Another week in Sudbury!

"Hey everyone! Not too much time to write but just wanted to let you know again that Im doing great and loving the lessons I am coming to learn on the mission. I feel so blessed to be here and to serve the canadian people in sudbury. I love it here, its amazing! So...we had a ward picnic this week and we took a funny picture with some of the members! My companion is in the hat haha! We also went on a road trip for a mission conference in Barrie which was a 3 1/2 hour drive there and the same back so we were pretty tired but loved seeing the other missionaries and president. On the way back we saw a member in another area and took a photo on a hugh chair! It was great!

I love being a missionary and to be able to bring others the Gospel. I love prayer and know that as we pray we are heard. I love being a missionary.

Charity is the pure love of Christ. There are hands that hang low and feeble knees that we can strengthen. Service is the greatest cure for weariness. Love is the key to happiness in life, I know it :)

Have a great week eh!

Elder Wehi"

Manitoulin Island!

"Hello Everyone! Hope you've had a great week! So one of the highlights of this week has been a trip we made to a large island called Manitoulin Island. Its a great place! There was a small branch about 10 people. They were lovely and it was an experience for sure! I went with another Elder, Elder Steed who I served around in Brampton. We also had a young man named Stephen come with us to contact some members who hadn't been seen for a while. It reminded me of the times when I would go with the missionaries and how much that helped me to grow in the Gospel.

We have had the pleasure of being able to continue to see Megan, the wards investigator grow in the gospel. She is rereading the book of Mormon which is insane! She wanted to be baptized this week but we had to ask her to prepare a little bit more hah. She is so ready for the restored Gospel. So we are helping her grow and she is finding strength in the Book of Mormon. She is going in for operation this week and so the members are helping her and the kids with food.

Great things are happening here, and its super to be a district leader! Man, the amount of opportunity you have to serve is fantastic! Getting to know the missionaries and their desires to serve inspires me so much! we have district meetings over Skype which is a blast hahaha! so the Elders in Sault st Marie Skype in to the chapel here in sudbury.
You really come to love others on the mission, and Ive come to know that
love is the key to missionary work, and happiness is the result.

.well...hahahaha! If you ever come to canada you have to go to smokes poutine. There is an off menu item that another Elder and I ate.......even just remembering it brings me pain haha! It was 4 pounds of meat on chips. Thats about 2kg of meat!!! It took us some time to eat it eh! hahahahah! It was great though. Canada is very multicultural so it completely depends on where you are that as you see so many people from every country in the world. We eat alot! Ive already put on 10 pounds of fat and muscle haha! You have to eat heaps though or else you burn it off way to quick for some reason. I drink the most water of anybody on the mission too haha.

There are only 2 Australians in the mission, and in about 5 months I will be the only one here haha. I live in a house 4 stories tall, the biggest in the mission with my companion and 2 other missionaries (they are the Zone leaders)

My favorite area on the mission so far has to definitely be all of them. They all helped me come unto Christ and I came to love certain people there so much! Where I am now is very much like Mackay. It is rural but not too much. It is very different to downtown Toronto. That place is crazy busy! CRAZY busy! There are so many nationalities there it is crazy! I spoke 10 different languages just from meeting so many different cultures on the buses alone. We took buses, trains, trams, bikes, we walked, and we jumped and ran and crawled haha! The funniest moments of these times has to definitely be some times I would not know we had to get off the train in Toronto for a stop and I stayed on the train while my companions got off haha! I had to ride to the next stop alone and seeing signs on the walls that said: "dont get left behind!" haha! and then I rode the train back to see them. I saw a real life size human batman walking around in Brampton. I have come to talk to many different people with many different stories, some very funny and others in need of so much love. I have loved my companions and missionaries in the zones and districts I have served in. I love the people. I have come to laugh so hard with members and there little traits that make them unique and Canadian. Teaching an ESL class to people who cannot speak any English was always a blast and very funny! It was a great opportunity to experience the joy of diversity here in Toronto.

