Email from Rusty 12/29/15 End Transfer 1 in Dawson Creek

Well it was the end of the transfer, so you know what that means..... :)

      Tuesday we had a lot of fun.  We had an awesome lesson with the Whitehead's after supper, and then we went and visited Mark.  He is a fantastic man, and he's very willing to learn more.  I'm excited to start teaching him!  

      Wednesday we had exchanges.  I went out to Fairview again with Elder Beutler. Last time I saw him was when he left Stettler right before I went to Yellowknife!  It was great.  We got in with a potential investigator named William, and we committed him to come to church.  It was awesome.  

      Thursday was Christmas Eve.  We had District Meeting, and for the district Elder Pollard and I bought a Subway platter and brought it for lunch after the meeting.  We had a ton of fun, and did a White Elephant thing as well.  It was so fun!  After that we went and we helped out with the fence some more.  It's taking a long time to get it up!  After that we went to Supper with Katie, a lady that works at the SPCA.  It was a great supper and they're all great people.  After that we went to see Joe.  We shared a simple Christmas message with him, and then Elder Pollard got to skype his family.  

      Friday was the best!  It was Christmas!!!!  I got to see mi familia again, so that was awesome.  Afterwards we went and visited Patrick in the hospital.  He's doing better than he was, but still not great.  We had lunch with Heather, one of the recent converts here in Dawson Creek.  It was awesome.  We had turkey and potatoes, and all that good stuff.  Then we went to a supper appointment, and had more Turkey, and Stuffing, and potatoes, and all that good stuff....  It was a lot of turkey.  Then we went and had a lesson with Nandon.  He's moving next week, so we were able to send all his information there so the missionaries there can teach him.  It was great.  Then we went to Sister Winfield's for dessert.  It was awesome.  I love Red Velvet Cake.  That's all I'm going to say.....  Then we went out to the Ward's for a message.  It was a really busy day, but it was one of the best Christmases ever!  

      Saturday we spent the whole day doing service and weekly planning.  It wasn't that exciting.  

       Sunday we had church, of course.  Jonathan, one of our investigators, brought his whole family to church!  It was great!  After church we went and shoveled Heather's deck.  It was good.  then we had a lesson with Shannon.  We talked about how "The Lord will consecrate all thy afflictions for thy good."  It was a really good lesson.  Sunday was a really good day.

      Monday was the exciting day....... Transfer Calls.  We got a call and Elder Pollard is going to serve in Red Deer.  I love that city.  It's awesome.  Then I found out that I'm going to Train!  I'm getting a brand new missionary.  It's going to be a ton of fun.  I don't know who it's going to be until Wednesday.  We had another Lesson with Shannon today, and Elder Pollard said goodbye to her.  We had a lesson with Jonathan as well.  He's awesome.  He's reading and praying everyday.  and he's come to church every week for 3 weeks now!  He's a very solid investigator.  Then we had supper with Willie and Bev.  The Whitehead's were there as well.  We had a sweet lesson on faith.  We talked about how faith is central to everything that we do.  If we don't have faith, then why do we do it?  

      This week marks the end of 2015.  If there's anything I've learned on my mission so far, it's to not be afraid of the future.  The new year can and will bring many adventures.  Look up the Mormon Message New Year's: Look Not Behind Thee.  It's a great video.  We don't have to be scared of the future, and we don't have to look longingly on the past.  Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ.  That's all we need to do!  I hope you all have a great week!  

Hugs and Handshakes

Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Run. Run.  Never look Back!

-Black Veil Brides

Email from Elder Lofthouse 12/22/15 MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

This week was one of the best weeks ever.  You'll know why soon enough.  

      So Tuesday was awesome.  We did the normal  stuff.  Clean stuff, clean more stuff, and then shopped and emailed.  It was good.  After that we went to the Hills' for supper.  We had some awesome spaghetti. After supper we drove out to Hythe, Alberta to exchange with the Zone Leaders.  I went to Grande Prairie with Elder Petersen.  I haven't seen Elder Petersen since I got transferred out of Cherry Grove.  That was back in March that I left there!  We drove to Grande Prairie, and went to bed.  

Grand Prairie Zone and Fort McMurry Elders at the Edmonton Temple

      Wednesday was awesome.  Elder Petersen and I went to teach JP, a recent convert there.  We talked about Home-teaching, and the responsibilities associated with it.  He said he's super excited to be a home teacher!  After that we went and practiced a song that we were going to sing at Christmas Conference.  Turns out I was going to sing the Alto part...... in the same octave as the Sisters.  haha.  So that was cool.  We went and had supper with some members, and then we went back to practice with the whole group.  It was Elders Thomas, Pollard, and Killebrew on Bass.  Elder Finch, and Sister Nipko on Tenor, Me on Alto, and Sisters Schafer, Alldredge, and Scott on soprano.  It was awesome.  I ended up soloing it on the alto part.  

      Thursday was the best day of the week.  We drove down to Edmonton for Christmas conference.  I got to see a bunch of people I haven't seen since the Red Deer days!  It was a blast.  After the conference, We Got to go to the Temple!  I LOVE THE TEMPLE!!!!!  It was the highlight of my life.  The Edmonton Temple is gorgeous.  It's small, but it's awesome.  I loved it.  It was the greatest experience I've had on my mission so far.  That night we went and stayed the night in Edmonton with the Assistants.  It was fun.  

      Friday we drove back from Edmonton to Dawson Creek.  Usually it's a 6 hour drive, but the weather said otherwise.  It took us 8 hours to get there.  After that we helped set up for the Christmas party, and all that fun stuff.  It was mostly driving.  

      Saturday was fun.  We had a correlation meeting with Jason, and then we went to the SPCA to volunteer.  While we were there, one of the Ladies that works there invited us to Christmas Eve supper at her house!  It was awesome.  So we're going to go and see what happens!  After the SPCA we went and finished setting up the Christmas party, and then it happened.  It was a lot of fun.  There were a ton of nonmembers and less active members!  I met people that I hadn't met before that we're going to try and stop by soon.  It was awesome.  

      Sunday we had 2 investigators come to church!  It was really good.  After church we went and dropped off a gift somebody had for Shannon, and then we finished weekly planning.  After that we had supper at the Wheat's.  It was really good.  After that we picked up Andy, a member here, and we went and visited Heather, the other Recent Convert.  It was great.  Andy helped in the lesson quite a bit.  after the lesson we saw a glorious sight..... the Northern Lights!  I have not seen them for a while, and they were a much needed sight.  They weren't as bright or colorful as the ones up in Yellowknife, but they were still gorgeous.  It was great.  

      Monday we drove out to Alberta in the morning.  We had a lesson with Blair, an investigator out there.  He's a very stubborn man, but we'll keep on working with him.  Then we went to Sister Travis' for lunch.  It was a really good lunch.  It was meatloaf with Bison instead of Beef.  When we got back to BC we played secret santa for a bunch of people.  We delivered gifts for 3 different people.  It was a lot of fun.  We had a really good week.  

      I love the Temple so much.  I know I've said it a bunch on my mission, but this week I got to go, so It's fresh on my mind.  The peace and joy that we feel there in the Temple is just a taste of what heaven will be like.  I don't know about you, but I'm going to do everything in my power to make sure that I'm there.  I don't want to miss out on something like that!  During this Christmas season, try to keep the feelings of love and peace we get in the Temple in our everyday lives, and then try to help somebody else feel it as well.  It's the best thing ever!  

