We Have had Severe Heat Warning for yesterday and two days before it- 36 degrees

I am adding this note on July 13th, 2012.  We have had more above 30 degrees days than under 30 degrees, here if it's 29 degrees, it's a cool day.

Lush because the heat is HUMID, that is different from Alberta!

The First home in the Brampton Area

The First Home in Brampton Area

...was out in the country, the fabulous and unbelivable beautiful country.  We had wild turkeys, deer, a racoon, a porcupine living nearby, and rolling hills and landscape that was so unbelievable.  The only downside was the 40 to 50 minute commute.  It was much shorter in non-rush hour traffic.  The reason we lived in this home temporarily was because the apartment in which we were to live was still being lived in by the couple we were going to replace.  There was a three week overlap, so Elder Stark and I could be trained.

The door on the back right leads to.that stove and fridge, there were more beds beyond that...

Get a look, yes it is a WILD TURKEY, they'd come out often and "gobble"

The Canada Toronto Mission



 We are having lunch with the AP's. the recipie is Sharleys Favorite Recipie

When we arrived at the Canada Toronto Mission I was quite worn out.  all of the excitement and driving left me sick -quite literally.  I had some sort of stomach flu, was in pain most of the day before we arrived and up half the night in the small room.  Well, when we pulled up that fateful Monday morning, I said to elder Stark, I don't want to go in.  His responce?  It's kind of hard to serve a mission that way.  Luckily the Mission President and his wife, the AP's (Assistance to the President) and the office staff we of course very welcoming and understanging of my fatigue, after lunch at the Mission Home Elder Stark and I went to our beautiful "new" home in the country. This picture was taken on another day, lunch at the office.

Flowertown

Now we are at Brampton

All of the many connected areas around the actual city of Toronto are the GTA, or Greater Toronto Area.  Toronto is like one big downtown, at least from what I've seen so far, and the areas around act more like the "suburbs"-although Brampton was a city in its own right at one time, with a downtown of its own etc.   The freeway from Brampton into Toronto is a 14 to 16 lane freeway.   The first time I was on that it was 9:00 at night, so not rush hour, and yet nearly two accidents happened right in front of us, one on the way there, and one on the way back.  I can see why the insurance is so high here.  There are a lot of accidents, and yet no snow to blame!(-yet).  I asked Elder Stark if we ever have to do that drive in the winter if we could leave at 5:00 am, and get to where ever we were going a bit early rather than do that road in traffic in the winter.  Some one told us that that path can usually take 2 hours in rush hour traffic, it took us 30 minutes in non-rush hour traffic.  Here are some photos, although photos cannot grasp it.

They call Brampton "Flowertown"

The reason  it is called "flower town" is because I guess they used to sell incredible amounts of floweers from Brampton.  They still do, but not as large a share of the market as they once did.  The name still stuck and so there are many street corners which have lots of flowers, apartments etc.  They all do an excellent job of the very large flower beds throughout the city.

This is non-rush hour traffic

Winter Quarters Nebraska

Winter Quarters is the place where the early Saints escaped to after much persecution.  They decided they needed to spend the winter here before travelling on to the promised safe area west.  Here much suffering and death occurred due to severe winter conditions and lack of supplies, the early Saints were driven from their homes so quickly they didn't bring much with them. They didn't have time to grab and take anything with them as the mobs threatened their lives and destroyed their property.  Here on the lot directly adjoining this Temple is a graveyard where many children and adults were burried.






