Week 35, 5/24/16

Hey homies. Well we definitely don't have to worry about fires in Edmonton for a little while. Our prayers were answered and it has been raining ever since Friday night! Unfortunately Fort Mac hasn't received sufficient rain to put out the fires so keep praying for them! 

Well this week was awesome and full of adventure. Unfortunately the work hasn't gone quite as well as it did last week, but still pretty productive and things are still looking up. We are still in the process of setting up a lesson with V and L, and we are still very excited and hopeful for that. We haven't been able to meet again with B and his family yet but we have something set up for Saturday morning along with 2 other appointments with potential investigators that day. 

On exchange with E. Wilde

Yesterday we visited a less active single mother of 6 who just moved into the ward, and she has an unbaptized 9 year old boy and another boy is going to be 8 soon, so we are hopefully going to teach them! We also have an appointment set up for tomorrow with a guy named D who we met on the street who seems really sincere, and we have a couple service opportunities with non-members lined up this upcoming week as well. So this week was basically full of more finding potentials, setting up appointments with the potentials we already have, and biking through the rain. Luckily Saturday we didn't have to be soaking wet all day because for a lot of the day we were helping set up and decorate the stake center gym for a single adult dinner/dance/conference thing. 

Pretty sweet mountain biking terrain.  But not in the mud!

Sunday and Monday were full of adventure and wetness, I'll include some pictures. There is a big ravine and river that basically splits our area in half, and Sunday and Monday we were working a bit in that area because our supper appointments were there, so we were finding all sorts of creative ways to cross the ravine on our bikes and we got pretty wet and muddy. Tons of fun though that's for sure!  Well that's basically all I have to report on this week. I hope you all have a great week this week! Love you all, the church is true:)

Weekly scripture: 2 Corinthians 9:6 6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully.  

Love - E. Bonny






                                       Here's some lovely videos haha enjoy

Week 34, 5/16/16

Greenfield, Alberta is on Fire!

Hey everyone! Alright first things first, Greenfield is not literally on fire haha. Unfortunately a lot of Alberta is, and who knows maybe Edmonton will be soon but I'm talking figuratively here. So much happened this week, it has been so awesome!!

Meet Elder Jenson

Let's get right to it: So Elder Alvey got transferred on Wednesday and I have a new companion! Elder Jenson from near the small town of Leadore Idaho, he says the population is about 90 people haha, he is gluten intolerant, barely knows how to ride a bike, and is a super great guy. At first he was SUPER shy, and he still is around people other than me, but at least he has opened up to me a little bit haha. Our interests are pretty different but he is a stud and we get along great! He is a humble, super hard working, obedient missionary who is super willing to put in the work required to see real results. That is exactly what I was praying for in my next companion so I am stoked! 

We have seriously been finding machines for the past few days! We have had more success tracting and street contacting in the past few days than I have had on my whole mission! We have really been focusing on some lower/middle income areas where there are lots of foreigners and refugees from Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, China, the Bahamas, Jamaica, Nigeria, you name it. Each of the past three days I have ran out of basically all the supplies I have in my bag to give people like pass along cards, Book of Mormons, pamphlets, etc. I don't know what it is but people have been so receptive! Just since Friday night Elder Jenson and I have found 15 potential investigators, probably half of them we taught the restoration to on their doorstep and gave them a Book of Mormon, and 2 new investigators. A lot of them are Muslim and pretty active in their faith, so I'm not sure how much real progress we will actually see from all those people. Since being here I have really noticed how kind most Muslim people are, they usually will listen to what we have to say even if they're not interested, and they are always super nice. 

Elder Wildes Donair Pizza Bday Party

Anyways let me tell you about our 3 new investigators. The two we found during tracting are Bxxxx and Mxxxxxx from Pakistan, and yes they are muslim. We tracted into them on Saturday night and they let us in and were so warm and welcoming. Mxxxxxx went and made some cool snack called gaz or something like that and brought us a bunch of fruit and tea.... Haha we felt so bad rejecting the tea. We had just started fasting a few hours before to find some people to teach, but we figured the Lord would understand if we put it on pause to be polite. We taught them the restoration and gave them the whole shabang and we are coming back to teach more whenever we get a Persian copy of the Book of Mormon for them. 

Scenic walk home along Whitemud Creek

There is also Violet who is an inactive member, and Loice another new investigator. They are friends originally from Zimbabwe (apparently there is a CRAZY back story there), and they are refugees who were in Fort Mac during the big fire and got evacuated. Some members in our ward are letting them stay at their house till they can go back, and they invited us over for supper and we met them and talked a little bit and they are so cool! We shared a message before we left about turning to God each day to get through our trials and shared a daily bread video from Elder Christofferson, and they just went off about how much they thank God each day and how much they are grateful for everything He does for them even through all of their terrible trials..... Basically they make me feel like an ungrateful hoser. After that we asked if they would like to meet with us to increase their faith in the Savior and they are totally down! We haven't officially taught them yet but we are hoping to sometime this week. We are super excited! 

