Hi--Sister Erickson and I are going to Tecoma to see the elders there because they're moving and they're our current favourite friends and we'll probably never see them again. So not much writing time.
We found out about President Hinckley's death a few hours after it happened from some members here, right after returning from our Australia Day picnic. We had a few moments of holy mourning. I'd looked at his picture that morning in a conference Ensign and wondered whether he'd be around for the next one. He's the prophet I've grown up with, and the only one most of us missionaries can remember. Poor Kaila, the 9-year-old who was baptised on Sunday. We told her the news last night and she looked as if she would cry--she had, after all, only just learned his name. I told her "remember Henry Gordon Lee Bankley...?" (Last week when we were teaching her, we taught her the living prophet's name--Gordon B. Hinckley--and asked her the name and she confidently stated "Henry Gordon Lee Bankley.") But then we told her a new one would be called in a few days and she was relieved.
We'd had a couple of events I was really looking forward to that are now canceled in consequence: a mission conference combined with the Melbourne West Mission, meaning we'd get to leave our mission boundaries for the first time and go to a chapel by Melbourne City, as well as see the 100 missionaries. Sister Erickson and I were going to sing Praise to the Man in a small group. Plus we have stake conference this weekend, where Elder Tingey and Elder Sybrowsky were supposed to speak, as well as host a dinner for all of 2007's converts. Elder Tingey had to go home with Elder Cook, who was in New Zealand, but I think President Sybrowsky is coming still (he's the area president).
Another funny thing Kaila said: we taught her about obedience and she said "I thought obedience was when something was wrong with your liver...no, that's obious! no, that's obese!"
We took that new family we're teaching to LDS Social Services Addiction Recovery. It was a great class. We learned how to meditate. I don't think the method was so effective for me but Sister Erickson loved it. Especially the lady of the pair is such a lovely person. I have a lot of hope for her and what we can do for them.
On Australia day Sister Erickson and I had our first try at playing cricket. I wasn't that fabulous. They had me "bowl" which means pitch, which is a really awkward movement because you throw the ball but it's more like launching it because you can't bend your arm. My arm's not so good at being a catapult.
We received a call from a member the other day who'd been shopping at Smiggle (a trendy stationery shop owned by a member in the Moorabbin ward) and pointed out to the manager at the cash register that the models in the advertisements go to our church. The lady, Naomi, had been searching for a church to attend with her husband, but the member didn't think to invite her to come to ours. So she told us about her and we went to Smiggle on Saturday. We weren't sure what to do because there were lots of customers but we waited for the activity to die down and we finally got to talk to her. It went lots better than we'd expected. They really have been searching for churches to attend, and I think they'd kind of disqualified ours and wouldn't have thought of it unless someone talked to them. So I told her about the Book of Mormon and why it's necessary and doesn't compete with the Bible and about its historical context. She has a Pentecostal/kind of born-again background so she had some hard questions, but was actually interested in the answers and was sincere about wanting to check it out. When I was talking to her I felt a little like I was looking at myself because she was only a little taller than me, a 21-year-old university student with long blond hair, and we were both wearing headbands. She lives in Frankston, though, so we won't get to teach her. I think Sister Kumar, who's now in Frankston, will be great for her.
Well, that's all I have for today. A few of our investigators have broken up with us recently, so we'll be doing a lot of finding in the upcoming weeks. I'm okay with that!
Keep filling me in on the results of the primaries!
Was President Hinckley's death on the front page of any national newspapers? We found a small article on page 26 of the Victorian paper. It was next to an unsavoury advertisement. Hmph.
Bye!
Savanna
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
I have a nice life.
Missionary life is really nice. I'm happy.
