First Week with Elder Low

This week was a slow one but it was good! I had always been told that when a new missionary enters an area it takes a couple weeks for things to get back to normal. I thought that it wouldn't be true for us but I was wrong. We had so many lessons scheduled for this week but so many of them just didn't work out in the end. It was humbling so I think it was a good week! Elder Low is doing a great job here in Thompson! He is doing really well with keeping his spirits high and he is quite confident in lessons which is something I struggled with at the beginning so that is great to see. 

It got really cold this week and I think it is safe to say we are in Winter here in Thompson! We have had about 6-8 inches of snow now, though not all of it has stuck around. It is below zero everyday essentially as well so I think I am in for a long winter! On Tuesday we drove out to Nelson House and the roads were still just dirt and stuff but they were dry. On the way back we were in a blizzard so we couldn't go very fast. While we were in Nelson House we taught a great lesson to a Recent Convert! Her name is Shelby and she shows so much excitement about missionary work. She is going to be teaching 2 lessons with us this week as long as all goes as planned! On Wednesday we had a district meeting but since some of the members in our district are in Flin Flon and others are in dauphin we don't get to actually meet so we Skype. The internet here is mediocre at best and the same goes for the other locations. We could not get a 3-way Skype going so it was a bit of a tough meeting! On Friday we had a real adventure! We got to go visit a family in our branch who lives in a place called Cross lake which is a reserve about 4 hours south west of Thompson! Elder Low Elder Burkman and I went there in the morning! We were really scared about driving on that road but it ended up being very nice! When we were at the house we taught a lesson to the kids on the Sabbath day! It is really neat to see and hear the testimonies of that family because they live too far away to make it to church every week and they don't have reliable internet so they can't tune in but they still just have the strongest of testimonies! I had the opportunity to give the mother a blessing because she had surgery last week. The drive home was fun because it is dark at like 7 here so we were in the dark most of the way home!

It was Stake Conference yesterday and we had it broadcast to our building! Elder Stacy of the 70 was in Winnipeg and he related the relationship we can have with our earthly fathers where we ask them for help if we need anything to the relationship we should have with our Heavenly Father. He testified that the communication with our heavenly father can be just as clear as with our Earthly Father. 

Have a Great week!

Elder Stewart

Moose antlers at Cross Lake

Cross Lake

Transfer Week!

This week was eventful to say the least! Elder Birchall and I did our best to stay focussed and continue to work hard as it was his last couple days in the area and we did really well with that! We taught a couple really good lessons and even found a new investigator! Her name is Debbie and she is showing so much potential! She truly wants to join the church and raise her kids with the morals and standards of the church! It is amazing how the Lord blesses us with so much as we are obedient! We also continued to teach some other investigators and it was tough for him to say goodbye to Thompson and the people here. It is amazing how much it just becomes "home" when you spend a couple months in a place! On Wednesday we drove down to Winnipeg which takes almost 8 hours! We had an uneventful trip down but since there is nothing between here and Winnipeg we didn't have lunch so we were super hungry by the time we got there! Winnipeg has a road called Perimeter Highway which is just that, a road that goes all the way around the city. We accidentally took Perimeter East instead of Perimeter West so we drove 90% of the way around the City before we finally got to the place we stayed the night. That was fun. On Thursday we had transfer meetings. For transfer meetings the new missionaries meet with President and Sister Craig and the Assistants for initiation and stuff and then the trainers join in for the end and then other missionaries in the area join in the meeting at the end. When we get there we just know that we are training and we have no idea who our new companion is going to be. President Craig calls up the new missionary and then projects a picture of the place they will serve and missionaries guess where it is because some of the pics are hard to recognize. After about 4-5 of the new ones President Craig called up Elder Low and instead of projecting up a picture of where he would serve a screenshot of the Google map was projected with the route to Thompson highlighted and it said 8.0 hours or whatever. It was funny and everyone laughed! I got to go meet Elder Low and he is my new companion! After the meeting We had Pizza and then everyone left as if nothing had happened and we get back to missionary work. It was neat to see how something so big like transfers doesn't delay the work of the Lord. Elder low is from Chestermere Alberta! He is a very musical guy! He has played the saxophone for many years and is quite the singer so we may have the first special musical number in Thompson in a long while! He is tall so I still look like a midget! Thursday night we stayed with the St James Elders just as we had on Wednesday night. We had some time after the meeting to do some missionary work so we went street contacting and had some success! Elder low even gave someone a Book of Mormon! Later that night the St James Elders left to an appointment so Elder Low and I and another new missionary who was leaving to go to Saskatoon the following day went and knocked some doors. these aren't the best ways of finding people but since none of us knew anyone in Winnipeg we just went for it. It was really strange for me to be the "experienced" one who they were watching as an example. It was kind of a good feeling though, and it makes me pumped to train! On Friday we drove back to Thompson and we are all back into the swing of things! We have taught a couple lessons together and Elder Low is a great teacher! Elder Burkman wasted no time in assigning us to speak so we both spoke Yesterday! Elder low spoke on the Gospel of Jesus Christ and i spoke on the Atonement. I am actually really enjoying speaking which is weird because I dreaded it at home. Yesterday was the biggest sacrament meeting that has happened since I have been here! We had 26 people which is insane for Thompson! We had two investigators surprise us at church because they hadn't told us they would come! It just goes to show that we have the responsibility to ask and invite everyone because sometimes that is all they need and we never know who is ready so invite everyone! I am excited to spend my next three months training Elder Low and I am also excited to still be here in Thompson!

