4.14.2010

So this past week has been extremely good. A ton of our investigators are progressing and we even set a baptismal date with a 24 yr. old kid named Chris. He smokes weed alot and isn't all there alot while we are teaching him but he wants to quit and wants to do better. He is planning on quitting on Wednesday. He actually said he wanted to come to church which is something that Elder Burch and I Tried to do last transfer and he would never come. Elder Smith and I went by on Sunday morning to wake him up, than we went by 30 min later (9:30am) to make sure everything was ok and he was dressed and ready to go. Than we went to church and waited, and waited, and waited and Chris never showed up. Karl showed up though and we were really excited. We weren't expecting him but he decided he wanted to come this week. We later went by Chris and found out he was watching TV and lost track of time. He's going to be a difficult one but he really is sincere and wants to do better.
Elder Smith and I found a lady the other day while tracting named Kristen. She said she had talked with missionaries at her door before and wasn't interested. We've been working alot on being personable with people and joking around alot more with people. We started talking to her about families and stuff and were cracking jokes and she invited us to come back. We than offered help and raked her whole yard in our suits. Since than we have met with her twice and she is really really good. She understands everything, has been praying alot, and reading. She is what we would consider a "golden investigator" and proves that Selkirk really isn't "Tracted out"
We are meeting with a lady named Sharon who is really good and really nice. We've become pretty close and she gave us a really good homemade pumpkin pie. Ahh man it was good. She is honestly the nicest lady and one of the best moms I know. She is a single mother of four and on the weekends she fosters two girls. She is really busy but is trying to do whats right. We are meeting with her tomorrow.
We are also meeting with another one of our really good investigators named Christy whom we've become close with as well. She is progressing really well. We have been taking a couple in our ward and the wife and Christy get along great and have become really good friends.
Tonight we are meeting with Sandy who is another single woman who would get baptized soon but is having trouble knowing Joseph Smith is a true prophet. We are trying to help her understand it better. She doesn't like reading the Book of Mormon because she feels as if she is cheating on her church but she has promised this week to read 10 min a day ever day the Book of Mormon (her daughter made her even put her hand on the bible and make an oath to do it) haha it was funny. Tonight we are planning on watching the Jeffrey R. Holland talk on the Book of Mormon with her from the October General Conference. We are also meeting with Karl tonight who has a baptismal date.
Also the members here are really great and are getting a few referrals from them. We have been working really hard and Selkirk really has turned around and I would consider it probably my favorite area. I love it here and I love all of our investigators and the members here. Which is really sad now because I'm being moved down to Winnipeg on Thursday. I'm excited for change but I truly am going to miss Selkirk. It's going to be hard to leave. I called all of our investigators and set up times to meet with them before I leave but I'm thinking its going to be hard to say good bye. Elder Smith is staying up in Selkirk and is going to be training a greenie so he is pretty excited about that. I'm going back to a busing area (there are like 4 in the whole mission and I'm going to have been in two of them. President must not trust me with cars) My new companion is going to be Elder Palica from Provo, UT. He came out the same transfer as Elder Smith so one transfer after me. I can't believe though I've been on my mission for 7 1/2 months. It doesn't seem like its been that long but apparently it has been. Well I hope everybody has a good week and I'll talk to you later. Remember that I will now be writing on Monday so be prepared. Love ya
Elder Turner

4.7.2010

Well this week has been alot of fun but exhausting. I am extremely tired right now. This past week our car went into the shop as you know and the weather was pretty good but one day it was pooring rain and it eventually turned into hail which was not fun. That morning I made the executive decision that it wasn't going to rain so i didn't wear a coat which was not a good decision. I was very very cold. Also lots of hail hitting you in the face while tracting is not the most fun thing to do in the world. haha it was good though.

We were suppose to get our car on Thursday but it wasn't ready yet (typical Dealerships) and because of the long Easter weekend we weren't going to get our car till Monday. The problem with that was we were going down to Winnipeg for Saturday and Sunday for general conference and than we had District Meeting in Winnipeg today (Tuesday). The Assistants figured it would be easier for us to just stay down in Winnipeg for 4 days. haha it was lots of fun. A senior couple drove up and picked us up for conference and than we stayed with the Zone Leaders until today when they just dropped us off. We did get our car back as well. Because we were in the city for P-day though we got P-day activity which I haven't had in about 3 months. To say the least I am limping everywhere because of how sore I am but it was a good time. For Easter Supper I had White Cheddar Mac and Cheese with a hot dog. Haha it was good though. It's the life of a missionary.