Another event that is noteworthy is talking with a new potential Darryl. We were visiting an inactive lady and her son/nephew/random guy living at her house (we don't know) came to the door and literally asked: "So.... Like... What do people have to do for you to baptize them? Is there just like a waiting list somewhere or what? Can I get baptized?" Hahaha apparently he has a Catholic girlfriend and wants to be able to relate to her more so he wants to get baptized... We are hopefully meeting with him tonight, should be fun:) 

                                              Watch if you dare.  Just burning some calories ;)

We were also able to finally do some good service for a potential this weekend! We helped a super nice elderly lady with her yard work, it was tons of fun and we got a lot of work done. Plus she gave us cookies, ice cream and apple juice afterwards:) I don't know if you folks reading this can feel it through what I have already told you but I am literally feeling like I'm being showered with blessings right now!! They never stop!

Lovin' my new comp!

I have a testimony that this really is the Lord's work and we can be instruments in His hands and He will bless us with opportunities to share the gospel if we are willing to put forth the effort and be obedient! I also know our Heavenly Father loves us and answers our prayers, especially when we fast. I'm SO grateful to be able to labor in the Lords vineyard and try to help other people be happy. Thank you all for everything you do and have done for me, I hope you all have as good of a week as I had! Sorry for the super long email! 

 Weekly scripture: Alma 32:43: 43 Then, my brethren, ye shall reap the rewards of your faith, and your diligence, and patience, and long-suffering, waiting for the tree to bring forth fruit unto you.

Elder Weston Bonny

Week 33, 5/11/16

Hey homies.  First of all I want to wish a happy late Mother's Day to all the mothers out there.  You are all the REAL MVPs, and I hope your Mother's Day was magical and wonderful:) 

Well this week was another good one! The highlight was of course talking to my awesome family.  As Nacho Libre would say: "They are tha baayyyst!" 

To be honest not too much else happened this week that is worth talking about.  It was kind of just the same as usual.  We visited some members and talked to a bunch of people who showed interest or said we could do service for them, but actually getting a solid appointment is a whole other ballgame.  The guy who we had a great interaction with on the street in my last email who was "traveling to his dwelling" turned out to be super busy for the next few weeks so he said he will call us in a month....   Some names that I will hopefully be talking about more in the next little while are: Garrett, Matthew, Sania, Maxwell, and Maria.  They are all pretty promising potential investigators. Another fun thing about this week was going on exchanges to the Rutherford area, aka the richest part of Edmonton.  Holy fetch some of the houses we drove by were just ridiculous.  Apparently they see Lamborghinis and all sorts of other super cars there all the time.  We knocked some of the super filthy rich people's doors and didn't have any success, but we had some good interactions with a few people.  We also had a few good lessons with some less actives that night, it was a great exchange! 

FORT MCMURRAY FIRE - THIS IS IN MY MISSION!  Most of these photos were taken by missionaries.

The fires up in Fort McMurray are big news everywhere.  This week a pretty big town about 5 hours north of Edmonton had to be quickly evacuated due to a huge forest fire that started burning the city down.  88,000 people! There were 6 missionaries serving there at the time, and they all got out in time but like most other people they weren't able to pack anything other than the clothes on their backs.  A good portion of the city got burnt down.  This is probably the first of many big forest fires that will happen throughout Alberta in the summer.  The whole province is dangerously dry and desperately in need of some rain!! Yesterday I participated in a stake-wide fast for rain and for the people affected by the fires.  If you could say a little prayer for Fort McMurray and for some rain in Alberta that would much be appreciated. ️ 

Well that's it for this week!  Elder Alvey is getting transferred on Wednesday and I'm getting a new companion so that should be interesting :) I'm so grateful for the privilege and blessing I have of being able to represent the Savior and be engaged in His work full time for 2 years.  I'm grateful for His sacrifice for us so we can be happy:) Love you all have an awesome week!   

Weekly Scripture: Alma 32:41 "41 But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up unto everlasting life."   
PS starting next week I will only be sending my group email to my dad and my missionary buddies and he will update my blog and send you all a link to the blog and you can read my emails there:)     Elder Weston Bonny🇨🇦
 

Hey it's me again, I've spent most of my pday exploring around West Edmonton Mall and WOW it's huge.  It's the biggest mall in North America, it has an indoor skating rink, largest indoor water park and amusement park in the world, bowling alley, mini golf, and tons of other crazy stuff!  So cool!!!