      Have a wonderful week and MERRY CHRISTMAS! 

Hugs and Handshakes

Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times.  If one only remembers to turn on the light.

-Albus Dumbledore

Email from Elder Lofthouse 12/15/15 Walking on Sunshine

This week was pretty fun, nothing too crazy happened, but it was good anyway!  

      Tuesday we did our normal stuff, and afterwards nobody answered the door, so it was not a super productive day.  It was still good though.  

      Wednesday we helped out Willie and Richard with the fence again.  We finally have some idea of what's happening there, so it was fairly organized this time, and we got a lot done.  Willie took us out to a Chinese Buffet called Meng Fans.  It was awesome.  I love Chinese food!  After that we drove out to Rolla, a little town about 20 minutes northeast of Dawson Creek.  We helped Brother Johnston split some wood and then we had supper with the Johnston's.  They're great.  I love the ward here.  After supper, we drove back and had a lesson with Shannon Miller, a recent convert here.  We talked about why we need a Savior.  Without Christ this life would straight up suck.  The more I study it and teach about it, the more I appreciate what Christ did for us!  He gave us hope, peace, love, and everything else good in the world.  It was a really good day.  

      Thursday we had a skype district meeting in the morning.  It was really good, as always.  We talked about how the Spirit is the key in conversion.  After lunch, we stopped by a potential investigator named Ryan.  He let us in, and we taught him the Restoration!  It's going to be a lot of fun teaching him, because he has some interesting beliefs.  So we picked up one new investigator!  After Ryan we went and taught Guy.  We talked about not "procrastinating the day of your repentance".  He knows exactly what it is he needs to do, he just doesn't want to do it right now!  It's kind of frustrating, but we'll keep working on it. Then we drove out to a less active's house to set up an appointment.  After supper we went to Sister Winfield's to help her put up some Christmas lights.  When we got there, Cheng, a potential investigator, was there!  So we taught the Restoration, and Cheng said she'd get baptized when she got an answer!  It was awesome.  Then we helped Sister Winfield with her lights.  It was a fantastic day!  2 new investigators!!!  

      Friday was really boring..... We did weekly planning.  After that, we went and helped Willie just a little more with the fence.  It's almost done though.  After that we went and we taught Heather, the other recent convert.  We read through a little bit of the Book of Mormon with her.  It was really good.  The rest of the day was kind of bleh.  

      Saturday, we went and we helped out at the Salvation Army.  It was loads of fun, just like always.  After that we stopped by a couple of former investigators, but nobody was home.  After that we stopped by Cheri's.  We helped her move in a couple of weeks ago, and we were going to see if we could teach her.  Turns out, it was her birthday!  There was a bunch of people there, and she gave us some food. It was hilarious because Elder Pollard had been complaining that he was hungry literally 5 minutes before we got there.  Haha.  The Lord does provide!  After that we went to Joe's.  He's so awesome.  We shared the A Savior is Born video, and talked about Christmas.  It was great.  After that, we decided to go Tracting.  We met a nice old lady who was not interested at all.  The spirit then prompted us to offer service, and she perked up.  She said she'd give us a call later!  After that we went to the Ward's.  We talked about how to recognize the Spirit.  It was a really good lesson.  I love it here.  

      Sunday was incredible!  We had ward council in the morning, and then one of Bishop Toth's friends came to church!  We were able to set up a lesson for later in the week with him.  It was great.  Then we went and had another lesson with Guy.  This time we talked about how we need to surrender our will to God's will.  It was good, and we started a fast with him.  Later in the evening we went to Shannon's for a visit.  We talked about sacrificing things we want for what the Lord wants us to do.  God always knows better than us!  We set up another appointment for later in the week with a less active member.  

      Monday was pretty good.  We did our usual Salvation Army service, and then we picked up Willie and went to visit Brenda, a less active member.  We read part of 3 Nephi 13 and the introduction to the Book of Mormon with her.  She loves the Book of Mormon, and it's awesome.  We committed her to read it more every day and to come to church on sunday.  After that lesson we went back and had another lesson with Guy.  It went well, and I think that he's starting to seriously consider baptism.  After lunch we went tracting, and then we went to Family Home Evening at Shannon's.  It was us, the Whitehead's, Shannon and her kids, Sister Winfield, and Willie.  It was awesome.  We had a super cool Christmas message, and invited everybody to do some random service for somebody this week.  It was a lot of fun.  

      This week I figured out that if you read 5 chapters of scripture a day, you will have the Standard Works read in less than a year!  There are 1547 chapters in the Scriptures.  Reading the scriptures every day has made me more happy, and more sensitive to the spirit.  I love them.  I just want to challenge everybody to read at least 1 verse of scripture a day.  It's not hard, and it will make all the difference in your lives!  

I love you all, and Hope you have a good week!  

Hugs and Handshakes!

Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Alma 37: 44  For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ, which will point you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point them a straight course to the promised land. 

Email from Elder Lofthouse 12/8/15

So some crazy stuff happened.  You'll find out more at the end of the email.  HA!

      Tuesday was pretty good.  We did all our normal P-day stuff, and then we had supper with the Whiteheads.  It was awesome.  We had tacos, which are probably my favorite food.  After that we helped Brother Whitehead build a couple of beds that he got for his kids.  it was really good.  Afterwards we stopped by to see Guy, but he wasn't there.  So we went and had a really cool lesson with Willie and Bev, some members here.  They're great people.  It was awesome.  

      Wednesday was a crazy fun service filled day.  We went to the Salvation Army in the morning to help out at the thrift store.  We hung up clothes.  That was all.   It was still pretty fun.  We got to talk to a lady there who came from India!  It was really cool.  After that Sister Winfield took us to a restaurant called Sam's Kitchen.  It was really good.  We had a whole bunch of Filipino food!  It was really good.  After that we helped out Willie with some Christmas lights, and then we went to Shannon's to help her fix a bed. After we had the bed fixed, we had a lesson on service with her.  It was really cool.  Sister Winfield then called, asking for help getting some boxes down from her top shelf.  So we went and helped, and then we went to the Hills' for supper.  While we were there I ate something that was awesome.  I ate Cougar!  That's right, I ate Cosmo's Canadian cousin.  haha.  It was really good.  We had a lesson with them on service,  It was a ton of fun.

      Thursday was awesome.  We had a skype District meeting in the morning.  I love technology.  It was great.  After District meeting we went and helped Willie and Richard build a fence.  We had to dig through some solid, frozen ground.  It was pretty cool.  Then we had supper with the Langmuirs.  It was really cool, and we had a sweet lesson.  It was just a fun day.  

      Friday we helped Willie with the fence again.  It was awful.  We had to pound the posts into the ground through about six inches of frozen ground.  it was really tiring.  Afterwards we went and visited Joe, a less active member.  He wanted a blessing, so we gave him one, and then we did weekly planning the rest of the day.  

      Saturday was fun.  We had an awesome lesson with Joe.  We read President Packer's final witness in the December Ensign.  It was incredible.  Then we went to the mall to sing carols with some people, but nobody was there!  We did meet a lady named Sandy, from Fort St. John.  It was cool.  We'll get the Missionaries up there in contact with her!  Later we had a lesson with Richard, Jan, and Judy.  We talked about Enduring to the End.  It was really cool.  Great day.

