Maybe if I just write about yesterday it will be a good enough email.
After district meeting, Sister Fangupo and I took the train out to Pakenham and had a strange, fun day. Just outside the station, we met a guy who was drinking in a park pondering on his life and had a nice talk with him and promised him that if he kept the commitments we'd ask him to make, he would be able to overcome his problems and be a better father and give up alcohol...he said he'd be willing to do anything for his kids because he loves them so much. We contacted a former investigator who wasn't interested and asked for referrals. He said "Steve wouldn't be interested. He's an alcoholic. He's hard to talk to" We said "who's Steve?!?!?!" and went to meet him--he was living in a shed in Lawrence's backyard. He was actually really nice and wanted us to come back later. As we left his house, we heard Steve playing the limbo song. So hilarious.
Then we saw another former investigator who said he receives communcation from the holy spirit and records it on a tape and that he knows where God lives.
We went to visit a former member that President Lindley had met and asked us to visit. He has concerns about the origin of the Book of Mormon. It was very strange. He got angry and offended about our mission rule that we couldn't come in with just us two, and then the conversation was a little normal and he asked us to send some elders, who could come in. I was addressing his concern about who wrote the Book of Mormon, and I said something that I never would have expected would offend anyone: "no one has ever proven the Book of Mormon is false," trying to say that you can't prove its authenticity in any way other than reading it and praying about it, but I didn't get to that because he got angry and said "no one has ever proven it is true either! Don't ever come back!" Strange.
We went to the train station to catch the 8:13 train and got the 8:11 instead... after a few minutes, we looked around. "This train is really nice... it's going pretty fast... is it an express? it's not stopping at any stations... there goes the Berwick station... there goes our car... there goes the Narre Warren station..." ha, it was a train into the city, and we're defintely not allowed there because it's out of our boundaries. The train stopped in Dandenong and we got a late walk around downtown. So funny.
I have about a minute left.
Cameron dropped us.
We've been doing a LOT of finding lately, and have gotten several new investigators. I realised yesterday that sometimes Heavenly Father sends missionaries to people who just need love, even if they aren't ready for the gospel. He cares even if we have a hard day.
BYE
Sister Nilsen
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Elder Bednar came!
Hi, this email won't be as organised because I didn't write my customary list of things to address in my planner.
Transfers! For five more weeks I'm with Sister Fangupo, from Wollongong, New South Wales. An hour south of Sydney on the coast. She's not far from home. She's a tall, fast Tongan Australian. In other words, she's my physical opposite. :) I feel like I've been exercising for the past week. She has a strong personality and character--all the sisters in the mission do. If missionaries were princesses, she'd be Xena the Warrior Princess. I told her that last night when I was supposed to be going to sleep and we cracked up. She's tall, dark, and fearless. And she has a short blonde sidekick. I think I would be Belle from Beauty and the Beast--"with a dreamy, far-off look and her nose stuck in a book." Belle sometimes tells off Beasts and likes to work by melting hearts. It's going to be a good final transfer.
Anyway.
Elder Bednar came to visit our mission, and it was a lot different to how I thought it was going to be. It was verrrry interactive. He is SO confident and has a great sense of humour. He wanted us to learn how to learn, and to learn how to help others learn. "We are not in the business of dispensing fish," he said when relating this teaching style to the proverb "give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime." His most important lesson was that you cannot learn independent of acting. Remember in the Doctrine and Covenants, it says seek learning by study and also by faith? Joseph Smith said that "faith is the principle of action and of power in all intelligent beings." Which means if you're going to learn by faith, you're going to have to learn by taking action and then feeling that it's true. As the last hour or so of his visit, he invited us to ask questions and said that a good question is prompted by the Holy Ghost and suited particularly to the experience of the person you're asking... so don't ask weird questions, in other words, because you won't get much out of it. I asked him a question, and was the only sister missionary to do so. I won't write what my question was right now, because it was very personal for me. But as part of his response he said that he's disappointed when people continually refer back to their missions for their best spiritual experiences ten years after they finish. He said to always have a current strengthening experience.
