There's my address, Raaaaaaaachel. Don't let Roxy or whoever eat it again. I've had Toffee Pops, but Squiggles are way better. Like Toffee Pops with honeycomb pieces on the top. I have to tell you--your sunbeams' idea of Heavenly Father who lives in the sky is not so absurd compared to other ideas we encounter :)
Friday 26th was Australia Day. Which is in my American opinion much undercelebrated :) It was mostly just another day for people to work in their yards, as far as I could tell. Fireworks happened in the city.
Thursday I met another Hungarian. In case I haven't told the story, I was convinced back in July that I would be called to either Hungary or Italy, then I went to the SLC temple to do baptisms and ALL of my names were from either Hungary or Italy (strange coincidence?), then at the MTC the next-door neighbors/other sisters in my little branch were going to Hungary, then I had to go to class with them one day and I really learned some Hungarian. Here I keep meeting Hungarians. Considering the fact that I'm after all this in Australia, it's just weird.
So yes, Friday was Australia Day. I was scared to go tracting because people often are jealous of their holiday time. People were generally nice though and I had one cool experience. I'm still learning to listen to the Spirit, ya know. We were talking to Beryl about the Restoration and a little about the Plan of Salvation and we were about to leave but then I got this idea so clearly that I should ask her about family history (the stake's missionary work initiative this year is to make family history kits for people as a service as a way to introduce them to the gospel), and I said "are you interested in doing family history research?" and she looked at me so surprised and said "I was just thinking about that this morning!" We gave her the card necessary to get that research done for her. I don't know what will happen with her but it was a great lesson for me as I learn how to receive and recognize that inspiration. It kinda scares me because it was strong, but subtle. Hmm sounds familiar, eh? Sounds like ALL the scriptures about the Holy Ghost EVER. Am I just now learning it? :)
Saturday something beautiful happened. Kristen, a member, came with us to go meet this lady she has encountered several times over a few years now as she walked to school or went running, who Kristen thought could use the gospel. She was outside on the porch, and so was everyone else. (Usually this leads to taunting. Not on our side, theirs, silly.) Her children were there, as well as a man who is something like a son-in-law, and his mother, and a grandchild, and a cousin, and seriously I have been daydreaming about a situation like this. We went up to the lady--Maylene--and she remembered seeing Kristen, and she let us in to share a scripture with her, and then slowly everyone else started coming in until we had a room full of people, and then they were like "what's your spiritual thought?" and we shared a scripture about how the righteous can expect a better life, and then Bryan, the man who is something like a son-in-law, said he wanted to read the entire Book of Mormon, and that he had never been religious but we'd changed just a little his ideas, and the young cousin said similar things... we went back last night and Maylene and her 28-year old daughter and the kids invited us to come back Friday evening. She is just a simple person, who works hard to take care of her children, and she doesn't want her kids to become involved with people who drink/party/etc, and I'm thinking she means that she wants church friends for her kids. Leah, her 12-year-old daughter, started high school today, which begins here at 7th grade. She's worried. Anyway they are sweet sweet people, the humble type, hardworking...I'm excited about them. I don't really see how anything other than member referrals are highly effective in missionary work.
Oh, about the parrots. Yesterday we were putting an invitation into a less-active girl's mailbox and a clump of three BEAUTIFUL colorful, mostly green parrots fell right next to us out of the tree. They'd been fighting. Sister Erickson screamed and people came out of their houses. Ha. Also one of our investigators, Kerri, was walking in a park with her children and one of her friends, and a strange dog came up and started attacking their dog. You'd think that the owner would come up and get the dog, right? No, the owner came up and started punching Kerri and her friend. Oh yeah and I held a hen last week. By the way. Ha.
It turns out that Bernard, one of our investigators, is an amazing amazing amazing man, a fighter for FREEDOM in the truest sense. (I use this phrase because it will interest a certain one of my readers.) Here's a hint: he's from South Africa and he has coffee table books of Nelson Mandela. That's only one aspect, the beginning, which I use to illustrate his personality. I won't write about the rest, but it was so inspiring to have met him and heard his story. We NEED him in the church. He knows that he has to read his Book of Mormon and pray on his own to figure out whether he likes the comfort of having us around or that he likes the doctrine, and the more I learn, the more I see how he has been prepared for us. For example how he stopped smoking just a couple of weeks before he met missionaries.
Brandon--I was beginning to worry. You've missed both December 10th and January 10th, and February is coming up :) How much you loved being a missionary and how you love missionary work has helped me to the making of certain goals that help me every single day. Email me your address, k?
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEREMIA! Everyone is shocked when they hear that I have a 2-year old brother. He's so dear. Don't let him forget me...okay don't let him forget what I look like.
I'm having such a good time! It should be illegal!
Bye
Sister S. Nilsen
(secretly, "Sav")
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Tuesday, January 23, 2007
Today I am a Kumquat
I am hesitant to write such a ridiculous statement as "I am blissful," because there is always the occasional day that I hope will end ASAP, and the real live Korihor (explain later), and the too-early morning, etc. But I have had SUCH a good week! My dos (that means two) companions and I have a great time together, and being in a trio means twice as many people to count on, and support me, and people to support, and people to impress ;) It also means that we have more freedom--for example, we can go to teach a single male if no other female is in the house. So, we can influence people that we wouldn't otherwise be able to affect.
As a result of the Wantirna South area being added to my jurisdiction, I have inherited a simply lovely investigator named Bernard. I met him even before our areas combined and I have always felt an affection for him that may or may not have been premonition. He is a sweet sweet oldish South African man, married with grown children, and loves to have us over to teach him. He promised that he would be baptised after going to church a couple of times if he is sure that it's the doctrine he likes and not just us. He likes listening to Sister Parkinson because she has a soothing voice, and to Sister Erickson because her voice is determined, and to me because mine is "been there, done that" or something. I wonder if this means I talk like I think I know everything? Bernard was sooooooooooooo prepared to meet us when he did. He just stopped smoking a month ago to improve his health after cardiac problems, and he was on a sort of life-discovery quest or something. His wife is warmer to us each time we come.
I am still in awe over how delicately Heavenly Father works in each of our lives. We knocked on Darren's door, and he was mildly interested, if at all. Then his friend Aran from Ireland approached and asked all these questions, not really interested but just wanting to talk somewhat provocatively (spelled that word on the third try) about religion, having come from Ireland in the midst of religious conflict. But as we answered Aran's questions, we could tell that Darren was affected. I hope we'll see him again. I use this as an example of God working in our lives because Darren wouldn't have heard this stuff if Aran hadn't been there, and though Aran didn't care, Darren who thought he didn't care got to hear it. Capito?
Yesterday we had a marvelous district training meeting. We have 2 senior sisters in our district now. My companionship gave a training on making lessons more spiritual, and a lot of it was praying and expecting that the Spirit will be there--that is our right, and too many people are surprised when the Spirit directs our teaching. I include myself. The point is that God answers prayers, and if you pray to have the Spirit, it WILL be there. He's just waiting for us to show faith and acknowledgment that good things come from Him. After talking about that our zone leader, Elder Catton (who is from Canberra, the capital of Australia, and whose favorite color is orange, and who is clever, three effective reasons for me to appreciate him) said to me "Sister Nilsen, I appreciated your testimony about how God answers prayers. Will you pray to find a family to be baptised within the next two weeks? Perhaps that is the will of God and He's just waiting for you to ask."
Yes.
Enter Chris. He was power-tooling in a yard and though he was hard at work I said hi and asked if we could come back to share something. He said yes, and we came back a couple times before we found him, and he was busy again but told us to come back. Finally we found him, yesterday after district meeting, and talked for a few minutes. The man has NINE children, from a couple different relationships, and is worried about the degrading of the family, and works hard, and is a good man, and most important of all didn't tell us to go away when he found out quite well who we are :) Will he be my family?!?!?!?!?!?!?! (that's a plea, not a wondering)
My favorite joke this week.
Me: Look at those cows, they're so skinny...
Sister Parkinson: That's because they live under those power lines.
Me: Yeah, they have FAT cancer.
ha ha ha.
Sister Parkinson and Sister Erickson remind me subtly of two of my bestest friends. Sister P of Shovena and Sister E of Rebooka. More on them some other time.
Oh the subject lines is about cumquats (it's Choose Your Own Spelling Day) because we went to Sister Vinen's for dinner and she pointed at a tree, saying she has c/kumquats. My reaction: what?!?!?! None of us knew those were real. We each picked one off the tree. You eat them, evidently, with the skins on. They are sooooooooooooo super sour!!!! Sour face!!!! Sister Parkinson the evening we ate those wrote accidentally in her journal "Today I am a cumquat."
Zaiah B, so good to hear from you...I can't really write back if you don't email me your address.
Dora, thanks so much for all your emails! I wrote you a letter a couple weeks ago, but I just now wrote down your address. It's comingggg!!!
