Email from Elder Lofthouse Stranger Tides in Millwoods

This week was absolutely nuts. This has probably been the weirdest way to finish a mission ever.  I got another new companion. His name is Elder Potter, and he's from Huntington, Utah.  It was a crazy way to get him.  Here we go!

      

Tuesday was good. We went shopping, emailed, and then at 3 we went to he mission home so that Lara could talk to President. Don't know why, but it was a good visit. We got a sneak peak of the Christmas initiative. It was pretty neat. The end of the day we went to the Wrights for supper. It was awesome. After that we went and knocked a few doors, and went to bed.

      

Wednesday we went to the church and got some stuff done. After lunch we got a call from President. We went back to the mission home at 3:30, and then Lara and Rousseau both got travel plans. It was kinda nuts. The rest of the evening was uneventful. Lara and Rousseau got picked up by the APs, and then I got Elder Potter. So yes, I had 4 companions in 4 days...  Crazy, eh?

      

Thursday was good. We had district meeting, and then we went trail contacting, and then we went and got a progress record, and then we had thanksgiving supper with the Harrises. It was awesome. Then we had coordination. It was good. Really good. We had a good night. 

       

Friday was good. We did weekly planning. Getting Elder Potter up to date on the area took longer than it needed too. Then we went and walked around for a little... it wasn't all that exciting. It was a pretty decent day. 

      

Saturday was awesome. We helped someone move a piano in the afternoon. It's been a while since I've done that!  After that we went and finished weekly planning... yeah, we didn't finish it Friday. After that we walked to supper, and then we walked back.  We then stopped by the Mannings, and had an awesome visit with them. It was an awesome day. 

     

 Sunday was good. We had all our meetings, and then church. Church was awesome. After church we went to supper at the Moawads. They're an awesome family. After supper we drove to Beaumont to give a baptismal Interview. It was really good. That was the end of the day. 

      

Monday was fun. We got to go to the MCC Thrift Store!  It's been a while since I've been there. It was awesome. We had a lot of fun. We had supper at the Calverts. After supper we set up an appointment with the Smith family. We haven't seen them in a while, so that's good!  After that we stopped by some more people, but nothing cool happened. It was great, though. 

      

This week, more than anything, taught me a lesson about adapting to different situations. If we cannot learn to adapt and change with certain situations then we won't ever be able to become the person God wants us to be. As we learn from all different situations, we can grow and become someone better!  Have a good week!

Loves

Elder Rusty Lofthouse 

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet success unexpected in common hours.

-Henry David Thoreau

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/22/16 Strange things are afoot (in Canada) Ted

 This week was less stellar than last week, but it was still a super fun week.
     
Tuesday we had supper with Bishop Palmer and his family. It was pretty sweet. After that we went and knocked a few doors, and went home. Nothing too exciting.
     
Wednesday was pretty fun. We had interviews with President Pattison. He's an awesome guy.  It was a good chat. After that we went and did some street contacting and knocked some doors. It was pretty good. Then we went to Soda Jerks with Elders Hubner and Bullock. It was awesome. I love Soda Jerks. I'm definitely going to miss that place when I'm gone. After that we were going to have a lesson with the Robanskes, but they weren't available. Sad, eh?  It was a decent day.
     
Thursday was fun. We had district meeting in the morning.  After that I did some My Plan.  Yes, it was the dating and marriage section...  it was interesting. After that we went on exchanges with the Ellerslie Elders. Elder Johnston came with Elder Lara and I. It was awesome. We had a ton of fun, and we got quite a lot done. Nothing super amazing, but it was good.
     
Friday was good.  We had a pretty decent morning, and then we went and got Elder Woodruff and Richens and went to Soda Jerks for lunch....  again. It's so good!  After lunch, Elder Woodruff, Lara, and I did some weekly planning. It was pretty good, and then we went and knocked some doors and had supper. It was pretty good. Then, later that night we went on ANOTHER exchange with the Zone Leaders. Elder Bonny came with Elder Lara and I. Yes, Elder Bonny is also from Elk Ridge.  We finally got the Ridge Boys together!  Haha. It was awesome.
     
Saturday was awesome. Elder Bonny is a stud. We went trail contacting in the morning.  Surprisingly enough, there were actually people on the trail!  It was cold and snowy, but we went anyway, and there happened to be people. It was awesome. Then we went to the Gurdwara and got lunch. After lunch we went and contacted a few potentials and knocked doors along the way. It was pretty good. We were out doing that in the cold for a couple hours. It was awesome. I love the cold!  After supper we had a lesson with the Robanskes, and then exchanged back. It was an awesome day.
     
Sunday was good. Magnus and Izaak were confirmed!  Magnus got the Aaronic priesthood as well. It was an awesome day. After church we went and knocked a few doors and then went to supper with the Kenworthys. Then we knocked some more doors...  it was pretty good. We found a few potentials. It was a good day!
     
Monday was awesome. We were going to go to the MCC, but craziness happened. We got a call from the assistants in the morning telling Elder Woodruff to pass his bags.  He got sent to Leduc with Elder Johnston.  Super weird. Later in the day we got Elder Rousseau. For my last two weeks of my mission I'll have another companion!  Pretty sweet, eh?  We had a sweet lesson with Skye later in the evening.  It was awesome. It was a super sweet day!
     
This week was really good. I love being here in Canada. I'm going to miss it a ton when I leave.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior. I wouldn't be knocking doors in the cold in Alberta if I didn't know it!  I love how the gospel can change lives for the better. It's amazing!

Love you all!
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

I forgot a quote last week, so you get 2 this week!

If there are no demons within, the demons outside cannot hurt us.
-African Proverb

We grow by great dreams. All big men are dreamers.
-Woodrow Wilson

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/15/16 Temple Day!

This week was incredible!  I loved it!
     
On Tuesday we went to launchpad. It's a trampoline park that's owned by a member here in Hillview. It was awesome. After that we played sports, and then we had supper at the Halliwells. It was really good. After that we went and knocked some doors, and then exchanged with mandarin.
     
Wednesday was good. Elder Yu was with us. It was a good day. We had a lesson with Shawn, but he wasn't able to make it. So we went and did some language study, and then we had lunch and went and bus contacted. It was awesome. We had supper with the Wrights, and then we went and walked around a bit. It was a good day.
     

Us with Magnus and Izaak

Thursday was awesome!  We had a lesson set up with Ayan, but she wasn't home. After that we had ZTM. Which was really weird, because it was my last ZTM. Weird eh?  Also that day, I got my flight plans. So it was a really weird day for me. It was good, though. After ZTM we went and had a lesson and a meal with Nivee and Atul. It was awesome, and then after that we went back to the church for the baptism of Magnus and Izaak. It was awesome. There were so many people that came to support them, it was incredible!  It was an awesome night.
     
Friday was awesome as well. We had a lesson with Shawn.  As it was remembrance day,  we read Alma 46 with him. It was awesome. Right after that we went to Tim Hortons and had a lesson with Mizan, a new investigator. He wanted us to bring him a bible, and we talked about the Plan of Salvation and gave him a Book of Mormon as well. It was an awesome lesson. We had lunch, and then we went and visited Brother Blanchet.  That was awesome as well. We listened to the talk "To whom shall we go" by Elder Ballard. It was so fun!  After that we went and stopped by Ayan again, but she wasn't there. Sadly. Then we went and had supper with Sister Gregson. It was awesome, we had some super good Chinese food. Then we went and had a lesson with the Robanskes. It was an awesome day!
     
Saturday we were on exchanges. Elder Richens came with Elder Lara and I. We had an interesting day. We went bus contacting and street contacting and tracting and all that stuff. We had supper with the Carters. It was awesome. I love the Carters. It was a pretty good day.
     
