This week has been a good week for me! You're all probably wondering why the title of this email is what it is . . . It is with a sad heart that I say that on Thursday this last week, I had to say goodbye to Bear. He has been with me since the beginning, we shared many fond memories together, he has seen the whole state of Ohio with me. I will miss him dearly. So, the reason I had to say goodbye to him was because we were on a training visit on Thursday here, and Elder Medlyn noticed that there were little dark stains on bear's white shirt. We pulled back his shirt and there were so many Bed Bugs crawling all over Bear. They were on his clothes, stained his clothes and all over in his fur. I decided that I just needed to throw bear away, along with some bedding that I was using (not the ones I came out with momma 😉) but just some bedding the apt already had and decided it would be best if I just disinfected the whole bed and throw everything away. Everything is good now, but Bear will be missed.
Here is an updated agenda of where the Wadsworth Ward is currently at, as well as Medina County (where I am) and Summit County (the county right next door). This came from Bishop Hauser today:
- Wadsworth and Medina areas are Level 3, highest in Ohio for COVID cases
- Bishops in this Akron Stake are meeting with Stake Presidency on Thursday this week to discuss what they will do going forward
- Could go backwards in Church meeting capacity size in weeks and months to come. Right now, it is at 50 people every week per the bishopric.
- No lingering after meetings, no handshakes/make sure it's elbows
- Wash hands FREQUENTLY
- In person youth gatherings (no more than 10 people for it)
There was some heavy hearts today during fast and testimony mtg. People are sad, because it feels as though things are moving backwards instead of forward. Bishop Hauser stated something in his testimony and I just want to add to it: "Sometimes, in life we don't always have the answers to questions we have, and we don't always have a big picture view, we have more of a MYOPIC view. We need to stop focusing on the 'can't do this' or 'should we do this'. And instead we need to center our time and energy on what really matters, which is building the kingdom of God. This Akron stake, this Country, this worldwide church we are a part of, may never go back to in person 2nd hour mtgs, now that's not prophecy by any means, but I just want to share that just as President Nelson stated in Conference this month, "If we really want to embrace a new normal, focus more on becoming a life long disciple of Jesus Christ and developing a relationship with Heavenly Father; let that be our new normal". I just thought those were some good words to live by.
Wednesday we drove down to Canton for District Council. It was so so good! I gave a training on Elder Utchdorf's talk titled, "A Matter of a Few Degrees". I forgot the string at our apt, so I just used scotch tape instead. (still did the job ;). I also used 2 cups and filled them both with water, and then had a companionship of sisters pour one of the cups into the other, making that cup overflow. I then went on in the training about how simple things such as being "overwhelmed by our water overflowing", or "our choices making our line of string/tape get shorter and soon getting too close to the adversary", are both crucial and important things for how we need to focus and center our lives everyday. We have to focus on not the MYOPIC part of life, because that will get us into trouble, but we must focus on the bigger and grander plan that the Lord and our Heavenly Father have for us.
Thursday we had training visits here in Wadsworth with Elder Medlyn (District leader) and Elder Wallentine. I went with Elder Medlyn for the day. We had 3 really great lessons! We taught Sister Zook over zoom call and read 2 Nephi 14 with her, and then we drove over to the Squire house and taught the Member Missionary Nametag with them and made a family plan with them for how they plan to reach out to someone this next week to share the Gospel to, and then we taught a really fun couple who live down in Canton and we did that over messenger! Isn't it just so cool that we can still be missionaries and we as members can still share the Gospel even amidst a Global pandemic!?!?😃
Friday and Saturday were both just kind of average normal days here in Wadsworth. We are really trying to work hard with the members, and to come in contact with them. We want so badly to be able to meet with these amazing and wonderful people which we have the blessing of serving in their ward, but we are seeing that a lot of them are very skeptical at this point to meet in person with everything happening in the world, and they don't feel comfortable doing phone/video calls. Please keep these members of Wadsworth in your prayers this week. :)
Sunday we taught Sister Zook over zoom and studied Come Follow Me with her, which was so so good. I loved that.
This weeks Come Follow Me focused on, "being one as a people and body of Christ, and that as we do this that no other thing can bring us such great happiness and everlasting joy as can being together and then turning outwards." Cool thoughts to think about! We had church at 11 am, and then Sister Zook had asked us if we could give her a blessing today after church finished; she told us it was her back pain again, and so I immediately had memories of moms joint and back pain. So me and Elder Moss and Bishop Hauser gave Sister Zook the blessing. I was able to be the one who gave the blessing for her, and as I placed my hands on her head and started speaking the blessing, I felt as though I was not the one speaking, that it really was our Savior there in that room at the church bldg, giving the blessing. I know Priesthood power is on the earth today, I have a firm testimony that when we act in the name of Jesus Christ, He performs miracles before our eyes.
