Angry Bird Lawn Mower

Well it was quite the week this week. It was pretty fun. Weather was fine. I am the homework guy for the English class and the class was talking about the weather. It was pretty fun. These two Persian guys that are regulars are the only ones that brought it back. They aced the homework. They really probably have better English than I do. 

Tuesday was funny. We did service for the Salvation Army garden. We picked tomatoes for like an hour then I spent the rest of the time cleaning the tomatoes. Fun stuff. After that, the people that live above us asked us to mow the lawn. I really hate mowing lawns. I just get angry for no reason. But I mowed anyways. The front was fine. The freaking mower stalled like five times. Which was fine until I got to the back. I don't think that thing was mowed all summer. It was probably over a foot tall in most of the places, if not taller. The mower would stall after about two feet of mowing so I had to take the bag off and jam the cover open so it wouldn't jam full of grass. I have a video of it. I also hit a baby bird that was hiding in the weeds. It didn't die so we tried nursing it back to health. We got him worms and water and everything. But he didn't make it through the night. Unfortunately. But we did make a pretty funny funeral video. If you want it email me and I'll send it.  We helped out a member with a project in their back yard. We helped them last week, too. On our way out he gave us both a TTC tie. Which is the bus system in Toronto. We were pretty pumped. We ended the day at English class. Before the class, the Bishop from Mississauga was at the stake center for a meeting. So I met him for the first time like 4 years ago when me and my family were visiting Toronto. He kept the temple open for us so we could go through and do baptisms. It was a really cool experience and it was cool seeing him again.

Wednesday. I don't really know what happened. We had lunch with a Filipino family and they fed us food. It tasted really good. 

Ooh Monday we got a call from President Shields and two new missionaries had gotten to the mission and he wanted us to take them out contacting to give them some experience on the first day of their mission. We only had about an hour so we went out on splits for a bit. I went with Elder Bihon, I think is how you spell it. He is from Pleasant Grove I think. He is assigned to speak French. We had a good time, we walked around a park and literally the second person Elder Bihon talked to asked him this question right off the bat. "Do you think Jesus was a black Jew? It was pretty funny that whole thing. He handled it pretty well and just testified of the Savior, super cool. 

Thursday it was raining so we decided to go tracting, cause why not. A Filipino lady answered one of the doors and questioned us why we were in the rain. We just said we are missionaries and what not, and she said she was Catholic and fine that way. But she asked us if there was anything she could do for us, and Elder Lowry asked if we could get some water. She said yeah and let us in. Right as we get it she just starts showering us with food. It was crazy. Then her nephew walks in and starts asking questions and so we taught them the Restoration. It was pretty sweet. Hahah. 

Friday I went on exchanges with Elder Baker. I don't think I took a picture with him but we had a really good time. We had two meal appointments and just contacted the rest of the time. We found a few potentials while we were taping up flyers for the English class. One we taught the restoration on the street, one lady was interested but she lives in Toronto so we need to send her as a Referral. These two other dudes fresh from India were pretty interested. It was super fun. We were just talking to all of them as we were walking around. 

Saturday we had dinner with the Lopez Family. They are from the Philippines. Elder Lowry has a brother in the Philippines and so last time we were over there we were asking about Balut which is a fertilized duck egg that is 15 to 20 days old. It tasted pretty good. Only a few feathers got stuck in my teeth. All the other food they fed us was delicious as well so it was great.

Sunday, Joanne came to Church for the third time. Her and her husband came off the street 3 weeks ago and have been coming ever since. They are from Haiti and love church. It is really cool. We finally got contact info so we can actually go over there and teach them. 

Spiritual thought comes from my parents: 

Dad

My thought for the week comes from Alma 49:13-14.  President Royall taught this at the Stake Standards night tonight.  Moroni built "forts of security" to combat the Lamanites.  He took that "which had hitherto been a weak place, had now, by the means of Moroni, become strong."  I love that.  It makes me ask the question, what are we doing to make our weaknesses strengths (see also Ether 12:27) in our battles with Satan.  It makes you think.  Or at least it made me think and I hope that it makes you think too!

Mom

Okay, now for my thought of the week:  I've been reading in Mormon.  These chapters are hard because it feels kind of hopeless.  They are so wicked (by the wicked are the wicked punished, see Mormon 4:5) and Mormon is pretty frustrated with the wickedness that will eventually lead to the overthrow of the entire Nephite nation.  But there are some good things written in there.  In Mormon 7:8 he says, "Therefore repent, and be baptized in the name of Jesus, and lay hold upon the gospel of Christ, which shall be set before you, not only in this record but also in the record which shall come unto the Gentiles from the Jews, which record shall come from the Gentiles unto you."  On the title page of the Book of Mormon it says a man can get closer to God by abiding by it's precepts than any other book. Spenford gave his homecoming talk today in Sacrament Meeting, and he talked about the Book of Mormon.  He talked about how he challenged an elder he was training to read the Book of Mormon and when he found a precept, to follow it for that day.  After almost 2 months he was only in like 1 Nephi 3.  The Book of Mormon is full of precepts that can help us "Lay hold" upon the gospel of Jesus Christ.  To lay hold isn't just to know how we should behave.  I think we have to apply these precepts to our daily behaviors before we have "laid hold." I am so grateful for ancient prophets that gave their time and great effort to write the words they were commanded to write so that we could have those precepts with which to change our lives.  I know the Book of Mormon can bring peace, can teach us how we should be, and bring us closer to our Heavenly Father and Savior.  I love it!

Peace
Elder Talbot ​

 Huge Salvation Army Garden Tomato