Sunday was awesome. We had meetings the whole time before church, and then we had church.  Then we had a potluck after church....  yeah.  It was pretty good. The Guzmans came!  They're a less active family we were working with in our last area.  It was awesome. I loved it. At the end of the day we stopped by Fong, but she wasn't home. It was a pretty good evening.
     
Monday was crazy. And kind of boring. We had to get our apartment sprayed for cockroaches....  not fun. So we prepped it and then we had to wait to let the exterminator in, but he was about 3 hours late...   not fun. Again.  Then we had supper with the Baldersons, which was a lot of fun!  We had a good time knocking on doors, and met 3 people who want us back. Cool, eh?
     
This morning we went to the Temple. I love the Temple. I hope that everyone who has a chance to go on a regular basis goes regularly. It is a wonderful place to learn and find answers to your questions.


Have a great week!
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/8/16 It's Not Over Until We Win

This week was pretty sweet. We had some really good conversations with people. We met a lot of interesting people as well...
     
Tuesday was good. We had supper at the Bennetts. After that we were going to have a lesson with Skye, but she cancelled. So we stopped by a few people.  It was pretty okay. Nothing super exciting.
     
Wednesday was fun. We had a lesson with Shawn in the morning. We read some of the Book of Mormon with him. It was awesome. In the afternoon we went to Brother Joseph's place to help him take some leaves. It was pretty sweet. He's a really cool guy. After that we went and did some of the My Plan program. It's not the most exciting thing ever. After that we stopped by some potentials. We had supper, and then we went and tried by some more people. It was alright.
     
Thursday was awesome. We had district meeting, and then we went and walked around and knocked a few doors. It was pretty good, and we ran into a former investigator who said we could come back. So that was cool. Then we went to the Gurdwara to set up a time to volunteer. There was a little bit of a language barrier, but we are able to go whenever we want!  It's gonna be fun. After that we walked to supper with the Becks. It was awesome. After that we had coordination Meeting, and then we went home. It was a good day.
     
Friday was fun. We had another lesson with Shawn. We talked about priesthood blessings.  It was a really sweet lesson. After that we did our weekly planning.  Which isn't too exciting.  But it's necessary. Then we bussed to the farthest corner of our area and knocked some doors. It was awesome!  Then we bussed back to supper and then walked home. All in all, it was a good day.
     
Saturday was fun. We bussed to the far end of our area again, and then we walked across our area knocking on doors and talking to people. It was pretty sweet.  We talked to a lot of cool people. After all of that we had supper at the Harris' and then we went and taught the first three lessons to the Bruce Family. Three of the kids are getting baptized this Thursday. It's gonna be awesome!
     
Sunday was the North America Central area broadcast. It was really good. I was also able to meet with President Pattison and renew my temple recommend. After that we went to the top of our area and had a really interesting time knocking on doors. We met some weird people..... it was awesome. That's basically all we did that day.
     
Monday was stellar. We had a lesson with Shawn in the morning. We taught about prayer, and it was awesome. After lunch we went to the MCC Thrift Store with the Ellerslie Elders. It was a lot of fun. After that we had a lesson with Nivee and Atul, and then the Spanish Elders brought another guy that speaks Hindi, and we got to teach him as well. After supper we had another lesson with the Bruce Family. We finished the lessons, and they're good to go for Thursday. I'm so excited!  Woohoo!
     
This week was really weird. We had nothing going for us, but we kept on working.  We might not have found anyone new to teach this week, but we have a whole bunch of people who are progressing. Even if our efforts don't yield anything at the moment, the effort you put in will always come back and you will always reap the rewards. I know that's true.

Have a good week!
Loves
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

If you're already great, be better.
-Taylor, a drunk lady I met in Yellowknife

Email from Elder Lofthouse 11/1/16 Posterity

This week was pretty cool. Transfers happened, which is always exciting. My newest companion is a super cool guy.
   
Tuesday we got transfer calls.  As you know, Elder Lara and I are training!  That means I'll have been training for the last 18 weeks of my mission. Pretty neat, eh?  It was a crazy day. We had a lesson set up with the Bruce family, but they weren't home. It was kinda sad. All in all it was a pretty good day, though.
   
Wednesday we drove to the Riverbend Stake Centre for the trainers meeting. It was pretty good. The best part was when we got to meet out Greenie. His name is Elder Woodruff. Elder Woodruff is a pretty stellar guy. He's from Innisfail, which is about 20 minutes south of Red Deer. He is currently waiting for a visa to go to Guam. So that's neat!  The other cool part is that Elder Hubner is training as well!  Somebody I trained is training, so that's super cool. I'll attach the posterity picture at the end. It was a lot of fun. After transfers, we went and dropped of his stuff at the apartment. Then we set up his iPad, had a lesson with Nivee and Atul, and then we had supper with the Hinmans. It was really good! I don't think we did anything else amazing in the evening.

   
Thursday was awesome. We had district meeting in the morning, which was good. After that we had to drive Elder Cheng to the Coronation Park apartment.  His companion spent a few days in the hospital, so Elder Cheng was with Ellerslie.  We dropped him off, and then we went back, did 12 week and My Plan, and then we went and had supper with Nivee and Atul. It was awesome. We went to coordination Meeting after that. It was a good day.
   

Friday was interesting. We did our studies, and then we did some weekly planning. It was rather boring...  after that we went and knocked a few doors With Brother Joseph. It was awesome. We met a lady named Kara who said we could come back!  It was awesome. After that we went back to the church to put in some records into the Areabook Planner app. It takes forever to put stuff in, but it's gonna be a good thing to have once everything is put in, but it sucks putting it in. After that we had supper with the Gateway YSA elders, and then did splits with them. Elder Lara and I took Elder Bullock to visit Judy and Clyde, but they weren't home. so we knocked a few doors. It was pretty good. We stopped by Carlos afterwards, and we got in!  It was awesome. He's a super cool guy. It was an awesome day.
   
Saturday was good.  In the afternoon we went and helped a lady move into the Ward, and then we went and had a lesson with Brother Blanchet. It was awesome. He's a cool guy. After that we ate supper with the Steeds, and then we had a lesson with the Robanskes. It was a really fun day!
   
Sunday was great. We had Ward Council, and then we had church. I loved church.  It was the primary presentation!!  It was awesome. After church we had supper with Sister Randeau, and some of her friends. It was really good. Then we walked across the area to go visit Fong, but she wasn't home, so we walked home.
   
Monday was Halloween!  We went and volunteered at the MCC Thrift Store.  It was awesome. We had supper with the Andersons. Their family tradition is pizza and candy for Halloween supper.... haha. It was awesome. We had to be in early because it was Halloween. So nothing else happened.
   

This week was awesome. I love it here in the Canada. I know that this church is true, and that Jesus Christ is our savior.

Loves!
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Vision without action is a daydream. Action without vision is a nightmare.
-Japanese Proverb

Email from Elder Lofthouse 10/25/16 Beginning of the End

This week has been awesome!  We've had a lot of miracles happen, and we've been really busy. It's been fun!  Transfer calls also happened, so there's going to be some surprises here at the end!
     
Tuesday was cool. After P- day we went and had supper with the Bennetts. They're super cool.  Bro. Bustamante was there as well, along with Sis. Johal. It was a really fun supper. After that we went and knocked a few doors. It was a good day.
     
Wednesday we had ZTM in the morning. It was pretty good. ZTM, or any meeting for that matter, isn't my favorite thing to do, but it's necessary. It was good, though. After that we exchanged with Ellerslie. Elder Orton and I got to do one last Exchange before he leaves. He goes home this week!  It was a lot of fun, and we got to teach Amber and her daughter.  They got baptized on Saturday. It was a good day.
     
