Another Transfer, Another Tripanionship‏

So... I had a poem this week, I promise. But I left it at the apartment today. Now I know that's one of the most common excuses not to turn in your homework, but I mean it this time.


Transfers have, as they've always done, come and gone! I remain here with my companions Elder Nielsen and Elder Dunn in beautiful Prince George.Elder Nielsen is from Logan, Utah, and Elder Dunn is from Ogden, Utah. It's been a while since I've had a Utah companion, so I get to catch up now by having 2.


Today, we went with the Elders in the other ward on a hike up to Teapot Mountain, which is officially the furthest north I've ever been. That's up on the 54th parallel (latitude). For reference, my church in Houston, Texas is on the 30th. Bad news is, I don't have the pictures with me...


Other bad news is we got back into town late, so we're running behind today, so gotta go! Expect pictures and poems next week!


-Elder Reynolds

The Three Nechakites‏

Making travel plans

No poem time on P-Day

Enjoy a haiku


As the above haiku states, transfers are upon us this week, and we are again given the charge to oversee the travel plans for the zone. We have a good chunk of our zone that has changed this month, so we got a lot to do! (Mom note: He will be staying in Prince George, and will be getting two new companions.)


In the meantime, here's a picture of the temple from our last trip to Richmond.

Elder Reynolds

"Romance with a Clock"

"Romance with a Clock"

Your beautiful face fills me with sorrow
As a constant reminder of a certain tomorrow.
You've no piece for passion, no capacity for care,
But your captivating face catches my stare.
Oh, that I had the key to your gears
To fully understand our time these 2 years.
Some say you heal wounds, others you harm,
Yet I'd love nothing more than you on my arm.
I wish that I could take your hand
To hold you still and make time stand.
Despite my plea, you've never lost a second,
Nor did you hasten whenever I beckoned.
And so my dear clock, my diligent friend,
Please don't remind me when all this will end.


I promised an original poem this week, and I was able to find time as we drove 9 hours to Richmond and 9 hours back! I feel that this piece pretty accurately describes my thoughts this week. Haha just make time stop!

It has been a very inspiring week. The 3 of us were asked to speak in sacrament fairly last second, but we were each able to put our talks together in about an hour. The topics primarily focused on the unity between missionary, family history, and temple work. It is all the same great and redemptive work!

Time is a little short today, as it sadly always seems to be. Suffice it to say that we will be preparing for our zone meeting this Friday, and on Saturday night we will receive a life-changing phone call... That's right, transfer calls! We'll see if we've got another month or so here in beautiful Prince George!

-Elder Reynolds

Come, listen to a Prophet's voice

"Come, listen to a Prophet's voice
And hear the word of God,
And in the way of truth rejoice
And sing for joy aloud.
We've found the way the prophets went
Who lived in days of yore.
Another prophet now is sent,
This knowledge to restore."
-Joseph S. Murdock

So... again, not an original poem. Today, we had to drive out to a small town called Vanderhoof to pack up a missionary apartment, and by the time we got back to Prince George we only had about 3 hours left for P-Day, and 2 of those hours are spent typing on a computer screen. So time for writing was very slim this week.

As many of you are aware, we had the privilege to attend General Conference this week; it was exhilarating, to say the least. I still need some time to digest the beautiful testimonies that were given, but I left each session with a desire to repent and become a better person. And of course, the angelic Mormon Tabernacle Choir did not cease to amaze. It is said that the Aaronic Priesthood holds "the keys to the ministering of angels," but I am convinced that the Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a collection of angels that minister with their music.

We also had several unique opportunities this week to teach and testify of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Not only that, but we also had several opportunities to render service to others, including three independent service activities where we split wood with axes. It was a lot more enjoyable than you might think! It's just so satisfying to get a clean split in one swift strike.

As I have studied this week of the powerful witnesses born by Apostles like Peter and Paul, and as we've now been able to hear from the men that I sustain as Latter-Day prophets and apostles, I've thought about what it really means when somebody says they "bear their testimony."


To "bear" can be defined as "to support the burden of." When I speak of "bearing testimony," I recognize the burden that comes from having a testimony. The burden of all who have received a spiritual witness and a testimony of this gospel is the responsibility of sharing it with others. When I bear my testimony, I share my belief in fulfillment of my duty to share my belief. That is the difference between bearing testimony and testifying.

That said, I bear my testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel. I have received far too many witness from the Holy Spirit of God that the labor that I perform is the same labor of the Saints of old, and there is nothing that I would rather be doing. I bear the witness that I have received of the Book of Mormon, and as a result, the witness that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the Lord's kingdom once again established on the Earth, prepatory to the Second Coming of the Messiah. I bear testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, the Lamb prepared from the foundation of the world. This is His work.