      Sunday was incredible.  We had a lesson with a New investigator named David.  It was so cool.  We got him on date for Jan 2nd.  It was incredible.  After Church, we drove out to Chetwynd again.  We did some tracting, and we got a return appointment again!  Then we went with Brother Gorner out to Moberly Lake, which is about 45 minutes from Chetwynd, to visit Nellie, a less active member.  It was really cool.  We talked about the Holy Ghost.  More specifically how to recognize it.  It was a really cool lesson.  Afterwards, we had supper with the Gorners, and watched the Christmas Devotional with them!  And then they sang happy birthday to me.  It was awesome.  This ward is great.  

      Monday was a cool day.  We went to the Salvation Army in the morning.  We did everything!  Hung clothes, sorted hangers, and took donations for the thrift store!  Then we had an awesome lesson with Guy.  We talked about our divine potential as Children of God.  He knows he has to get baptized now, and I think he'll set a date soon!  We drove out to Pouce Coupe, a small town 10 minutes outside Dawson Creek to visit David.  When we got out there, he told us he didn't want to get baptized or go to church anymore!  It was devastating.  It's so sad to see people reject the Spirit and walk away.  It was sad.  We went and had a lesson with Bikrum later.  We taught the Plan of Salvation, and he understood most of it, and he loved it!  It was really cool.  We had supper with Willie, and then we went to Amber's for a lesson.  We taught about humility.  It was really cool, and I think she finally sees the need to come to church again!  

      So this week we got news from President Manion.  Here's What he said

      "Three years ago when President Monson announced the change in ages for missionaries, MTC time had to be reduced from three week to two for native language missionaries to accommodate the increase in the number of missionaries. As most of you have heard, the missionary department recently announced beginning March 1, 2016 that the time native language missionaries are at the MTC will be taken back to three weeks, as it was before the age change. One of the impacts of this change is that release dates need to be correspondingly adjusted. For our mission the release dates for all missionaries going home after March 1st have been extended by one week."

      So turns out instead of going home December 1st, I'll be home December 8th.  Which means I'll have 3 birthdays on my mission!  Cool, eh?  haha.  It's just one more week that I get to serve the Lord!    

     This week I studied a lot on Enduring to the End.  A lot of people I've talked to think Enduring to the End is just hanging on!  It's so much more than that!  I learned that the Hebrew word which Endure comes from mean "To make Everlasting and Omnipotent".  I looked up the definition to Omnipotent, and it means "having unlimited power, able to do anything."  That's so much more than just hanging in there!  It is probably the most sanctifying principle in the gospel!  When we allow the atonement to take effect in our lives, we change to become more like our Savior.  We start to be able to do more than we could.  Eventually, when we Endure to the End, We'll be able to do anything!  We will become Omnipotent!  It's the coolest thing ever.  Have a wonderful Week!  

Love you lots!

Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 12/1/15 Dawson Creek...Wishing it was a Winter Wonderland

On Tuesday, we did our normal P-day stuff.  We cleaned, shopped, washed the car, emailed all you people, and all that fun stuff.  It was good.  We went Tracting after all that, and the last door we knocked a guy named Ryan answered, and we were able to set a return appointment!  It was great.  Then we went to the Whiteheads for supper.  They're both from England, and my companion is from Australia, so I was the only one at the table without a cool accent.... haha.  It was a pretty awesome supper.  The rest of the night nothing too crazy happened.  

      Wednesday we went on Exchanges.  It was the first exchange I've gone on since before I went to Yellowknife, so it was a cool experience.  I went to Fairview, which is about an hour north of Grande Prairie.  It was really fun.  Elder Chadsey and I went tracting later in the evening, and we got 4 potential investigators right in a row!  It was incredible.  It was a really fun day.  

      Thursday was super fun.  We had district meeting in the morning, and then we went to contact some potential investigators.  We talked to a lady named Jackie.  She's super cool, and she was telling us some of the things she was going through in her life.  The spirit prompted me to tell her that the Book of Mormon can help through all trials and tribulations in life.  When I told her that she got kind of teary-eyed and said she'd read it!  It was super cool.  Later we talked to a guy on the street we were tracting on.  He said he was a Jewish Christian.  Very interesting.  We got to talking, and he started telling us how Joseph Smith didn't meet all of the qualifications for a prophet that are set out in the Torah.  Elder Pollard and I both testified of modern day prophets, but to no avail.  He just wasn't willing to listen to what we had to say.  It was an interesting experience.  We had supper at Sister Wilson's after that, and had a lesson with Nandan.  He's a super solid investigator.  Turns out he's moving in a couple of months, but he's said he'll be baptized wherever he moves too.  So that's good  Then we went to a Less active family's place and shared Elder Holland's talk "Behold, Thy Mother".  It was a super cool lesson.  

      Friday was awesome.  We helped Brother Otto move his wood stove in the morning.  It's a good size stove as well. Weekly planning then ensued.  It's sometimes a little tedious, but it's good.  After weekly planning, we drove out to Chetwynd to do some work.  We ate supper at the Chapel in Chetwynd.  There used to be a branch, but it got shut down. I don't know why, but it did. :(  So we tried by a potential named Norma.  She wasn't home, so we went tracting!  We talked to a guy named Sean.  He was awesome.  He and his family were super nice, and they told us to try by another time.  After that, we stopped by the Gorners, some members that live out in Chetwynd.  It was great.  Sister Gorner gave us a couple of referrals to go try out.  One was her next door neighbor.  We went and knocked on the door, and Wayne answered.  He study Theology in school, and it went south real quick.  We kept trying to bear testimony and leave, but he wouldn't let us get a word in.  It was quite frustrating, but it solidified my testimony of living prophets again.  

      Saturday we drove to Grande Prairie for Interviews.  President Manion is awesome.  Interviews took way longer than we thought were going too, so we were kind of rushed getting back.  When we got back to Dawson Creek, we went and visited a Recent Convert named Shannon.  We taught about the atonement and it was awesome.  She asked us for a blessing at the end, and it was a super cool experience on my mission.  I'm so grateful for the Priesthood and how it blesses all people.  Afterwards we got a call from Joe, a less active member.  He also wanted a blessing, so we went and gave him one.  Again, it blesses all people.  They both committed to coming to church!  After that we went and stopped by another Potentials house.  He let us in and a couple of his roommates joined in!  They're all from Asia, so it's going to be interesting teaching people without a christian background.  It'll be a ton of fun!  At the end of the night we met with an Investigator named Guy.  We taught about how faith grows when we study the scriptures and pray daily.  And that's what he committed to do!  It was really fun.  

      Sunday Elder Pollard and I both spoke.  They both went really well, and both Shannon and Joe were there!  It was great.  There were also 2 nonmembers there!  We talked to both of them, and next week they should be investigating!  So it was great.  In sunday school, Brother Wry gave a killer lesson on the Plan of Salvation and the hope that it gives to us.  It was super cool.  Priesthood was on keeping the Sabbath Day holy.  Then we joined the Choir.  After we went and had a talk with Sister Winfield.  She had brought a friend to church, and we set up a time for us and Sister Winfield to go and teach her later in the week!  We went and had supper with the Ottos.  It was really good.  We had candied carrots, which kind of defeats the purpose of carrots, but it was awesome.  Then we went and had a lesson with Amber.  We taught step 6 of the ARP.  It went really well, and we committed her to come to church next week.  it was good.  

