Hark Hark Hark Tis Children's Music

Dear Family,

A guy gave us free hair cuts just because :D

Thank you for writing me! Today marks 100 P-days. I have been on my
mission for a while. It's weird because we do all of the same things
but more effectively and efficiently. I am excited for this upcoming
transfer with Elder Batley. Elder Batley is from Lehi, Utah. He was
really into wrestling and football before his mission. He's been out
about 18 months. Very good elder for my final transfer. He's very hard
working and obedient. He just got done serving as a district leader
for 9 months. I don't know if I mentioned in my last email but I'm
also a district leader again. Not the first time I've been a district
leader for this district. I'm excited to get things going a little bit
more now that I'm in leadership again.

Not too much has happened since I last wrote you all on Wednesday.
Sorry for not mentioning that two weeks ago. Many of you didn't write
me haha. On Thursday we went to the temple. One of the senior
missionaries Elder Holbrook had served as an ordinance worker in the
Salt Lake Temple for 30 years so he knew just about everything in
regards to the endowment. It was nice to just pick his brain for the
whole session. I've had the privelege to go to the temple a lot on my
mission. I've served about 1/4 of my mission in the Halifax area so
I've been blessed to go about 8 times. I have one more time and then
I'll be home. I learned a lot in the temple. I was thinking what I
could do to have better social skills and forgive people and I really
just got the impression that I needed to seek the gift of charity
more. Overall it was a good session. I put Mark and George on the
prayer roll. I hope that helps their progression.

After the temple we went knocking. Elder Batley is very good at just
loving people and offering to do yard work. The whole neighborhood
thought we were so great. One lady we knocked into was drunk as a
skunk. She came out and was like "Hey my friend and I are drinking
wine on the back deck if you want to join us!" Without skipping a beat
I went to shake her hand and said "No that's okay, would you like to
join us?" She thought that was hilarious and took a Book of Mormon.
She then gave us the biggest hugs and told us to come back when she
sobers up. Never a dull moment here in Sackville. You have never lived
until you have knocked on a couple of doors talking to people about
the gospel. I never get tired of it.

On Saturday we had the idea of doing a lemonade stand down by the
wharf with the sisters. We made some lemonade, a sign, and went down
to the park to talk to people. Some people were pretty rude. I just
can't catch a break with lemonade stands. We were a huge hit with the
kids though. The kids were so pumped to see us, and it was pretty
funny to see how reluctant the parents were when the kids came running
over. There was a whole scout troop of 7 year olds that lined up for
lemonade. Such a hit at the park. Then a lady from Newfoundland
stopped by and began asking us so many questions. We talked about the
temple, prophets, the Book of Mormon, missions, and missionaries. She

New companion--Elder Batley from Lehi, Utah

explained that she just had a lot of family pass away and she was
questioning everything. We gave her directions to the church and
invited her to come out. It was a sweet spiritual experience in the
midst of rude people and screaming kids.

Still fighting

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Love,

Elder McGuire

Still juicing pineapple!

We took Elder Tagg out
who's new to the mission

Elder Wilson hung out with me on transfer day.

Sackville Ward Talent Show

Ward Talent show video clips...ENJOY!

https://www.dropbox.com/s/49cbv27vkmm2hkh/MVI_0516.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/msh21w91yrfp3xc/MVI_0515.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/gul10r7s0hxsr5g/MVI_0514.MOV?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ar8uoc8s4zrltpo/MVI_0513.MOV?dl=0

We did how elders and sisters get ready in the morning, except they
were the elders and we were the sisters. Not my first rodeo I'll tell
you that much




Elder O eating some yogurt
https://www.dropbox.com/s/rzpc1ra5h9danxj/MVI_0521.MOV?dl=0




Role plays every morning!
https://www.dropbox.com/s/owwnnepuerduwy8/MVI_0528.MOV?dl=0

Sisu

I trained Elder Ray. Elder Wilson and I have served in the same
district with each other for 12 transfers. He's like an unofficial
companion. Elder O'Brien and I served with each other for three
transfers

Dear family,

Thank you for the letters this week! Sounds like summer is in full
swing in the southwest. It rained most of last week and the sun
finally came out on Sunday so that was nice. Newfoundland got some
flurries I heard. I'm not overly excited about the hot weather I'll go
back to. I like the summers here. The trees are green and the ocean is
right by. My favourite scene in the Maritimes is how the old
protestant churches look next to the bay with the sailboats. If you
have a minute, you should google Mahone Bay, Lunenburg, or Blue Rocks
Nova Scotia. It's in my old area of Bridgewater but I love that look.
You can't get that anywhere else in the world!

