Planes, busses, taking care of business...

Hi everyone! Hope you are all doing well! This week we had transfers and it was pretty crazy with the merged mission now! All kinds of flight and buses we had to help people get to it was a lot of fun!

On transfer day I took Elder Kennedy to the airport and then waited at the airport with a couple other missionaries for our companions to get in. Most of the missionaries coming to New Brunswick missed their flights, but Elder Bonny made it. Us and Elder Schluchter and Sister Bromley just hung out around the airport for a few hours waiting for the other missionaries to get here. Most of the day was correlating everything so everyone in the zone made it safely to their areas with their new companions. We finally picked up the last missionary at 10:00pm on thursday night. He had to take a 10 hour bus ride to get to us.

Other than that it was a weekend full of planning! We had to get everything planned for the transfer and that took a lot of time. We got to do some finding a went to a cultural festival. We felt really good about going, but it wasn't very good while we were there, until as we were leaving we offered to take a picture for this family and then started talking to them. We taught them and set up a return appointment in a couple weeks! That was a good reminder that when you feel prompted to go somewhere, there is a reason even if it takes a while to see it! We also had a lesson where we were planning to read 2 Nephi 32 with the lady, but when we pulled up in front of her house we decided to change the whole lesson to reading in 3 Nephi 11 and talking about going to church. Then lesson went amazing and the change was perfect!

It was a fun week and we are off to a good start this transfer! My new companion Elder Bonny is super cool (besides the fact that he warms up his milk to eat cereal. must be a European thing haha) I was a little worried about how we would talk to each other since english is his third language, but his english is really good! He's a great missionary and we get along well! Have a great week everyone! Love you!

Elder Tait

Transfers - busy week

Hey everyone! Not much time to write, but this week was great! We had a couple exchanges this week which was fun! Elder Kennedy and I were able to start teaching 7 new people and saw lots of miracles! Therese came to church for the 2nd time and really loved it! She's already started doing come follow me! Transfers are here again and elder Kennedy is leaving to trois revoirs, Quebec. It's sad he's leaving, but next transfer will still be great! We are now officially merged with the Montreal mission and my new companion has been serving there. He's from Geneva Switzerland! I'm really excited for this transfer, next week we'll fly over to Montreal for a leadership meeting which will be sick! Tonight we've got a few companionships sleeping over at our place and then I'll spend tomorrow helping all the missionaries in the zone get to their new areas. Have a great week! Love you all!

Elder Tait

miracles & Blessings, Listen to the Spirit

This week was awesome! We traveled all around the zone for exchanges and trainings and it was a lot of fun! We had a really good lesson with Barbara on Tuesday night and then Wednesday we started the road trip! We did a big lap around New Brunswick, with a couple stops in Maine and also made it out to PEI! 

Wednesday- We drove 3 hours, had district council and then started exchanges with the Edmunston elders. Edmunston is mostly a French area so I knew I was in for an interesting time haha. We drove another 3 hours, had a dinner appointment with a really funny old french couple and then to finish, drove the rest of the night back to the Edmunston apartment.

Thursday- Elder Pierson and I went and did service at this soup kitchen. We were serving the food and everyone there spoke French except for me haha. It was an adventure! Later in the day I got to cross the border for the first time on my mission. It felt good to be back in the promised land! We went to Fort Kent, Maine for the rest of the night and met with a few people and had a 4th of July bbq! 

Friday- We got up and drove a couple hours to Houlton, Maine where we went to their district council. We gave a training about faith and it went really well. I also got to see 3 of my old companions who are in that district, so it was a really fun time! Then we drove all the way back home just in time for a lesson before we had to be in for the night. 

Saturday- Today we had a church open house. It wasn't the turn out we were hoping for at all, but we still had some great things from it. Therèsé is a lady that we met awhile back, she wasn't interested in our message, but accepted a card for the open house. She decided to show up and loved it! As soon as we stepped into the chapel she identified the spirit and was asking lots of great questions. She also got to meet a bunch of members so it was really good! There was also a big car show going on where a whole bunch of cool old school cars were parading down the main street in town. We saw some pretty cool looking old cars! We had some extra time, so we were calling people that we had numbers for and accidentally messed up one of the numbers, but the lady who answered was interested and we are going to meet up this week!

Sunday- Therèsé came to church and seemed to really enjoy it! We spent the rest of the afternoon planning and catching up on everything that we missed being out of our area for 3 days. That night we went and did a bunch of following up with people and enjoyed the nice warm weather.

Monday- Today we went to another district council. This time on Prince Edward Island. It was a super cool place to visit! We gave a training about the merged mission and how we can help things run smoothly. Everybody is pretty hyped about the merge! On our way back to Moncton we stopped at this ice cream place that some members own and got some ice cream. It was some of the best I've ever had! So good! Later we had dinner with some members and had a lesson right after so we were going to have to leave early. We felt like we should stay a little longer and the person ended up calling us a few minutes later to tell us she needed to reschedule. As we were leaving the member's house we saw a lady taking out her trash so we went and talked to her and tried to help. We asked if she would be interested in hearing our message and she said yes! She moved here from the Congo and said that she has been waiting for guys like us to come! Miracle!

Things are really good and busy here! We have a couple exchanges this week and a lot of lessons with new people set up so it should be another great week! Always listen to the spirit and do what it tells you! Have a great week everyone!