It will be worth your time to read the entire email this week. :)
Interviews with President Lindley were last week. I'm feeling embarrassed about it. It was basically him asking me about my plans are for when I get home (I'm still very vague on what to do for the first year) and then saying "you know what your next great important work is, right?" If you haven't guessed, the important work I have to do next was marriage. The conversation was uncomfortable. Ha. Besides that, we made some goals for the end of my mission and he promised that I'd have wonderful experiences if I do these three things consistently: exercise in the morning for 30 minutes, search for the promises in Preach My Gospel, and outline at least one lesson every day with my companion during companion study. To Sister Erickson he gave specific study plans, including to memorize The Living Christ, so we pretty much had it memorized by the end of the next day. I love having projects to accomplish. We're still working on refining it, but we have it done.
We had a good day yesterday. It was for no specific reason, but we rode bikes (it hurt; it was hot) and talked to everyone we ran into, and found some potential investigators. Some guy was walking eating a sandwich from KFC and I really felt like scolding him because he thinks everything he has he got himself, and that he doesn't need anyone. I asked him where he got his sandwich, and how he got to work, and how he breathes, and how he was born. He does need people. He does need God. We also visited the mother of a less-active family (she told us some updates on the Australian Open. By the way, I'm pretty sure I saw Roger Federer play in Athens 2004. He was on one of the small courts. I was a few feet away from him. :) ) Anyway, we visited her and she hadn't had missionaries over for a few years. It's a really sad story--some of her children made some bad choices and some people reacted in a way that really disappointed them, so they chose not to come back for a while, but she still has such a pure testimony and the family lives all of the commandments that they can. I think we can help them, if they don't want to come to a church building yet, to reestablish gospel habits so they can be a stronger family and feel the influence of the Spirit.
We also saw Garren yesterday. (The one Sister Wakeley and I were teaching last year in Moorabbin, and he recognized us when we found him tracting here in Berwick...don't deny that that's a miracle!) I feel like he's MY investigator. He doesn't keep commitments too often, so it would be easy to just give up on him, but he loves our visits and I'm starting to see that what we're teaching him is becoming more a part of his life. We read the Living Christ with him because we suspected that next we need to find out if he has faith in Christ and we needed to help him get some. Tomorrow we're going to bring him a book, like a journal, where he can write about instances he has that help him understand that God really is there and really does help him, something as simple as seeing something beautiful or having an easy drive to work, or someone being helpful to him. Garren really responds to principles that help him understand his potential, both where he came from before he was born and what he can expect to become after. He said it's changing his perspective. It's just so nice to see him retain and ponder what we've taught. I love listening to him talk and hearing his ideas on life.
Oh yeah! News on Kaila! On Saturday we took her to a child-of-record baptism and afterwards our ward mission leader invited her to be baptised, that he'd love to baptise her because he'd baptised her mum, and Kaila accepted. She seems so happy now. She made invitations for her friends and family (including me--it was so cute). It's happening Sunday after church.
Kyle and Jenn--THANK YOU... that was the most amazing gift. I didn't have any idea that such footage even existed. I have shown my baptism DVD to Kaila and Jessica, two of my investigators, as well as the elders at district meeting. You were right--it is helping with the Lord's work. I was such an awkward kid (according to my perspective), but I knew what I was doing.
Sister Wakeley and I got to work together again on Monday. I went to her area for exchanges. I've always loved working in Dandenong. It's got to be the most multicultural area in the mission. We taught several families from Sudan, one guy from China who'd been in Australia for three days, some Croatians, a few Aussies, some Cambodians, the inevitable Indian. We found one new investigator, an old German man named Bill who really wanted to come to church. As we were about to leave, he said "you made my day" and I felt really humble and guilty for not always loving tracting. Selfish!
I really loved church on Sunday. I just sat in sacrament meeting and thought about how I appreciated all the members there. They're such strong examples. I called the Bishop that evening to find some information on the ward mission plan and was unprepared for all the jokes he made... on the list of plans is to help four families join the church, which he said was anywhere from 8 to 100,000 people. He wants us to find a family of 400 with 4 generations living under one roof. I said we'd have to find a Japanese family. So now he says he's expecting us to find the 4 Japanese families with 400 members each, hiding somewhere in the rural suburbs of Pakenham. He's a German guy whose parents live in my first area. They were the first members I met in Australia. The grandmother told me that evening I look like a stranger, then about a month later she said "you look no more stranger." I still felt a little stranger.
