The Fort Frances experience was a most rewarding one. Finally we were able to use our newly learned family history skills because at the request of President Tovey, branch president of the Fort Frances branch, who in our first meeting with him on May 20th, asked us to focus on family history in his branch and then proceeded to discuss the atonement at length with many questions. He is not only new at his calling but has only been a member for about 2 years. As it turned out for the 5 month duration of our service in Fort Frances, these topics were the focus of virtually every in depth meeting and discussion with him. He was excited to start family history as he had concerns if he would find anyone as alcoholism had plagued his family and he wondered even if anyone would have bothered to make sure proper records were kept. We assured him that records could be found and he would have success. He was also deeply concerned about the spiritual well being of the branch members.
The Fort Frances Branch had generally about 10 to 15 members in attendance, with no youth, every Sunday for meetings. There were no youth in the branch. There were about 30 members on the records of the branch with very few youth.
In regards family history, even though we had followed the development of familysearch.org and used the site while in "beta stage"from the beginning from late 2012, when we entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, to the present and had a lot of success with our own family history research, we still felt inadequate to teach family history without a lot more study and preparation--particularly in regards collaborative sites that were now available for use by adults. President Tovey agreed to give us until the beginning of July, 2014 before beginning to teach family history. So we commenced our study and preparation for this and kept up with visiting each of the families in the branch and by the beginning of July we began meeting with members to get them set up on FamilySearch, to teach basic computer skills and we began to help them get there trees started in some cases and to help them with research to find names of ancestors they could take to the temple in St. Paul, Minnesota. It was a slow and tedious process but fruitful for all. As time went on and after speaking a few times in sacrament meeting on the topic, it was obvious with the interest generated that it would be good to revamp the previously operating family history center in the Fort Frances building. With the support of the Mission President and local district and branch leaders we set the center up with a very nice large screen computer and color printer with hand-out copies of research logs, family group sheets and pedigree charts. We also put up some family history wall pictures and posters up so it looked like a family history center. We then began meeting with the branch members in the center, as this was better than their homes which often didn't provide the right atmosphere or resources, as much as possible to teach and help them with their research. Again as time went on, the spirit of family history began to take hold in the branch and district and in late July we were asked by the Fort Frances District Young Women's President in the International Falls Branch on the USA side, if we could teach the some 25 youth in the district, which included International Fall, Fort Frances, Berglund, Kenora and Dryden Branches. We said that we could but again would need some time--about a month or more to prepare for this as we would want to give each participant a take-away comprehensive step-by-step handout. So it was decided that we would do an all-day Saturday workshop on September 6th, 2014 in International Falls with leader, missionary and parental support at the workshop. I then began the preparation and organization to put the handout together with Sister Leary as editor in chief.
It is interesting that while we were in Atikokan the church had announced in March, 2014 collaborative agreements with other major sites including Ancestry, MyHeritage and Findmypast with the end goal of making these sites available free to members online, first to adults and then later to youth worldwide. By late August, 2014, while preparing for the youth family history training workshop with a 35 page step-by-step handout, the church announced the complete realization of this goal--it was now available to youth over 14 years of age from their own account on FamilySearch. So that meant that we could now not only teach the youth family history from the resources on FamilySearch with all the technical tools now available on the site which was quite amazing in itself; but to add to this, we could now teach and expose the youth to these other collaborative partner sites as well, each with its own amazing technical tools together with access to net 22 billion historical records from North and South America, Europe and Asia from all these major sites combined. Late 2012 to the fall of 2014, marked a period of time that was a landmark for change in the way family history was to be done going forward. Gone were the days when it was exclusively letters to institutions to try and get records. Now historical records are available free online anywhere to members of the church; and also to those not of our faith they were made available free through a portal at each of the more than 4700 Church Family History Centers worldwide.
The workshop on September 6th for youth was a tremendous success with about 18 youth and about the same number of helper adults--Branch Presidents, youth leaders, missionaries and parents. I taught using my laptop and an overhead project to project the research steps from the handout in digital format. Each step was taught with personal examples or using examples from those participating and then let them have time trying the step out themselves. Virtually all in attendance found names to take to the temple and the spirit of Elijah was manifestly present. We started about 10:30am, had a pizza lunch, a short break in the afternoon and concluded about 4:00pm.
Later, after the leaders hearing of the success of the workshop, asked if we could do one for the adults in the district. This was subsequently arranged for Saturday, October 11th in Fort Frances with the help of the full time missionaries. Again we prepared a modified handout for adults which was basically an improvement on the September version. This was done in the same format as previous with about 25 adult district members in attendance. Again we felt it was a great success. Many found names for temple ordinances and President Tovey finally found some of his ancestors in pedigrees in "Genealogies" on FamilySearch. He was very excited and later found historical records to verify his findings.
Temple trips became a focus for President Tovey and ourselves, centered around the members of his branch finding names of individuals for temple ordinances. The closest temple was in St. Paul, Minessota which was about a 4 hour drive south across from Ft. Frances. We attended here with members from both local branches a few times during our tenure in Ft. Frances; and always invite the members in Atikokan to join us which they often did. We would always go to the temple on a Friday morning and stay overnight returning late Saturday. We did endowment sessions and other ordinances on Friday and Saturday. They were excellent opportunities for the members to grow together spiritually.
Apart from visiting the families in their homes, we continued to focus on family history research in one-on-one settings in the Fort Frances family history center and temple attendance until the end of our tenure in Fort Frances on October 24th, 2014. Leaving, we have high hopes that Sister Charlene Nicholson, the most independent and knowledgeable on family history in the Fort Frances branch, would continue to work with the members on this important work. President Tovey had also become very confident in his role as Branch President and was comfortable and knowledgeable now on how to apply the atonement amongst his members.
We left feeling a sense of accomplishment and hopefulness that we had prepared the members of this small branch with the seeds of potential growth. We loved them all and felt the love of the Lord for them. Our prayers were always answered as we served them.
We left with a sense of loss as well because we knew it would be some time before we ever saw them again.
PRESIDENT ROBERT TOVEY
(President of the Fort Frances Branch)
(President of the Fort Frances Branch)
MEET THE MISSIONARIES
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Elder & Sister Burkman with the
Leary's after breakfast in International Falls. The Burkman's were from
Ketchikan and served as the senior missionary couple in International Falls;
whereas, we were assigned to Fort Frances. We did some cross-over in International
Falls, speaking in sacrament, visiting with members, conducting a funeral and
did a youth family history workshop here but the Burkman's served only on the
US side.
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A great missionary force. From
Left to Right--The Leary's with the International Falls missionaries Elder
Airth, Sister Leavenworth, Sister Davis, Elder Miller, Elder Mirando and Elder
Burkley.
