Craziness!

I'm pretty sure this was one of the most insane weeks of my life. So do your best to follow this. OK, so back in Stoon we still had a Zone Training meeting to plan and present for on Tuesday. Which I was feeling terrible for, but I feel it actually went quite well. Our focus as a mission right now is to better teach and find with the Spirit. Sounds like a big "duh!" but for some reason we're just not getting it. And it's quite difficult to master in all actuality. We're a young mission, and we NEED to master some skills that will allow us to better follow the Spirit. So we focused on listening. Our portion and practice were very good, and I learned a lot.

Then, it was packing, and I drove to Regina on Wednesday!!!!!! I was so excited!!! I love it here so much. It's crazy. I've actually spent a year in the Regina zone, so clearly it's the best zone. Anyways, I saw a ton of former companions. Elder Shepherd was one of them. We served in Swift. We cried tears of joy when we saw each other again....not really....but it was close. He's going to Winnipeg to serve with my boy Elder Burnett. Then I saw Elder French as he was getting ready to go home....sad day. We reminisced for a long, long time. It was super sad to see him go for good.

So now I'm with Elder Wilson, and life is good. It just got even busier, though. I don't think I've ever had more phone calls in my life! It's ridiculous. I might as well forget my aspirations to be a doctor and just become a receptionist!....seriously. But it's good. We've got good missionaries in this zone. I'm telling ya, some of the missionaries that are coming out right now have to be the strongest I have ever seen! It's amazing to be a part of it.

Well, I don't really have any mind blowing experiences for this weekend. I gave a talk on Sunday. I got up to speak, and I was handed a note that informed me that I had twice as much time than I had prepared for. Let's just say I'm glad there was a good circulation of air in the chapel. Yeah, I just about pooed my britches. Seriously though, I felt like I should've prepared more, and I didn't. So it was all my bad. It was good to see many familiar faces. It made it super easy to transition. I love this ward! It's great to be back.

I thank you all for writing, and I hope that you have a great week. Love ya!

Love,

Elder C. Lyons

Transfer Calls Again!

 this week was insane. We got our transfer calls this week. I'm going to be going back to Regina to serve in the Wascana ward again. I will be zone leader with Elder Wilson. I'm really excited. I love the Wascana ward, and Elder Wilson came out at the same time as me. We had some good times in the MTC. It's going to be super fun. And I get to go Swift on exchanges! Yeah! I'm looking forward to it. I will be travelling down there on Wednesday.

This week was pretty good as far as teaching goes. We were able to teach Rob from PA a couple of times. He's doing really well. He really wants to be better and become active. It's a great experience to teach someone with that much desire. We were also able to teach this family from Nigeria for the first time. They're super great. They both want to learn how they can have the Holy Ghost with them all the time. Yeah, we can help ya with that! Binga and his family are super great. Elder Kuhre will have a good time teaching them in the future. It's a little sad that I won't be able to teach them. We had to try very hard to finally set an appointment with them.

We helped a less active family we've been working with to load up their granite counter tops in their truck. I don't think I've ever lifted anything heavier! I was getting teased like crazy by the Thomson's too. Just because I'm small....seriously. 

Well, mostly I've just been trying to not die this week. I've been pretty sick this transfer. Hopefully, I'll be getting better soon. But we keep on working, so it's all good. 

I love you all. Thanks for you emails and pics. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder C. Lyons

Silver Linings

To be honest, this was one of the most challenging weeks of my mission. Elder Kuhre and I ended up getting pretty sick early last week. We weren't sleeping well, and we were just completely wiped! And to top it off, we had several of our appointments fall through this week. I feel like I've become an optimist over the course of my mission, so I've been trying very hard to keep my head up....It's just been extremely difficult.

But I would like to share a few of the silver linings of this week. We have several young missionaries in this zone, and as zone leaders we have the privilege of going on exchanges with many of them. This week, I got to go on exchanges with Elder Leishman. He is from Calgary. And he reminds me a lot of myself at the start of my mission. He's very quite, and it's intimidating for him to talk with people. So, we talked a lot during our exchange. He is so pure! He has nothing but a pure desire to do what's right! During comp studies, we were practicing, and he taught like a pro! It was amazing. He just about brought tears to my eyes! And I've been at this a while! It was great to talk with him and serve with him for a day.