Love Elder Stewart

Elder Evans (my brother)

Elder Birchall (My dad)

Elder Wilson (My grandpa)

Me 

Elder Low (My son)

Elder Stewart and Elder Low

Turkey and Training!

It has been a good week and we have taught quite a few lessons! On Monday we had the opportunity to give another lady a blessing! I have loved having these opportunities to exercise the priesthood with those who cannot otherwise access it because there are not too many male members here in Thompson! The lady we gave the blessing to is not a member of the church yet but she loved that experience so a seed is definitely planted. 

We also got to get our hair cut this week which was much needed! Elder Birchall and I both were just doing our best to not look like scrubs. On Wednesday night the Zone leaders Elder Wilson (Elder Birchalls Trainer) and Elder Owens came and did an exchange with us. I got to stay here in Thompson and go on visits with Elder Wilson and Elder Owens and Elder Birchall went to Nelson House. Elder Wilson and I taught one really great first lesson to a lady we met recently and she has committed to be baptised! We do not yet have a date set but she seems very sincere! We also received a phone call that day from a member of the branch whom I had never met before. He is from Lynn Lake which is 4 hours north! He expressed his desire for the missionaries to teach his family again as they are unable to make it to church most weeks. He invited us to go and visit his family so we are planning that for November. It was such a miracle for that to happen because 3 appointments had fallen through and we were almost to the point where it is like "What do we even do now?" but we met with him and taught him a lesson! 

The rest of the week was fun as well! Saturday was transfer calls so we were anticipating the call all day. It came at around 1:30 and it was one of the assistants. He asked us what we thought was happening. We both thought Elder Birchall was leaving and we were right! He is heading to Steinbech to whitewash train meaning that he and his new missionary have both never been to the area before. It will be tough but he will do great! We were then informed that I would be training here in Thompson! I was a little shocked but excited as well. We will be making the long journey to Winnipeg this week and then I will drive back up with my new comp. 

Sunday was the last Sunday here for Elder Birchall. Everyone is sad to see him go but he gave a great farewell testimony. In honor of thanksgiving we cooked a turkey and it was delicious! One of the members gave us a turkey and that is something I want to do every year when I get home. Just buy the missionaries a turkey because it takes so long to cook we just did our studies and went tracting while it cooked and now we have food for a week. Last night we visited a man in the branch who had a serious surgery where they actually amputated his foot. he is back in Thompson now so we visited him. He has a smoking habit but last night he said he didn't want the smokes any more and he gave them to us. We were super excited and couldn't believe it! This surgery has really made him more desiring of the gospel than ever so that is great! 

This week should be fun with 18 hours of driving! Love you lots! 

Elder Stewart

The thawing of the turkey. It was too big for the sink!

Looks pretty good! It's even the right side up!

The Feast.

General Conference Week

This week we spent a lot of time at the church! On Monday we got the chance to watch the funeral of Elder Richard G. Scott. It was really neat to watch that because I got to meet him like 10 years ago when President Evanson was called. There were some really great talks given and it was quite evident the sadness among the Quorum of the twelve to lose yet another member. I really liked Elder Christopherson's talk and the story he shared about the juice from the wineries. We taught some great lessons this week and focussed a lot on the prophet and apostles because of conference coming up! 

We also got to help a couple people move this week. Being the missionaries and having a truck just makes us the moving company but it is kinda fun to try to figure out how to get couches around corners and stuff. We put a real focus on teaching with members present at the lessons this week because it becomes very important for converts to have friends and feel welcome at church. We were able to teach with three different members this week which was a real increase! It also helps the branch strengthen and we will continue to focus on that in the coming weeks. 