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| The Withers Family from Boise, Idaho. Brother Withers was just released as the Branch President in International Falls and the family was returning to Idaho Falls. |
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| Zone Conference in Fort Frances. Full time missionaries from International Falls with Elder Picket and his companion, District Leaders, in the back serving in Fort Frances. |
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| Sister Burkman with Sister Leary at District Conference |
FORT FRANCES SCENES DURING OUR MORNING WALKS
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| Rainy River, early June, 2014 |
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| City Water Tower & Sister Leary |
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| My favorite home along our walks |
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| Sister Leary in late summer |
ST. PAUL TEMPLE TRIP
(June 5th & 6th)
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| The Leary's with Alverne Dickson and Irene Fish from the Atikokan Branch |
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| St. Paul Temple |
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| About half-way between the US/Canada border and Duluth is the top of the Giants Range where a 3-way continental divide occurs. Maps below show the three watersheds draining off the old granite slopes of the Giants Range |
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| North Slope of the Giants Range: Red River of the North Watershed drains in Lake Winnipeg, Hudson Bay and the Arctic Ocean |
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| South Slope of the Giants Range: St. Louis River watershed basin drains into Lake Superior and the Great Lakes and through the St. Lawrence River to the Atlantic Ocean |
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| West Slope of the Giants Range: Mississippi River watershed basin drains into the Gulf of St. Lawrence |
In Reference to the Above, the Giants Range Also Formed Part of the Southern Margin of Glacial Lake Agassiz
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Glacial Lake Agassiz---Dwarfs the Great Lakes
By the close of the nineteenth
century it was generally accepted in scientific circles that the lake had
formerly existed. The most common explanation for its origin was that it had
formed from the meltwaters of a great glacier which had once overridden much of
northern Canada. Although he had never visited the area and had not been
directly involved in the research, the lake was named in honour of naturalist
Louis Agassiz—the most vocal advocate of glacial theory.
At the height of the last Ice Age
some 20,000 years ago, all of what is now Manitoba lay beneath a sheet of ice
which in places was as much as four kilometers thick. Calculations indicate
that it covered over 13,000,000 square kilometers and was composed of
25,000,000 cubic kilometers of ice. The massive weight of this ice sheet was
sufficient to compress the earth’s crust by as much as one hundred meters. So
much of the earth’s water was “locked-up” in the continental glaciers that
ocean levels dropped dramatically, exposing coastal shelves which had
previously been submerged. The shallow sea floor between Alaska and Siberia was
also exposed, thus forming a 1,500-kilometer-wide land bridge between the Old
and New Worlds. It is believed that it was by this route that people first
entered the Americas.
More is known about the last and
most recent glacial advance than earlier ones because each partially “erased”
the evidence of its predecessors. From its centre in Hudson Bay, the ice sheet
advanced southwards, carrying soil and stones within it and planing the
landscape ahead of it. This debris was deposited in long ridges called
“terminal moraines” which mark the point of maximum advance. Unlike the glacial
advance, the “retreat” was not characterized by a physical movement of the ice.
Rather, with an improvement in climate, its southern edge began melting at a
rate faster than “new” ice was being forced towards it. Nor was deglaciation a
continuous event. Manitoba and the neighbouring provinces and states emerged
from beneath the ice sheet in a series of advances and retreats.
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ZONE CONFERENCE IN WINNIPEG
(June 12)
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| The Leary's were off running errands and missed this photo. President Thomas and his wife in the front center. |
ASSABASKA OBIJWAY HERITAGE PARK
NORTH OF BERGLAND ON LAKE OF THE WOODS
AN ELDERS QUORUM FISHING TRIP
(June 13-14)
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| Beautiful Alcove with wrapping around beach in the two above photos |
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| A form of sun burst |
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| Lush greens largely throughout the peninsula |
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| Beautiful beaches and lush greenery |
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| Lots of bullrushes |
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| Local dead looking pine with rock rimmed ceremonial fire pit |
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| Yellow-orange lichen on along shore lines with rock exposures |
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| A selfie photo |
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| Deer tracks in the beach sand |
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| Loons |
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| Beautiful full ferns forming an undergrowth in cottonwood forest |
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| Saturday breakfast after fishing: Back Row L to R: President Roberto Olson, Adam Johnson,_____,______, ____Olson (Brother of Pres. Olson), Front Row L to R: Ed Grynol, _____, President Rencher, President MacDonald, president of the Dryden Branch, and his son |
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| Elder Ferrin joins us second from right at back |
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| Fresh walleye coated with crispy batter |
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| Fresh walleye cooked in vegetable oil |
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| The final touch on the walleye---fried along with potatoes, onions and bacon. The meal was absolutely delicious. |
INTERNATIONAL FALLS FLOODING & SAND BAG CONTROL DURING JUNE 15 TO JULY 3, 2014
Heavy rains led to flooding around the margins of Rainy Lake at International Falls during June 15th to July 1st, 2014. Residential properties and some businesses were threatened but levels didn't reach the 1950 severe flooding by 1 1/2 feet but did exceed 2002 flooding levels by 1 foot. Heavy winds and water erosion were a concern at times. By July 1st water levels peaked and by July 3rd inflow and outflow of Rainy Lake was balanced. Flood control was assisted by many volunteers, about 100 National Guard, by the Red Cross and food was supplied by the Salvation Army. At any time one could see about 100 volunteers helping with sand bagging.
The LDS missionaries played a major role in assisting with sand bagging throughout the threatened period. Up to 25 missionaries came from all branches in the district and some came by bus from Winnipeg. They made a huge impact on the local people of leaders of the flood control team.
Throughout the flood period, President Olson had asked me for reports of flood conditions so I prepared them every few days or when conditions changed so that President Thomas could manage the missionaries service to the community.
In Fort Frances only very minor flooding took place in the eastern part of the community. Contractors were employed by the community to place sand bags in critical areas so the community was well prepared.
Below are my comments to President Olson in regards the great example set by the missionaries.
Email of June 16
President Olson,
I think it should be pointed out
the great example our young missionaries have been to the local residents and
to those in charge of operations. They see their badges and are so
thankful for the help. They recognize these young people as part of
something special by their characters, service and work ethic. Yesterday
we were a significant component to the work force--probably 20%. Today, I
would say we were close to 40%. Even I have experienced expressions of
gratitude from those we were helping. Yesterday, I had one resident who couldn't
help thanking this sort of grey haired guy a number of times when he learned I
was from the LDS Church on a mission and from Calgary. He must of thanked
me four times before I got off his property. He was a retired school
teacher with a very nice property and ever so thankful for the relief that
came.
Elder Leary
When the flooding was over the missionaries had opportunity to visit some of the affected families that they had helped. Many seeds were planted but no conversions came out of our efforts as far as I know. This was just one of seven times folks needed exposure to the church to gain a sincere interest perhaps.
When the flooding was over the missionaries had opportunity to visit some of the affected families that they had helped. Many seeds were planted but no conversions came out of our efforts as far as I know. This was just one of seven times folks needed exposure to the church to gain a sincere interest perhaps.
