HI,
2 weeks.
And Kim, I love that i received a phone call a month ago saying that your bananas have been quarantined. I later received a letter from Australian government saying that the course of action for the bananas was" Immediate Destruction." Haha. you are the best.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
6/21/11 Letter
Hi all,
It's another transfers time, and looks like I'm training round 3. Last
and final! Yes! It should be exciting, Sister Poloai's going to come
into a wonderful ward, and a baptism this Saturday! Pauline is a 74
year old mother of four and grandmother and great-grandmother to many,
and she is ready for the gospel. She says "I'm sorry" everytime she
picks a flower and she loves nature and thinks of us as her little
family. A lovely sister had great courage and introduced us to her.
Member missionary work is always the best way.
There are times when I feel overwhelmed with gratitude that I am a
missionary. I have been having dreams about not being a missionary
anymore, and it wakes me up because I start to cry, and when I'm
awake, I just pray and give thanks that it was just a dream, and I am
still a missionary. My plan for my last transfer is to give everything
I have to my new companion and to the area and have nothing left in me
when I get picked up from the airport. I don't want much sleep or much
time or much rest. There is too much to do!
It's another transfers time, and looks like I'm training round 3. Last
and final! Yes! It should be exciting, Sister Poloai's going to come
into a wonderful ward, and a baptism this Saturday! Pauline is a 74
year old mother of four and grandmother and great-grandmother to many,
and she is ready for the gospel. She says "I'm sorry" everytime she
picks a flower and she loves nature and thinks of us as her little
family. A lovely sister had great courage and introduced us to her.
Member missionary work is always the best way.
There are times when I feel overwhelmed with gratitude that I am a
missionary. I have been having dreams about not being a missionary
anymore, and it wakes me up because I start to cry, and when I'm
awake, I just pray and give thanks that it was just a dream, and I am
still a missionary. My plan for my last transfer is to give everything
I have to my new companion and to the area and have nothing left in me
when I get picked up from the airport. I don't want much sleep or much
time or much rest. There is too much to do!
Monday, June 6, 2011
6/6/11 Letter
Hi,
There's always miracles. I'm so happy that Cassie got baptized this past weekend - I have a gigantic testimony of tracting. It works. And I love it.
A couple weeks ago, we tracted into a less-active sister, who came to church for the first time in 20 years yesterday. She brought her 11-year old son Dane, and he just loved primary, she bore her testimony in Relief Society and by the end of the meetings, she was telling the other sisters that he is getting baptized. So. Our work is done. Yes!
There's always miracles. I'm so happy that Cassie got baptized this past weekend - I have a gigantic testimony of tracting. It works. And I love it.
A couple weeks ago, we tracted into a less-active sister, who came to church for the first time in 20 years yesterday. She brought her 11-year old son Dane, and he just loved primary, she bore her testimony in Relief Society and by the end of the meetings, she was telling the other sisters that he is getting baptized. So. Our work is done. Yes!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
5/23/11 Letter
A good week:
>
> Monday: Elder Evans of the Seventy comes and gives us revelation from
> our Heavenly Father about hard work and getting referrals. It's great
> that his son is serving here in the Chinese-speaking program.
> Sometimes I wish they would just send a Chinese sister here, and then
> me and her could be companions and I could spend the dusk of my
> mission baptizing Chinese people.
> Tuesday: ?
> Wednesday: We teach the Stop Smoking program to two Lebanese men. I
> ask them for their cigarettes, tobacco, rolling papers, and lighters,
> and I carry them on me until I find an outside garbage bin, and for
> that ten minutes, I feel dodgy and dangerous.
> Thursday: We found Mele and Paul, mother and son, tracting and teach
> them about the Restoration. Down the road, we find Collin, and teach
> him as well. All of Alexandra Hills is getting baptized! And I have
> french toast for breakfast.
> Friday: ?
> Saturday: At the ward talent show, I see something I've never seen
> before called the "lolly scramble." Brother Cooper stands on the stage
> with massive bags of candy. He yells "LOLLY SCRAMBLE!!!" and throws
> all of his candy out towards the audience, and the children
> just...well, you can just imagine what the children do. It's one of
> the most violent things I've ever seen.
> Sunday: ?
>
>
> Monday: Elder Evans of the Seventy comes and gives us revelation from
> our Heavenly Father about hard work and getting referrals. It's great
> that his son is serving here in the Chinese-speaking program.
> Sometimes I wish they would just send a Chinese sister here, and then
> me and her could be companions and I could spend the dusk of my
> mission baptizing Chinese people.
> Tuesday: ?
