Pictures from May 2021

 

Some May Adventures

We went on a walk with the New Portage Elders

Lebron James' aunt lives in our ward boundaries, and Lebron's house that he has in Akron is here in our ward.

Me standing in front of the gate at Lebron James' house :)

It's All About Faith

This week went by so fast! Honestly everyday felt like we were running (and we pretty much were) all day. It was such a productive week, lots of things were accomplished, learned, and felt. I am so grateful that our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ are always by our side to help us, strengthen us, and teach us to be growing and improving everyday.

Highlights of my week:

• We called Beverly and Tom on Thursday. Towards the end of the conversation they told us they were not going to come to church anytime soon, and didn't want us over to their house either. It was sad, but hoping they can have a change of heart in the future. And I'm grateful for this experience this week, because it taught me the importance of staying motivated and to keep asking the Lord where I could be going, and who I could be talking to. And it paid off "BIG TIME" the rest of the week!
• Saturday comes and we get 3 self referrals all within a 5 hr time frame of each other. We were able to call 2 of them and speak to them, as well as give a Book of Mormon to the 3rd person. I am so so grateful for the guidance and direction we can receive as we are constantly inviting the Spirit into our lives, to help show us the path and the way we should go. We were also able to teach 8 lessons on Saturday, we were literally going everywhere, focusing on talking to everyone. It taught me the great importance of just making myself known, and as a missionary currently, to be telling everyone about the great message I have.
• Sunday was a great day! Elder Sanchez spoke in sacrament mtg, and did a great job. We also had the first 2nd hour mtg of church that I've been too in over 15 months! We then were able to go and have a great Book of Mormon study with Robbie, have a great lesson on personal revelation with Sister Faine, and then teach Matthew about the importance of where we came from/why we are here/and where we are going. Overall it was such a good day. :) 

This week taught me a lot about FAITH, and also a lot about who I am becoming everyday. I feel that faith has a huge part to play in our desire to become better and stronger each day. Faith is the underlying principle we can use for desiring to grow and to learn from our experiences. It is ultimately how we show our Heavenly Father that we are ready and willing to be guided and sculpted to who we should be. I am so grateful for my mission, and for the person I have become today because of the faith I have developed over these last 2 years. I can definitely say that that faith helped me so much in the hard and difficult times. Faith to move mountains as President Nelson said, will be the miracle to trust God and His timing for us.

Memorial Day Weekend was such a fun weekend and good weather, at least here in Ohio ;) 

I love you all so much and am so grateful for your examples, faith, and love for me. I miss and pray for you always.

Love you always and forever .  .  .

Elder Dylan McEwan

Final Transfer

Well, this is it. The final transfer of my mission. I've told myself since I arrived in Ohio 2 yrs ago that the time for this moment was so far in the future (and it was at the time😉) but things have gotten so surreal now, and realizing my time in Ohio and as a missionary is coming to an end in a few weeks, I'm beyond grateful to my Heavenly Father in allowing me to serve. Now it's time to finish this race.

Highlights of my week: 

• We were able to teach roughly 40 lessons in these last 9 days, had 8.5 hrs of service (I'll get to that part in a sec ;)). It was such a great week to be serving, teaching, and helping others come into Christ. Such a humbling week for me that miracles and blessings are so evident in our life, we just have to believe.
  
• So Monday morning this week our Ward Mission Leader calls us and asks us to come help him move. He needed to have his POD filled and closed by yesterday (Tuesday) for the company to pick it up to take it to Texas to their new house. We arrived on Monday afternoon and for the next 3 hrs, and then 2 hrs Tuesday morning, we hauled food/boxes/ and 6 400 pound roll top desks up the stairs and out the door. Man it was a workout! I felt like I was on the football field again, throwing tires around. We got it done yesterday though so that was amazing

• We had our mission tour last week with Elder Bassett (2nd counselor in Area Presidency). We talked about the importance of Studying for those we are teaching, and putting our life on the alter of sacrifice. Such a good time. I loved that it taught us all (because it is an essential life skill) that we are to trust and have faith in the Lord's timing and to do our part everyday.
• Miracle in the Library yesterday! We had just barely walked into the library when a lady stops us and says she knew us because we were all dressed up looking nice. She told us she has been needing to get in contact with missionaries for a while, but didn't have a number to call. We got her name, number, and invited her to church this Sunday. Such a tender mercy that the Lord knows where we should be and when we should be there. So cool!!
  
