In mid-summer 1947, I was called to labor in the Eastern Canadian Mission and arrived at my first assigned area, a little town called Arnprior, Ontario. We were told that we were the first missionaries since before World War II, that there were no wards, branches or members anywhere near there. After having no luck finding anyone to teach in town, my companion and I decided to get bicycles and begin contacting the farms outside of town.
All during the rest of that summer we rode as far and as fast as we could, visiting every farm along the way. Finally, we rode about as far as we could and still be able to arrive back in town at a reasonable time, when we decided to visit one last farm. We were received kindly. They agreed to listen to our message if only they had the time. We said we would work with them on their farm during the day if they could find time to listen to our message in the evening. They not only agreed to our suggestion, but they also provided us with dinner.
Several times we went back to Gladys and Graham Kewley's farm to work and teach. They were very nice and would have joined the Church had there been any church to go to. We loved them and they loved us, but that is as far as it could go. After eight months, I really felt the time had been wasted.
In March 2007, I received a telephone call from Renfew, Ontario, from a woman by the name of Lyllis McNabb. She told me that she had been trying to find me for a long time, that I wouldn't know her, but she thought I would remember her mother, Gladys Kewley. She said she recalls her mother telling her about me and the good times they had when we were there. When she got married she told her husband about what her mother had told her about the two missionaries who had introduced her to the gospel. He was interested, so they looked up the missionaries, received the Book of Mormon, read it and joined the Church. The crowning bit of information came when she told me they had been to the temple, and were now preparing to do the work for her deceased parents.
It is marvelous how the Lord works in His own mysterious way and in His own timetable. I have now reconsidered about that eight months in Arnprior. It was time well spent, even if it took almost 60 years to mature. — Ray B. Sheffield, Taylorsville 15th Ward, Taylorsville Utah North Stake
