That's right. They took away my car. But I don't care! The Transit system is the most interesting thing. We will jump on a bus one minute (and I have no clue where we are going, this being my new area and all) and the next thing I know, we are at the right place at the right time.
But its not without its cons. We will often get stuck waiting for a bus for 15 minutes. And its freaking cold outside! Every time that happens, I want to chop off my toes!
Then one time, we jumped on the wrong bus... 1hr and 20 min later we got off that wrong bus and walked the rest of the way to our dinner appointment.
Then there is that second door.. Not the front one you get on, But the one in the back. My new Comp., Elder Chubak, told me that a lot of people have trouble with them because the button you are supposed to press is heat sensored, and they don't know that. Plus they close so in like 2 seconds and the bus driver dosen't check to see if everyone is off because he has stops to get to on time.
So... one time, Elder Chubak, and I was right behind him, but a little too slow, and the door shut. So I took off my glove, thinking I was so smart, and pressed the button.
Well, it didn't work and the bus drove off with me in it... No worries tho. I just got off at the next stop and he had to run to catch me.
I wondered what happened, and he told me that SOME of them were ones you had to press hard, and not heat sensors... You think he would have mentioned that sooner.
Did I Mention I'm Busing?
With Thankful Hearts
This Thanksgiving was hard. With Elder Orton sick, I had nothing to do all week but think of you. Think of family and friends and everyone getting together.. and how I don't get to be a part of it. But as we sat around Brother Zaharchuck's (our Ward Mission leader) table, he asked us "What is it your Thankful for?"
My comments were full of my family and the gospel. but as we went around, the missionaries who had been out longer than me spoke of the blessing it was to be here with them, to be in Brandon. And that got me thinking... I looked over at the missionaries, who were on one side of the table. They had all left family behind, they had all made the same sacrifice. Then I looked over at the other end of the table. At the Zaharchucks and the Craigs. They had given us so much. They had given the Lord so much. And they loved us enough, to invite us over to celebrate American Thanksgiving.. Huge feast and all!
I felt blessed. And I didn't miss home anymore. While I'm away, where ever I go, the ward will be my family. And I love them.
Bizzy, the First Nation Sensation
This week me and Elder Orton beat boxed with a drunk native.
(Video coming soon)
ELDER ORTON!
And it just so happens they came, completely unexpected, on Monday night. If President asks you to put it on speaker phone, you know you are staying where you're at.. if not..say goodbye to your comp.
He didnt ask for speaker phone this time..
Elder Tieken is now a Zone Leader. Good for him. It was surprisingly sad to be split up.
But I like my new comp a LOT.
I'm serving with ELDER ORTON! Who would have thought I'd serve with an Orton. And what do you know? He's just like an Orton! Well.. really similar, in the way that he is CRAZY!
He is THE most popular missionary in the mission. He is know as being one of the most FUN companions ever. And he's a GOOD missionary! (sounds like an ORTON)
He always gets along so good with the members and when he leaves, they always ask about him.
He knows every missionary and he know all the crazy stories about them. And now I do too. A few years ago, one of the sister missionaries tried to cast out a evil spirit from a drunk native by using the priesthood.. what?!
I've never "Liked" one of my companions before. Ive always "Tolerated" them. Who knew it would make such a difference! Im loving my mission right now! Me and Elder Orton are working hard AND having so much fun! I didnt know you could do both!
I'm lovin the Mish.
Old Fart
I meet a lot of interesting people every day. So I have had a lot of interesting experiences. Some are crazy, others are scary, and some are just funny. The other day we contacted this old man on the street. He either called us "Bible bumpers" or "Bible humpers". Both of which indicate that he is not interested. So we start to ask him if he know anyone in the area that could use any help or service. He goes on to tell us about one of his friends who is too indipendent to accept help. As he does so, he starts to fart every step he takes.. Two things factor in: He is old and can't hear, so he probably thinks they are silent. And, he is old and can't control his bowels. But he just continues to talk like nothing is happening, and I am trying SO hard not to bust up laughing. Elder Tieken turns to me and starts to smile and I have to turn around at this point because I cant hide it anymore and tears are coming to my eyes. When he finally leaves, we both took a moment to relieve our laughter, and get back to contacting. All in a days work as a Missionary in the Canada Winipeg mission.
Watch This Guy!
I hate driving in Canada! All these Canadians are too 'brave'! The pedestrans dont follow the same rule we do in America, where, if something is Bigger, Stronger, and Faster than you, you GET OUT THE WAY STUPID! I guess they've never heard that one.