Here's Savanna's favourite missionary joke of the week:
(I'm sorry; not everyone will get it.)
I'll present it as a dialogue. The characters are me and my new zone leader, Elder Levin. He's from Provo. We were talking about patriarchal blessings.
Elder Levin: "I'm from the tribe of Judah."
Me, pointing, urgently: "Gather him!"
Elder Levin: "But I'm already gathered!"
And my favourite Australian joke of the week:
Sister Erickson and I, for some reason, were reading the dictionary.
"Be careful not to confuse FLOOR with FLAW"
In America the pronunciation isn't even close but I guess in Australia you have to be careful not to tell someone to wash the FLAW.
The end! Transfer news come in a week. I suspect Sister Erickson will be moved, but she thinks she's staying.
I'll be home in precisely three months from today.
Love you!
Savanna
It will be worth your time to read the entire email this week. :)
Interviews with President Lindley were last week. I'm feeling embarrassed about it. It was basically him asking me about my plans are for when I get home (I'm still very vague on what to do for the first year) and then saying "you know what your next great important work is, right?" If you haven't guessed, the important work I have to do next was marriage. The conversation was uncomfortable. Ha. Besides that, we made some goals for the end of my mission and he promised that I'd have wonderful experiences if I do these three things consistently: exercise in the morning for 30 minutes, search for the promises in Preach My Gospel, and outline at least one lesson every day with my companion during companion study. To Sister Erickson he gave specific study plans, including to memorize The Living Christ, so we pretty much had it memorized by the end of the next day. I love having projects to accomplish. We're still working on refining it, but we have it done.
We had a good day yesterday. It was for no specific reason, but we rode bikes (it hurt; it was hot) and talked to everyone we ran into, and found some potential investigators. Some guy was walking eating a sandwich from KFC and I really felt like scolding him because he thinks everything he has he got himself, and that he doesn't need anyone. I asked him where he got his sandwich, and how he got to work, and how he breathes, and how he was born. He does need people. He does need God. We also visited the mother of a less-active family (she told us some updates on the Australian Open. By the way, I'm pretty sure I saw Roger Federer play in Athens 2004. He was on one of the small courts. I was a few feet away from him. :) ) Anyway, we visited her and she hadn't had missionaries over for a few years. It's a really sad story--some of her children made some bad choices and some people reacted in a way that really disappointed them, so they chose not to come back for a while, but she still has such a pure testimony and the family lives all of the commandments that they can. I think we can help them, if they don't want to come to a church building yet, to reestablish gospel habits so they can be a stronger family and feel the influence of the Spirit.
We also saw Garren yesterday. (The one Sister Wakeley and I were teaching last year in Moorabbin, and he recognized us when we found him tracting here in Berwick...don't deny that that's a miracle!) I feel like he's MY investigator. He doesn't keep commitments too often, so it would be easy to just give up on him, but he loves our visits and I'm starting to see that what we're teaching him is becoming more a part of his life. We read the Living Christ with him because we suspected that next we need to find out if he has faith in Christ and we needed to help him get some. Tomorrow we're going to bring him a book, like a journal, where he can write about instances he has that help him understand that God really is there and really does help him, something as simple as seeing something beautiful or having an easy drive to work, or someone being helpful to him. Garren really responds to principles that help him understand his potential, both where he came from before he was born and what he can expect to become after. He said it's changing his perspective. It's just so nice to see him retain and ponder what we've taught. I love listening to him talk and hearing his ideas on life.
Oh yeah! News on Kaila! On Saturday we took her to a child-of-record baptism and afterwards our ward mission leader invited her to be baptised, that he'd love to baptise her because he'd baptised her mum, and Kaila accepted. She seems so happy now. She made invitations for her friends and family (including me--it was so cute). It's happening Sunday after church.
Kyle and Jenn--THANK YOU... that was the most amazing gift. I didn't have any idea that such footage even existed. I have shown my baptism DVD to Kaila and Jessica, two of my investigators, as well as the elders at district meeting. You were right--it is helping with the Lord's work. I was such an awkward kid (according to my perspective), but I knew what I was doing.
