Austin was transferred from Midland to Elliot Lake. Here is his first letter from his new field of labor. His new address is:
149 Mississauga Ave., Apt. 113
Elliot Lake, ON P5A 2P9
CANADA
I might add that it is really cool to use Google Earth to see from the satellite what the area looks like. The census of the 2006 says there is just over 15,000 in the small community.
July 5, 2007
Hi Fam.
P-day is still on Wednesday. We just had some trouble yesterday, so we are using our break again.
Thank you all for your letters. I have got them from Kayla, Garrett, and Mom and Dad. Thank you. Dad, I didn’t get the letter that you sent with the talk in it. Not that I know of. Mom, I didn’t get an e mail from you this week. I don’t know why that is. Sorry.
Happy B-day Garrett. Just because you are 17 doesn’t give you rites to go out and have a girl friend. Just remember that. You still have a mission to go on. Trust me; you don’t want to waste your time.
Elliot Lake. What a place. It is so beautiful. I left my camera in the car that I was driving up in. But I will get it in a couple days and send you some pictures. But it is just awesome.
It is really small. 13 thousand. Really small. When we went to church, there were 9 people counting us. One other man. Yes, it is really different. There is a lot of work to be done. Like I said, the area has been closed for the past bit. But we have already had some success. We have 4 less active coming to church – we hope. We also have 1 investigator coming as of now. We are hoping that will grow. There have been a lot of bad things happen in this area with regards to the missionaries. It is really hard. Lots of strife between members. We really have to work hard. We are trying some different ideas. Some things that most missionaries would not think to do. We really need to light a fire. We were told that this transfer, 6 weeks, would be key in deciding whether missionaries would be staying in Elliot Lake.
I know there are people here that need and want the Gospel, so I am working really hard to see that missionaries stay. I just pray that the Lord will help us on our path. The hardest thing is trying to find people. There is a lot of Jehovah Witness, JW, in the place and they all knock on doors, so people really don’t like it when we knock on doors. So we are trying some different ways of finding. If anyone has some clever ideas, Please o please send them. I need all the Help I can get. Let me know as soon as you can. We have 4 1/2 weeks left. Not much time.
This time is really causing me to stretch. But what is funny, is that I asked the Lord to break me down and build me back up the way he wants me to be, and that is what is happening. I am getting stretched and molded into what God wants me to be. It is a long process. This hard area is going to be a key factor in this. It is really going to make me work. It makes me so excited. I am ready. I really am ready to be tried. I know that the Lord will not give me anything that I can not overcome. He is going to be with me. I know that this place will grow because of the hard times. It is only after the test of our faith. I stood up in church and told the members that it is crucial that they help us. I really let them know that we have to have faith.
Man, I just get so excited when I think of hard times, because I know that that means there will be blessings. What a comfort that is for us to know. If we will work our hardest, the Lord has to bless us. This place will grow. It will! The Lord is about to perform a great and marvelous work in Elliot Lake. It has been through some hard times. Know is the time for Blessings.
Man, I love how the Holy Ghost feels!!!!!!!!
My companion is named Elder Romine. He is from New Mexico. He is a really easy going missionary. We are going to get along great. He has a wonderful testimony. He is a little quiet though. But that doesn’t stop him or the Holy Ghost testifying.
Pray for me. I am really going to need it. I know that if we have faith, anything is possible with the Lord. He is there and is just waiting to pour out the blessings of heaven upon us his faithful. Now let us be faithful!!!!
I love you all so much. Thank you again for your letters. Sorry if I didn’t answer any of your questions. Write them in the next email.
Dad, I would really love a Tape recorder. It would be really great to keep a record with that as well as in my journal. I would also like to send you some tapes of me. If you could find me one that is not to big, I would really love it. I also need my contacts. Thanks Dad, I love you so much
I love you all so much. You are so wonderful. We are really blessed to have each other. Don’t let anything get between us.
Love elder Graham
149 Mississauga Ave., Apt. 113
Elliot Lake, ON P5A 2P9
CANADA
I might add that it is really cool to use Google Earth to see from the satellite what the area looks like. The census of the 2006 says there is just over 15,000 in the small community.
July 5, 2007
Hi Fam.
