Deep in the Rockies!

Howdy do all! I'm getting tired of starting off all these emails the same way. We had a good week and stayed very busy. We were able to meet with a good number of investigators, but a lot of them are still very busy. I felt accomplished though and it was nice having a lot of things to do and a lot of appointments set up.

Anybody remember those animals we helped skin and gut before? They taste pretty good! The less active guy slow cooked some mutton for 3 days. It was so tender that it was nearly falling off the bone. Yum. He gave some for the road for our help. Packaged Goat chops and stew, and  some lamb chops. Oh boy! 

We saw an interesting miracle in our area this week. There was a lady in our area book (By the way, the reason I don't give names out is because it's a violation of Canadian internet privacy laws.) who had evidently had a crisis of faith for most of her life. She had been taught in Alaska many years prior and the missionaries here 2 years ago found and taught her. She didn't have a belief in Jesus and only a mere belief in some sort of Creator. But when we happened upon her she told us in the last year she had been diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer and had needed to have her femur removed after the cancer spread. She said in that experience God spoke to her and she felt at peace and not alone. She has since decided to devote her life to serving God. She believes Joseph Smith is a true prophet and also that the Book of Mormon is true. Super strange hearing that from someone on the first lesson but I'll take it. She is just a bit frail and doesn't have the stamina she once had. She wants to come to church though, at least for the first hour. We have got in touch with members who were her fellowshippers before and they are happy to help. I hope I have some good things to report next week! I think this is a good example of no effort being wasted. Missionaries planted seeds like 13 years ago and resolved many of the concerns this woman had. Other missionaries helped get her fellowship 2 years ago. Now she is a lot more prepared to receive the gospel. I think Doctrine & Covenants 64:33 is applicable I think: Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Keep me updated with Michael and Michaelas Baby! 

Love, 

Elder Higginson

 

So the bubbles at Abraham Lake are a real thing. Got a selfie with
them to prove it.

 Bubbles get trapped beneath the ice in the lake and freeze in layers. It looks really awesome. Famous place for photographers to go.

 

Deep in the Rockies with Elder Jensen

 

 

The power of Godliness

We had a pretty good week out here! And It looks like this week is just going to be better! We were finally able to set up a lot of our appointments for the week last Friday and Saturday, so it makes it a lot easier to coordinate with the members so they can come out with us.

We tracted into a lady named Shylynn a couple weeks ago and we taught her this week. She was very nice and wondered what it was we were talking to people about. We shared the message of the restoration and I think it had a real impact on her. She agreed to read the entire Book of Mormon and to ask God if it was true. She also said she would be baptized if she found it to be true and she would have made it to church with her daughters if she hadn't got called into work! Ohh, everything always goes wrong Sunday morning for people. But anyway, we are really excited about her. She said she feels like she is half way there already and already has faith in God, she just needs to find a church. Almost sounds too good to be true. I feel like every time I find someone like this, they disappear or something happens and they don't want to do it anymore. But I hope and pray it will be different this time.

We taught a Filipino last night named William. The missionaries taught him before, but he disappeared for a long while. But he's back so we were able to meet and bring Jeff Mahea; a young Filipino from the ward. It was great and even though I haven't been immersed in the the language much lately, the gift of tongues came through and things were brought to my remembrance. It felt really good. The lesson went well and he does have some concerns but he also has a lot of faith. He agreed to read the Book of Mormon and ask God about it. 

I have really been preparing myself this week, to serve with all my might, mind and strength. I have covenanted with God to focus all my energy and thoughts on the work and to be totally obedient. Sometimes it is easy to become weary of well doing and even though I'm working and doing what I'm suppose to, I feel as though I'm exercising the forms without the power. Discipleship is something that requires constant introspection of ones self. So I will try to gain the full power of my calling. I've seen some evidence of it over the last month or so. So I'll keep trying.

I hope everyone has a good week! thank you for all the emails last week and I'm glad you enjoyed my letters! 

Love,  

Elder Higginson

Canada is a nice place/The Carnage!

Well, It's been a good week in the work of the ministry. Difficult, but good. We've got new people coming out of the wood-work and some of the old people falling off or not being as promising as we had hoped. But it's all progress I suppose.

For whatever reason, Our Filipino investigator has decided to not meet with us or come to church for the last couple weeks. Sister Durran, who brought her out to begin with is trying to figure out her concern. Evidently she doesn't feel worthy to join a church because she's made a lot of mistakes in her life. Hopefully she will be able to overcome this concern and find out that this is why she needs to join a church so badly! Maybe we'll have something good to report about it soon. I really hope so.