Oh yeah. Korihor. Alma 30:13-17. Every single thing that Korihor says as a counter against the Gospel, I hear every day. No man can know of things to come. These are just traditions of your fathers. There can be no atonement for others. Every man prospers according to his own genius. Whatsoever thing a man does is no crime (God doesn't give us commandments). What!?!??!?!!
Well, the hour's up pretty much. The weather has been so nice. It rained for like 4 days, which was lovely because it's so hot, there are bush fires that put out the power in all of Melbourne last week, and Australia's been in a drought for years. By the way, talking to people is so so so so rewarding, especially when you see that spark...being a missionary is the coolest.
The end.
All my love.
Savanna
Ashley Lawson, if you read these, email me or something...I want to tell you where you're going on your mission. Just kidding, but I had a dream about it and it's super cool. You're learning TWO languages. Ha. BYe.
As a result of the Wantirna South area being added to my jurisdiction, I have inherited a simply lovely investigator named Bernard. I met him even before our areas combined and I have always felt an affection for him that may or may not have been premonition. He is a sweet sweet oldish South African man, married with grown children, and loves to have us over to teach him. He promised that he would be baptised after going to church a couple of times if he is sure that it's the doctrine he likes and not just us. He likes listening to Sister Parkinson because she has a soothing voice, and to Sister Erickson because her voice is determined, and to me because mine is "been there, done that" or something. I wonder if this means I talk like I think I know everything? Bernard was sooooooooooooo prepared to meet us when he did. He just stopped smoking a month ago to improve his health after cardiac problems, and he was on a sort of life-discovery quest or something. His wife is warmer to us each time we come.
I am still in awe over how delicately Heavenly Father works in each of our lives. We knocked on Darren's door, and he was mildly interested, if at all. Then his friend Aran from Ireland approached and asked all these questions, not really interested but just wanting to talk somewhat provocatively (spelled that word on the third try) about religion, having come from Ireland in the midst of religious conflict. But as we answered Aran's questions, we could tell that Darren was affected. I hope we'll see him again. I use this as an example of God working in our lives because Darren wouldn't have heard this stuff if Aran hadn't been there, and though Aran didn't care, Darren who thought he didn't care got to hear it. Capito?
Yesterday we had a marvelous district training meeting. We have 2 senior sisters in our district now. My companionship gave a training on making lessons more spiritual, and a lot of it was praying and expecting that the Spirit will be there--that is our right, and too many people are surprised when the Spirit directs our teaching. I include myself. The point is that God answers prayers, and if you pray to have the Spirit, it WILL be there. He's just waiting for us to show faith and acknowledgment that good things come from Him. After talking about that our zone leader, Elder Catton (who is from Canberra, the capital of Australia, and whose favorite color is orange, and who is clever, three effective reasons for me to appreciate him) said to me "Sister Nilsen, I appreciated your testimony about how God answers prayers. Will you pray to find a family to be baptised within the next two weeks? Perhaps that is the will of God and He's just waiting for you to ask."
Yes.
Enter Chris. He was power-tooling in a yard and though he was hard at work I said hi and asked if we could come back to share something. He said yes, and we came back a couple times before we found him, and he was busy again but told us to come back. Finally we found him, yesterday after district meeting, and talked for a few minutes. The man has NINE children, from a couple different relationships, and is worried about the degrading of the family, and works hard, and is a good man, and most important of all didn't tell us to go away when he found out quite well who we are :) Will he be my family?!?!?!?!?!?!?! (that's a plea, not a wondering)
My favorite joke this week.
Me: Look at those cows, they're so skinny...
Sister Parkinson: That's because they live under those power lines.
Me: Yeah, they have FAT cancer.
ha ha ha.
Sister Parkinson and Sister Erickson remind me subtly of two of my bestest friends. Sister P of Shovena and Sister E of Rebooka. More on them some other time.
Oh the subject lines is about cumquats (it's Choose Your Own Spelling Day) because we went to Sister Vinen's for dinner and she pointed at a tree, saying she has c/kumquats. My reaction: what?!?!?! None of us knew those were real. We each picked one off the tree. You eat them, evidently, with the skins on. They are sooooooooooooo super sour!!!! Sour face!!!! Sister Parkinson the evening we ate those wrote accidentally in her journal "Today I am a cumquat."
Zaiah B, so good to hear from you...I can't really write back if you don't email me your address.
Dora, thanks so much for all your emails! I wrote you a letter a couple weeks ago, but I just now wrote down your address. It's comingggg!!!
Oh yeah. Korihor. Alma 30:13-17. Every single thing that Korihor says as a counter against the Gospel, I hear every day. No man can know of things to come. These are just traditions of your fathers. There can be no atonement for others. Every man prospers according to his own genius. Whatsoever thing a man does is no crime (God doesn't give us commandments). What!?!??!?!!
Well, the hour's up pretty much. The weather has been so nice. It rained for like 4 days, which was lovely because it's so hot, there are bush fires that put out the power in all of Melbourne last week, and Australia's been in a drought for years. By the way, talking to people is so so so so rewarding, especially when you see that spark...being a missionary is the coolest.
The end.
All my love.
Savanna
Ashley Lawson, if you read these, email me or something...I want to tell you where you're going on your mission. Just kidding, but I had a dream about it and it's super cool. You're learning TWO languages. Ha. BYe.
Monday, January 15, 2007
the training...and trained
Um...I'm...training?
No, I'm not training, but my companion is going to be a brand-new missionary, and my other companion is going to be her trainer. I'm not driving anymore, I'm not being trained, I'm not a senior companion, nor a junior...what am I?!?!?! I'm having an identity crisis! :) Just joking. I'll call myself Assistant to the Trainer. My area, Wantirna, and Wantirna South are being combined so Sister Erickson is staying and we're going to be in a 3-way companionship. Which could get cumbersome, but it's an easy way to get the young members in the ward involved--get an extra and we can split into 2 and 2. We're also covering 2 wards. It's so nice because it's like we're each gaining an area but we already know the old one (in my case, only kind of) and we are definitely gaining new companions.
So I lost my mama, Sister Wang. Wantirna kind of wore her out. In the past year, Wantirna has had one convert baptism and Wantirna South has had zero. It's been like that for years. This area needs a special commitment to get it to rise and shout. Sister Erickson and I decided we need to show our love for the area and devotion and faith by keeping the rules and schedule exactly: get up at 6:30, not 6:33, exercise half an hour, stay at meals for only an hour (it's hard, believe it or not...), and we know we will see results. Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you. I think it will be great for me to work kind of from the perspective of a trainer so early in my mission. I want to get the basic things down so I can ignite my personality and capabilities.
On her last day, Sister Wang said to me: "You changed a Chinese!" (they can be stubborn...) She said I taught her charity by my example...and I haven't even been that fabulous at looking after people, and I didn't even mean to teach her anything! I don't think I've ever mentioned before that she is 28 years old and has a research Master's degree in civil and environmental engineering. I wanted to learn a lot more Chinese from her than I did, but I think helping her learn English better and learn to sing when we could have been learning Chinese was my contribution (sacrifice being too strong of a word here).
By the way, Dad, has Mark Peterson been getting these emails? He told me to include him on the list but I have never remembered... I got our family's Christmas card today! I love the theme! I didn't get the chance to bring any photos of our family so it was great to see everyone again.
This week's best moments:
*Friday we had a picnic with the Assistants to the President. We got takeout [souvlakis!] and ate at a park, and at the end we had paddle pops, which are like fudgesicles except they are colorful and taste like frozen cake batter...nearly divine. The best part about being in this area is we live very close to the assistants, the zone leaders, and the office elders, and we get to see them quite often and we've become great friends, but the assistants are going home tomorrow :( :( :( The new assistant was my zone leader, and when I first arrived I knew I'd seen him hundreds of times before, but he didn't know what I was talking about...then last week when I was talking about my worst religion class ever at BYU and I said my teacher sounded like Kermit the Frog, he realized we were in the same class. Anyway.
*Unknown nonspecific day from last week: Okay I admit it. Talking to strangers about the gospel terrifies me sometimes. Most people we meet don't agree with my "I'm a person, you're a person, we should talk" philosophy and those that do talk with us quite often aren't interested. But while tracting this week I made this little commitment that changed everything. I said this little prayer and said "I promise that for the next five houses, you tell me what to say and I will say exactly what you want me to say." and made that commitment over and over. It worked! The day was soooo much more enjoyable. You might call this a turning point. :)
*Tracting on Foster Crescent, we came upon these three past-middle aged men sitting on the front porch "enjoying" some Victoria Bitter (the local specialty beer) and cigarettes, who mocked our mormonness using varieties of vulgarities as we approached...but they were easier to love than are so many people we meet. Rocky Lee and his two friends mostly listened as I tried to answer questions about why there is so much suffering in the world--why is God, as they saw it, doing nothing about tsunamis and AIDS and wars, etc etc and about what happens next and what happened before. They gave us their seats in deference but continued to use their usual not the most virtuous speech and I asked him "Rocky--so you give me your seat but you still use this kind of language around us?" Yes. Fair enough. Rocky says he wants to go to hell because that's where the party is. Ha. Well if that's what he wants... but he promised me that in the next life we'll talk again and he'll listen to me some more :) He kept saying that if this one Australian rock star, who died and came back and said there's nothing "on the other side", actually came and said there is something, he would believe. I don't know why I loved that but they were just hardworking lower-middle class folks trying to get the most out of life the only way they know how to.