Thursday we made crepes for district lunch.  It was awesome. We had all sorts of crepe stuff as well. It was awesome. Lunch was great. After that I started the My Plan program. It kinda freaks me out that I only have 6 weeks left..... yikes.  Haha. After that we went and had supper with the Carters, and then had a lesson with a lady named Skye. It was an awesome visit, and she said she'd come to church not this Sunday, but next Sunday!  I'm stoked!
     
Friday was awesome. We had a lesson with Shawn.  We've finished teaching him all the lessons, so we started reading the Book of Mormon with him. After that we went and weekly planned, and then we went and visited some people with Bro. Joseph. It was a lot of fun, and we met some cool people. It was a lot of fun. After that we had supper with the Strongs. It was really good, and then we went to the church to give a baptismal interview.  It was for Amber and daughter. While we were there, Amber's other daughter fell off of something and broke her arm, so we had to go to the ER and get it checked out. It was sure exciting. That took up the rest of the night.
     
Saturday was interesting. The traveling APs picked up Elder Wood in the morning, and took him out for the day. So it was just Elder Lara and I. It was pretty fun. We went to the baptism in the afternoon, and then we went and had supper with the Moores. After that we stopped by a few people, but no one was home.  It was kinda sad, but it's okay.
     
Sunday was crazy. Elder Wood went with the Traveling APs again.  Elder Lara and I went to church.  It was Ward conference, and we got a new bishopric in Hillview!  It was pretty exciting.  It's gonna be interesting working with a new bishopric in the Ward. I'm excited for it!  After church we went and tried to contact a referral we got yesterday, but they weren't home.  It was a pretty fun night. Nothing too crazy happened, but it was fun.
     
Monday was interesting. We found out that we had an exterminator coming the next day and we had to prep the apartment for it.....  it wasn't too bad. After that we got the Areabook Planner app!  So now we need to transfer all of our records to the app, and then everything will be digital. Pretty cool, eh? After putting in some records we had supper with the Zemps. The rest of the evening was uneventful.
     
Now I'm sure you're all in suspense about transfers....  well, for my last six weeks I'm going to be in Hillview with Elder Lara!  That's not all, though. We're going to be training a new missionary!!  How cool is that?  Elder Wood is going to Greisbach with Elder Wood . Yes, both Elder Woods in the mission are going to be companions. That's awesome!

Loves
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

The rung of a ladder was never meant to rest upon, but only to hold a man's foot long enough to enable him to put the other somewhat higher.
-Thomas Henry Huxley

Email from Elder Lofthouse 10/18/16 A New Companion

This week was absolutely insane. There was some crazy stuff that happened. Enjoy!
     
Tuesday we had supper with the Bohles. It was pretty good, and then we went and exchanged with the Zone Leaders. Elder Wilde and I went back down to Leduc. It was an good evening.
     
Wednesday was fun. Elder Wilde and I had a blast!  We had lunch with the Patricks. It was awesome!  They were up in Whitehorse while I was in Dawson Creek and we talked with them on the phone a couple of times when one of our investigators moved up there. It was cool to meet them in person. We got a call from President around that time as well. We found out some crazy stuff was going to happen the next day!  Anyway, we went and taught a few lessons, and then we went and ate supper, and then had a sweet lesson with a less active lady. It was awesome. After that we exchanged back.
     
Thursday morning we drove to the Riverbend Stake Centre for the crazy stuff. We are in a tripan again!  Elder Lara came to Hillview with Elder Wood and I. It's great. Elder Lara is a super cool guy. We went to district meeting after that, and then we went and walked around a did some street contacting.  It was a good time. We had supper with Sister Muñoz after that. It was awesome. We had papusas again. They're so good. After all that we went and stopped by a few people. No one was home, though. It was still a good day.
     
Friday was really weird. We started our weekly planning, and then dropped off a bunch of stuff at the Ellerslie Elders place. Then we went to the office, and came back and finished our weekly planning. It was interesting. The best part was we got a whole bunch of snow!  We probably got 3-4 inches, so not a whole lot, but it's still October, so it's a lot. After weekly planning, we went to supper, which also happened to be the Elders quorum party. It was pretty sweet. We got to introduce Elder Lara to a bunch of people, so it was good. Then we exchanged with the Mandarin Elders.
     
Saturday I was with Elder Yu.  He is awesome!  We did some street contacting and door knocking in the morning. It was pretty good. We met a few people who said we could come back, so that's cool. It was really interesting in the afternoon.  I was the only English speaker at the institute with a bunch of Mandarin speakers. The language is super cool to listen too, though. Haha. After that we went and had supper with a super cool family. It was a lot of fun. We had a really fun day. We exchanged back in the evening.
     
Sunday was interesting. We had Ward council in the morning, and then we had lunch. Church was really good. After church we had supper with the Dorwards. They're a super cool family. The rest of the day was kinda sad. All of our appointments cancelled, and so we knocked some doors. It was just a bland evening.
     
Monday was good.
     
This week was really interesting. I tend to have to be taught the same lesson 4, 5, maybe 10 times before I get it. This week I figured out that living life timidly, worrying about this and that, and worrying more about what people think of you will never get you anywhere in life. If you really want to live life, then you have to be bold!  You have to take chances!  Above all else, you have to care about what God thinks about you. If you keep yourself worthy of the spirit at all times, and work toward your goals like there is no tomorrow, life is amazing. Don't fear man, and trust in God.

I love you all, and hope you have a wonderful week!
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

It is better to live one day as a lion than 1000 years as a sheep.
-Tibetan Proverb

Email from Elder Lofthouse 10/11/16 Death Metal, Norse Gods, and More!

This week was a little bit crazy, but it was still good
     
Tuesday was a lot of fun. We went to the West Edmonton Mall. It's awesome!  I'll attach some sweet pictures we got with a new Lamborghini Aventador. It was awesome!  Anyway, after the WEM, we went and had supper with the Krytrons, and then we had a lesson with Joe and Harriet. It was awesome. They're super solid!  That night we exchanged with Beaumont. I went down to Beaumont with Elder Richens and Elder Mcnamara. It was great!
     
Wednesday was pretty good. In the morning we went and tried wheat grass juice...  I wouldn't wish that on anyone....  it was pretty gross. I know it's good for me, but it was disgusting. We went to McDonald's for lunch to try and get the taste of grass out of our mouths. There we talked to a kid named Henry, who tried to bash with us a little. It was a really weird situation. After lunch we went and had a meeting with the Ward mission leader in Ellerslie. It was a good meeting. After that we volunteered at the MCC thrift store. It was pretty good. After that we gave Spencer a blessing, and then we went and had supper. It was super good. After that we stopped by a few potentials. Then we exchanged back.
     
Thursday was good. We had district meeting in the morning. District meetings are good, but sometimes they're crazy. They're still good. After district meeting we went to the library real quick to email President about something. It was quick, and then we walked around a little and talked to people. After that we went to supper with the Orrs, and then we went to coordination meeting with Brother Harris and Brother Beck.   It was a good evening!
     
Friday was pretty good. We had a lesson with Shawn in the morning, and then we went and did our weekly planning. I am still not a fan of weekly planning. It's just not enjoyable, but we do it!  After that we went to Soda Jerks for supper with the Gateway and Mt Pleasant Elders. It was pretty sweet.  Yes, I put mini donuts on my hamburger, and it was surprisingly good!  Haha. After that we went with the Spanish Elders to visit a lady that they tracted into. It was interesting.  We exchanged with the Mandarin Elders that night.
   
