January 19, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

So no sledding this week, my bum is not hurting. Haha there is a lot of rocks out here. It has been raining all day today.  And has melted most of the snow. It's pretty mucky here right now. We've been trying to get rides lately because of the weather. People help us out a lot here. We are greatly blessed! Brother Gibson is married and they are awesome! He is retired and golfs a lot but he helps us a lot and we have been having fun a lot lately going into town on Mondays and stuff. We did that today. We went into town to drop off some baptismal forms and we ran some errands with him. They have 3 boys that are all grown up. They have a couple of chickens out back.

Sushi is alright, I just ate so much that I puked. We ordered way too much and whatever we didn't eat, we had to pay for, and sushi is expensive and we had no money. Haha it was quite a dilemma.

I thank you for your updates on life back home! Tell everyone I love them very much! 

Love Elder Patterson 

January 12, 2016

Dear Family and Friends, 

Sorry eh, we went sledding today with the district and I was writing my email on the road. My favourite person this week is our Landlord, brother Gibson. He helped us out so much and we have been spending more time with him going to the stores in town and going sledding and having boys days out on Mondays. I made cracker brittle again this week for people we are working with and they loved it! We are doing some leather working with Robert Zink one of our recent converts and I am making a scripture case and some cool journals.  Got to go now though! Love you all! :)

Love Elder Patterson

On one of our boys days out with brother Gibson, we ate endless sushi till we both threw up... I won't be having sushi anytime soon haha

December 28, 2015

Hey,

So yeah not much to update you on since we last talked. I am doing much better and am back riding my bike in the cold and snow. Haha I won't stay well vey long if I am in this cold everyday! But it's part of the sacrifice! I get more blessings if I spend more time in crappy weather. We had a baptism on Saturday of two guys we taught. One was 12, Kaleb, and the other 8, Ethan. It was good and ran very smoothly! Sunday went by extremely fast. We went to all the Sacrament meetings and had 4 lessons that night. Well we had 5 but one cancelled. We caught up with a lot of people we had kind of lost contact with. Today we went on a fun ride into Salt Lake with brother Gibson our landlord. He's a funny old man. We bought a painting of the temple that was on sale for one of the guys we are teaching for a Christmas present. I bought a cowboy hat! :) and I ate 20 chicken nuggets. We picked up some other stuff for his chickens while we were in town and dropped of some mail and visited the mission office so we could give them some of our baptismal forms. You asked about Elder Woolf. He a great missionary. A little quiet but really funny. He works hard and is a good district leader. He's been out for almost 18 months. Crazy! He's from Spokane Washington and has lots of family up in Alberta, around Waterton and Souern Alberta.

Have a great week! I love you all so much!

Love Elder Patterson 

 Opening presents Christmas Morning

December 15, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

I am writing this email in my notes in the car on the way to the mission office to have a Christmas devotional with an apostle I think! So I will let you know next week who it was! 

So here's the update, I am still in Grantsville as you know, and my companion is Elder Woolf from Spokane Washington. He's got a lot of family from Canada so he really appreciates what we good folk have to offer through our candy and chips of all kinds and flavours. We got the advent calendars the other day and hung them up. It's crazy how close Christmas is! So yes we have a giant area and have been promised a car but never have gotten one. We ride bikes all day in the snow from home to home. It just snowed today actually again and my companion and I had a snowball fight outside. We still gather at church buildings as well for our meetings. There is one on every block. Out here in Grantsville we cover a stake. There are two stakes in Grantsville which is about 10,000 people, close to Wetaskiwin. We cover ten wards here and a lot of space.  We are having a baptism this Saturday for a 15 year old boy named Tayton Young. He is super solid. We are going to temple square with him on Tuesday for our last real lesson before he is baptized. 

Oh so yeah we had been working with this guy who was baptized like a month ago and his wife to find names in their family that they could take to the temple, we got a good chunk for both of them to do. We also have been working with a family where the dad, brother Moore, just got the Melchezedik Priesthood and a temple recommend. We organized with both of those families, as well as one of our Ward Mission leaders and his family, to all go with us and do baptisms for the dead at Salt Lake Temple. At was the first time we both got to be in the baptistery. I cried watching the faces of these wonderful people I love doing such great things in e temple. When Brother Moore went into the water, the Spirit was so strong in that room! At was the first time he and his wife had been in the temple together.

Anyways, I can't think of much else that has happened this week I love my Savior so much and have really gotten to know him throughout this experience. I am grateful to be a part of our family. I love you so much and appreciate each weekly email! :) have a great week! 

Love Elder Patterson 

Everybody out here has guns... It's kinda awesome!

December 8, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

Today was crazy!!! We went to the theatre as a mission and watched a movie called "War Room" it was way good and he remainder of our day we spent in the car and shopping. Thank you for your emails, I read them this morning! We had a super late night with visits tonight but they were good. I got to sing to a family again tonight. Talk to you next week!

Love Elder Patterson 

Elder Woolf and I and Wesley Allen (priest) at crown buffer after our Temple Baptism trip.