Oh! So many people we talk to that already have beliefs say "if I need more knowledge, God will let me know. if I am wrong, God will let me know." And there I am, standing on their doorstep, staring at them. And how is it that he's going to let you know? Is he NOT going to send two lovely missionaries to your door to tell you?
Back to the favorite moments.
Saturday: we taught Sue Gray and started a lesson about healing and ended it with the Plan of Salvation. The Spirit was so there. I could tell she didn't want to believe but actually she kind of does.
Sometime: we went and visited Penny and Wolfgang (the one who looks like Brad Pitt, but dark and his face is less round) and found out they are getting married in March! This is good news... Penny was so so sweet and so so happy to see us and loving and appreciative of having sisters, not elders, at her door, and didn't have time to talk but wants to see us in a couple of weeks. This is one case where I feel really good about them, but they have such strange beliefs and seem committed to them that I have NO IDEA what to do for them. Which means I have to rely on the Spirito like neva before.
Saturday: We did some surprise service to investigators in the Wantirna South area, and they said it was like a dream, and he--Bernard--let us each read our favorite Book of Mormon scripture and explain it, and there is so much love and hope in his eyes...and he and his wife came to church Sunday, and I just inherited them as investigators! Also Eva, who has cancer quite badly, let us in her house for the very first time after several visits and phone calls, when we showed up and offered to clean her showers. We're going back this Saturday. Her husband was getting a tattoo when we were there from a travelling tattoo artist. It was at once fascinating and horrible. The artist injects the color with a tiny inky saw. Allow me to quote True to the Faith, which if you have the right sense of humor is quite funny: "if you have a tattoo, you wear a constant reminder of a mistake you have made [and I add: that's embarrassing!]. You might consider having it removed.
Most devastating moment: On the day I made that commitment to say exactly what I should say, we encountered a Christodelphian, which I may say is close to the saddest belief system I have as of yet heard of. They believe in the Bible, and sometimes a literal interpretation of it, sometimes symbolic, but that we have no Spirit, and that when we die, we sleep in the most complete sense until the resurrection, at which time only the righteous rise and receive a spirit. I don't get it. He has 3-week-old twins and I tried to tell him they came straight from Heavenly Father and that they lived with Him...but no...and they think that if their children live but don't accept Christ they are just gone forever. Their kids were so beautiful. And for all the people who have never heard the name of Christ, too bad for them, if God wanted them to know--because he chooses those who choose Him back--he would have sent someone. To all the billions of Chinese. Hrm.
It's time to go. One more thing, one of my favorite things about being on a mission is that you are autonomous. To a degree, no one is there telling you what to do. You have the white handbook full of the mission rules, and you report to the district leader every evening, and you have a companion, but no one is forcing you to do what you're supposed to... but you DO what is right, not because you're supposed to, but because you want to, and because you want to qualify for the Spirit. Or else you're doing it by yourself. And more, because this is the Lord's work and you show your love for the Lord by your diligence. It's time for me and my companion to commit ourselves more fully and think of new ways to influence people and invite them to receive the restored gospel. I have grown so much closer to my Savior...it's nice :) and this stuff is demanding, but I feel so peaceful. No stress.
LOVE YOU
Savanna
No, I'm not training, but my companion is going to be a brand-new missionary, and my other companion is going to be her trainer. I'm not driving anymore, I'm not being trained, I'm not a senior companion, nor a junior...what am I?!?!?! I'm having an identity crisis! :) Just joking. I'll call myself Assistant to the Trainer. My area, Wantirna, and Wantirna South are being combined so Sister Erickson is staying and we're going to be in a 3-way companionship. Which could get cumbersome, but it's an easy way to get the young members in the ward involved--get an extra and we can split into 2 and 2. We're also covering 2 wards. It's so nice because it's like we're each gaining an area but we already know the old one (in my case, only kind of) and we are definitely gaining new companions.
So I lost my mama, Sister Wang. Wantirna kind of wore her out. In the past year, Wantirna has had one convert baptism and Wantirna South has had zero. It's been like that for years. This area needs a special commitment to get it to rise and shout. Sister Erickson and I decided we need to show our love for the area and devotion and faith by keeping the rules and schedule exactly: get up at 6:30, not 6:33, exercise half an hour, stay at meals for only an hour (it's hard, believe it or not...), and we know we will see results. Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you. I think it will be great for me to work kind of from the perspective of a trainer so early in my mission. I want to get the basic things down so I can ignite my personality and capabilities.
On her last day, Sister Wang said to me: "You changed a Chinese!" (they can be stubborn...) She said I taught her charity by my example...and I haven't even been that fabulous at looking after people, and I didn't even mean to teach her anything! I don't think I've ever mentioned before that she is 28 years old and has a research Master's degree in civil and environmental engineering. I wanted to learn a lot more Chinese from her than I did, but I think helping her learn English better and learn to sing when we could have been learning Chinese was my contribution (sacrifice being too strong of a word here).
By the way, Dad, has Mark Peterson been getting these emails? He told me to include him on the list but I have never remembered... I got our family's Christmas card today! I love the theme! I didn't get the chance to bring any photos of our family so it was great to see everyone again.
This week's best moments:
*Friday we had a picnic with the Assistants to the President. We got takeout [souvlakis!] and ate at a park, and at the end we had paddle pops, which are like fudgesicles except they are colorful and taste like frozen cake batter...nearly divine. The best part about being in this area is we live very close to the assistants, the zone leaders, and the office elders, and we get to see them quite often and we've become great friends, but the assistants are going home tomorrow :( :( :( The new assistant was my zone leader, and when I first arrived I knew I'd seen him hundreds of times before, but he didn't know what I was talking about...then last week when I was talking about my worst religion class ever at BYU and I said my teacher sounded like Kermit the Frog, he realized we were in the same class. Anyway.
*Unknown nonspecific day from last week: Okay I admit it. Talking to strangers about the gospel terrifies me sometimes. Most people we meet don't agree with my "I'm a person, you're a person, we should talk" philosophy and those that do talk with us quite often aren't interested. But while tracting this week I made this little commitment that changed everything. I said this little prayer and said "I promise that for the next five houses, you tell me what to say and I will say exactly what you want me to say." and made that commitment over and over. It worked! The day was soooo much more enjoyable. You might call this a turning point. :)
*Tracting on Foster Crescent, we came upon these three past-middle aged men sitting on the front porch "enjoying" some Victoria Bitter (the local specialty beer) and cigarettes, who mocked our mormonness using varieties of vulgarities as we approached...but they were easier to love than are so many people we meet. Rocky Lee and his two friends mostly listened as I tried to answer questions about why there is so much suffering in the world--why is God, as they saw it, doing nothing about tsunamis and AIDS and wars, etc etc and about what happens next and what happened before. They gave us their seats in deference but continued to use their usual not the most virtuous speech and I asked him "Rocky--so you give me your seat but you still use this kind of language around us?" Yes. Fair enough. Rocky says he wants to go to hell because that's where the party is. Ha. Well if that's what he wants... but he promised me that in the next life we'll talk again and he'll listen to me some more :) He kept saying that if this one Australian rock star, who died and came back and said there's nothing "on the other side", actually came and said there is something, he would believe. I don't know why I loved that but they were just hardworking lower-middle class folks trying to get the most out of life the only way they know how to.
Oh! So many people we talk to that already have beliefs say "if I need more knowledge, God will let me know. if I am wrong, God will let me know." And there I am, standing on their doorstep, staring at them. And how is it that he's going to let you know? Is he NOT going to send two lovely missionaries to your door to tell you?
Back to the favorite moments.
Saturday: we taught Sue Gray and started a lesson about healing and ended it with the Plan of Salvation. The Spirit was so there. I could tell she didn't want to believe but actually she kind of does.
Sometime: we went and visited Penny and Wolfgang (the one who looks like Brad Pitt, but dark and his face is less round) and found out they are getting married in March! This is good news... Penny was so so sweet and so so happy to see us and loving and appreciative of having sisters, not elders, at her door, and didn't have time to talk but wants to see us in a couple of weeks. This is one case where I feel really good about them, but they have such strange beliefs and seem committed to them that I have NO IDEA what to do for them. Which means I have to rely on the Spirito like neva before.