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| Filling sand bags using shovels |
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| This cone-shaped sand distribution system supplies intermittent sand down the shoots via a rotating distributor at the top supplied by a conveyor belt. You just hold the bag, fill and tie and repeat from any station. |
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| Generally around a hundred people at any time sand bagging |
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| Flat bed hauling of sand bags to where needed |
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| Our steady crew of missionaries from the local branches--Ft. Frances, International Falls and Dryden along with a few members. |
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| This business, Rainy Lake Marine, was threatened by flooding and we used to keep checking on it was a good place to check the water level |
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| Water level had come up in this photo but the owner still did not want to sand bag. |
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| Our missionaries having lunch after being told "NO!" to sand bagging Rainy Lake Marine. The building was eventually flooded with about 6 inches of water but little damage I suspect. |
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| Early sand bagging by owners to prevent erosion |
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| Typical sand bag berms the missionaries built to protect homes along the south shore of Rainy Lake--City Beach area. |
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| A job well done. You can see the water level has come up the edge of the sand bags |
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| Water now a little higher and the sand bag berm doing its job. |
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| Pulp and paper plant that also produced some wood products threatened by high water. |
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| Out-Flow at the Rainy Lake flood control gate at the local dam at the border crossing. |
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| Our missionaries handing off sand bags for placement at the end of the berm. |
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| Rainy Lake along City Beach with the beach and dock area totally flooded |
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| Partially flooded beach in City Beach area |
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| In the later stages of flood control with ever increasing water levels threatening homes, the authorities brought in fork lifts for faster moving of sand bags; but this created a lot of mess with lawns totally rutted and destroyed. Not a happy sight; but better I guess than the potential end result of flooded homes. |
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| Water levels up to sand bag berm |
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| Sand bags on pallets left by fork lift |
Flood Conditions at Voyageur National Park
About 10 miles SE of City Beach
(Photos taken June 23rd when water levels were beginning to stabilize)
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| Beautiful hand made birch bark canoe |
A Newspaper Article on the Flood Assistance Provided by LDS Members and Full Time Missionaries
WHAT IS THIS? MOON VOLCANIC ACTIVITY, MUD BOILS OR ASH MOUNDS?
OR DIRT COVERED DONUTS?
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| Well truth is--None of these! These are dirt mounds formed by ant colonies in our driveway. |
ZONE CONFERENCE AT INTERNATIONAL FALLS
(July 2nd)
FORT FRANCES SCENES
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| Street Mural depicting early history of the area |
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| Sister Leary with a new friend--A handsome mannequin. |
ST. PAUL TEMPLE, MINNEAPOLIS
(July 11-12, 2014)
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| The Leary's and the Ferrin's |
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| Back L to R: Mellisa Vielleux, ____Johnson and her brother Adam Johnson, Elder Ferrin Front L to R: Sister Leary, ______Johnson, Monica Vielleux, Sister Ferrin |
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| Melissa Vielleux with Sister Leary. Sister Vielleux was the Young Women President for the Fort Frances District and was the catalyst for our first Family History Workshop with the youth of the district. |
TWO-DAY BREAK WITH SISTER MARX
& PRESIDENT OLSON
(July 18-19, 2014)
Buena Vista Resort on Lake of the Woods
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| A welcoming mannequin |
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| Sister Leary with store and marina in background |
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| Buena Vista Resort and docks |
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| Who's this pretty gal? |
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| Sister Marx & Sister Leary Best of friends throughout our mission. |
Annual Railroad Days Festival at Rainy River
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| President Olson and the band--they were very good singing country & western songs |
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| A happy onlooker |
A Stop Along HWY 671 Between Bergland & Rainy River
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| Sister Marx no doubt wondering about a rock in her hand and ____Olson with a minnow trap. |
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| Minnows |
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| Sister Marx and President Olson |
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| Old sawmill |
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| A 7-8 inch turtle by the road. We stopped just before Buena Vista Resort and waited for this fellow to cross the road. |
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| Layered calcareous mature quartz sandstone. Likely part of the onlapping Cambrian sediments deposited on the older eroded Canadian Shield peneplain some 500 million years ago. |
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| An interesting banded metamorphosed sediment bolder glacially transported from the Canadian Shield |
President Olson's Home Near Bergland
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| Sister Marx at President Olson's home |
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| Sister Marx makes a new friend in Marley the dog |
Little Grassy River Access to Lake of the Woods
Going Out
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| Heading west down Little Grassy River access to Lake of the Woods |
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| Looking back |
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| Approaching a small island where we decided to land and have lunch |
Small Island in Lake of the Woods
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| Lush vegetation including bear berries galore |
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| Sister Marx was always the life of the party |
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| Flies were on all of our cloths |
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| President Olson, Sister Leary & Sister Marx |
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| Like I said, life of the party. Sister Marx was the only one who wanted to get into that cold lake water. |
Coming Back
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| Cranes at mouth of Rainy River |
ED GRYNOL, RECENT CONVERT, AND HIS FAVORITE TRANSPORTATION MODE
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| Ed & Nance, his wife, sometimes came to church by motorcycle |
SUNSETS IN FORT FRANCES
FROM OUR APARTMENT ON MORRISION AVENUE
(July 20 & 22, 2014)
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| Can you see the dragon swooping down? See his eyes sunk into his face, snorting nostrils, jaw whiskers, long wing-like ears, flat forehead & long body going off into the dark! Getting closer and closer below!!! |
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| There he is in plane view--See his red rimmed small piercing eyes? |
KENORA & LAKE OF THE WOODS DINNER CRUISE FOR SENIOR MISSIONARIES
(July 25, 2014)
Kenora Sites
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| Borelli's where we all had breakfast the next morning before conference and returning home. |
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| Cessna and many small float planes docked here |
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| Sister Marx enjoying a reminiscent moment |
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| The Leary's with Sister Marx |
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| Elder Leary & President Thomas President Thomas and his wife were from Ketchikan, Alaska where he owns and manages a lodge & fixed wing aircraft service company. |
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| Downtown Kenora |
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| A landmark apartment right on the lake |
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| Our cruise ship waiting for us to board |
The Cruise
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| Pulling out from the dock |
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| Beautiful rimmed clouds |
Flood Damaged Cottages and Covered Docks
Beautiful Homes on Islands in Lake of the Woods
Lots of Boaters Out Just For the Ride
The Senior Missionaries
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| Sister Ferrin |
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| Front: The Tiefenbach's Back: The Burkman's |
A Narrow Passage
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| Painted rock in narrow passage |
Approaching Our Dock in Kenora
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| The off color happens occasionally when there is a cloudy sky. I only saw it this good twice on our mission & only during summer months. Once in Regina in the morning and again here in Kenora in the evening. |
BEAUTIFUL FLOWERS--FORT FRANCES
SISTER LEARY IN HER LEISURE TIME
SOME DIFFERENT FORMS OF QUARTZ
OUR APARTMENT IN FORT FRANCES
MOVIE NIGHT AT THE CHURCH
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| Ed and Nancy Grynol with their grandchildren visiting for the summer |
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| Elder Leary standing with L: Elder Richins and R: Elder Pickett seated in back L to R in front: Sister Davis, Sister Leary, Sister Leavenworth, and sister Peggy Selman |
MISSIONARIES FOR DINNER AT THE FARK'S INTERNATIONAL FALLS
