Week 102 - "Well, This Is It!"

Hey Everyone!

Well, this is it. This is the last email I'm going to be sending out from my mission.

It's been a very bittersweet last few weeks. A lot of "This is the last time I do ____!" statements. 

I've loved being a missionary. It's been such a humbling experience, and I will always be grateful for the opportunities and experiences I have had out here. It was on my mission that I actually received an undeniable testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I know, through personal experiences, that it is true. My missionary service has been such a blessing. Words can't express the gratitude I have right now. I'm going to be leaving a part of me here in the Maritimes, but now I've got other fish to fry. 

Thank you all for the love and support you've provided me, whether it was through emails or prayers, I've felt love from all of you, and it has helped me so much.

Look forward to seeing you all soon!!

Much Love,

Elder Haslam

On The Road Home!

Week 101 - In My Final Days! I'm Really Going To Miss It!

Hi Guys!

So I'm in Fredericton for p day today!! I'm hanging out/saying goodbye to Elder Olsen! It's like 10 degrees hotter here than in Saint John! Think I've been spoiled by Saint John's pleasant climate. I don't know why I've started each of my past two group emails talking about the weather, but I guess it works out.

I had my final zone conference yesterday. It was a weird and sad experience. I'm going to miss being around and a part of the full-time missionary force. You just can't get the experience of a missionary zone conference anywhere else. I realize now I took them for granted! I got to bear my testimony with the rest of the departing missionaries, and it was a wonderful opportunity.

We've had a couple of fun activities this past week. Thursday we had a YSA activity, and we played ultimate Frisbee with one of the members of our bishopric (who's an insane Frisbee player). Yaohui and a few non-members came to that! I had a diving Frisbee snag and wrecked my hip, but it was worth it.

Monday we had a ward BBQ to celebrate New Brunswick Day. We had met with a lot of the members throughout this past week and committed them to invite their non-member friends. Sadly, only one member kept their commitment, but the non-member who came had a great time. A couple of less actives we invited came too! The missionaries (us and our ward mission leader) were put in charge of doing an activity. We decided to put soapy water onto a huge tarp so we could slide around and play soccer on it. It was a blast! We tested it out last p day and we got some videos so I'll send those. 

Yaohui had to take a break from us teaching him, sadly. He has a calling in the nursery of the Baptist church in his neighborhood, so he told us he couldn't keep all of our commitments at this moment because he had commitments somewhere else. He's moving to Fredericton in September, so we plan on passing off his information to the missionaries there. Hopefully, they can resume teaching him when he's separated from his current church.

A cool thing I found out yesterday is that the temple session I'll do with President Low the night before I head home will be the same session Debbie Doyle goes through to receive her endowment!! If you don't remember Debbie, she's the one I baptized in Cole Harbour! What an awesome way to end!! 

That's about all for this week, folks. I'm so grateful for my mission experience. It's changed my life. I'm really going to miss it, but I'm stoked to see all of you soon!

Love you all! Have a good week!

Elder Haslam