Saturday: We did some surprise service to investigators in the Wantirna South area, and they said it was like a dream, and he--Bernard--let us each read our favorite Book of Mormon scripture and explain it, and there is so much love and hope in his eyes...and he and his wife came to church Sunday, and I just inherited them as investigators! Also Eva, who has cancer quite badly, let us in her house for the very first time after several visits and phone calls, when we showed up and offered to clean her showers. We're going back this Saturday. Her husband was getting a tattoo when we were there from a travelling tattoo artist. It was at once fascinating and horrible. The artist injects the color with a tiny inky saw. Allow me to quote True to the Faith, which if you have the right sense of humor is quite funny: "if you have a tattoo, you wear a constant reminder of a mistake you have made [and I add: that's embarrassing!]. You might consider having it removed.
Most devastating moment: On the day I made that commitment to say exactly what I should say, we encountered a Christodelphian, which I may say is close to the saddest belief system I have as of yet heard of. They believe in the Bible, and sometimes a literal interpretation of it, sometimes symbolic, but that we have no Spirit, and that when we die, we sleep in the most complete sense until the resurrection, at which time only the righteous rise and receive a spirit. I don't get it. He has 3-week-old twins and I tried to tell him they came straight from Heavenly Father and that they lived with Him...but no...and they think that if their children live but don't accept Christ they are just gone forever. Their kids were so beautiful. And for all the people who have never heard the name of Christ, too bad for them, if God wanted them to know--because he chooses those who choose Him back--he would have sent someone. To all the billions of Chinese. Hrm.
It's time to go. One more thing, one of my favorite things about being on a mission is that you are autonomous. To a degree, no one is there telling you what to do. You have the white handbook full of the mission rules, and you report to the district leader every evening, and you have a companion, but no one is forcing you to do what you're supposed to... but you DO what is right, not because you're supposed to, but because you want to, and because you want to qualify for the Spirit. Or else you're doing it by yourself. And more, because this is the Lord's work and you show your love for the Lord by your diligence. It's time for me and my companion to commit ourselves more fully and think of new ways to influence people and invite them to receive the restored gospel. I have grown so much closer to my Savior...it's nice :) and this stuff is demanding, but I feel so peaceful. No stress.
LOVE YOU
Savanna
Tuesday, January 9, 2007
hark all ye nations...
Oh my, Alise and Crystal taking the ACT together. I hope they have a great time! I remember walking into Longmont High School, 11 years old, half the size of all the big smart high schoolers there...
I'm proud of Crystal! I think about her all the time. Well her and everyone else. Did Mitt announce, then? Good thing, Colorado is under 4 feet of snow and Melbourne is hot hot hot. I put on sunscreen twice a day and still get burnt.
We just got back from a temple session. This morning I studied several things about the temple, especially in Leviticus, and so I was a lot more ready to learn.
Yesterday Sister Wang and I knocked on a lady's door and taught her some about the Restoration and how to learn and love trials, and she was uplifted but uninterested until she told us her name...Alma! Now she holds a book that, though she doesn't understand it, is precious to her because one of its prophets has the same name that she does. Alma is such a good person, just think of all the things he had to put up with and yet he was always gracious and valiant...
One of my enduring how-to-deal-with-people lessons came this week. I more than ever want to always do what I say I will do. We have had plenty of broken appointments. The problem is we dream big for these people and then they don't come to their appointments and it's the end of those expectations we had.
A week ago we were riding past a park and saw this little old person doting over a small human in a stroller. We talked to him--well Sister Wang talked to him because he is Chinese to the fullest--and he was so excited that he walked us almost all the way to his house to show us where he lives, and told us it's number 20. That referral went to the Chinese elders. Sister Wang and I went past his house a few days later but number 20 sure didn't exist. Sad. BUT Monday after one of our broken appointments we decided to finish companion study in the car instead of going tracting. Pay attention to this sequence: should we study or knock on doors? study. should we study here? no, let's go somewhere else. where should we go? let's go towards our dinner appointment. [we stop somewhere.] should we study here? no, let's go over there. We park in a shady parking lot. I look over and Little Old Very Chinese Man is once again hovering over a baby in a stroller. It was a different location, same man, and he once again showed us his house. It's number one, but how sweet is this--he lives near a speed limit sign that says 30 km and he thought since he lives by it, his house number is 20. I couldn't help laughing because even though the language was understandable I knew he was saying he thought that street sign showed his address. The moral of the story is that the Lord works in our lives so so intricately, so delicately, and in this case we found that man again by being where we hadn't planned to be.
Michael. He works at a home where disabled folks live, and he seemed to just be polite as we taught him about the Restoration. He was like--what do you want me to do? Read this book? When we came back the next week he said "you should come back, I've only read about 80 pages." What!? When was the last time I read 80 pages of scripture in a few days? Anyway we taught the Plan of Salvation and at the end (O magical question) he said "this is all nice--but what if different members of the family end up in different kingdoms?" Ding ding ding! Temples! Michael's response: so the next step would be to meet with Amanda (the wife) and Jessica (the infant daughter)? That's right, dear Michael. That one was too easy, but he's not "ours" because he lives just over our mission boundaries so we can't teach him anymore.
We have been qualified to be in the presence of all the great prophets: We got persecuted!!! :) It was awezome! (Aussies say "awesome" as if the s were a z.) In a different area, Frankston, people throw stuff at the missionaries all the time. Until the following incident, we were living on the sunny side of the street. We were riding our bikes to go to see the previously mentioned Michael and some car drove past and some entity within projected something orange and watery, which missed Sista Wang and landed before me. I was thinking--is someone angry with us? Please don't come back, please please please. Then whatdoyaknow, not much later the car drove by again and something pink and watery landed in front of my trainer. It was just a cheeky teenager. His baseball cap fell off and landed in the road just as he threw the second water balloon at us, and was he one to stop and pick it up in front of someone he'd just persecuted? No. They drove away, and we confiscated the hat. Crystal, you may be seeing this cap in the future :)
On Monday we had interviews. Our mission president is a-maze-zing. I don't know how to describe why, but he's so powerful and natural and engaging and humorous. I was really looking forward to getting to know him better. I thought I would be nervous around him but I'm not. Speaking with him was very reassuring. He said he can tell that though I am--in his words--intellectual and talented, I am spiritual and humble, and that the mission needs me :) and eventually I'll be great in this dear mission.
I NEED this reassurance because I think I am about to be launched into this huge growing opportunity. President warned me that Sister Wang will most likely be transferred and I'll stay in Wantirna, this affluent, most difficult area that I'm in now. I feel verrrrrrry verrrrrrry unprepared to assume responsibility for this area without having someone who's been there already six months. I don't even look at the map because I drive and she navigates. The ward has had just one baptism this entire year and being the innovative type, I want to revitalize it. Get new, creative approaches. Something has to change...we are planting good seeds but I think many of them are getting lost by the wayside, if you know what I mean.
To the sender of the beautiful beautiful Chinese greeting card and associated beautiful letter: thank you. Underlined and bolded.
Bishop V, so good to hear from you! What a clever missionary son you've got. I'll be sure from now on to blitz Hell for breakfast! :) It's true though...
Hey, I need your prayers.
Love,
Savanna
Sister S. Nilsen
I'm proud of Crystal! I think about her all the time. Well her and everyone else. Did Mitt announce, then? Good thing, Colorado is under 4 feet of snow and Melbourne is hot hot hot. I put on sunscreen twice a day and still get burnt.
We just got back from a temple session. This morning I studied several things about the temple, especially in Leviticus, and so I was a lot more ready to learn.
Yesterday Sister Wang and I knocked on a lady's door and taught her some about the Restoration and how to learn and love trials, and she was uplifted but uninterested until she told us her name...Alma! Now she holds a book that, though she doesn't understand it, is precious to her because one of its prophets has the same name that she does. Alma is such a good person, just think of all the things he had to put up with and yet he was always gracious and valiant...
One of my enduring how-to-deal-with-people lessons came this week. I more than ever want to always do what I say I will do. We have had plenty of broken appointments. The problem is we dream big for these people and then they don't come to their appointments and it's the end of those expectations we had.
A week ago we were riding past a park and saw this little old person doting over a small human in a stroller. We talked to him--well Sister Wang talked to him because he is Chinese to the fullest--and he was so excited that he walked us almost all the way to his house to show us where he lives, and told us it's number 20. That referral went to the Chinese elders. Sister Wang and I went past his house a few days later but number 20 sure didn't exist. Sad. BUT Monday after one of our broken appointments we decided to finish companion study in the car instead of going tracting. Pay attention to this sequence: should we study or knock on doors? study. should we study here? no, let's go somewhere else. where should we go? let's go towards our dinner appointment. [we stop somewhere.] should we study here? no, let's go over there. We park in a shady parking lot. I look over and Little Old Very Chinese Man is once again hovering over a baby in a stroller. It was a different location, same man, and he once again showed us his house. It's number one, but how sweet is this--he lives near a speed limit sign that says 30 km and he thought since he lives by it, his house number is 20. I couldn't help laughing because even though the language was understandable I knew he was saying he thought that street sign showed his address. The moral of the story is that the Lord works in our lives so so intricately, so delicately, and in this case we found that man again by being where we hadn't planned to be.
