Canada Vancouver Mission: 1/25/16 - 1st LETTER FROM NANAIMO

THIS WEEK ON MISH LYFE: 'NAM-NAIMO...

The transfer train rolled through the station and shook everybody up. So many changes. Elder Stirland, my new companion, has been in my zone for a while, and so we just went to the ferries together and are already best friends because he's been my district leader for, like, four and a half months already. He's hilarious. From Riverton, Utah, and loves hunting. Him and I both have weird imaginations, so we view Nanaimo as a giant battleground where missionary work is about to explode. It's now called 'Nam-naimo...

We ended up on Tuesday morning driving all the way out to the ferries in Tsawessen at the crack of dawn and then we jumped onto the huge boats. We were accompanied by one of the new members of the Nanaimo zone, Elder Aua, who was coming from North Vancouver. He's from Papua New Guinea and is hilarious. A fish out of water in a first world country. Told us the weirdest thing he's eaten here was a tie between salad and a PB&J. He still doesn't understand why we eat leaves...

Us three boarded the ferries and headed off on the journey of a lifetime. Staring off into the distance of the ferry brought me back to the genesis of my mission. When I served in Duncan. Now I serve an hour up the Island Highway, in the big city of Nanaimo. On the ferry, we began planning what we were going to do to make this the best transfer yet. We're excited for what is to come. We ordered the traditional ferry poutine and enjoyed a peaceful ferry ride to the Island herself.

My companion and I are both new to the area. We're doing what we call in missionary work a "white wash"... It's intense. We're both trying to learn the area and get used to the zone, but it's going really well so far. We've met a lot of cool people in our area and have found quite a lot of people that are interested in learning more about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

We are teaching some incredible people, as well. I learned a lot from the worldwide missionary broadcast that aired this Wednesday on "Teaching Repentance and Baptizing Converts". I learned a lot about the true role of the Holy Ghost in this work, and how we are not the true teachers at all. The Spirit is. We are his tools in this work. I always love hearing from our Apostles and the general authorities of the Church. They have such an incredible knowledge of and faith in the restored gospel, and their teachings will truly never lead us astray.

Elder Neil L. Andersen taught us that, "Because of the Restoration, we know more about the Savior than anyone else..." Just think of that. The restored gospel of Jesus Christ allows us to know Him more fully than ever before. That's why we share it. That is why we preach of Christ and quickly refer to the message of the Restoration. Not because we worship the modern-day prophets we follow, but because through them, we can know the Savior in a deeply personal way. He is ever at the helm of His Church today, and He has such a marvelous work in store for us.

We had some incredible experiences this week. Vancouver Island is just an awesome place to serve as a missionary. Such potential here. While talking to everyone in downtown, we met a couple who've been searching for a church ever since they moved here about a month ago. We look forward to seeing them at church next week, and are excited to teach them!

We have just basically been getting used to the area and getting our feet on the ground, but it has been a successful week.

The Lord gives us all, as missionaries, a promise in the Doctrine and Covenants Section 21, verse 9, "I will bless all those who labor in my vineyard with a mighty blessing, and they shall believe on [the missionary's] words, which are given [the missionary] through me by the Comforter, which manifesteth that Jesus was crucified by sinful men for the sins of the world, yea, for the remission of sins unto the contrite heart..." I know this to be true. As we go forth and testify of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall have His Spirit to be with us. And by the power of His Spirit, we may know the truth of all things. He is the Teacher, He is the Converter. Let us all be ever more converted each day as we heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost. He will guide us to truth and right, and as we commit to follow the Savior, we will know for ourselves that His paths are true.

I know that our Savior lives. That He loves us. That He stands on the right hand of the Father and leads His Church through His prophet, Thomas S. Monson. That as we follow Him and His prophet, we will be blessed with peace and joy in this life and the life to come. I know that the Book of Mormon testifies of Him and helps us all to apply His Atonement, of which I am grateful for. It is real and it is infinite. It is for you and for me. I know that this work I am involved in is His work of salvation. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Catch you all later,
Elder Stock

Sayin' goodbye to some REALLY good friends of mine: Shoshanna (on the left), and Donny (in the middle). They're working hard to change and live the gospel of Jesus Christ. It's been incredible to help them out on the journey.