We are having a firsthand experience with the Canadian universal health care system. Before coming to Canada we had heard that health care is good, but substantial delays exist. I am having a small problem with what appears to be a pinched nerve in my left elbow. I saw a primary care doctor July 19 for a referral. I received a call on August 29 from a neurology clinic to schedule an appointment with a specialist. The appointment is set for January 16.

There are many who believe that the US should have a health care system similar to what's available in Canada. However, one of the problems that Canada has is a scarcity of resources. I remember reading several years ago that the city of Chicago has more MRI machines than all of Canada.

Below are excerpts from an article comparing the cost of health care in Canada and the US. It comes from Fraser Institute Blog, dated March 31, 2016.

"Health-care spending accounts for a high share of Gross Domestic Product in the United States, relative to Canada. In 2013, U.S. health-care spending accounted for 17.1 per cent of GDP, versus just 10.7 per cent in Canada, according to an October 2015 report from the Commonwealth Fund.

"In U.S dollars, health-care spending was $9,086 per capita in the U.S. in 2013, versus only $4,569 in Canada.

"2013, U.S. GDP per capita was $53,135 versus just $42,701 in Canada. When U.S. health-care spending is subtracted from GDP, Americans still had $44,049 per capita to spend on all other goods and services. Canadian GDP per capita after health-care spending was only $38,132. So, even though American health care is significantly more expensive than Canadian health care, the average American enjoyed just under $6,000 more income after health-care spending than his Canadian neighbour."

 Click on this link if you wish to read the entire article:  The reality of U.S. and Canadian health-care spending

The mission newsletter has a new name - The Prairie Post. Click on the following link to view the August edition: The Prairie Post - August 2017

Elder and Sister (Brad & Louise) Watson

The Watsons completed their mission this week. They are Canadian and were called as Church Service Missionaries to serve in the office for 18 months. They were, however, asked to extend another six months. We have thoroughly enjoyed our association with them.

Sister Watson uses several words in her speech that are unique to her and Canada. As a tribute to their friendship and Sister Watson's service, Sandy wrote the following poem:

                                                                                                     

Dear Sister Watson, 

I couldn’t say good-bye to you without a little note

To thank you for Canadian words that in my head do float

The first was “eh?” and then came “hooped” – all said with “chippy” style

Your “oompah” and your “nattering” have often made me smile!

You’re early to the office since you get up “bright and squirrelly”

And you move so quick in Costco that my head goes whirly-twirly

When the rest of us make “oopadays” you say, “Let’s take a look-see”

Then with patience you will show the way to fix it “easy-breezy”

With energy that’s boundless, you dust and clean and shine

So it’s easy to envision you “whistling sheets right off the line”

You walk fast-paced – in “jig-quick time” – and never seem that “squampy”

Even when your husband bows his head and pleads, “Oh please don’t hurt me!”

So whatever shall we do when we need to know locations?

Or what to see in Canada when one is on vacation?

Although our days together are very close to done,

Remember please that time with you’s been “Wats-on Wats-of fun!

Much love,

Sister Kerr

I gave Elder Watson a coin and a way to use it to help develop the attributes of Christ.

This coin depicts the Armor of God. It also can be used to symbolically represent your progress in developing  the Christlike attributes of faith, hope, charity, virtue, knowledge, patience, humility, diligence, and obedience.

Preach My Gospel outlines the following pattern to assist in developing these attributes:

· Identify the attribute you wish to develop.

· Write a definition and description of the attribute.

· Record questions to answer as you study.

· List and study thoroughly passages of scripture that teach about the attribute.

· Record your feelings and impressions.

· Set goals and make plans to apply the attribute in your life.

· Pray for the Lord to help you develop the attribute.

· Evaluate your progress periodically in developing each attribute.

Select an attribute that you want to focus on and follow the above pattern. Place the coin in your right pocket as you begin your day. If you feel that you are making progress on the chosen attribute, leave the coin in your right pocket. If, however,  you feel that you are losing ground, move the coin to your left pocket. Once you have gone 30 straight days without moving the coin to your left pocket, select another attribute and start the 30-day process again.

We buy the corn in this shack located a couple of miles from our apartment.

About 5.5 hours south of Edmonton is the town of Taber. They are well known for the sweet corn that grows there. A web site states: "The sun warms the soil around the crop during the day, while the cool Alberta nights bring out the natural sugars. A sweet, crisp cob is the result making it a sought after late summer treat." The season is only about six weeks long. We've had excellent corn on the cob in Nauvoo, and now Edmonton.

An Alberta Province license plate

I sometimes forget to take everything I need to the office. So I created a mnemonic that I repeat each morning to make sure I'm ready:  "Willard, the fierce fox, heard Alfie Inouye take the keys into the nunnery."

     w - wallet

     f - flash drive

     f - fone (phone)

     h & a - hearing aids

     i - iPad

     k - keys

     n - name tag

Yesterday the Burnetts and we toured the Ukrainian Cultural Heritage Village located 25 minutes east of Edmonton. The village "is an open-air museum that uses costumed historical interpreters to recreate pioneer settlements in east central Alberta; . . . it shows the lives of Ukrainian Canadian settlers from the years 1899 to 1930. Buildings from surrounding communities have been moved to the historic site and restored to various years within the first part of the twentieth century."

Canada was anxious to bring settlers to the Alberta Province. Immigrants were given 160 acres of forested or prairie land to live here. Conditions were so poor in Ukraine that thousands came. "By 1914 the zone of Ukrainian settlement stretched for 110 kilometres (68 mi) from Edna-Star in the west to Slawa in the east and approximately 70 kilometres (43 mi) from Smoky Lake in the north to the outskirts of Mundare and Vegreville in the south."

The red box shows the general area where the Ukrainian immigrants settled.

Ukrainian Greek Orthodox Church

Sod roof house-1893

Village employee in character

Vehicles were inspected last week. Sisters Machado, K. Hall, and Nichols couldn't wait to show me the sign they have on their dashboard.

On Saturday there was a Senior Missionaries Conference and 15 of us attended "Heritage Days" at a park near downtown Edmonton. This annual event features dozens of big white tents scattered throughout the park showcasing food, costumes, crafts, and entertainment from immigrants' home countries. This year there were 71 nations represented. It was an amazing sight! 

Croatian Doughnut (we shared!)

Last week during inspections, technicians installed tracking devices in all the mission vehicles (except the Pattisons). These devices, called "Tiwis," primarily monitor speed, seat belt use, and aggressive driving. It will now be my assignment to monitor the driving behavior of the missionaries, and mentor them when the devices register violations. The Canada Edmonton Mission and one other mission in the US are the last two missions in North America to receive these devices.

Several years ago when the Church was evaluating the use of Tiwis, they established benchmarks by collecting data for 30 days from 1400 mission vehicles. Normally when violations occur drivers are alerted, but during this evaluation drivers did not receive alerts. The recorded violations were quite revealing:

                                                                 Speeding: 105,945
                                                             90+ mph speeding: 370
                                                           Hard accelerations: 1,171
                                                                 Hard brake: 1.109
                                                                 Hard bump: 2,936
                                                                 Hard turn: 12,695
                                                                 Seat belts: 12,634

Interestingly once the device alerts were turned on, violations dropped by over 90% in every category. We were told that the single greatest liability the Church has is missionary drivers. Reportedly the use of these devices and the resulting improvement in driving behavior by the missionaries is saving the Church millions of dollars.