Week 32, 5/3/16

Harvesting in style

"For behold the (Green)field is white and ready to harvest"

Greetings my dearly beloved brethren.  My heart is full of joy this day as I beset myself upon this chair, and unfold unto you all of our prosperings and indeed also the fullness of the joy that has swelled within my bosom this week. 

Behold, it came to pass that in the 4th week of the 4 month and into the first week of the fifth month of the year two thousand and sixteen, in the land which was exceedingly northward called Edmonton, we did toil and suffer much for the want of investigators and appointments.  Yea, we did labor much in the practice of tracting, yea and also even in street contacting.  Even we did thrust in the sickle, but nevertheless we did have no great success among the people of the Greenfield area.  Even insomuch that we were cast out of properties, and ridiculed and persecuted, and flipped off and f bombed at.  Now behold it came to pass that our souls were harrowed up with grief after our beloved new investigator Alex did drop us, and did say unto us:

"I just can't believe in this Joseph Smith guy, that just seems a little wacko to me... Oh and no I didn't read the Book of Mormon at all, I just went to google and looked him up." (don't even get me started on how frustrated I was) 

Nevertheless did continue in our sojourn to bring souls to Christ, and we were led to stumble upon a man traveling to his dwelling.  Yea, it came to pass that we did exhort him to open his ears and listen to the words which we did say unto him concerning the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and also the Book of Mormon, and he spake unto us and did say:

"It's ironic that you ask that, when I saw you down the street I said a prayer in my heart and said to God 'if these men be true Christians, let them say something to me.'"

Now behold when we thus heart these words our heart were filled with joy, and we did expound unto him our purpose as missionaries, and did give unto him a Book of Mormon,  therefore we did receive from the man a phone number and address.  Even so, we doth have exceedingly great hope that we might be able to meet with this man in the coming days. 

And it came to pass that on Saturday and Sunday there was a great and mighty stake conference that many men and their wives and their children did travel to in order to be nourished by the good word of God.  Yea, even we did attend.  And the conference was glorious and wonderful, and did fill our souls with the spirit of God.



Behold, it also came to pass that I was encompassed about with great happiness when at that conference I did reunite with my dearly beloved brethren Elder Payne, the Parks, and also Lawerance, yea, even the same whom I did baptize in the great and glorious promised land of Slave Lake.  Oh how magnificent and wonderful are the tender mercies of the Lord!  Yea, Lawerance did place a request before me that I might assist in ordaining him to the Melchizedek priesthood, even unto the office of Elder therein. Wherefore, I did accept the request with a fulness of joy swelling within my bosom, and did participate in the ordination. 

Thus we see it fulfilled when the Lord saith: "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto his people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!"  (D&C 18:15)

Even so we doth see that the Lord shall rain blessings down upon the children of men, if they will but be patient through their afflictions and endure them with steadfastness in Christ.    Behold, how great and marvellous is the work of the lord!  And now I say unto you my beloved, I thank you for the tender care and support in which you hath shown unto me, yea, it is my desire that notwithstanding the irritance and foolishness of the manner of language in which I have written this epistle unto you, you might still remain my friends and my kindred.  May God bless you all in your endeavours of the coming week.  Brethren, adieu.

Weekly scripture: Jacob 6:12:
"Oh be wise; what can I say more?"
 Elder Weston Bonny🇨🇦

This brother saved us with our bike repairs -
a dentist who loves cycling, snow skiing and water skiing...reminds me of someone  :)

Week 31, 4/26/16

Hi cuties! How's life?  Life here in Edmonton is great.  Our week was by far the best week we have had since I've been in the Greenfield area!
 
I'll start off with Thursday.  We had a good district meeting and then afterwards we went on exchanges.  I went with Elder Wilde, an ex-zone leader and holy fetch I learned a lot from him, he is a dynamite missionary!  Most of the exchange we just had finding planned, with a less active lesson and a recent convert lesson, both went well.  We were like finding machines, I don't know what it was but so many people were willing to stop and talk to us on the streets and were just super nice.  We were able to find 5 potential investigators from our finding.  I've only found 2 the whole time I've been here so I was pretty excited about that.  We also had a great visit with some members and we are hopeful that we will get a referral from them sometime soon.

Don't mess with us.  This is what modern day stripling warriors look like!

Saturday we, along with like 30 other members, helped a family in the ward move.  It was definitely a tender mercy to have some service to do because we haven't really been able to do any the whole time I have been here.  And the family we helped got everyone donair pizza afterwards and just let me tell you, that was the ultimate cherry on top.  You are all probably sick of hearing this but it's SO GOOD!
 
