A Letter to the Orangeville Ward

Posted on December 18, 2011 by Richard

Dear Orangeville Ward,

First of all, I would like to thank you all for your support. I have received many kind letters, e-mails, and cards from members of the ward. I really appreciate all of them. It means a lot to me to have your support. I have many fond memories from my time in the ward.

I would like to share a few things I have learned while I have been out on my mission:

1. Reading the scriptures daily leads to power. I especially want to stress this to the youth. I have not always been a very faithful reader of the scriptures, and I have noticed the difference in my life, and the lives of others, as they have struggled with the same thing. Although I now study every day, I know I would have been much more prepared for my mission and for life if I had read daily in my youth.

2. The spirit is very important. As a missionary I have always tried to live in a a way that the Spirit can be with me. Not only while teaching, but at all times in the day. I never realized how powerful the Spirit could be until I came out. It took me time to learn to recognize the Spirit, and of course I am still learning, but I encourage all those who have received the gift of the Holy Shost, to never underestimate the power of the Spirit.

I hope you all are doing well. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf and I hope for you all a good Christmas. I will try to be more regular in updating my blog. My mailing address is on there if you would like to write to me.

Merry Christmas

Elder Strang

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First Baptism!

Posted on December 7, 2011 by Richard

Last Week I had my first baptism on my mission. Her name is Sam, and she is the Girlfriend of a Priest in the Ward. She had already been coming to church quite often, and all we did was ask her if she wanted to learn more. We taught her and in the first lesson we invited her to be baptized. She exercised faith and asked God if what we taught was true and if He wanted her to be baptized on the date that we set. She got an answer and long story short she was baptized on Nov 26! Me and Elder Graul, and then later Elder Black, taught her everything she needed to know and it was such a pleasure to teach her. Her boyfriend, Pablo came to every lesson and was and is a great support for her. Attached is a picture of Pablo and Sam in white on the day of the baptism.

–
Elder James A. Strang

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A letter in the language of Nephi

Posted on October 12, 2011 by Richard
I, Elder Strang having been born of goodly parents, therefore I was taught somewhat in the learning of my father and my mother; and having seen many challenges in my days, nevertheless having been very blessed and favoured of the Lord in my days, also having a knowledge of the goodness of God, therefore I find myself in an Ideal situation to serve God.

Now, I will speak briefly of the manner of my writings this day.  For I have chosen to speak in the way of Nephi.  And this because I am reading the first book of Nephi, and I feel as though he were here speaking with me when I read his words.  And also I have a great respect for him, and the struggles and afflictions he went through on his way to the land of promise.  For he did surely show his elder brethren and the rest of his family a fine example of righteousness in his days.

Nevertheless, he had to come to a knowledge of the goodness of God for himself.  And he did cry mightily unto the Lord with great desires, to know the mysteries of God.  I have found myself in similar circumstances, and the Lord has not visited me in a vision, nevertheless he has sent his Spirit to me.

And therefore I have left the land of my inheritance, and gone into the wilderness, and commenced my journey to the promised land.  And I know that as long as I am righteous and am not slow to remember the Lord my God, then I will prosper in the land.  And like Nephi, I know that the Lord is mightier than all the earth.  Therefore I must be like him and follow the Spirit, for I know not beforehand all the things I must do.

And now, I, Elder Strang explain how I learn the mysteries of God, for I truly am still learning.  For I study the scriptures diligently every morning, and liken the scriptures unto myself.  And I also have read all the writing of the prophets in the Book of Mormon.  Now I have read it all in the first six weeks of my time in the wilderness, or in other words I have read the book in my first transfer in the Mission Field.  And it has benefited me greatly.

Now after I have said these things in the language of Nephi, I invite you to do the same, to find a prophet that has inspired you by his words, and write a letter in the language of that prophet, and liken his story and teachings unto yourself.  And also, I would invite you to share your letter with me and with others, so that all can be edified and edify each other.