"The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear; till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done."


This I know of myself, independent of any other.


Until next week,
Elder Reynolds

Gethsemane

"Restoration"

"Jesus climbed the hill to the garden still,
His steps were heavy and slow.
Love and a prayer took Him there
To the place only He could go.
Gethsemane. Jesus loves me.
So He went willingly to Gethsemane.

He felt all that was sad, wicked, or bad,
All the pain we would ever know.
While His friends were asleep, He fought to keep
His promise made long ago.
Gethsemane. Jesus loves me.
So he went willingly to Gethsemane.

The hardest thing that ever was done,
The greatest pain that ever was known,
The biggest battle that ever was won,
This was done by Jesus!
The fight was won by Jesus!

Gethsemane. Jesus loves me.
So He gave His gift to me
In Gethsemane.
Gethsemane. Jesus loves me.
So He gives His gift to me
From Gethsemane."

-Melanie Hoffman

This is a beautiful song that was given to me yesterday, and I feel that it summarizes this Easter weekend better than I could.

Here in Canada, we celebrate Easter Monday! It is, obviously, the Monday immediately following Easter Sunday. I'm pretty sure it's just another way to take a day off of work, but that meant that it was a great day to meet new people and find them while they were at home!

We also went on exchanges with the Elders out in Burns Lake. Burns Lake is a quaint village about 2.5 hours away from Prince George.

This upcoming weekend is General Conference!!! I may just be making assumptions here, but there's not really anything better you can do this weekend!

Love you all! Lots to do!

-Elder Reynolds

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Pi Day

Pulled off the field,

Laid down to rest.

Work is honored,

Obedience is blessed.

This has been a very busy week, lots of ups and downs, but ultimately ending the week higher than when I started. We went on two exchanges this week, and we had an 8 hour zone conference (which, by the way, was phenomenal).

This past Friday, on my parents' 21 anniversary, I was caught sick! I say caught because Thursday night, I received a call from Sister Burt (she had known previously that I was sick), and she asked that I stay home to rest the following day. I'd never received such a call before, and I tried to play off the sickness with some humor, but Sister Burt saw right through it and wasn't going to let me off the hook. So Friday, I had to rest. That was a tough pill to swallow. 

I had to learn humility. As much as I wanted to fight it, to disobey, I had to humbly accept it. While stuck at home, I was determined to study, to learn, to minister to other missionaries, to work the area book, to clean the apartment, to write in the journal. I did not get very far into my to-do list before the Spirit told me that I just needed to sleep. The most productive thing that I could do was rest and obey my mission leaders. Not being able to work on Friday also showed to me how much I really wanted to work; I no longer worry about whether or not I have enough conviction. I just want to go out and get it done.

For the past 7 weeks, I've been riding around in a Chevy Silverado; this week, our Silverado was transferred to a small city named Vanderhoof. We now have a 2016 Nissan Rogue. Needless to say, President Burt has made very clear the time and attention we need to give to the new vehicle.

Until next week!

Elder Reynolds

The Spirit of Elijah

"I have to live with myself and so,

I want to be fit for myself to know

I want to be able as days go by

Always to look myself straight in the eye.

I don't want to stand with the setting sun,

And hate myself for the things I've done.

I don't want to keep on a closet shelf

A lot of secrets about myself,

And fool myself as I come and go

Into thinking that nobody else will know

The kind of person I really am.

I don't want to dress up myself in sham.

I want to go out with my head erect.

I want to deserve all men's respect.

But here in my struggle for fame and pelf,

I want to be able to like myself.

I don't want to look at myself and know

That I'm bluster and bluff and empty show.

I can never hide myself from me

I see what others may never see.

I know what others may never know

I never can fool myself, and so

Whatever happens I want to be

Self-respecting and conscious-free."

-Edgar A. Guest

Perhaps not an original poem this week, but it is one of Elder Whitley's favourites.

The Spirit of Elijah has seems to have descended in Prince George! Elder Whitley and I have felt that we should try to integrate family history more into our finding opportunities and in our teaching appointments with members, and we've been seeing a lot of success! Shortly after our shift in finding, we received a lesson in church about family history and how to search for records. Then Bishop announced that ward council this week will be focused on how to more effectively use the family history centre. Today, we just watched the new Easter video that the church will release next week, and the end of it has a bit of a family history shout-out.

Clearly, we need to keep the momentum going here.

This week, we have zone conference, as well as two exchanges with different companionships. I'm anticipating each of these events to be highly nature-changing. Don't be surprised if I have to change my name next week!

Do some family history this week! There's no reason not to! Familysearch.org. It's all free.

#Hallelujah

-Elder Reynolds