I arrived on the island on Wednesday night about 5:30! It was a long 2 hour ferry ride by myself (i hate travelling by myself) but it was so beautiful outside and the sun was shining so it was a good day to have a ferry ride! A lot of people told me to watch out for seals and whales but i didn't see any :( but there will be more opportunities in the future for sure! Then my companion didn't make here until Thursday afternoon because she was coming from Kelowna which is a very long bus ride to the lower mainland so they split up her traveling into two days instead of one big one!
My companion Sister Christensen and I are WHITEWASHING!!! Can i just tell you i do not wish a whitewash on any missionary! (It is when you are both brand new to the area and have no clue about anyone or anything) I will admit i has been really hard but we have been able to get around and figure out where everything is with our handy dandy map and our area book has helped us out a ton letting us know who they were working with and the people we need to see! Whitewashing has a few positive aspects to it like a fresh view on people and the area. You get to start with a fresh view on the ward and life, even though you have no idea who anyone is! I do have to say the ward here is absolutely amazing though! The people we have met have been so nice and are all so missionary minded! Plus the sisters who were just here had 5 baptisms in the last 2 months so we get to work with a lot of recent converts who are all amazing! They each have such a uplifting glow to them it is so hard not to smile around them as they talk about their baptism and how it changed their lives!
Other than running around Naniamo like crazy people trying to figure out our way around we were also able to see conference!!! What an amazing conference! I am so sad it is all over now! I was a bit surprised when we didn't get to hear more from President Monson but what he said was exaclty what each of us needed to hear from him this conference! After he spoke, I just started to crave the temple so much! There were some other absolutely amazing talks from other apostles and 70! I couldn't believe the 70's talks and how absolutely amazing they were! Another fun fact, my old mission president Karl Tilleman was called to be a 70 during conference! All the missionaries in the church who knew him were absolutely shocked. . . but we all knew it would happen one day! I couldn't believe how much they talked about families, the plan of salvation and about enduring to the end! It really just showed me how important those things are to our eternal salvation! Heavenly Father knows exactly what he is doing and how he wants it done and will make sure that we all know the most important things in this life and make sure we have that eternal perspective and finish this short time we have here the best we can! I am so grateful for the amazing leaders and prophet we have on the earth to lead and guide us in this crazy world today! I know that they have been called at this time to prepare us for what is to come! I love this gospel more than anything and love the opportunity i have to share it with the people in Naniamo! Thank you all so much for the love and support you always give me each week, it does not go unnoticed! Hope you had an amazing Easter and were able to think back on how the Saviors infinite and immense sacrifice has done for you in your life! I know that the Savior lives and because he lives we have so many wonderful blessings and opportunities in this life to grow and become who Heavenly Father knows we can be! Love you all!
Love,
Sister Heaton
Pictures:
Me and Sister Christensen
The view from our apartment! Absolutely beautiful! :)