I know that my redeemer lives!

"I want to thank my mother. for her patience and her dedication in raising such a crazy child such as me. Her kindness, and especially long suffering towards me is a big part of why I am where I am today...now I have a reason why I began my weekly email like this haha its not just a random thought...though I am full of random thoughts.

This previous Sunday we were sitting in church and after a couple of talks there was a lady who got up to sing...there were problems when it came to her recording of her music she had in the background. She started to sing acapella. The song was Ìf the saviour stood beside me``. During the song, all I could think of was a profound sense of the spirit reminding me of how my mother would tell me stories of how she relied on her faith in Christ to get her through troubling times. I felt as though, when this lady was singing this song, that I could picture myself standing beside my mother during her times of raising me and the patience and love she would have had to keep with her. It was a very profound feeling. It brought me tears of joy to think about how not only my mother, but all mothers give up so much of their lives to raise their children and Im so grateful that mine raised me in the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Please thank you mothers wherever they are...and for those who cannot visit with their mothers...I would invite you to ponder on what it was that your mother taught you.

I also want to thank all the `mother`figures I have had in my life as well and for your examples. All mothers should be treasured. I have come to find a great lesson on the mission...and that is that as you come to the Saviour...he pleads with us then that we would....`behold thy mother`...or to `behold they son`....Christ cared about families..and being able to teach families on the mission is amazing too! there are a couple of families we are teaching now..and we are enjoying it.

Elder Strong is loving being a missionary..and he has been a STRONG asset to the Ward in Scarborough. He shared his testimony on sunday about how often I use strong jokes in our companionship......that was a strong testimony! haha :)

so this week has been great....and some of you might be asking where the pictures are of us two. haha it may be because we both dont own cameras..so heads up...we probably wont have too many pictures to send home of our time together...but please know that we are really here hahaha and we are loving the work and each other. I love being a trainer.

As the title of this email says: I know that my redeemer lives. I testify of this divine truth. It is true. It is real. It is peace. It is goodness. I love being a missionary with all my heart...and its so simple and easy...you just help lift up others and share your heartfelt testimony with a family member or friend and invite them to learn more...its really not that scary or hard...its all great FUN! :)

Also thank you for praying for us. We feel them all the time. Like I have said before but it is so true, we could not do this without your prayers. I know you pray for us because I really do feel them. thank you.

Also.....I ate balut this week...balut is a fertilized egg that is almost....well......living...its crunchy and tastes....chicken-y haha it is supposedly a Filipino delicacy....apparently..that was also make it twice on the mission I have had such a privilege hahahaha

anyways,

have a great week!

Church is true

Elder Wehi"

The STRONG-est transfer yet!

"We are SO EXCITED! I got entered into a new companionship this week. man....Elder Strong is his name. Have you ever heard of a more glorious name before? This man is a strong ox...and has a mighty strong back to carry his strong bag full of things that are heavy and will make him strong. Elder Strong comes from a strong family of about 7 other strong brothers. His strong name will carry throughout the mission to come. He has a strong testimony and a very strong ability to sleep. His snoring level is level strong hahaha. okay forget I said that...thats not very nice after all ;) haha

I love Elder Strong though...He is every good thing in a missionary. He is willing to work and serve hard..he also can joke around and have fun which is great. He teaches well and is a good finder. all these good things he does and so with one less companionship in the area, he has the strength of three man. His mission name for me is Elder Strengthofthreemen :) haha

he comes from a background where his family moved around 23 times and they were at times homeless. He has a testimony of the Book of Mormon very strong. I love it. this transfer is going to be great because there is so much good going to happen. We believe it! :)

The Trainers meeting (which is a place where new missionaries and us really old trainers go to come together) was awesome! it was full of the Spirit and I got to see many missionaries I hadnt seen in a long time. good stuff!

After the meeting we went to get Elder Strong's medical stuff and had to get a couple of other things. We then went home to start the week...

might I say..the week started very STRONG...it was awesome! Elder Strong got to meet all the members in the Ward, and also he invited a person we are teaching to be baptized and they said YES! :)

Elder Strong has lots of energy...we will see how long it lasts haha..because when you get to be my age...well...your gray hairs and everything start to slow you down...but nevertheless...we press forward because this is the best work ever...I love it with all my heart and there is no where I would rather be right now. I love the mission with all my heart and I thank God every day that I get a chance to be here and to represent the Savior. I testify that when we reach out beyond ourselves to help pick others up and to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort...it really really REALLY makes a difference. There is more substance to our lives. The substance of the light of Christ. Its easier to find ourselves, because there is more to find. I love that saying. Being able to strengthen others even when we ourselves struggle is how you can overcome depression. I went through it and only by serving others did it help me through it. I can testify of this truth..everything is sweeter when you look outside yourself and help someone in need.

if there is anything that we can do for you please let us know.

know that we love you and are grateful for your prayers and for the big acts of kindness that in some way or another you have done for me. thank you again.

Have a great week!

Elder Wehi"

Chew Chew! Sounds like a train?

"Jo was baptized this week! YAY! Jo is a very special lady who changed a lot in her life and she never felt like she was wanted or needed, but after her baptism she testified to everyone at her baptism service that she now felt clean and that she felt like she was never going to be alone...it was a wonderful baptism. now just to get her to the Temple! many more baptism to come! great news!