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| Left to Right: Granddaughter of the Fark's, Sister Davis, Sister Leary, Sister Leavenworth, Elder Carpenter, grandson of the Frark's, Elder Richins, Elder Pickett and Elder Burkey |
ANNUAL PICNIC: FORT FRANCES BRANCH
(August 9, 2014)
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| Elder Richins talking to a couple of less active members |
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| Show me more soap bubbles! |
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| Let's play croquet! |
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| How about balloon water toss? |
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| Sister Leary getting into the fray with Elder Pickett |
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| More water balloons coming |
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| A free-for-all & Sister Leary says "I'am Done!" |
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| It's over and what a lot of fun! |
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| President Tovey happy with the turnout and events to help bond his branch. |
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| Clockwise: Irene Carroll, Nancy Grynol, Nancy's sister visiting with her family for the summer, Sister Leary, Holly Olson, Charlene Nicholson,, President Tovey |
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| OK things are under control here! |
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| Getting together at the end |
ELDER RICHINS 22ND BIRTHDAY
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| Sister Leary's meals were always first class. The missionaries appreciated her talents in the kitchen. |
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| Elder Richins with the Leary's |
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| Elder Richins and Elder Pickett always helped clean-up after a meal and would not leave until they had washed the dishes. They said their mothers would not be happy if they ate and left without doing this. Great examples. |
EMO ANNUAL FAIR & OLSON/FISK FAMILY FUND RAISER FOR TRI-ANNUAL FAMILY REUNIONS AT THE OLD OLSON FARM
(August 14-16, 2014)
Emo Annual Fair
Olson/Fisk Fund Raiser: "The Homestead"
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| The Homestead fund raiser was an amazing part of the Elmo Fair. It was always busy. They profit about $10,000 each year which is used to pay for family reunions held every three years. They serve hamburgers, hot dogs, poutine, onion bloom, frys and pop. |
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| President Olson in front Front order taking area and seating for guests |
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| Covered pavilion provides additional seating for guests |
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| Order taking and receiving area. Brother Olson seated and Sister Leary waiting on an order. |
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| Brother Johnson about to give a prepared order to Sister Leary |
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| Waiting for orders |
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| Sister Ferrin standing waiting to prepare a hot dog order |
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| Elder Ferrin--Our hot dog cook |
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| President Olson's son & daughter-in-law from B.C.--The Onion Bloom experts |
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| Adam Johnson and his father |
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| The Johnson's on the left--The Poutine Experts |
SMOKY THE BEAR CELEBRATION
INTERNATIONAL FALLS, USA
(August 23, 2014)
TOWN MURAL
INTERNATIONAL FALLS, USA
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| Main Street |
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| Mural depicting lake and river access, family, homes, industry and recreation |
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| Water ways were used for early shipping & transportation which was vital for the area |
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| Farming and logging |
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| Net fishing and gold panning & exploration |
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| Early explorers searching for gold which was discovered in quarts veins in the old basement rocks of the Canadian Shield, especially in the Fort Frances area |
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| Living along side First Nation Peoples |
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| Two storey log home typical of the era |
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| Fishing in leisure time |
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| Conversing about the seasons and times |
THREE-DAY BREAK WITH SISTER MARX
& PRESIDENT OLSON
LAKE OF THE WOODS AREA
(August 28-30, 2014)
Bergland Chapel
Fruit Trees At President Olson's Home
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| Apples |
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| Choke Cherries |
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| Bear Berries |
Mouth of Little Grassy River on Lake of the Woods
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| Beautifully formed ripple marks in beach sand |
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| President Olson, Sister Marx and Sister Leary |
Lake of the Woods Tour
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| Whooping Crane |
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| Lots of cottages tucked away on islands in Lake of the Woods |
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| Old Indian paintings on rock face dated about 700-900 years ago |
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| Close up of the mural--a family unit in camp |
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| A close up of parent and child |
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| Beautiful green moss at base of Indian paintings |
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| A stop for lunch |
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| President Olson--we had lots of laughs |
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| Some colorful trees added to the beauty |
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| We went into this bay to explore the green color in the water. Back of ________Olson, brother of President Olson |
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| Green algae blown in by the wind |
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| In places you could see blue colored margin of algae on the beach |
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| I was puzzled what animal made this track? Perhaps a bear! |
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| A dark silouette of Brother Olson |
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| Margaret with her proud find--a large fish hook washed ashore |
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| White flowering moss |
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| Sister Leary |
Coming Into & Along Little Grassy River
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| Our Dock Just South of Bergland There is a story here, I lost my reading glasses as they feel out of my pocket on the far side of the dock near the deep end. I said they were toast. But Sister Marx felt otherwise and against our desires plunged in and on her second try found the glasses on the bottom. The water here was murky and about 8-9 feet deep. It was a miracle that she found them. I still have these glasses thanks to her courageous soul. Thank you Sister Marx. |
Sunset at Buena Vista Resort on Lake of the Woods
FORT FRANCES CHAPEL GRAFFITI
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| Add caption |
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| No members ever noticed this and I never mentioned it out of respect for them. I managed to mostly remove it with a wire brush and soap. At the end, thinking maybe I would finish with gasoline because the sign was made of granite, a neighbour walked up and asked if he could help. I told him the next step and he said he would bring me some gasoline. With that the sign was like new. I thanked him for his kind assistance. I think an angel of God inspired this man to help me out. I said a prayer for him to find the truth and asked the missionaries to try and find him. |
YOUTH FAMILY HISTORY WORKSHOP
SUPER SATURDAY
INTERNATIONAL FALLS
(September 6, 2014)
For a history of our family history teaching in Fort Frances and the Fort Frances District refer to the preface at the beginning of this blog post.
It was a lot of work putting this together as I wanted to be proficient with both the computer, using an overhead projector and in teaching family history using the technical tools and resources on FamilySearch and its first collaborative partner sites including Ancestry, MyHeritage and Findmypast. A good deal of our time during August until September 6th was devoted to preparing for this workshop. The effort we put into it was well worth it.
We started the workshop at 10:30am and waited for late arrivals until 11:00am and Sister Mellisa Vielleux, District Young Womens President, gave some opening comments in the gathering room and then I opened with an introduction in the instruction room to family history and quickly went to the overhead projector and got them started on Step 1 of 13. Pizza was served at noon and we closed at 4:00pm so the drive home which was up to 2 hours would not get them home too late.
I taught from the handout using the overhead projector and after each step allowed the class participants to try it out. As they were doing so I went around to help where ever I could. The Sister Missionaries--Sister Davis and Sister Leavenworth did a great job in helping the youth. With the help of branch presidents, youth leaders and parents and Sister Leary, every youth had an adult with some experience in family history to assist them. Sister Leary was a great go-between for me to get to those needing help. Elder Ferrin participated mostly to learn the skills for himself. The adults and youth caught on so quickly we were all amazed how the Spirit of Elijah had touched them. I felt impressed a couple of times when presenting some examples to ask them for names to try in searches and in doing so found some family pedigrees particularly on the "Genealogies" tab in FamilySearch. I also ventured out and searched some areas in my examples I hadn't tried before on Ancestry and found some new family units. All-in-all the Lord helped us all to help the youth and adults present to feel the Spirit of Elijah and find success in finding ancestors; and to inspire them to use the handout at home and to continue their research on their own.
