This week has been so busy but the good busy

     Well this week has been really awesome! I got Elder McCown on Wednesday and we pretty much just drove missionaries around all day to their new areas so it was a pretty boring day. For the rest of the week we were really busy teaching a lot of lessons.

      We met with Gus and talked to him about his smoking and he set the day to quit for July 1st and he told us after he quits smoking he wants to get baptized so that’s really awesome and we are really excited for him because he is a very cool guy and he loves the church. We also were able to see Janet again and she came to stake conference and she told us she was 97% ready to be baptized so she is so close and very ready. On Sunday morning, an hour before church we were told that an investigator from Whitehorse, which is in the Yukon, had come to our area and that he wanted to come to church. So we found him a ride and he came! His name is Ram and he is so cool. We set up a lesson with him for later that night and taught him the restoration and about baptism. He told us how he wants to be baptized so we set a date with him for July 19th but sadly we won’t get to teach him anymore because he is YSA age and will be taught by the YSA Elders but he is so prepared and ready to be baptized.

     This week has been so busy but the good busy. We have been teaching a ton and have a lot of really amazing people that we are teaching. It was also really cool because yesterday the Trio got back together! Elder Kelly, Elder Tolman and me. It was so good to see them both because it’s been forever since I was in Kamloops with both of them. Elder McCown is from Tuscan Arizona and he is really cool! We get along really well. We came out together and he was born like a month before me so we are practically the same age and from the same area, kind of. Well I have to go. See YA!

Love Elder Slack

#realBCMissionaries

This Week has been crazy. We have done a ton of stuff except for Tuesday because it seemed like on Tuesday nothing went right. We had seven lessons planned and none of them worked out so Tuesday seemed to be a trial of our faith because it was rough. Then on Wednesday it got better and things started to work out. The best day of the week by far was Saturday. 

 On Saturday we had something called Social Media Splits day where all day we had a member with us taking pictures of us and posting them with the hash tag #realBCmissionaries. You have no idea how hard if was for me to do that. 

Social Media Saturday - ironically enough the member that was taking pictures of them is the nephew of the Bishop he served under in the Kamloops 2nd Ward (his wife sent me this picture)

Anyway we had a really good service project in the morning where we dug a ditch and put down some pipe and we got to feed some chickens and hold a baby goat and pet some other chickens and pet a turkey so you could say it was a pretty successful day but then it got even better because we pretty much had appointments all day and when one fell through our back up worked out. It was great! The coolest thing was we taught a family that me and Elder Moran found a few weeks ago while we were waiting for our new companions. So we went back and talked to them and taught them about the restoration and answered a lot of the questions they had about Mormons. What’s even cooler is they have five kids and they are Jamaican! Isn't that Sweet! Like a Jamaican family in BC. So it was a really great day and the member we took to that appointment really connected with them well so it was an amazing lesson. 

 This transfer has been really great and Elder Boehmer and I have been doing awesome even though he is Canadian and I’m American we still get along.

Will wearing Elder Boehmer's glasses

Care package from Elder Boehmer's grandma -- yeah, they're not starving ;)

 Sorry I didn’t manage my time very well to day so I am going to have to cut it short so sorry!

Love Elder Slack

New transfer...new companion...new adventures ahead and it's going to be Awesome!!

Man this week has been Crazy! We where supposed to get transfer calls on Monday night but we didn't so we thought we were in the clear until like 7:30 in the morning on Tuesday when we got a call and I was told that I was leaving and going to Clearbrook, which is in Abbotsford. I was kind of surprised because I felt like I was going to stay but I guess I was needed somewhere else.

Will and his old Zone Leader, Elder Anderson

Saying goodbye to the Mortensons

   At first I was really sad because I didn't want to leave Kamloops because I had been there for a while and knew all of the members and the town really well. I was really comfortable there but I think that is why I left because we don't grow or progress as much when we are comfortable so I guess the change was needed. When we got that call it meant I had to be packed and ready to go by that night, which at first I didn't think would be a problem. I didn't think I had that much stuff. So we decided to go do some service and visit some members until 3:30 and then I would pack until 5. 

