The Transfer Call

Happy Happy New Year!! I can't believe it is 2020 already, and that I have been on my mission for 5 months now.

First things first though . . . . We were waiting for the news about transfers and it felt like waiting for  Christmas morning! ;) But anyway, I am getting transferred down to Lewis Center and my companion will be Elder Yukihiro, and he is the district leader. Elder Henshaw is in my district so that will be fun. Lewis Center is a ward and is in the Columbus North zone, and the area is right next to the mission home and Dublin. I'm so excited for this new experience and to meet new people and to do all I can to help the people in the Lewis Center ward. So me and Elder Stephens will be driving to Dublin on Thursday this week for transfers, which means about a 3 hr drive that morning. I will be driving so I'll make sure I will drink some spark and take D3 :);).

On Monday night last week, we went out and called the Chabot family and asked them if they wanted to go to Historic Kirtland with us on Saturday and they said yes! So then we called Elder and Sister Barney who were assigned to Chardon branch and who served on the sites, and they said they would be happy to give us a tour.

Tuesday we went out and contacted less active after less active after class active with no success of anyone answering the door or being interested, but what do we do, we keep going strong. I took Elder Stephen's to the End of the Commons Amish store in Mesopotamia, which is the most east part of our area you can get. We looked around and he was super excited to be able to be inside of an Amish store. We then went over to Brother Hartman's and helped him with his talk. He is speaking on Jan 26th and so he wanted to have us there to help him last week with preparing his talk. After his house, we went to Sister Johnson's trailer park in Chardon (the one we got kicked out of a few weeks ago ;)). But thankfully we didn't this time and were able to go to 2 potentials there, but neither of them answered the door For New years eve, we went over to Bob White's house and ate pizza and visited for a while, and then we sang karaoke until 9. Let me just say, singing karaoke was so much fun and reminded me that we always do that as a family and how much fun we have. I may have to try out for American Idol when I get home ;). We got to the apt at 9 that night and Elder Stephen's and I were going to stay awake til 12, but about 10:45 I was conked out . . . Literally. But I woke up at 11:50 and we blew the poppers and confetti that you guys sent me and we had a ton of fun :) We loved the cookies and oreos and I have ABSOLUTELY loved the spark that you guys sent me :) Thank you for sending that!

Wednesday we went to Solon for district council. The reason we went there instead of Kirtland is because one of the sister missionaries was going home last week and so her comp was in a trio and so it would've been just me and Elder Stephen's at district council in Kirtland :) DC was so much fun and I learned of the high importance of being obedient and the crucial aspect of talking to everyone, because you never know who the Lord has prepared for you.

Thursday was a super fun day! It was Josh Famm's baptism day that night and they had asked us to fill the font up at the church, so we got there at about 4:40 and cleaned the font out (there was spiders and cobwebs in the font . . . :) and then had the baptism. We stood in on his confirmation and I felt the Spirit so much and am so grateful that we as members of the church get the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost. We also took the car to get an oil change that day and we waited for about an hour to do it, but we got it in and it is good to go.

Friday we had splits with the Perry Zone leaders, and I was in Chardon with Elder Rawson. We worked so hard that day, I was exhausted by the end of the day. We went to Brother Hartman's because he had told me earlier in the week that he wanted me to help him on his talk because he liked the way I prepared and structured my talks, and said I was a good speaker -- that made me feel good. We then proceeded to hit every single less active and potential member in Middlefield and Chardon, wow what a day! We met a guy named Leo. He is baptist and said he is firm in his beliefs, but that we are more than welcome to stop by in the future.

Saturday we went to Brother Walter's house and went through the list of ideas we had gone through to get activities going in this branch. (Hubb family group night, Preach my Gospel night, and branch activity night). After that, we went to Historic Kirtland with the Chabots and it was such a magnificent and wonderful time. It was their first time going on the tour, and we definitely had the spirit there with us. It was Elder and Sister Barney's last tour on the mission (I was so happy it could be with us. They leave today to head home to Cedar City, I'm going to miss them a lot! They were the best and so welcoming to us and always tried their best to help us in anyway possible. We helped Brother and Sister Arnold with painting their kitchen that night. It was quite the workout. Sister Arnold was like, "Elder McEwan, you sure look like you know what you're doing". And I just smiled and said that I had a lot of practice with painting my basement at home.

