January 26, 2014 - Area 2: Clearbrook (Abbotsford)

The 2nd Year Begins...

January 21, 2014 is a day I will never forget for the rest of my life. The day I left for the MTC. Much has changed in that time and here I am, just past my year mark in a seemingly rough time for my companion and I. Poor Elder Johnson had to see the doctor and was diagnosed with bronchitis on Wednesday and has been sick for a while. He just finished his anti-biotics and he's been doing a lot better. 

Our teaching pool continues to sit empty with Garry in a reflection process. In my previous letter I forgot to mention him. His girlfriend had a heart attack at the beginning of last week and has returned from the hospital since then but has still been not feeling well. Garry has been under a lot of stress as a result and he ended up missing church this week and the last. 

Thus, we did a lot of finding this week. On Tuesday while I was on an exchange out in Mission, Elder Johnson and Elder Mahabeer found a lady named Teressa who seems keen to learn. We'll be seeing her on Tuesday. The exchange for Elder Orr and I was a good one. I met one of their investigators with a baptismal date. His name is Shane and it appears that once he's quit smoking, he'll get baptized for sure! We also moved a family out with the Mission East Elders which was good fun.

We haven't been able to talk to Sara since our last visit. She doesn't have a phone and we're not allowed to meet in the place she's staying in at the moment. Chris has been busy and told us over the phone that he doesn't want to pull her away from the things she's been having to deal with so we have no choice but to just pray that there'll be a way to get to her somehow... Wednesday the 22nd was the official day of our year mark so we went to Dairy Queen to celebrate, other then that it was a fairly normal day.

Thursday we had a special zone training in the church's high council room where we heard from Sister Burt and the assistants while President Burt interviewed each of us. After Sister Burt did a role play with one of the Chilliwack sisters, she turned to me and ask the question "Elder Samis, at the start of your mission, how did you feel knowing that you had to talk to complete strangers all the time?"  I replied, "I thought, how on earth am I going to do this?" It made me further reflect on how far I've been able to come. Only through God has such a thing been possible. Sister Burt went on to explain that just because you're a missionary doesn't mean that you don't have to be yourself. We were encouraged to show enthusiasm and energy when we talk to someone.  

Sunday night we went to dinner at the Hara's place. Then we saw Brother Gauthier and a less active friend of his named Gerald who has been living in his place for a couple months. He told us that he's ready to come back to church and to come out teaching with us! He's originally from Ontario and he said that he would go teaching with the elders there all the time. 

So far 2015 hasn't been very kind to us. I don't know why things have happened the way they have been lately but I know that there's someone else who does. They say that January is a difficult time of the year for a lot of people. That may be true but things are the way they are. Hang on everybody, the month is almost gone! 

Elder Maclean Samis          

January 19, 2015 - Area 2: Clearbrook (Abbotsford)

SLOWLY BUT SURELY

This week we went finding... a lot. Elder Johnson and I have been doing what we can to find those who are ready to hear about the gospel. We've found several potentials, but there isn't any telling where they'll end up save it be one.

The most solid of these was a Native woman named Sara who was actually referred to us by Chris, a long time investigator. Elder Lamb and I had met her briefly the last time we went to Chris' place. She popped out of another room and introduced herself but disappeared as quickly as she came. We saw Chris on Friday and he asked us permission to have Sara join in the lesson. The answer was yes of course!

Sara is quite a remarkable woman. She was born in Fort McMurray but moved to BC when she was two. She's a childhood friend of Chris' and has worked her way out of a rough lifestyle. She seems to shine with this positive vibe that makes it easy to like her. We taught her about the Book of Mormon and she loved the thing! As we were talking with Chris, I noticed her reading the introduction and the testimony of the 3 and 8 witnesses. Chris hasn't been reading the Book of Mormon and hasn't come to church in a very long time. When we chastised him, Sara took our side and told him "we should totally study this together! It would be fun!"  Music to a missionaries ears indeed! 