I quickly realized that I did not know how to pack all my things into 2 bags and that I had accumulated quite a few things since I got to Kamloops and I needed to fit it into 2 suitcases both under 50 pounds, which doesn't sound hard but weight builds up fast with coats, scriptures, books and a bunch of other junk that I need to take so I had to leave a few things back in Kamloops; Nothing big, just some shirts, hangers and a sweater that another missionary gave me. So it wasn't too bad but I ended up playing Tetris for 2 hours trying to get everything in and under weight.

  Finally I got everything done and we went and did normal missionary stuff and stopped by a few more members’ homes before I had to leave in the morning. It was sad to leave. It almost felt like I was leaving home again because that was my home and I was never transferred before so I had no idea what to expect. The next morning we left to Kelowna to catch the greyhound and to pick up Elder Persson and Tolman’s new companion. When we got their new companion they dropped me off. Then Elder Woolf, Maurer and I took a 5 ½ hour greyhound down to Langley and we didn't get there till 8:30 because we were running behind schedule. It was so long and boring! So I pretty much did no missionary work the whole day but I did get to catch up on my sleep; but it was a pretty boring day.

The tripanionship's last photo together

Kamloops Elders last group photo (L to R) Tolman, Persson, Woolf, Will, Hawkes

   My new area is really awesome and my new companion is sweet. His name is Elder Johnson and he is from Ephraim, UT and he has been out a little over a year. We have a few really awesome investigators that came to church yesterday. Theresa and her son Daniel came for the first time yesterday! They seemed to really like it and Gary came too but it was his 5^th time. They are really cool and are progressing towards baptism so I'm really excited for this new transfer. It’s going to be awesome!! I am really excited to see what happens this transfer.

The Sikh Temple across the street from the church

Well I have to go see ya next week!

Love Elder Slack

Oh yeah One thing that I forgot because i was in Kamloops so long is how funny people think my last name is. I got so many jokes it was crazy! and it was really funny how many people came up to me and told me not to slack off.

Farewell Kamloops, he'll miss you...

Well, it finally happened. Will got his first transfer. I got word this morning that he was leaving Kamloops and heading to Abbotsford, a much larger city just outside of Vancouver. We all will be forever grateful to those in Kamloops, especially the Kamloops 2nd Ward, who looked out for and took such great care of our son. 

I got the following kind words from one of the families Will loved so much in Kamloops:

...We have so enjoyed having him here in Kamloops! We have seen a decided change in him over the few months he has been here. I remember the first night we had him in our home with Elder Kelly and he was so nervous about speaking... said he knew it wasn't his strong point even though he was on a mission where he would have to do it all the time!! He persevered though and continued to bear testimony and share his thoughts and feelings whenever they would come teach us. He and Elder Kelly seemed to share a special bond and were good friends. We visited with him and Elder Person and Elder Tolman on Sunday and there sure has been a difference. He's still a little shy and not one to jump in, but he shares some wonderful spiritual insights and is always happy to tell us how much he loves his family and what they mean to him. He's definitely more comfortable speaking to people and has such a nice spirit about him. You must be so proud of him... he's such a brave Elder and we are grateful to have had him in our ward. We told him to come back and visit us at any time and we would love to see him!! So be assured your wonderful son is doing well and sharing his love of the gospel!! 

I won't ever be able to convey my thanks to families such as this. When a mom can't be there to watch over her son it is SO comforting to know that there are those out there who willingly step up to take care of our sons while they are out serving the Lord. I will be forever grateful. I am extremely humbled.

Whether I go or stay it's where the Lord wants me to be

Well it’s crazy! This transfer is almost over and I think I'm finally going to leave. Which is really sad because I really like Kamloops and Love the Kamloops 2nd ward. I know that whatever happens is for a reason and whether I go or stay is where the Lord wants me to be. This week, just like this transfer, has been hard but it has been something that I have learned a lot from.

  This week while we where tracting one day we knocked on a guy’s door and he was telling us how the Book of Mormon is false because we don't have historical proof and we don't have artifacts and it seems that whenever we talk to people and they try to prove to us that the Book of Mormon is wrong is when I get strong confirmations that the Book of Mormon is true. While we where talking to him we all testified that the book of Mormon was true and it was AWESOME!! The guy didn't want to listen but people are not always ready to hear the gospel and to accept it. It was one of the coolest moments I have had on my mission because I just seemed to get a feeling that I knew that the Book of Mormon was true and that it is the word of God. 