Sunday was a great day because it was the sabbath and we got to take the sacrament. It truly is a blessing to be able to renew our baptismal covenants with Heavenly Father every week. We went over to the Juker house after church for a visit and Sister Juker made cookies for us (chocolate chip) and wow they were good! Then we went to the Shepherd house and had a very good lesson on 1 Nephi 4 and why God takes the wicked things away to establish His righteousness on the earth. We then proceeded to watch Sister Shepherd clean out her fridge and give us most if not all of her food, I told her I liked buffets, so I guess she followed through on that comment :);).

Monday was a great day! I know I say that about everyday, but everyday is so amazing because when you're in the service of your fellow beings, you're only in the service of your God -- Mosiah 2:17. We went and talked to Brother Walter about the less active list. They're wanting to get letters sent out to these people to get them removed from the church records. A lot of them are no longer interested. One lady has a court order out for any LDS members that try to contact her. Super sad and I wish those people could see the true joy the Gospel brings, maybe in the future. We talked to Carol Bradshaw and she is doing great! We played a puzzle with her and I read her 1 Nephi 1 from the Book of Mormon and we had a really good lesson with her. We also were able to have a great lesson with Joey that night in Come Follow Me for this week and talked about the importance it is to have a humble heart and submissive spirit in order to hear what the Lord wants to teach us. I had us listen to Go and Do by David Archuleta and wow! I was in tears by the end of the song. I have never before felt the love of Christ in my life so strong as I did that night being able to testify to Joey about the importance of not giving up, and doing all we can, and letting the Lord do the rest. We played basketball for a while afterwards, and I won! Looks like I still got the moves in me :):).

Tuesday we went to Brother Hartman's and visited and took pictures with him. And then went over to the 1st counselor in the branch, Brother Lavin, and visited with him. We went to JC's restaurant with Bob White and it was so much fun! JC's is like a Denny's and Olive Garden mixed. It has lots of good fancy foods as well as your traditional burger. My favorite thing there is the Chicken Alfredo.

I've been pondering a lot this week about the last year and how I started the year and how I finished 2019. I have never felt more joy and happiness in my life than I have in the last 7 months since I went through the temple. I was remembering what President Dunn said in my setting apart as a missionary, and he said that I would "be humbled and be full of love and humility." This experience of serving the people of Chardon and coming to love them, even if they kick me out of their trailer park, has taught me the importance of not giving up and doing my best everyday. I am a child of God, and He has sent me here, has given me an earthly home, with parents kind and dear. I know this Gospel is true. It's the thing in my life that will bless me and my beautiful and amazing family to be together for time and all eternity. Please always remember how much Heavenly Father loves us, on an individual level.

The challenge I want to give to all of us this week is going to be a little different than the ones I have given in the past. Instead of inviting us to do something for just one week, I am wanting to do it for this 2020 Bicentennial year of the first vision.

I invite each of us to reflect on our lives and where we are currently, and then write out a list of ideas we could do to strengthen our testimonies this year. (Book of Mormon videos, come follow me, etc). Be willing to submit to the Lord, commit ourselves to doing these things we come up with, and challenging ourselves to be devoted and dedicated to the Savior Jesus Christ by Dec 31, 2020. I know we will receive Heavens promised blessings as we do this.

I also encourage and invite us to become the leaders our Heavenly Father needs us to be. I have been thinking a lot about the word leadership and what it means to me. What it means to me is this: It's not about the title or the recognition; it is solely about when we are in that position of leadership, we work hard to help those around us and encourage everyone to be on the same team, and work towards a common goal. Leadership is amazing and I'm grateful for the experiences I've had in leadership in my life. Always strive to have the Spirit with you so you can always be able to accomplish those things He needs us to.

Departing companionship with
Elder Stephens & Elder McEwan

I love you all so very much! We are in this together, and I'm so forever grateful for my eternal family that I love with all of my heart and that I miss so much. Thank you for everything that you guys do for me! Keep working hard and do your very best, because the Lord is on our side.

I love you forever and always!
Elder Dylan :)

We started the Book of Mormon challenge as a mission and have been challenged by President Stratford to finish before April General Conference. I would like to invite all of us to start reading the Book of Mormon and finish by April General Conference :).