Family,
Has
it already been another week already? It is just crazy how quickly time
is disappearing. We're emailing this week on Monday because of a few
factors because of some preparation day changes because of the token 3
day weekend that BC makes sure happens at least every month. People
call it "May Long", but I think it's officially Victoria Day, and we're
trying to fit our preparation day around different things, so here we
are a day early! The past week has been just a blessed one, though, that
is for sure.
I
think one of the biggest lessons that we've learned this week is the
importance of charity and service. The islands have a very small,
tight-knit culture. And it's one that just really isn't friendly towards
religion, because of negative experiences in the past with other
faiths. And so as missionaries trying to spread a message centered on
Jesus Christ, there's a really big barrier for people, because everyone
has been told terrible things about religions, and if somebody shows
interest, then friends and family know about it and start tearing away
at the little seed of faith that was planted. Spiritually speaking, it's
a challenging environment! The converts that are here really are
awesome examples of faith and enduring to the end despite difficulties,
because there really is no coasting into the font here (...or ocean).
People like Alma-Rose and the other converts are just inspiring as their
share their conversion experiences, and really, every single one is a
miracle.
But,
for the church to really take root on the islands, then people need to
know what we are all about. What we've noticed is that whenever we serve
someone, it always surprises us how many people say "oh, we heard you
helped so-and-so", etc. And so we've just started helping people as much
as possible, and wearing those bright yellow Mormon helping hands
shirts as much as possible. It's been great. It's a slow process, but
even if people at least just recognize that we help people. barriers
will start to come down between more and more people. Ammon had that
figured out pretty well. One of the things that it mentions in my
patriarchal blessing is that on my mission I will learn to love the
people where I would be serving. I remember reading that and having the
thought cross my mind that that probably meant I would be serving in
some foreign country with foreign people just because of the way that
it's worded. I kind of forgot about that when I was called to Canada,
but at times I reflect on that when I'm in little corners of the
province like Haida Gwaii learning to love the people here, even though
many of them mistake us for something we're not and act that way, too!
Otherwise,
we're just continuing on the work in Haida Gwaii! We're searching under
all the rocks and in all the crevices on these islands for people to
teach! We've done quite a bit of finding and have found quite a bit of
success in an area that a previous missionary discouraged us from
visiting called Tow Hill. It's along the Northern coast of the island,
and the houses are pretty isolated (I guess everywhere in this place)
but the people have really soft hearts and we've had some solid
conversations. (People build the weirdest houses, too. On one house all
the siding and the windows and doors were put at a 45 degree angle as if
to make it look like it was sliding into the ground, people build
houses literally in trees, people build houses out of glass bottles and
cement, the list goes on). The last missionaries that went though the
area didn't find a lot of success, but the people that they talked with
remembered them, and now we've been able to find a lot of people that
have had softened hearts and are willing to hear us out. The Lord really
does prepare people, and even those little conversations that don't
seem to yield fruit can at least give people stuff to think about, so
they'll be ready later.
You
have a lot of crazy experiences on your mission, too. Earlier on, we
were driving down a driveway in that area and there was this huge puddle
in the middle of it. We had no idea how deep it was, but we figured
that since it was in a driveway, it must be passble, right? Not right.
We drove in the middle of it, and water was literally washing up onto
our windshield. But, we were delivered! I literally have no idea how the
truck kept running, but it did! Despite how deep the water was, with
quick action and a prayer in our hearts we were able to get ourselves
out of the puddle. Miracles have not ceased. Little tender mercies like
that remind you that you're being watched over.
Alma-Rose was
set apart as a primary teacher today! She was very excited about it. The
way that the church runs is just inspired. It gives everybody a chance
to contribute, and the callings that we have can really make us stretch
and grow. I love watching how people react to receiving their first
callings. They take them as seriously as we all should take them! Here,
the Gospel Doctrines teacher was somebody who was baptized in October.
But what better way to have her learn the doctrines of the church than
to have her be the gospel doctrines teacher? The lessons are always very
sincere and the Spirit is strong. The little church services here are
great. I'm going to miss Sacrament meetings where it feels more like
we're sitting in a circle than as a congregation, because the
congregation isn't much bigger than the people sitting in front.
Our
teaching pool is still very diverse, too. We're teaching this older
French Ba'hai gentleman, the young man on house arrest, hippies of all
sorts, Sarah, who just has to be baptized, and others. And we're still
working with the chief, Sid, and his wife Cindy. They'll feed us world
class seafood, and we'll just feast, and then Sid will bring up the
gospel on his own and ask us what the lesson is going to be on. He's so
awesome. There are all those social barriers for them to be baptized,
but the seed is planted with them, and it's growing.
Well, the church is true! And we're so blessed to be a part of it. I hope that you all have an amazing week!
Elder Blotter
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