This week we didnt get lost in a forest, but we did get almost blown away by a flash wind/snow storm! geee it was like 100 km/hr winds with freezing pellets of ice haha. It was fun! :)

Oh Man! Crazy news! so Elder Ray and I are splitting up :( im so sad. The Ray-hi is no more....but will forever be in our hearts. I love Elder ray....in fact...im just going to talk about Elder Ray real quick for a sec...

Elder Ray...The Man....sweet baby Ray. I love Elder ray. He has been a great help in bringing me to the Saviour. His patience and his kindness did make a difference in my life. He listens and that was wonderful. I cant say enough to just say how grateful I am for him. He is truly a disciple of Jesus Christ. He has a strong testimony of families and it has increased mine.

so yes, you probably guessed it....we are being transferred. well one of us will be. Elder Ray is leaving for a place called Windsor. He will be white washing into the area, which means him and his companion will be taking over the area from two other missionaries. Im excited for him. Elder ray and his companion will do miracles!

and well...I'm staying in Scarborough and it will be my 4th transfer here also. it will lead to me being here for 6 months! wow...I love it! Scarborough is dear to my heart, really! :) hope I stay here many more transfers.

I will be training a new missionary! well....the missionary will more than likely be training me haha I need training again ;)

So I am excited for that! that would make it 2 direct-line sons (Elder Janson/new missionary) and also two step sons (Herbert/Oviatt-who is now in the Czech Republic on the mission he was assigned originally). so Ive been trained by these great missionaries many times and look forward to this opportunity to learn.


Once again, thankyou to all those who have helped my companions and I so much! We seriously cannot do this alone and your prayers and your kind words DO make a difference. I love you all. I am grateful. really. thankyou.

Well, lets go find, teach, baptize!

WE ARE EXCITED!

Elders Ray and Wehi"

Good directions brings less forest

"Hello everyone! Its Elder Ray-hi here. (this is our official team name as a companionship....yeah we're pretty cool....) so this week was good.

We got lost in a forest this week.

yeah.

Loooooong story. But...it was spiritually nourishing and very enriching in our lives...so it was good!

We were visiting a member when we got to the end of the lesson and we asked for some very succinct directions to our next destination. WE were given instructions. we followed them...for a time. Then we got lost. well....when you go through someones backyard and over a fence and down a 80% decline into a forest...it probably wasn't the right way... so we found ourselves rolling and sliding down this mountain nearly missing trees and sharp things..and then there was a river...yes...a river...and there was no where to be seen to cross without getting super wet. So I kindly volunteered elder Ray to pick me up and walk across with me on his back...he was a modern day pioneer. very strong hahaha. and then I fel in a little when elder Ray hit my boot and I fell in haha. Our pants froze over and we had to shuffle over a frozen wasteland through another set of forest into a step hill and climb up that until we found a road. so the road ended....yeah...hahaha and so there was one solitary light in the distance. and it was on a hill about 70 metres in the air and the incline was about a 80 degree angle. Needless to say we climbed a mountain. we found ourselves at the back of a hospital and we caught the next bus to our destination. We were pretty done by the end of that experience hahaha.

So... following good directions brings less forest.

Otherwise it was a really good week. There will be a baptism this week in the area and we are excited for Jo. Jo has been baptized before in another church but when she found the church she felt it was true and wants to enter that promise with God. We are so pumped for it!

New years was pretty great. We slept it off haha. We had to be in home at 6pm and so we cleaned and made calls and what not for the rest of the evening. Missionary parties...you know how it is ;)

Also we have some photos from the past 20 weeks of us at a certain sisters home. Sister Belle has a disease that keeps her inside most of the time and so we go to her house to spend time with her and comfort her and do service. Its usually a blast of a time and we enjoy it so much! :)

We will send the photos included!

So I wish everyone a safe and prosperous and happy and wonderful and joyful and great and enthusiastic and glorious and bright and delightful and bombastic bodacious and all the good stuff....year!

I love being a missionary. I love the Lord with all my heart. I know of His reality. I know He lives. He is the good Shepard. He cares. He always keeps his word. He is the light and the life of the world. I know that he takes away sins, he takes away mine. He also helps the pure in heart stand against the troubles and temptations of this life. I promise that as we turn to him, he will turn to us. As we draw near to him in heart and prayer he will draw near to us.

This is The Lord and Savior Jesus Christs church. I know it. I live it. And though I am not perfect, I have a perfect example...My Friend and comforter, and our Savior. HE is the center of every good thing, I know it and I feel it, I believe it :)

Goodness knows how many miracles I have seen over the period of these almost 15 months. too many to count. too many for all the book in the world to keep. I wish I could expound it all...but to put it simply and to wrap it into a statement, for all the blessings, all the lessons, all the miracles, all the answers to prayer and protection I have received..I say it like this:

``For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.`` john 3:16-17

Believe in Christ and act. I promise that when your acts resemble his...you will find the joy and happiness you seek. I promise. He promises. He always fulfills his promises. I know this is true.

Have a wonderful week!

Elders Ray and Wehi"