Another sort of crazy thing happened this week. A less active member named, Robert, and his family moved into our area. I don't know if any of you remember Rob from PA, but it's the same Rob. It was so crazy when we walked though the door to teach him. He saw me and was all, "what the? you're here?" He is just full of desire as ever. He asked us to teach him about repentance, so he can stop doing stupid things! His family wants to get more involved as well. Yet another second chance for me on my mission. Very grateful for it, too :)

Other than that, I had the most amazing Mexican food I've ever had! The Martinez family (bet ya can't guess where they're from) cooked us some amazing taco things. So good! We ate them with guacamole and salsa that was to die for! It had been ages since I had eaten decent Mexican food. There were tears.

Other than that we've just been dealing with stress the best that we can. Hopefully we can make this week better than the last! Love ya all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder C. Lyons

Here is my address before I forget. People have been asking for it: 205- 103 Reindeer Rd

                                                                                                          Saskatoon, Sk S7K 4W8

Fighting Death!

So this week has been quite the mess. I was sick earlier last week with some sort of flu type thing. I finally caved when I was on exchanges and bought some....flu medicine. Let's just say that I was stretching during exercises; and well, my legs were still pretty tight, but my stool was loose. Ha ha....bad joke. I'm tired. Well, long story short, I got over it fairly quickly, but now I'm sick..again...with a cold. And Elder Kuhre's sick, too. I don't know what my immune system's doing, but it's probably nothing.

 

Despite being sick this week was pretty good. Exchanges were incredible! I was with a young missionary. He's been out 3 weeks, but it's like he's been out 3 years. He is on fire! It was so amazing. My plans for the day were terrible. Everything was falling through, but nothing got him down! He just kept it up, so....I fought through my sickness. And turns out we had a fairly productive day. It was great. Elder Simister is going to be a leader for sure.

 

Anyhow, this week got ahead of us quickly, and before we knew it, zone conference was the next day. So we had to plan for 2 portions to present. We were giving a much larger portion of the training than I ever remember any zone leaders giving. And to top it off we had in attendance: Pres and Sis Thomas, the assistants, and the stake president, Pres Robertson....no pressure. But for our first zone conference, I feel it went OK. It was really great to have interviews as well. I love Pres Thomas so much! He made a pretty funny joke during interviews. He said, "we are paying $57,000 for apartments per month in the mission right now. We are not even close to returning that in tithing funds received from the converts we baptize! It's down right embarrassing when you think about it!" He then went on to explain that clearly for our Heavenly Father hastening the work is for much more than convert baptisms. He wants us as missionaries to experience deeper conversions and become life long, devoted members. That really helped me a lot. Sometimes I don't feel like I'm having the success that I should be. But now, I can realize that this work is meant to help me, not to make me feel worse! I just love Pres and Sis Thomas. I had a good talk with Sis Thomas before my interview as well. Actually, when Pres Thomas came to get me he said, "Sis Thomas probably already interviewed you." She just smiled, "I did!" She's so great :)

 

As far as the work goes, it's starting to pick up. It was in a bit of a slump....and it still sorta is, but we're working on it! We've started working with a less-active member named Larry. He's a great guy. He's got a few challenges, but he's got a heart of gold. We'll be working with him to help him come back. Other than that, we just have a few potentials. We're really just want to find a family. Families are the best. Well....that's about it for this week. I love you all! Enjoy your vacation!

 

Love, Elder Lyons

Still Alive!

This week was crazy. We had to plan for our Zone Training Meeting on Wednesday, which was actually pretty difficult to do. But we pulled it off. The assistants were there (no pressure, it's just my first ZTM). But they said that we did a really good job. I thought I was going to pass out! But, I'm still alive!

Honestly, this week is a bit of a blur. Ha ha, I don't remember much at all. But we did have an interesting lesson with an assistant pastor. I seem to be teaching a few pastors and stuff lately. It's pretty interesting. But, anyways, we had a good discussion with Kurt. He's really open minded, so it's nice. 