Michael. He works at a home where disabled folks live, and he seemed to just be polite as we taught him about the Restoration. He was like--what do you want me to do? Read this book? When we came back the next week he said "you should come back, I've only read about 80 pages." What!? When was the last time I read 80 pages of scripture in a few days? Anyway we taught the Plan of Salvation and at the end (O magical question) he said "this is all nice--but what if different members of the family end up in different kingdoms?" Ding ding ding! Temples! Michael's response: so the next step would be to meet with Amanda (the wife) and Jessica (the infant daughter)? That's right, dear Michael. That one was too easy, but he's not "ours" because he lives just over our mission boundaries so we can't teach him anymore.
We have been qualified to be in the presence of all the great prophets: We got persecuted!!! :) It was awezome! (Aussies say "awesome" as if the s were a z.) In a different area, Frankston, people throw stuff at the missionaries all the time. Until the following incident, we were living on the sunny side of the street. We were riding our bikes to go to see the previously mentioned Michael and some car drove past and some entity within projected something orange and watery, which missed Sista Wang and landed before me. I was thinking--is someone angry with us? Please don't come back, please please please. Then whatdoyaknow, not much later the car drove by again and something pink and watery landed in front of my trainer. It was just a cheeky teenager. His baseball cap fell off and landed in the road just as he threw the second water balloon at us, and was he one to stop and pick it up in front of someone he'd just persecuted? No. They drove away, and we confiscated the hat. Crystal, you may be seeing this cap in the future :)
On Monday we had interviews. Our mission president is a-maze-zing. I don't know how to describe why, but he's so powerful and natural and engaging and humorous. I was really looking forward to getting to know him better. I thought I would be nervous around him but I'm not. Speaking with him was very reassuring. He said he can tell that though I am--in his words--intellectual and talented, I am spiritual and humble, and that the mission needs me :) and eventually I'll be great in this dear mission.
I NEED this reassurance because I think I am about to be launched into this huge growing opportunity. President warned me that Sister Wang will most likely be transferred and I'll stay in Wantirna, this affluent, most difficult area that I'm in now. I feel verrrrrrry verrrrrrry unprepared to assume responsibility for this area without having someone who's been there already six months. I don't even look at the map because I drive and she navigates. The ward has had just one baptism this entire year and being the innovative type, I want to revitalize it. Get new, creative approaches. Something has to change...we are planting good seeds but I think many of them are getting lost by the wayside, if you know what I mean.
To the sender of the beautiful beautiful Chinese greeting card and associated beautiful letter: thank you. Underlined and bolded.
Bishop V, so good to hear from you! What a clever missionary son you've got. I'll be sure from now on to blitz Hell for breakfast! :) It's true though...
Hey, I need your prayers.
Love,
Savanna
Sister S. Nilsen
Tuesday, January 2, 2007
2007 in Australia!?!?!?!
I'm so confused about what has happened since last time I wrote. Oh yes, the year 2007 happened. I have already experienced 18 more hours of 2007 than you have :) 2006 was so unbelievably amazing because of all the places and people I have encountered, all the things I've seen and learned... I hereby declare that 2007 can only get better.
Okay, so last week we ran out of kilometers (900 a month to share between the two companionships) so we were on the bicycles all the time. This meant we got to talk to far more people and feel like we worked harder (when I am not exhausted when we arrive at home, I am concerned, hehe). Most of the people we teach are on holiday in faraway and exotic lands, like India or Sydney, so finding people to teach is so important.
One consequence of being on bicycles was meeting Ray Smith. We were telling him and his young daughters, the tiny Chloe and Paige, about the restoration and he stopped (maybe I shouldn't tell this story BUT I WILL) and said to me--and I quote--"You are just stunning. You are just the prettiest little thing. Your eyes and your face are so pretty. You are just lovely. You are pretty as. I am mesmerized. You are gorgeous." Ahem. What do you do? So Mom, Dad, I said I would pass on the compliment. You may have it. Against his advice, I grant it to you. We kept talking, and he stopped a few minutes later and continued the spectacle of "telling me the truth" as he put it. Our new word around the house, then, is stunning. We were hoping that Mr. Ray Smith would make it to church on Sunday but he didn't come, perhaps because it was New Year's Eve. Will he next week? I hope so. We haven't had a progressing investigator (meaning they came to church and are taking lessons) for too long.
Saturday morning was devastating in a way. We had a return appointment with an aged Egyptian man who "believes very much this man" (when he saw a picture of Jesus) but his daughter answered the door, and she talked to us for 20 minutes, and then her husband, an angry Egyptian man (I'm sorry, it's just that everyone who speaks Arabic sounds angry to me) approached the door and opened an oratory beginning, "You don't know Jesus Christ! You don't come here until you know him! You know nothing about him! You read Bible before you come here!" Then a 20-minute conversation became first a discussion of what we believe but degraded into a jumble of at least 3 cultures and misunderstandings and it was just really sad. Then Sherman told us to come around just every couple of months. The day before we had to drop PJ, who had once had a baptism date. Times like these lead to a lot of prayers and I think that afternoon some answers came. Sue Gray, whose father died exactly four years ago, and who tries so hard to convince you that she loves her church that you're not sure whether she is unconvinced. She is another person I felt immediate empathy (is that the one when you feel how they're feeling?) for--a strange experience). We're going back next week to share about healing through the Atonement, one of my top 3 favorite topics. Then we found Wolfgang and Penny Schwartz. I exaggerate not, Wolfgang looks like Brad Pitt with brown hair. We knocked on their door and they invited us in and we stayed a little too long and taught the Plan of Salvation and Restoration and everything...they will be difficult to continue to teach because Penny is a self-declared "intuitive": she connects with energy, whether it be behind words or trees or whatever. But the thing is, she recognizes truth. We're trying to help her see this as the Spirit. And not the source of the power itself. Thursday she's going to a Goddess Convention, and Friday to a meditation retreat. She said she would read the entire Book of Mormon in just a few days. Our conversation was so nice, late afternoon on the back porch drinking flavored mineral water, having an intellectual/spiritual conversation about things I love. She would be so great. We need members with spiritual gifts...
I have to go in a minute. I have two requests. First of all, those of you who have gone on missions and loved it, please email me and tell me why. Please make no inferences from this; I'm not trying to convince myself that I like this, but I want to decide why I like it from the beginning and then make it happen, using your ideas :) Second, I need regular mail addresses from
...
If your name is on this list please email savanna@myldsmail.net. Thank you!!!
Did I mention it hailed on Christmas?
My latest favorite Book of Mormon scripture is Mosiah chapter 4.
A member of the "fellowship of the unashamed"
Savanna
Sista Nilsen
Okay, so last week we ran out of kilometers (900 a month to share between the two companionships) so we were on the bicycles all the time. This meant we got to talk to far more people and feel like we worked harder (when I am not exhausted when we arrive at home, I am concerned, hehe). Most of the people we teach are on holiday in faraway and exotic lands, like India or Sydney, so finding people to teach is so important.
One consequence of being on bicycles was meeting Ray Smith. We were telling him and his young daughters, the tiny Chloe and Paige, about the restoration and he stopped (maybe I shouldn't tell this story BUT I WILL) and said to me--and I quote--"You are just stunning. You are just the prettiest little thing. Your eyes and your face are so pretty. You are just lovely. You are pretty as. I am mesmerized. You are gorgeous." Ahem. What do you do? So Mom, Dad, I said I would pass on the compliment. You may have it. Against his advice, I grant it to you. We kept talking, and he stopped a few minutes later and continued the spectacle of "telling me the truth" as he put it. Our new word around the house, then, is stunning. We were hoping that Mr. Ray Smith would make it to church on Sunday but he didn't come, perhaps because it was New Year's Eve. Will he next week? I hope so. We haven't had a progressing investigator (meaning they came to church and are taking lessons) for too long.
Saturday morning was devastating in a way. We had a return appointment with an aged Egyptian man who "believes very much this man" (when he saw a picture of Jesus) but his daughter answered the door, and she talked to us for 20 minutes, and then her husband, an angry Egyptian man (I'm sorry, it's just that everyone who speaks Arabic sounds angry to me) approached the door and opened an oratory beginning, "You don't know Jesus Christ! You don't come here until you know him! You know nothing about him! You read Bible before you come here!" Then a 20-minute conversation became first a discussion of what we believe but degraded into a jumble of at least 3 cultures and misunderstandings and it was just really sad. Then Sherman told us to come around just every couple of months. The day before we had to drop PJ, who had once had a baptism date. Times like these lead to a lot of prayers and I think that afternoon some answers came. Sue Gray, whose father died exactly four years ago, and who tries so hard to convince you that she loves her church that you're not sure whether she is unconvinced. She is another person I felt immediate empathy (is that the one when you feel how they're feeling?) for--a strange experience). We're going back next week to share about healing through the Atonement, one of my top 3 favorite topics. Then we found Wolfgang and Penny Schwartz. I exaggerate not, Wolfgang looks like Brad Pitt with brown hair. We knocked on their door and they invited us in and we stayed a little too long and taught the Plan of Salvation and Restoration and everything...they will be difficult to continue to teach because Penny is a self-declared "intuitive": she connects with energy, whether it be behind words or trees or whatever. But the thing is, she recognizes truth. We're trying to help her see this as the Spirit. And not the source of the power itself. Thursday she's going to a Goddess Convention, and Friday to a meditation retreat. She said she would read the entire Book of Mormon in just a few days. Our conversation was so nice, late afternoon on the back porch drinking flavored mineral water, having an intellectual/spiritual conversation about things I love. She would be so great. We need members with spiritual gifts...