Saturday was awesome. Elder Howlett and I had a lot of fun. We didn't really have anything to do, so we knocked on doors most of the day. It was super cool!  We met a guy who worships the Norse gods, we met a Spanish lady that was somewhat interested, and then we met a Syrian family that only spoke Arabic. We had a conversation with them using Google Translate on one of their phones. We asked them if they wanted to learn more about Jesus Christ, and they got super excited!  We just need to find someone who speaks Arabic to come with us. It was a lot of fun. We had supper with the Hughes family. Because it's thanksgiving weekend, they had a bunch of their family over. We met a guy named Corey who was pretty cool. He was really surprised that I like metal.... haha. It was a super fun day!
     
Sunday was good. We did our usual studies, and then we went to Beaumont so I could give a baptismal interview. Then we went to church!  Church was good, as usual. It's always fun to come to church. After church we went and knocked some doors, and then went to have thanksgiving dinner with Bishop Moawads family. It was awesome, they're all super cool people. And Bishop's mom speaks Arabic, and she said she's willing to help us out with that Syrian family we met on Saturday!  It's gonna be fun!  Later on in the evening we went and had a quick visit with Fong. We read Jacob 1 together.  It was a good visit. She's awesome!
     
Monday was interesting. Yes, it was thanksgiving!  I love thanksgiving. This was my second Canadian thanksgiving with snow on the ground, too. Haha. Last year I was in Yellowknife, though, so I'm not sure if that's fair... :) anyway, it was good.  We had a lot of fun. We didn't have any lessons, but we did have some awesome supper with the Andersons. I love thanksgiving. It's the best!
     
This week I heard this quote. I might have shared it already, but it is awesome. "He who says he can, and he who says he can't, are both usually right". I love this. If we believe that we can do something, if we believe that we are capable of something, then we'll be able to do it!  If not, then we won't be able to accomplish much.  Having a positive attitude and being optimistic about the future is exactly what the gospel is all about!  We can be happy and hopeful about the future. Because of Jesus Christ's sacrifice, we don't have to worry about what's going to happen to us, as long as we DO what we're supposed to do. It's an amazing thing, the atonement. I challenge all of you to study a little bit more about it this week. It'll deepen your love for Christ, I promise!

Have a good week!
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

"If you were going to quit, you should have quit a long time ago.  You've come too far to quit now!"
-Unknown

Email from Elder Lofthouse 10/4/16 WEM

This week was pretty good. Elder Wood and I worked hard, and had a lot of fun times!  Today we're exploring the west Edmonton mall. It's super cool!  It's the 10 th biggest mall in the world.  There's some cool stuff here.
     
Tuesday was good. After preparation day, we went and had supper and then talked to people on the street. We had a few good conversations, but no new investigators.  Then we exchanged with Beaumont. But, before that, I saw something I didn't think I'd see again on my mission.....  we saw the northern lights from our balcony in the city of Edmonton!!!  I love the lights!
     
Wednesday was good. We had a lot of fun. The best part of the evening was visiting the Ackroyds and the Robanskes. Here both really cool families. Elder Meldrum knew the Ackroyds from one of his past areas!  It was really neat. After all that we drove back to Exchange back, and we saw the lights again driving back to Edmonton!
     
Thursday was interesting. We had district meeting, which is fun. I enjoy giving the trainings.  After district meeting we went bus contacting. We're not getting bus passes next month, so we're using them as much as we can for the next 2 days. After that we had supper with the Strongs, and then we had coordination with Beother Harris. It was a decent day.
     
Friday was less interesting.  We did our weekly planning, and then we went bus contacting for a couple hours. We're not getting bus passes next month, so it was the last day that we could use them. So we did!  Sadly, our lesson later in the afternoon canceled.  So we went and knocked a few doors. Nothing too exciting happened.
     
Saturday was conference!  It was awesome, I love General Conference. It was a lot of fun. I took Elder Wood to get poutine for the first time between sessions.... he loved it!  Haha. All of Saturday was spent at the church for conference.
     
Sunday was also spent at conference. I love that we have living Prophets and Apostles to give us words of inspiration. If we follow their council, we won't go astray!  We had supper with the Halliwells, and then we knocked some doors. It was a good day.
     
Monday was awesome. We went to the thrift store to volunteer. It was fun, as usual. Elder Wood and I are getting really good at sorting and hanging clothes!  Haha. After that we had supper with the Gilsons. They're a super awesome family. It was a pretty fun day!
     
I really liked President Nelson's talk about joy. Joy is a choice, and the choice is to follow Christ. If you choose to follow Christ and live his teachings, you'll be happy!  It's something that I've truly come to know on my mission. No matter what your circumstances are, you can be happy!
 
Loves
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Ah yes, the past can hurt. But the way I see it, you can either run from it, or, learn from it.
-Rafiki

Email from Elder Lofthouse 9/27/16

This week was really tough. I'm not saying it was a bad week, it was just really tough. Not sure why it was, though....
     
Tuesday is always fun. P-day is a very fun day. We did the normal stuff, and then we had supper with the Becks. Our appointment for that night cancelled, so we helped Brother Beck fix one of the brakes on his car, and then we went bus contacting. It's pretty fun, bus contacting is.
     
Wednesday we had ZTM. It was a pretty good meeting, but I get so bored during meetings. I know, they're necessary, but I'd rather be out talking to more people. That's just me, though. After ZTM we ate supper, and then we went street/Trail contacting. There's a really cool walking trail that extends from one end of our area to the other, so we walked down that and talked to people. It was awesome. That took up the rest of the day.
     
Thursday was interesting. We didn't have district meeting, due to ZTM the day before. We walked around a little bit in the morning, and stopped by a few potential investigators. We had lunch after that, and then we went on Brother Joseph's house, and he introduced us to a bunch of his neighbors. It was super cool. After that we walked back to the church, and then drove to supper.  We had supper with the Spanish missionaries. It was a really good supper. After supper not a whole lot happened.
   
Friday was pretty good. We did our weekly planning in the morning, and then we went and helped Sister Strong clean up the Anderson's yard. They've been going through some rough times right now, so we helped them out. While we were there a really angry guy came up to us and asked us who we are, and then he stormed inside the house...  it was interesting.  After that we went and knocked a few doors, and then ate supper. After supper we went to a lesson with the Meadows Sisters, and it was pretty rough. The guy we were teaching only wanted to bash. It was really hard for me not to jump in with both feet and start going... but I Didn't! It was good. After that Elder Wood went to a lesson with Elder Hubner, and Elder McWilliams and I drove to Leduc to exchange with the ZLs. Then Elder Klunker and I drove back, and we met up with Hubner and Wood.  Elder Wood and I then went home!
     
Saturday was really interesting. We did our studies, and then we had a lesson with Shawn. It was a really good lesson. I'm super excited for him to keep progressing like he has. I love teaching him. After our lesson we went and stopped by some people, and then we went to a baptism. After the baptism we walked to supper, but then she wasn't able to feed us, so we got the food, and bussed home so that we could eat. It was a pretty good meal. It was an interesting day.
     
Sundays are always great. We had Ward Council in the morning, and then we went and invited a bunch of people to church. We met a guy that we're going to start teaching soon named Joseph Smith!  How cool is that?  Haha. So we went to church, and then we went and stopped by a bunch of Less Active members. We met the Ackroyd family. They're awesome, and we scheduled another appointment with them next week!  That was the rest of our night.
     
Monday was fun. We had another lesson with Shawn.  He's just awesome. After that we ate lunch, and then we went to the MCC Thrift Store for service. It's a lot of fun, going there. After that we went to the library to meet with Romadon, but he didn't show up... :( but we found out he got called into work, so it was okay. After that we had supper with the Kenworthys. They're an awesome family. The end of the night we stopped by a bunch of potentials. It was a good day.
     
This week I learned that sometimes we just have to keep going.  Even if we don't see anything like success, if we have faith, we'll be able to keep going. Faith is the key to successful life. We have to have faith that eventually things will work out. The only time you will actually lose at life is if you quit, and you stop trying. Don't ever stop trying!

