You are not alone

"You are not alone on this journey. Your Heavenly Father knows you. Even when no one else hears you, He hears you. When you rejoice in righteousness, He rejoices with you. When you are beset with trial, He grieves with you...He sees you not as the world sees you; He sees who you really are. He looks on your heart. And He loves you, because you are His child...seek Him earnestly, and you will find Him" -Pres Uchtdorf

Monday, November 24, 2014

"Show me counts more than tell me"- Elder Bednar


Well, This week has been pretty crazy because Joey was supposed be baptized on the 29th and while we where on exchanges Elder Jacobs and I were supposed to go give Joey the Baptismal Interview and 20 minutes before we where supposed to be there he texted us and said he couldn't meet and that he didn't want to be baptized on the 29th anymore. So that was pretty rough and we were not sure what happened because Elder Kelly and I met with him the night before and he told us that he was ready and wanted to be baptized. So, no one said it would ever be easy so we cried about it a lot (that's a joke) and now we are moving on and we are still meeting with Joey and hopefully he will remember why he wanted to be Baptized in the first place. It’s ok though, everyone has their agency and we want them to want the gospel in their lives and want to be baptized.
         On another note we met with a Jehovah's Witness and that was a very interesting lesson. He talked a lot about Jehovah being Gods name and how we didn't say it when we prayed and I asked him that "if we don't say Jehovah then does God not listen to our prayers?" and he said "yes" and he said that no one has seen God and lived and I don't want to say we were bashing but we shot that down fast with our "vast" knowledge of the bible but it was really cool that a scripture came to my head (Genesis 32:30) that showed that was wrong but it was not a very productive lesson  because he was not seeking truth he just wanted to bash with us. It strengthened my testimony because I did have that scripture come to my mind, a scripture that I marked and read once like 4 weeks ago. It really showed me that D&C 84:85 is TRUE!!!
         On Saturday we met with Steve, an investigator who I have met twice since being here, and we had the Plan of Salvation planned for him and when we prayed before we went to the lesson we felt that we should read Ether 12 so we did and while we were reading it and explaining it he said that he felt that it was speaking to him and that it was something he needed to hear. We committed him to be baptized on January 24th!! so that was really Awesome and the spirit was so strong and it was just AWESOME!!!
         One thing that I have been thinking about since I studied Mosiah 12 a week ago, and it’s about Abinadi and what I got out of it was being an example. "Show me counts more than tell me"- Elder Bednar. As Members of the Church of Jesus Christ we need to be an example to the world. People watch us and if we don't follow what we believe, people see that and it either shows them how important it is to us or how it is not that important to us. We may not see it or want to be it but we are all missionaries by how we act and what we do. In Mosiah 12 Abinadi is imprisoned and questioned by Noah and his wicked priests but Abinadi asks the Priests one question and he asks them what they teach the people and they tell him they teach the law of Moses and he says "if ye teach the Law of Moses then why do ye not keep it?" This is how people look at us. We can tell people all day what we believe but if we do not live it then it doesn't mean anything to them but they will think that living it is not that important. When people see us they should know how important the gospel is to us and they should know that we are Disciples of Christ by how we act. We should always remember that it might be hard sometimes but just think we have God and Jesus Christ on our side!! We don't need to fear anything.
         On a side note we crashed our car (What?!) today because we were driving to email and it just snowed so apparently it was pretty slick and we were taking a corner a little fast and we just slid into the curb and messed up the alignment pretty bad but we are ok but now we have to walk in the winter so that should be fun and a very interesting experience

Love Elder Slack

P.S.

I might get transferred this week so wait on the presents but I will know in a few days and I haven't talked to them because I don't have their emails.


Well......I was just about to publish this when I got another email!! 


