Still doing Service in High River

We were able to here from Elder Martin a day later because they opened another area in High River that the Missionaries could help do service in.  Elder Martin is doing great and his letter to his Mother was so fantastic,  He really is doing well.  He did say the teaching is still slow but he is getting better at teaching the gospel.  he did relate a cool story when he was shopping for boots about  a lady that was asking why a man dressed like him needed a pair of Steel toed boots and he explained to her what the Missionaries have been doing in High River helping mucking out the homes that have been flooded, and at the register she paid for them thanking him for his service and they need that type of help in High River, he felt that was cool.

This is our Zone picture and in it are Elders: Smith, Young, Miner, Suniamafelao, Mooney, Hanssey, Ferguson. Then sisters: Wray, Nuttel, Lamont, Mortonson. I don't know the order but if you can read the name tags, there ya go! :)

This is a picture of the numbers we have put up down here with the Helping Hands crews down in High River!

High River

The work with the stampede and summer and flood coming through here actually slowed down we haven't been able to really teach anyone this week, were still at the same place as last.

But we were able to go down to High River this week and help out with people.
 So many people down there are just devastated, we helped them clear out their entire basements, from Furniture to beds to fridges to weight machines to carpet to dryers and washers to drywall we pretty much demoed everything that was affected by the flood, it was so sad but so amazing at the same time because we got to show the people the act of service and they couldn't believe we were doing it for free and even more so that we didn't even know or care who we were helping out. just that we were there to help! :) it was awesome. it was truly a touching experience. it made me think back upon when the fires came roaring through and you and I were the only ones in the house at the time. Then on Saturday we got a freak snow/hail storm ha-ha that was a pretty cool trip. hail the size of marbles, it didn't feel to good needless to say, we had to run out of the car because a member was buying us lunch at a place called Costa Vida, is a branch from Cafe Rio. their Raspberry Chipoltle chicken is pretty delicious.

Service in High River going down into basement

Mucking out basement

Elder Martin  and Elder Miner in High River

Elder Martin

 and yes those are rail road tracks

Service in Canada

  So this week we helped two families move, one moved into our ward they are non member and said yes to us coming back they seemed pretty interested because Shawn (the boyfriend) said how awesome it is for two young men to help someone they don't even know or have ever met in their life before. So the lord does soften hearts through service it was awesome. we plan on going back sometime this week to check up on them see how things are settling in.
  
   Then this other family we helped move out husband and wife. and they pretty much said the same thing about us serving them and not knowing who they are. but funny story so while we were helping move occupations came up and what you did before you came out and so i told them network security at the SDCRAA and he said no way I've been in security like that for years. so he asked like what programs and such or who we deal with and i said Hirsch (Identive) Proximex, Vicon, Nice. and he's dealt with all those programs and so has his friend Jeff that was there helping him move it was pretty awesome! So he said he would give me his information on the 4th because he said he has some people down in San Diego that you might want to talk with and so i said i could do the same and get the info as well.... soooo you should send me the office phone number since I don't know it ha ha, and just see where it goes :)

     Also his buddy Jeff is trying to figure out how to switch his servers over to fiber without having switches and relays. or something like that so maybe we could help them out up in that category in switching to just IP or something? I cant remember everything I told him I was just a installation guy no programming ha ha. its a real shame that they are moving out of the area because they seemed very open and that they wanted to know more because the husband Matt believes that there's a greater power and a true religion out there just a matter of who believes in it and who doesn't.

 the couch we tried to get into the most tight stair well at the move with Shawn, we ended up having to take off the banister it was a pretty tight squeeze.

This ones for James

you know me always looking for a nice car haha

Alberta Flood service at the Reservation

 I have been able to help out a bit with the floods we helped the food bank up here, run a soup bowl relief day that was awesome, then yesterday  we went out and help the Indian reservation  with all the donations people were bringing in, we filled up a whole hockey rink with clothes, water, and essentials and a whole high school gymnasium with food. it was so awesome to see the communities coming together to help those less fortunate. The Fireside last night was really good, it was making me wonder if we were going to have some changes as well, so who knows we will see here in a few weeks I guess. I can drive, I got permission and Elder Miner prefers that I drive so its whatever, I don't mind, we have a Chevy Malibu and it drives like a boat so I'm used to that already.