• 🤗 Transfer News🤗 This brought back so many memories to my first 6 weeks and transfers of my mission, with realizing this was my final PBZ and transfer news to receive with me. Lots of emotions in that. BUT, the news is that me and Elder Sanchez are staying together this transfer here in Akron. I'll be serving as District Leader too. I'm so happy to be finishing in such an incredible ward with amazing people. Still crazy this is my 7th area, have so loved all the places I've lived here in Ohio.
  

I just wanted to finish with my testimony. Like I said this week was a very surreal realization to me. I've been reflecting on my mission a lot this week, and wanted to give an invite today. So often in my mission, I've found myself maybe looking back on things I could've done better or should've just done in the first place. I want to invite us all today to put our feet moving forward with the utmost amount of faith, faith unwavering, and not looking back. We will all have regrets, but I think maybe the biggest regret or thing we can do wrong is regret looking on our regrets. Use the Atonement of Jesus Christ to cleanse us, use His loving power to strengthen us when we need it. 

I love, miss, and pray for you guys daily. 😁💛 I am beyond grateful for your love and support while I've been in Ohio, and so excited to finish these last couple weeks with you guys by my side. You all are amazing.

I love you always and forever,

Elder Dylan McEwan

The Final Week of the Transfer

This has been a busy week. We were going non stop pretty much everyday, which honestly was super nice because it helps you feel more productive and satisfied by the end of the day. We are in the final week of the transfer now, transfers are next week on Thursday. Things are starting to get surreal for me now with being in my final transfer next week. Finishing strong!

MIRACLE IN OHIO!! We heard on Friday that Governor Mike Dewine is officially ending the statewide mask mandate on June 2nd! We aren't sure what that'll mean yet, but possibly just what states like Utah and others have done. But nonetheless, it's a tender mercy from the past 15 1/2 months of straight masks.

Highlights from my week:

• Me and Sanchez were able to do so much service this week. On Thursday we helped at the Temple's house. They are moving in a month, and needing our help laying mulch and putting planters dirt in the garden. It took all afternoon, and we were pretty tired afterwards. We had ward basketball night afterwards. 
• On Saturday we went over to the Peterson's house and helped them start to move. They are moving to Atlanta Georgia this week. We started at 10 am on Saturday and finished at about 2 pm. I helped Brother Peterson move their washers/dryers/grand pianos/desks/and couches. It was a good workout for me! They had 2 nonmember friends of their daughter there with us, and they both started asking us what we do as missionaries. We were able to talk about the restoration and our purpose in coming to Ohio and missionaries all over the world. Super cool time!
• That night we had the adult session of stake conference up at the stake center in Talmadge. Before we left, we had gone to the Akron Library to do online work. Elder Sanchez leaned over to me and said, "I'm so tired and sore from the move today". He then told me the same thing on Sunday. I was hoping he was doing okay. Might need to give him some of the deep blue I have 😉
• Stake Conference was so awesome! Elder Kinard and Elder Bisnark of the seventy spoke to us. They talked about the Gospel being a Gospel of growth and change. "Come as you are, but don't plan on staying there". I loved that quote, because I think it teaches so plainly that we are to move forward and progress everyday, we are truly becoming like our Heavenly Father each day. The Horgesheimers spoke in the Sunday session. Me and Sanchez went over to our Bishop's house to watch the Sunday session with them. Super fun!