The other notable highlight this week was definitely Sunday afternoon.  We tracted into a guy and his family from The Bahamas, his name is AXXX.  It was pretty funny actually, we gave our door spiel and he invited us in and then asked his wife if it was okay, and she basically said not right now, and he was like, "Well heck I'm the boss of this house you guys can come on in for a bit."  When he invited us in I thought I was dreaming... I honestly can't even remember the last time I got invited into a house while tracting.  I'm pretty sure it was around Christmas time  it was a great lesson though!  We taught him the restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon and he prayed and asked God if what we said was true at the end. He is a super chill guy and seems like an honest seeker of truth.  He already has a very solid Christian background which is always nice.  We have an appointment next Sunday at 4 and hopefully his whole family will join in next time! 

Check out our clean apartement

And notice the fully stocked fridge with healthy food

Other than that, the week has just been full of the usual.  Our bikes broke down so we have been walking everywhere again, we found a few potentials while bus contacting yesterday, we have been visiting a lot of members and sharing missionary-work-promoting messages with them, and of course a lot of tracting and street contacting and trying to talk to EVERYONE and share the gospel with them.  I have definitely gotten a lot better at that since coming to Greenfield!

Well there's my week!  We have been blessed to see some of the fruits of our labours this week and it's a great feeling.  I know that the Lord is preparing people everywhere to hear the message of His restored gospel, it's just up to us (members and missionaries) to do all we can to find those people and give them an opportunity to learn about it and partake of the wonderful blessings that come.   I love you all, hope you guys have the best week ever ️

Elder Weston Bonny🇨🇦
 
Weekly Scripture: D&C 11:12-13

12 And now, verily, verily, I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which leadeth to do good--yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge righteously; and this is my Spirit.

13 Verily, verily, I say unto you, I will impart unto you of my Spirit, which shall enlighten your mind, which shall fill your soul with joy;

Week 30, 4/19/16

Hi everyone!  I hope you all had a super fun week.  I certainly did. Let me tell you about it! 

Wednesday we had a great zone training meeting and received some awesome training about how to more effectively find people to teach. They should've just called it the Slave Lake Legends reunion, because the Parks were there, Elder Payne was there, and of course Elder Hunsaker and his companion.  It was so fun to catch up with all of them and hang out for a bit:) Definitely the highlight of my week! 

Slave Lake All-Star Reunion!

The rest of the week was basically just the same old stuff, street contacting, tracting, a lot of walking and biking to people's houses and trying to set up appointments, and newly incorporated bus contacting.  That's when we just go ride a bus for a while and try to talk to people on the bus haha.  Unfortunately we didn't really have any success with all of our finding time this week. We were able to find a few potentials but none of them are super promising.... But ya never know eh?  And the weather was super nice and sunny for most of the week, yesterday I even got sunburnt, so that has been another good thing about this week:) 

My two most awesomest comps

Another highlight from the week was our ward correlation meeting that we had on Wednesday night.  I've never been in a ward correlation meeting that was this structured and really just inspired and led by the spirit!  We were able to discuss a lot of great things that could get the work moving forward here in Greenfield.  Elder Alvey and I are going to be focusing a lot more on working through the members for the next little while.  We are going to make it our goal to visit every member and share a message with them, and invite them to pray and select one person they could reach out to and share the gospel with/invite to a ward activity/ invite to church/ invite to a family home evening/ whatever it may be.  We are going referral hunting haha!  Member missionary work is by far the most effective way to do the work anyways, so we are really going to focus on that.  We are very optimistic and excited to see how it goes!! Well that's it for this week!  

Thank you all for the love and support. I am truly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing people in my life who are such great examples to me.  You are all the best, and I really mean it, so give yourselves a pat on the back for me eh?;) I just want to share my testimony that I know that our Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ live.  Jesus Christ was foreordained to be our savior and redeemer, and I know that he came to earth and lived the perfect life, and took the sins, pains, despairs, sufferings, and afflictions of the world upon him and felt what we felt/feel/will feel.  It was the greatest act of love for all of us that has ever or will ever take place. He went through it all and drank that bitter cup for us, so we can have the chance to repent and be free from the sins that bind us down and burden us with guilt.  I know that He can and will strengthen us through our trials if we reach out to Him.  He is our friend, and also our Lord.  I'm so grateful that we, as imperfect and mistake prone as we are, have this chance to change and have our burdens lifted.  I love my Savior and I know He lives:)    

Until next week -  Elder Bonny

Weekly scripture: John 15:12-15 
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.   
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.   
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.   

15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.