P-day is still on Wednesday. We just had some trouble yesterday, so we are using our break again.
Thank you all for your letters. I have got them from Kayla, Garrett, and Mom and Dad. Thank you. Dad, I didn’t get the letter that you sent with the talk in it. Not that I know of. Mom, I didn’t get an e mail from you this week. I don’t know why that is. Sorry.
Happy B-day Garrett. Just because you are 17 doesn’t give you rites to go out and have a girl friend. Just remember that. You still have a mission to go on. Trust me; you don’t want to waste your time.
Elliot Lake. What a place. It is so beautiful. I left my camera in the car that I was driving up in. But I will get it in a couple days and send you some pictures. But it is just awesome.
It is really small. 13 thousand. Really small. When we went to church, there were 9 people counting us. One other man. Yes, it is really different. There is a lot of work to be done. Like I said, the area has been closed for the past bit. But we have already had some success. We have 4 less active coming to church – we hope. We also have 1 investigator coming as of now. We are hoping that will grow. There have been a lot of bad things happen in this area with regards to the missionaries. It is really hard. Lots of strife between members. We really have to work hard. We are trying some different ideas. Some things that most missionaries would not think to do. We really need to light a fire. We were told that this transfer, 6 weeks, would be key in deciding whether missionaries would be staying in Elliot Lake.
I know there are people here that need and want the Gospel, so I am working really hard to see that missionaries stay. I just pray that the Lord will help us on our path. The hardest thing is trying to find people. There is a lot of Jehovah Witness, JW, in the place and they all knock on doors, so people really don’t like it when we knock on doors. So we are trying some different ways of finding. If anyone has some clever ideas, Please o please send them. I need all the Help I can get. Let me know as soon as you can. We have 4 1/2 weeks left. Not much time.
This time is really causing me to stretch. But what is funny, is that I asked the Lord to break me down and build me back up the way he wants me to be, and that is what is happening. I am getting stretched and molded into what God wants me to be. It is a long process. This hard area is going to be a key factor in this. It is really going to make me work. It makes me so excited. I am ready. I really am ready to be tried. I know that the Lord will not give me anything that I can not overcome. He is going to be with me. I know that this place will grow because of the hard times. It is only after the test of our faith. I stood up in church and told the members that it is crucial that they help us. I really let them know that we have to have faith.
Man, I just get so excited when I think of hard times, because I know that that means there will be blessings. What a comfort that is for us to know. If we will work our hardest, the Lord has to bless us. This place will grow. It will! The Lord is about to perform a great and marvelous work in Elliot Lake. It has been through some hard times. Know is the time for Blessings.
Man, I love how the Holy Ghost feels!!!!!!!!
My companion is named Elder Romine. He is from New Mexico. He is a really easy going missionary. We are going to get along great. He has a wonderful testimony. He is a little quiet though. But that doesn’t stop him or the Holy Ghost testifying.
Pray for me. I am really going to need it. I know that if we have faith, anything is possible with the Lord. He is there and is just waiting to pour out the blessings of heaven upon us his faithful. Now let us be faithful!!!!
I love you all so much. Thank you again for your letters. Sorry if I didn’t answer any of your questions. Write them in the next email.
Dad, I would really love a Tape recorder. It would be really great to keep a record with that as well as in my journal. I would also like to send you some tapes of me. If you could find me one that is not to big, I would really love it. I also need my contacts. Thanks Dad, I love you so much
I love you all so much. You are so wonderful. We are really blessed to have each other. Don’t let anything get between us.
Love elder Graham
3 comments:
Wow! I love reading his letters. What a great missionary he is. I say we fill a box of Book of Mormons with our testimonies and send them with James and to Austin. I will see what we can do. I am in charge you know. What a great kid. Kudos to you Scott and Wendee you have done a great job!
Scott, thanks for doing this! I love hearing his voice and feeling his words. He's a tremendous young man.
Hooray for putting Austin's letters on the blog! I have been gone since the 4th and didn't have a computer to check it out, so I haven't seen the latest blogs. I love checking them out. It is most exciting to read Austin's letters! That is a super idea to put them on the blog! Austin is a great missionary! I love him so much! So proud of him and his great attitude! We love reading his letters - - - can almost hear his voice. What a great chip of the old block!
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