So transfers! I will be staying in Sackville for my final transfer as
a missionary. I remember when I first came into the mission and we all
sat around the dinner table and President Leavitt told us where we
were going. The only thing I could think of was where I'd be
finishing. Then that thought left my mind as we began working. Now
here I am at the end with my final area and my final companion. Elder
O'Brien is headed to St. Stephen for his last 6 weeks. I'll get a new
companion, Elder Batley. He's been out 18 months and is solid. He's
from Lehi, UT. I went on a lot of exchanges with him in Moncton
because he had a difficult companion when he was serving in Amherst.
I'm excited for this final transfer. It doesn't really feel like the
end to tell you the truth. I just feel like I'm still on my mission.
My life is like the movie Ground Hog Day. Every day seems the same but
when compared side by side they all are very different. Every week
gets faster and faster. Sisu is a Finnish word that means inner
strength and the ability to endure to the end (3 Nephi 15:9)

This past week we had a nice blitz in Sackville with the other
missionaries in the zone. The whole zone came to work the area. We met
with the sisters before everyone showed up at the church so that we
could plan out days for 12 companionships. I wish I would have gotten
a picture but we had the whole chalkboard up with everyone's schedule,
the area book and member books open, google maps open. The whole
she-bang. I love planning. I just get so much motivation out of
setting everything in order. We had missionaries knocking out whole
neighbourhoods in an afternoon, missionaries on the nature trails and
in the parks, missionaries tracking down less-actives and making phone
calls to the ward council for information, and missionaries hunting
down former investigators and potential investigators. I felt like I
was serving my mission in LA or something with 30 missionaries just
working in Sackville all day. It was so much fun. We all found lots of
potential investigators that Elder O and I followed up with throughout
the week. No new investigators yet, but we're working on it!.

Mark could be doing better. He's almost positive that his wife would
leave him if he joined the church. We had a lesson with him last night
about forgiveness and repentance. We talked about the sisters teaching
his wife and nothing seemed to be working. Mark is clearly one of the
elect. Young father with a career and life ahead of him. He has a
spiritual gift for faith, but I'm worried that's dwindling. If you
could please pray for him he needs it now more than ever. He lives all
the commandments and reads very consistently.

George is doing great. He isn't too sure about baptism but he says
that he'd be open to it. We're planning on baptizing him on July 30th
(my 2 year mark). We had the prompting to really just teach the
atonement from the Book of Mormon with him last night. He loved 2
Nephi 9. When we showed up he said he just flipped open the book and
began reading from Alma 39. He really enjoys the Book of Mormon. It's
difficult for him to get Sundays off but he's planning on coming to
church this Sunday. He offers some really good life advice during our
lessons. He knows that I'm going home soon. George is clearly elect as
well.

I love you all

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Elder McGuire

Yes you could say that the Sackville missionaries brought down the
house at the ward talent show

Elder Ray and Elder McGuire

Elder O looking fresh!

I trained Elder Ray. Elder Wilson and I have served in the same
district with each other for 12 transfers. He's like an unofficial
companion. Elder O'Brien and I served with each other for three
transfers

All Things Are Possible to Them That Believeth

With the Harlows in Bridgewater for exchanges! It's been a whole year!

Dear Family,

Thank you for your letters and for your prayers. Every time I get to
this point in the week I am just like Lenny from That Thing You
Do-"How did we get here?!" I feel like I've been gone a week. But we
all know it's been much longer than that. We had a great week here in
Sack vegas. I can't believe that I've been here a month.

This past week I studied a lot about the nature of God. I love
studying simple things deeply. One particular scripture that I found
to be interesting is found in the Doctrine and Covenants section 93.
"I give unto you these sayings that you may understand and know how to
worship, and know what you worship, that you may come unto the Father
in my name, and in due time receive of his fulness." (19). In studying
through the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants I
noticed that there aren't too many verses that directly teach the
nature of God the Father. However I did notice that Christ was made in
the express image of the Father. Through studying the life of Jesus
Christ we come to know not only the Son but also the Father.
Essentially, this is our purpose in life (John 17:3)

I would like to thank you all for your prayers and fasting that we'd
find people to teach. We were blessed to find 3 new investigators this
past week! The first one is very prepared. His name is George and he's
from Cole Harbour (Yes people in Cole Harbour are interested in the
gospel in case you were wondering). His dad was a mormon but recently
passed away. George would go to the church in Cole Harbour all the
time in the 90s. When he was living in Fall River a member would come
over every Saturday for two years and read the Ensign with him and the
Book of Mormon. Take his kids over, they'd have a meal, and play the
guitar. Can you say golden? George is awesome. We met him knocking in
a trailer park and we're seeing him tonight.