Have a wonderful week!
Ofa Ma'oni
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

So, we'll let 'em say that we're dead and too far gone
Nothing can stop us now from what we will become
'Cause there's a power in belief
This is the power of belief
- Ice Nine Kills

Email from Elder Lofthouse 9/20/16 Amazing Taste How Sweet the Pound (Cake)

Good Afternoon, everyone!  This week was sure fun, as usual.  It was a little bit of a slow week, but it was still fun.
     
Tuesday was good.  After all of our Preparation Day stuff, we had supper, and then we went and walked around the trails of Millwoods to talk to people.  It wasn't the best, but it was good.
     
Wednesday was better.  We had a lesson with Shawn, and we got him on date for October 1st!  I'm super excited.  He's a stellar guy.  It was a great lesson.  After lunch we did nothing exceptional, but it was a good day.  We mostly rode the bus around to talk to people.  It was pretty good.  After supper we tried by some people but nobody was home.  It was still a super stellar day!
     
Thursday was really fun.  We had district meeting in the morning, and then we went and had lunch.  We stopped by a couple of people who said we could come back, but nobody was home.  The afternoon is not the best people to find people home..... Who knew?  haha.  After supper we rode the bus around some more.  It's nice having bus passes.  Bus contacting is pretty fun!
     
Friday we had another lesson with Shawn.  It was good, and He's super excited for his baptism.  After our lesson we did weekly planning.  It always takes a while, and it's not super exciting, but it's better to be prepared for stuff than to just wing it!  Doesn't make it any better.  In the evening we knocked a few doors, but nothing exciting happened.
     
Saturday was pretty fun.  We had a lesson in the afternoon that fell through, so I guess we didn't have a lesson.... So most of the day we talked to people on the streets and on the bus.
     
Sunday was great.  We had stake conference.  Elder Useda of the Seventy came.  It was an awesome meeting.  There were so many people there was standing room only.  It was super cool.  After that we went to teach Joe Smith, but he wasn't home.  We had supper and then went to the Demeyer Carter family's house..... That was no fun.  We got dropped by them.  Sad, eh?
     
Monday was super good.  We had a lesson with Shawn in the morning, and then we went to the MCC Thrift store in the after noon.  It's always fun to volunteer there.  After that we had a lesson with Romadon.  It went well, and we had a good discussion about justice and mercy.  After that we ate supper, and then we went and did some street contacting. It was a really good day!
     
This week was interesting.  We have to keep on going if we want to win life.  Basically the only time you lose is if you give up.  So don't give up!  It's as simple as that!  Keep going through all the dissapointment, pain, and tragedy, and you'll win.  There is no such thing as losing unless you quit.  So just don't.  Deal?

Loves
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

This is our moment
Will you stand with me?
Hope is not lost
Hope is not lost
- Killswitch Engage

Email from Elder Lofthouse 9/13/16

This week was super interesting. It was a lot of fun.  Sadly, football season is underway, and some sad things happened, so we're not gonna talk about it.
   
Tuesday was pretty good. We had an awesome day. We had supper with the Baldersons, who are awesome. After supper we met a guy who is an ancient Chinese anthropologist. Pretty cool, hey?  It was really cool. After that we went and planned. We didn't have a car last week, so we were bussing and walking everywhere. It's different, that's for sure.
   
Wednesday was pretty good. We went to Boston Pizza for Sister Gambler's birthday. After that we went to the office real quick so we could drop off some stuff. After that we did some bus contacting. It was alright.  The best part of he night was supper. We had supper with the Orrs.  The Tagalog Elders were there as well. It was just awesome. It was an uneventful night after that.
   
Thursday was fun. We had District meeting, and then we ate lunch. We had all sorts of stuff.  Ribs, salad, peach cobbler, it was awesome!   After that we went and did 12 week. Other than that, not too much happened. We had supper with the Strongs, and then We had coordination with Brother Beck and Brother Harris. It was all in preparation for the #yegmormon day on Saturday. We exchanged with Leduc after that.
 
Friday was fun. Elder Petersen and I had a lot of fun in Leduc. If you remember, Elder Petersen was in Cold Lake while I was getting trained in Cherry Grove. That was 18 months ago that I left Cherry Grove.  I can't believe it's been that long!  It was a really good day, and during supper we tried three of the hottest sauces known to man. The first one was Sudden Death, the second was Possible Side Effects, and the hottest one was called East Armageddon. It was awesome. We literally dipped a toothpick about a quarter inch into the hottest one, and licked it off the toothpick.  It was awesome. I need to find these sauces (birthday gift, Mom?) Other than that the evening was uneventful. We exchanged back that night.
   

Here's a sweet picture from Saturday Night

Saturday was the Missionary Media Day!  It was pretty good. We did our studies in the morning, and then we went and helped shovel gravel for a couple hours for service. It was super fun. After that we had a lesson with Skye, but she had to reschedule, so we just did some stop bys. After that we went to the Ward picnic, which had to change l cations at the last minute due to the Edmonton Eskimos game. They were playing the Calgary Stampeders, so of course it was a big game. If you take BYU and Utah and multiply it by 10, you have a small portion of the Edmonton-Calgary rivalry. Haha. After the picnic we went and did some street contacting and door knocking. It was a pretty good day.
 
Sunday was crazy. First off, it was snowing in the morning. Not a whole lot, and none of it stuck, but it was definitely snowing. :) We walked to Ward council, and then back to our apartment, ate lunch, and then walked back for church. After church we took the bus to the Zobells for supper. They're an awesome family. We then went to Israel's place, but he asked us to come back Monday. Not much happened after that. It took most of the evening to get back.
   
Monday was fun. We went to the MCC Thrift Store in the afternoon for service. It was fun, as usual. We got to sort through a bunch of ties, and there were some pretty nasty ones. Haha. If you ever need an ugly tie, go to a thrift store. They have TONS!  After that we went and had supper with the Calverts. The Mandarin Elders were there as well. It was good. We delivered fliers for the food drive this weekend after supper. It was a good day.
   
This week was really good. I know that God is leading the way in this work. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and Joseph Smith was called to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the earth again. I hope you all have a good week!

Loves
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

I won’t be beaten or broken
I’ll reclaim what was stolen
This is who I’ve become
What once was weak is now strong
-Chelsea Grin

Email from Elder Lofthouse 9/6/16 Exchanges Galore!

This week was really fun, but kinda crazy. It was good, overall.
     
So Tuesday was fun. We did the normal preparation day stuff, so that was good. A normal P-day consists of cleaning, shopping, emailing, and ultimate frisbee. It's. Lot of fun.   After that we had supper at the Krytons. They're a super cool family.  After that we knocked a few doors.  It was a pretty good day.

Wednesday was pretty crazy. We had a lesson with Shawn in the morning. It went really well. After that, we helped Deanna, one of our investigators, move. The Ellerslie Elders were able to come and help for a little, and Deanna's boys were going to help a little, but they just got high and drunk instead. It was a little frustrating, but we got it all done. After that we went to a meeting for the #yegmormon day. It's basically a media split that's happening in September 10. We'll have members of the Ward follow us around taking pictures and posting them. It's gonna be a lot of fun. After that we had supper with the Burrs. It was awesome.  After that we went and helped a lady move from our Ward to Ellerslie Ward. It was a good night.

Thursday was a lot of meetings....  We had district meeting in the morning, and then we went to the follow up new missionary meeting. Surprisingly enough,  it's the first time I've been to one of those as well!  We skyped in when I was in Cherry Grove being trained, and then we skyped in in Dawson Creek when I was training Elder Hubner. So it was my first time at the meeting, along with Elder Wood. It was good.After that we got to see Vivian!  She's still awesome, as usual. We had supper with the Hinmans.  Again, it was really good, and the Hinmans are awesome. We had coordination with Brother Beck and Brother Harris after that. It was a really long day.