      Monday we drove out to Alberta to do some work.  Part of the ward lives out there, and we had a bunch of referrals to contact out there.  We talked to a lady named Valerie.  She said she'd give us a call sometime to have us over.  We had lunch with Sister Travis, a member who lives out that way.  It was really good.  Afterwards we went and visited the Friesens.  Sister Friesen is a member, but her husband is not.  It was a really interesting visit.  He's willing to let us teach him, but I don't know how willing he is to change.  We'll see!  After we got back to Dawson Creek, Sister Winfield asked us to help her friend move.  So we did.  While we were there, Sister Winfield's son, Alex, was asking us questions.  Again, it went south.  It's really hard to teach people that aren't willing to change.  He's a good guy, and with time the Lord will soften his heart.  After moving, we went to Shannon's for FHE.  It was great.  We taught the Law of Chastity after supper.  It was a really good lesson.  The spirit was so strong.  It was all around a great week!  

      So this Thursday marks one year that I left home and started this incredible journey.  It's been hard, and there's been lots of challenges, but it has been the best year of my life.  I've truly come to know that the beauty of life comes through the ups and downs.  We have the hard times so we can grow and learn and come to appreciate the good times even more.  I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet.  I hope everybody will read the Book of Mormon and pray about it.  I know that if you ask in faith, you will come to know the truthfulness of it.  I hope that this next year is even better than this one, even though it'll be hard to beat!  I love you all and I hope you all have a fantastic week!  

Hugs and Handshakes

Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/24/15

Sorry for not emailing last week everybody. It was a crazy couple weeks!  

  Let me explain.  No, that takes too long, Let me sum up.  So two weeks ago I was in Yellowknife, just having a ball!  It was awesome.  We were working hard, and we were teaching lots.  Last week on Monday I received a call from President Manion.  He told me I was leaving Yellowknife, which was sad.  Turns out I was leaving the next day, so I had to pack and say goodbye to everybody in the space of about 24 hours.  So Monday I ran around with a chicken like it's head cut off, but I managed to do everything I needed too.  It was good, but sad at the same time.  

      Tuesday I said goodbye to more people, and then we picked up Elder Wood, Elder Holden's new companion.  I said goodbye to Elder Holden, and then I went through security and got on a plane back to civilization.  At the airport in Edmonton I saw President and Sister Manion, and I got to meet a couple of the new Missionaries.  It was pretty cool.  I got picked up from the Airport by Elder Jenkins and Elder Spragg, the missionaries serving in Beaumont, which is about 15 minutes south of Edmonton.  I spent the day with them, and it was pretty fun.  It was really weird to see more than just my companion though.  

      Wednesday was the really interesting day.  We drove up to Edmonton for Transfer Meeting.  After only seeing my companion for 18 weeks, it was actually kind of nerve wracking to see that many missionaries in one place.  I did get to see Elder Anderson again, and a bunch of the people I served around in Red Deer.  It was pretty fun.  After Transfer meeting, Elder Pollard, my new companion, and I, went to the Mission office to get a new car.  We gave them our truck, and got a Nissan Rogue.  It's a pretty sweet ride.  After that, we picked up Elder Thomas, the new Zone Leader in Grande Prairie, and Drove up.  We spent the night in GP with the Zone Leaders.  It was a pretty good day.  

      Thursday we had a Skype district meeting.  It was really fun.  Again, it was kind of weird to see other missionaries, but I'll get used to it again.  After that we drove from Grande Prairie to Dawson Creek in British Columbia.  It's a pretty sweet town.  Here's a little bit about my New companion.  His name's Elder Pollard, and he's from Australia.  The southeast part.  He said he's about 1 1/2 hours outside of Melbourne in Victoria.  So that's cool.  He's a super awesome guy.  It's going to be a fun companionship. In the Evening we had supper with Sister Wilson.  Nanden, one of our investigators, lives in her basement, and he joined us.  After supper we had a lesson, and we committed him to baptism!!  It was super exciting.  It was an Excellent start to a new area.   

      Friday we started out with Weekly planning.  It went fairly well, but we had to break it up through the day because we were so busy.  After Lunch we went to the SPCA for volunteer stuff.  We go in there, and we train dogs.  How cool is that!  We worked with a puppy named Duke.  He's super cute.  I'll send a picture next week.  After that we went and visited a Recent Convert named Heather.  She's awesome and we had an excellent lesson on Obedience.  Later that night we had supper with the Otto's.  They're super cool.  Brother Otto likes to collect antique stuff and he told us, the creepier the better.  haha  It was awesome.  It was fun.  Later that night we tried to stop by some Less Active members.  Nothing happened, but it was a fun day.  

      Saturday we went and helped Brother Otto move a wood stove.  We drove out to the Ward's house.  They live about 15 minutes outside Dawson Creek.  It was really fun.  We had an excellent lesson on our divine potential as children of God.  It went really well.  After that we decided to do some Tracting.  It was excellent.  We got a return appointment for next Saturday!  It was great.  We had supper with the Ward mission leader that night.  It was pretty fun.  After that we went and tried to teach a less active member named David, but he wasn't home.  His son James answered.  He's a super cool kid, and I think next time we go over we're going to invite him to investigate.  

      Sunday we got to watch the re-dedication of the Montreal Temple.  It was incredible  I love the Temple.  So after that we went and we had a lesson with an investigator named Court.  He's a super solid guy, but the lesson was heartbreaking.  He knows that the church is true, but his fiancee is very against it.  So he told us that he can't meet with us anymore.  It was really sad.  He did say he's going to continue to study the Book of Mormon and Pray every day though.  I just pray that his fiancee's heart will be softened and she will have a desire to be baptized as well.  it was awful.  after that sad moment, we drove out to a town called Chetwynd.  It's about an hour and a half away from Dawson Creek.  Guess what I saw while we were out there..... MOUNTAINS!!!!  It was awesome.   I love the mountains.  Anyway, we went about 30 minutes further to a place called Moberly Lake to teach a less active member named Nellie.  She's awesome, and her son is starting to show an interest in the church.  So that's going to be fun.  After the lesson we went Tracting in Chetwynd.  We Got a return appointment for Friday!  It's great!  Then we drove back and went to bed.  

      Monday was great.  We went and did service at the Salvation Army Thrift store in town.  We just do whatever they ask us to do that week.  This time we hung clothes and sorted Christmas items.  It was pretty good.  After lunch we went and picked up a cake that Heather got for us!  It was pretty cool.   We did go tracting later in the day, and we were able to set up an appointment with somebody for tonight!  So we'll go back and I'll let you know how it goes this week!  At the end of the day we met with Amber, a less active member.  She's cool, and we're teaching the steps of the ARP.  It's a great program.  It was a really fun day.  