All of the class participants had success in finding names they could take to the temple. One young man, from a less active family starting to come back to church, found about 25 names that were ready for temple ordinances. He wondered what he should do? The Sister Missionaries who were helping him asked me to speak to him. I asked him if he planned on going to the temple and he said "Yes" in a very determined manner, so I encouraged him to reserve the names. He reserved about 12 male names. Another young man found so many names he could not tell me how many he found. He was quick on the computer and his mother who attended to assist him was amazed how he could find names of ancestors and reserve their temple ordinances so easily. A First Nation girl was having trouble finding resources for First Nations People so I advised her to go to "Google". She told me she had found some records of interest and later at a District Conference told me she was so happy that she now had found some of her ancestors.
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| This is the First Nation young woman I mentioned above with President MacDonald from Dryden along with his daughter. |
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| Sister Leary helping some youth |
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| This is the young man who found so many names for temple ordinances he couldn't tell me how many he had found. |
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| Sister Ferrin and Sister Leary helping the youth |
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| Elder Ferrin |
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| We had a great room--perfect for presenting family history with a large screen and a good projector. |
MEMBERS OF THE FORT FRANCES BRANCH
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| Elder Pickett waiting on a less active member to come to church |
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| Nancy Grynol, a recent convert |
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| Back Row: Irene Carroll, Charlene Nicholson, Elder Richins, Elder Pickett Middle Row: Nancy Grynol, Peggy Selman Front Row: Geraldine Olson, Inga Bazylewski, Sister Leary Seated: Donna Olson |
MISSIONARIES FOR DINNER AND AN OBJECT LESSON
September 7th, 2014
Object Lesson: The Box
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| Sister Leary's Domain |
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| The Missionary Dinner Set-Up |
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| We couldn't remember this object lesson principle. How about: Do not fear and be willing to reach into the unknown for truth! And follow the Spirit? |
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| Elder Pickett with hands on the box and Elder Richins |
September 14th, 2014
Object Lesson:
To Put Our Body Through A Small Hole In A Piece of Paper
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| Elder Leary's attempt |
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| Sister Leary's attempt |
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| L: Elder Pickett R: Elder Richins First cut out a paper chain from the paper sheet |
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| Then of course slip the paper chain over your body--Simple? These missonaries were the finest you will ever find and we had the privilege of having them in our humble apartment for dinner. We shared many spiritual messages with them. They taught us humility and love for the members. |
THE BECK'S FROM INTERNATIONAL FALLS
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| John Beck was 90 and nearly blind but had an amazing memory for names, dates, events and places. He had extensive paper records of pedigrees and family records that he would bring with him each week we met. He and his wife, who were not members of the church, came faithfully every week on Wednesday mornings to the Family History Center in Fort Frances to meet with us from July to October, 2014. We would spend from 9:00 am to about noon and sometimes way past noon as they were so keen and interested in building out their trees on FamilySearch. John wanted to find his grandfather, Charles Beck, who came from Norway. We searched and searched and found many by the same name but because John had no record of where he came from or exact birth date we had a real challenge and could never be sure. So it was hard to do but we kept telling him we needed more information before we would ever fine him. Finally we started entering other deceased relatives on his mothers side and connected with duplicates on Family Tree and his tree bloomed with lines back to the 1500's and further in some cases. |
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| Evelyn Beck was 84 years of age and had a deformed left hand; and was embarassed to work on the computer with us so always asked us to do the entries on her tree for her. Same as for John, we soon connected with branches through duplicates and she ended up with numerous lines back to the 1500's and even several to the 900's with one line back to 275 AD. Considerable royalty was evident on her lines. She was very excited to have found all these branches and so far back. We enjoyed working with them both and came to love and appreciate them. They however had no interest in the gospel even though we would share a spiritual thought around missionary work with them on occassion. Sometimes the Sister Missionaries from International Falls would come and sit in and help--particularly recording on a laptop some of John's stories and memories of his ancestors. Our feelings about these two wonderful people was that the Lord was using them through the Spirit of Elijah to do family history for their kindred because so many beyond the veil had accepted the gospel and were waiting for the ordinances to be done. We felt that someone in their family would soon join the church and would see all the work John and Evelyn had done and would rejoice in them and do the temple work for their ancestors and their descendants and for them as well once they had departed this mortal life. We know we shall see them again. |
ZONE CONFERENCE IN FORT FRANCES
(September 19, 2014)
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| Busy preparing lunch for Zone Conference. Sister Leary was in charge of the food this time around. |
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| This was the supervision corner of our apartment. |
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| Awh the final product. Sister Leary is known for her unmatched and flavourful lasagna. |
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| L to R: Sister Ferrin, Sister Leary and Nancy Grynol waiting for lunch guests to arrive from the Zone Conference meeting in the morning. |
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| A few words by President Thomas and a prayer on the luncheon food. |
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| This is our favorite missionary picture from our mission; and we are actually in the picture this time around. Back two rows: Some of the missionaries we had worked with--Elder Pickett and Elder Richins in very back and Sister Haner and her companion on the far left now serving in Kenora and Sister Davis with her companion serving in International Falls. On the front row L to R: The Menlove's serving in the Winnipeg office over finance and secretarial, President and Sister Thomas, Sister Marx, The Ferrin's from Bergland and the Leary's serving in Fort Frances. |
DISTRICT LEADERS CONFERENCE IN FORT FRANCES
(September 20, 2014)
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| President Thomas discussed the history of missionary work in the district, where we are at now and plans going forward. There are leaders from five branches and the district in the region. The turnout was less than expected. |
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| Irene Carroll and Debra Wagoner in back. The sisters in the branch prepared bag lunches for those driving home who came from Dryden, Kenora or Bergland--about a 2 hour drive for some. |
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| Sister Leary with Sister Rencher from Bergland who helped out. |
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| Nancy Grynol on the left. Sister Rencher on the right--wife of President Rencher, 1st Councillor in the District Presidency |
SOME SCENES WEST OF EMO & NORTH OF STANDING
(September 22, 2014)
KAY-NAH-CHI-WAH-NUNG BURIAL GROUNDS & CULTURAL CENTER WEST OF EMO
(September 27, 2014)
Some History of the Site
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| Along this 3 km stretch of waterway, burial mounds can be found along its full length although clustered at the east end. |
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| The Backduck, one of many different groups of First Nation people who lived on this site 300 to 900 years ago. The earliest known groups of people date back to about 2500 years or about 500 BC corresponding to the time of settlement in America of Lehi and his family. Extensive evidence in the Book of Mormon strongly suggests Lehi's descendants scattered the full width and length of North America from sea to sea. Burial mounds of this nature are extensive in the United States along and east of the Mississippi River extending north to the Great Lakes region. Trade amongst the First Nation people was extensive both from archeological finds but also from the Book of Mormon history of this people. Although the Ojibway people lay claim to the site and its history, the site encompasses the settling of many different tribes of the Lamanite people who were descendants of Lehi. |
Spirituality of the First Nation People
Their Account of the Creation
According to the First Nation tradition, the creation account was "handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation". The following account has obvious parallels with the accounts of the creation given in the scriptures and temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The captions below will attempt to highlight some of these parallels.