Sister Wakeley and I got to work together again on Monday. I went to her area for exchanges. I've always loved working in Dandenong. It's got to be the most multicultural area in the mission. We taught several families from Sudan, one guy from China who'd been in Australia for three days, some Croatians, a few Aussies, some Cambodians, the inevitable Indian. We found one new investigator, an old German man named Bill who really wanted to come to church. As we were about to leave, he said "you made my day" and I felt really humble and guilty for not always loving tracting. Selfish!
I really loved church on Sunday. I just sat in sacrament meeting and thought about how I appreciated all the members there. They're such strong examples. I called the Bishop that evening to find some information on the ward mission plan and was unprepared for all the jokes he made... on the list of plans is to help four families join the church, which he said was anywhere from 8 to 100,000 people. He wants us to find a family of 400 with 4 generations living under one roof. I said we'd have to find a Japanese family. So now he says he's expecting us to find the 4 Japanese families with 400 members each, hiding somewhere in the rural suburbs of Pakenham. He's a German guy whose parents live in my first area. They were the first members I met in Australia. The grandmother told me that evening I look like a stranger, then about a month later she said "you look no more stranger." I still felt a little stranger.
Here's Savanna's favourite missionary joke of the week:
(I'm sorry; not everyone will get it.)
I'll present it as a dialogue. The characters are me and my new zone leader, Elder Levin. He's from Provo. We were talking about patriarchal blessings.
Elder Levin: "I'm from the tribe of Judah."
Me, pointing, urgently: "Gather him!"
Elder Levin: "But I'm already gathered!"
And my favourite Australian joke of the week:
Sister Erickson and I, for some reason, were reading the dictionary.
"Be careful not to confuse FLOOR with FLAW"
In America the pronunciation isn't even close but I guess in Australia you have to be careful not to tell someone to wash the FLAW.
The end! Transfer news come in a week. I suspect Sister Erickson will be moved, but she thinks she's staying.
I'll be home in precisely three months from today.
Love you!
Savanna
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
only 6 more weeks of summer left
Hi! This email will have to be written super fast.
We went tracting on Savanna Court last week and got a new investigator. We'd just had training on talking to everyone about their lives, not just about our message (that sounds funny) so it was a particularly enjoyable time. Christine Court was right next to it, and that's Sister Erickson's middle name. A strange coincidence?
On Sunday Sister Erickson and I went to a barbecue a Sudanese family invited us to. We're teaching them English, but not the gospel. Sister Erickson teaches the mother, Zahra, English while the kids teach me about the Qu'ran. It's been interesting. We got to the barbecue and they were ALL from Sudan (tall, really dark Africans), wearing colorful religious/cultural clothes, about 15-20 women and the same number of men, plus a couple of children for each couple. The men were outside and the women inside. The children came up to us and lined up in a row and asked us questions, and the young ones (6 years old) came and asked if we're Christians. We were quite the spectacle.
We had an amazing but sad experience last night. A member who hadn't been to church for 15 years came on Sunday with his sister. He and his fiancee are struggling to overcome drug addiction. They're such lovely people and have had such hard lives. I wanted to write more about this but the person who brought us just now told us we have to leave right now so I don't have time, but I've never felt more powerfully the strength and value that comes from bringing up a family in righteousness. I feel so safe. I guess I can write more about them later.
Please write!
Savanna
We went tracting on Savanna Court last week and got a new investigator. We'd just had training on talking to everyone about their lives, not just about our message (that sounds funny) so it was a particularly enjoyable time. Christine Court was right next to it, and that's Sister Erickson's middle name. A strange coincidence?
On Sunday Sister Erickson and I went to a barbecue a Sudanese family invited us to. We're teaching them English, but not the gospel. Sister Erickson teaches the mother, Zahra, English while the kids teach me about the Qu'ran. It's been interesting. We got to the barbecue and they were ALL from Sudan (tall, really dark Africans), wearing colorful religious/cultural clothes, about 15-20 women and the same number of men, plus a couple of children for each couple. The men were outside and the women inside. The children came up to us and lined up in a row and asked us questions, and the young ones (6 years old) came and asked if we're Christians. We were quite the spectacle.