      The past few weeks have been crazy.  It was kind of stressful leaving Yellowknife and coming to Dawson Creek.  At the Temple Dedication on Sunday it made me realize something.  Life is like that!  It's stressful and we don't usually know what life's going to throw our way.  However, God has given us a place to go to "escape" from the world, if you will.  The Temple.  It is a place to go to find answers to questions, to escape from the stress of day to day life, or just feel some peace!  I love it.  We learn so much and it's the best thing ever.  I know that Temples are where we can gain our deepest blessings in this life.  For those of you who are close to the Temples, go often.  It's a great blessing that I feel we take for granted sometimes.  I know I did back home!  For those of you who cannot go to the Temple yet, I encourage you to do whatever it takes to get there.  I know it will bless your life.  Temples are truly the House of God on the earth.  

I love you all and I hope you all have a great week!  

Elder Rusty Lofthouse  

God will take you as you are at this very moment and begin to work with you.  All you need is a willing heart, a desire to believe, and trust in the Lord.

-President Deiter F. Uchtdorf

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/10/15 Walking in a Winter Wonderland

This week was snowy, cold, and a little amazing.

Tuesday we had a lesson with Leo. It was really good. We taught about the plan of salvation. He accepted everything, and accepted our invitation to read the Book of Mormon!  Woohoo!  It was a really good day.
   
Wednesday we played balloon badminton. It was awesome. Tasia, the staff member we work with there, got all the residents to target Elder Holden and I. So they were all trying to hit us in the head with the balloons!  It was kind of awesome. After that we went and had our own personal training meeting with the zone leaders. It was really good. And now we don't have to waste time skyping in to the meeting!  Yay! It was a pretty good day.
   
Thursday we went and we delivered the food kits. Then we went and had a good visit with s member who is struggling with some wow issues. I made a deal with him. He has to stop, and I have to lose weight. We check in every night to see how the day went. So that'll be fun. After that we went and got flu shots. It was a pretty good day.
   
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday can all be described in one word. Bleh.  I got sick. It wasn't fun. I hate being sick. And November seems to be the worst month of the year for me. So the end of the week was not as amazing as we had hoped it was going to be. So yeah, I slept, ate, and read my scriptures for all of the weekend.
   
Monday was pretty good. We had lunch with Brother Taylor and Brother Sutherland. It was awesome. I love meeting with those two. They just have so much knowledge about the gospel and about pretty much everything. It just goes to show ya what experience can teach! It was good. Later in the evening we had supper with the Cooper's. It was super good, as always. While we were heading back to our apartment, we saw the lights!  I love Yellowknife. The northern lights putting you to bed.... It's incredible. Pretty good day.
   
This week was long and hard, but I learned a lot from studying this week. Maybe not learned, but I was reminded about several things. The biggest one for me was in 2 Nephi 31:21. I know I've shared this one before, but I love it. There is NO OTHER WAY to gain exaltation then through Jesus Christ. Obedience to all the laws and taking part in all the ordinances is the only way to gain peace in this life and eternal life in the next. It's really simple when you think about it! God has given us everything we need for success. He doesn't want us to fail. He wants us, his children, to succeed and come home!  It's not hard so JUST DO IT!  Have a most wonderful week!

Hugs and Handshakes
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/3/15

This week was the first of 2 weeks we will have without a senior couple..... Halfway there!  The members up here are taking really good care of us.  So nothing bad is going to happen!  And we won't starve, that's for sure, eh!
 
Tuesday was good. We had p day!  It was fun. In the afternoon we went and had a worship service at Avens. It was a lot of fun. We watched some of Music and the Spoken Word. It was really good. After p-day we went to the Milnes for supper. It was awesome. We had an awesome lesson with them afterwards. Later in the evening, we were able to visit the Clarkes. They are an awesome family up here in YK. We had an awesome lesson with them. We should be meeting with them next week. Overall it was a fantastic day!
 
Wednesday was fun. We went and played balloon badminton in the morning. That's always fun. After that we went and had lunch with Brother Sutherland and Brother Taylor. They're awesome. Every time we visit with them, I learn so much!  It's awesome. After that, we got a call from Stephan asking us if we could help him out!  So of course we went. We went to a snowmobile dealership to pick up a key and a kill switch tether for him..... We ended up only getting the key.  The kill switch tether, which is literally a piece of rubber, cost $55. The key was only $11. Then we drove out to Vee lake to help him. It was fun. There's about 4 inches of ice on Vee already. It's kind of crazy!  So we helped Stephan get some cabinets and then some gas for his generator. It was really fun. After we helped Steph, we went and got wings with him. They were really good, as always. It was really fun. After wings, we went and stopped by Brother Hudson.  He really frustrates me sometimes. We know he's home, we see him in the window, but he won't come answer the door!  I just don't understand. We'll just keep trying. After that we went to the Greenwood's and said family prayer with them!  The members up here are the coolest people ever. I love it up here in the north.

Thursday was excellent. We went and dropped off the food kits after studies, and then we went and did some Facebook. After lunch we went to Avens again to help set up for a birthday party. Then Tasia, one of the staff there, found out I could sing, so we stayed to help sing the songs. It was pretty fun. After that we went and met with Brother Milnes. He's a great guy. It was a really good visit. After that we had supper with the Gray's. We had some excellent salmon. After that we watched a stake broadcast on how to teach like Christ did. It was awesome, and there was a lot of good points that I've never thought about a whole lot. As a missionary, I should be teaching like Christ all the time.  But there's always room for improvement.

Friday was super fun. We skyped with President and Sister Manion in the morning. It was really good. Elder Holden and I got rebuked for not being down to our weight goals yet, though. But it was good. I love the Manions. They're the best. After that we went to avens for the 4th and final time this week. We went and set up, and then played some Halloween bingo with the residents. It was awesome. Elder Holden won a prize for the goofiest costume. Haha. He's such a nut, but he's awesome. After that we went and we are supper, and then we got some sweet haircuts from Steve. It was a really good day.

Saturday was a blast as well. We went to the Purcell's in the morning to help Mike clean up a little bit. It was great to see him again. He's a great guy. After that we went and had lunch with the Milnes. Sister Milnes made some tuna sandwiches with some really good soup. It was delicious. After that we went and helped clean the church. The Hunts used to do it every week, and Sister Milnes asked if anybody had done it yet. We said no and she said she'd do it.  So we went and helped her. Then we went and visited Brother Hudson. We had an awesome lesson on the atonement and how it helps us in our own lives. I think the biggest thing he got from it is that we have to give out burdens to Christ, he won't just take them. Which is totally true. Because it was Halloween, we had to go home early, to avoid all the crazies. It was a good day.

Sunday was great, as usual. We went to church and heard some great testimonies. I've noticed a difference in the branch since I got here. Everybody is more open and the branch is more unified. It's awesome. After church we went and set up an appointment with Rob and Tammy. They're a couple of potential investigators we haven't seen in a while. After that we went to the Self's for supper. It was really good and a lot of fun. I'm so glad Sister Self chose to be baptized. It's great. After supper we went to Everett's for a lesson. We had a great lesson. It was pretty much just a testimony meeting with the missionaries. But it was awesome. He really enjoyed it. It was a great day.

Monday was interesting. Last week we went in for an oil change, but they only rotated the tires. So we had to go back in for an oil change. So that happened.... Again.  Then we got a call from Sister Greenwood asking for our help. So we went and turned out she needed us to go to the store to get her baking soda and zucchinis. She baked a cake I think. She wouldn't tell us. After lunch we went to the friendship centre down town to see if we could do some volunteering there. The lady we talked to sent us down the street to see if they needed any help in their outreach program. So far nothing, but we're working on it. We had supper with the Cooper's. I love them. They're an awesome family. It was a really fun night.
   