Well we just got Transfer calls.......I'm staying!! and so is Elder Kelly so that's really Awesome. We are getting put in a tri though with Elder Tolman, who is from B.C and has autism but is serving a fulltime mission so that's really Awesome. I was getting pretty nervous because I didn't want to leave and I didn't want Elder Kelly to leave so this is pretty Awesome and I'm really excited for this next transfer!! 
         So to elaborate on the whole car wreck. It had just snowed this morning. We were coming into the church parking lot, to email, and we took the turn a little fast and we just slid in to the curb, apparently mistaking the church parking lot for an ice skating rink, and dented the two left side wheels and we had to get it towed to a collision repair shop. It is going to take 2-3 weeks to get it fixed and we will be at least 2-5 days without a car before we can maybe get a courtesy car. We will probably be walking for the next few days and getting rides from the members so this should be interesting. I'm sure we will gain a whole new appreciation for the car that we had. Maybe this way I can lose the 5 pounds that I have gained on my mission. I guess we needed to be humbled a little bit. Other than that its been the same and we are both ok. We did not get hurt at all from the crash just our pride and were really nervous on how President Burt was going to take it but he was very nice about but just said don't let it happen again and do not let it affect your work. We will be working twice as hard as before to keep our pace the same as when we did have a car. Everything has been going great. Its crazy to think in a week I will be out for 2 months 1/12 of my mission is already over, which is crazy to think and it feels like I only left the MTC a few days ago but it has been Awesome.

oh, and we got some pictures too!

​My B.C License - Interesting story since Im 18 I had to get a restricted license because in Canada you have to be 19 to get a full license so I have to have an N on the car to say that I can not have more than one person in the car with me and Its a 5 year license because you can only get a 2 year license if its a full license and it cost $75.00!!! which is crazy 
"My sweet new Canadian slippers"
​Our District before Transfers Left to Right  Elder Hawkes Elder Jacobs Elder Wilds Elder Wood Thee Elder Slack Elder Kelly and Nial, Thought Krista would like that. 
​This is are Baller picture because we are all such beasts on the court. Me and Elder Wood got a new Canada baseball shirts and they are pretty sweet!
"It finally snowed in Kamloops!"


Monday, November 17, 2014

A week full of firsts


Well this week was pretty crazy and its been getting really cold here. The temperature doesn’t go into the positive anymore, it’s anywhere from -1° to -12° Celsius and then half the time the wind blows so its been getting pretty cold and I am freezing!
 Well, on Monday we emailed in the morning and took less time so that we could have a District P-Day. We went and played Ultimate Frisbee and Basketball and not to be prideful but my team of Me, Elder Wood, and Elder Wilds was pretty good, but we didn’t keep score cause that would be breaking white handbook rules but we were pretty awesome and then after P-day we went to a members house for FHE. That’s pretty much all we did on p-day which was pretty uneventful.
 Here’s where it gets crazy (wait for it....) We got a call Monday night that we needed to be in Vernon by 1 and Vernon is 2 hours away so we had to drive there right after studies to get to Zone Meeting on time. 
Will and Elder Kelly in Vernon
Will and Elder Kelly mastering the selfie
At Zone meeting I met Trey Bohne's cousin Elder Baker! He's a pretty cool guy but anyways Zone Meeting was awesome, we really learned about rededicating ourselves to the work and to really focus on our studies and it was really good and then we went on exchanges and I stayed with Elder Smith in Vernon and Elder Kelly went to Kamloops with Elder Kennedy. Right after me and Elder Smith went and taught a guy named Ryan and then we went and knocked on some D's and it was freezing. It was pretty uneventful and we went to a member’s house and taught the restoration and they were really cool and very nice but they knew preach my gospel better than I did. It was a very cold night (...still waiting).
On Wednesday I made my first tie trade and got 4 ties it was pretty sweet! I studied Mosiah 1-5 and they are awesome and Mosiah 10-13 where it talks about Abinadi are amazing chapters too. Most of Wednesday was knocking on D's and traveling but when we got back to Kamloops Elder Kelly and I went and chopped wood for 2 hours and it was crazy but we felt pretty awesome after but sadly Elder Kelly hurt his back and pulled a muscle so I got to do my first anointing on him and Elder Wood gave him a blessing and I also dedicated my first house after that because a member wanted his house dedicated and wanted us to do it so, that was pretty sweet. 


