Elder Drake McFall: Week 86 – God Bless America!

First confession, I miss America. The real America. There is just something different about Canada and the day that they celebrate their version of the 4th-Canada Day! I missed out on some real 4th of July celebrations, but that is alright! Did get to enjoy a nice bbq on the 1st and then to a bunch of different gatherings and then this big art festival downtown, it was pretty cool! Lots of people out here and doing their thing, great opportunity to get out there and chat with people in a little bit different way. People are more open when you are in those types of situations! It was a great day also to really think about the blessings of my freedoms and all that I have been blessed with. One thing I have noticed with Edmonton is it really is gathering from all over the world, these people can now come to a free country where we can enjoy that which makes us most happy. Definitely a blessing from a loving heavenly father!

The miracles are everywhere! We have things coming around with Josephine, our Pinoy investigator. We have been struggling to really get in to figure out what her real concern is to holding her back from baptism. We have been praying and fasting for answers, we feel that our lessons are incredibly spiritual and motivating. She leaves those lessons with more understanding and renewed determination, but something was missing. But now we know, and now we more fully understand how we can help her overcome such a difficulty. Basically, her difficulty is something, well we don't have the answer for, but I am confident our Heavenly Father will provide.

We have been really looking to find some new investigators, as our pool right now is kinda full of others who don't have that real intent that is necessary. As much as I wish I could just keep visiting some and hoping that something will click, sometimes we have to area book them and have trust that the Lord will continue to prepare them for missionaries in the future. I know there are others that are prepared for the gospel and that are willing to act on the message. Yesterday we did have a really neat experience though. Probably about a month ago we tracted into this fella named Jack. He is a war vet from England, in about his 50's. Last time we talked to him he talked to us about how he was incredibly sick, a sickness he got while in Afghanistan on deployment. It was unknown, and you could tell he was down. At that time we talked about the Book of Mormon, and testified that regardless of what is going on in our lives, the Book of Mormon contains answers and direction we can really benefit from. Yesterday, after one of our investigators didn't pan out, and we rescheduled, I had the impression to try by Jack. We have been trying him consistently for the last few weeks, but nothing. Yesterday we go and he invites us back into his garage, and we get chatting. He then talks about the Book of Mormon, and is talking like this book is amazing! These stories about people who are able to respond to their trials so well, it has helped me so much! It brings me a lot of peace and helps me really relax every time I have a tough day. (oh, he isn't deathly ill anymore by the way). Keep talking, asks about what our church is like, then says, "I should come there!" He is such a good man! Definitely a blessing in our lives! We will be seeing him next week at church. Double bonus, he was actually born in the Philippines, but grew up in England, and then his wife is a Filipina, so we got two birds with one stone!

Still a lot of less active work and working on some real solid reactivation right now. We have one sister who has now come to church the last 3 weeks in a row and has every intention to keep on going and keep on improving. She is dating one of our investigators. She is the same one we met at the library a few weeks back. Interesting that is all it takes sometimes. The Lord will place you in someone's life who is truly prepared to receive the gospel again. It was just an invitation we extended that reignited that desire she had lost after years.

Things have been great! Teaching with Elder Ustare has been a lot of fun. Neat to see a young missionary with such a desire to do what is right and a hunger after righteousness! I have been helping him get to know his scriptures and it has been a lot of fun! Gosh, missionary work is just a good time! Got the 20 months today, now that is weird. Time has been absolutely flying by. I am grateful for all that you have done for me! Keep it up back there! Read those scriptures!

Love, Elder McFall

It's the "pogi" pose... basically means i'm handsome!