After church got over and we did the blessing, we cleaned the chapel with the 2nd counselor in the bishopric and Bishop Hauser, wiping down all of the pews with wipes. Also, me and Elder Moss said the opening and closing prayers for sacrament mtg, so that was pretty fun. We came back to the apt and ate lunch and then headed over to Brother Demmings house. Cool MIRACLE about how this lesson came about! Over the last 3 months the area book for Wadsworth lost Brother Demmings number, and we couldn't get a hold of him. His mom is in the ward, but we couldn't get ahold of her for the last 4 to 5 weeks either and they weren't at church. Well, flash forward to Thursday of this last week, and we get a call from Brother Demming saying that his mom had been trying to get ahold of us, but her phone wasn't working, and so she had asked him to call us to tell us to go to her house to get the food that day. We took that as our chance to set up a lesson, and EVEN better, his kids were going to be staying with him this weekend, and so we got to have him and his 4 young kids for the lesson. I did the Smash the can lesson for them, and they were so intrigued that my fingers weren't broken and then one of them stole the can of corn haha, so that made us all laugh :):)
Sunday night we had the Mission Devotional with the Columbus East Stake Presisent (President and Sister Bell). They talked to us about "The Power of Yet". They explained stories of how their son on a mission currently, had given 4 books of mormon to his friends 6 yrs ago and then because of Covid19 and he was in Lockdown in his mission in Arcadia, California, he was able to teach his friends here in Ohio and they still had the Book of Mormon he gave them. "The power of yet." Then they explained how they had lost a daughter with special needs a few yrs ago, and how now they are starting to see more clearly the perspective of what they learned with raising her, to now having a fish farm at their house and being a seminary teacher and stake President for the both of them. "The Power of Yet". It means that we really sometimes don't know why we did or are doing something, and sometimes we feel as if we had no results come from something; Elder Holland says it perfectly, "No effort is wasted". And what did we learn in April, "The Lord loves effort, because effort brings rewards". It just taught me tonight that we don't have to know everything right NOW. Sometimes we pray for patience, only to then get up from our knees and demand an answer right then, kind of like cookie monster does when he wants his cookies, sometimes forgetting that the Heavenly virtue of patience is required. It was a great and amazing devotional tonight.
I wanted to put in my testimony to this email today. This week taught me a lot, it taught me a lot about the person that I want to be. As me and Elder Moss enter our last week of the transfer, meaning that we will most likely be transferred away from each other next week on Thursday, I have reflected on the last 3 months. Heavenly Father has taught me that it's okay to pray for guidance, to not have every answer to every question during the day. Is it hard to not know where to go, who to talk to, and to only be able to talk to people if they approach you? Yes, it is. But we have been doing it in this world for the last 8 months. And through it all, Jesus Christ has been at the center of it. I know He lives, He is a part of my life. I would not be where I am today, not just in Ohio as a missionary, but I would not be where or who I am today, without the love and mercy of my Heavenly Father who has showed me over the last 14 months, that true happiness is not found when we seek the things of this world; true happiness is found when we seek Jesus Christ in every aspect of our life. Do not give up hope, do not lose heart, and do not lose sight of the finish line, which is the celestial kingdom with our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. Keep trying, keep pushing, Because Heaven is cheering you on TODAY, TOMORROW, AND FOREVER.
Things to look for this week:
- Interviews are Tuesday this week (tomorrow) with President and Sister Horgesheimer up in Talmadge at the Akron Stake Center.
- Transfers are next week on Thursday. We will get the PBZ (Picture By Zone) on Tuesday night next week to see what transfer news is. So we will see what comes with that, and I'll let you all know on Wednesday next week what the news is for transfers for me. And so that means that Pday will be on Wednesday next week as well.
Such a happy and amazing time of year! Besides Christmas and Thanksgiving of course 😉😉
I miss you all so much and pray for you daily. You are all amazing and wonderful and incredible examples to me in my life. I know Heavenly Father loves me, because He gave me each of YOU guys for eternity. Keep doing your best.
I love you forever and always! :)💕
Elder Dylan McEwan
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