I have seen the CN tower, a big toonie(for those who dont know it is a big 2 dollar coin), a hugh apple(kind of like the big pineapple), I have seen frozen lakes and squirrels. I have seen the worlds largest fresh water island. I have been able to witness snow as tall as myself (6 foot), and go to a Canadian air base and sit in an airplane. I have had the opportunity to step inside an underground shopping center in the heart of Toronto and go along the lake edge at the border of Toronto. I have seen rain, snow, hail, and blistering sun whilst walking from palce to place to teach. Out of all the places I have been though, The best place I have been is in the homes of the humble seekers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Being able to step inside a home where you are welcomed by a family you only met a week ago and when they reach out to you in a loving way is a beautiful thing that the Gospel provides. Happy homes. That is the most beautiful thing to see in Canada: A loving family in a happy home. And that isnt just for Canada :)

Sorry this email isnt too long this week, but please know that I love ya, I love being a missionary, and I appreciate your prayers and your kindness to others.

Sometimes we just need to let someone know they are loved and cared for, and that can sometimes make the biggest difference.

I testify of this work. It is Gods work. This is Gods Church. Christ is risen from the dead, He stands to lift us all. I love Him and I love you all. Thanks for being such a support at different times in my life so far :)

Have a great week!

Elder Wehi"

G'day from the soon to be Frozen North

"It use to be hot, now its warm, and it will soon be getting cooler in these parts of town up here in sudbury. Every day it seems to be getting colder, and the senses are reaching for the warmer clothes day by day haha! So its pretty great out here in the north of the land and we are enjoying it, especially in all the teaching we are blessed to be a part of :)

So hello there! Its been a great week and we have been able to see so many miracles! Every day there is something amazing happening, whether it is within another life or our own. You come to see that the Lord requires a willing heart to do His work and with that comes the opportunity to learn the principles of loving service. If its one thing that Ive come to learn the most its the importance of both family and serving both our loved ones and our enemies, because they are our brothers and sisters :)

So this week we are teaching a really, really prepared lady we contacted into a week ago. The admonition to continue to open our mouths is an inspired declaration for missionary work. We know it is. Since last week, Megan has finished reading the book of Mormon and knows that Joseph smith is a prophet of God. She wants to be baptized, and she comes to church every week. She also decided straight away, as soon as she heard about the word of wisdom, to give it up the next week. We are preparing her for baptism soon. She accepts her invitation because she knows this is from her Heavenly Father. She is getting a lot of discouragement from her family, but she stands up for her beliefs in the book of Mormon. She is courageous as she is a single mum with 2 children. She regularly sends us texts and letters on how she is loving reading the book of Mormon and what she is learning. I am now a witness of the power of finding "those who will receive you". Simply she and her family are a miracle, and we love serving them and teaching them the restored Gospel.

The members of the ward are great and we love the friendliness that is shown whenever we are with them. Bishop asked myself and Elder Baumgartner (another missionary I had previously served with in Kingston) to offer a talk at church yesterday. It was a talk on how I have come to see the blessings of preparing for a family from serving a mission. You learn a lot from your companions and especially experiences from serving other families. I also love serving the other missionaries here because there is always a special spirit when it comes to losing ourselves in the service of others. Being a good friend and a good example. I love the example of Christ because without His loving example I could not do anything of myself but only what I have seen and believe and know to be true.

So many great experiences this week! We travel out to a distant town called Elliot Lake which is a 2 hour drive from Sudbury! What a car ride that is haha! There are only about 9-10 members out there but they are all strong and faithful members, in which we are grateful.

Please let me know if there is anything I can do for any of you! I love you and am grateful for all of your loving kindness and charity. Thank you for your service as missionaries in your own special way.

I know that there is a Christ! I testify of His holy name and the miracle of forgivness, the power of His Atonement, and the peace offered by His ressurection and His life. I love Him and revere Him as our ultimate hero in all of the missionary work we undertake. I am honored every day to wear His name of my heart. I have always loved these words that I know He spoke: "Peace, be still."

I love you all!

Have a great week! Go help someone, I promise it brings happiness :)

Elder Wehi"

Quick Overview of 3rd Area: Don Mills

This post is a quick overview of Elder Wehi's third area.
His third area was Don Mills and it's in Toronto Ossington zone.

He had 1 trio companion while he was serving there.
Elder Wehi served in Don Mills area from June 2015 to August 2015.
In other words, he stayed in Don Mills Area for total of  2 Transfers.

Trio Companion: Elder Lasley and Elder Oviatt.