At an Australia-wide broadcast, Elder Bednar gave some advice for marriages. I'm not married, I hope, but I think it's so valuable for any human relationship. He quoted the Proclamation on the Family, saying "gender is an essential part of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." A male spirit and a female spirit were created to have eternal differences. We should not try to minimize these differences nor resent them, but see how the two genders complement or complete each other. Each has capabilities and a nature that the other doesn't have. I guess that means to celebrate the differences. I guess it also means that one cannot be complete or perfect without the other.
I love meeting interesting people. While eating lunch in the park the other day, a Mr. Peter Weare came to the rotunda we were under measuring for a wireless security camera. He engineered the clock tower in the park and it keeps getting vandalised. He was born in the UK in 1941 and remembers the air raids. He worked as a district nurse but somehow got introduced to model trains or something and found that he was a natural engineer. Then he got his pilot's license and was introduced to helicopters. He found some new genius way to install and remove equipment quickly. Now he's an artist. He doesn't believe in God but loves learning about what others believe and was hesitant to take a Book of Mormon that he wouldn't believe in, but I told him I'd be honoured to give him a copy. And he was similarly honoured.
We're teaching an 18-year-old Sri Lankan Hindu (his language group is an ethnic minority there) named Kodge. We took him on a chapel tour on Monday and it was such a good experience. His parents asked him what we're doing and he assured them he wasn't planning on converting. I think he's a little conflicted because he keeps all his commitments and wants us to keep teaching him. I wonder if he wonders why he keeps meeting with us.
Andrew and Jessica (Andrew's a recently reactivated member; Jessica's not a member. She's Fiji Indian like Sister Kumar. We've gotten to know them quite well.) had their baby, Katelin, a few days ago. She's so beautiful. It was hard to not be able to hold her! Nikki was meant to have had her baby as well yesterday.
We went to do an endowment session at the temple this morning and I did one of Sister Lindley's family names. I chose one from Norway. Both Sister Lindley and I have a lot of Scandinavian heritage. :)
Yesterday we went on a trek with Bishop Skibbe to teach a lady who's been less active for 42 years! She's been getting letters from a lady in the ward for years but has never responded. She feels she has a calling to return to church, but she isn't sure. Her town is an hour away, a little country town, and she and her husband constructed their house out of mud bricks they made themselves and timbers from an abandoned bridge. On the way over we noticed it was her birthday the next day so we stopped and bought some gifts and she was so appreciative. Cherie still remembers everything about church from 42 years ago when she joined and was very involved for a few years. Her husband said he's not interested in the Church, but he's very interested in family history, so we reckon that's the path to softening his heart.
Our investigators have been slipping away a little. We taught a great lesson to Cameron, friend of the Pereiras, on Monday night. We invited him to attend Ken Russell's baptism (an investigator of mine from the Frankston area) and he said he just wants to stick to the reading for now. Poor guy, he probably thought we were inviting him to HIS baptism. We have a few appointments with new people over the next few days though, and I think it's only fair that I should expect some great miracle to occur during my last transfer. Even if the miracle is just that I survive the heat. (This has been the hottest March on record. It's been 39 degrees or hotter the past week, which is over 100 Fahrenheit.)
Okay, I think I need to go home and get a little rest. No rest for the weary! Ciao, please write... and maybe this isn't fair but sorry I haven't been able to write back. Love you heaps! (to use an Aussie word)
Bye.
Sister Nilsen
Transfers! For five more weeks I'm with Sister Fangupo, from Wollongong, New South Wales. An hour south of Sydney on the coast. She's not far from home. She's a tall, fast Tongan Australian. In other words, she's my physical opposite. :) I feel like I've been exercising for the past week. She has a strong personality and character--all the sisters in the mission do. If missionaries were princesses, she'd be Xena the Warrior Princess. I told her that last night when I was supposed to be going to sleep and we cracked up. She's tall, dark, and fearless. And she has a short blonde sidekick. I think I would be Belle from Beauty and the Beast--"with a dreamy, far-off look and her nose stuck in a book." Belle sometimes tells off Beasts and likes to work by melting hearts. It's going to be a good final transfer.
Anyway.