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| Latter-day Saint accounts have been handed down through the prophets in scriptures. We know from our accounts that the solar system and even our galaxy our integrally connected with the creation of this earth. The scriptures speak of the church in the female as the bride and the Savior Jesus Christ as the bridegroom. The elements of the earth are clearly organized with the object of supporting life in all its forms. The above First Nation narrative speaks to each of these ideas. |
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| The earth is taught in the scriptures to be a living entity with a body and a spirit and that it has a temporal life expectancy of 7000 years. So in Latter-day Saint theology then the earth clearly has both physical and spiritual elements with their associated powers. The above narrative runs parallel with this theology. Also, the above narrative speaks of the beauty of the initial creation of earth. In LDS theology this parallels our belief in an immortal creation of all things subject to the fall of Adam and Eve--which immortal creation was more beautiful than anything we see on the fallen earth of today. |
The Creation of Plants and Animals
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| Latter-day Saints believe that all plant and animal life on earth came from other spheres where they had been created spiritually in the spirit form and came to earth in the form of seeds in the case of plants or as living entities in the case of animals although the Lord has not revealed how this process worked in any detail although we know that it was through the union of both spirit and element that all living things came into life to live on this earth. The general order of mention of the creation of plants and animals in the above narrative, their being placed on earth by the Creator and their harmony with nature parallels LDS theology, |
The Creation of Man
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| This narrative speaks to the dual nature of man--that is, a physical part and a spiritual part. In the creation of Adam and Eve, Latter-day Saints believe that the breath of life--the Spirit taken from heaven was placed in the physical body--the Element taken from the dust of the earth and man became a living soul. |
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| This narrative compliments the former and parallels LDS theology in that the spirit of man from heaven was placed in the body of man from earth. |
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| This narrative parallels LDS theology on the ongoing advent of man onto the earth from the realm of spirits above and on the Plan of Salvation whereby we come to this earth to prove ourselves before God so that we can return to live with Him once again. |
I stand amazed at the parallelism of the First Nation accounts of the components of creation as given in the narratives above and LDS theology. However, it should not be surprising this is the case for these people are the descendants of Lehi and his family who had the creation account in their scriptures along with the gospel of Jesus Christ and plan of salvation which was known to them through their prophets; and was, as the narrative states, "handed down by word of mouth from generation to generation".
Burial Mounds
As we observed these burial mounds and the practices of laying the bodies in their positions which varied depending on the period and tribe, we were reminded that in the Book of Mormon , Alma the younger spoke of such mounds amongst the Nephite nation in about 78 BC. He said, following the destruction of the Nephite city and people of Ammononiah by the Lamanites, as recorded in Alma 16:11 "Nevertheless, after many days their dead bodies were heaped up upon the face of the earth, and they were covered with a shallow covering." That certainly sounds like a structure of which we see in the following photos at this gathering place on Rainy River.
Again, in the Book of Mormon after a major battle between the Nephites and Lamanites took place a couple of years later because of the settlement of converted Lamanites in the Nephite land of Jershon when 10's of thousands are slain, it is recorded in Alma 28:11 that "the bodies of many thousands are laid low in the earth, while the bodies of many thousands are moldering in heaps upon the face of the earth...." There can be little doubt that many of the burial mounds that dote the landscape of the eastern United States were made by the Nephite and Lamanite nations from the period 600 BC to the latest record of such in the 1700's.
First Nation Village Life
Treaty Number 3 of October 3rd, 1873
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| The chiefs all signed the treaty with an X with their name written in on the left by one person. |
Displays in the Cultural Center
Depiction of Life for Different Periods
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| I find it always interesting to see the displays for the period before 600 BC to see how this time period is depicted. Of course it is always shown as inferior in agricultural technique, language, clothing, etc. Adam and Eve may have started with nothing but they were intelligent and industrious and taught by heavenly messengers and were not First Nation people. There is evidence throughout the world for pre-flood people (i.e. before about 2348 BC) and post Tower of Babel people (i.e. about 2300 BC) that were gifted in agriculture and in building communal settlements. For details on this see my mission journal for research done in the evenings and spare time while serving in Regina and Atikokan. In America people of record from this time period are always shown as First Nation; but we know in the church that that is not the case. Adams descendants lived on this continent and probably throughout the world during the pre flood era; and descendants of Noah and his family from the time of the Tower of Babel can be found throughout the world during the post Tower era including the record of the Jaredites in America commencing by about 2300 BC. and First Nation people that begins in America by about 600 BC. |
Artifacts from the Site
Rock Painting Displayed
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| The color of the paint, size of painting and texture on rock is similar to what we saw on Lake of the Woods during one of our tours with President Olson and Sister Marx which likely dates between 700 and 900 AD. Rainy River provided access to Lake of the Woods to the west as per the map below. |
ELDERS FOR DINNER & SHOWING US
THE GAME OF JENKO
(September 28,2014)
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| After Elder Pickett built this Jenko pile the idea is to take turns removing a block and see who causes the pile to tumble. |
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| Sister Leary is a wee short compared to these two missionaries. Elder Pickett on the left and Elder Richins on the right. |
P-DAY IN INTERNATIONAL FALLS & FORT FRANCES
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| L to R: Sister Davis, Sister Fellows, Elder Richins, Elder Burkey, Elder Pickett, Elder Johnson At the chapel in International Falls. |
FORT FRANCES BRANCH LUNCHEON AFTER CHURCH
(October 5, 2014)
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| L to R: The Leary's, Charlene Nicholson, Debra Wagoner, President Richard Jensen (Elders Quorum President), Elder Richins, Elder ________, Ed Grynol and his wife Nancy with President Robert Tovey (Branch President) seated. Taken in the foyer of the church. |
ADULT FAMILY HISTORY WORKSHOP IN FORT FRANCES
( October 11, 2014)
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For this workshop, all the adults were invited from the Fort Frances District as well as any youth that missed the Youth Workshop on September 6th in International Falls. We had 22 adults attend including a couple of youth and 8 Full Time Missionaries plus Sister Leary and Elder and Sister Ferrin. The workshop went again from about 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. It should be noted that total attendance at district conferences was always about 70 members so for the combined earlier youth workshop and now this adult workshop along with those we taught one-on-one in Fort Frances and the District President in his home, we taught a combined total of about 50 members in the district plus about 10 full time missionaries.
The first photo below illustrates the setup that we used in Fort Frances, which was very similar to what we did in International Falls. The large screen was the result of putting two normal screens side by side with white paper tapped along the seam on the back. It worked perfectly for displaying webpages from FamilySearch and collaborative partner sites. I sat to the immediate right of the computer on the lower right and gave my presentation step by step using an overhead project with my laptop. For each step we gave the participants time to try the step out and find names. As with the youth, we handed out an updated and slighter shorter (i.e. 30 pages) instruction manual that they could take with them and use as a guide at any time at home.