So a little about the companion: He's about 6 ft, 4. He has hollow legs, a shy temperament and can't have Gluten. The quintessential Greeny. He seems to be getting the hang of a few things though and making good progress. We are very different, but that doesn't mean everything is hopeless! We'll just both have to adjust. And If we stay busy and have success, there will be little time to focus on those differences. 

So yesterday we went out to a little town called Eckville, East of Rocky Mountain. It was a sad little town and the people were not too receptive. Got Elder Jenson a little more experience though I suppose!

Afterwards we went to visit some less actives out that way that we haven't seen in a while. We sat down and chatted with these sweet folks that seem to have lost the motivation to come to church several years before. The results of our last visits and the ones before I was here did not result in them making any changes, so we didn't come for a while. So I had Elder Jenson figure out a lesson and he picked the talk from last conference about centering the clay in the middle of the wheel and likewise centering our lives on the gospel of Jesus Christ. So he shared it and I expounded it and ask them if they felt that attending church had caused the Clay of there lives to be more stable and worthwhile. The wife told us that it had and the husband said something that surprised us. "perhaps it's time to get our lives centered on the wheel." So perhaps they may come back. We don't know, but the lesson seemed to have impacted the man, who had previously shown little desire to come back. We'll see what happens. 

Well, I love you all and thank you for keeping me updated on the goings on back home. Have a great week!

love, 

Elder Higginson

 P.S. You can share these photos with anyone who isn't too squeamish. This is the day after last weeks adventure with the less active that lost some sheep to his dogs. We decapitated them with a bow saw. The less active was impressed with my ability to skin them. we didn't finish though. Crazy stuff! I had to pick them up while my comp. tied them off. Hence
the reason my pants have blood on them... Enjoy!

Note from mother: Who are you and what have you done with my son!? What happened to "I don't fancy squealing pigs!" after watching the Tongans slit a pig's throat for dinner years ago? Seriously, this is shocking! The amazing things this elder will do while in the service of the Lord....

Happy New Year!

The week went alright I suppose! Nothing too terrible. Just hard to set up appointments with people, probably because of the time of year. We hope this week will be better and we are off to a good start! It's been around -19, -20 for a bit now most often, but then for the last 3 days it's been really nice and sunny out! Everyone is confused! We hardly needed coats during the day yesterday!  New Years day was my first day with the new missionary and we went with a less active and his home teacher to chainsaw some firewood and haul it out. It was pretty fun actually and really nice out! 

We got in with a couple that we've been trying to teach for a while last night. We got in and they were both really receptive and plan on coming to church the week after next! Mike and his girlfriend Kristine who is a lost sheep actually and hasn't been active in the church since she was a kid. Should be good! 

Sorry, I regret to inform you all, but just as I was about to start the group email, One of our less actives called and told us that his German Shepard, Chaos, got off her chain and killed all 12 of his other animals. He needs help right away with it all. So we've got to run. I'll send a good one next week though.

I can't believe Michaela is going to have her baby! It came so much quicker that I expected. I'll send a couple pictures this week as well.

Love you tons!

Love, 

Elder Higginson
 This is the trainee. On New Years we chainsawed some wood. Well, I didn't but I helped
stack it and load it. Then we cooked beans and hot dogs over a log
that had cuts in it and a fire going inside.

Good Things To Come!

Well, I really enjoyed the skype with the family this week. It was good to see all your happy faces. The rest of the week went well and we were able to serve people on Christmas and had a good time. Also, we got a bunch of leftover stuffing, turkey, ham, desserts and Egg Nog!!!! Too much food haha.

On Boxing Day we went to Red Deer and the stake fed us breakfast and we played Volley Ball. If any of you remember I have never been good at volley ball. But my companion is really good so he prepared me for it. And I actually did really good! And the next day we were both extremely sore. But it was worth it! 

We got transfer calls yesterday! Guess what!?!? All of my speculations were correct! Elder Dodson is going to be a Zone Leader in North-East Edmonton. And I will be training a brand-new missionary here in Rocky Mountain House!!!! I am so stoked!!

Now that I've been out about 13 months my mission seems to be falling into place. It's been eventful, awesome and stinking hard at times. Standard English proselyting for 6 months, Tagalog Language assignment for almost 6  and now training. I think the missionary work here will go really well in the new year and I'm exited to work hard and see the blessings flow! 

P.S. at the time of the Skype fest I did not know that the tie you gave me was from Scotland. It is now my favorite piece of attire. Well done, I must say. 

Love

Elder Higginson