Elder Bednar came to visit our mission, and it was a lot different to how I thought it was going to be. It was verrrry interactive. He is SO confident and has a great sense of humour. He wanted us to learn how to learn, and to learn how to help others learn. "We are not in the business of dispensing fish," he said when relating this teaching style to the proverb "give a man a fish and you'll feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you'll feed him for a lifetime." His most important lesson was that you cannot learn independent of acting. Remember in the Doctrine and Covenants, it says seek learning by study and also by faith? Joseph Smith said that "faith is the principle of action and of power in all intelligent beings." Which means if you're going to learn by faith, you're going to have to learn by taking action and then feeling that it's true. As the last hour or so of his visit, he invited us to ask questions and said that a good question is prompted by the Holy Ghost and suited particularly to the experience of the person you're asking... so don't ask weird questions, in other words, because you won't get much out of it. I asked him a question, and was the only sister missionary to do so. I won't write what my question was right now, because it was very personal for me. But as part of his response he said that he's disappointed when people continually refer back to their missions for their best spiritual experiences ten years after they finish. He said to always have a current strengthening experience.
At an Australia-wide broadcast, Elder Bednar gave some advice for marriages. I'm not married, I hope, but I think it's so valuable for any human relationship. He quoted the Proclamation on the Family, saying "gender is an essential part of individual premortal, mortal, and eternal identity and purpose." A male spirit and a female spirit were created to have eternal differences. We should not try to minimize these differences nor resent them, but see how the two genders complement or complete each other. Each has capabilities and a nature that the other doesn't have. I guess that means to celebrate the differences. I guess it also means that one cannot be complete or perfect without the other.
I love meeting interesting people. While eating lunch in the park the other day, a Mr. Peter Weare came to the rotunda we were under measuring for a wireless security camera. He engineered the clock tower in the park and it keeps getting vandalised. He was born in the UK in 1941 and remembers the air raids. He worked as a district nurse but somehow got introduced to model trains or something and found that he was a natural engineer. Then he got his pilot's license and was introduced to helicopters. He found some new genius way to install and remove equipment quickly. Now he's an artist. He doesn't believe in God but loves learning about what others believe and was hesitant to take a Book of Mormon that he wouldn't believe in, but I told him I'd be honoured to give him a copy. And he was similarly honoured.
We're teaching an 18-year-old Sri Lankan Hindu (his language group is an ethnic minority there) named Kodge. We took him on a chapel tour on Monday and it was such a good experience. His parents asked him what we're doing and he assured them he wasn't planning on converting. I think he's a little conflicted because he keeps all his commitments and wants us to keep teaching him. I wonder if he wonders why he keeps meeting with us.
Andrew and Jessica (Andrew's a recently reactivated member; Jessica's not a member. She's Fiji Indian like Sister Kumar. We've gotten to know them quite well.) had their baby, Katelin, a few days ago. She's so beautiful. It was hard to not be able to hold her! Nikki was meant to have had her baby as well yesterday.
We went to do an endowment session at the temple this morning and I did one of Sister Lindley's family names. I chose one from Norway. Both Sister Lindley and I have a lot of Scandinavian heritage. :)
Yesterday we went on a trek with Bishop Skibbe to teach a lady who's been less active for 42 years! She's been getting letters from a lady in the ward for years but has never responded. She feels she has a calling to return to church, but she isn't sure. Her town is an hour away, a little country town, and she and her husband constructed their house out of mud bricks they made themselves and timbers from an abandoned bridge. On the way over we noticed it was her birthday the next day so we stopped and bought some gifts and she was so appreciative. Cherie still remembers everything about church from 42 years ago when she joined and was very involved for a few years. Her husband said he's not interested in the Church, but he's very interested in family history, so we reckon that's the path to softening his heart.
Our investigators have been slipping away a little. We taught a great lesson to Cameron, friend of the Pereiras, on Monday night. We invited him to attend Ken Russell's baptism (an investigator of mine from the Frankston area) and he said he just wants to stick to the reading for now. Poor guy, he probably thought we were inviting him to HIS baptism. We have a few appointments with new people over the next few days though, and I think it's only fair that I should expect some great miracle to occur during my last transfer. Even if the miracle is just that I survive the heat. (This has been the hottest March on record. It's been 39 degrees or hotter the past week, which is over 100 Fahrenheit.)