Aside from meeting with Sara, there's not much else to talk about. We tried to re contact a lot of potentials and formers with a few members but things haven't clicked with them. Nolan has fallen off the earth it seems.

Our new zone leader is Elder Mahabeer who is from Jamaica. I haven't been around him very much but he seems cool. He's only been out 6 months! Hope everyone is having a good January and that its not too cold. Ta for now!

Elder Maclean Samis  

January 13, 2015 - Area 2: Clearbrook (Abbotsford)

1 YEAR, 2 AREAS 

I apologize about the fact that I'm emailing a day late. We had a temple trip today, so our p-day got moved to today after the trip was over. Lo and behold, I am still in Clearbrook. Elder Lamb meanwhile has been moved to White Rock to become a zone leader. My new companion is Elder Johnson who came out at the same time as me. We didn't know each other very well though since we weren't in the same MTC district.

Elder Johnson is from Ephriam, Utah and has been great working with so far. It's a good thing too because it's been a rough transfer week. On Monday night we got the call from the assistants and Tuesday, Elder Lamb said his last goodbyes to our investigators and beloved ward members. Wednesday morning, Elder Lamb and I had to drag ourselves out of bed at 5:00 am so that we could go to Mission. Elder Lamb went to White Rock with Elder Pettilot and Elder Butler while I went with Elder Engalsted and Elder Orr to Vancouver to grab Elder Johnson and take him to Clearbrook. The rest of the day we did a lot of finding and a visited a couple of members.

We taught very few lessons this week and went out finding with not too much to write about. We found a couple of people who we thought had potential but both of them blew off their return appointments the following day. We did teach Nolan at Brother Taylor's house and discussed baptism with him on Thursday. He seems a little worried about changing too many things about his life style when he does. We're still teaching him.

We saw Garry a couple times, once on Wednesday and once yesterday. We've brought Brother Newman with us both times and he's been a great true friend for him. We taught the Law of Chastity in our most recent visit and its now up to him to get married to his common-law wife at some point. It won't be an easy choice for him to make if he commits, so please everybody pray hard for him!

I can't really give a lot of details about much else. I've realized that I don't know my area as well as I should and it's been easy to get lost. I think it's easier to navigate your area if you're the one driving most of the time. Between our trip to the temple, and to Vancouver, and getting lost our KM allotment has been destroyed and it's not even half way through the month. Have a great week everybody!

Elder Maclean Samis   

January 5, 2015 - Area 2: Clearbrook (Abbotsford)

A NEW AREA IN A NEW YEAR?

Well the snow has finally come and it has come pretty hard. So hard that church got cancelled yesterday after sacrament meeting. It really wasn't that much but it was enough to scare the city. 

Tuesday I went with one of my zone leaders, Elder Engelstad to Mission for the day. We taught several really solid lessons and did a lot of finding. Nolan was taught by Elder Lamb and Elder Orr while I was away. Sadly he wasn't able to make it to church. They also taught a lady named Melody who became a new investigator. Devin meanwhile has stopped investigating altogether... it just seems like he's lost interest for the time being.   

New Years day was fairly ordinary. We had a pizza dinner at Noftle's who's family is always fun to visit. The Cervos came as well and it was a great time!

Throughout the week we've been working with Joel and his teen aged sons to create a video based on the song we sang at the Christmas Party. The boys finished the editing on their own Sunday and it turned out awesome! A good memory to have one of those fun times on my mission. 

As for our teaching, we taught Garry on Friday and had a really good lesson with him on the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said that he really enjoyed his time at church last Sunday but he wants to keep coming before he gets baptized. For whatever reason, he didn't come to church either. 

Transfer calls are tonight and with the way things have been going in our area, it might be time for me to move on. I've loved the members here and if I don't stay, it will be hard to say goodbye. Talk to you all next week to bring you the news and have a happy New Year! :) 

Elder Maclean Samis