We had an amazing but sad experience last night. A member who hadn't been to church for 15 years came on Sunday with his sister. He and his fiancee are struggling to overcome drug addiction. They're such lovely people and have had such hard lives. I wanted to write more about this but the person who brought us just now told us we have to leave right now so I don't have time, but I've never felt more powerfully the strength and value that comes from bringing up a family in righteousness. I feel so safe. I guess I can write more about them later.
Please write!
Savanna
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
I'm melting!
I discovered that I get sunburned if I am in the sun for 10 minutes without sunscreen. We just got permission to wear full-brimmed hats, and I'm going to buy one today. It was definitely NOT this hot last summer. It's like Las Vegas in August hot. Except today it's cooler and there's a breeze.
Sister Erickson is my new favorite superstar. I should have written favourite. We had a chapel tour lined up with Garren because he was nervous to go to church on Sunday. He had just run off to help a friend when we got to his house, so we went in search of someone else to go to the tour. We had acquired a key and a member to come from a nearby town, so we thought it important to make it worth everyone's effort. We tried Grant. He wasn't home. Sister Erickson thought of Candice, who'd said she wouldn't be available for a few weeks and who'd had a small operation that day, and we asked if she wanted to come. She said "sure, I'll help you out!" and just came. That was a medium-sized miracle, I think.
We taught Kaila a lot last week. Her newest concern about baptism is "but it's just regular water." Who is this kid? She's so different from her mother in that way. It was fast Sunday and Michelle, Sister Erickson, and I fasted together to help Kaila. I REALLY hope something happens, because it would be a great foundation for Michelle's testimony of this new principle she's been asked to live.
Sister Erickson and I are having so much fun together. We had so many great experiences this week--some of them hilarious, some of them very spiritual. Usually I make a list throughout the week of everything I want to write about in my email, but I didn't this week, so I can't remember all of them.
Tomorrow is zone conference. We're going with Michelle on Thursday to the temple to do baptisms. It should be a nice relief, because Thursday is going to be 41 degrees Celsius, or 106 degrees Fahrenheit, and Friday is going to be 42 degrees Celsius. It's kind of useless doing finding on those hot days because people open the door and say, "you're crazy! go home!" then some of them offer us water before shutting the door and sending us on our way. There's absolutely no one on the street. I'm SO thankful for the car on those days. We determined to use bicycles whenever the heat is at all bearable. We were on bikes all day yesterday going up and down hills and my legs were aching by the time we went to bed half an hour early. Ha, I'm so weak. I thought we went about five times the distance we actually did.
On Sunday the elders from another ward at our building told us a lady showed up to church and gave us her number and address. She'd heard that some "Mormons" had been to the house when she was out and felt bad that she'd missed whoever it actually was that went, so she looked up the address in the phone book and stopped in on Sunday morning. We went over and taught her the Restoration last night. It was a really well organized, well articulated, passionate enough lesson. The member we brought was just perfect for her. We were a little disappointed after the lesson because she seemed to understand it but by some things she said after, we realized she didn't. I tried to help her understand that this is about absolute, eternal truth, but she said that truth is in your heart. I feel like people think they can define God according to what they believe. Does this mean if they vascillate between believing and not believing, then he vascillates in and out of existence? Anyway, about Kerry, I really appreciate that she's willing to learn, whether it's academic to her; any reason to begin investigating is valid. We'll just see what God does with this one.
I just want to reiterate for anyone who knew I really wanted to be called to a foreign-speaking mission that I am REALLY REALLY REALLY thankful to be doing this in English. It's difficult enough speaking clearly of these things that are so personal and so deep in my native language, and difficult enough trying to make connections with people all the time. I hope the day comes when most missionaries serving in each country are natives of that land. The gift of another language is really precious too, though...
That's it for today!
Please write!