Okay, I think I need to go home and get a little rest. No rest for the weary! Ciao, please write... and maybe this isn't fair but sorry I haven't been able to write back. Love you heaps! (to use an Aussie word)
Bye.
Sister Nilsen
Thursday, March 13, 2008
the Rescuer Down Under
I'm feeling everything at once right now. Six weeks left. Sister Erickson's moving. I'm staying. I have no idea who's coming. I have no post-mission plans, which I guess means my options are verrrrry open. Here's some events, some more significant than others.
1. Joy and Russ White, Americans in the ward, took us today to the Healesville Sanctuary about an hour away. It's in another stake, so we had to get permission from President Lindley, so I felt special. The place is basically a small interactive Australian zoo. The zookeepers come out at appointed times to do feedings and shows. The best was the birds of prey presentation. The barking owl (really, they sound like dogs) swooped right over our heads for a few minutes, to the delight of the audience. The falcon caught food when the guy threw it in the air. The buzzard picked up rocks to break open a plastic egg they gave her. Sister Erickson and I were hurrying to see the platypus and we ran literally into a flock of pelicans who somehow knew it was about to be their feeding time. When I was in third grade (I think), we studied endangered species and I chose to study the platypus. Ever since then I've wanted to see one, and today I did. Little girls' dreams really do come true :) I saw flying foxes, or fruit bats hanging in a family--Stellaluna! We went into the night animals exhibit. It was so dark. I kept running into Sister Erickson, even though she was standing right next to me. I couldn't see her! We saw all types of animals from the Rescuers Down Under, including Joanna the goanna and Frank the frilled lizard.
2. I received a letter from my mission president yesterday that was REALLY nice. I'd written him to ask for suggestions on goals for when I go home. He said some things about how he felt when he finished. His suggestion was to make goals regarding study, planning, and scheduling, but his specific advice was to make sure that I am socially active so I can be a good influence on my peer group--not for the sake of getting to know or dating young men. I didn't expect that.
3. Somehow Sister Erickson and I together are a recipe for horror huntsman stories. She was cleaning out her closet last night--I was standing by her talking--and she made some dramatic noises... in the back of the closet was a huntsman mother nurturing her hundred babies. Why!?!?!?! This happened last year, and as far as I know, it hasn't happened to anyone else. Even though it was about 10:30 pm, we called the elders and asked them to come rescue us from the invasion. They came. They captured the mother and sprayed the babies. These spiders are vile. They're not dangerous, but they look like tarantulas. We couldn't sleep with those in our room. We caught them just in time, too...
4. Somehow, our teaching opportunities keep expanding. There's this guy, Dave, the friend of Garren. We've been trying to get him to let us teach him since forever. He's the one that's colorblind and asks us to help him coordinate his outfits :) Friday we had Vilma with us for an appointment that didn't work out and we wanted to help her have a good experience so we tried Garren though we didn't think he'd be home. Dave was home, he let us in, we watched the Restoration DVD, and by the time we came back a couple of days later, he'd read a significant portion of the Book of Mormon. He lost the card we wrote his assignment on, so he read a lot so he wouldn't miss the part we gave him. We were amazed!
Another guy, Cameron. I think I already wrote about the Easter initiative, but maybe not... we're helping members choose friends to give Finding Faith in Christ pass-along cards to as an Easter gift. The El Salvador family, the Pereiras, started talking about this good friend their dad has that talks to him about the Church, reads the Book of Mormon, wants to participate in service projects... we're thinking, why don't we know about this guy!? So we went to talk to him, and he's so wonderful, and he wants to learn more!
I need to go, tomorrow's a big day and we have people to visit before Sister Erickson leaves. All these blessings are pouring in and I know I'll be so busy during these next few weeks. I'm trying to put everything into it. I adopted as my motto "the time that is left is worth as much as the time that's passed." President Lindley said if I make this the best transfer of my mission I will carry that energy with me into post-mission life. I will. Please pray for me!