> Wednesday: We teach the Stop Smoking program to two Lebanese men. I
> ask them for their cigarettes, tobacco, rolling papers, and lighters,
> and I carry them on me until I find an outside garbage bin, and for
> that ten minutes, I feel dodgy and dangerous.
> Thursday: We found Mele and Paul, mother and son, tracting and teach
> them about the Restoration. Down the road, we find Collin, and teach
> him as well. All of Alexandra Hills is getting baptized! And I have
> french toast for breakfast.
> Friday: ?
> Saturday: At the ward talent show, I see something I've never seen
> before called the "lolly scramble." Brother Cooper stands on the stage
> with massive bags of candy. He yells "LOLLY SCRAMBLE!!!" and throws
> all of his candy out towards the audience, and the children
> just...well, you can just imagine what the children do. It's one of
> the most violent things I've ever seen.
> Sunday: ?
>
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
5/16/2011 Letter
Kia ora,
So training and white-washing an elder's area (and apartmentttt) at the same time is proving itself to be nice and challenging. I think the Lord is trying to kill me. Or at least make sure I'm picked up from the airport in a stretcher. When we got there, the apartment didn't have a working vacuum, microwave, washer, dryer, blankets, pillows, towels, cleaning supplies, any edible food, and we were missing a bed. What??? I cried for five minutes. But it's been a week, and we've gathered the necessities and I clean a lot. I can clean good. Yes!!! I just physically can't believe I'm not in the Gold Coast anymore. I'm actually in Brisbane City.
So training and white-washing an elder's area (and apartmentttt) at the same time is proving itself to be nice and challenging. I think the Lord is trying to kill me. Or at least make sure I'm picked up from the airport in a stretcher. When we got there, the apartment didn't have a working vacuum, microwave, washer, dryer, blankets, pillows, towels, cleaning supplies, any edible food, and we were missing a bed. What??? I cried for five minutes. But it's been a week, and we've gathered the necessities and I clean a lot. I can clean good. Yes!!! I just physically can't believe I'm not in the Gold Coast anymore. I'm actually in Brisbane City.
Friday, May 13, 2011
5/9/2011 Letter
Kia Ora,
I've left the Gold Coast! It's been entrusted to my kind, wise trainee Sister Cherrie. And so coming into transfer meeting I thought, "Terrific, I can have a rest!" but no, I'm whitewashing an area in Brisbane City, training a new person. I wonder who she'll be. We'll see. I wonder if I'll sleep? Maybe I'll just sleep when I get home.
Here's a picture of me and Cassie, getting baptized this month! And Arianna, another investigator.
I've left the Gold Coast! It's been entrusted to my kind, wise trainee Sister Cherrie. And so coming into transfer meeting I thought, "Terrific, I can have a rest!" but no, I'm whitewashing an area in Brisbane City, training a new person. I wonder who she'll be. We'll see. I wonder if I'll sleep? Maybe I'll just sleep when I get home.
Here's a picture of me and Cassie, getting baptized this month! And Arianna, another investigator.
Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
3/28/2011 LETTER
Hi, Everything's going good! This next transfer I'm training a new missionary from New Zealand. Still covering two wards. All good. Gold Coast is the best.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Kia ora,
I haven't had a banana in 3 months. The deadly floods in Queensland killed the bananas, and they cost like $8 AU a kilo. That figure may mean nothing to you, but what it means is I can't afford bananas.
The Cox family had a wonderful baptism on Saturday, and an even more wonderful feed afterwards. No bananas. All good. See you!
I haven't had a banana in 3 months. The deadly floods in Queensland killed the bananas, and they cost like $8 AU a kilo. That figure may mean nothing to you, but what it means is I can't afford bananas.
The Cox family had a wonderful baptism on Saturday, and an even more wonderful feed afterwards. No bananas. All good. See you!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
2/21/2011 Latter
Hi,
- The elders were invited to cast out an evil spirit this week, and they invited us to come. Thanks you two! What a great thing though:
the Tongan three-fingered spirit with animal feet was successfully removed, and now we're teaching Brother and Sister Tuitui. The priesthood is real! The church is true!
- Member referral success: 70-year old Brother and Sister Bale invited a nonmember Lynda to dinner with us, and now we're teaching her as she goes through chemotherapy. Great work.
- Joshua is getting baptized in two weeks, and we're having an icecream party for him afterwards. 14 toppings, because he's 14, and so was Joseph Smith. Reese's pieces?
- Yesterday I went to church by myself. Have you ever had to do that before? My companions went to the other ward we cover. It wasn't good.
- Today is P-Day and we are leaving Queensland, and going to New South Wales. We're leaving the mission. To go and visit a lighthouse in a place called Byron Bay. It's what you do when you serve in isolated Gold Coast.