I have to go in a minute. I have two requests. First of all, those of you who have gone on missions and loved it, please email me and tell me why. Please make no inferences from this; I'm not trying to convince myself that I like this, but I want to decide why I like it from the beginning and then make it happen, using your ideas :) Second, I need regular mail addresses from
...
If your name is on this list please email savanna@myldsmail.net. Thank you!!!
Did I mention it hailed on Christmas?
My latest favorite Book of Mormon scripture is Mosiah chapter 4.
A member of the "fellowship of the unashamed"
Savanna
Sista Nilsen
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
God is not dead, nor doth he sleep
Apologies, I don't feel like writing much. Sorry :)
Christmas was fun. Members took good care of us. We got a couple of gifts. Christmas Eve the Smiberts had us over, and Sister Smibert's brother is a general authority in the area presidency. It was interesting to see how he acts and interacts. He told us something we should have done better in a little lesson we gave the Sunday School class, but I didn't even realize it until after because he did it so lovingly. What a talent.
So. Every member we've visited has given us chocolate, which has amassed to a heap the size of three quarters of our kitchen table. We're trying to trick people into taking some of it. The big special occasion desserts are pavlova, a meringue type of cake, and plum pudding with custard.
We've gone Christmas caroling several times in the past week. The most memorable was going to a nursing home. Some young single adult girl from another ward asked us to show up there and we didn't know what it was, but it was their music hour. We sang carols to an audience of 100ish people who were very close to going home to "that God who created them." It was a sacred chance to help communicate his love for them. They'll see him soon. I think that many people are so lonely these days, but wouldn't know it nor would they know how to express that. Just seeing how people have reacted so gratefully to our coming to their house to sing tells me how much people need.
Rachel--do you get these? Send me your address; I have some things I just need to tell you--plus, don't you owe me a birthday present? ;) Elder Smibert that I just mentioned was the Auckland mission president when you went to the Cook Islands for the VIP screening...I don't need to say anything more.
And Kristi--do you read these? Good luck. And remember, men are that they might have joy!
This morning I reread Elder Ballard's talk "The Greatest Generation of Missionaries." It says that they need spiritually energized missionaries, vibrant, thinking, and passionate missionaries. That sounds good to me. I think I can handle that. Elder Ballard also says that we are in a great battle for the souls of men, and the enemy is unforgiving and relentless. I have be the kind of missionary that is a challenge to that kind of devotion. Except righteousness is more powerful. "We need missionaries to match our marvelous message." Have I been battling for the souls of the children of God?
We taught Lisa again on Thursday and she is beginning to recognize the blessings that being introduced to the gospel is bringing to her life. And they are mighty. This past week she reconciled with her husband from whom she has been separated for I don't know how long. She looks so happy. Seriously, these huge things keep happening to her. It's like every week God is like, okay--what do I need to do this week to convince you? We taught her some of the commandments and she said for the first time that she knows what it means to keep the Sabbath day holy and why it is important. That is such a beautiful thing for a missionary to hear. At the end of the lesson SHE reminded US that we can pray to know whether the Book of Mormon is true and whether Joseph Smith is a prophet, and asked us to do that together. She gets a new testimony every week. I always look forward so much to seeing her and to being in a place where we are welcome.
Favorite story of the week: yesterday evening as Sister Wang and I were walking home, I saw one of those rubbery sleeves you can put around a soda can to keep it cold, lying all alone in the gutter, and joked that we should knock on the door of the nearest house and ask if it's theirs as an excuse to talk to them. It was a joke but I still wanted to half a minute later so we went back and I picked it up and knocked. The lady who answered was real sweet, saying no I don't think it's mine, but her dog was the snarlingest angriest little spaniel I've ever seen. We talked to her for a few minutes and she was like oh--you're the Mormons. She'd read part of the Book of Mormon but I guess it was too "deep" for her. She's an atheist who intends to stay that way. She told us she was from Czechoslovakia which you know got me overly excited and I asked her if she'd tried to read the Book of Mormon in Czech but she said it wouldn't make a difference, the ideas are just too complicated. The conversation continues, she says she likes us as people la di da. We tell her testimonies of the Book of Mormon and we start to say goodbye, and I ask again if I can get her the book in "Cesky", the way to say "Czech" in her language and she laughed and said "If you insist. You know where I live." Oh Denise, I do insist. Smile. I'm going to get her a book in Cesky and introduce her to something simple in the book.
Later today we're getting together with the other missionaries in the zone to play capture the flag. I love being around them and get a lot of strength from them. We honestly do have authority "above that of the kings of the earth" because we can promise people blessings from God and teach them truth that makes them accountable for what they know. It's so interesting learning how to use that, so overwhelming.
Just a note to you, anyone who's reading this who isn't necessarily a devotee to this religion: my role right now is different from what it has been in the past and what it will be in the future...it is to be a bold witness for the truth and invite people to know what I do so they may receive the associated blessings...it's not really about me. So some things I write may seem...how you say...foreign? extreme? but that's my job right now :) And it's so nice to not have to apologize for that during this amazing time. There could be nothing more true nor more beautiful.
Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Give the mailman some work to do, would ya?
I send hugs from afar.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.
Christmas was fun. Members took good care of us. We got a couple of gifts. Christmas Eve the Smiberts had us over, and Sister Smibert's brother is a general authority in the area presidency. It was interesting to see how he acts and interacts. He told us something we should have done better in a little lesson we gave the Sunday School class, but I didn't even realize it until after because he did it so lovingly. What a talent.
So. Every member we've visited has given us chocolate, which has amassed to a heap the size of three quarters of our kitchen table. We're trying to trick people into taking some of it. The big special occasion desserts are pavlova, a meringue type of cake, and plum pudding with custard.
We've gone Christmas caroling several times in the past week. The most memorable was going to a nursing home. Some young single adult girl from another ward asked us to show up there and we didn't know what it was, but it was their music hour. We sang carols to an audience of 100ish people who were very close to going home to "that God who created them." It was a sacred chance to help communicate his love for them. They'll see him soon. I think that many people are so lonely these days, but wouldn't know it nor would they know how to express that. Just seeing how people have reacted so gratefully to our coming to their house to sing tells me how much people need.
Rachel--do you get these? Send me your address; I have some things I just need to tell you--plus, don't you owe me a birthday present? ;) Elder Smibert that I just mentioned was the Auckland mission president when you went to the Cook Islands for the VIP screening...I don't need to say anything more.
And Kristi--do you read these? Good luck. And remember, men are that they might have joy!
This morning I reread Elder Ballard's talk "The Greatest Generation of Missionaries." It says that they need spiritually energized missionaries, vibrant, thinking, and passionate missionaries. That sounds good to me. I think I can handle that. Elder Ballard also says that we are in a great battle for the souls of men, and the enemy is unforgiving and relentless. I have be the kind of missionary that is a challenge to that kind of devotion. Except righteousness is more powerful. "We need missionaries to match our marvelous message." Have I been battling for the souls of the children of God?
We taught Lisa again on Thursday and she is beginning to recognize the blessings that being introduced to the gospel is bringing to her life. And they are mighty. This past week she reconciled with her husband from whom she has been separated for I don't know how long. She looks so happy. Seriously, these huge things keep happening to her. It's like every week God is like, okay--what do I need to do this week to convince you? We taught her some of the commandments and she said for the first time that she knows what it means to keep the Sabbath day holy and why it is important. That is such a beautiful thing for a missionary to hear. At the end of the lesson SHE reminded US that we can pray to know whether the Book of Mormon is true and whether Joseph Smith is a prophet, and asked us to do that together. She gets a new testimony every week. I always look forward so much to seeing her and to being in a place where we are welcome.
