August 11, 2014 - Nanaimo South

A STOP IN VICTORIA

Well with the exception of our trip down to Victoria to the John Bytheway fireside, the week was almost a repeat of the last. Kevin and Bruce are both progressing towards their baptismal dates for August 30th and we've been working with them frequently. Our teaching pool has been thin otherwise.

 I suppose the focus of this email with be about seeing John Bytheway in Victoria. We left for Victoria just after our zone meeting from the Nanaimo stake center. It was about a two and a half hour drive with the Port Alberni Elders in the backseat on the long and winding Island Highway. We arrived in Victoria at about 3:00 pm. The landscape in Victoria is pretty similar to Washington. Much of the highway that runs through the city is almost completely enclosed in trees that shade the road. 

President and Sister Burt as well as all the missionaries on Vancouver Island were there. The Burts are good friends with the Bytheways and said a few opening remarks before John began to talk. For those of you who don't know who John Bytheway is, he's a remarkable motivational speaker, regarded by many as one of the best. He speaks for a living and is very passionate about what he does. He's also quite humorous. We had some good laughs when he told us about some of the experiences on his mission is the Phillipines. 

He told us about how we were "unusual" in the sense that we chose to serve missions. Of course, serving a mission is something very few people in this world are willing to do. He went on to explain how there is a much larger collection of evidence of the restoration then one would expect. Thomas Jefferson for example knew that there would have to be a restoration of the gospel as America would progress as a nation. Less then 60 years after this "prophecy" the gospel was restored through Joseph Smith! How's that for a cool bit of history?

 

The first session was for missionaries only but there was another one for the youth shortly after that we sat through. John talked about the invitation to come unto Christ. I preferred the first session but both were great! We stayed at the Victoria Chinese Elder's basement suit before leaving the next morning. 

 

Well that's about it. The weather has been very hot this week but things should be cooling down within the next few days. Hope the family continues to enjoy their trip to the states. Hard to believe the summer is close to being over now. Enjoy it while it lasts!

 

Elder Maclean Samis