Spring is in the Air!‏

Good day my friends! Spring has finally arrived, and its presence is very welcome here in Salmon Arm. I can finally put away the heavy coats. Now that the snow is all melted, the beauty of the region really begins to blossom. Also, I found out that Mount Ida, the tallest and most renowned mountain in the area, is a dormant volcano!

It's been an excellent week! We had a Zone Conference with President Burt on Friday, and I was able to reunite with some of the people I knew when I was in Willoughby, including my trainer, Elder Smith! It was great to see him again, because he goes home in May.

This week, we also had the opportunity to blitz the area with our zone leaders (meaning we had 2 companionships in one area for several hours), and over the weekend we were able to work with Elder and Sister Mortensen, some of our new senior missionaries. 

Sorry that I haven't been writing as much as some previous weeks; I just haven't been sure what to write! I've been learning a lot, and scripture study has become really entertaining, which may sound odd to some. In the Book of Mormon, I just read about the story of Ammon and how he defended King Lamoni's flocks; he is a great missionary example. In my Old Testament study, I just completed the book of Joshua. I love Joshua 1:9.

"Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."

It would seem that we are commanded to be of good courage and strong! It's weird to think of that as a commandment, but it also comes with its own blessings!

This week, we are getting our apartment inspected, so we must make sure it is spotless today! Have a wonderful week!

-Elder Reynolds

It Ain't Easy Being Green‏

Happy St. Patrick's Day this week! Fortunately, I have a couple of green ties, so I will be celebrating right along with you. Not to mention that Spring is just around the corner, and its presence in Canada is welcome.

It's been a great week! It's finally starting to warm up here, so we are no longer shivering! We did receive some light rain recently, but that was manageable.

We have a Zone Conference on Friday, and we are all looking forward to that!

I'll have to send you some pictures soon, because I can actually do that with the computers here.

The members here are wonderful! We were invited to attend a Single Seniors Potluck, and other members have just been giving us tons of food.

Today is Free Cone Day at Dairy Queen! I'll let you know how Zone Conference goes.

Have a great week!

-Elder Reynolds

Beware the Ides of March!‏

Shakespeare once said "Beware the ides of March," which basically translates to the 15th of March, so be careful this Sunday!

I'll be honest: I'm having a little bit of Writer's Block today. I cannot seem to remember what I had planned to talk about...

I found out that one of the leaders in the Salmon Arm ward is a huge fan of Dungeons & Dragons. I need to think of an excuse so I can get into his house and see his figurine collection!

Happy 20th Anniversary to my parents, by the way! March 11, 1995 was a fateful day in the Reynolds family.

I will have more to say next week!

-Elder Reynolds

Miraculous March Madness‏

As appears to be the custom on weeks such as this, I bid you all the greetings of a new month! There's not a lot of news as far as basketball goes, but I plan on making this a month of March Miracle Madness.

Being a district leader now has its own set of rewards and challenges. For example, when our Wednesday district meeting began, it was extremely rewarding and uplifting to listen to the testimonies and trainings given by the Elders, but right after district meeting, I have to begin making plans for the next one.
Salmon Arm has been fun. We have to do a lot more driving than I'm used to, which I'm not a fan of, but the area is so big. There are also a good number of people we are working with who are interested in the church, but sickness and schedule conflicts have made it difficult to meet with these people. And just when it was starting to warm up, it snowed today! Fortunately, the snow did not stick.
I found a nice sewing kit in the apartment this week, so I've been working and learning what I can from that. I've been able to mend a few pockets, and today I took an old bed sheet and turned it into a bath robe. It was my first attempt at making something like that, so it isn't perfect and it's a tad too small, but it's amazing what can be done with scissors and thread.

At our last district meeting, it was mentioned that we "have legions of angels on our side, and they will go forth and prepare the hearts of the people to meet us if we are faithful, diligent, and specific in our plans." This promise is echoed by Alma 13:24- "For behold, angels are declaring it unto many at this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive His word at the time of His coming in His glory." I was considering these words one night as Elder Tillmann and I were listening to music on our drive to Sorrento (about 20 minutes away). As I was thus pondering, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir began to sing "How Firm a Foundation," and the final verse struck me with great power:

The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose
I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake,
I'll never, no never, I'll never, no never,
I'll never, no never, no never forsake!