Hi from Sudbury! - a little bit of what happened this week

"Hello everyone! sorry that this week I havent been able to write such a long letter as i would liek to have normally done, but i will tell you a little bit about the place where we are currently serving, what its like, and the crazy beautiful things that are happening over here in the lives of so many! :)

So I am now in Sudbury with my new companion, Elder Cattelain. Elder Cattelain is from utah and loves to serve in this work. He is a great example of service and faith! I am grateful for him and we talk a lot about our families and hockey which is great, because elder cattelain is an amazing hockey player. I can play the wake up alarm in the morning, which is pretty good too, soooooo.... haha! but its great to serve here with him. I learn everyday from the missionaries I serve and especially from the experiences of just being a missionary, working hard, and having fun! :)

So in this area its warm right now, but apparently it drops to -40 or -50 below in the winter, which is nice beach weather eh! haha but yeah it gets pretty cold apparently. So WERE EXCITED for that! :)

my last area was very different to this one as it was in the city, and this area is in the country about 4-5 hours from the city. We live in a house 5 times the size of our last apartment and we live with two other missionaries! Its a blast haha! So i often find myself cleaning a lot hahaha! but we are doing great here and enjoying the small moments that mean the most each day. So the greatest thing about this town is that the people are so nice! they always have time to talk with you and when they don't they apologize for not having the time. its like a big family haha! Ive also come to know that no matter where you are on a mission, you have to love it! because heavenly father loves it hah! any that's alright with me :)

So we have only started this transfer and i have been called as a district leader, which is a great opportunity for me to learn something new and to especially lose myself in the service of these great missionaries here in the district. last transfer I learned a powerful lesson from one of my companions who taught me that being a leader is more about letting others lead and creating leaders in them, than just simply telling others what they must do or not do. its a powerful thing, example. and we are learning everyday to be closer to that example of Christ :)

so we also travel by car here, which is a lot different to buses haha! i do honestly prefer the buses just because you get to meet so many wonderful people and come to love them, but at the same time i feel blessed to have such availability to travel. Ah i do miss the Toronto craziness and the beautiful people we have served, and what I love most about this coming transfer is that now i get to make this my home too! :)

So Its going to be a great transfer here, and hopefully many more! The members are lovely and the leadership is very energetic and engaged in this work :) We couldn't ask for more. We are healthy, but morning workouts are coming along slowly hahaha! and its going to be awesome!

The greatest lessons i have come to learn on the mission are some of these, but not limited to: These are Gods children, our brothers and sisters. The atonement heals hearts, but it also strengthens hands to help others. we must choose to stand and open the door to Christ who always stands ready to knock. I love my companions and a mission definitely....and i mean DEFINITELY 300% prepares you for family and marriage (to the extent of what i know and what i have seen haha). i have come to know my savior in very personal ways in which i didnt know before. i have seen people feel the Spirit for the first time. i have stood with those who have mourned and mourned with them as they have cried on my shoulder. We have run and run and run again from door to door to find that one person at the end of the day. And what I find time after time is this same principle. It is Gods work. We need the spirit in this work. We need to love others more. forgive others more. be more sorry more often. I know that families are forever :) You are tired everyday and all the time, but this still remains in my heart: God lives. There is no more important work. This is the profession of saving souls :) ITS SO MUCH FUN! :D

The mission is great! I recommend it! haha

so this is an experience that happened this week that I though I would share with you:

This week we were able to see a miracle last Saturday, when it came to an answer to a prayer. I know that prayers are answered, and it is usually through hard work and obedience that they come about after the "amen". I love seeing that the Lord is so invested in His children and knows their needs. So the other day my companion and I were planning in the morning to be able to find a family/individual to come to church. We prayed and prayed and prayed and worked, worked, and worked. We found that time after time people were not too interested and we talked with a lot of people while on the streets or wherever we were. We decided with the time we had in the evening to find that we had to go somewhere close by. we decided to go to a set of townhouses near the chapel. We prayed before we started knocking the doors. We prayed that we would be lead to the person that would need to come to church the next day. We talked with a couple of people but they turned us away. We moved on to go see a lady who was a less active member of the church. As we were walking along a path near to their house, we saw two ladies sitting on their front step talking. we walked over and talked with them. The words seemed to flow as we testified of the witness of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the first vision. She seemed to be fixated on us as we spoke this vision. She told us that she had actually wanted to talk to missionaries for the longest time but just waited for them to come and talk to her. she also told us that she was looking for a church that could bring her the fullness of peace she and her family was looking for. She said that she prayed the other day for someone to come and invite her to another church. we invited her and she came the next day and loved it! We are meeting with her and teaching her the restored Gospel! Praying with faith, in the Lords time is answered as we work for it! I know it! :)

HAVE A GREAT WEEK! loves,

Elder Cattelain and Wehi"