The availability of internet was a miracle for this conference. At the request of the Mission President, the band width had been increased for the building to about 10 MB from 5 MB a few weeks ago but began to deteriorate about a week before the workshop to the point that the workshop may be nothing more than me presenting it on the screen. I spent hours on the phone with Salt Lake technical assistance trying to find the solution. Salt Lake said it was the provider and the provider said it was our system. Well I felt Salt Lake was correct because they had tried everything for me. Friday the best we could get was about 2-3 MB's. For the workshop, although I had to give the participants the access key for the access point closest to our work area, we had adequate internet for the 20 or more computers and hand held devices in use. I knew that the service had somehow improved. I found out later from the provider that they were at fault and found the issue late on Friday and had it up and running properly by the time of our workshop. What a miracle that was--the hand of the Lord blessed these people to learn how to find their ancestors.
Our experience here was a little different than with the youth in that the adults had a much harder time adjusting to the computers and the technical steps in research. I remember one lady, late in the day near to the time to stop the workshop after I began to show some steps that we covered quickly from Ancestry, MyHeritage and Findmypast, commenting "Oh, no more, my head can't handle it!!" Family history research is a spiritual endeavor and is exhausting; but especially for the older generation who are not as good with modern technology as the youth.
Several who attended found names of ancestors but the greatest success was the attendance, interest and enthusiasm for research of the members. Now, with the handout, they could repeat what we learned at the workshop on their own and use the new tools for research at their own speed in the comfort of their homes.
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| President Tovey on the right front table had a marvelous experience finding some of his ancestors while searching in "Genealogies" on FamilySearch". Up to this point previously and prior to this workshop he could not find anyone. He was very pleased and excited about his finds. |
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| Of the full time missionaries, Elder Richins, did a great job working with these two men at the front table on the left. Elder and Sister Ferrin attended as well to improve their skill at family history. |
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| The full time missionaries were very helpful in working with the members. Two are seated with Debra Wagoner, in light mauve, and an Elder is helping the lady in light blue. |
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| The full time missionaries who assisted today on a lunch break with food prepared by Sister Leary and the branch sisters. |
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| Great we can have desert now. |
FORT FRANCES BRANCH MEMBERS
(Sunday, October 12, 2014)
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| Back Row: Elder Leary, Elder McLaws, Sulo and Beverly Maki, Debra Wagoner, President Richard Jensen, Charlene Nicholson Middle Row: Ed and Nancy Grynol, Sister Leary, Debbie Bazylewski, non-member, and her mother Inga with the cane Front Center: Geraldine Olson with her daughter Donna in the wheelchair |
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| A happy senior missionary couple from out west |
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| Ed and Nancy Grynol attending a church meeting on Tuesday, October 14, 2014. They often ride the Harley from about 20 miles east of Fort Frances where they live in a nice home on the North Arm of Rainy Lake. They are both recent converts joining the church respectively in about 2012 and 2013. They took out their endowments after we left our mission in 2015. They were a wonderful couple and we all loved them dearly. |
THE FAMILY HISTORY CENTER AT THE
FORT FRANCES CHAPEL &
FALL SCENES AT THE CHURCH
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| When we arrived in Fort Frances in June, 2014, this room was full of garbage bags that had never been taken out and it was not used for anything. Sister & Elder Leary set this Family History Center up in July, 2014 with the approval of the Mission President. We purchased an Acer desktop computer with windows 8.1 and a 21" screen along with an HP color printer for this center. We decorated it as best we could with the materials available. The room had been a former Family History Center but several years ago all the computers were sent to Bergland who also have a center but now with all old stuff. Here, we laid out a number of forms including one for keeping records of research along with pedigree and family group sheets. The two microfilm readers at the back were left overs from the old center but no one ever uses them now. After setting this center up, all of our one-on-one training and assistance for family history research was done at the desk on the right. Sister Leary and I spent many hours here with members and some non-members helping them with their research and building out a tree on FamilySearch. Our goal was to get the members to the temple with names of ancestors; and, as a result we did several trips to the St. Paul, Minnesota temple. |
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| Charlene Nicholson was very knowledgeable about family history and had previously worked on her family lines. She is the most capable of taking the lead in the Fort Frances Branch when we leave. Today we were going over the highlights of the Adult Workshop which she missed and gave her a copy of the Handout. |
SOME SCENES FROM INTERNATIONAL FALLS
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| We got all our hair cuts here for $10.00 each. We thought that was a pretty good deal. |
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| Another wall mural in town |
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| The branch presidents home ready for halloween. |
SCENES ALONG HWY 11 & 12
WHILE TRAVELING TO ZONE CONFERENCE THROUGH THE USA TO WINNIPEG
(October 16, 2014)
ZONE CONFERENCE IN WINNIPEG
(October 17, 2014)
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| The Winnipeg Zone |
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| The Saskatoon Zone |
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| The Ontario Zone with Elder Malm of the Seventy and his wife |
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| A good moto for all |
SOME OF THE SISTERS THAT CAME TO THE FAMILY HISTORY CENTER FOR HELP FROM THE LEARY'S
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| From L to R: Irene Carroll, Debra Wagoner, Evelyn Beck |
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| Sister Wagoner's home |
A FALL SCENE IN ATIKOKAN &
LUNCH AT LITTLE DARLINGS
(October 23, 2014)
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| We had lunch at Little Darlings restaurant, one of our favorites, with Sister Alverne Dickson. While ordering, Carl Montgomery came in for lunch so I sat with him. Carl is less active and we met with him in his home a number of times and taught several messages to him but he never came out to church while we were there although he always said he would. He had a not so good reputation with some of the members but we found him to be charitable and friendly to all. |
MISSION FAREWELL WITH FORT FRANCES ELDERS
(October 24, 2014)
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| L to R: Elder McLaws, Elder Richins, Sister & Elder Leary |
AND, FAREWELL TO OUR APARTMENT
IN FORT FRANCES
Our Apartment Ready For the Next Senior Missionary Couple Elder & Sister Westfall from Ketchikan, Alaska
ON OUR WAY HOME ABOUT 4:00 PM WITH
SUNSETS ALONG THE DRIVE TO WINNIPEG
(October 24, 2014)
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| We were driving towards the sun from Atikokan to Winnipeg so we saw many beautiful sunset views along the hilly shield terrain before coming into the prairies just past the Manitoba border. |
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| Fire sunset |
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| Beautiful rimmed clouds at sunset |
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| The Sunset of our mission. A beautiful burst of rays made our hearts melt as we thanked our Heavenly Father for the priceless experiences we had serving in the Winnipeg Mission. We came to understand, love and appreciate the members and leaders of the region. How grateful we are to have had the honor of associating with so many valiant and dedicated full time missionaries. Our Mission President and his wife, President & Sister Thomas, were always so thoughtful and kind to every missionary and taught us all well. We will sorely miss our mission, the people and the beauty of the land. |
WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
(October 25, 2014)
This morning we had the opportunity of teaching family history to the senior missionaries in Winnipeg at the Mission Home. When President Thomas came in and listened for awhile before he had to leave, he said: "You should consider commercializing this!" The thought had never entered my mind previously. That was the seed that led us to put together RoadMap and RoadMap Summary that is now free to all online at www.findingancestorsmadeeasy.com.