Conference was amazing and thankfully we don't have to wear suit coats anymore. Everyone is super excited and happy to just be able to wear their white shirts. There is nothing better than being able to walk outside with beautiful temperature with just a rolled up white shirt. I'm excited to hear how you liked conference. We did have to go to the city because they only show it at the chapels. Here it is not on the TV and some members watch it online. It kinda makes you realize how blessed we are to get it on the TV. Elder Hollands talk was really good and a super power house but I was a little disappointed because I wanted another powerhouse talk about something like the Book of Mormon one he did last time. We share that one with investigators but I don't think we will share this one about Pornography. Elder Uchtdorf gave a great talk, my favorite of the General Conference, about Patience in the Priesthood Session.

Mom/Cami/Destiny I recommend you watch that one, if not the entire Priesthood Session because it was really good. Also I don't remember the speaker but he gave a talk about mothers that I really enjoyed. All in all it was a great conference.

So yesterday in Winnipeg I bought new dress shoes on my home card just to let you know. They were $100 but they were on clearance for $50 and they are really nice brown dress shoes. I also took $20 out last week from the ATM (@ Scotiabank!!!!) I needed it for laundry and fast offerings and I was out of money on my allotment card. I'm just grateful that they allot us a certain amount each month because I would be out of money in like my first 6 months if they gave us all of it.

This Sunday we get our Transfer calls so I'll let you know how that goes. My guess is that I am leaving Selkirk but President Paulson does what he wants and it is not always what you expect. In fact, it is rarely what you expect. Well not much else to mention. I know as soon as I leave the Library I'm going to remember something to tell you that I've been thinking about for a week but what ever. Well I love you and hope you have a great time in China with all the extra baggage.

Love,
Elder Turner

3.30.2010

This picture is of me in front of Chuck the Catfish.

This week has been extremely good but extremely tiring. The weather here has been extremely nice and really good. Yesterday was +15 C so yeah things are getting nice here in Selkirk. The ice in the river is cracked and gone but the river is flooded. There is a bridge that goes out to East Selkirk and is about 20-30 ft above water normally and now nobody can cross because its too high. The water is going to be at its highest on Saturday hopefully so well have to see how much higher it will get.

I'm not sure if I told you but when I was Elder Burch a car backed up into us and messed up our bumper while we were parked. Well today was the day we were told to bring the car into the shop and it won't be ready till Thursday so Selkirk just became a walking area. haha and of course after a week of great weather on our way into the library it started to rain. haha. just our luck. Plus we have lots and lots of appointments today and tomorrow on opposite sides of the city so things will be interesting.

The other day the Szypkowski's had us over for supper and than we helped them move an extremely heavy piano out of somebodies house and into their house. Their son, Bart, just returned from a mission in BC, Canada a week ago and he had learned how to play the piano on his mission so when his mom heard him play she decided they needed a piano because he is really good. Don't expect the same thing from me though. They are a really nice family and live just outside of Selkirk in St. Andrews. They were like one of the first members in Poland and pretty much started their branch their and in Austria. They are an amazing family and true Mormon Pioneers.

I'm happy to hear Morgan is going on a Mission. He'll do good in Denmark. I honestly can't believe Dillion and Reese are home/coming home. Two years just flew by with them. haha that is crazy to think about.

We had zone conference this past week. I really enjoy zone conferences and you learn alot. Most of the time I have to review my notes the next personal study because I just learn so much.

I'm super excited for General Conference this next week. After General Conference us as missionaries here in The Canada Winnipeg Mission don't have to wear suit coats anymore except to meetings. I'm so excited to walk around the streets in just a white shirt. I'm also excited for the talks. They should be good. I'm excited to see what Jeffrey R. Holland is going to speak on, all i know is it is going to be a powerhouse talk. Lets just hope its not on something boring...like food storage.

I'm going to try and get some pictures off today. I was wondering that whenever you send me a package (the next one will probably be my birthday) if you could send me my CD Player and Speakers. I'm not sure where they are but if you come across them that would be great.

Well I love you all and I'll talk to you later.