I'm onto the Jesus Christ appearing chapters now in the Book of Mormon, and I want you to know that I know that He really did visit those people in Bountiful after His death and resurrection. His love for those people is the same as His love for us. "Arise, and come forth" is the same invitation He has for us, to see, feel, and know that He is the Christ.
- The elders were invited to cast out an evil spirit this week, and they invited us to come. Thanks you two! What a great thing though:
the Tongan three-fingered spirit with animal feet was successfully removed, and now we're teaching Brother and Sister Tuitui. The priesthood is real! The church is true!
- Member referral success: 70-year old Brother and Sister Bale invited a nonmember Lynda to dinner with us, and now we're teaching her as she goes through chemotherapy. Great work.
- Joshua is getting baptized in two weeks, and we're having an icecream party for him afterwards. 14 toppings, because he's 14, and so was Joseph Smith. Reese's pieces?
- Yesterday I went to church by myself. Have you ever had to do that before? My companions went to the other ward we cover. It wasn't good.
- Today is P-Day and we are leaving Queensland, and going to New South Wales. We're leaving the mission. To go and visit a lighthouse in a place called Byron Bay. It's what you do when you serve in isolated Gold Coast.
I'm onto the Jesus Christ appearing chapters now in the Book of Mormon, and I want you to know that I know that He really did visit those people in Bountiful after His death and resurrection. His love for those people is the same as His love for us. "Arise, and come forth" is the same invitation He has for us, to see, feel, and know that He is the Christ.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
2/14/11 Letter
Kia Ora,
Yep, I'm still in the Gold Coast, and surprise! This transfer, we're covering two wards. I'm not sure how we do that, what with the church meetings at the same time, the next month of dinners already booked at two different wards, and all that, but we'll figure out a way with the Lord's help. Haha. Man. Even more difficult: we're not eating sweets for the next 6 weeks. Again, we'll figure out a way with the Lord's help. Great!
Me (after teaching the First Vision): Teowai, how does that make you feel?
9-year old investigator Teowai: I feel...relieved.
Me: Why is that?
Him: This means that God is real.
That's my testimony. I feel so relieved. Joseph Smith prayed one spring morning. Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and that means they are alive, and real. God hears and He answers prayers.
Yep, I'm still in the Gold Coast, and surprise! This transfer, we're covering two wards. I'm not sure how we do that, what with the church meetings at the same time, the next month of dinners already booked at two different wards, and all that, but we'll figure out a way with the Lord's help. Haha. Man. Even more difficult: we're not eating sweets for the next 6 weeks. Again, we'll figure out a way with the Lord's help. Great!
Me (after teaching the First Vision): Teowai, how does that make you feel?
9-year old investigator Teowai: I feel...relieved.
Me: Why is that?
Him: This means that God is real.
That's my testimony. I feel so relieved. Joseph Smith prayed one spring morning. Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ, and that means they are alive, and real. God hears and He answers prayers.
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
1/3/2011 Letter
Kia ora,
I say that because I'm magically transferred back to the place I spent 8 months of my mission. Gold Coast. Man, it's good to be home. They let me up for air for a couple of months, and now I'm right back. It's sad to leave my friend Storme, who is getting baptized in two weeks, and to leave my sweet as ward mission leader and his 13 children, but I'm happy.
This was definitely the best Christmas of my entire life. A feeling came over me on Christmas Eve, and I couldn't stop crying for a couple of hours because I felt so happy that the Savior was born on the earth. He is the Redeemer of the world! He has felt every pain, affliction, physical illness, rejection, humiliation, and of course, every consequence of sin, out of love for us and for His Father. I am so far from being like Him, because I am so imperfect, but I know that His Atonement gives me hope.
I magically have 18 bug bites on my legs, and my companion thinks it's because of my chocolate eating affecting the blood and making it more appealing. I don't know what it is, but it's so painful! It's hard to kneel! If anyone has any idea why they eat me, just tell me.
Happy New Year!
This was definitely the best Christmas of my entire life. A feeling came over me on Christmas Eve, and I couldn't stop crying for a couple of hours because I felt so happy that the Savior was born on the earth. He is the Redeemer of the world! He has felt every pain, affliction, physical illness, rejection, humiliation, and of course, every consequence of sin, out of love for us and for His Father. I am so far from being like Him, because I am so imperfect, but I know that His Atonement gives me hope.
I magically have 18 bug bites on my legs, and my companion thinks it's because of my chocolate eating affecting the blood and making it more appealing. I don't know what it is, but it's so painful! It's hard to kneel! If anyone has any idea why they eat me, just tell me.
Happy New Year!
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