Part of the Moore family that went for the first time with us

 And the Jensen family, we've been working for weeks getting names for them to take to the temple and we finally went

November 30, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

I've learned very much on my mission and one thing is that communication is important in any relationship. If I continue to keep things inside, I cannot expect to receive the help I need desperately in many different aspects. I am learning so much more about myself and the Plan of Salvation. I have been able to read a lot of talks and articles that have helped me. I am learning so much. I also have to understand that through even our best efforts we will fall and be wounded sometimes. Even the Army of Helaman, though none perished, all were wounded, even some to the point that they fainted from the loss of blood. There will be wins, losses, good days and bad, as we strive to overcome our trials and obstructions.

This last week we had a baptism of someone who has been working with missionaries for two years. It was a very spiritual baptism and it was special to see this man, Robert Zink, so happy when he came up out of the water. We also were afforded the opportunity to go to Taylorsville again to witness the baptism of Tricia Wright, a young woman in her 20's who I worked with for a while. She asked me if I would sing a song at her baptism, and I said yes. I sang an arrangement I made of Joseph Smith's First Vision to the tune of Come thou Fount of Every Blessing. It was really good to be there and to see her progress. That is the 3rd baptism I got to go back for with someone I worked with. 

I ran a 5km race on Thanksgiving because my companion loves to run and I love him so I agreed to run in this race. I ended up being 7th out of 60 some people who were running. I think that is pretty good for not running in years! I am still sore from that experience. My calves were on fire the rest of the week. We only had one dinner this year which was awesome! I had just the right amount of food. Then went home and had a nap, then went to Dolly Soulè's home (Elder Dawson's aunt) and Elder Dawson was there! We both played a song for their family and ate some great pie! She makes this yam pie that is to die for, almost quite literally. Their family is really awesome and I feel just like family there. I am staying in Grantsville another transfer.

Love Elder Patterson 

Tricia Wright and the missionaries that helped her

 Endless french toast at Kneaders! SO GOOD! 

Robert Zink and us!

November 9, 2015

Dear Mom and Dad,

This week has been good. Better than last. I apologize but I do not have enough time to email a good email. I really do enjoy all the words you share with me. I love to hear about your week. I am happy to hear it was busy! haha no rest for the righteous! This week has went by faster, which is good. I think that means I worked a little harder. But I found some cool stuff at DI today! That was a bonus!

Yes it is really fun getting to know Elder Dawson's family! They are so awesome! They feel like family! haha Elder Dawson is a great missionary. I might take some time to visit them again after my mission down in Texas! haha Here are some pictures! :)

Love Elder Patterson 

Elder lunch!

 I watched a snake eat a baby mouse

 I don't have any comment for this one beside it is a good scripture! 

November 3, 2015

Dear My Family and Friends,

It has been a long, long, long week. It has for some reason been an eternity for me. My companion however has said it has just flown by. It is weird how time can be perceived so differently even by two companions who spend every hour together. It is so difficult to travel back to the city from here. We had set up and prepared many to be baptized in my last area, in Taylorsville, and have gotten permission to attend the baptisms. We had a hard time finding someone to drive out 45 minutes each way to take us to events there. We made it to the Baptism of Sean McBride on Halloween night. That was awesome. We invited the Priest who helped us in our lessons with him to baptize him. Sean's foot kept popping up, so on the third time he had to step on his toes and dunk him. It was a great experience and I had the opportunity to bear my testimony of the restoration. It was a powerful event and the Spirit filled the church. 

Someone from my last area gave a gift to the ward mission leader in that ward that Sean was in for me. They remained anonymous, and so our ward mission leader gave me the two brand white shirts these wonderful people had given to me. The gesture alone was very humbling as I have been wearing through my shirts and am in desperate need of new ones. 

I went on exchanges this week. I went to Elder Hunt's area who has been out for about the same amount of time as me. We got to talk a lot and found out we both like all the same music. We also have found out that we have both struggled with similar things throughout our missions and even at the same time. We both had a lot of trials surface at our year mark and struggled with them. We talked about it and both were edified by our time we got to serve together. We had a couple of very powerful lessons that evening and went to a trunk or treat and got a lot of chocolate. 

We have been doing a lot of family history work with some of the families we are working with. It is so awesome to see the light in their eyes as they discover and see their ancestors connect throughout the generations of time back to their current families. It is really cool to help them take these names to the temple. 

I have connected with Elder Dawson's family here. We had dinner with his aunt, Dolly Soulè. They are absolutely wonderful! They made us some delicious Chicken Spaghetti from the south. Haha It felt cool to get to know them more. She has a wonderful family that we got to meet. 

I want to invite you to do something. You should buy the album called: "The Work: A Nashville Tribute to Missionaries" and listen to is the whole way through. It is really good and caused me to great reflection. I love you all and thank you for your prayers. I can feel them working on me. Have a wonderful week!  

