1/27/10

Hola Familia!I think I'm going to have a new email address. The church is shifting to an email program managed by Google. It should be clifton.dunlap@myldsmail.net. For now, you probably should send emails to both that and my old until it all gets worked out. There's still some kinks that aren't working too well. As far as news, we got a new spanish elder in the mission this week. He served in Mexico for about 6 months and then got sick. He then went home and kept working in his home mission for about 6 more months and recently got reassigned here. He's down in the branch but I was able to meet him at zone conference yesterday. He really seems like an amazing addition to the mission. I'm excited because he was very impressive. He'll be great for the work here. No, we haven't been able to go to the temple yet. We're really wanting to go adn hopefully will be able to in the beginning of march when the ward takes a bus to the temple.The weather has turned off cold. I think I said last week that the forecast was supposed to be warm, but it snowed the next day. Calgary weather is pretty much unpredictable. Miracles continue to happen in this area. We've started teaching a new investigator that's reading and is honestly searching. He had been a contact from several months ago that we had the impression to stop by when we were near his house. He immediately let us in to teach him a first lesson. He previously hadn't been very open to meeting with us, but some recent events had left him really searching.After some scheduling conflicts, we finally set an appointment with the Orozco family that we found about two weeks ago. We're teaching them for the first time tomorrow. We've been praying hard that they'll be prepared to hear our message. They had a great experience with the priesthood in Mexico several years ago and we really have a good feeling about them. When we met them, they were at the home of some investigators and were telling them about how someone had wrecked near their house in Mexico and two missionaries had walked by and given the person a blessing. THe person was miraculously healed very quickly. They were telling our investigators about the priesthood we have in our church. We hope that this experience has helped prepared them for the message of the Restauration. Fanni is an investigator that had been taught for several months adn finally decided to be married as well. Her and her husband both told a member family that they want to be baptized. We have plans to extend them a date hopefully tomorrow as well. They got married on Monday and the members put together a nice wedding at the chapel. It was great to see how happy they both were to take this step. We were eating dinner at their house and then taught a lesson afterwards. We asked when we'd be able to come back and visit them and they said they didn't know because they didn't know what day they would get married. Elder Galloway adn were so excited it was hard not to jump off the couch jump up and down.The ward also had a wedding adn three baptisms on Saturday. So, we were able to attend 2 weddings in 3 days. The baptism went very well and the ward really supported it. The investigators shared some very sincere and spiritual testimonies.Elder Galloway adn I have been blessed in so many ways together. My prayers have become very gratitude filled over the last could weeks and days. My testimony of the spirit and it's role in this work has really been strengthened. We can teach people all we can as hard as we can, but the spirit is really what does the teaching and the changing. The spirit touching people's hearts is really what provokes them to change adn draw closer to Christ. We've been trying hard to help our members and investigators feel the spirit more than anything else in our visits.Thank you for all the love ann support! I'm glad to hear that all is going well at home.Con amor,Elder Dunlap

January 20, 2010

Hola!I hope that all is well at home! The weather here has stayed fairly warm this week. The snow continues to slowly melt, but leads to pretty slippery evenings once it freezes again. The days have been around 40 probably and sunny most of the time. Someone said that this might stick around for a while longer and we probably won't get anymore snow until February. The weather here definetely is different. But, Calgary is known for its unpredictable weather. We had some pretty spiritual experiences with many of our investigators this week. We were able to find jobs for two couples from Mexico through a member. I think this opened up their hearts and they really felt we're there for them to help them and love them. We felt inspired to teach a family about eternal marriage and the blessings for their family and I think it really invited the spirit. They seemed commited to really read and pray with serious intent and hopefully their hearts will be softened. Gustavo is still progressing well. The spirit is teaching him and changing his heart. He has chosen to avoid friends from his past even though it's been hard for him. He's realized the need to be in good circumstances to keep himself free from temptation. He's having trouble finding a job and the Government is cutting off his support next month, but he still remains strong and recognizes that trials are for his benefit. He told us this week that before he could be at a party or with a bunch of people and still feel alone, but now he can be alone in his room all day and know that there's someone always with him-that he's not alone in the world. We also had a great miracle yesterday. We had recieved an address from a member in the southern part of the city for a house of some spanish speaking people. We decided to knock on the door last night and found 4 Mexicans that arrived on Friday to Calgary. THey let us right in when they opened the door- probably more because we were white guys speaking spanish than anything. We were able to then teach 3 of them a message about the restoration and they were so excited that we got a return appointment for tonight. We've arranged to bring a couple members who can hopefully be an immediate Latino support group and friends here in Calgary for them. We had set a goal this week for 3 new investigators this week and the Lord blessed us with this miracle. We were so excited and immediately said a prayer of thanks to Heavenly Father. Thank you for all the love and support. I know that these miracles are an answer to the prayers of all of you at home as well!This weekend in the ward, we have a wedding and then baptism for a couple and one of their friends. They have been coming to church for about 4 months and finally decided to take the step of baptism. We are praying that all goes well as we lead up to the weekend. We should be starting to do some volunteering at English classes soon and the ward has successfully started soccer games on Saturday morning in the gym at the stake center. We unfortunately aren't allowed to play sports at all unless it's Preparation Day anymore, but were able to stop by and there were 3 non-members there this past Saturday.With the help of the Lord, everything is going well. We feel very blessed for the success we're able to be a part of. Elder Galloway is great and it's been fun to work with him.Thank you again for all the love and encouragement!Con Amor,Elder Dunlap