Friday was pretty sweet. We did weekly planning, which took way longer than it needed to. Always. :/ After that we went and walked around a little bit. We had supper with the Strongs. We had the best ribs I've had in a long time. I love ribs....  After that we knocked a few more doors, and then we went to exchange with Beaumont.

Saturday I was in Beaumont with Elder Meldrum. It was a pretty fun day. We mostly stopped by people, and we had some good conversations with people. It was really cool. That's basically all we did all day. We exchanged back later that evening.

Sunday was a lot of fun. We went to church, and fast Sunday's are always fun, and then there was a potluck after church!!  Shawn came to church, as well, so that's good. After church we walked to an appointment, and had a really cool lesson with Alex and Bruce. After that we did ANOTHER exchange. Elder Wood went wish Elder Czech to Ellerslie. Elder Orton and I stayed in Hillview.

Monday was a lot of fun. We mostly went finding, which is exciting. The best part was I went bus contacting for the first time! It was a lot of fun. We had lunch at the Gurdwara.  It's a Sikh temple, and it was pretty neat. Nothing else really awesome happened, but it was pretty fun.

This week was awesome!  It was a lot of fun.  It'll be a good
week this next week as well.



Loves
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Email from Elder Lofthouse 8/30/16 Down, Set, Hut!

  This week was pretty good. We had fun, and we worked hard. It's starting to feel like fall up here, and it's football season!  :)
 
Tuesday we had fun. We had supper at the Bennetts. They're pretty cool, and we helped move some bricks.  It was pretty good. After that we had a meeting with Bishop Moawad. After that we went on exchanges with Ellerslie. I went to Ellerslie with Elder Czech.
 
Wednesday was a ton of fun. Elder Czech is an awesome guy. We had a lot of fun. we went and knocked some doors, and then street contacted. We got to go to the Thrift Store and help out. After that we went and did some more street contacting. We had a lesson set up with a guy named Pat, but it fell through. After all that we had a really late supper, and then exchanged back.
 
Thursday was fun. We had district meeting in the morning. District meeting is always a fun time. After lunch we did 12 week, and then we went and stopped by as many people as we could. It was pretty good, but no one was home. As we were walking around, we met a less active member named Israel. He seemed pretty cool and said he was going to call us and have us over! It was awesome. We had supper with the Habings.  They're an awesome family. It was a lot of fun, and we got a couple referrals from it!  We had coordination at the end of the night with Brother Beck and Brother Harris. It was a really fun day.
 
Friday was alright. I woke up feeling icky, but it was weekly planning day, so it was pretty chill. After we ended weekly planning for the day, we went and tried by a bunch more less actives. We haven't gotten to see them yet, but it'll happen. After we knocked some doors, we ate supper. And then we had a lesson with the Johnstons, one of the families in the ward. Then we knocked on a few more doors. It was awesome.
 
Saturday was great. We had a lesson with Shawn. He's doing well.We're hoping to get him on date the next time we see him. It's going to be a lot of fun!  Then we went and saw Deanna. She's moving next week, so we helped her pack a little bit. It was good. After that we had lunch and then went and stopped by a couple people. Wait, before that we finished weekly planning. It was pretty good. We helped Sister Gregson take a whole bunch of stuff to Goodwill. It was a pretty good break from the normal stuff. After that we went and did splits with the YSA Elders. That's right, I got to go with Elder Hubner again!  It was awesome, and we got to see a couple families from Dawson Creek while we were together. It was an awesome evening. It was a good day.
 
Sunday was nice. We had Ward council in the morning. It's always good. After that we ate lunch, and went to church. Church is always fun. We had some good lessons. After church we did 12 week, and then we went to supper. It was awesome!  After supper we stopped by some people. We got to set up a time with the Demeyer-Carter family for next week, we set up a lesson with Fong next week, and then we set up a lesson with the Mannings next week. We also were able to have a lesson with Brother Fletcher.  He's pretty cool. It was a pretty good day, and we had fun.
 
Monday was awesome. We saw Deanna again in the morning. We got to meet her two sons, and we gave them a copy of the Book of Mormon. It was awesome!  After that we ate lunch, and then went to the MCC Thrift Store. We got to tag and hang clothes again. We were going to see Lori, but she cancelled again. Sad, eh?  We had supper with the Zemps, and then we went and helped someone move into the Ward. It was a fun evening!
 
This week was pretty cool. It's pretty amazing to see miracles happen when one tries to do the will of God. Being a missionary is super fun. It is the hardest thing I've ever done, but it's also the best experience I've ever had. I love it here in Canada!

Loves
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his
punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.
-Oscar Wilde

Email from Elder Lofthouse 8/23/16 "Our Trio's Down to Two."

This week was a really busy week, but it was also really good. We
had a lot of fun stuff happen!
 
Tuesday was good. We had supper with the Andersons, and then we met with Brother Kryton, the Elders quorum president.  He's a super cool guy.  We discussed some people to go stop by and who we could go visit. After that we exchanged with Beaumont. I went to Beaumont with Elder Pouliot and Elder McNamara. They're also in a tripan, so it worked out!

Wednesday was super fun. We went and helped a member weed her garden. It was a lot of fun. We went and had lunch, and then we   Went and tried by some potentials and less actives. We had supper with the Sorensons. It was a lot of fun. Then we got to visit another family. I don't remember their names, but they were super cool. Then we went and exchanged back!

Thursday was pretty fun. We had a lesson with Brother Blanchet. He's a member from Montreal!  He's a super funny guy. He calls us the "three musketeers", but with a French accent so it sounds like "tree musketeers". It's awesome. After lunch we went and helped Sister Burr, the Relief Society President, paint a fence. Sadly, it started to rain while we were painting, but we had a coordination meeting with her as well. we have our work cut out for us!  After that we had a super fun lesson with Curtis. It was a really good lesson. After that we had supper at the Becks. They're awesome. We then had coordination with Bro Beck and Bro Harris. It was really good. This Ward is awesome.

Friday was a really interesting. We had Zone Conference in the morning. It was really good. We had a really good training. After Zone Conference, we went to the library to teach Rahmadahn. It was a really interesting lesson. We taught him a little, and he taught us a little about Islam. It was a really, really weird. We're going to teach him again next week. We'll see how it goes. After that we had supper with the Moores. They're also an awesome family. This Ward just gets better and better. Nothing else really happened that day.
 

Dropping Elder Thomas off at the mission home.

Saturday was really weird.  It was really good though.  In the morning we went and had breakfast at Denny's. It was super good, and then we went and did some stuff to prep for tomorrow. We had lunch and then we went and had a Passover lesson with the Spanish Elders, but it fell through. They are going to come to church tomorrow, though!  We went and had supper with the Harris family, and then we had a lesson with Gurpal, a recent convert. She's super cool. It was a really good day, overall.

Sunday was really weird. We got a call in the morning from a counsellor in the Elders quorum asking if we would teach. So we did.... The lesson was on eternal marriage!  Very fitting for Elder Thomas's last day in the mission. Haha. It was really good. After church we stopped by a few people, and then we went to the mission home. We had supper, and I got to see Elders Powell, Campbell, and Kamea again!  It was a lot of fun. Then we visited Sister Saunders again, and then Elder Wood and I drove back to Millwoods.  The tri-pan was fun, but it's good to be back to a regular companionship.

