Dear Family,
What a wonderful week. Thank you for writing me despite your vacation
plans and your crazy summer. Send some of that hot weather up here
because I am freezing and it's only August. Gearing up for a
Newfoundland winter. If we thought Halifax was bad, b'y yous tain't
seen nuddin yet. Thank you for praying for me and for putting my name
on the temple prayer roll. I am seeing the miracles of prayer
throughout my whole mission. In my patriarchal blessing it says that I
will see many miracles and miracles come by faith and faith comes by
prayer. Your prayers mean so much to me.
We have a unique privilege to have physical bodies. Our spirits and
our bodies are like a hand in a glove. When we die the hand is removed
from the glove but both the glove and the hand remain intact. This is
why death is not the end but merely a separation. The hand gives life
to the glove though we may not see it just as the spirit gives life to
our bodies. Our spirits are affected by what we do with our bodies, we
don't work out or eat right so that we can have good bodies, we work
out and eat right to teach our spirits self-control and self-mastery.
The scriptures speak of our bodies being sanctified. To be sanctified
means to be without blemish, it means to be pure. As Paul stated "Know
ye not (he uses ye, he would make a great Newfoundlander) that ye are
the temple of God?" For us to feel the spirit we have to have a
sanctified body. This means what we do and what we eat must be pure.
We are continuing to see miracles in Grand Falls and throughout the
whole province. This past week we found another investigator who wants
to be baptized. We found Bonnie through using the area book. She was
taught three years ago and the elders never came back. If they had a
reason it wasn't written down so we thought we might as well go over
there and follow-up. I'm beginning to develop something called
'short-stops.' Very nerdy missionary thinking, but when we do our
weekly planning I like to create a large list of 20 potential
investigators and former investigators to follow-up on that week. This
increases our focus. We select a name and then plan a route of other
people to see using the former sheets and potential sheets with
everything organized by area. In addition to that we looked through
the knocking records and boom we have a nice list of 5 people to try
in half an hour who have all indicated that they want to learn more.
So Bonnie is great, she believes that Joseph Smith was prophet and
that prophets in modern times just makes sense. We taught her most of
the Restoration and she accepted to be baptized on October 17.
The other investigator we found was through visiting a less-active
from Cole Harbour. It was strange to meet a less-active all the way
from Cole Harbour. We dropped by and talked about the same people we
knew for a good 20 minutes. Her boyfriend Greg wants to marry her and
Samantha wants to get married in the temple. So thus Greg is also
committed to being baptized. We could go from 4 members of the church
to 9 members of the church before Christmas. The Lord is showering the
blessings in Grand Falls. Greg is great, he likes boxing and listening
to the bible. He's originally Salvation Army so he loves serving
others and being nice. He doesn't really know what he believes in, but
he wants to marry Samantha so he's pretty motivated to read the Book
of Mormon.
This past week we had our trip to Corner Brook that we do once a
month. It's a little bit harder to get members and investigators to
come on the road with us for two days, but we persevere. Helen didn't
want to come although she is progressing really well. She just
finished the Book of Mormon for the second time and now she is reading
the Doctrine and Covenants. Honestly one of the most solid people I
have ever taught. Right up there with Steven in Cole Harbour and the
Wamboldts in Bridgewater. The drive was just a little daunting to her,
but she comes to church other than that. Darren our other investigator
who's on date came along, but didn't really like it with all of the
driving. We got two members to come with us as well, so the faithful
band from Grand Falls made the trek to Corner Brook for the Branch
activity on Saturday night.
The activity was awesome! I along with several other missionaries got
screeched in. It was the experience of a life time. I got it all on
video but the internet is slow here, so I may just have to send it to
you next week. So stay tuned. A Screech in begins with putting on
twister which was next to impossible. The older Newfie members were
kind with our Newfoundland accents so that wasn't the worst part. We
then had to drink cod liver oil which is about the grossest thing I
have ever consumed. It was worse than drinking paint thinner. This one
might be too far off for even mum to add to a shake in the morning.
Cod liver is nasty. We then had a shot of purity syrup which is the
mormon newfie way of doing a shot of screech (100 proof and only made
in Newfoundland). Purity syrup was way better than the cod liver oil.
Then was the climax of the screech in. The kissing of the cod. Yes I
gave it a good smoochin. Then some really dry newfie jokes (What's the
shortest conversation between two fishermen? arn? narn.) Then a
traditional Newfoundland jig I's the b'y
I'se The B'y that builds the boat and
I'se The B'y that sails her and
I'se The B'y that catches the fish and
Brings 'em home to Liza
Salts and rinds to cover your flake,
Cake and tea for supper
Cod fish in the spring of the year,
Fried in maggoty butter
Yes, don't worry. I have found my people. It was an incredible week.
We have hit the mission standard four weeks in a row. Just set a
mission record with the people we have on date. I am absolutely loving
my mission.
HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!
Love,
Elder McGuire
John 21:6-"He saith unto him a second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, "Feed my sheep."
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| Branch activity was a success! |
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| Dennis a recent convert busting out the accordion |
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| photo bomb! |
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| Exchanges in Corner Brook until Wednesday |
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| Guess what we found in the apartment |
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