January 13, 2010

Hola familia,
I hope that all is well at home! Elder Galloway and I had a really good week. There's been 2 baptisms in the ward that last two Sundays and there is going to be 3 more the 23 of January. The work in the ward is really going forward the beginning of this year. We also set a date with the former atheist named Gustavo Martinez. He wants to wait until February 7th because he's overcoming an alcohol addiction. We've been trying to meet with him often to keep him strong. He hasn't drank since the beginning of the year but it's been very hard for him. He told us that he hardly sleeps at night. His mind races as he thinks about all the changes that are taking place in his life. He has a friend that's moving here from Mexico in the beginning of February, and he hopes that they'll get baptized with him here. It's amazing to really see the strength that he is recieving from the Lord as his heart has been humbled and he truly is trying to change his life and prepare for baptism. We've always been taught about the enabling power of the Atonement to overcome trials and temptations, but I can really see it in action in his life. He's had several strengthening spiritual experiences as he's went to the Lord in prayer during his times of need. We have been praying hard for him and can feel our prayers being answered as well. His conversion has been a testimony builder for me in many ways. More than anything, that the spirit is what converts people. It took awhile, but after weeks of prayer and simply trying to help him feel the spirit and recognize it, he has been humbled. I really feel that his baptism will be extra spiritual and special.
The mission is really focusing on effectively working with the members right now. More than anything, to help the members feel the spirit and to leave them with bold commitments to help us in the work to find people to teach. Right now, the mission is teaching about 1800 member lessons a month in the homes of members and only recieving about 140 references for people to visit. President's really trying to focus on improving these numbers, and so we're trying to implement that in our area. We've been trying to sing for members to bring the spirit into the lessons. It's been fun and seems to be helping. Hopefully, we'll see some fruits soon. We could use your prayers for the members as well, that they'll be able to help us find people that are prepared.
I'm really enjoying being companions with Elder Galloway. THere's just a different bond because we came out together and have been friends from the beginning. We're on an even playing field and have to lean on each other for support in lessons and with the language. It's been such a blessing to be able to serve together. Our whole district right now really is great. Our district leader is from California and is 26. He's probably the most Christlike person I've seen and has been a great example to me.
I'm going to try to send a picture card that is full today. It has some pictures and videos from the cultural night that we had a while ago.
The weather has been very warm recently. It's great. The snow is actually melting. I guess it's what they call a Shinook. The bad part is that we've gotten stuck a lot recently. On the back roads, the packed snow is melting and turning into 2 feet deep slush. Our malibu doesn't drive well in it right now. I've decided though that it's a great way to find people to teach. If anyone is stuck, everyone that drives by stops to help. I guess it's because everyone gets stuck eventually here and so everyone is willing to help. We've talked about getting ourselves stuck in some of the highly populated spanish areas this next week to see who comes out to help us so we can invite them to hear us. It's led to some good discussions over the past week.
Hope all is well! Love you all and miss you!
Elder Dunlap

