Monday morning October 15 we reported to the mission office to begin our office training. We met wit

It's hard to believe that we have been in Vancouver a month now. We arrived in British Columbia on the evening of Tuesday, October 9th, and reported to the mission office the next morning. We met our mission president President Tilleman. He and the office staff which included Elder and Sister Jones , Elder and Sister Harding, and Elder and Sister Boehmer, gave us a warm welcome. President Tilleman mediterranean cruises uk told us to do some sightseeing and relax until the following Monday. We did some sightseeing the next couple of days and attended the Vancouver temple on Friday. Sister Jones arranged for us to stay at the Executive mediterranean cruises uk Inn Hotel until at least the weekend. We stayed there for three nights and that was enough for us. We asked to move into a vacant apartment normally used by the sisters who taught Chinese investigators in Burnaby, a suburb of Vancouver. We moved in on Saturday and made ourselves at home. We were excited to be in an apartment after staying in hotels and motels the past two weeks.
President Tilleman had told us we would be working in the Vancouver 1st Ward along with the Boehmer's. The next day being Sunday we attended the Vancouver 1st Ward. Andrea, a single sister who had been less active had called the Boehmer's about a ride to church Sunday. The Boehmer's were out of town that weekend so we volunteered to pickup Andrea. She was very excited about coming back to church. mediterranean cruises uk It turned out that she even knew some of the ward members. The ward members mediterranean cruises uk were very friendly. We enjoyed our first Sunday at our new ward. We also attended our first missionary fireside at the Vancouver Stake Center. Several converts bore their testimonies, the stake president and Sister and President Tilleman spoke. It was very inspirational.
Monday morning October 15 we reported to the mission office to begin our office mediterranean cruises uk training. We met with the Boehmer's who give us a list of relatively new converts most of whom were less active. We divided up the list and as soon as our training was over that morning mediterranean cruises uk set out to find some of these converts. We didn't find anyone at home that day but was able to meeting with Sister Standing the next day. Sister Standing is confined to a wheelchair and hasn't be enable to get out to church mediterranean cruises uk much. We had a wonderful visit with her and her grandson who lives with her. She was very friendly and told us a lot about herself. Wednesday we visited Sister Jones and Sister Topelo. Sister Jones is originally from Liverpool, England. We talked with her about the temple and she said that she had been a couple of times since she had received her endowments. We invited mediterranean cruises uk her to attend the temple with us and told her to think about a date and we would talk to her more about it on Sunday. We had a lovely visit with Sister Topelo who is eighty-two years old, has never married mediterranean cruises uk and has Rumanian and Ukrainian ancestry. She told us a lot about her experiences growing up.
On Thursday, October 18 we attended our first zone conference. The senior couples mediterranean cruises uk sang a special number for the conference. Elder Haleck of the 2nd quorum of Seventies spoke along with Paul Christensen our area seventy. They really stressed the importance of missionaries working with their ward councils. mediterranean cruises uk Missionaries should become an integral part of the ward or branch mediterranean cruises uk in which they are working so that when their new converts come into the church mediterranean cruises uk the ward council will look after them. Elder Christensen told us that we are Saviors on Mount Zion. We will save ourselves as we boldly declare the gospel and we will become truly converted as we declare the gospel of Jesus Christ. Elder O. Vincent Haleck of the Second Quorum of Seventies mediterranean cruises uk went into more detail about missionaries working with their ward or branch council. He urged missionaries to take opportunities to teach. Make the effort to know the people in the ward. Know the ward council and let the ward council know who we are. Sister Tilleman referred to Elder Haleck's talk about vision in the April 2011 General Conference. Elder Haleck was a mission president in Samoa. He presided over 120 missionaries. His mission had a goal of 1800 baptisms one year and the mission exceeded that goal by 20 baptisms. President Tillleman urged the missionaries to have vision and encouraged every companionship to have at least one baptism each month. He also stressed the importance of working with the ward or branch council. Live worthy to have the Spirit with you and follow the impressions we receive from the Holy Ghost. Elder Haleck wrote three things on the chalkboard: 24, 14% and 15% He told us that a survey of new converts indicated the following. First, the majority of new converts have only read 24 pages from the Book of Mormon. Second, 14% of new converts report that the Book of Mormon played an important part in their conversion. third, 15% of new converts pay tithing. He told the missionaries to be pure in their intent as they invite people to make a commitment. Have their investigators commit and then follow up with them. Elder Haleck told the missionaries they have been called to labor in this mission through inspiration. Our success depends on our faithfulness and our willingness to listen to the Spirit. The conference was very motivational and quite inspiring.