I have had a lot of firsts this week. We finally got to teach Harmon and Suki who we have been trying to teach for the last 4 weeks and they are really awesome. They really wanted to know if the Book of Mormon was true and it was a really awesome lesson. Then we slept over at Elder Wood and Elder Wilds place. It was really fun and Elder Wood is so funny and is really awesome but he is about to go home. 
Will and Elder Wood

I really can not seem to manage my time the last few weeks and I do not have much time so sorry, I have to go I will tell you the rest next week.


Love Elder Slack

...oh, never came, bummer!

Friday, November 14, 2014

Turns out, I'm pretty busy every day...who knew?

As I was walking out the door to go to work this morning I happened to glance over at the entry table and saw this:


I immediately ran back upstairs to read it...only making me 10 minutes late for work but definitely worth it! Even more surprising was finding not only 1 letter but 2 from Will inside the envelope, as well as a small note from one of the other elders. I considered taking a picture of his letters to save myself from typing them but, wow, his grammar...not so good. So, to spare you all I typed them both up.

Oct 29, 2014

Dearest Family,
           
            It will be a fortnight (what??, soo for those of you who were wondering, just like myself, what a fortnight is...find out here) after I write this that you will probably receive it but anyways I just wanted to write because I thought I would be able to write a lot because I did in the MTC but turns out I’m pretty busy every day, who knew? I also forgot to grab my stationery from my bag and I don’t want to go grab it so I’m gonna write on this. I just want you to know that it’s been great and I’m loving it but it has been hard work and I have a lot to get better at but one that I’ve got down pretty well is sleeping. I have no trouble falling asleep at night. It has been pretty cool teaching our investigators because we do have one baptismal date and two very close to setting one so I have really been blessed to be in Komloops. One thing I was not ready for when I got to the field was knocking on doors and street contacting. Those took some getting used to and I’m still not very comfortable doing them and I know that may surprise you because of how loud and talkative and outgoing I am at home but going up to someone and talking to someone and then having to talk religion with them is very hard but I’m getting better and I can do it. So, don’t worry too much about me. While I have been out in the field for about 2 weeks I have really gained a love for the Book of Mormon and for studying it and that is something that I know I didn’t have before I left; that I looked at reading it as more of a chore than a blessing but since we have an hour of personal study and 30 minutes of that is supposed to be spent studying the Book of Mormon I actually love reading it. I’m not starting over and reading it through but I have been reading Helaman, 2 Nephi 31, Ether 12 and Mosiah 2. I have pretty much just been jumping around and I have been reading Matthew, which is all about Christ. So is the Book of Mormon, but the Book of Mormon is so amazing and I really love the Intro, especially the last two paragraphs that are about that we need to ask if the Book of Mormon is true, that we need to know for ourselves and that we can gain that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know that this book is true, that it is the word of God and is a testament of Jesus Christ, that it has strengthened my testimony of Christ and how loving and true this gospel is. We must continue to ask if the Book of Mormon is true, that we need the constant assurance and to continually be converted that we can not live off of spiritual experiences we had years ago or even months ago because those won’t stand. We need to continually have the witness that the Book of Mormon is true; that Joseph Smith was called of God; that Jesus is our Savior. I mean just look at Oliver Cowdery. That is one thing I love about being on a mission…always having the spirit because almost everything we do invites the spirit and requires the spirit and I love it. Well, that’s all I got and I have to go plan for this next week, which is something else I did not know was important and how vital it is. Well, now I’m done so bye. Love you guys!

Love,
Elder Slack

P.S. Read Jesus the Christ!!

Ok, now I’m done. Love you bye!