Overall it was such a good week, and was so happy we were able to stay so productive and busy. Elder Sanchez is doing well, I've been helping him to become just more confident and comfortable in leading out in an area and talking to people. He is doing great!😁

Beverly and Tom are doing well. They always seem to be gone when we try and have our in person lesson with them, so we have been teaching the last 2 weeks over the phone which has been found to be so productive. I'm wanting to put them on date by June 10th. Keep them in your prayers.

This next week:

• We are having Elder Bassett who is the 2nd counselor in the Area Presidency, come to Columbus in person and do a live mission tour starting tomorrow morning thru Friday. So excited and grateful to learn from one of the Lord's anointed. 

How did the week of award banquets, work and school go? Parker congrats on the new oncology job buddy! I'm excited for you to start today!

I love you all always and forever! Be safe this week, and know I'm praying for you everyday.

Love,

Elder Dylan McEwan

Working Harder Than Ever

Wow! I cannot believe another week has come and gone like that. The weeks are really starting to pick up as I near my final transfer out here. I'm so very grateful for everything I have been learning and been able to do to help in establishing the Lord's kingdom here in Ohio.

We had a crazy hard working week and I'm excited to share all about it:

• To start off, we had 35 lessons last week and were able to find 4 new people. About 70 percent of those lessons came from either texting people or messaging people over facebook and sharing things with them. I'm so glad we have ways we can still share the Gospel, and that now it is even more fast in sharing then ever.
• Me and Elder Sanchez have been on the Contacting Blitz this week. Meaning, each day we have called close to 30 to 40 people. A lot of them still don't answer, but it is just a testimony builder to me that our efforts are enough and the Lord is pleased with our efforts when we are all in to the Gospel.
• I gave a training at District Council last week and wanted to share a little about it. It was on The Book of Mormon/Testimony of Joseph Smith. We talked about why Joseph went through the trials and travails that he did to be able to translate and publish The Book of Mormon. At the end of my training, we listened to Elder Hollands testimony of The Book of Mormon from October 2019 General Conference. If you have time, go and watch it :). The training went super well, everyone gave great answers, and it was just so cool to have my own testimony strengthened by knowing The Book of Mormon is true.
• We have been working so hard here in Akron. I think that's what has made the time speed up faster too. I literally come back to the apt each night after walking outside and calling people, etc. and my feet are beginning to cramp and my legs are sore, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I'm so happy to know I'm giving it my all to finish the mission, to talk to as many people as I can, and to be strengthening my own testimony along the way. The Gospel is true and I'm so grateful I will always get to share it in my life.

Update on people being taught:

• Beverly and Tom are well. We talked to them twice last week over the phone and talked more of the Restoration and getting through hard times. If you guys could keep them in your prayers that would be great :). I know they want to accept the Gospel, it's just a matter of helping them to see we are still going to go through hard times in life, but our faith will always be strengthened in Christ. I'm hoping to help get them baptized before I leave on July 9th, so fingers crossed🤞.

This week taught me so much. It rained every day of the week, with actually snow making an appearance on Sunday during church. It taught me a lot about where my heart is at in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and how I can be trusting God to help me. The mission definitely hasn't been easy, and I have recently been thinking of the first 8 months of my mission where I was knocking on doors and street contacting. Now for the last 15 months being mostly inside. My mission has changed me in a way that I never ever thought possible. I'm a different person writing this email today than I was even 12 months ago at this time. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and I'm so grateful to for the rest of my life be able to share Jesus Christ with everyone I meet and talk to.

It was so much fun to call and talk with everyone yesterday for Mothers Day! Crazy the school year ends the end of this month also. So many exciting things happening this week, month, and summer! 

I love you all forever and always!

Elder McEwan

Hard Work

This week flew by super quick. They are beginning to do that more and more I think. This week has been a very fulfilling and satisfying week. We worked so hard, and truly saw the tender mercies come from Heavenly Father as we put forth our effort. I'm so grateful for that knowledge that when we do our part, the Lord adds His power to our efforts. 