That Saturday we attended mediterranean cruises uk the temple and then stayed afterwards to assist our ward in cleaning the temple. There were 26 people to help clean so we finished cleaning in no time. Sunday I spoke to Sister Lynne Jones and she said that she wanted to go to the temple on October 30. We brought Andrea to church again. She attended the gospel essentials class with us and was an active participant. We tried to visit some of the less actives but were unable to find anyone of them home. Monday we spent the morning mediterranean cruises uk working in the mission office then went out visiting mediterranean cruises uk less actives and new converts. We visited the Fowler's that week. They both grew up in the Church and then drifted away as adults. They are in their sixties and are taking mediterranean cruises uk the temple preparation classes. They are really excited about going to the temple.
On Tuesday, mediterranean cruises uk October 30 we took Lynne Jones to the temple. It was her third time to attend an endowment session. She told us afterwards that she felt more at ease than she had on the 2 previous occasions. Thursday evening we stopped by the apartment of a less active and had a chat with her over her intercom. We thought we had connected with her but unfortunately we haven't been able to connect with her since then. On Thursday we gave our first discussion mediterranean cruises uk to Sister mediterranean cruises uk Kalaman, a recent convert. She hinted that she wanted to go out to the Nong, a Chinese restaurant nearby. We had already scheduled a a visit the following Friday so we promised we would go out to eat after our scripture reading. We also went to visit Sister Topelo and scheduled a visit with her the following Friday to begin reading the Book of Mormon with her.
Saturday, we decided to visit at least one less active. We decided to visit Justine Jenkins. We drove to her home and rang the doorbell. At first no one came to the door so we knocked on the door. We were just getting ready to leave when we heard footsteps coming to the door. It was Justine who answered the door. We told her we were a senior couple serving in the Vancouver 1st Ward and we were visiting members of the ward. At first Justine just stood at the door and stared at us, then she invited us in. She told us that she had come home from the hospital on Thursday and she was still weak. We chatted with her for a few minutes then she asked us how we got her name. We told her that we found her name on the ward list. She said she had grown up attending the Vancouver 1st Ward but hadn't been to church in quite a while. We invited her to come to church on Sunday mediterranean cruises uk and offered her a ride but she told us she had her own car. She was a little worried about coming to church after being away for so long but we told her not to worry we would be at church and she could come sit with us. Before we left, we had a prayer with her and Sister mediterranean cruises uk Easterbrook gave her a hug. We told her we hoped to see her at Church. Sunday morning Sister Easterbrook was visiting with some of the ward members when Justine walked into church. She went up to Elder Easterbrook and said I'm here. We invited her to sit with us. During the Sacrament meeting Justine leaned over to Sister Easterbrook and whispered, "Do you know why I asked you how you got my name yesterday?" Sister Easterbrook whispered back the word no. Justine then proceeded to tell Sister Easterbrook how she had been praying earnestly for help because she was very depressed. mediterranean cruises uk When we came to her door she was astonished that we chose to visit her at that time. Sister Easterbrook whispered to Justine. "You prayed mediterranean cruises uk us to come to you." It was a testimony to us how the Lord can work through us if we are in tune with the Spirit. Justine was happy to be in church again. mediterranean cruises uk She even recognized a few people mediterranean cruises uk in the ward. We invited her to stake conference the next week. She didn't know where the stake center was located so we told her we would drive her to the adult session on Saturday evening. She said that she would be able to drive herself to conference Sunday morning. Sunday evening we had dinner mediterranean cruises uk with the Boehmers and the Jones at Sister mediterranean cruises uk Stancliff's home. Sister Stancliff is the Relief Society president of the Vancouver 1st Ward. She is originally from Chile and she served us Chilean mediterranean cruises uk dishes.
On Tuesday, mediterranean cruises uk November 6th four missionaries were going home after completing their missions. The tradition is that senior couples attend the temple with the outgoing missionaries. The Hardings, the Jones and us accompanied the missionaries to the temple in the mission van. This was our fourth time to visit the temple mediterranean cruises uk and we were excited that we had so many opportunities to attend the temple. On Wednesday 10 new missionaries, 5 elders and 5 sisters, arrived and were given an orientation. That night we along with the new missionaries had d