  This work has been really hard, a lot harder than I thought it would be but I have grown so much and still have a lot to go. One thing that really helped me was in zone meeting, something one of the assistants told us was that one of his companions always told him when he was down and sad about something. He always asked him "Does Christ still live?" "Is Christ still leading this church?" and he would say yeah. Well then what do you have to worry about. That is really true because we can’t make people change or accept this Gospel but all we can do is share it and let the spirit work on them. That is something I didn't understand until recently because I was getting down because all these people I knew where baptizing and I was wondering why wasn't I getting baptisms and I didn't figure it out until a week ago when Elder Persson was telling me that it's peoples decision and we can’t make them do anything and sometimes it’s not our fault at all that people don't get baptized but that they just aren’t ready.

  An awesome miracle happened earlier this week too when we were going to someone’s house that told us to come back and when we went there he wasn't there -- wait it gets better. While we were walking back to our car a lady came out of her house to talk to us and she was telling us how she was being taught by the missionaries in Edmonton but she moved down here and her new boyfriend is kind of Anti Mormon. She was telling us how she wanted to make a change in her life and it was awesome. She invited us to come back so we will be meeting her hopefully this week. That just showed me that if you are doing what you are supposed to be doing and where you are supposed to be God will bless you for your efforts. Well, have a good week and the next time you hear from me I might be somewhere else.

Love Elder Slack

Another "crazy" day in Merritt

Well this week started off pretty normal but on Tuesday Elder Tolman and I went to Merritt on exchanges and that was pretty normal too until we went to visit Dan "the Bearman",  yes, the same Dan "The Bearman" that Elder Walker and I went to visit a few weeks ago and this weeks visit was not any more normal especially since Dan's roommate was there again. So we tried to teach something again but again we got off on aliens but this time we got to see all of his pictures of UFO's and he showed us his claws and he has 2 full necklaces of them one from every bear he has killed, which is 70, but that wasn't the craziest thing because randomly his roommate ran out of his room yelling how beef is up a dollar a pound and that they need to stock up on McDonald hamburgers because they were going to be expensive and then later he came out and told us how oil prices are up and how he needed to go out and buy a 45 gallon drum and get some gas. Then, yes it is not over yet, he came out screaming that he is a drug dealer and how all these people want his drugs but he has already sold them all. His roommate Steve is really CRAZY! Then that wasn't the end of meeting the weird people in Merritt because then we went to a guy named Rick and he was crazy too. He was telling us about how technology brain washes people and it was his mission to get rid of technology and stop the brainwashing it is doing to people. He told us that was his divine mission. So what I have gathered from the 3 times I have been to Merritt is that  there are a lot of crazy people there. but they do have some really cool investigators and they are not all crazy.

Driving to Merritt

  Then at district meeting Elder Persson, Elder Tolman and I had to give a training which we completely forgot about until Tuesday night so that's all we did Tuesday night and for studies in the morning but surprisingly it went really well thanks to the spirit because if I have learned one thing on my mission it is that if I didn't have the spirit I would be a pretty bad teacher but luckily everything we teach is true and we do have the Holy Ghost to testify to people.

  I think i have talked about this a lot but Kamloops 2nd ward is so awesome.  They take care of us so good. I mean we always have dinners and people give us food and members are always willing to do lessons with us.

 Oh and this Friday we are getting a Mini Missionary, which is a preist from somewhere in the stake and they are going to spend a weekend with us so that is going to be pretty sweet and really fun. Hopefully we can make this an uplifting experience but it should be good because we spent like an hour planning for those 2 days. We also got a senoir missionary couple who are from St George, The Mortensons and they are really cool and they know where Mesquite is and they have been there so finally someone actually knows where I live and I didnt have to say an hour outside of Las Vegas so that was cool. 

We also did a ton of tracting this week because we need people to teach but besides that this week has been pretty normal. Just to let you know transfers are next week so I might get transferred. So dont send anything to me for a week.

Love Elder Slack

Me Elder Persson and Elder Tolman in a random tunnel (ummm, ok...maybe random tunnel hopping is a favorite pastime in Canada??)