This week I learned (more like relearned) about the importance and power of prayer. We had an awesome lesson in Sunday school about prayer, and it was a good reminder to what prayer is and why we pray. Prayer is communication with our Heavenly Father. It's kind of amazing that God, an all powerful, all knowing being, wants us, as insignificant as we are, to talk to him!  He's ready to give us all these amazing gifts and blessings. All we gotta do is ask!  It's quite simple really. We ask, and then do everything in our power to make whatever we asked for a reality. If it's something worthy and righteous then God will do what we can't on accomplishing the task we have undertaken. I love prayer. It's more than just me talking to God, he talks back!  If you sit and listen for a few minutes after you pray, you will receive an answer. It's a 2 way communication. And it is awesome. I hope you all have a fantastic week!  Love ya!

Hugs and Handshakes
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Heroes get remembered, but legends never die
-The Sandlot (Babe Ruth)

Email from Elder Lofthouse 10/27/15 YK Baptism II

This week was really fun!

So Tuesday we did our normal p-day stuff, and then we helped a member here clean out his office.  It wasn't bad, and it was a good use of the day.  It was pretty fun. That night we were able to watch a part of the face to face event with the piano guys. It was pretty cool!  I love how they center everything in their lives around the gospel. It was a great day.
   
Wednesday was really busy. In the morning we went and played balloon badminton. There wasn't a lot of people this time, but it was a lot of fun. After that, we went and helped Robert Hawkins clean out an office. It was really interesting.... Like why is there a tanning bed in an office?  Some questions just can't be answered. Haha. After helping out him, we went and had lunch with the Selfs. It was awesome. Sister Self is so excited to be baptized on Saturday. I'm excited for her!  It's amazing what the gospel can do for people. It makes them happy and peaceful in all circumstances. After lunch, we went and helped somebody move out. They had a lot of stuff, and they took most of it too the dump. They did clean out their freezer and give us most of the food. So we're set for a while. It was interesting. After moving we went to wing night..... And Stephan got held up and wasn't able to make it!  It was a sad day. After that we finished the move, and then it was bed time.

Thursday we did a dump run in the morning. Then we helped somebody move in to the house we helped people move out of on Wednesday. It was cool. They seem like really cool people. There is definitely potential. After that we are lunch. Which is always good. Then we went and visited the Clarkes. They weren't able to meet then, but we set up an appointment for Tuesday evening of next week. So that's going to be fun. Then we had supper with the Bellis'. They're an awesome couple. It was a pretty good day.    

Friday was fun. We went and delivered the food kits in the morning, and then we went to get our oil changed and our tires changed.  Sadly, they were full, so Darwin, the owner of the auto shop, told us to come back Monday morning at 9. So that's what we're gonna do. After lunch we went and played bingo at Avens. That was fun. Some of the residents get really into it!  It was pretty funny. After that we made programs for the baptism. It's gonna be a great day!  I can't wait.
   
Saturday was great!  We did weekly planning in the morning, and then we went after lunch and helped set up for the primary activity. It was a Halloween party, and Elder Holden and I got to be in the haunted house to scare people. It was a lot of fun. But the highlight of the whole week was after that. That evening sister Self was baptized!  She had asked me to be the one to do it, so I had the privilege of baptizing her. It was amazing. Afterwards there was a potluck. It was a welcome to the branch for Sister Self and a goodbye
party for the Hunts. It was an awesome day.

Sunday was incredible. During sacrament meeting Elder Holden had the opportunity to confirm sister Self. It's always fun when we, as missionaries, get to help people take the necessary steps for salvation. It was an incredible experience. Later that night we went and visited Everett!  And he was at church as well!  It was a good visit. I love the people of Yellowknife so much!  I love this place. We're shooting to have another baptism in November.

Monday was a day of mixed emotions. In the morning we went and said goodbye to the Hunts. They left for Three Hills.  It was sad, but they got transferred, just like we do. After that it was ok. We went and dropped off our car to get the necessary changes done. After that, We went and met a guy named David. He's a cool guy, and is one of Chris's friends. Hopefully we'll get to teach him soon. Later in the evening, we picked up our car, and then went to the Johnston's for supper. They're a great family. After supper we went and visited the Skinners. It was a lot of fun. Yellowknife is just the greatest place ever.

This week was a good one. I love to see how the gospel can change people's lives for the better. It's a huge testimony builder for me to see these amazing people going through some tough stuff rely on the Lord and trust him enough to make the necessary changes for peace in their lives. I know that this Gospel can bring peace and happiness into our lives. It's pretty incredible.  President Uchtdorf put it best in his conference talk "It Works Wonderfully". I invite everybody to go read it. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the most simple, yet profound, thing in the universe!  It is absolutely astonishing how it can bless our lives. Rely on Christ. Read the scriptures. Pray fervently. Got to church. All of these simple things can bring us closer to Christ and help us return home to live with our Heavenly Father. It's not hard. Just do it. I hope you all have a great week!

Hugs and Handshakes
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

P.S.  With the Hunts gone, Elder Holden and I are the only missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in the Northwest Territories. How crazy is that?

Email from Elder Lofthouse 10/20/15 Fun, Fun!

This week was pretty great!
     
So Tuesday we emailed, shopped, and all the normal stuff. Afterwards we tried to go find a Moose blanket for one of Elder Holden's friends. So we looked and looked and couldn't find a blanket with a moose on it, so we ended up getting a stuffed moose holding a blanket. It was pretty fun.

Wednesday we went and played balloon badminton!  It was still a ton of fun. Like always. After balloon badminton we had lunch with the Hunts, and then we had district meeting. It was really good. So after all that we did Facebook and that stuff. That night we went back to Avens to help out at their thanksgiving dinner!  It was really fun. I was able to talk to a guy who is from Déline, which is a small town up north on the west shore of Great Bear Lake!  He was telling me all about it. It sounds like a super cool place to live.  It was a really fun night.

Thursday we had ZTM in the morning. It was good, at least the parts that we heard, but the connection was so bad that we missed probably half of it!  It was really annoying. After that stuff, we went and had lunch with Robert Hawkins and Chris. It was super fun, and we got to teach Robert a couple of principles from the first lesson, so that was cool. Later we had supper with the Hunts. After supper, Sister Hunt went and did Zumba with some members of the branch, so we took Elder Hunt, and visited Sister Krause. She is an awesome lady who has been all over the world. It was really fun talking to her!  All in all it was a pretty good day.

Friday was interesting. We weekly planned in the morning, which took way longer then it needed too, but we made it.  Anyway, the good stuff started happening later In the afternoon. We went to see Brother Milnes and correlate with him. It was really good.  I think we're going to see some good progress in the member missionary work up here!  After that we went and learned a very valuable lesson. Do not, I repeat, do not go to A&W's here in Yellowknife. It is a scary place. While we were there some drunk lady came in and started talking to us. (I guess us talking to drunk people happens quite a bit, eh?). Anyway, things got crazy, so we got our food and got out. It was an interesting experience. After supper we went and visited Brother Hudson. It was a really good visit. After that we went to the Skinners, and had an excellent visit over there!  They're all great people.  It was an excellent day.