These products provide simple step-by-step guides in using the technical tools on FamilySearch and its collaborative partner sites to search what is now over a net of 25 billion historical records. The products never provided any income as so we decided that they should be made free to all as so many could benefit from them--both young and old.
Our mission has been such an immeasurable blessing to us in so many ways--experiences, friends, learning along the way, coming closer to the Lord, family history through teaching others and success with our own in taking so many names to the temple in Regina and St. Paul, and learning how much the Lord loves the people and the missionaries. We will soon go again.
MOOSOMIN, SASKATCHEWAN
(October 25,2014)
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| L to R: Elder_______, Elder Leary, Sister Harding, Sister Leary, Sister Lane, Elder Quist. Some of the special and honorable young missionaries who so faithfully served the Lord. We came to love and appreciate them so much. Elder Quist came from Vancouver. He grew tremendously on his mission and we used to have private talks when he needed a friend and council. Sister Harding was one of many that I had the privilige of giving a blessing in Regina. I promised her she would raise a righteous branch in Israel. Sister Harding's laugh was enough to make anyone shout for joy. She had a wonderful relaxed personality and everyone loved her. She was a perfect companion for Sister Harding who was always the voice of the party. |
WIND TURBINE FARM NEAR MOOSEOMIN, SASKATCHEWAN
REGINA, SASKATCHEWAN ON OUR WAY HOME
(October 26 & 27,2014)
While in Regina Bishop Dilts invited us to stay at his place overnight on Saturday and Sunday. The Bishop and his family were always so hospitable and welcoming to all. We enjoyed many meals at their home. The Bishop called us part of his family and he made us feel that way. We came to love them and their daughters, Heather and Jasper. On Sunday evening he said he was a little worried about us and we sat and talked what was coming next for us as well as for them because his job at the Archive Center was coming to an end in about 2 years maximum. I told him we would likely have to sell our home and downsize but that we would be OK, and that we were looking forward to another mission in a few years. He plans to get a job with the church elsewhere if nothing materializes further at the Archive Center. On Monday, after our goodbye's at the Dilts home we visited the staff at the Saskatchewan Archives Center and Bishop Dilts with his two new local Sister Missionary assistants. Then we left for Calgary.
A Typical Great Meal and Time Spent With Bishop Dilts
& His Family
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| Bishop Dilts loved to cook. He was always searching out and trying different recipes. This is a photo of his famous pork roast dinner of September 27, 2013 |
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| Clockwise: Sister Porter, Heather, Jasper, Karma, Bishop Robert Dilts and Sister Leary |
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| L to R: Jasper, Heather, Bishop Dilts and Karma. They were an amazing family with great stories. They also have an older son and daughter who were not present. |
During Church & Evening on Sunday
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| Sister Miller at church on Sunday. She had a strong testimony of the gospel and loved to preach when she shared her testimony during fast and testimony meetings. She sometimes would go on and on but we all loved her just the same. She was very knowledgeable of the scriptures and could quot many. |
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| Elder Leishman from Calgary with the Leary's at church. |
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| President Tiefenback, councilor in the mission presidency, demonstrating a spice rack in his home. We went to their home for a social gathering with food in the evening after church. |
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| A new additon to the Parliament Buildings in Regina. |
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| Our favorite corner in Regina near the Parliament Buildings |
BEAUTIFUL HOAR FROST ALONG THE TRANS
CANADA HWY NEAR CALGARY
(October 28, 2014)
October is shaping up to be a significant date in our lives. It is the date my mother passed away in 2009 at the age of 100 years--2 months short; the date of the Calgary Temple Dedication; and now the date we arrive home from our first mission.
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| Hwy #1 West near Calgary |
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| Reminiscent of similar hoar frost designs we saw in Regina in 2013 |
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| Edge of Calgary |
A CLOSING STATEMENT
(Written August 30, 2017)
We finally gave up on serving in India at the end of our two-year mission as we were prepared to extend our mission by 6 months until passports expired but the visa's never came through. We never slackened our pace in the Winnipeg Mission because of India. We loved our mission and would gladly return to the same mission again if requested to do so.
Our mission was a wonderful experience never to be forgotten. For that reason I have kept a separate written journal as well as this blog for a memorial to our service, the friends we made and how our lives drew closer to our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. We loved the people and felt the love of our Savior for them. We pray that the Lord will bless the Winnipeg Mission with success in the future with many converts that will pave the way for growth. We are hopeful that the Fort Frances District may grow and become a stake.
FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENT
(Written August 30, 2017)
Coming home was bitter sweet. However, it was time to see and reacquaint ourselves with family and settle in for the next stage of our lives. Much needed to be done to be prepared for our next mission--including significantly advancing my family history research and building out my family tree along ancestral lines, preparing RoadMap, a step-by-step guide to family history, and building a host website, obtaining the skill to do all my own personal and corporate records and tax returns, learning to successfully profitably trade online using Elliott Wave principles, de-junking our home and business, preparing a 25-year tax plan, completing this blog for 2014 and of course continuing to serve locally in the church and enjoying the Spirit of the temple in our lives.
After the family visits were completed, including spending time in Mexico with Chad and Tonya and their children, by the end of 2014, we realized that we needed to sell our home and downsize. Later near the end of 2015 after finding the almost perfect condo in Cranston that would not be available for purchase for another 3-4 years (i.e. by the end of 2019) since it is a show unit, we decided it was time to put our home on the market. As of August 30, 2017 we have not yet sold our home at our price but have a private buyer who wants to buy it subject to closing a sale of assets--hopefully before the end of this year.
We are now at the juncture whereby all the above has been completed and we have grown immeasurably due to callings in Family History and in the Calgary Temple. I am currently in a Bishopric as a councilor and Margaret is teaching gospel doctrine. My calling in the Cranston Bishopric commenced June 12, 2016 and was for a short period of 1 1/4 to 1/1/2 years as the Bishop is young and relatively inexperienced. We are now ready to move on. A second 18 month mission first and then the plan is to spend six months or so in Ireland doing family history to find John Leary and Maria Sneyd and others on both Margaret's and my lines and then move into the condo. The Lord is watching over us and we go forward with faith. We have felt his hand guiding us all through this period of time and have faith we will sell our home soon as the time seems right.
Before we leave on our next mission we plan to move into Mark's basement bedroom. He has just advised us the basement is now ready for us to move in as he had some finishing to do in the recreation room. This will be our home until we leave for our next mission so it won't be in Mark's home for too long. Also, once we sell our home, we plan to travel back to the Winnipeg Mission to visit and also to see our family in the US again; although they were just up to Calgary when we recently celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. Depending on how things go, we may do some other traveling as well as Margaret needs to see her family in England.
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