Journal Entry 153: My life seems to be a church themed version of Ice Age. Pretty sure my companion is actually a saber tooth tiger that's leading me somewhere... Reasons are uncertain.
I'm only mostly joking... mostly.
Temiskaming is not only one of the farthest points north of the mission. It's a compilation of a dozen small towns. From Cobolt to Temiskaming to Kirtland Lake. The travel time from each of these varies on if we need to get the sled dog team out or not.
Besides that it's pretty peachy. Nice and warm. On the way up it went from no snow at all to half a foot then to two feet in about 1 hour. Probably one of the most gorgeous drives you can take if you're not bored by a whole day of driving North. Slowly bumping the heater up in the car and putting on extra layers.
The branch is nice. I forgot how much I missed serving in a branch. Where you know everyone's names within the first week and it's pretty easy to keep everyone straight. It's a fun little group, it avoids the pitfall traps that wards frequently fall into, the big one being that awkward silence during a teacher's lesson in Sunday School. When you've got only five people in Elders Quorum everyone needs to comment.
Besides that I know that the recent missing of pictures has the fan base in a "crucify him!" kind of feel but I promise that pictures are forthcoming, I've misplaced my camera charger (again, I've got to put a tracker on it, because that cord disappears more frequently than my nametags)
Loves!
Elder Wolford
Monday, November 27, 2017
Monday, November 20, 2017
Missionary Letter #62
Alright so I realized looking on my past emails that I have totally failed you...
Totally. Failed,
I blame myself, partially because when I think of my week it's mostly like "Well we were on the bus a lot, I remember there being a lot of people and I think there was a crazy guy or two"
That's it,
When in reality I should have been telling about how we've been preparing two investigators for baptism next week. Like, not sometime in the distant future. Next week. Boy has it been a wild ride getting them ready.
The first is named Okey (prounouced O.K) (Side note every time I say his name I think to myself "Ok how are you?" "I'm ok, thanks!" "No I know you're Okey but how are you?" Cracks me up every time.") He appeared out of no where, coming straight out of no where to blow Toronto sky high.
The next is Franco, he's one we've worked with since I've been here, he found the church through ordering a free bible, and has a wonderful testimony of God leading him along the path. It's been wonderful to watch him advance in the gospel. Something I'm very grateful for his his curiosity. He always has a question, no matter how big or small..
I'm hopeful, but hesitant. I pray everything goes as planned. :)
Loves
Elder Wolford
Totally. Failed,
I blame myself, partially because when I think of my week it's mostly like "Well we were on the bus a lot, I remember there being a lot of people and I think there was a crazy guy or two"
That's it,
When in reality I should have been telling about how we've been preparing two investigators for baptism next week. Like, not sometime in the distant future. Next week. Boy has it been a wild ride getting them ready.
The first is named Okey (prounouced O.K) (Side note every time I say his name I think to myself "Ok how are you?" "I'm ok, thanks!" "No I know you're Okey but how are you?" Cracks me up every time.") He appeared out of no where, coming straight out of no where to blow Toronto sky high.
The next is Franco, he's one we've worked with since I've been here, he found the church through ordering a free bible, and has a wonderful testimony of God leading him along the path. It's been wonderful to watch him advance in the gospel. Something I'm very grateful for his his curiosity. He always has a question, no matter how big or small..
I'm hopeful, but hesitant. I pray everything goes as planned. :)
Loves
Elder Wolford
Missionary Letter #63
Seems like a multitude of prayers were answered this week. For the past little while the weather has been dropping like a falling anvil and we've busted out our winter coats. I presumed (to my own disadvantage) that as transfers were coming this last Sunday that I would be getting my winter things back out.
I'll refrain from telling what I'd hoped would happen this transfer and instead tell you all what my dear father wanted this transfer. Here are a few excepts from his letters
"When are the next transfers? Are you ready to go to the great white north for winter?"
"When do you get transferred to the great white north? "
"Hope you're enjoying your new area. Big cities are super fun. I also hope this sets you up to the coldest area in your mission for the winter. It would be super cool to go up north when it's forty below. You'd have stories for the rest of your life. "One time it was so cold my snot froze!" Deacons love that when you're in the young men's presidency."
I could go on but instead let me confirm. I am indeed going to the great white north for winter. You can actually see my next area from space. Here it is
So if you carefully examine you'll see that the north pole is where Hudson's Bay meets with the Icy River of Leif Erikson and travels down through where all the Canadian Maple Trees pump out the elixir of life- maple syrup. If you look you'll see a little mark of green, that's my area.
Oh you don't see it?
How bout now?
Yes, that light green birthmark is my next area. From downtown Toronto to the North Pole. I'll have to learn how to drive again in sub-zero temperatures while hail the size of baseballs fall from the sky of northern lights. Upside, there are northern lights this time of year so that should be really cool to see. And also I get a series of nice heaters in order to keep from becoming a Wolford popsicle.