:)
Lots of love
Sister Nilsen
1. Joy and Russ White, Americans in the ward, took us today to the Healesville Sanctuary about an hour away. It's in another stake, so we had to get permission from President Lindley, so I felt special. The place is basically a small interactive Australian zoo. The zookeepers come out at appointed times to do feedings and shows. The best was the birds of prey presentation. The barking owl (really, they sound like dogs) swooped right over our heads for a few minutes, to the delight of the audience. The falcon caught food when the guy threw it in the air. The buzzard picked up rocks to break open a plastic egg they gave her. Sister Erickson and I were hurrying to see the platypus and we ran literally into a flock of pelicans who somehow knew it was about to be their feeding time. When I was in third grade (I think), we studied endangered species and I chose to study the platypus. Ever since then I've wanted to see one, and today I did. Little girls' dreams really do come true :) I saw flying foxes, or fruit bats hanging in a family--Stellaluna! We went into the night animals exhibit. It was so dark. I kept running into Sister Erickson, even though she was standing right next to me. I couldn't see her! We saw all types of animals from the Rescuers Down Under, including Joanna the goanna and Frank the frilled lizard.
2. I received a letter from my mission president yesterday that was REALLY nice. I'd written him to ask for suggestions on goals for when I go home. He said some things about how he felt when he finished. His suggestion was to make goals regarding study, planning, and scheduling, but his specific advice was to make sure that I am socially active so I can be a good influence on my peer group--not for the sake of getting to know or dating young men. I didn't expect that.
3. Somehow Sister Erickson and I together are a recipe for horror huntsman stories. She was cleaning out her closet last night--I was standing by her talking--and she made some dramatic noises... in the back of the closet was a huntsman mother nurturing her hundred babies. Why!?!?!?! This happened last year, and as far as I know, it hasn't happened to anyone else. Even though it was about 10:30 pm, we called the elders and asked them to come rescue us from the invasion. They came. They captured the mother and sprayed the babies. These spiders are vile. They're not dangerous, but they look like tarantulas. We couldn't sleep with those in our room. We caught them just in time, too...
4. Somehow, our teaching opportunities keep expanding. There's this guy, Dave, the friend of Garren. We've been trying to get him to let us teach him since forever. He's the one that's colorblind and asks us to help him coordinate his outfits :) Friday we had Vilma with us for an appointment that didn't work out and we wanted to help her have a good experience so we tried Garren though we didn't think he'd be home. Dave was home, he let us in, we watched the Restoration DVD, and by the time we came back a couple of days later, he'd read a significant portion of the Book of Mormon. He lost the card we wrote his assignment on, so he read a lot so he wouldn't miss the part we gave him. We were amazed!
Another guy, Cameron. I think I already wrote about the Easter initiative, but maybe not... we're helping members choose friends to give Finding Faith in Christ pass-along cards to as an Easter gift. The El Salvador family, the Pereiras, started talking about this good friend their dad has that talks to him about the Church, reads the Book of Mormon, wants to participate in service projects... we're thinking, why don't we know about this guy!? So we went to talk to him, and he's so wonderful, and he wants to learn more!
I need to go, tomorrow's a big day and we have people to visit before Sister Erickson leaves. All these blessings are pouring in and I know I'll be so busy during these next few weeks. I'm trying to put everything into it. I adopted as my motto "the time that is left is worth as much as the time that's passed." President Lindley said if I make this the best transfer of my mission I will carry that energy with me into post-mission life. I will. Please pray for me!
:)
Lots of love
Sister Nilsen
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Elder Bednar's coming!
Last week I tried golfing for the first time with the other members of my district. My ball mostly hopped rather than sailed across the course. I thought it would be easier...
Sister Erickson and I found a new finding approach: reverse tracting! Ha, we've gotten a kick out of telling people about this. We ordered a pizza for lunch. Sister Erickson got a Book of Mormon and a pamphlet ready and made sure she looked especially missionary-like for Jason the pizza guy to arrive. After we opened the door and he asked for a pen so Sister E could sign the receipt, I took an extra long time finding a pen while she taught a short lesson and gave him the Book of Mormon. He said he was agnostic, open minded, and took the books. He probably went to work and talked about what happened. Something will come of it, someday. We figure if it's successful, we can get a lot more money in our allotments so we can do it every day! (that was a joke.)