Missionary Training Center

Provo Utah Temple

The missionary training center is commonly known as the MTC and there is no other place like it on earth, except I suppose other missionary training centers.  There are now MTC's in several other continents, I can't remember the exact number, but it is something over 10.  Here you can find apostles and prophets walking the grounds, but that isn't what makes it special.  Here you can find over 1600 new missionaries, very happy and zealous and energized with anticipation and exictement, but that isn't what makes it special.  It  is a place unlike no other.  It is a place where the work of the Lord is going on in a very special way- the training of representatives of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Of course the specialness and the spirit of what is happening there is unlike anything else you will ever experience.  The Lord himself promises to be present where two or three gather, how much more when 1600 who have given up everything to follow him.  Now those of you who are not familiar with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints may not quite "get" this next part, don't feel bad, I didn't fully understand it until I was a church member for two years.  The young men who have had the appropriate training, and who also receive the laying on of hands to receive the Holy Ghost, as we all do at Baptism, also have something else very special.  They carry the Priesthood of God.  You cannot know exactly what that means, but go into any Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on a Sunday and you will know.  You may not exactly know what it is that you know at first, but it is there.  I couldn't understand it at first either, but now I fully do. You can find out more from most members, but actually learning it seems to be more than just the facts about it, to understand it comes with time.   Anyway, not only was the place special because what was going on there and the attendance of the Holy Spirit but the combination of the above things work together to make this one special place.  I think I was "recouperating"  from the fabulousness of it all for at least two weeks after I left. Then I had more good things to get used too!

We're Leaving!

Logan Temple

Idaho Falls Temple

Garry and I had sold our home, quit our jobs and packed all we were going to bring (two suitcases each) before we recieved our call. Now that we had our call and we had our good-byes it was time to leave! Here are some of the Temples we visited on the way down to the Missionary Training Center (MTC). Also some of the beautiful flowers we saw along the way. This was the Logan Temple. There we went and found ourselves in the same temple session as Jason, the Elder who Baptized Elder Stark and half of the family. It is a large temple and can have up to 1000 people in it at a time and there are many rooms and many sessions throughout the day. It wasn't coincidence that we met Jason and his new wife there that day. Oh and yes this is a picture of the temperature, as coming from Alberta I could not believe it was 32 degrees in the shade at that early time of the year. it was April 21st, 2012.

Jason, the missionary who taught Elder Stark's family and whom we met a tthe Logan Temple

This is the sign we saw on a rest-aurant on the way to Utah.  the person obviosly was a believer in God,  how appropriate this was in our situation!  Taken in Montanna.  They made VERY good and very large breakfasts.



Some flowers in Utah I loved that tree with the purple flowers on it.

Tulips in April

There were the good-byes and family gatherings,...  There were the good-byes and family gatherings...

This is the night before we left. We were set apart by the Stake President  that night.

Hello Every one! This dinner was in Millwoods at the Millcreek Pizza Restaurant.

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Aahhh, but starting at the begining, the  picture below is a picture of the day Garry and I received our call to go on a mission.  We were so excited! There was no way we could in short notice get our entire family all together at one time, so we decided to open the letter on the Temple grounds in Edmonton. We texted everyone so they would all get the message at the same time, I called Joy because she did not have text at that time.   I took that photo you see, as there was no one around other than us.  What a surprize.  I felt SURE that I was going right to the center of Africa, I wondered " We were willing to go anywhere in the world, and the place we were needed most is Totonto???"  Elder Stark had his reservations and concerns as well, he actually would have preferred the middle of Africa, he doesn't like very large urban centers, ESPecially that one.  Well as the Lord would have it we would go there and serve with all the diligence and devotion as if it were in the very center of Africa, I guess Torontarians have needs too. The burned out garage occurred just after we sold our home, I really am thankful we were able to sell the home when we did, or we may have had trouble. This was across the alley from us. It affected three lots.

Opening the Call Letter at the Edmonton Alberta Temple.                                                                                                                                          

 It is June 16th today and we are officially one week short of being on our mission for two months.

March 26th, 2012

We have travelled a lot and we have been quite busy learning our duties and roles in the Mission field. We have had an extremely busy week this past week Elder Stark has been extremely busy doing the month end reporting on all of the 80 vehicles which this mission has and also we have had four zone conferences. During a zone conference we have duties there, like bringing supplies, Elder Stark has to inspect all of the vehicles present at the meeting.  I work as the mission nurse, order the missionaries supplies and take care of their mail as well as doing the missionary referrals and that has been busy as well.