One Month

On Wednesday I realized that I have been gone for over a month! It's weird how time flies like that. I've been super busy so that makes it all the better. We also had a district meeting that morning. It was cool, because we taught a new investigator that afternoon and I totally got to use some of the stuff we learned that morning in our lesson!

Sister Eyanson is still teaching me sooo much. I finish the most days being mentally exhausted, but she still goes my pace and it's cool how much I am able to learn! She made me prepare a lesson all by myself yesterday. Well, mostly by myself. I was looking for a specific scripture and she gave me the reference. And she also asked a couple of guiding questions when I was stuck. But stll, it was super cool!

We also had a ward games night that evening. I got to play a board game invented by a couple of the members. I took a picture of the family playing risk, and I told them the story behind why I called it "The Missionary Game". They thought that that was super funny.

Our church  on Sunday was a broadcast for the Northwestern parts of North America. Did you guys get to see it too? I really wish one of our investigators had come to church. It would have actually answered a lot of his questions and concerns. 

Tsunami Warning on Vancouver Island

Soooo Tuesday morning we got a call at 4:15 AM from the APs. They told us about the earthquake in Alaska and that there was a tsunami warning for the island. They had to ask us about where we were on the island, how close we are to the ocean, (they didn't even look at a map  before calling us!) where the backup plan/ tsunami gathering place is, etc.

Then President Wong called us and told us to ask our bishop for the info that we didn't know! At 4:20 Am, by that point. We felt really bad because he has a baby who is only a few months old, but he did, at least, sound awake when we called. It was a messy morning. We had to make our plans taking into account how close we are to the ocean, even though we are on the west side of the island and the ocean that we can see is mostly a harbor.

And THEN, during personal study, the power went out!!! Luckily, it was light outside by then, so we just opened the windows. The first power outage was only for about 20 minutes. BUT it went out AGAIN a little bit later, and that one took forever to come back on! That was mostly just our neighborhood, though. Not the whole city. Our morning was full of unanswered doors, but as we continued on it got better. We found out later that a couple of our elders serving on the west coast did have to evacuate to Nanaimo, but they were back home by the end of the day.

PDay to Nanaimo

 

Courtenay: Week 2

We did exchanges on Saturday. We went with our Sister Training Leaders, the only other Sisters on the island. I got to go with Sister Yraguen. She's super nice and bubbly and tons of fun to be around. it was really nice to get a new perspective by watching how she does things differently. We also did exchanges on Saturday. We went with our Sister Training Leaders, the only other Sisters on the island. I got to go with Sister Yraguen. She's super nice and bubbly and tons of fun to be around. It was really nice to get a new perspective by watching how she does things differently.
We got a new investigator together, too! I seriously thought this guy was going to slam the door in our faces because of how he was standing and speaking, but then he said, "Actually, I have a few questions..." and we went from there! He loved what we had to share and had already found for himself the truths of some things that he had been taught otherwise before.
I also used some of the scripture masteries that I memorized during high school to answer a couple of his questions. That was super cool, and God had totally prepared for him to be taught.
Sister Eyanson and Sister Liao also found a new investigator! That was super cool.

We got back into our original companionships so that they could drive home, and we went to eat at the Williams'. They are super awesome and talented and very into making their own things! They both are good at woodworking, so much of their furniture is stuff they've made themselves. They showed  us a board game that they made with another family that all of the children love. They also gave us two jars of homemade jam- one strawberry and one blackberry. They're SO YUMMY!!!

Three of our investigators came to church yesterday, and they all loved it and felt very supported.

Sister Eyanson and I went tracting on the beach. 

First week in Courtenay

 My new companion is Sister Eyanson.
This is her last transfer. Something funny is that the other Sister she's trained was also a redhead from Alberta. The Sister before me was from Calgary.

It's not even very cold here. Just foggy and wet and pretty much always raining, even if it's very light most of the time. We are very close to the ocean.My rain coat and umbrella have been very helpful already.

We are an answer to so many peoples' prayers here. They were super upset when, two transfers ago, missionaries were pulled from the area and they had to share with Campbell River and their Elders. There are TONS of single or widowed sisters here, and we can go and visit and teach so many more people.

The members have been super helpful, spreading word and giving referrals and whatnot- which is especially helpful because we are whitewashing AND pinkwashing the area. 

 We went to a double baby shower the other day. It was the RS celebrating two recently-born babies. But, Sister Anderson ran ahead and announced us as we were coming into the room. They all cheered and clapped like we are celebrities! They were extra excited to know that we are just for their ward & area, and not shared. There have been plenty of people who we have visited, and they let us in and we just chat & get to know them.  This ward is amazing, too. We spoke on Sunday, and everyone's super excited to see and hear from us. So many people say that they were praying to get some Sisters in this area, especially the RS presidency.

The place we live in is super cool. The Andersons renovated their garage, and turned it into a suite just for the missionaries! It has all the furniture we need (though my office chair keeps scaring me), a kitchenette, a cute little bedroom, a bathroom, everything! It looks more like an apartment than a garage. It's super cool. We have seen tons of blessings and miracles already.

First transfer day

Transfer from the Mission home to Courtenay

We took the ferry from Tsawwassen to Duke Point.








We have seen tons of blessings and miracles already.

One of them was that we were going to miss the ferry-traffic was slower than anticipated, and we thought it had already left before we got there. But! The Elders called us (the only other Sister companionship on the island was driving) and told us that the ferry was delayed! So we finished the ride and got there with a little time to spare.