Favorite story of the week: yesterday evening as Sister Wang and I were walking home, I saw one of those rubbery sleeves you can put around a soda can to keep it cold, lying all alone in the gutter, and joked that we should knock on the door of the nearest house and ask if it's theirs as an excuse to talk to them. It was a joke but I still wanted to half a minute later so we went back and I picked it up and knocked. The lady who answered was real sweet, saying no I don't think it's mine, but her dog was the snarlingest angriest little spaniel I've ever seen. We talked to her for a few minutes and she was like oh--you're the Mormons. She'd read part of the Book of Mormon but I guess it was too "deep" for her. She's an atheist who intends to stay that way. She told us she was from Czechoslovakia which you know got me overly excited and I asked her if she'd tried to read the Book of Mormon in Czech but she said it wouldn't make a difference, the ideas are just too complicated. The conversation continues, she says she likes us as people la di da. We tell her testimonies of the Book of Mormon and we start to say goodbye, and I ask again if I can get her the book in "Cesky", the way to say "Czech" in her language and she laughed and said "If you insist. You know where I live." Oh Denise, I do insist. Smile. I'm going to get her a book in Cesky and introduce her to something simple in the book.
Later today we're getting together with the other missionaries in the zone to play capture the flag. I love being around them and get a lot of strength from them. We honestly do have authority "above that of the kings of the earth" because we can promise people blessings from God and teach them truth that makes them accountable for what they know. It's so interesting learning how to use that, so overwhelming.
Just a note to you, anyone who's reading this who isn't necessarily a devotee to this religion: my role right now is different from what it has been in the past and what it will be in the future...it is to be a bold witness for the truth and invite people to know what I do so they may receive the associated blessings...it's not really about me. So some things I write may seem...how you say...foreign? extreme? but that's my job right now :) And it's so nice to not have to apologize for that during this amazing time. There could be nothing more true nor more beautiful.
Hope everyone had a good Christmas. Give the mailman some work to do, would ya?
I send hugs from afar.
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail, with peace on earth, good will to men.
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
Hello from tomorrow (across the international date line)
Dear dear dear family and extended audience,
I am trying to decide whether last week happened a year ago or just seven days ago. Oh my my.
Hey, anyone who sends me an email, send me a physical return address. I want to send you a letter. Ahem, Jaime ;) I can write back only to my dear beloved family.
ZONE CONFERENCE was last Thursday. It was lovely, as they say. The zone leaders, President, and the assistants reenacted the creation of the title of liberty, except as applied to the Australia Melbourne mission. Can you imagine, these missionaries throwing off their suit jackets and ripping off their white shirts, buttons flying (and I'm sitting in the front row), and hoisting them on curtain rods or tree poles. They had other shirts on underneath, don't worry. Next, the mission leaders decided that we needed to learn to trust each other so we had to fall...voluntarily...
My friends in Provo, and then at the MTC, always laugh at me because I "know everyone" and that continues even here. When my companion lived in Singapore, she knew and went to the home of one of our family friends (Heejay, howdoyaspell it, Wylie), and I once knew Elder Hyatt's brother, and I know Elder Kariya's sister. It's called networking, ha.
We taught a Pentecostal lady last week. I said the opening prayer and I was nervous she was going to join in with me. I don't understand why she wants us to keep teaching her because she's so insistent on everything being wrong. She prayed to know the Book of Mormon is true and apparently she got a no, but she didn't even open it first to learn what it is...it doesn't work that way :) But she loves us and wants us to come back every week. Then I don't understand what my role is with this Indian Sikh family. The ways of God are mysterious. Yes. Sonia, the 14-year old daughter, came to the live nativity on Sunday and one of her school friends was there.
This is a good story, Sister Wang and I were on bikes Monday riding to Knox City. We were halfway there when she got the idea to go visit Pujitha (PJ)...he wasn't home but we stopped by the home of this other guy we had kind of decided to drop the previous evening. He was home and we taught him the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ lessons, and he was quite interested in the doctrine of repentance. It was so sweet--he asked me so sincerely whether Jesus really would forgive him of the things he's done in the past. I had been kind of craving to see an investigator ask me trusting questions. He set a baptism date with us. Last night, however, he called to say the Navy had called him up to begin training this weekend. We'll fight for him.
Yesterday was the weirdest day of my life, or at least of my mission. We got our first media referral in 5 months (when someone sees one of our commercials on television and calls to request a book of video) so we went to the neighborhood to deliver the item. He wasn't there, so we knocked on some doors. We found a lady who didn't want help carrying in her boxes and boxes of soda cans, a proclaimed and devoted atheist (which is normal), an old man who kept saying "you're wasting your time! You're wasting your time!" (affari miei), a lady on oxygen who when asked how she's doing said "not good" and we asked if she's okay and she said "yes." What? Then we knocked on this door and the lady who answered said "I just lost my husband..." Sister Wang is the only one of the two who can see her and she's saying but... but... not really getting anything out. She closed the door and I'm just heartbroken for this woman, so we wrote her a note to leave in her mailbox. As we stand in her driveway, I'm writing, and crying, saying God's plan is for families to be together forever, and we know her husband is precious to her, and that God sorrows when she sorrows. Then we discover we were on the wrong street, and go to deliver the stuff to Damien Silver, except he hadn't even requested it, and "doesn't care" if God exists, and I tell him kinda sassy that maybe he doesn't think about God but God thinks about him ALL THE TIME, and then we visit this girl who got baptized a couple weeks ago, and everyone in her house is making fun of the missionaries, but we can tell they love us, and this 19-year old girl is pulling on her cigarette in front of me saying "don't tell Elder Jensen [who baptized her] that I smoke" and demanding that he goes to visit her. Then we go street contacting, and speak with this crazy old bus driver who says "ARE YOU AMERICAN? WHY DON'T YOU STAY IN AMERICA? GO TO YOUR OWN FIRST. GO TO THE POOR AND NEEDY. THEY NEED YOU THERE WHERE HURRICANE KATRINA HAPPENED. THERE ARE NO POOR HERE. GO TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND HELP THE BLACK PEOPLE. THIS IS A SOFT OPTION. YOU'RE ON HOLIDAY IN AUSTRALIA. HOLIDAY!!!" Oh my. Then: "JOSEPH SMITH? THE GERMANS IN 1930 THOUGHT HITLER WAS A GOD. HOW DO YOU KNOW HE'S NOT ANOTHER HITLER?" Then when asked what he believes happens to us when we die: "I'LL TELL YOU WHERE THE HUMAN RACE IS GOING. IN 300 MILLION YEARS ALL THE STARS YOU SEE IN THE SKY WILL BE POPULATED BY HUMANS. WE CAME FROM FISHES AND MONKEYS AND WE WILL CONTINUE ONLY AS BITS OF DNA, GOING OFF TO THE STARS." But then as we finished and left he thanked us for a good conversation and promised to read the pamphlet. I wrote in caps because he was standing above us in the bus yelling down at us. Then we went to see my favorite, Gary, and he tells us how he hates marriage. After dinner we sang a Christmas carol to the neighbors of those who treated us, and they tried to give us money. Such a weird day. :)
Fires are burning out in the bush so there's smoke everywhere. People are too busy for us, it being the Christmas season, so we aren't having too much success or appointments. This afternoon, it's preparation day, but we're going to go and try to rescue Chris.
I read somewhere recently that the ability to weep is a spiritual gift. I haven't been crying really at all but it really is heartbreaking, and I want to as soon as someone closes a door in front of you and they won't open their eyes to the beauty that you know.
Dad--say hi to Weston for me! Remind him that he owes me a letter. I will be calling the family on Christmas, but I don't know whether that means on my Christmas or yours. It might be Christmas Eve for you. Sorry we haven't worked out any details yet. But keep your cell phones on in case I have to call at a weird time or in case no one is home. Jeremia is SMART! That's so cute that he tried to put the star back in the sky. Congrats on the new ordination.
Rebooka--congratulations on being the first of my friends to get me a letter while I'm in Australia. At Zone Conference the office elders lined up everyone's mail and amidst the wreckage of everyone's Christmas packages and letters, there was your sweet note, smiling at me like an old friend. :)
Spence--roger that. Ha, I gotta go.
Love you every one,
and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Read 3 Nephi 11.
Savanna
I am trying to decide whether last week happened a year ago or just seven days ago. Oh my my.
Hey, anyone who sends me an email, send me a physical return address. I want to send you a letter. Ahem, Jaime ;) I can write back only to my dear beloved family.
ZONE CONFERENCE was last Thursday. It was lovely, as they say. The zone leaders, President, and the assistants reenacted the creation of the title of liberty, except as applied to the Australia Melbourne mission. Can you imagine, these missionaries throwing off their suit jackets and ripping off their white shirts, buttons flying (and I'm sitting in the front row), and hoisting them on curtain rods or tree poles. They had other shirts on underneath, don't worry. Next, the mission leaders decided that we needed to learn to trust each other so we had to fall...voluntarily...
My friends in Provo, and then at the MTC, always laugh at me because I "know everyone" and that continues even here. When my companion lived in Singapore, she knew and went to the home of one of our family friends (Heejay, howdoyaspell it, Wylie), and I once knew Elder Hyatt's brother, and I know Elder Kariya's sister. It's called networking, ha.