Love,

Elder Turner

3.23.2010

Howdy Ya'll,

Supposedly that is the typical "American" Accent up here in Canada. Alot of times people are surprised to hear that Elder Smith and I are from America. They aren't ignorant or anything. Canadian people actually know the states alot more than I do. Actually I would say we are kind of ignorant, I have absolutely no idea about Canada or its provinces. If somebody asks you what the capital of Canada is, do not say Toronto. Its not. Now that I'm thinking about it I can't even remember what the actual capital is. All I know is it is not in Manitoba.

Anyway, things are going well here in Selkirk. Alot of good things are starting to pan out here. We just work as hard as we possibly can and God takes care of the rest. We are working with a less-active lady and her part-member family. The husband is against religion. She might be going to church and being nice to us for the wrong reasons, but both of her sons expressed desires to be baptized. She wouldn't let them before but she said they could this time. We just have to discern her true intentions for coming to church because if she isn't genuinely interested in becoming active again we aren't going to baptize her kids into inactivity.

Another less active man called an active member this week asked for home teachers, a book of Mormon, and he wants his son to take the baptismal lessons. But they still haven't come out to church so again we will have to check on their intentions for getting him baptized.

Karl had to cancel our last appointment but we have a standing appointment with him on Tuesdays so tonight we should be meeting with him if nothing comes up. We are also hoping that he has picked a date. Also we are meeting with a lady named Sandy who we are hoping to set a date with soon.

We have been going out to Stonewall lately. We have two investigators out there and they both seem really good so hopefully we will be working with them for a while. The only bad thing is they have to work around our schedule and when we go up there rather than when they are actually available so that makes it difficult sometimes.

Well not much else to report. I accidentally used all the money on my allotment card so I ended up having to use my home card twice yesterday. Sorry, I know it costs more money but I only use it when I'm about to purchase something with my allotment card and I get declined. At that point I can't run to Scotiabank and take out money.

Last week we went on exchanges with our district leader and Elder Smith had to go with a missionary that is less than obedient. It kind of bothered him because he didn't know what to do and was awkward. My exchange went great though. I got to go with a Zone leader and I learned alot. One thing he said was "There are those missionaries who say they aren't going to change their personality or not follow a rule because they don't want to but I'm going to follow every rule and do what I'm suppose to. If my personality changes, who care? Its who God wants me to be" I like that. If we do what we are suppose to, we will become who God wants us to be. Anyway I'll get off my soap box.

Love,
Elder Turner

I forgot to mention how nice it has been up here. We have been in the positives and the weather her is just the best right now. The river should be breaking this week which is exciting. supposedly the ice sometimes will make a dam and flood the city so some exciting times ahead. Also they have the machine that cuts up the ice to prevent it from damming and this past week it fell through the ice and they can't get it back until all the ice is gone. haha a quarter of a million dollars is just sitting at the bottom of the river. haha well that's about it for the weather love ya.

3.16.2010

Well not too much has happened this week. Elder Smith and I have been finding like crazy which has made me extremely tired all of the time haha. More than usual. We found 14 New investigators last week which is about 8 more than we found all of last transfer. Things are going well here but I literally am tired all of the time. haha

Last night we drove and stayed with the district leader so we could go to District Meeting and than afterward I was going to be going on an exchange with the zone leaders but the Carpets at the church are being redone and so our district meeting got changed till tomorrow so I literally drove in last night for a sleep over. I'm back up in Selkirk now with one of the Zone Leaders, Elder Willardson, while Elder Smith is down in Winnipeg with Elder Farr, Our district leader.

We met with Carl last week and it went really well. He has a super strong testimony but hasn't necessarily gotten answers to his prayers so we talked about real intent and how one way to show real intent is to set a baptismal date and promise to God that he will be baptized on that date if he gets an answer. He was excited to kind of put a "deadline" on God. We are meeting with him tomorrow and he said that he would have a date planned out.

We went out to Stonewall this week. It is another small town about 30 min from our home and we tracted out there. It is a more conservative town and we found some really good investigators.

Things are going pretty slow up here in Selkirk so I don't have too much to report but things are going good. Sorry I don't have too much to write but I'm falling asleep here at the computer. Lately I've been falling asleep when ever I'm not moving. I took a 3 hour nap yesterday for P--day. It was great. haha. WEll I love ya.

Elder Turner

3.9.2010

**Note: One of his best friends is serving in Chile and was in the center of the quake and tsumnami. That is who he is referring to “Gavin”.