That was super cool.






Then we drove from Nanaimo to Courtenay.

MTC: Tuesday devotional

Elder Bednar spoke at the MTC on the Tuesday just before she flew out.

He explained exactly what happens when a prophet dies.

He also gave the missionaries a blessing.

More coming on his talk from her notes.

Arrived in Vancouver

The arrival letter from the Mission office

Your missionary has arrived safely!

We are delighted to welcome this beautiful group of missionaries (yours is the one smiling) to the Canada Vancouver Mission.  They will do amazing things.  This is because they know and understand what the Lord expects of them.

They, and you, will be blessed in ways unknown, and in ways easily recognized.  Enjoy with them, this special period of dedicated, full time missionary service. It is a great opportunity for you and your missionary.  Thank you for sharing them.

With warm regards,

Your Brothers and Sisters of the Canada Vancouver Mission

Instructors

We have had 11 teachers because of the holidays and such. Here is some information on the ones we have had more than once who were amazing! 

Brother Kohler is teaching us everything we need to know by helping us learn it for ourselves. He knows the scriptures and Preach My Gospel really well from cover to cover. Like you! He'd make a great seminary or institute teacher. He just got back from his mission a few months ago.

Another is amazing at presenting things visually, like organizing notes particularly well, or when she had us walk to specific murals around the building to read the corresponding scripture and description and write down our answers to the questions given.
For example, I wrote: Alma the Younger:
He fasted and prayed so that he could find out if the church was true for himself; he testified that it was the spirit who bore witness of it to Him
Q: Have I experienced a mighty change of heart?
A: Not to the degree he did, but yes. I am doing my best to be devoted to Him instead of just thinking of things how I want to see them.
On the right is a picture of the mural.
 Her name is Sister Ditto, who loves puns and even ASKED us to make jokes about her name to see if we could come up with anything good!

Brother Lucero really helps us see and work through things from the investigator's perspective. He's a really good actor, too! We get to practice the stuff we've been taught on him, and he gives us really good and effective feedback on how to do even better! Twice this week, we learned how to ask really effective questions and how to ask about people without it sounding like an interrogation. He even showed us how to let investigators figure things out for themselves by just asking questions - most people already have an idea of what the truth is, and then we just connect what they already know to the gospel. It's super cool!
Brother Lucero told us that he didn't really have some HUGE spiritual moments in his mission, like the one you hear about in talks [as far as he knows] but the important part was that he helped people find the gospel for themselves, and taught them in such a way that the people he converted have the skills to be able to figure things out for themselves,and continue to come to Christ in their own.


Brother Bronson is pointing to himself in the picture [in a hallway in the MTC]. His classes always fry our brains and leave us exhausted. We keep just drilling things over and OVER and ovER AND oVer aND Overrrr again and again and agaiinnn :)  Like, we definitely learn, but it's exhausting.

In-field orientation was all about the other things you have to do when you're not teaching: stuff they don't cover in class, like finding people and working with members and goal setting and whatnot.

All things denote there is a God

These are some of the many photos Jeanette has taken from the MTC.

 "All things denote there is a God, yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, year, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator."  ~ Alma 30:44

[Click on photos for bigger picture]

New Missionary Host

We got to host and escort the new people this week! I hosted three sisters. I can't remember all of their names right now, but I have seen them all since and checked to make sure they were still doing okay.

It was pretty cool hosting! Everyone else was sore from doing it and carrying all of the heavy suitcases but only one suitcase that I carried was heavier than any I brought.

All in all, it was super cool!


I shared with Jeanette the following after we dropped her off. As we drove into the underground parking lot there were missionaries lined up on the right cheering. It reminded me of when the Saints came into the Salt Lake City area, where the temple area is now, the Saints would line both sides of the streets cheering on the new Saints arriving from out East walking along side handcarts or wagons. It also reminded me of Elder Holland's quote: "He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other."

Companion, Roomates and District

This is Jeanette and her roommates. They are also the sisters in her district.

The one to her right is her companion, Sister Reidhead.

They are all matching in colours!

The sister on her far right is going to Hawaii. The other three are going to Kansas. Sister Hillyer, to Jeanette's left, is also from Alberta.

This is the whole district!

These are the people she has classes with, eats with and basically hangs out with for the three weeks.

The board says
"Happy New Years!"

MTC Mission President and New Years

The MTC Mission President and his wife, President and Sister Martino, ate supper with Jeanette and her district! What a great mission president couple.

"We did ask the mission president and his wife when we sat with them at supper what was happening for New Years. They said that there will be something for New Years, but they wouldn't say what."

New Years:
"We did get an awesome devotional at which Brad Wilcox spoke and Lexi Walker sang! It was pretty cool.

Christmas at the MTC

Jeanette phoned home at 10:30 and got to talk for a half hour. No video just phone. It was great to hear her.

She then had a nice Christmas lunch which wasn't turkey but steak!!









Elder Neal L Anderson spoke to everyone. Each missionary received this card.

Later:
"We had a special musical production and we were singing some Christmas hymns while we were waiting when all of a sudden the crowd stopped singing and started talking. David Archuleta had just walked in at the front.

The music was amazing! Both he and someone called Madelyn Pai
ge sang. He shared some of his experiences from his own mission. We got to shake their hands afterwards and he even complimented my jingle bell earrings."