This week we:

• Had 8 hours of service over at Brother and Sister Temples house. They're moving soon and needed help painting and also cleaning out their yard. I even got to spray some good weed killer that is kind of the same we use at home. It was so much fun and I'm so happy we could help them on Tuesday and Wednesday.
• We had training visits with the Zone Leaders on Wednesday. I was with Elder Wallentine all day. We had a great time working together. We taught 2 lessons, and were able to talk to Beverly and Tom on the phone for a little bit. So that was good. We then had the Zone Devotional that night over zoom. Overall, super great Wednesday.
• Thursday we had Zone Conference up at the Talmadge bldg. It was super good. The whole conference was centered around how we can be finding true joy in studying The Book of Mormon, and teaching others the importance of it. I really like Zone Conferences always. Such a fun time to see all my past mission comps and friends I haven't seen in a while. We were also able to have exchanges with the Spanish elders on Saturday and that was a ton of fun and got to listen in on a couple different Spanish conversations they had that day :) 
• So I don't know if I really talked last week about who Beverly and Tom are. They had gone to church up in Kirtland and the sisters up there gave us their name and number to contact them. They had requested a Book of Mormon, and so we were able to take them that 2 weeks ago, and now have been able to teach them 2 times on their front porch (they sit outside each night ;) and teach them about Joseph Smith and why we have the Book of Mormon. We are hoping to put them on date to be baptized by about June, just need to make sure we have most of the lessons taught by then. Super good elderly couple though.
• Yesterday was probably my favorite day of the whole week, and here is why. Me and Elder Sanchez had gone on a walk for about an hour and a half after church. We stopped and talked with and taught 2 lessons to 2 people while on that walk, then we got lunch from Sister Eskelson in the ward, and then we went over to a lesson appt with New Portage. We ended up being there longer than anticipated, and by the time we left it was already 6:30. So we did as much as we could when we came back and ended up having 2 lessons with Beverly and Tom, as well as with a guy named Matthew that we have been trying to work with for a while now. It was a huge testimony builder to me last night when we got back to the apt, about the principle of hard work and dedication, and that we really should not ever be content with staying where we are at with what we have accomplished, we have to always be trying and striving to do our best.
• We taught 25 lessons this week, you could just feel that same love I just talked about and feel it in each of those lessons. I'm so grateful that the work is continuing to move forward despite what is always going on in the world around us. Never before have I just been so happy to share what I believe in. I attribute that to Heavenly Father showing me that importance of daily study and prayer, filling up my lamp with oil, and letting it burn in the lives of many other people.
• We have been getting many referrals from the Akron Zone Facebook page every week. We average around 7 to 8 referrals a week to our area, and 9 times out of 10 those people want to keep talking to us. Just goes to show even more so that God does have a place  and a direct purpose for what He is needing each of us to do and how to do it in sharing the restored Gospel.

This upcoming week we:

• Have interviews and district council on Thursday in Talmadge with President Horgesheimer. Crazy to think this will be my 2nd to last one!
• Then will just be here the rest of the week working hard and experiencing miracles :) 
• Elder Sanchez is doing well. I have been helping him everyday to be more and more confident in leading out in different parts of the day, and helping him adjust fully to being a missionary. He is doing super great with everything and it's been really fun to help train him and work with him.

My testimony this week is that of the topic of this email: Hard Work. I'm so grateful for the blessing of knowing that as we keep a mindset of going to work everyday to build our ships as Nephi built his, then the Lord continues to give us added revelation and tools needed to cross the seas to the promised land or our promised land of life (school, work, hobbies, etc.). He really is at the helm of this work because this is His work. He is the master builder and we are the instruments. So glad to be able to serve everyday to help bring others that same perfect and everlasting joy that I too feel in my own life. 

I'm very grateful for all you guys do for me and the love and support you give to me. I'm excited to talk to everyone today!

I love you always and forever!

Elder Dylan McEwan