For behold, I know the lord liveth.  And I know that he truly did atone for our sins.  And thus we can return to live in His presence if we hearken unto the words of the prophets and live righteously.  And thus it is.  Amen.

-Elder Strang
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Blog Post September 19

Posted on October 3, 2011 by Richard

Hello everyone, it has been a while since I have posted to the blog.  I have been very busy and very focused on the work here.  The majority our our work here has been with members.  We have a dinner appointment every night, and we are trying to help the members of the ward get motivated.  It has been quite an adverture so far, and I have only a little time left to write today.  I wish I could have time to write every single person I knew back home a letter or an email but I don’t.  P-days are short and the time is precious.  Because I have to prepare for the rest of the week so that I can serve the Lord from the moment I wake untill the time I go to sleep.  It’s not always easy, but it’s always worth it. 

Hope all are doing well.

Elder Strang

[Ed. Note: James is currently serving in Red Deer, Alberta.]

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James’s Mission Address

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Richard
Elder James A Strang
Suite #305, 8925 – 51 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T6E 5J3
Canada
 
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Blog Post August 29

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Richard

Hey everyone, I am now in the mission field.  I am serving in Red Deer with my trainer Elder Graul.  I have been blessed to have a dinner with members every night so far.  I am learning and studying the lessons.  We have 1 investigator currently, but I hope to be able to find more.  It’s easier than I thought it would be to be obedient, but harder than I thought it would be to find people to teach.  I am trying to read through the whole BOM in the first transfer (6 weeks).  I am also trying to learn everything I can about teaching the lessons.  I am slowly growing more confident in my finding approaches.  My trainer is pretty cool, he is from Orem, Utah, and has been out here 10 months.  Through an unfortunate series of events he cannot drive mission vehicles, so I get to drive everywhere.

I hope you are all doing well.  Feel free to send me mail, although I only get mail about every 3 weeks.  The next time I get mail will be Sept 13th so any mail that would arrive in Edmonton on or before September 12th I will receive then. 



–
Elder James A. Strang

Canada Edmonton Mission

 

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Blog post for Aug 9: In the MTC

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Richard

 

I am in the MTC right now, I had a realy long post but it got erased by the computer here.  So I will Just say this:
 
The MTC is awesome, I am learning and teaching.  Inspiring and being Inspired.  Working and having fun.
 
Hope all our well, if you send me a “Dear Elder” I will write you back!
 

 
Elder James A. Strang
Canada Edmonton Mission
Website: JameAStrang.com
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Week 2 Over

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Richard
Today marks the last day of week 2 in the MTC.  I have grown exponentially while I have been here.  I really appreciate all the letters I have received, and all the support I have been given.  I have had people write me that I have never even met before.  Some of my district is getting jealous, so maybe if you feel like you have a surplus of time you can write my companion Elder Kember, or some of the other Elders in the district.  Elder Scarlet is our district leader and he gets the mail, and he hasn’t gotten one letter yet and I have received more than 20.  So if you have some compassion for him you can write him…  Elder Mann is the Elder that I convinced not to go home.  Well that’s actually not true, the spirit convinced him and I was the mouthpiece.  I have a seen a lot of growth in the Elders of our district, we had a few companionships where the Elders were literal opposites and now they get along great.  My companion is nothing like me, but we got along from the first day onwards because we both wanted the same thing, and that was to become agent’s of Jesus Christ.  The only times where the Elders weren’t getting along is when one would assert himself over the other, or one did not want to be obedient.  I know that we all got matched up with our companions in the MTC for a reason, and I have witnessed Elders become better in their adversity. 
 