The next investigator we found through the area book. Christian was
taught about 6 months ago but the elders just lost contact with him.
He's in his 20s and really wants to believe in God and get his life in
order. He's also from my old area of East Preston (largest black
community in Canada!), which is in Cole Harbour's area. He's great. He
asks lots of questions about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. We
invited him to watch Meet the Mormons on Netflix because he said he
wasn't much for reading.

The final investigator was also from my old area of Cole Harbour.
Christina (who's last name is ironically Provo) was found through
knocking. She has a young daughter who's been asking lots of questions
about churches and God and religion. Overall it was pretty solid week
for finding. It was really funny how they all came from Cole Harbour.
I was just shaking my head because I hated that area so much but now
I'm finding people from there.

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Love,

Elder McGuire

Elder O'Brien diligently following in the ways of Wilford Woodruff and
writing in his journal

Comp study is game changing

You could say I take notes

The mighty O'Block

Triple Bacon Poutine from Cheese Curds. Only in Nova Scotia

Built Upon the Foundation of Apostles and Prophets

Always rainy in Halifax

We went on exchanges to Bridgewater and I got to see my favourite dogs
again at the Harlows

Dear Family,

You will never have guessed who I was with yesterday-Elder Dale G.
Renlund of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles and Elder Gong of the
Presidency of the Seventy. They came for a bi-stake conference. I felt
like I was in the Spirit World. We met at Mount Allison University in
Sackville, New Brunswick and there were members there from all 8 of my
areas. I got to meet up with the Taylor's from Moncton, an old British
couple that fed me my first week in Dieppe. They haven't changed a bit
and I was around them when I went back to Moncton. I also got to say
hi to Al Wood, a not so recent convert anymore from St. Stephen. He's
still active in the church. Holds the Melchizedek priesthood now and
hasn't missed church for about 6 months now. He was my saving grace in
St. Stephen. I wanted to go home so bad but he reminded me so much of
Grandpa McGuire that I didn't want to quit. I met up with a couple
more members from Cole Harbour, the Podezwas and the Edis.' I will
never forget shoveling out a less-actives house with Brother Podezwa
in February of last year. Then just about everyone from Bridgewater
came so I got to say hi to the Harlows (certainly my favorite family
to eat dinner with), the Dorey's, Brother Freeman who fed us every
week and baked us bread, and the Jewers. Everyone hadn't changed a
bit. It was funny how I could visit with someone and then turn around
and see someone from another one of my areas. Plus all of the
companions and other missionaries that I served around with. What just
brought me to tears was seeing Sister Borden and Sister Gear walk
through the doors looking for a seat. The only 2 members from Grand
Falls that came out of the 4 we started with when I got there. Sister
Borden also went to the temple and Sister Gear got endowed. So much
faith out of our mighty band of Saints in Grand Falls, Newfoundland.
And of course plenty of members from Caribou and Sackville came so
everyone was well represented.

The stake presidents each spoke about not being deceived in the
Latter-Days. Atlantic Canadians are deeply spiritual and inquisitive
people that don't like fakes. Perhaps what has caused me the most
grief on my mission is dealing with investigators, members, contacts
on the street or at the door, and less-active members that have read
or watched anti-mormon information. Joseph Smith said that by proving
opposites, the truth is made manifest. By studying the Book of Mormon
and seeking after spiritual gifts we will not be deceived. The very
elect will be deceived and it's going to be incredibly difficult not
to be deceived if we don't have the spirit with us. That's why we've
got to know our stuff. I've really liked serving here because the
spiritual opposition has made me stronger. It's only going to get
worse though so we need to be prepared.

Elder Gong, Elder Renlund, and their wives all spoke about how the
gospel blesses families. We ought to consider what we'd be giving up
in regards to our families if we left the church. Principles of faith,
forgiveness, and repentance would go out the window. Humility would be
absent and pride would take it's course. This church has blessed me
with a strong family. Another point that Elder Renlund made was that
the truth isn't hostile in nature. Truth shouldn't make us hostile
towards others. No matter what others believe we shouldn't be hostile
to them. And we can know if they are incorrect if their convictions
make them hostile towards us. He's a very humble man. He's only been
serving in the upper levels of church leadership for less than a
decade. I liked how relatable he was with the Saints in Atlantic
Canada.

Our do not contact list is pretty great

Mark is doing well. He's keeping all the commandments. We taught him
about going to adversity with faith from the Book of Mormon and he
really enjoyed that. We committed him to talk to his wife again about
getting permission to be baptized. If you could all pray for him and
for his wife I would really appreciate it. He would be such a solid
member of the church.

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL!

Love,

Elder McGuire

My desk is clean :D

I got a cat yoga calendar