*************************

Nov 4, 2014

Dearest Family,

Sorry, I wrote you a letter and forgot to get stamps til today so I will just put it in this letter. I just wanted to say thank you and I do really miss you guys but I haven’t had much time to think about you, sorry if that offends you, but we have been really busy with the work here in Komloops and luckily it has been really nice weather for this time of year but, sadly, it still means it’s only 5-8° most of the time recently but sometimes it has been getting 12° or even 15° (this is Celsius by the way) and I’m still freezing sometimes. It has been really nice though and it’s so beautiful up here in the Okanagan area (Pictures I saw...Beautiful!!). We have been having some success lately knocking on D’s. Actually we are going on exchanges tomorrow with the Elders from Merrit so I’m going out with Elder Wilds, who’s from Northern California. He is really funny and a little crazy but he is really cool and we are going to teach Colton, who I think I told you about already, but Colton is so awesome, is really interested in the gospel and my first new investigator, which is sweet but in reality it doesn’t matter about that because it doesn’t matter about my “stats”; it about inviting to others to come unto Christ to help them receive eternal salvation to show others the joy I have that comes from this gospel and help them find that joy and how it can bless their lives. Our mission president told us that. He talked to us about how the Lord does not need us to hasten His work but he gives us that opportunity. The Lord, if he wanted, could hasten His work but He gives us this opportunity that we may become more converted, that we may know that what we believe is true. He gives us this opportunity to feel what He went through and really for us to learn, because, I thought I knew my own religion then I came on a mission and feel like I am relearning it again. I feel like I have changed so much and gained a greater appreciation for this gospel and how much of a blessing it is in my life. Our mission president also talked about how much of an honor it is to be persecuted with the Savior. That when someone slams the door or yells at us or calls us devils we get to feel a little of what Christ went through and when we do, it seems that blessings are poured out even more.  The CTR 7 class sent me a letter so could you tell them thank you and it was really cool to get that.

Love,

Elder Slack

*********

So, here's the sweet note from Elder Wood
Am I surprised...not at all. Will really is a special young man, and awesome of course ;)

Monday, November 10, 2014

We did not know what we were getting ourselves into..

So this week was pretty interesting and very different from most weeks. So Monday I got a sweet jacket that looks very professional and very fresh. We went to the mall and Elder Kelly spent $30 on lotion at bath and body works, but the lotion actually smells pretty good. Monday was pretty normal but at night we went to a members home and they gave us homemade apple juice and it was awesome especially with some ginger ale, the best juice ever!!; but besides that, pretty boring day. I really don’t remember Tuesday except we went and knocked on D's for like 3 hours in the morning and we talked with a guy who was trimming his trees and he told us how we were like Isis in the middle east, "different beliefs but same result"; quoting him, so apparently we are terrorists, which is weird because I don’t remember ever blowing up anything. We went and visited some members and raked an investigators lawn, which was crazy because his lawn was 3 inches deep in leaves and was a big mess. We did not know what we where getting ourselves into. 



Then we went on splits with the Elders quorum and I went and visited Jason again and he is awesome but he has heard all the lessons. He is just not committal at all but he said that he would come to church this week so hopefully he will come. On Wednesday we had district meeting and we all gave trainings and mine was on knowledge and it felt really weird to train a bunch of missionaries who have been out for a year or longer and they have all been out longer than me but it went well and it was pretty cool to hear everyone else. 


"The sisters blocked us in at district meeting"
After District meeting we went on exchanges and I went with Elder Wilds who is from Redding California and is actually a convert. He got baptized 3 years ago when he was 16. He is really awesome. We went to Colton’s house and figured out that he has a bit of a word of wisdom problem but we taught him a little about the book of Mormon. I don’t have much time but I met a kid while we were in Vernon who loves Nascar too and we talked about Nascar for like an hour and a half, it was awesome. Oh yeah, we went to Vernon for stake conference this weekend, which is why it didn’t really feel like a normal week because two of the days were spent with a bunch of other missionaries, and just at the church, for what felt like one big Sacrament. I have been doing studies, picking a topic and almost doing one big scripture chase but it's been really cool because I have learned a lot of scriptures for questions that people ask us and if you haven’t read Jesus the Christ, especially about the Atonement, read it!! (read it here) It’s Awesome!! Sorry I have to go I didn’t have as much time as I usually do.


Love Elder Slack

**Apparently Will has had his first poutine (Canadian favorite) experience. Although he thought it was good, he knew even more that his dad would probably LOVE it!