My big thing when I got here was trying to have the spirit with me, I prayed very hard so that I could have a witness from the spirit.  About 1 week ago I realized that I was expecting something huge, and not realizing that the spirit was with me.  When I started really trying to listen to the spirit and leave time for him to speak to me I started to see great things.  In the MTC every companionship gets a few investigators, and our main one is named Junichi.  He was so ignorant of our message that he would not allow us to pray, and told us we were making up the story of Joseph Smith.  We were not discouraged.  We heard other Elders who had been here longer say things like “I don’t know why they still have him here, he just discourages all the missionaries who teach him” and “No one at the MTC has ever gotten through to him”.  Yesterday we had our third lesson with him and not only is he now letting us pray, he is excited to hear us pray and assigns one of us to open and one of us to close.  We bear testimony of the gospel and how it has blessed our life and he is receptive.  On Thursday we have our 4th and final lesson with him and he has told us that if he feels inspired he will pray after that lesson.  We told him we will be teaching him the plan of salvation and he is actually excited to hear about it.  I know that because we put our faith in the lord and not in ourselves we were able to teach him with the spirit.  I know why Junichi is still an investigator at the TRC (Teaching Resource Center), because he taught me a valuable lesson.  This is the lords work and it is not mine.  The lord is no respecter of persons and I cannot teach his gospel if I believe that I am teaching his gospel my myself.  I am not a preacher, I have to be a temple of the Holy Ghost so he can dwell in me.
 
 
I hope you all are doing well, and I hope these posts are actually getting posted to my blog, I never actually tested the system before I left.
 
 
 
 
Elder James A. Strang
Canada Edmonton Mission
Website: JameAStrang.com
Categories: In The Field | 1 Comment

First E-mail Home

Posted on September 5, 2011 by Richard
Hey mom and dad, and all the other people that they show this email too….  I only have 30 minutes for email and so I am not going to correct any typos or spelling.  I am typeing so fast my fingers hurt.  Just got back from provo temple, it realy does look like a cupcake.  I am having a lot of good times here at the MTC, I have learned so much and am trying my best to learn all I can.  I have become good friends with my comp and a lot of other eldas in the district.  I have already convinced one elder not to go home…  I am trying my hardest to teach with the spirit and I also set a goal to finish the BOM while in the MTC.  I am in Alma 12, and I am getting a lot from it.  I love to read the accounts of alma on his mission to the lamanites.  We are the first group of missionaries with the “New” curriculum.  We have been teaching lessons to investigators that are not real, but the teachers are inspired and it feels like they are real investigators, and our teaching skill is not judged by how well we follow lesson plans, but how far the investigator progresses.  All the teachers and leaders here are very inspired, I have seen great things here.  And I am progressing spiritualy.  the first days were long but now it feels like the days are too short, always rushing around and planning lessons and praying and reading.  It is amazing.
 
I hope you are doing well, because I definately am.  I only have 10 minutes of email time left and will be using it to publish to blog, please read it.

Sincerely
Elder James A. Strang
Canada Edmonton Mission

 

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Preparing for the Mish by listening to The Prophet

Posted on July 13, 2011 by admin

It has been about a month since I last posted anything on the blog.  During that month I have accomplished quite a few awesome things.  As I have been preparing for my mission I have been blessed.  Here are a few things that happened in the past months.

Thomas S. Monson came to Ontario for a weekend, and for 3 days I found oportunities to volunteer wherever the prophet was visiting.  I drove my van as a shutle at the camp that he dedicated on Saturday.  I also got to attend the dedication service and sat in the front row with my cousin.  If you take a look at the picture you will notice that everyone has umbrellas except me, and I am soaking wet and don’t care.

 

While the prophet was here I was security for the Sunday service, shook the prophet’s hand twice, and volunteered at The Mormon Tabernacle Choir performance on the Monday.

I also had the opportunity to go see the Palmyra Pageant, and visit the sacred grove.  I went with the youth of the Orangeville Ward and the new bishop Mike Morton, who has been a great friend and mentor for me the past 8 years.

 

This weekend I will have the opportunity to go to the YSA Conference in Mississauga, and have my missionary farewell.

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