Well this has literally been an exhausting week. Elder Burch left on Thursday and Elder Smith came up. Elder Smith and I get along really well and I'm really looking forward to serving with him. He has alot of drive and really wants to see things get done. I think he might be a little depressed because Agnes (where he just came from and where I was trained) is an amazingly blessed area and Selkirk is kinda a slow area. We definitely are doing all that we can though to make it work. We have been tracting literally from sun up to sun down. Last week we found more new investigators than Selkirk has seen in a long long time so things are shaping up. The two of us teach really well and we've had some really powerful lessons lately. Elder Smith is from Idaho Falls, Idaho (i think its Idaho Falls). We are really similar and actually when I told all the sisters out here that I was going to be with Elder Smith they all said "haha you'll have a great time together, you two are the same person". I can already tell it's going to be a great transfer.

I can't believe Gavin was put through all of that down in Chile. That is so scary and he is definately in the prayers. All the Canadians here say that although everybody makes fun of them for living in such cold conditions, they don't get earthquakes, tsunamis, volcano, really no natural disasters. Make sure to keep giving me the updates of Gavin.

I'm glad to hear that you and the Vander Martin's are having fun in China. It is definitely a large country and there is lots to see there. Tony says he wants to go to China with me when we get back so that would be fun. Don't ware yourself out though. Your kinda old now, don't go anywhere without a walker and an oxygen tank. haha love ya.

The weather here as been extremely nice but here in Manitoba they have a saying about March. "In like a lamb, out like a lion" since the March started out nice, the end is going to be very cold and they are all anticipating another giant snow storm.

Well I'm glad to hear that everybody is doing good at home. Keep me updated. Sorry this email is kinda short but not too much happened this week. Just alot of tracting. haha

Love,
Elder Turner

P.S. Keep me posted on Gavin, seriously

3.2.2010

Well first off, I hadn't heard about the big earthquake in Chile. How is Gavin doing? How are all the missionaries down there? That is terrible. At the end of the story it mentioned something about a tsunami hitting Hawaii? what happened there? Man, nobody tells us anything. haha

Well we got our transfer calls on Sunday so on Thursday Elder Burch is being moved down into Winnipeg while Elder Smith from Idaho will be coming up here to Selkirk. I don't know Elder Smith too well but he was trained by Elder Ewell the transfer after me so he is considered my "Brother". It should be fun and the one time that I did meet him he was super nice so I'm looking forward to this next transfer even though I'm sad to see Elder Burch leave.

It is amazing to think that this past week I hit my 6 month mark. It doesn't seem like it has been that long but time just flies out here. Elder Burch hits his year mark in a couple days and people say when that happens, your mission goes incredibly fast.

This past week hasn't been the best week for Elder Burch. He found out he got a speeding ticket in Winnipeg for going 10 K's over. It will cost him $216 which is alot of money for about 5mph over. He was following some other Elders to a restaurant because we didn't know where it was and they weren't being the best leaders. Fortunately for them, they didn't get a ticket. Also yesterday we went to a ladies house to clean off some graffiti from her garage (some kids graffitied a whole street with Swastikas and "hail Hitler") and so we parked across the street from her house. Another lady in the drive way started to back up after we had been parked for 10-15 sec and backed into us so now we have to take care of that. Luckily we are at no fault so he won't have to pay anything.

The weather here has been really good lately. I haven't even been wearing a coat except for in the evenings. They say the river will soon be cracking and we will be able to hear it. Supposedly the ice sometimes takes out bridges and floods streets so we will need to help with the sandbagging. Believe it or not, I'm actually excited to see it. Everything has been melting like crazy and it has been about -1 or 0 C which is really nice (considering it has been cold for a long time).

Things are going really well here. We don't have anybody lined up for baptism but we have a lot of good situations. Elder Burch is kinda sad to leave all the good stuff we are working on but Elder Smith will come in and we will just tear it up haha.

The Olympics have been fun here. We "tried" tracting during the championship hockey game but that didn't turn out very well. Afterwards though we connected to alot of people by telling them we were American. At first they rubbed it in about the game and than usually their next question is "why are you in Selkirk?". That really is a good teaching opportunity.

Not much else to report. I will probably need new contacts soon. I have enough to last me this month and next month but I'm not to sure after that.

Well I love you all and hope for the best.

Love, Elder Turner