June 16, 2014 - Nanaimo South

AN EVER CHANGING MISSION

Hello again everyone. I apologize (AGAIN) for being unable to write much last week. I simply didn't have the time with transfers and getting shipped all over the lower mainland so I will briefly fill in what happened during the previous week.

Elder Glover went home last Friday along with Elder Dursch and many other missionaries. We spent some time visiting with some of the members he worked with in West Vancouver and it was really neat to get to know them. It was an emotional experience for him and it was hard watching him leave. I spent a little time with my old mtc companion Elder Bonfield and worked in Wallouby with him until Thursday where I got placed with my new companion, Elder Burns. He's a fairly young missionary and has been out for about 6 months. Him and I have quite a bit in common. The only true difference is that he's a little more talkative it seems. So far we have been getting along really well together.

 

With Elder Duersch and Elder Glover now dead and buried (missionary lingo for missionaries who have finished their missions and headed back home) we have another couple of zone leaders. One of them happens to be Elder Rolfson! :) it's great to have him back in the zone, especially as a leader. He is quite young for a zone leader, being out only 3 months longer then myself but I know that he'll be a terrific leader! He will be companions with Elder Olson who just came from Van West.     

Right now I'm back in Nanaimo things are going back to the same old same old. However there is a certain little miracle worth mentioning. On Thursday afternoon as we were coming back from our apartment for lunch, Elder Burns accidently dropped our car keys down a manhole in the apartment parking lot. We couldn't believe what had happened but the spirit told us to relax and stay calm. We took a broom, tied half a broken wired coat hanger to the handle and miraculously managed to hook the keys and bring them back up! :) Unfortunately we came back to the car after, only to discover that the right hand corner of our car's bumper was badly dented. We suspect that it was a hit and run...

 

There is a couple more things worth mentioning in this past week. We helped some members out with a move on Friday but that was really the only notable thing that happened. I took a fall down a few stairs while trying to carry a table and skinned my knees a little but no other damage was done and I was ok. On Saturday night we were called over by a drunk guy near our apartment who wanted to talk to us. He told us that he wanted to quit drinking and find out what God wants for him. We set up a return appointment for the next day and it went through. His name is Ross turns out he has a family of 3 kids and he's pretty solid. He also says he is related to the Marshall family who are members of our church! :) He took the message of the Restoration very well and he's happy to learn more.   

 

 It's seeming less and less likely that Elmer will be baptized while I'm here. We've tried everything we can and the last time we called his house his mother answered the phone. She told us that she was sick in bed and she seemed annoyed that we kept on waking her up. It seems like Tanya is once again slipping off. Her phone line is dead and she's never home. :( We suspect that she is still in Campbell River with her mother. Guess she just needs a little more time.  

 

What Elder Burns and I do know is that this is all happening for a reason and that we just can't stop working. If there's one thing a mission has taught me so far it's how to be patient. Well that's a summery of the major events that have occurred over the past 2 weeks. Until next time, talk to you later!

 

With love from,

Elder Maclean Samis