Love
Savanna
Sister Erickson is my new favorite superstar. I should have written favourite. We had a chapel tour lined up with Garren because he was nervous to go to church on Sunday. He had just run off to help a friend when we got to his house, so we went in search of someone else to go to the tour. We had acquired a key and a member to come from a nearby town, so we thought it important to make it worth everyone's effort. We tried Grant. He wasn't home. Sister Erickson thought of Candice, who'd said she wouldn't be available for a few weeks and who'd had a small operation that day, and we asked if she wanted to come. She said "sure, I'll help you out!" and just came. That was a medium-sized miracle, I think.
We taught Kaila a lot last week. Her newest concern about baptism is "but it's just regular water." Who is this kid? She's so different from her mother in that way. It was fast Sunday and Michelle, Sister Erickson, and I fasted together to help Kaila. I REALLY hope something happens, because it would be a great foundation for Michelle's testimony of this new principle she's been asked to live.
Sister Erickson and I are having so much fun together. We had so many great experiences this week--some of them hilarious, some of them very spiritual. Usually I make a list throughout the week of everything I want to write about in my email, but I didn't this week, so I can't remember all of them.
Tomorrow is zone conference. We're going with Michelle on Thursday to the temple to do baptisms. It should be a nice relief, because Thursday is going to be 41 degrees Celsius, or 106 degrees Fahrenheit, and Friday is going to be 42 degrees Celsius. It's kind of useless doing finding on those hot days because people open the door and say, "you're crazy! go home!" then some of them offer us water before shutting the door and sending us on our way. There's absolutely no one on the street. I'm SO thankful for the car on those days. We determined to use bicycles whenever the heat is at all bearable. We were on bikes all day yesterday going up and down hills and my legs were aching by the time we went to bed half an hour early. Ha, I'm so weak. I thought we went about five times the distance we actually did.
On Sunday the elders from another ward at our building told us a lady showed up to church and gave us her number and address. She'd heard that some "Mormons" had been to the house when she was out and felt bad that she'd missed whoever it actually was that went, so she looked up the address in the phone book and stopped in on Sunday morning. We went over and taught her the Restoration last night. It was a really well organized, well articulated, passionate enough lesson. The member we brought was just perfect for her. We were a little disappointed after the lesson because she seemed to understand it but by some things she said after, we realized she didn't. I tried to help her understand that this is about absolute, eternal truth, but she said that truth is in your heart. I feel like people think they can define God according to what they believe. Does this mean if they vascillate between believing and not believing, then he vascillates in and out of existence? Anyway, about Kerry, I really appreciate that she's willing to learn, whether it's academic to her; any reason to begin investigating is valid. We'll just see what God does with this one.
I just want to reiterate for anyone who knew I really wanted to be called to a foreign-speaking mission that I am REALLY REALLY REALLY thankful to be doing this in English. It's difficult enough speaking clearly of these things that are so personal and so deep in my native language, and difficult enough trying to make connections with people all the time. I hope the day comes when most missionaries serving in each country are natives of that land. The gift of another language is really precious too, though...
That's it for today!
Please write!
Love
Savanna
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
even Berwick is fun too.
I was wondering whether it would be. It's a lot more civilised and wealthy here. There definitely won't be any spontaneous fights at the train station. Frankston was like my missionary playground. I'm now working on figuring out just what it is that Berwick needs (besides me, of course!).
It turns out that Michelle did get baptised, and her mother-in-law came along with her daughter. I got a blessing after by my mission president and it was just wonderful. My mind has been clear, as was promised, and I know these last few remaining months will be happy ones! (Does it feel that I've been gone for nearly 14 months?)
