Photos from the end of April to end of May

 

Week 92: A picture is worth a thousand words and 1 invite

 Life goes on here in Airdrie! And Drumheller :o. With the lack of missionaries here in the mission (80 vs 204 before the pandemic) missionaries are forced to cover more and more area. So with this transfer we took over 3 more wards (congregations), so now we have a total of 6! 5 in airdrie, and 1 in drumheller, land of the dinosaurs! 

We didnt have the greatest weather out here at all. But that's okay seeing that we are inside most of the time! We are working pretty hard honestly. Decently tedious work but nonstop. Lessons, planning, contacts, facebook and some little services. Moves are back in now after the long weekend so we have lots of those coming up! 

We got our covid vaccine dose 1 downtown Calgary last week and it didnt even hurt ! Let's go!

We are in a weird area stage rn. When I first got here we weren't really teaching anyone and had no potential. We now have an insane amount of people who have expressed interest that we are so close to start teaching but just that next step is missing. So we are in a stage with not a lot of teaching, but grinding to start teaching and like 18 names to try with. Which is more hopeful than none, but frustrating and tedious. 

We also went out and about/ street contacting with the andersons (elder Anderson is training a dude named elder anderson haha) and it was a good time. To get someone to stop we asked them to take a picture of us!! So we got a picture and invited them to learn more! The geese were cute.

A quote that either was brought back to my memory or I came up with (I think I made it though ;)) is "Find solutions to serve, not excuses not to". I think this is relevant for missionary work but also in life for everyone! It's so easy to think of a million reasons why someone could better help or why we can't. It's easy to back out of things or have barriers come up. But if we really want to serve and help, we can normally make it or something work. So go out this week or whenever you get a chance and find ways to serve purposefully. Make it happen! 

1. Dog with anderson!

2.covid shot

3.filming a musical number! It sounded good as we sang and then we listened back and it was soooooo bad. No music in the recording doesn't help.

4 us with geese. Sneaky elders 

Week 91: Visited the only mountain in our area!

 What a week. Honestly it was a great week. We just grinded up here in the far north of the Canada Calgary mission.

The crappiest part of the week was that we went to a huge pile of mushroom and cow (why it was crappy part hehe) mix compost and literally shoveled it into her truck standing on the big pile of it which was pretty nasty. Then unloaded at her house. But we were with a few members and it was a beautiful day! 

We saw some dope miracles this week too. Firstly, we dropped off cookies to a dude from Lebanon who had just moved to Airdrie from Ontario. We thought he was gonna be meh interested but willing to listen and he was the most insane and resilient guy I have ever met in my life, with a dream to get baptized knowing that the book of mormon and church were true. He couldn't bcs it always caused contentions with his wife. Now ex wife. So now he is ready. He served in the army in lebanon and literally has a sniper scar on his neck. And his story for coming to Canada is insane. The way he got the viaa pretty spontaneously knowing no english. Man he was so cool. And so prepared. Just amazing how many trials he has gone through and yet has kept his faith and determination. He has had some hard trials. He is definitely an example to me and all. Just keep going. As he said he would look up and say "really God, this is what you want? Alright sounds good" . That was a sweet visit.

I also posted some bible ads and had someone message me privately about it and then asked if I could teach her kids about the bible. We talked about church as well and she said she'd love her family of 6 to be involved and learn more. Nothing has happened yet as far as meeting but that was pretty cool. 

We also had a sweet member visit with a new family and then right after they called and asked if we wanted newly smoked ribs. Guess they liked us and we passed the test. Maybe that was the greatest miracle. 

But yea overall, again not the most eventful week but this week was just pretty good. Weather was warm. Had some visits, met some new people. And saw some miracles. Miracles aren't about the magnitude but the source. 

Hope everyone has a great week!! 

Love

Elder Fiore 

1. All the trainers and their kids end of first transfer meeting!!

2 Shoveling some compost 

3 Cookie drop offs. Sis hudson w some clutch packaging 

4 Cute guys

5-6 me

Week 90: Lunch under the rain is the new sleep under the stars

 Another week has come and gone and not too much to report on yet again! Happy late Mother's day! 

We went to the temple on Wednesday which was super fun. We were supposed to go with a few people for their first time, and a few first time in years, but they couldn't come for various last minute reasons sadly:(. But we still did baptisms and felt the spirit of the temple! We had a very funny name for one of them and elder Northcott couldn't stop laughing for a full minute. It was super awkward but funny. Even the old workers were laughing and winked at us. It was a good time. Definitely different in Covid, but it was cool how personal and quiet it was. 

Service projects continued and this week was laying down huge tarps in a garden, of course on the windiest day possible. So they kept flying up and ripping our pegs out. So we went hard in a panic, throwing random stuff on them and putting them in tight. It was a grind, but nice to get out.

We got out another time with a nice meal with members. The only downside was it was raining. We actually ate outside in the rain with members. There was no coverage. It was wet and cold but fun. It was just light rain at least, but consistently coming down. Afterwards we went to the church and watched a devotional that their newly returned missionary daughter was in. It was fun and they're a cool family. 

As I've been studying I keep realizing how good the Book of Mormon actually is. I was having a horrible day and I just wrote down some of my questions/sadness and then randomly started reading in the book of mormon. I filled like a page of notes with new insights and realizations I got from a random chapter I just opened up to. A chapter I had previously read and didn't think much of. It's crazy how answers are found in the book. Some answers clearly written out, some are means for the spirit to tell me. And it was crazy just seeing the comfort come from it. I really love the book of mormon, more and more with each experience! 

