outside of Christmas. There are flags everywhere and tons of people wearing cheap cowboy hats and boots, which is pretty cool. There are also a ton of meetings canceled and church events with few people attending which is less cool, but either way the whole city is all riled up right now.

Quick hoedown rundown of the two friends we’re teaching:

Michael is now ON DATE FOR BAPTISM!!! He texted us one day and asked if we could talk about it, so we met him at the church on Wednesday night and after asking some good questions he said he would like to be baptized!!! He’s on date now for the 21st, We’ve been praying and fasting for him to keep that commitment. He’s been doing super well, he just quit coffee this week!

Sam has not yet been taught the Word of Wisdom on account of him being tipsy the night we planned to call him and tell him about it, so we talked with him and have changed his date to August 11th—his son arrives a little before that, so perhaps that will be better as well. We’re praying that he also stays faithful for the next month.

This week involved a lot more service than proselyting. We helped a lady cut down some branches on her pine trees for two days. We also helped flip pancakes for the Calgary Stampede! There are several pancake breakfasts around Calgary so we got to help out with one! It was very hot, very fun.

A kid in our ward just got his mission call! He's going to the Thailand East mission!! The whole district was thrilled!

While reading Alma 37:16 in the Book of Mormon this week, I had a cool epiphany about the principle of “Ask and ye shall receive.” Alma adds an aside when speaking about the commandments ("for you must appeal unto the Lord for all things whatsoever ye must do with them") the word appeal is very cool—when we see something as appealing, we are moved to appeal for it; when we know something is pleasant, we are moved to plead for it in some form. God is the giver of all good gifts, so he knows which gifts are most pleasant and appealing, or which gifts will best answer our pleas and our appeals, even when they aren’t what we anticipate. To ask also requires us to act as well! If I wanted a pair of appealing shoes, I would have to act in order to gain some money with which I could appeal for the shoes. If we ask for God to bless us, we must act in faith by obeying a command by which he can bless us. This week I’d invite y’all to identify something you would like and ask God to help you achieve it. As you ask him with the faith to take good action, He can give you great gifts that align with both His and your will.

Have a great week, stay in the saddle, and enjoy the ride

Love you all! 爱你们！

-熊长老



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Pancakes

Elder McAfee at the tree service...almost

Yellow skies and thunder!

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Happy Canaday eh!

July 1, 2024

大家好！Hey Everyone!

Happy Canada Day, eh! It’s Canada’s birthday today, and boy are the celebrations going crazy! I’ve seen approximately two people wearing some good ol’ Canada garb. . . . and yeah that’s about it! How neat is that, eh?

Quick rundown of recent friends we’re teaching:

• Sam’s got some crazy enthusiasm about the gospel!! We’ve taught him a bit about the Plan of Salvation, and he already knows a bunch of stuff! We just gotta make sure he doesn’t have any Word of Wisdom problems and then he’s good.
• I had my first lesson with a friend named Michael yesterday. Sam joined in and acted like a member participating. Last transfer he [Michael] showed up to the in-person ESL class and then told the members he actually just wanted to learn about God (Wha!?), and yesterday we found out the reason why, as he told us a bunch of sad stuff about recently losing a 10-year business and also a marriage. Ouch. : (   We brought up baptism and he said he still has some doubts he wants God to help him with. He’s afraid of committing to one more thing that goes downhill.

We met our new mission president this week, President Barth Vader. He’s a bit older than the last pres, but he seems cool.

Our ward had a barbecue picnic at a noice park this week! Sam brought his friend Stella who also came to church! We gave her a Book of Mormon and we’re hoping to start teaching her. Elder Scoresby and I also got to do some goofy-ah wheelbarrow games with the kids and their parents.

I’ve been thinking a lot this week about what it means to be a pacemaker peacemaker. I read a slice of wisdom from Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf that said “Conflict is inevitable; contention is a choice.” So lately I’ve been thinking a lot about the difference between conflict and contention, and how to keep the peace and stand for the right at the same time. D&C 121:43 has a great explanation of this, as well as 2 Nephi 1:27. Both verses refer to times when the spirit moves people to “reprove with sharpness,” as well as a greater love that is the motive behind it. It seems that often the “kind” thing to do is not always the most loving thing to do. Jesus Christ is the greatest example of this as everything He did and said was out of love, yet many still chose to take offense and oppose the Prince of Peace. This week I’d invite all of you to think of one thing you can do to establish greater peace—whether between you and someone else, or between you and God. As we choose higher and holier methods of love, we will find peace even among conflict.

Have a great week and don’t forget to celebrate Canada Day (more than the Canadians). Now take off!

Love you all! 爱你们！

-熊长老

 

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Ward Barbecue

 

 

[view from the bridge near the barbecue]

The comp and I