Week 100 - A Great Man

Hello All!

Well I want to start by expressing my gratitude for Elder L. Tom Perry, a great man and a good and faithful servant of Jesus Christ.  It's going to be strange to watch General Conference from now on and not have Elder Perry's contagious grin and enthusiasm to look forward to.  I'm grateful for his example to all of us, and all of the good that he did in his 92 years.  He'll be sorely missed by many people, but I know he's continuing to do good and build up the kingdom on the other side of the veil.

    It's been a great week in the Canada Calgary Mission!  We were kept busy with many appointments as well as the opportunity to have interview with President Nicholas as well as a final zone meeting with President and Sister Nicholas.  Being able to have a personal interview with a man like President Nicholas is always a pleasure, and it was especially nice to be able to talk with him at this point in my mission.  Since we're going home at practically the same time, I think he's in a pretty unique situation to help me and guide me through these last few weeks.  Our final zone meeting with both President and Sister Nicholas was also a pleasure, and they gave us the opportunity to ask them any question we wanted!  That was a cool opportunity.

   

We also had the chance to have a couple of visitors to our sacrament meeting yesterday.  Elder Craig C. Christensen of the Presidency of the Seventy was in Lethbridge this weekend, and wanted to attend a YSA Ward while he was here, so he came to ours!  He was accompanied by Elder James E. Evanson, who was just called as a new area seventy from here in Lethbridge.  It was a great chance to learn from both of them, especially about the importance of the Sabbath Day and partaking of the Sacrament.  They've given me some things to think about.

    The people we're working with are doing well.  Sadly, Peter has decided that he wants to wait to meet with us until he's done with a summer class he's doing.  So we'll hopefully be teaching him again late this month.  However, we met Emmanuel this week.  Emmanuel is friends with David, a RM in one of our wards.  David invited him to dinner with us for the last two Saturdays, and we had a great discussion with him!  We talked a lot about the church and our beliefs and answered quite a few questions he had.  He's a really cool, really fair-minded guy, and we should be seeing him again this week.

    I don't have too much more time to give you an update on everyone, but things are good.  We're working hard.  The work of the Lord is progressing.

    I just want to close with a verse that really hit me today.  I finished reading King Benjamin's address to his people this morning, and as he's closing, he says "I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name [of Christ} written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you." (Mosiah 5:12)  I know that I don't remember enough that I have taken upon myself the name of Christ, and I don't think I recognize His voice enough.  I pray that I'll be more faithful in doing those things.

    Thank you all so much for your emails and your love.  Have a wonderful week!  Be good!  Have fun!

Love,

Elder Hafen