Love, Elder Tait

Traveling, Service, Exchanges & Canadians, Eh?

Hi everyone hows it going? Things are good here! We've met lots of cool people and set up lots of lessons, but they've all been falling through. Hopefully people will start to become more available soon! Even when stuff like that happens we don't get discouraged, because we know as long as we do everything on our part in life things will work out the way they need to!  Here's some of the week 

Wednesday- we had district council in Bathurst which is a couple hour drive away. Weekly road trips just like the good old days in Newfoundland! District council was great and it was fun to meet everyone in the district! After district council we started exchanges. I stayed with Elder Morrell and did the new missionary Skype call since it's his first transfer. After the call we drove back to Moncton and ate dinner and then went out finding for the rest of the night. It was fun to work with Elder Morrell and think back to when I first started. Time flies!

Thursday- we kept going with our exchanges. We did some service in the morning, weaving sleeping mats for homeless people out of milk bags. The mats are actually pretty cool! After that we switched and I went with Elder Pierson. We did some follow up and had a good visit with a lady named Barbara and set up a lesson. She has met with missionaries before and loves us! When we were leaving Elder Pierson accidentally took the car up a curb and when he backed up off the curb the car smashed down and broke something off the bottom. I thought it was hilarious but Elder Pierson was a little worried. We were still able to make it to the apartment.

Friday- we did all of our studies and planning. I'm trying to learn a little French so I can actually contribute when we meet French people, but it's super hard! That night we dropped by a member that neither of us had ever met. We got to his apartment and he buzzed us in. When we got to his door and knocked he yelled "come in" so we did. We opened the door to the sight of a very old man trying to put on his pants. Once he got fully clothed we had a good visit haha.

Saturday- we spent awhile planning for a church open house we are doing this week. We have a lot of people that said they are coming so hopefully it's a good turn out. Other than that we had some good lessons with some less active members. We also had a feeling to visit a guy we met. He never has time to meet, but right when we got there he pulled up and we were able to teach him the restoration in his driveway and gave him a Book of Mormon. It was super cool! 

Sunday- we had church and then had studies and 3 lessons with new people set up so we were pumped for a busy day. But sadly, one by one, all three lessons fell through, but we still had a good day. We saw the most Canadian thing driving home. We were behind a car driving through a neighborhood, when there was a car backing out of a driveway. The car in front of us was passing directly behind the driveway when they noticed the car backing out, so instead of just continuing to drive like a normal person, they slammed on the brakes, and backed up, so we had to back up just so the guy backing out of his driveway could go. Canadians eh?

Monday- today we had our calls with the APs about the zone and also had a ward Canada day BBQ. Canada Day is a Great Value version of the 4th of July. In the evening we had a rocky start, but it ended really well!

We will be traveling a lot this week with exchanges and visiting district councils. I'm really excited for it. Should be lots of fun! Have a great week everyone love you!

Love,

Elder Tait 

First week in Moncton, Prayer and Miracles...

Hey everybody! It's been a good week here in Moncton and we've already seen some sick miracles! Here's some details

Thursday- got up super early and then went to the mission office and drove to Moncton. Elder Kennedy and I went back to the apartment and planned exchanges and things for the transfer. Then we had a few lessons fall thru but met a super cool guy named Abou as we were going around following up with people.

Friday- today we did some service where we made mats out of milk bags for homeless people. Later we had a lesson with Abou, the guy we met yesterday and taught him the restoration. His kids were going crazy the entire time but the lesson was still pretty good and he's excited to read the Book of Mormon. That night we did some more follow up and then met with a recent convert named Daiji. He's from Nigeria and is super cool! He speaks pigeon English so he was teaching us a little bit about that.

Saturday- we had some sweet miracles today! During daily planning we prayed for an unplanned act of service. A little bit later we got a call asking us to come help someone move. Later we were doing some follow up and we knocked on the door of this guy who said he was interested, the other door opened and so we talked to the mom in that house and she said we could come back! Then we were walking down the street minding our own business when we saw some old ladies on the porch, so we went and talked to them and they love missionaries. They want to come to church and meet with us! Then we went and had a lesson with a member that hasn't been coming to church and after the lesson we talked to this guy in the street that was playing soccer and he was super interested and he is pumped to meet with us!

Sunday- we had church today and it was great! I got to meet a bunch of members of the ward so it was really good. Later on we had a couple lessons with members and they went pretty well. There are lots of members to meet with here so we stay pretty busy.

Monday- most of the day was studies and then calls. We had our weekly meeting with Pres. Low, and the APs to talk about how the zone and how everything is going. It was great to be able to council and see how we can improve the work! Later we had a dinner appointment where we loaded up on food. "Fill your boots" I felt like a bowling ball after the meal but it was really good Haha! Then we had a lesson fall through so we did some finding, stopped by FHE and gave a spiritual thought and then had a lesson with a recent convert and read Mosiah 13 and talked about the commandments.

Overall it's been a great week! There are tons of members here that don't come and there has been a lot of drama in the past. Elder Kennedy and I have been talking a lot about how it seems like many people are converted to the social aspect or other things in the church, so when something happens they are quick to give up and leave. There are so many good activities and opportunities in the church but that's not what it's all about. We need to be converted to Jesus Christ if we want to last through hard times. I encourage all of you to focus on your testimony of Jesus Christ and try to build it up through scripture study and prayer! Hope you all have a great week! Love you!

Elder Tait