Besides the frozen north we did baptize two of our investigators this week. TWO! The service went wonderfully and the spirit was so powerful. It was probably the best baptism I've ever gone to. It was really good, everyone had a good time and the missionary that first found one of the guys being baptized came, which really was sweet for him.
Any questions for Temiskaming?
Loves
Elder Wolford
I'll refrain from telling what I'd hoped would happen this transfer and instead tell you all what my dear father wanted this transfer. Here are a few excepts from his letters
"When are the next transfers? Are you ready to go to the great white north for winter?"
"When do you get transferred to the great white north? "
"Hope you're enjoying your new area. Big cities are super fun. I also hope this sets you up to the coldest area in your mission for the winter. It would be super cool to go up north when it's forty below. You'd have stories for the rest of your life. "One time it was so cold my snot froze!" Deacons love that when you're in the young men's presidency."
I could go on but instead let me confirm. I am indeed going to the great white north for winter. You can actually see my next area from space. Here it is
So if you carefully examine you'll see that the north pole is where Hudson's Bay meets with the Icy River of Leif Erikson and travels down through where all the Canadian Maple Trees pump out the elixir of life- maple syrup. If you look you'll see a little mark of green, that's my area.
Oh you don't see it?
How bout now?
Yes, that light green birthmark is my next area. From downtown Toronto to the North Pole. I'll have to learn how to drive again in sub-zero temperatures while hail the size of baseballs fall from the sky of northern lights. Upside, there are northern lights this time of year so that should be really cool to see. And also I get a series of nice heaters in order to keep from becoming a Wolford popsicle.
Besides the frozen north we did baptize two of our investigators this week. TWO! The service went wonderfully and the spirit was so powerful. It was probably the best baptism I've ever gone to. It was really good, everyone had a good time and the missionary that first found one of the guys being baptized came, which really was sweet for him.
Any questions for Temiskaming?
Loves
Elder Wolford
Tuesday, November 7, 2017
Missionary Letter #61
We set goals at the beginning of this week with the firm resolve to see them happen. It was pretty intense when throughout the week through our work we did see miracles happen in small and simple ways that lead us to finding people that were prepared to receive the gospel.
For example. Thursday was a busy day, we had just gotten out of service and had a dozen things we had to do that day. Because of the Transit system we had to decide what was worth our while, either we could stop by the church because some of out investigators were coming to play basketball and we hoped to get a lesson in, or go to another church on Don Mills and Eglinton and bring a different investigator to that.
We prayed about it, and felt like trying to get a lesson before basketball was a better option. We went, and we talked and started a lesson with our investigator named Jade, when he invited two of his friends to join. The first left pretty quickly, but the second stayed as we talked about what repentance really was and how it applied to them. We had intended to teach only one, but this other guy was so fascinated we asked him if he was interested. He said he was, because his father was a Mormon back in the Philippines, he took a Book of Mormon and said, "My mom will be surprised, I'm not a very religious person." I asked him if his mother would be upset and he said, "No, just surprised, she's wanted me to come to God for some time."
One reason I love Toronto is because the people that come here from all over the world are so humble. They have had experiences that have kept them remembering God and are willing to come unto him. It was really a miracle.
That and the other investigator turned out not being able to make it anyways. #inspired
Anyways sorry for such a long story but I thought it was great, and to finish it off we totally had a fantastic Zone Meeting where Elder Pearson, who's a Seventy, came. Really good and really spiritual. Probably the best rebuking I've felt in a long time. Rebuking is good with love, Whomsoever God loveth he chasteneth.
Loves!
Elder Wolford
For example. Thursday was a busy day, we had just gotten out of service and had a dozen things we had to do that day. Because of the Transit system we had to decide what was worth our while, either we could stop by the church because some of out investigators were coming to play basketball and we hoped to get a lesson in, or go to another church on Don Mills and Eglinton and bring a different investigator to that.
We prayed about it, and felt like trying to get a lesson before basketball was a better option. We went, and we talked and started a lesson with our investigator named Jade, when he invited two of his friends to join. The first left pretty quickly, but the second stayed as we talked about what repentance really was and how it applied to them. We had intended to teach only one, but this other guy was so fascinated we asked him if he was interested. He said he was, because his father was a Mormon back in the Philippines, he took a Book of Mormon and said, "My mom will be surprised, I'm not a very religious person." I asked him if his mother would be upset and he said, "No, just surprised, she's wanted me to come to God for some time."
One reason I love Toronto is because the people that come here from all over the world are so humble. They have had experiences that have kept them remembering God and are willing to come unto him. It was really a miracle.
That and the other investigator turned out not being able to make it anyways. #inspired
Anyways sorry for such a long story but I thought it was great, and to finish it off we totally had a fantastic Zone Meeting where Elder Pearson, who's a Seventy, came. Really good and really spiritual. Probably the best rebuking I've felt in a long time. Rebuking is good with love, Whomsoever God loveth he chasteneth.
Loves!
Elder Wolford
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