During fast and testimony meeting on Sunday, a woman our age said she wasn't sure that she wanted to be in our ward and didn't understand why her family had to be moved there, but then she met Sister Erickson and me and knew she had a purpose here. It was so sweet. They're a Spanish-speaking family from El Salvador. The Spanish ward was just disbanded so all the families had to relocate to English wards. Last week in someone's closing prayer, the brother expressed thanks for the fine sister missionaries in the ward and for the sweet spirit they bring. He was talking about us! It was pretty special to hear those words of appreciation.
The Romero family is doing fine. They're reading the Book of Mormon. John came to church alone on Sunday. We're going to teach them tonight. When we taught them last week, John said that he felt starting to pray is a huge change for him. They're still progressing slowly. The key will be helping Maria feel the embrace of other sisters in the Relief Society. When we've got Maria convinced, we've got the whole family.
The Area Presidency here is doing an initiative for the Easter season. They're doing a kind of media blitz (everyone's seen the ads), but at the grassroots level we're giving out Finding Faith in Christ pass-along cards to members to give to their friends. It's a unique phone number, so when someone calls to order the DVD, the Church will know that they got the card from a member friend. We exchange a card for a name that they give us so we can help them by following up to see if they've given it out.
And now my most exciting news: Elder David A. Bednar, who was called as an apostle just a few years ago, is visiting our mission next week! President Lindley promised us that if we prepare ourselves well, it will be a life-changing experience. This visit is a surprise and I'm thankful I'll get to meet an apostle while on my mission. I was thinking it wasn't going to happen! We've been reading all of his General Conference talks and thinking about his calling as an apostle of the Lord. The preparation President Lindley spoke of is having effective morning study and having a more focused missionary effort throughout the day. I really want to be ready. I can already feel how important it's going to be.
A few of our investigators have dropped us this week. We found Geoff yesterday tracting. He's around 20 years old and we were excited at getting a couple of new investigators. By the time we got home, though, we had a message from his mother saying that there's no reason for us to come back and she doesn't want us in her house. Hmm. Brett wants to call us in a few weeks and Betty said her husband doesn't like us coming over. I want the next six weeks to be verrrrrry busy, so we'll keep up the search.
Monday I went to work with Sister Zhang in the Dandenong area for a day. Sister Zhang is a convert of just over a year with an amazing story. She's from China, Szechuan province. She's 27 or something. A former missionary visited China with his family and, trying to keep the law that doesn't allow proselying, said something as simple as "the gospel blesses families" and she was hooked. She flew to Hong Kong, learned all the lessons, and was baptised--all in one day. Her mother then was baptised. Her father died probably 10 years ago. She arrived in Australia a few months ago not really speaking English and now she is very understandable, though she doesn't always catch what people are saying and is far from picking up nuances. We had a great day together. In the morning, we did their usual service, helping at a farm where they teach disabled kids to ride horses. I had to hold a kid's foot in place the whole time while he walked his horse around the arena. It was really rewarding actually.
Hmm... if I had to say what it is I've been thinking about, it would be how amazingly difficult this work is, speaking from a global perspective. Helping people of every nation, kindred, and tongue come to a unity of the faith is a perplexing endeavor. Somehow, as it says in the Book of Mormon, the "Lord... is able to do [his] own work." The work is done through the weak things of the world. That's me. The work must be real, because I've felt both deep love and deep sorrow for people I've only just met, and people I only barely know.
So it's time to go. If you who read this intend to send a letter during the rest of my mission, you have about a month to send it with guaranteed arrival...
Dear family...and friends... I love you, and sorry I can't write back personally to everyone who sends a message, but I do hugely appreciate hearing from you and think of you often.