Monday was interesting. We did our studies and stuff, and then we went to the MCC Thrift Store. We got to help sort, price, tag, and put clothes out on the floor. It was actually quite enjoyable. After that we went and gave another Elder a blessing. He's not been feeling well the passed few days. Then we went to the library and had another lesson with Ramahdan.  Again, it was really interesting.... It's weird teaching people who are also trying to teach you. He does have some good questions, though. We had supper, and then we went to get Elder Wood a coat. That's kind of important here in Canada. :)

This week was just an all around weird week. From exchanges in Beaumont, to teaching Ramahdan (if you couldn't tell, I don't know how to spell his name), to dropping off Elder Thomas at the mission home. Things in life just happen. Life moves on whether we want it to or not. The trick is to enjoy the journey. Enjoy the little things, and take a few moments to enjoy what matters most. It's easy to get caught up in the day to day activities we have to do, but if we take a look around once in a while, it can be the best thing ever.

Have a wonderful week
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

You know you'll never be the same
If you take your chance and make yourself a name
I know you're not already done
Let's stay on the run
-Chunk, No Captain Chunk!

Email from Elder Lofthouse 8/16/16 Craziness

This week was super fun. We saw a lot of miracles, and it was awesome!
   
Tuesday evening we had supper with the Baldersons. They're a super cool family, and we had some really good curry. Sadly, our appointment canceled on us in the evening, so we didn't get to see her.

Wednesday was super cool. We had a lesson with Shawn. He's on date for August 27!  We had a really good lesson on the Plan of Salvation.  I love the Plan of Salvation. It puts everything into perspective, and helps us know why we're here. After that we had wings at Boston Pizza for lunch..... :)  after lunch and some administrative stuff, we had a lesson with Curtis. He's another investigator. The Tagalog Elders had been teaching him, b cause he didn't want to meet with Sisters, but now we're here, so he's ok to meet with us. We had supper with Brother Carter. He's super awesome. The rest of the evening was uneventful.
   
Thursday was pretty fun. District meeting went way better than I thought it would. So that was good. In the late afternoon we went to Sister Muñoz' place and helped her make supper.  We made papusas!  I love em!  We helped her make those, ate them, and then we went to Ward coordination. It was good, and we have a lot of people that we're trying to work with. It was a good meeting. After that we exchanged with Leduc. Elder Baldridge came here with Elder Wood and I.

Friday was super cool. We did our studies in the morning, and then we helped the Ellerslie Elders with a move. We did that for a little bit, and then we stopped by a bunch of Less active members. We met Ray, who talked to us for about 45 minutes on the porch.  He's a pretty cool guy. Then we met the Hughes family. They have got to be one of the coolest families I have ever met. They invited us in, and we had supper with them. It was awesome. They're a super funny family. After that we had a lesson fall through, again. It was still an awesome day.

Saturday we went to a baptism!  The Lakewood Sisters had a baptism. We invited Shawn, and he came!  He loved it. The rest of the day was weekly planning, and then we went to another baptism. I got to see Elder Kamea again!!  It was just a super fun day.

Sunday we had Ward council in the morning. It was really good. The Ward here is just solid. It's going to be a lot of fun serving here. After church we had supper with the Becks. It was really good.

We did have a lesson lined up for that evening, but again, it fell through. Sad, eh?

Monday was a lot of fun. We went to the MCC thrift shop and volunteered for a couple hours. It was a lot of fun. Then we went to Sister Ackroyd's place for supper. It was really good. This area is a lot of fun.
   
 I've learned this week that if we move forward, and don't look back, life is amazing. God is always on our side when we are trying to do what's right. No matter what, always choose the right.

Loves
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

Each man should frame life so that, at some future hour, fact and his
dreaming meet.
-Victor Hugo

Email from Elder Lofthouse 8/9/16 Whitewashing!

This week has been absolutely nuts. Here we go.
   
Tuesday we did our normal stuff, and then I got to visit a bunch of people. It was a lot of fun. I'm going to miss Clarkdale, but it's gonna be fun.

Wednesday I drove to the trainers meeting, and we got to meet our companions!  Turns out I'm whitewash training in a tripan. Elder Thomas goes home in a couple weeks, and Elder Wood is brand new. I love it. We are in the Hillview Ward. It's in the city, on east south side. So yes, after 20 months I'm finally in Edmonton.  Haha.

Thursday through Saturday was going through the area book and figuring out who we're going to work with and all that stuff. We got to visit quite a few members, and they're all awesome. Nothing super crazy happened.
     
Sunday was awesome. We have 1 pm church.  So we went to church, and one of our investigators came!  He's super cool, and we set up an appointment for Wednesday. After church we had a potluck, and we got to visit with a lot of people. The Ward here is super cool. After church we had a lesson with some less active members. It was pretty cool. Then we had a lesson with our investigator, Fong. She's awesome. It was awesome.

Monday we did some service at the Good Samaritan. We took old people on a walk around a little lake. While there, I almost got attacked by a goose. Geese are so rude!  Haha. That evening we had lesson with Lori and Avery. They're a super cool family. Both of them accepted a baptismal invitation!  It's gonna be an awesome area!

The Lord is really in charge of this church. I know it. The Prophet is His spokesman, and we would do well to listen to, and follow, the counsel we receive. Sorry for the super short email, but we're rushed!

Loves!
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.
-Eleanor Roosevelt

Email from Elder Lofthouse 8/2/16 Wreck of a Week

The district. Ha!

This week was by far and away the craziest week of all time.....It was so intense.  Well, the last few days were. Transfer calls happened, so you'll see what happens!
   
Tuesday was fun. We played sports with President and his son. It was super fun. We went to Dream Catcher for a volunteer BBQ.  It was awesome. they have a little goat named Joey that rammed me in the elbow while I was eating cake..... I spilled it on my shirt.  Haha. We were able to see John this week!  It was awesome. He's such a cool guy. It was a really good evening.

Wednesday was fun. It was the first time in a month that we didn't have exchanges. Elder Kamea's knee was in pretty rough shape, so we didn't really do much walking. It was an interesting day.  We didn't have much going for us that day....  It was pretty rough. Elder Kamea mostly rested his knee.

Thursday we had District Meeting. It was a lot of fun. Elder Kamea cooked for the whole district. It was really good. After that we went and saw Doctor Orth for Elder Kamea's knee. Get this; he had an infection in his knee from being on his knees too much. Elder Kamea prayed so much, he broke one of his knees!  Haha. He's not allowed to kneel for prayers for the next little while. After that we went and stopped by a lot of people. We had supper with the Fixsens, and then we went and visited Brother Kohn. It was really good. It was an excellent day.
   

Here's the car. She served us well since 2013

Friday we did a mini exchange. Elder Kamea and Elder Powell went to the pharmacy to fill Elder Kamea's prescription, and Elder Campbell and I went to Dream catcher to do chores. It was really fun. There was another little goat named Wanda that was being a little brat. Little goats are awesome. Haha. After that we had lunch and then we went through the area book to find people to stop by. We went out to George's to grab a pie that his wife made for us, and it was on our way back to Sherwood Park that things got intense. We were driving through a construction zone and somebody ran a stop sign and t boned us!  It was insane. It was a miracle that no one was injured.  I'll send pictures of the car.... Needless to say. We missed supper and our appointment in the evening.... It was sad.
   
Saturday was fun. We woke up a little sore from the wreck, but for the most part we were good. We did our weekly planning, and then we went to volunteer for heritage days. We were taking donations for the Edmonton food bank from people getting on and off the buses.  A nasty storm rolled in, and the whole park got evacuated. We made sure that all the missionaries either got rides or walked with us. Four companionships, including us, walked a couple Klicks in the rain back to the institute building. It was exciting!  Haha.
   