It doesnt help that Elder Tieken uses vague, unidentifiable phrases like, "Watch this guy."
I was driving down the road about 60ks an hour, and it was pitch black and all I could see were the bright headlights of the cars going the opposit way. Then all of the sudden, Elder Tieken sits up straight in his seat and says "Watch this guy". The way he said it, I thought he meant that the car in front of us was about to do something interesting.. So I watched.
Then he said it louder "Watch this guy!" But I WAS watching, and nothing was happening.
"Watch him, watch him!"
"What!?" I finally yell. He wasnt doing anything!
"STOP!"
That one I understood. I slammed on the breaks a stopped right as this fat Canadian walked in front of my car, not even flinching or missing a step. I almost killed him! All because Elder Tieken told me to "Watch this guy"...
Turns out they always walk in front of cars... They just assume the driver will stop...
Idiots.
It doesnt help that Elder Tieken uses vague, unidentifiable phrases like, "Watch this guy."
I was driving down the road about 60ks an hour, and it was pitch black and all I could see were the bright headlights of the cars going the opposit way. Then all of the sudden, Elder Tieken sits up straight in his seat and says "Watch this guy". The way he said it, I thought he meant that the car in front of us was about to do something interesting.. So I watched.
Then he said it louder "Watch this guy!" But I WAS watching, and nothing was happening.
"Watch him, watch him!"
"What!?" I finally yell. He wasnt doing anything!
"STOP!"
That one I understood. I slammed on the breaks a stopped right as this fat Canadian walked in front of my car, not even flinching or missing a step. I almost killed him! All because Elder Tieken told me to "Watch this guy"...
Turns out they always walk in front of cars... They just assume the driver will stop...
Idiots.
Canadian 101
Although it is wildly thought that "Canadian" and "English" are the same language, there are some differences in the most basic forms of communication. Here is a guide that will help you understand any foreigners you may come across.
~Words and Definitions~
Supper - NOUN: A meal that is eaten at the end of the day. takes place after dinner.
Dinner - NOUN: The meal between breakfast and supper.
Lunch - ...?
Washroom - NOUN: A place to relieve one's waist, similar to the American "Bathroom".
Phone - VERB: The act of communicating with someone on a telephonic device. "I'll phone you later." Tenses; Phone, Phoning, Phoned.
Call - VERB: The act of visiting or re-visiting someones home. "You can call back next week." Tenses; Call, Calling, Called.
Yous - PRONOUN: The plural form of the word 'You'. "Where are yous headed this evening?"
Eh? - ???: A meaningless statement added to the end of a sentence to either indicate that you are asking a question or that you are waiting for input. A slang form of the word, "Hey?", is comonly used with the younger generation to show their defiance and deviance from their parents. Unfortunately the difference in pronunciation is negligable.
~Grammer~
Vowels are: A, E, I, O, U, and sometimes G, Like in Flag, Bag, Tag, and Rag. The G will make the normaly, soft 'a' a hard 'A'.
Foreign words (especially Spanish) are ALWAYS pronounce phonetically. Exp. 'Jealopeno' = 'Ja-la-pen-no', 'Pasta' = 'P-Ah-sta'
As a rule of thumb, the letter 'O' is always pronounce different than the american 'O' in a fetal attempt to further distance themselves from their (American) culture.
Follow this guide, and the next time you meet a Canadian, you should be able to communicate well enough to send them back to Canada.
I Swallowed a Fly
There once was a missionary who swallowed a fly.
I don't know why he swallowed a fly... I guess he'll die.
MTC Banana
When Sister Horning found out you could take fruit out of the MTC cafeteria... she went insane. There was always a banana hidden around the class room. On the chalk board, in the drinking fountain, in my bag... She even put a stamp on one and tried to mail it to me.
And she even tried to bring one to Canada.
He traveled with us from Provo, to Salt Lake, to Minneapolis. But the poor little guy didn't make it through customs.
But when I got to Canada, guess what I found in the back of the car I was assigned? I don't know how he did it, but MTC Banana made it to Canada. Good for him. He finally made it to the field. And he is one of the best missionaries I know.
And she even tried to bring one to Canada.
He traveled with us from Provo, to Salt Lake, to Minneapolis. But the poor little guy didn't make it through customs.
But when I got to Canada, guess what I found in the back of the car I was assigned? I don't know how he did it, but MTC Banana made it to Canada. Good for him. He finally made it to the field. And he is one of the best missionaries I know.
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