We got to go to Nelson House again this week which is always a good day. We only get enough Km's to go there once per week so we need to make the most of it every time! We were able to teach two  new people and both expressed desire to be baptised! The tough thing is that to be baptised they must attend church and that is really difficult for those in Nelson House because of the drive. We went to stop by one of the members there and she wasn't home because she had a baby in Thompson. We came and visited her here in Thompson and after 5 days we were the only visitors she had had yet. It was really sad and she was understandably lonely. 

I got more out of General Conference this time than ever before, mainly because I was awake this time! I loved all of the talks but some of the best were Elder Hales on dating and marriage. You better believe I'm reading that 5 times when I print it off. Elder Burkman kept saying during it "You better be taking notes cause this is gold". I also really liked Elder Hollands on Mothers because it was a different kind of talk for him but he still got the point across well. Elder Anderson gave a great talk too, I liked when he said "Give brother Joseph a break". Elder Nelson's talk on women I also one I will read when I'm dating. It pretty much gives a check-list of things to look for in a women. Between his and Elder Hales talks I'm set! It was really neat to see Elder Renlund called because I talked to him a month ago! I was sad to see the physical condition of President Monson. I  thought he may collapse during his talk but I'm pretty sure every one watching started praying for him so he could finish!

After conference yesterday we went over to a members house and had a moose roast! It tastes very similar to beef just a little more wild! This Saturday is we get transfer calls. I think I will be staying in Thompson and Elder Birchall is leaving because he has been here for 4 transfers (6 months) already. After this week I will be done my training which is pretty crazy!

Love you! 

Elder Stewart

Elder Birchall and a younger "Elder Stewart".

This is the chocolate bar card that the Toly's sent. He loved it!!

Priesthood Power

This week was a really fun one! We had the opportunity to get to know some of the members of the ward so much better. We got to go bowling with a couple members on Tuesday and that was sweet because I didn't really think bowling would be an activity I would end up doing on my mission. Later that night we had a really neat opportunity come up. We were in our apartment almost ready for bed when the phone rang. We talked to the guy on the phone and we were asked to go give a blessing to his Granddaughter who had just flown into the Thompson hospital with Pneumonia. We had to get permission to leave because it was almost lights out so we were definitely not supposed to leave the apartment but we got permission and left. When we got there and I was given the opportunity to give this young girl (probably 4-5 years old) a blessing in the emergency room and that was super neat. I felt so bad for the mother, she was there with a 1 month old baby and a super sick 4 year old. She was doing her best but you could tell she was struggling. After the blessing we said bye and left. That night they were then taken to Winnipeg because the girls Pneumonia got worse. We are really worried about her but the news from the mother that we have received is that she is moving in the right direction. it was definitely one of the biggest testimony builders for me because the spirit was so strong in that hospital room and giving a blessing to a young child was just a super neat experience. It makes me excited to be able to give fathers blessings because I have heard people say how neat that is! the rest of the week went well also. We have continued to meet with Mike (the guy we met on the street) and he is progressing and loves reading the Book of Mormon. We got to do a lot of service on Friday by helping paint a member couples deck. It was a really sad day that day though because their 16 year old dog died the night before. I think they enjoyed the company though. the members here are so strong! It is amazing to me how strong they can have their testimony even through time times. We had the opportunity to go to Nelson House again this week and that was really great! We have an investigator out there who is preparing to be baptised and is very excited for that. the only tough thing about Nelson house is that we only get there once a week so we can only teach her once a week as well. All in all it was a great week and I am super excited for General Conference.

Thanks for the package. The coat may come in handy sooner, rather than later! It already snowed here last night. I can't believe I have only two weeks left of training. It has gone by so fast! I think I'll be staying in Thompson after this transfer. Love you!! Elder Stewart 

This is a picture Elder Burkman took of Elder Birchall and Elder Stewart. Sounds like they have been having lots of fun with him doing crazy pranks like stealing his ties and filling his shampoo bottle with melted ice cream. :) The Burkman's head home in 9 weeks.

Sis Burkman posted this comment on facebook this week:

Heath Birchall and Karri Hill Stewart we love and adore these two fine Elders. We are expecting Elder Seth Birchall to be transferred to another area soon and we are not looking forward to that day. When we leave in 9 weeks, there will not be someone to step into my husband's shoes so we are thinking it should be Elder Matthew Stewart. There are very few elders that are this wonderful. You both have raised some very fine men.