Saturday was an amazing day. The morning was ok, but the afternoon is where it started to get good. We met a guy at the Mainstreet Donair shop who was really cool. Turns out he's a geophysicist, and spends a lot of time out on the tundra looking for natural resources!  Sounds like a ton of fun to me!  After lunch we went back to the church and made some sock monkeys!  It was super fun, and I have pictures of the process to prove that, yes, I sewed mine and everything!  It was pretty good. After that we had the branch chili social, but nobody we invited came.  Bummer. It was still a good activity, and we had a lot of fun, but nobody we invited came. It's hard being a missionary some times.....  But it's good at the same time. After the activity, we had branch council. It was a really good meeting. Like I said I think the member missionary work is going to go through the roof!  It was a pretty good day today.

Sunday was excellent. We went to church and all that fun stuff. Church was really good.  The stake Patriarch came up to give patriarchal blessings, and he spoke in sacrament meeting. It was really good. After church, sister Self came and talked to us.  She had been out of town for a while, so she didn't know the Hunts were leaving. So she told us that she's going to get baptized this Saturday!  She wants the Hunts to be there, so that's fantastic!!  It was kind of a shocker, but well worth it.  We had supper with the Milnes. I love going their house. It's so fun and the food is always good. After supper we went and tried to visit the Hartfords, a less active family here in YK. We got a door open, but we weren't able to get in the door and teach. But is progress. We just need to keep on loving them.

Monday was pretty fun. We first went and set up an appointment to get an oil change and get our tires rotated. After lunch we went and visited the Selfs. She is so excited for baptism. And we're excited for her!  It is going to be so awesome. So after all that we started working on the branch mission plan. It's going to be good. After all that we went tracting! When we looked at the temperature it said -3. Later we found out with the wind chill, it felt like -12. So it was pretty cold. But it was really good!  After that we went and had supper with the Cooper's. Like always it was super fun. It just great being here in Canada to do the Lord's work!  I love it!

So this week I made an effort to read from the Book of Mormon during all of my free time. (As much free time as a missionary gets, during lunch, after planning, and before studies during breakfast). I love it. The Book of Mormon is bringing so much light and peace into my life right now!  The week before this was pretty stressful and slow, and this week was just as stressful, but reading the Book of Mormon daily has brought peace and the ability to deal with it all! I think President Benson said it best when he said, "There is a power in the book which will begin to flow into your lives the moment you begin a serious study of the book. You will find greater power to resist temptation. You will find the power to avoid deception. You will find the power to stay on the strait and narrow path. The scriptures are called "the words of life" and nowhere is that more true than it is of the Book of Mormon."  I agree. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and it will help in all aspects of life. You struggling in school? Read the Book of Mormon. Having problems with your family? Read the Book of Mormon. It is the number one book in the whole world. I absolutely love it. Please, I beg all of you, read it daily. Feast from "the words of life".  It can and it will change lives for the

Canadian graffiti at its finest! 

better if we would just read it!  It's the bestest book ever!  I recommend everybody to watch the video 'Testimony of the Book of Mormon' with Elder Holland. It's a fantastic video. And the Book of Mormon is a fantastic book. Read it. I know it will change your life forever. Until next week!  Loves to each and every one of you!

Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 10/13/15 Beginning Transfer 3 in YK

This week was a little slow, but we're getting there!

Tuesday we took the Hunts and Sister Vega to the airport. The Hunts took her to the temple for the first time!  So that's awesome. Then we did all our regular preparation day stuff.  Nothing too exciting. Wednesday we didn't have district meeting, because the Hunts were gone. That's half the district!  So we decided to drive out to Rae to do some tracting. We ran in to a language barrier while out there. We met a lady who doesn't speak a lick of English. I'm not sure what she spoke, but it was one of the 12 aboriginal languages spoken in the NWT. It was sure interesting. After that we went to the Iverson's for supper. It was a really good day.

Thursday we did some service for mr. Hawkins. He asked us if we could fill some sandbags for him.  Turns out he needed 125 filled. We filled 50 on Thursday. It was awesome..... Not. But after we did that we went around and visited some potential investigators. Nothing has gotten off the ground lately, and it's kind of frustrating. But we'll get through it.

Friday we took the food kits to the schools and the. Picked up the Hunts and Sister Vega from the airport. Then we went to Avens. Turns out balloon badminton has been rescheduled to Wednesday mornings!  Sad day.  So we went and ate some lunch, and then we went and filled the rest of the sandbags. In total we moved approximately 5,250 lbs of sand. Over 5,000! I never want to see sand again. We had supper with the Hunts, and then we went and visited some less active members. It was a pretty good day.

Saturday there was a glorious sight in the morning...... Snow!  It was snowing pretty good.  And we have summer tires on our car..... This ought to be fun.  Haha. So in the morning we weekly planned, and then we left to do some work.  In front of our apartment building we met a lady named Taylor. She was drunk and high as a kite, but she wanted to talk to us. We got talking and then we're said, "guys, if you're great at something, be better!"  It was interesting, but it's true. There's always room to improve and to be better than where you're at right now.  After that fun stuff we made some invitations for a fall chili social next week and gave them out to people. So far we have 1 potential investigator family and 2 part member families coming. I
think we're going to have a pretty good turn out there.

 Sunday was an awesome day. We had church, and the Hunts spoke. They found out they're getting transferred on the 26 of October. Sad day, but it's good. They're going to Three Hills, Alberta, for the last 3 months of their mission. So after church we had companionship study, and then we went to the Greenwood's for thanksgiving dinner. It was awesome. For the first time ever I had deep fried turkey. Brother Greenwood deep fried the entire turkey. It was incredible. It was a fantastic supper. Afterwards we went and visited Everett. He is so awesome. I love him. He told us he's been wanting to come to church, but he's worked the past few weeks. I can't wait to see him this week!

 Monday was fantastic. Yes it was thanksgiving here in Canada, so that was just awesome. But it was a really fun day. First we went to the Salvation Army and helped them with the thanksgiving dinner they put on for the homeless people. We got to cut the desserts into slices. We cut up a ton of pie. Seriously, it was a lot. After that we went and we did some Facebook, and then we went and handed out more invitations for next Saturday. While we were driving, we saw a guy splitting and stacking wood. So we pulled over and asked if he needed help.  He was pretty surprised, and accepted. So we helped him stack wood. Afterwards he invited us in for some hot chocolate and carrot cake. We gave him and his wife an invitation, and they said they might be able to come. I hope they come out. That'd be awesome. So we had a great night. We met with Kelsey and Neil.  They're doing good. I absolutely love working with people and helping people come closer to Christ.

  This week was a pretty hard week. Not a lot of things happened. I learned a lesson about staying positive though. When not a whole lot of stuff is going your way, it is super easy to get down on yourself and give up. However, I can tell you for a fact that it is 1000 times better to be happy and optimistic in situations like that. It will change the entire scope of your life. Just remember, technically the glass is always 100% full. It might be half air and half water, but it is always full. Heck, it could be all air and no water and still be all the way full! If you can keep a positive attitude through the rough stuff, it will make the rough stuff not so rough, and it'll make the good time a lot sweeter. If you struggle with keeping a positive attitude, pray and ask God to let you see the good and the beautiful in the world, not just the sad and depressing. Optimism always was and forever will be better than pessimism. "Adam fell that men might be, and men are that they might have joy!"
Have a fantastic week.  Go make it the best one ever!