Yesterday for district meeting we discussed the quote by President Hinckley that says "So many of us look at missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with the work knows there is a better way." I know that it has its place, but I also know it's not appropriate that it is the primary source of investigators and use of our time. It's always more effective to spend time with people and not with closed doors. Anyway Sister Erickson and I decided to take a risk and drive up to this remote-ish country "town" and visit some former investigators. We actually found them at home, this enormous welcoming mountainy thing, and found them friendly and curious and a little philosophical. We left with an invitation to come back for dinner and a lesson on Saturday evening, and they promised to come to church on Sunday. Church time is moving to 1:30 pm (we have four ward that meet in our building) so lots of investigators are finding it easier to decide to come to church. The lady of the house, Portia, had been going to this other church that is really nervous about the influence of Jezebel and everyone was paranoid about...anyway I don't want to write about that. We'll teach her some doctrine. They will be really enjoyable to teach.
Also. We've taught Michelle's daughter Kaila a few times and she got permission from her dad to be baptised, so now she just has to decide if she wants to. I think it's so funny that the parents are okay with it and the 9-year-old isn't. Usually it's the other way around. We taught her the plan of salvation on Monday night for family home evening and Kaila had so many complicated, mature questions like how do we know that the prophet is telling the truth and what happens when we die to the people who believe in Buddha? Won't they go to their god? So we plan to teach her next time about Jesus Christ so she can understand why his influence on the world was necessary for us to be forgiven and return to live with God someday. Well if her baptism happens, and it probably will, that will probably happen January 12.
There really is so much happening right now, and I wish I could write all the great things that we've experienced, like teaching Cindy the Thai lady, and Zahra and her Muslim family from Sudan, and Denise and Carolay from Peru, and the Indian family we taught. But there's not time for that. OH YEAH! Tarun got baptised! That Indian guy who wanted a Christian wife--me or Sister Mesake, doesn't matter which--because it would be practical.
Um, it's time to go, and the elders are teasing me about reading my email, so I think it's a sign. :)
I'm happy!
Bye!
Sister Nilsen
It turns out that Michelle did get baptised, and her mother-in-law came along with her daughter. I got a blessing after by my mission president and it was just wonderful. My mind has been clear, as was promised, and I know these last few remaining months will be happy ones! (Does it feel that I've been gone for nearly 14 months?)
Yesterday for district meeting we discussed the quote by President Hinckley that says "So many of us look at missionary work as simply tracting. Everyone who is familiar with the work knows there is a better way." I know that it has its place, but I also know it's not appropriate that it is the primary source of investigators and use of our time. It's always more effective to spend time with people and not with closed doors. Anyway Sister Erickson and I decided to take a risk and drive up to this remote-ish country "town" and visit some former investigators. We actually found them at home, this enormous welcoming mountainy thing, and found them friendly and curious and a little philosophical. We left with an invitation to come back for dinner and a lesson on Saturday evening, and they promised to come to church on Sunday. Church time is moving to 1:30 pm (we have four ward that meet in our building) so lots of investigators are finding it easier to decide to come to church. The lady of the house, Portia, had been going to this other church that is really nervous about the influence of Jezebel and everyone was paranoid about...anyway I don't want to write about that. We'll teach her some doctrine. They will be really enjoyable to teach.
Also. We've taught Michelle's daughter Kaila a few times and she got permission from her dad to be baptised, so now she just has to decide if she wants to. I think it's so funny that the parents are okay with it and the 9-year-old isn't. Usually it's the other way around. We taught her the plan of salvation on Monday night for family home evening and Kaila had so many complicated, mature questions like how do we know that the prophet is telling the truth and what happens when we die to the people who believe in Buddha? Won't they go to their god? So we plan to teach her next time about Jesus Christ so she can understand why his influence on the world was necessary for us to be forgiven and return to live with God someday. Well if her baptism happens, and it probably will, that will probably happen January 12.
There really is so much happening right now, and I wish I could write all the great things that we've experienced, like teaching Cindy the Thai lady, and Zahra and her Muslim family from Sudan, and Denise and Carolay from Peru, and the Indian family we taught. But there's not time for that. OH YEAH! Tarun got baptised! That Indian guy who wanted a Christian wife--me or Sister Mesake, doesn't matter which--because it would be practical.
Um, it's time to go, and the elders are teasing me about reading my email, so I think it's a sign. :)
I'm happy!
Bye!
Sister Nilsen
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