Sunday was the only normal(ish) day of the weekend. We went to church, and it was awesome as usual. After church we set up some appointments for later in the week, and then we had supper with the Tagalog Elders. We had noodles, corned beef, and burgers. It was really interesting. After supper we went and visited Vivian for her birthday!  It was a lot of fun. It was a really good day.
   
Monday was when the whole week came to a sudden plot twist. So transfer calls were happening..... We got a call. I though Elder Kamea and I were going to stay together for one more transfer, but that
wasn't meant to be. I'm going to be training a new missionary in a new area. That's right, I'm whitewash training!  It's going to be sweet! I don't know where, but it'll be fun. We went and visited a bunch of people in the afternoon, went to Swiss Chalet for supper, and then visited more people!  It was awesome.
   
Miracles really do happen. This week we were protected by God in that wreck. Had things been just a little different, if we had been hit a little harder, or had we been going faster, the car could've rolled and we could have been hurt. I know that God hears our prayers and cares about us. It was a pretty intense experience, but God kept us safe through it!


Ofa ma'oni
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

There is a power in belief
-Ice Nine Kills

Email from Elder Lofthouse 7/26/16 Hmm...

   This week was pretty awesome. I mean, every week is, but this week was even better.  I'm not sure why.
     
Tuesday was awesome. After playing sports we went to the Pattisons so elder Kamea could give President's son a haircut. It was pretty sweet. We had tacos with the Pattisons, and then we went to the Dogans after for another supper. We pulled 2 suppers off. It was a ton of food. After supper with the Dogans, we went and visited John for a little bit. We were able to introduce Elder Kamea, and we're going to invite John to the pig roast, when we figure it all out. It'll be fun!

Wednesday we visited sister Saunders in the morning. She's super cool, and she's making us lava lavas. :)  After that we went and got our oil changed and our tires rotated. We stopped by a couple people after that, and then we went and ate supper with the Jaffrays. Brother Jaffray served his mission in the Provo Utah mission!  He didn't serve in elk ridge, but he did serve in Payson, so that was cool.  After supper we had a lesson with the Castel family. It was awesome. We taught a killer lesson on the Plan of Salvation. It was awesome. That night, we got our lava lavas!  It was a fantastic night!

Thursday was fun. We had district meeting in the morning, which was a ton of fun. After that we went to Vivian's for lunch, and her daughter came and played the accordion for us!  It was pretty sweet. Then Elder Powell and I went to George's place to help out. It was pretty fun. After that we had supper with the Orrs. They're great. Then we went to choir practice. Elder Kamea and I sang in a men's chorus in sacrament meeting on Sunday, so this was practice for it. After that we went home!

Friday was awesome. We went to Dream Catcher in the morning, and helped out there. It was the usual stuff, and there was a little baby goat there that we got to play with a little bit!  Super fun. After that we had lunch, and then we went back to George's to help him some more. It's always fun going there. We had supper and then went to see Sister Reid, but she wasn't feeling well, so we weren't able to visit. We stopped by some former investigators, but no luck. It was a pretty slow evening.

Saturday was fun. We had coordination in the morning, and then we went and did our weekly planning. After lunch we drove up to the north end of Edmonton to a baptism. One of Elder Kamea's investigators in his las area got baptized, so that was really fun! We had some DQ with them, and then we went to the Bonnie Doon stake centre to interview a baptismal candidate. It was great!  After that we went to Surath's place for supper. It was amazing. It was a super fun day.

Sunday was crazy. We went to Ward council in the morning and then we had church at 1. We sang in sacrament meeting, and it was awesome. The rest of church was good.  We had supper with the Monteleone's. It was super fun. They're fun. We stopped by some people and tried to set up some lessons, but no luck. We visited Vivian in the evening, which is always fun. It was a pretty decent day.

Monday was good. We went to the food bank in the morning.  We did quite a bit of heavy lifting, which is always the best. We had lunch with the Nottingham elders, and then went and helped George some more!  It's so fun!  After that we went to a lesson with Miranda, a potential investigator, and we even had a member with us, but she wasn't home. :(  I know, I know, it's sad. We had supper with Sister Bezooyan.  She's awesome. After that we knocked some doors, but nothing amazing happened. It was a pretty good week, altogether.

This week was interesting. I learned that if we want something to happen, if we want to become something, we have to go through thick and thin to get it. Things aren't always going to go our way, but if we keep on working, keep on going, we can do anything we put our minds to. The power we have, the focus and the drive, is incredible. I challenge each of you to set some goals and do everything you can to get there. It's very rewarding to accomplish them!

Have a wonderful week
Ofa ma'oni!
Elder Rusty Lofthouse

God gives us dreams a size too big so that we can grow into them
-Unknown

Email from Elder Lofthouse 7/19/16 God knows best

Mālō e lelei
     
This week has been pretty good. We had some good things happen. We had some interesting things, but it was all good!

Tuesday we had supper at the Poulins place. The Tagalog missionaries came as well, so it was fun. Our lesson with John fell through again, so that was sad.  Hopefully tonight we'll see him!

Wednesday was fun. We helped out George in the morning, and met a really cool guy named Kyle. He is pretty interested in what we do, but he took off before we could get any information from him. We gave him our number, though. After that we had lunch with Vivian. It was fantastic, as usual. After lunch we tried by a bunch of people, but to no avail. We had supper with the Leafs. They're a great family. After that we had a lesson with Sister Reid, and she told us that she is going to get her patriarchal blessing soon!  It was great. After that we visited the Saunders. Sister Saunders loves to sew, and she told us she was going to make us som lava-lavas. I'm so stoked!  It was a really good day!

Crazy Zone picture

Thursday we had ZTM in the morning. It went well, and it went very smoothly. After ZTM Elder Taylor and I stayed in Sherwood Park for exchanges. We walked around in the afternoon talking to people and stuff. After supper we visited Brother Kohn. It was a really good discussion on President Nelson's talk from this last conference. It
was a stellar day.

Friday we went to dream catcher in the morning. We got to meet Wanda, a new baby goat that they have.  It was awesome. The rest of the day was basically spent driving. We drove back to Vermilion for exchanges, and then came home. Elder Taylor forgot his bedding here in Sherwood Park, and Elder Kamea forgot his toiletries in Vermilion. So we drove back to Sherwood Park, did some weekly planning, and then drove back to Vegreville and got the stuff where it needed to be. All in all it was a long day.

Guess who my companion is...ha!

Saturday we had a meeting with Brother Voravong. It was really good.  After that we went and we helped the Fixsen family move in. We now have 3 Fixsen families in the Clarkdale Ward. Haha. After that we planned and then we knocked some doors, but no one was home. It was a slow day.

Sunday was awesome. We had choir after lunch.  They have a piece that a men's choir will be singing next week, and they asked us to help. I'm super excited. Church was awesome. We had a less active member come to church with his 2 nonmember kids over 9 years old. They all want to learn more!  We set up a lesson with them and the Heningers invite them and us to supper.  So we had the lesson with them at the Heningers place.  It was  incredible. Miracles really do happen!  Things are starting to pick up!

Monday was super cool. We went to the foodbank in the morning. It's always a pretty good workout when we go there. After that we had a lesson with Brother Pedersen!  It was awesome. He said he wants to come back to church!  It was awesome. We went and knocked on a few doors later, and we found a lady who told us to come back next week. I'm so stoked!  It's crazy, the stuff that happens when you keep on working!  Good stuff is coming!

This week was awesome. Elder Kamea and I learned a valuable lesson. Whenever you have goals. You cannot lower your expectations. When you have a dream, and you lower your sights, you'll never make it. Always aim the highest you possibly can. I know that God will help you as you set goals and keep the commandments. He wants us to succeed just as much as we do, and He knows what's best. So it's a good idea to trust in God, and follow his plan for us!

Ofa ma'oni
Elder Rusty Lofthouse