Hugs and Handshakes
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 10/7/15 Life in the True North

Life in the north is going very well. I love it up here.

Here's the weather forecast for next week.
The temperatures are inCelsius, but it looks glorious!

So Wednesday we had district meeting. It was good. After districtmeeting we went to Avens and had a worship service. It was awesome.They might not know exactly what we're saying, but they sure feel the spirit. It's pretty awesome. After that we went and had supper with the Johnstons. It was really good. After that we went and did some street contacting.
 
Thursday was pretty fun. We helped a member move. It was pretty awesome. It took a lot longer than we expected it too, but it was good because we got to talk to 3 less active members of the branch. It was pretty great. Later that night, we went to stop by some potential investigators. Sadly I don't think it's going to go anywhere. The lady we talked to said that we were liars and that we should get the f*** off her porch and never come back. It was quite sad, but people have their agency, so they can choose what they want. That was a sad ending to a good day.

   Friday was awesome. We went and played balloon badminton, which is always a blast. After that we ate lunch, and then we weekly planned. Before we weekly planned we found a box of 3x5 notecards with a whole bunch of names of potential investigators from 2010 or earlier, so we're going to check those names out next week. After we planned we did some stuff on Facebook. Then supper happened. It was a fun night.

  Saturday was amazing because General Conference happened. It is always nice to hear the words of the Prophets and apostles. I love it. That evening we went and visited Stephan. While we were visiting him, we talked to a guy about the Book of Mormon and the prophet Joseph Smith. It was pretty awesome.

     Sunday we watched conference again!  When President Monson was speaking was really interesting. His body was giving out and it is getting weaker. His spirit and testimony are stronger than ever though. Even as he was leaning against the podium, you could see a fire in his eyes that will never go out. I love Thomas S Monson and I know that he is the prophet of God in earth today. How great a blessing is it to have leaders like him to guide us? It's amazing!

     Monday we were super busy. In the morning we went to the Salvation Army to see if there was anything we could help with. So we might go serve soup on Wednesday!  How awesome is that! After that we went to and grabbed some sandbags to go and fill up. Sadly we didn't have time to fill them, so we're going to have to go later in the week. After that we helped some members out by moving a couch with them. It was quite fun. After that we went and visited Leo and Melanie. They're so awesome. Leo told us that living prophets and apostles just makes sense!  It was so awesome. I can't wait for him to get baptized. He hasn't accepted the invitation yet, but he will. Good stuff. Afterwards we had supper with the Coopers. That family is amazing. I love the people here in Yellowknife.

     This week was amazing. We had General conference. It's always amazing to hear the words of the  prophet and Apostles. They are truly called of God. I can testify that Elder Rasband, Elder, Stevenson, and Elder Renlund are called of God. I know that if we need the council that they give us we will not be led astray. Follow the guidance of these men and you'll make it back to live with Heavenly Father again. I also want to challenge everyone and do what Elder Lawrence told us to do.  Pray and ask God what we can do to become better. I promise that as you pray and then act on the promptings you receive, you will have the spirit so much more in your life!  We just have to act on what we receive. You can do it!  Go become who God wants you to be!

Hugs and Handshakes
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

I've got a hero livin' in me!
-Skillet

Email from Elder Lofthouse 9/29/15 Falling Down and Getting Up Again

Well this week was pretty ok. We had some ups and downs, but that's just part of life!
 
Tuesday we shopped, emailed, and then drive up Ingrahm Trail as far as we could. It's a highway here in the NWT, we got to a place called Tibbett lake, and the road ends there. Well in the summer it ends there. In the winter the road continues on the ice for another 400 kilometers. It's pretty awesome. So that was a lot of fun. That night we were able to teach brother Do (like dough). I love that guy. He's awesome. It was a really good lesson. It was a fun day.
 
Wednesday we had district meeting in the morning. That was a good meeting. After lunch we went and did some street contacting. It was a lot of fun. I love meeting new people. After that we did Facebook. Then we went to wing night with Stephan. I love Stephan. He's just the coolest guy ever. After that we went and tried to visit a lot of people, but nobody was available. Sad day. We'll just keep trying!
 
Thursday was pretty rad. We were able to visit Brother Brotherston. He's a super cool guy. We taught lesson 1 and it was awesome. I think the Spirit really worked on him. It was pretty great. So that night the branch President from High Level came up to Yellowknife. He and his family are on vacation. So he took us out to eat for supper at a place called "A Taste of Saigon". It was really good. So it was all in all a pretty good day. It's always a good day in YK.
 
Friday we were going to go to Avens, but they didn't have anything for us to do... sad. So we weekly planned. It was a good session of planning, and we have several ideas that we're going to try out. It'll be good. So then we did Facebook, and we made some fliers to invite people to come watch general conference next week. It's going to be a lot of fun. After lunch we started doing some street contacting, but then Elder Holden started feeling ill, so we came and rested at the Hunts place. Soon after we went back to the apartment and slept. Poor guy.
 
Saturday I woke up feeling like space junk. It was terrible. We went to the Hunts, and as soon as sister Hunt saw me she told me to go back to bed.  Turns out I had a fever. It was awful. So Elder Holden and I slept and watched the district all day Saturday. So it was not that fun. But we did get to rest up, so that was good. But it was a pretty boring day. But it was good to rest and get better so that we can go 1000000 mph next week.

   Sunday was really good. We went to church, which is always good. I had an epiphany during church today. The sacrament is the reason we go to Church. If we can make it a meaningful experience, then church will be so much more fulfilling. It will be the spiritual charge we need to make it through the week.  After church we went and had a lesson with Leo, a new investigator. It went really well.  I can't wait to see him go through the process of conversion. It's going to be fun. After that we slept a little because we're still not 100%. After our nap we went and had supper with the Hunts.  The Selfs came as well, and it was really good!  We had an awesome lesson afterwards about prayer and the Holy Ghost. Sister Self finally seems to get it. She's starting to get very excited to be baptized. After that lesson we went and we taught the plan of salvation to Everett. We just need him to come back to church now. All in all it was a very good day. It's days like these that make me love being on a mission.

  Monday we went and helped some guy move some stuff into his trailer. It took us quite a while, but it was good. After that we went and ate some food.  It was ok. Then we tried to call more people to set up appointments, but nobody will set anything. It's kinda frustrating. But it's how it is right now, so we better go do something effective-ish. Better than doing nothing at all. It was an ok day.
   
This week was kind of hard. We have some really good plans we would like to implement, but they all take time. Patience is something I'm starting to understand. It's more than just waiting for it. It's waiting without getting frustrated, anxious, or depressed. It's trusting in the Lord's timing, not in ours. We all want things right this very moment, but that's not how it happens. It's all in God's hands. Once we realize that, we won't have any problem with continuing to work our guts out with little immediate results. Lots of what we do as missionaries is planting seeds. We need to trust the Lord, and that means trusting his timing. That is all. Have a great week!

Much loves from Yellowknife!
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Why do we fall, Bruce?  So we can learn to pick ourselves up again.
-Thomas Wayne