...because I am walking around on the opposite side of the world!
G'day, as they say, to Mom, Dad, Celeste, Crystal, Alise, Kyle and of course Jeremia. So much is happening! First of all, my companion is Sister Wang from Xi'An, China. I'm in a suburb of Melbourne called Wantirna. It's quite beautiful here. The vegetation reminds me of southern California. The weather is PURRRRFECT. It's not humid at all today and it's sunny. Now that I pay attention, though, I think I can feel my skin getting eaten away by the sun--the hole in the ozone layer is right over me. I live in a house with another set of sisters--Sister Ansley from New Zealand and Sister Erickson from...um...Layton. The house is spacious and bright and sunny and clean and we have a selection of palm trees. Right now I'm at a library, which is in a shopping mall. Kmart and Target are also in the mall, as well as what seems like millions of people. Oh yeah and my house is just a few minutes away from the chapel and the TEMPLE.
Big announcement: I HAVE BEEN DRIVING ALL DAY ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE ROAD!!!!!!!! I was terrified of the chance that I would have to drive, but everyone reassured me that I wouldn't need to for a few months...ha! My companion doesn't have her license so I have to drive everywhere!!!! We haven't had too many terrifying moments in the hour or so that I have been on the road. But every time I go to use the turn signal I turn on the windshield (windscreen?) wiper and when I turn right Sister Wang cries out on fear because I'm headed into oncoming traffic. (Well, I've turned onto the wrong side but not into traffic yet.) This terror will only occur every other day; we share the car with the other set of sisters. The other days we get bikes. Which may or may not be as dangerous.
I had my first real teaching experience this morning. We have an investigator named Lisa and I think she'll just get baptised. Convenient for me, yes? We went over to read the Book of Mormon with her because she said she hasn't felt the Spirit while reading it and that it doesn't resonate with her. I asked her what her concerns are and one of them was that she doesn't get how the House of Israel has anything to do with her and why is this an old record for contemporary times. Fast forward as we continue through the lesson: akjhailwrhh lka ncvi kjnv.,a iwury toqiejrf,... okay so I get this idea. I say to her: Lisa--did you know that when we are baptised we are adopted into the House of Israel? By the covenant that Abraham made we are received into the House of Israel... and wow you should have seen her eyes ignite as she told me "well that brings a new light into this..." or something to that effect. I'm excited. This area has had, what, one baptism this entire year. BUT I have realized that what we're up to is NOT trying to convince people that they want this. It's a huge deal. It is finding those that do want it. Those that are ready. For that reason you can't get discouraged when someone doesn't want to listen; we weren't looking for them on this last great rescue mission. It's like the most important treasure hunt I've ever embarked upon. My first name isn't on this little badge of mine because it's not me that these people reject when they choose not to listen. It's interesting to stand in a crowd of people that you have responsibility for and just love them and ache for them to listen to you but realize that you probably won't get the chance to ever say anything.
The journey across the Pacific Ocean. I heard one of the assistants yesterday say that the MTC is like fairyland and then you get thrown into this real stuff. It's kinda true. Anyway I came over here with three Elders from my MTC district. It was a nice one last hurrah. All 10 of us became verrrrrrry close in Provo. I have designated a Mission Best Friend--one who is close enough to understand what's going on but removed enough to talk to--and that is Elder Brent Lamkin, a convert of nearly two years who I'm reasonably sure has moved a mountain or two with his faith. My companion, like him, joined 2 years ago in January. Coincidence? I have much to learn from these people. LAX was possibly the craziest place I have ever been. Just picture the international terminal: Lines and lines and lines and clusters of people queued (heh) up to fly to Malaysia, Singapore, Korea, India. We survived that and completed the second leg of our 22-hour or more commitment to fly to Australia. We were all so nervous. I made this tradition in the MTC of saying "we're going to Australia!" all the time and the Elders found that the most convenient time to repeat that. What an adventure. It's funny how real going on a mission is and how I didn't understand that before. Elder Verdonk went with another Canadian out to the bush (outback! kangaroos! platypi?) and Elder Lamkin and Elder Richards to suburbs somewhere. I am so so so so excited for them. It's been so fun watching them become missionaries.
As soon as our plane arrived, we waited for the missionaries to arrive from the New Zealand MTC and they whisked us off to foreign and exciting destinations like the bank and the mission office. I was a grumpyface: all I wanted to do was change my clothes and eat a sandwich but they kept making us do allllllllll this stuff. We had some lunch and met the trainers and brought us to a train station/commercial area to do some "GQing": street contacting I guess. Which means slam poor lost searching souls with a 30-second message of the Restoration. It's really cool actually, both to see peoples' reactions to such boldness, and to talk to people and see the inner questions that have been burning. Australians are way friendly. More than Americans, even, in the stores--what!? That's what I've noticed so far anyway. A 24-hour observation. If they don't want to listen to you they'll just tell you, but kinda friendly-like, and suggest that you go tell someone else.
Mm, so much to write but I'd better go. Being here is BEE.YOU.TEA.FULL. I couldn't be more happy that I am NOT in Russia, or Indonesia, or Denmark (those of you who know me well will recognize a change of heart) and that yesterday at Ringwood (GQing) I had my language and my personality as a resource. I love English, even just looking at it. As we drove away from the airport, past the city, and toward my new home it really didn't matter where I was, just that I have something intriguing and fascinating and engaging and powerful to do here. Being around other missionaries is sacred. I can't get enough. We have so much power given to us to be agents of the Lord Jesus Christ...talking about these things to strangers and to others like me as well has become so much easier and natural because right now it's the only thing that matters. Email me...I'll check it usually on Wednesdays. I'm getting pictures printed so I'll send them out next week.
I have so much more I wanted to say but this will do for now.
Ciao!!!!!
All my love,
Savanna
(more commonly known as Sister Nilsen these days.)
PS Some missionaries work on their Australian accents but I have realised that I want to try and keep mine. Ha, we'll see.
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