1/6/2010

Hola familia!I'm glad to hear that the holidays went well! This week has been a really good week. I'm so happy to be serving with Elder Galloway. It's been really challenging, but the Lord is strengthening us. I think that the ward had about 17-20 baptisms all last year and we should have 6 or 7 this month between the 3 companionships in the ward. We have seen all types of mirales in the ward. My companion and I had been teaching an Atheist all last transfer. He came to church every Sunday, but told us it really was for social reasons. He was reading the book of mormon as well, but always was looking for historical reasons why the book was full of lies. Although he was pretty resistant to what we taught, we just tried to promise him blessings and help him feel the spirit. We sensed that a change was slowly taking place in his heart. It was really frustrating at times. About two weeks ago, he told us that he wasn't going to pray because he didn't even want to know if God existed and he didn't see himself ever being baptized. We didn't schedule another apointment although we saw him at church the last two sundays. This past sunday, the gospel principles lesson was about our Heavenly Father. At the end of the lesson, the missionaries sang two hymns while the people in the class were asked to contemplate the words. After the hymn, the class was invited to share what they had thought about. Our atheist was the first to raise his hand and told the class that he had been a lifetime atheist, but things had happened in his life the past week that he couldn't deny the existence of god and that he wanted to be baptized. I almost jumped out of my seat it shocked me so much. I know that this was a miracle and answer to all of your prayers for me and the investigators that we're teaching.Other investigators in the ward have had similar changes of hearts this past week as well. President has been telling us for a while that he felt the work would take off in the ward soon, and it really has. We're so grateful that the Lord is blessing those we meet with spiritual experiences.The weather has been cold, but it's really not too bad. We're pretty used to the temperature by now.Not much else has changed here too much. The spanish is really progressing well, especially now that elder galloway and i are companions. we both speak about the same and have to help each other our understanding and teaching. with a more experienced companion, it was easier to rely on them to do all the talking. we've really felt blessed because even if we don't understand absolutely everything, we're given responses to questions and logical responses in the moment.thanks for the love and support! i hope all is well!loveelder dunlap

12/29/09

Hola familia!I hope that everyone had a great Christmas! It was good to be able to talk to everyone for a short bit, although I wish that it could have been longer. We had a great Christmas. We are blessed to have many caring members that take care of us and we had many dinners and lunches for the holidays. It was great to be able to talk to everyone a short bit, although i wish that it could have been longer. It was good to hear that everyone seems to be doing well. I hope that the trip to California went well. I heard that a plane to Detroit had a terrorist and that the airlines are all getting even more strict. Hopefully, everything worked out well.Transfers are today and I’m staying in my area. I’m super excited though. I’m getting a new companion- Elder Galloway from Star Valley, Whyoming. He was in my district in the MTC. It’s going to be challenging because we’re both pretty new and fresh with the language. I’m going to admit that I’m kind of scared. With the current program, there’s 7 new elders and 7 old elders who have at least 15 months out. Elder Galloway and I are the first new ones to be put together. My current companion, Elder Krueger is becoming a zone leader with another senior spanish elder over an english zone in the south of the city. They are still goign to work in Spanish, but just cover an english zone. It’s a change because historically that’s never really happened in the mission. It should be fun, I’ll admit that I’m a little scared, but I have a ton of respect for Elder Galloway and I’m sure that we’ll get along well with the help of the Lord. The work this week has went well. We had started to really work hard with the investigators that we had. We were trying to initiate contact every day with all of them. Some of them, this really worked well with, and with others, it has led to them really being dropped for now. We’ve been working with the members to find new investigators. Saturday night, during our companionship prayer, I was praying for our investigators that they would be able to come to church adn felt inspired to pray that a member would bring someone that we didn’t know to church and we could start teaching them. The Lord answered our prayer on Sunday. A member brought a family member adn they approached us after sacrament meeting together said that they’d like to start the lessons with us. We have our first appointment tomorrow. This was our miracle for the week, and how thankful I am for the experience. Continue to pray that we find new investigators this week. I know that the Lord is answering your prayers for me and my companion. The weather warmed up around Christmas a little bit. It’s been around freezing the last couple of days which has been nice. But, the snow is probably here to stay for another 6 months or so I assume. All is well. Thank you so much for the packages and Christmas presents. I had a great Christmas! I love yo uall and hope that this week goes well!Con AMor,seth