As the final note rang, I felt the Spirit bear earth-shattering witness to me that there truly was an unseen army around us. As tears filled my eyes, I thought I saw, just for a split-second, great numbers of heavenly beings preparing for us to proselyte in Sorrento. But just as quick as it began, my brief glimpse into the heavens had ended; the moment was so short, that I often question if I actually saw anything, but I cannot deny how thin the Veil was that evening. Thank goodness it was night, because Elder Tillmann never saw my tears.

Have a wonderful week! Take some time this week to "remember how merciful the Lord hath been" in your life.

Your Canadian Friend,
Elder Reynolds

Welcome to Salmon Arm!‏

I'm going to miss the lovely city of Langley; it was a blessing serving in Willoughby for 6 months. Now, I find myself in Salmon Arm, which is right on the border of Alberta. It's a lovely town, though this time of year it's rather empty. Salmon Arm is more of a summer vacation spot, so there aren't a lot of people here in the winter.

My new companion is Elder Tillmann, from Sandy, Utah. He's been out for 4.5 months now, so he came out one transfer after I did. He's been in Salmon Arm that whole time, so he knows the area extremely well. I've also been called to be the district leader, which places Salmon Arm, Vernon 1st Ward, and Vernon 2nd Ward under my stewardship. It's been interesting, as I'm trying to learn a new area while also trying to be a leader. I look forward to the challenges and the lessons that I'm sure to learn. It takes about an hour and a half to see the rest of the district, so we'll have to figure out how to build district unity from a distance.

At the moment, there isn't a lot to report on, as my work in Salmon Arm has just begun! I hope I can learn new lessons here while applying what I've learned in the lower mainland.
Enjoy the weather!

-Elder Reynolds

A Canadian Quarter

I am not sure how familiar any of you are with Canadian currency, but coming from America, it was a bit of a culture shock. Every single coin has a picture of Elizabeth II, as in the Queen of England. British Columbia certainly has a lot of English spirit to it.That said, with this week, I complete my first quarter of the mission. I can easily say that I've loved every bit of it! It hasn't all been easy, but it feels like it has just zoomed by. I've really enjoyed being able to serve in Willoughby, especially with Elder Sloan. Transfer calls are tonight, so it'll be interesting to see what happens there.

Several nights ago, Ray was feeling extremely depressed; he was doubting his testimony and questioning if God truly loved him. I sat there silently pleading with the Lord, as I had no idea how to address this. I felt prompted to go sit next to Ray on the couch and put my arm around him. As soon as I did so, I knew exactly what to say, or at least, I began saying things that I never would have thought of. It was the first time I truly felt like I was teaching by the Spirit. By the end of it all, Ray was extremely happy, wrote down his testimony, and threw out his cigarettes. A big theme of my mission has been learning how much God really loves us, and since that lesson, I'm starting to understand that I'm just here to show people God's love for them. The Gospel of Jesus Christ simply revolves around our Father's love. We sang some hymns, watched some Mormon Messages, and then I made some french toast for everyone. It was a wonderful evening.However, I am not yet satisfied! I still have 18 months to go, and I don't want any less. I've still got a lot to teach and even more to learn.Today was the first day in several months that I wore short-sleeves. It's a strange feeling, especially since I imagined February in Canada being much colder.Our district is going out for some sushi today. As it turns out, I really like sushi. I've been much less selective on the mission, and I'm finding lots of foods that I really enjoy. I'll let you all know next week if I get transferred!


(Picture of Langley Zone Conference)

-Elder Reynolds

Happy Family Day!

Happy belated Family Day! I write this to you on 10 February 2015, and Family Day was 9 February 2015. Family Day is a national holiday that began in Canada 2 years ago. It's one of those "take Monday off" holidays, so the library was closed yesterday.

Because our options were limited on Preparation Day, the Elders in our zone held a small barbeque by the church. It was really fun getting to know the other Elders in Langley. Elder French-Cooper, serving in Port Coquitlam, is actually from Denton Texas, which is rather neat.

The rain here has been really consistent, but at least it isn't cold out.

We've recently been watching "Treasures in Heaven: The John Tanner Story" with a lot of different people. It's a really good film, only about 20 minutes long. It's definitely worth a watch if you haven't seen it. The acting isn't top-notch, but it's an excellent, true story.

Have a good week! I hope you all enjoy some Valentine's Day candy!

 (Candy in Canada)

-Elder Reynolds