Time really is flying by, in spite of pretty normal weeks. It's been hard lately, but there have been good moments too that I will miss. 

Hope everyone has a great week!

Love, 

Elder Fiore 

1. I'm always tired

2-3. Gardening - he was really stressed about us bringing hats and then worried when we didn't. It was kinda weird but nice.

4. Stampeders 

Week 89: Welcome to the CEM

 Welcome to another week in my life! 

Tuesday was our huge missionary meeting, zone conference, and we had all the Calgary area missionaries come. So it was a party. So many missionaries I haven't seen in months and because we don't really get anyone new I know literally every missionary in the mission except like 2. So it was insanely fun socially, but meh spiritually. Overall the takeaway was we need the spirit and faith in the work which I couldn't agree with more. The other aspect I don't as much is all the cleaning and chore stuff they got on us about. That was very annoying. 

After grinding in the week, a lot of the weekend was fun service since it got a little warmer. And we had some drama with that. Some of our leaders were like "service isn't as effective" and I'm like "I didn't come here to just be "effective'". So I hate that kind of mission culture and I came here to help people in all ways.

The first dope service was planting flowers at the temple with some of our members and other missionaries. So that was awesome and lots of people will be able to enjoy them! I got very sunburnt. 

Secondly we participated in Alberta's highway cleanup with one of our wards picking up garbage on the side of the road and it was pretty where we were. Didn't get anything too weird sadly. But we did accidentally leave the mission boundaries and into the Canada Edmonton mission for the cleanup. Hehe.

Thirdly we helped the Jacksons put up a fence for their garden and it was super fun. Talking and being with them was fun, being outside, but even the actual work of the fence was super fun! Also did some archery and had ice cream cake. Good afternoon. 

So overall a great week and it's starting to warm up which makes life way more enjoyable. We had a couple outdoor visits this week and man were they nice. I like service because it is increasing our love for others and God and not expecting anything in return. But ultimately when we expect nothing, we get lots! Physical and spiritual blessings!

And quickly, speaking of blessings, we started teaching Blessing! She was super into it but got scared and uncomfortable with a few things. I could visibly see that, but I clutched her not running away forever.  She'll come around. She's a doctor too which I didn't realize. 

Hope everyone has a great start to may! 

Love,

Elder Fiore 

1. Fence with the Jacksons

2.temple! 

3.temple w more missionaries 

4.temple w my son

5-6 Highway cleanup 

Week 88: Received a blessing under the fig tree

 This week was very not eventful but somehow went by fast so I can't complain, ya know. As long as it's going quick and we're trying to do good, which we really are.

We had a dope member visit with a young couple, and the guy qualified to the 2012 Olympics for boxing, but ended up going on a mission instead. (His wife brought it up, he wasn't flexing haha). 

 Saturday, though it wasn't too warm, we did "out & about" for what we had planned to be like 30 minutes  but ended up being 2 hours cause it was just so fun talking and inviting people. We also went with different comps so I got to know someone new! We talked to an old couple on their first date, chased an old lady speed walking, a Chinese couple, spoke korean to a korean family (i learnt how to introduce myself in Lethbridge) and finally had a nice 30 minute talk with a preacher which ended with a crazy prayer from him, a prayer from elder Cottrel and a prayer from me. It was super fun. (Btw no one really accepted any invitations or to meet, but still so good). We got some numbers and an ig later though ;). That night ended with a nice family call since it was my mom's birthday.

Sunday we literally had a miracle. Sorry this is a bit long... 

It hasn't played out yet so I can't get too hyped, but I'll mention it before I forget. To preface, Sunday morning I was writing, and I wrote that I was sad I hadn't found someone new who is actually super interested in a long time and I really wanted a "miracle person" who was prepared and interested. And I wrote that I knew God could help us find one, and I don't know why He's not since I feel I'm doing all I can physically and spiritually. So Sunday afternoon, we get a bible referral from FB and go and drop the bible off. She no shows at first, but we decided to stick around. She then called and apologized a bunch, and we were right over. I told her we were missionaries and shared a message about Christ and families. She then invited us into her apartment foyer to hear more and had us sit on the couches where we taught her what we do as missionaries and talked about how we teach lessons and stuff. She is a mom of a family of 4, who recently moved from Nigeria and she wants to learn more. So we set up an appointment for next week, got her number and she seems very not flakey and normal. It was insane. And since God has a sense of humor I guess, and so that I didn't miss His huge hand in this, her name is literally Blessing. I was so hyped. So excited and hoping it works out!! I think it will bcs of how much had to work out for us to meet! 

So yea moral of that miracle was God sees us, He hears us, He's there for us. As it says in John 1: 48 " Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee." God saw me under my "fig tree", sad we couldn't find someone new to teach and he blessed me literally the same day. Faster than amazon. It doesn't always, and hasn't always, gone that way, but he sees us all under our own trees. And now my reaction can be the same as Nathaniel's to Christ: "Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel"!  I've seen that so much on my mission. (These scriptures amazed me when talked about in "The Chosen" which I watched this week. Of course I see that in my own right away!) I probably should've written about this miracle after it plays out next week a bit more, but it's been a theme this week, so why not. Maybe this is faith! 

Know that Christ sees you where you are right now. He knows how you are feeling and he's there for you.

Love,

Elder Fiore 

1. Waiting for blessing

2. Meeting in which we talk about a meeting in which we report on meetings 

3. Free ESL makes you happy AND cool

4. Me