Email from Elder Lofthouse 2/23/15 Short Week

This week was pretty awesome.  Tuesday Elder Larsen and I were able to drive to Frog Lake.  It's a Native Reservation where one of our investigators live.  We were able to teach him a lesson, and we have another appointment with him tomorrow!  We also taught a couple of kids named D and A.  They're kind of rambunctious, but they've really progressed.  Tuesday night we saw the Northern Lights again!  That's the 3rd time I've seen them here.  Wednesday we went to St. Paul for District meeting.  It was fantastic.  On Thursday, we were able to teach C again!  He's progressing quite a bit.  He's going back to Edmonton for school next week, so hopefully we'll be able to teach him one more time before he goes.  Friday was amazing.  Elder Amundson and Elder Petersen have an investigator that goes to the Anglican Church, so every 3rd Friday the Anglicans put on a community supper.  So we always volunteer there.  This time they were making breakfast for supper.  So I got to make the pancakes.  I love cooking so it was pretty much the funnest thing I did that day.  Every Friday night we have volleyball night, and this week one of our investigators came!!  It was so much fun.  Saturday we split wood and washed the truck.  And helped shovel some driveways.  I love being here.  The weather wasn't too bad, there was only one day this week that got down to -35 C.  The rest of the week it's been a balmy -15 C.  I love it.

A little message for everyone.  Prayer is an amazing thing.  I love it.  We can talk to our Heavenly Father, and he'll answer us.  It might not be the way we want, or when we want, but he will answer our prayers.  We need to align our will with his.  If we trust God and go where he wants us to go, our lives will be a little bit easier than if we had just gone our own way.


Have a wonderful week everybody!

Email from Elder Lofthouse 2/17/15 Different P Day

This week Pday got moved to Tuesday!  Yesterday was family day, so President Manion told us to go out and do some proselyting and do pday today instead.  So we did.  

This week was pretty great.  We went to OJ's on Tuesday again.  Wing day is the best.  Wednesday we were able to go down to Frog Lake to visit one of our investigators.  Frog Lake is about an hour away from Cherry Grove.  It's a Native Reservation.  We're going there to teach a lesson today!  We taught a couple of lessons to D and A, a couple of kids that are pretty awesome.  So yesterday (family day) was a super fun day.  There's an Air Force Base just outside Cold Lake.  Brother Wille took all 4 of us to some family day activities on base.  We were there just contacting people when out of nowhere my worst fear materialized.  A clown.  I hate clowns.  Ronald McDonald showed up out of nowhere and did a little magic show for the kids.  Then Elder Amundson and Petersen made me get a picture with him.  It was the scariest thing I've ever done in my entire life.  Clowns.  *shudder*.  

That experience made me reflect on how much the Lord helps us overcome challenges.  With the Saviors help we can overcome any obstacle.  I hope you all have a fantastic week.

Email from Elder Lofthouse 2/9/15 Ten Weeks!

I've been out almost 10 weeks now.  Time has flown by!  

This week was pretty fun.  On Tuesday we had Zone conference, so we drove down Monday night to stay at the mission home.  On our way there, my companion didn't feel good, so he grabbed a bunch of grocery bags, triple bagged them, then threw up whilst driving.  He then had me throw it out the window.  Going about 100 Kph.  It was pretty great.  The next day we had our zone conference.  it was a follow up meeting on online proselyting.  It was pretty great.  Then I had an interview with President Manion.  He's the best.  So after that I stayed in Sherwood Park on exchanges with Elder Garver.  We went tracting, and the very first door that I took lead on became a potential investigator. That's right I'm a pro.  After that house we kept going, and nobody else wanted anything to do with us.  One lady didn't even open the door!  It was pretty hilarious.  On Wednesday Elder Garver and I drove to St. Paul to exchange back.  While we were there we had a district meeting.  It was really good.  Elders Larsen, Amundson, Petersen, and I then drove back to Cold Lake.  We called to a confirm a dinner appointment, but the member wasn't going to be home, so he bought us a donair pizza instead.  It was Incredible. I love Donairs and donair pizza.  On Thursday Elder Larsen and I had to drive the other two to a seminary class they were teaching.  They're car was in the shop still.  

After they finished teaching, we went on an adventure and drove out onto the lake itself.  It was pretty awesome.  We went out about 3 km.  The Ice was really thick, probably about 5-6 feet thick.  But it was weird to think that we were driving over about 100 feet of water.  Super fun.  

After that we went and studied, and then we had lunch.  Of course we had donairs.  They're the food of amazing.  I love them.  Then we went and split more wood.  After all that we went to ward council to present the ward mission plan.  I think it's going to be great.  

The next day was also an adventure.  Elder Larsen and I ran out into the bush, and set up his hammock.  It was about -30 out, and it was awesome.  I also forgot to mention that I got a haircut.  I'm trying out a new style.  I don't have any pictures of it, but I like it.  This week was great.  We didn't have a chance to meet with C, but Whilst on exchanges, Elder Larsen and Elder Song were able to teach a couple of people.  It was a pretty good week.

Email from Elder Lofthouse 2/2/15 2 Months!

Tomorrow will be my 2 month mark.  Holy cow.  Anyway this week was super fun.  We were able to teach C again.  He's hesitant to commit to baptism, but I think that if we just keep working with him and keep trying he'll come through.  We had a really cool experience at Pizza Hut this week.  Pizza hut has a lunch buffet that we went to.  While we were sitting there, a couple came and started talking to us.  We found out that they're members from Saskatchewan just there visiting.  Then they paid for our lunch!  It was super cool.  Elder Larsen said he felt like he was in Utah!  haha. That was great.  We also found a cool little Chinese restaurant called Szcheshwan Bay.  Something like that.  It is sooo good.  I love it here.  I hope that everything is going well back in the US of A  

Also, yesterday I saw the northern lights for the first time yesterday!  Super cool.

It's not a very good picture, but here ya go!