Yours,
Sister Nilsen
Sister Erickson and I found a new finding approach: reverse tracting! Ha, we've gotten a kick out of telling people about this. We ordered a pizza for lunch. Sister Erickson got a Book of Mormon and a pamphlet ready and made sure she looked especially missionary-like for Jason the pizza guy to arrive. After we opened the door and he asked for a pen so Sister E could sign the receipt, I took an extra long time finding a pen while she taught a short lesson and gave him the Book of Mormon. He said he was agnostic, open minded, and took the books. He probably went to work and talked about what happened. Something will come of it, someday. We figure if it's successful, we can get a lot more money in our allotments so we can do it every day! (that was a joke.)
During fast and testimony meeting on Sunday, a woman our age said she wasn't sure that she wanted to be in our ward and didn't understand why her family had to be moved there, but then she met Sister Erickson and me and knew she had a purpose here. It was so sweet. They're a Spanish-speaking family from El Salvador. The Spanish ward was just disbanded so all the families had to relocate to English wards. Last week in someone's closing prayer, the brother expressed thanks for the fine sister missionaries in the ward and for the sweet spirit they bring. He was talking about us! It was pretty special to hear those words of appreciation.
The Romero family is doing fine. They're reading the Book of Mormon. John came to church alone on Sunday. We're going to teach them tonight. When we taught them last week, John said that he felt starting to pray is a huge change for him. They're still progressing slowly. The key will be helping Maria feel the embrace of other sisters in the Relief Society. When we've got Maria convinced, we've got the whole family.
The Area Presidency here is doing an initiative for the Easter season. They're doing a kind of media blitz (everyone's seen the ads), but at the grassroots level we're giving out Finding Faith in Christ pass-along cards to members to give to their friends. It's a unique phone number, so when someone calls to order the DVD, the Church will know that they got the card from a member friend. We exchange a card for a name that they give us so we can help them by following up to see if they've given it out.
And now my most exciting news: Elder David A. Bednar, who was called as an apostle just a few years ago, is visiting our mission next week! President Lindley promised us that if we prepare ourselves well, it will be a life-changing experience. This visit is a surprise and I'm thankful I'll get to meet an apostle while on my mission. I was thinking it wasn't going to happen! We've been reading all of his General Conference talks and thinking about his calling as an apostle of the Lord. The preparation President Lindley spoke of is having effective morning study and having a more focused missionary effort throughout the day. I really want to be ready. I can already feel how important it's going to be.
A few of our investigators have dropped us this week. We found Geoff yesterday tracting. He's around 20 years old and we were excited at getting a couple of new investigators. By the time we got home, though, we had a message from his mother saying that there's no reason for us to come back and she doesn't want us in her house. Hmm. Brett wants to call us in a few weeks and Betty said her husband doesn't like us coming over. I want the next six weeks to be verrrrrry busy, so we'll keep up the search.
Monday I went to work with Sister Zhang in the Dandenong area for a day. Sister Zhang is a convert of just over a year with an amazing story. She's from China, Szechuan province. She's 27 or something. A former missionary visited China with his family and, trying to keep the law that doesn't allow proselying, said something as simple as "the gospel blesses families" and she was hooked. She flew to Hong Kong, learned all the lessons, and was baptised--all in one day. Her mother then was baptised. Her father died probably 10 years ago. She arrived in Australia a few months ago not really speaking English and now she is very understandable, though she doesn't always catch what people are saying and is far from picking up nuances. We had a great day together. In the morning, we did their usual service, helping at a farm where they teach disabled kids to ride horses. I had to hold a kid's foot in place the whole time while he walked his horse around the arena. It was really rewarding actually.
Hmm... if I had to say what it is I've been thinking about, it would be how amazingly difficult this work is, speaking from a global perspective. Helping people of every nation, kindred, and tongue come to a unity of the faith is a perplexing endeavor. Somehow, as it says in the Book of Mormon, the "Lord... is able to do [his] own work." The work is done through the weak things of the world. That's me. The work must be real, because I've felt both deep love and deep sorrow for people I've only just met, and people I only barely know.
So it's time to go. If you who read this intend to send a letter during the rest of my mission, you have about a month to send it with guaranteed arrival...
Dear family...and friends... I love you, and sorry I can't write back personally to everyone who sends a message, but I do hugely appreciate hearing from you and think of you often.
Yours,
Sister Nilsen
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