I went on exchanges this week with an elder that was in my first district when I was in PA. It was really weird. He goes home soon. I'll be the only one left! But it was a good exchange. I enjoy talking with him. He's a really good guy, and he does good work.

This last weekend was pretty good. Sunday was a bit rough. We had a few families committed to church, but they did not come. It's always going to be the worst feeling for me. But it's a new week, and we're excited to get things going stronger for us. It's zone conference this week, so we have a little bit of planning to do for that. We'll see how it goes. It should be much easier than ZTM. That's about all that I can think of right now. I love you all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder C. Lyons

This is Nuts!

I'm not sure if I'm ever going to get my feet underneath me! If you have ever seen the comic Calvin and Hobbs...yeah the one where he's running in the rain. That's exactly how I feel right now. We've got a thousand and one things going on right now, and I just might have a handle on one of them. It's just crazy, but it's crazy fun.

 

Early last week, we had a solid lesson with a couple that we barely started teaching. Rob met with missionaries back in Calgary, so he pretty well knows what we're going to say before we say it. But both Rob and Samantha have really been open, and they just get that they need to pray to know if the Restoration really did happen. It's been grand teaching them.

 

We've had a bunch of crazy meetings this week. One was on Wednesday with the Stake President and the other Stoon zone leaders. We were discussing the needs of the stake as far as missionary work goes and coordinating our efforts. It was a really great meeting. Pres Robertson is all over it! Another meeting we had was on Friday. It was a Missionary Leadership Council meeting. Yeah...really neat actually. But we had to drive to Regina on Thurs evening (about a 2 or 2 1/2 hr drive). Then we left by van Friday morning at 6:30 to go to a little place called Moosomin ( about a 2- 2 1/2 hr drive). Then we had the meeting about Pres Thomas vision and instruction for the mission. Yeah...now it's our responsibility to pass all the info on. (Sort of a hefty responsibility, eh?) But then we had to drive all the way back to Stoon. Saturday morning was rough!

 

We had a great lesson on Saturday. We went to meet with this guy from Nigeria named, Dipson and his roommates. But they weren't there, so Elder Kuhre called them and texted them. Then, we saw Dipson pull up to the house. He was in Regina (remember that 2 or 2 1/2 hour drive?), but he wanted to meet with us. So he came back. It was a great lesson, and his prayer was powerful. So great!

 

Then on Sunday, we were actually waiting for Dipson. He said he would be late. But he didn't show. But because we were in the foyer, we were able to greet this stranger who walked into the church. He came to Sunday school and had a junk load of questions. But unfortunately, he's not too interested at this time. But it was neat to be in the place that we needed to be!

 

I love you all! Thanks for all of your support! This gospel is true, and I'm so thankful for the blessings it brings into my life! Have a wonderful week!

 

Love,

Elder C. Lyons

What?!

I'm very tired. This transfer traveling has been insane. We didn't leave Regina until pretty late on Thursday, so we didn't get to stoon until about 11....yeah this weekend has been rough. But I got to see a bunch of my missionary friends, so it was good.

It was weird saying goodbye to everyone in Swift so soon. It was actually pretty much the worst. I think I wrote how some of the Palmer kids said goodbye to me at church. I about cried! You're not makin' this easy kids! But it was good. We had a bunch of last meals with members, so they sent us off full.

We've mostly been trying to settle in a little bit, and we've been trying to get everything organized. This weekend has been a little rough because I've been half asleep. But we've hopefully finished all the running around so we can go ahead and settle down. That's the thing that I don't like about leadership. I just want to be a regular missionary and do work! But there's other things in store for me....man. The ward seems pretty great. A lot of people are gone for the holiday weekend. But hopefully I'll get to know everyone soon. 

I'm afraid I don't really have anything interesting to report. Besides that I love Elder Kuhre, and I can't wait to get to work and find some people to baptize. It should be a good transfer. Love ya all! Have a great week!

Love,

Elder C. Lyons

PS. I'll be sending my SD card home with all the pics at swift. I have a bunch to send. Love ya!