Love Elder Patterson 

Elder Hunt borrowed a Sauron Mask made from a boy at the trick or treat

 The Little guy is Sean McBride, the one baptizing him is Adam Westover

 Doing weekly planning with our Halloween candy

October 27, 2015

This is Rob’s Address

1117 Kimball Dr Grantsville, Utah 84029

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for the emails this week! It's so beautiful here in Grantsville. It feels kind of like home. Thank you for your kind and uplifting words each week. So I have been quite sick but can't figure out what is wrong with me. I'll get better for a day then I'll get sick again but it will be slightly different. But I am okay now so don't worry. I have lots of good support from the members here. Lots of Elder Dawson's family is out here in my area and I have been visiting them a little bit. They are great people! Elder Dawson was a great companion. My new companion is good too. Our areas are huge out here but we still have bikes. We are hoping to get a car soon. I hope I stay here till Christmas. We have put someone on date to be baptized yesterday and will be having 3 others here in the next while. That is so exciting! Well I have go now! Have a great week! 

Love Elder Patterson 

Elder Dawson's Aunt Dolly

 Doing some roping before we go to bed! Yup I'm in the country here! Haha

Transfers (Oct.19/15)

Dear Family and Friends,

Let me paint a picture for you,

I'm sitting here at the top level of on an old set of wooden bleachers that desperately need to be painted again, overlooking an autumn colored world. The sun peeking out of the clouds just enough to warm the tips of my shoes keep a gentle smile on my face, content with my life and where I feel I am going. My tummy is happy as I casually eat caramel candy corns I bought today at the grocery store. Big, old elm trees are overshadowing me, and every so often a yellow leaf will fall from its spot and land on my screen as I type this email to you. The distant mountains are covered with misty clouds which promise rain for us later in the evening when we are riding our bikes. The chill in the wind is friendly and familiar to me and my Canadian roots. I am listening to soft, melodious hymns played on the cello. I am in a very calm and blissful mood as I have made my final preparations to be transferred tomorrow morning to my new wonderful home of Grantsville, Utah. I hear it's very farm-town-ish which reminds me so much of home. I love the country, the farms, the smells, the feels, the sounds. It just fills me with happy, warm fuzzies! I am right now stuck in a very reminiscent, yet hopeful frame of mind. I like it! Haha 

It has been a rough week considering I have been sick the majority of the time but I did the best I could and I worked even when I probably shouldn't (I think that stubbornness got me more sick than I would've been if I just stayed inside) but alas it has been a good final week with my companion Elder Jones. He has been good to me. I have been immensely blessed with the companions that I have had and it has been the wonderful privilege of mine to learn the things I have from these friends of mine. It's so great to see how missions can do so much for a young man or woman. Not only does it bless countless lives and generations to come, but I feel, overarching those is a blessing I have always sought after in my life and have been graciously given by my Heavenly Father in these influential and monumental years of my life. These experiences I am having, especially as of late, have increased my hope and my ability to one day be a worthy and righteous husband and father. I have some absolutely amazing examples in my life. People who served missions and attribute much of their success and happiness in life to serving. They give credit to their missions for the Christ like attributes they have gained overtime. I was blessed to have seen my brother the last number of years as I lived in his home, and to see how he treated his wife and children. He has got to be one of the most humble and selfless men I have ever met in my life. He gave me so much. He gave me of his time, talents and his love. Dad you did the same! The way you treated mom was with the highest respect and utmost love. She is a queen in your eye and in God's and we all can see that by the way you treat her. But serving a mission has been one of the most difficult challenges I have ever faced in my life. So much has happened for me here and also back home. It has been one of the biggest learning curves I've ever experienced. But it has changed me a lot, for the better. 

Sorry but it is transfers this week, and I am moving to Grantsville, which is a 45 minute drive west, past the mountains. I am getting a new companion named Elder Blatter and know nothing about him. I will tell you more next week!

Love Elder Patterson 

On top of the conference center with the Halls, their daughter is being baptized next month

 The Palmers who fellowshipped Jayden and Rustie (Jayden was baptized last weekend) Rustie is his mom who we are helping come back to church.

 This is Tricia Wright and her daughter Charlotte

Thanksgiving!

Dear Family and Friends, 

Thank you for your emails. I do a fairly bad job of emailing back. I am sick today which sucks. I got super gross last night during our visits, then I went home to bed. I slept till 10:00am and have had a fairly crappy thanksgiving day. It is after 4:00 and I feel like I have done nothing. I might take another nap before we go out to teach tonight. I was going to buy myself a pie but the pies at Walmart look really gross compared to mom’s pies. So I bought myself some Reese's Peanut Butter cups to celebrate. I gave one to my companion, then one to our driver who took us to get groceries, so I had two peanut butter cups. Yay Thanksgiving! We had a baptism this weekend with a boy named Jayden Wayne. It was super good. I got to play a special musical number just before he was baptized. I have been able to play my guitar and sing for people to bring the spirit which has been fun. Dad I have fallen in love with candy corn. I think you once said that you like it, and now I do as well. We are teaching a new investigator from mainland China. This is my first time teaching someone who didn't know who God was at all. It was different for me and our usual Utah investigators. I am doing a bit better. I just can't focus too much right now because my head is killing me. I love you though and wish you a happy and relaxing thanksgiving.

Love Elder Patterson 

The Frasers

 We went to temple square with Jayden and his neighbors, the Palmers.