Soup bowl we helped run

 Elder Miner and myself 

Water brought to the reservation 

 Supplies we helped bring into the reservation

 Elder Martin with Elder he was on Exchanges with

We received an email from Elder Martin and this is just some of what was happening with him this week.....



I Cover the Airdrie 3rd ward, the ward building is laid out EXACTLY like ours at  home so that's pretty cool to be honest. we have a Chevy Malibu and bikes we are  told to take 2 1/2 walking/biking days, so its not to bad.... keeps me in shape. The members are great, already feel loved and the Penners, who our ward missionaries are simply wonderful,  they are a couple with a ton of kids mostly older and there about  late  thirties.  We currently are teaching 2 investigators one named Ryan who is very in tune to the Gospel and Spirit who's wife still has issues with it , so were slowly chipping away at that rock, his son is 10 his name is Jackson and he has Autism really sweet kid, he's pretty good at Call Of Duty too haha .....then we are teaching a fellow named Duane he likes to read up on all the Conspiracy Theory's so that's always interesting to listen about but we invited him to a converts baptism and we asked him how it went and he said it was more powerful than he had thought one would be, so there's a light in him somewhere I just know it, he also has a son who is 10 named Justine who suffered lack of oxygen at birth and was in a car accident when he was in the Womb but he has a good spirit about him. For the most part dinner appointments have consisted of delicious pancakes sausage and hash-browns and a lot of Sweet BBQ pulled pork sandwiches haha...... so we've been fed pretty well needless to say.  On P-Day we go to the Stake Center and Play basket ball last week I went to throw the ball back in bounds and slammed up against the back of the wall and came down on to my ankle pretty hard and heard several pops, great first P-Day huh? but its nothing I've  never dealt with before, so i should be all good for today. I'm hopefully going to go to the mall today and get a decent pair of some Basketball shoes to maybe prevent that injury again.

We made it to Canada, I am in Airdrie zone just North of Calgary, and its pretty much well..... flat haha, but sooo green, its pretty, the weather is awesome just like San Diego right now except when it rains 5 min later its like slushy hail the size of golf balls, my Mission President is awesome, seemed like the typical loving family man from Texas so that was pretty nice!, His wife is a Hoot, shes pretty awesome, very motherly minded.

Elder Martin with his new Companion Elder Miner,  He  reminds me of
Mark Magoffin with his Movie quotes and knowledge. and my cousin  Jonathan with his
TV and video game knowledge..... He is pretty awesome, very nice and wise, a positive trainer. I'm loving it here and anxious to be able to really know the doctrine and teach it perfectly.

View from our house in Airdrie Alberta, we live in the basement of the 

Bishop, It's awesome

MTC District in front of Provo Temple

MTC Companion Elder Vang and I

Elder Myres and I 

Yes, this is Elder Vang in a onesy 

Our MTC District 

At the time of this post Elder Martin is just getting on his flight to Calgary Canada,  He was able to call home this morning which was a great thing for his Mother and I, even if it was a bit later than he expected.  He has a big group heading to Calgary with him so that was nice.  Elder Martin said they had a great meeting last night that at the end of it they gave all the Sisters Blessings which the spirit was strong in.  His MTC Zone had 11 other Elders and 20 something Sisters. I asked him how he was enjoying thing and he said it was way better than he expected, he really enjoyed the MTC and now is excited and nervous  for the new things that will come in Calgary.  He has seen Sister Roberts and Elder Myers in the MTC and said they are both doing great and are in good spirits. He wants to thank all those that sent him things in MTC, he felt his Mom was sending him a message that he needed to write more with all the pen's, pencils and paper she sent, he was able to share them with all the other missionaries.  The Morning started early for the group heading to the SLC airport via Trax rail system, they  have a direct flight to Calgary so should be at the Mission Home around 2:30-3:00 pm. Elder Martin did say that he has taken a few pictures and will send them when he has some time.