We taught a Pentecostal lady last week. I said the opening prayer and I was nervous she was going to join in with me. I don't understand why she wants us to keep teaching her because she's so insistent on everything being wrong. She prayed to know the Book of Mormon is true and apparently she got a no, but she didn't even open it first to learn what it is...it doesn't work that way :) But she loves us and wants us to come back every week. Then I don't understand what my role is with this Indian Sikh family. The ways of God are mysterious. Yes. Sonia, the 14-year old daughter, came to the live nativity on Sunday and one of her school friends was there.
This is a good story, Sister Wang and I were on bikes Monday riding to Knox City. We were halfway there when she got the idea to go visit Pujitha (PJ)...he wasn't home but we stopped by the home of this other guy we had kind of decided to drop the previous evening. He was home and we taught him the Plan of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ lessons, and he was quite interested in the doctrine of repentance. It was so sweet--he asked me so sincerely whether Jesus really would forgive him of the things he's done in the past. I had been kind of craving to see an investigator ask me trusting questions. He set a baptism date with us. Last night, however, he called to say the Navy had called him up to begin training this weekend. We'll fight for him.
Yesterday was the weirdest day of my life, or at least of my mission. We got our first media referral in 5 months (when someone sees one of our commercials on television and calls to request a book of video) so we went to the neighborhood to deliver the item. He wasn't there, so we knocked on some doors. We found a lady who didn't want help carrying in her boxes and boxes of soda cans, a proclaimed and devoted atheist (which is normal), an old man who kept saying "you're wasting your time! You're wasting your time!" (affari miei), a lady on oxygen who when asked how she's doing said "not good" and we asked if she's okay and she said "yes." What? Then we knocked on this door and the lady who answered said "I just lost my husband..." Sister Wang is the only one of the two who can see her and she's saying but... but... not really getting anything out. She closed the door and I'm just heartbroken for this woman, so we wrote her a note to leave in her mailbox. As we stand in her driveway, I'm writing, and crying, saying God's plan is for families to be together forever, and we know her husband is precious to her, and that God sorrows when she sorrows. Then we discover we were on the wrong street, and go to deliver the stuff to Damien Silver, except he hadn't even requested it, and "doesn't care" if God exists, and I tell him kinda sassy that maybe he doesn't think about God but God thinks about him ALL THE TIME, and then we visit this girl who got baptized a couple weeks ago, and everyone in her house is making fun of the missionaries, but we can tell they love us, and this 19-year old girl is pulling on her cigarette in front of me saying "don't tell Elder Jensen [who baptized her] that I smoke" and demanding that he goes to visit her. Then we go street contacting, and speak with this crazy old bus driver who says "ARE YOU AMERICAN? WHY DON'T YOU STAY IN AMERICA? GO TO YOUR OWN FIRST. GO TO THE POOR AND NEEDY. THEY NEED YOU THERE WHERE HURRICANE KATRINA HAPPENED. THERE ARE NO POOR HERE. GO TO PAPUA NEW GUINEA AND HELP THE BLACK PEOPLE. THIS IS A SOFT OPTION. YOU'RE ON HOLIDAY IN AUSTRALIA. HOLIDAY!!!" Oh my. Then: "JOSEPH SMITH? THE GERMANS IN 1930 THOUGHT HITLER WAS A GOD. HOW DO YOU KNOW HE'S NOT ANOTHER HITLER?" Then when asked what he believes happens to us when we die: "I'LL TELL YOU WHERE THE HUMAN RACE IS GOING. IN 300 MILLION YEARS ALL THE STARS YOU SEE IN THE SKY WILL BE POPULATED BY HUMANS. WE CAME FROM FISHES AND MONKEYS AND WE WILL CONTINUE ONLY AS BITS OF DNA, GOING OFF TO THE STARS." But then as we finished and left he thanked us for a good conversation and promised to read the pamphlet. I wrote in caps because he was standing above us in the bus yelling down at us. Then we went to see my favorite, Gary, and he tells us how he hates marriage. After dinner we sang a Christmas carol to the neighbors of those who treated us, and they tried to give us money. Such a weird day. :)
Fires are burning out in the bush so there's smoke everywhere. People are too busy for us, it being the Christmas season, so we aren't having too much success or appointments. This afternoon, it's preparation day, but we're going to go and try to rescue Chris.
I read somewhere recently that the ability to weep is a spiritual gift. I haven't been crying really at all but it really is heartbreaking, and I want to as soon as someone closes a door in front of you and they won't open their eyes to the beauty that you know.
Dad--say hi to Weston for me! Remind him that he owes me a letter. I will be calling the family on Christmas, but I don't know whether that means on my Christmas or yours. It might be Christmas Eve for you. Sorry we haven't worked out any details yet. But keep your cell phones on in case I have to call at a weird time or in case no one is home. Jeremia is SMART! That's so cute that he tried to put the star back in the sky. Congrats on the new ordination.
Rebooka--congratulations on being the first of my friends to get me a letter while I'm in Australia. At Zone Conference the office elders lined up everyone's mail and amidst the wreckage of everyone's Christmas packages and letters, there was your sweet note, smiling at me like an old friend. :)
Spence--roger that. Ha, I gotta go.
Love you every one,
and MERRY CHRISTMAS!
Read 3 Nephi 11.
Savanna
Thursday, December 7, 2006
all the blood is rushing to my head!!!!!
...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.
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.
Sunday, October 8, 2006
on returning home
work in progress
e' sempre miracolo tornare a casa. a prendere quell'ultimo treno, salire in aereo per fare l'ultima gamba, accendere il moto della macchina. non importa chi viene ad incontrarci o quando, il sollievo sempre segue il momento in cui si nota il sentimento di stare senza movimentato. nel quale momento una parte del viaggio sparisce, dimenticata, cedendo il suo piacere a quello in cui si ricorda invece il sentimento di stare dove s'appartiene. al momento di tornar a casa non c'e' un altrove.
e' sempre miracolo tornare a casa. a prendere quell'ultimo treno, salire in aereo per fare l'ultima gamba, accendere il moto della macchina. non importa chi viene ad incontrarci o quando, il sollievo sempre segue il momento in cui si nota il sentimento di stare senza movimentato. nel quale momento una parte del viaggio sparisce, dimenticata, cedendo il suo piacere a quello in cui si ricorda invece il sentimento di stare dove s'appartiene. al momento di tornar a casa non c'e' un altrove.
Thursday, June 8, 2006
non valgo niente meno a te
from a more melancholy day :) and who knows if it's understandable, but hey, it's not understandable even when i write english.
di rimpianti ce ne sono troppi
percio' torno
a provo
a provare
a cercare di rinnovare
per la volta finale
questa vita di studiare
...di diventare
ma questa volta temo di andarci
poiche' la mia scuola sara' vuota
avro' come compagni
il libro
la palestra
il pianoforte
non avro' l'amicizia profonda
che mi [frase non mai finita]
quest'amicizia e' andata via lontana.
si e' diffusa
si trova adesso in posti vari
newdelhi.tallahassee.sanfrancisco.arizona.russia.losangeles.boston.
e anche sotto la terra, tranquilla,
affamata o consummata
in doveri nuovi di famiglia, o nel buio del cuore.
non verra' mai recuperata. non mi sara' mai piu' accanta.
e quindi
sono rimasta con questi
volti indimenticabili
ombre
legami amari
che non mi lasciano andare avanti, libera.
senza di essi sono debole
perche' mi hanno colpita
o, colpita sono.
ma mi consolo:
so che questa vita
non e' da trascorrere da soli.
questo lo so.
ce ne saranno altri
che vanno e vengono
che rimangono un po'.
ma nel frattempo
soffro la ingiustizia di distanza
sento la grossa mancanza
di un momento passato
in compagnia di un qualcuno
che non era un qualcuno qualsiasi
ma che adesso non c'e'.
il qualcuno non c'e'
(il qualcuno dov'e'?)
(il qualcuno lo sei?)
(il qualcuno chi e'?)
non finito.
di rimpianti ce ne sono troppi
percio' torno
a provo
a provare
a cercare di rinnovare
per la volta finale
questa vita di studiare
...di diventare
ma questa volta temo di andarci
poiche' la mia scuola sara' vuota
avro' come compagni
il libro
la palestra
il pianoforte
non avro' l'amicizia profonda
che mi [frase non mai finita]
quest'amicizia e' andata via lontana.
si e' diffusa
si trova adesso in posti vari
newdelhi.tallahassee.sanfrancisco.arizona.russia.losangeles.boston.
e anche sotto la terra, tranquilla,
affamata o consummata
in doveri nuovi di famiglia, o nel buio del cuore.
non verra' mai recuperata. non mi sara' mai piu' accanta.
e quindi
sono rimasta con questi
volti indimenticabili
ombre
legami amari
che non mi lasciano andare avanti, libera.
senza di essi sono debole
perche' mi hanno colpita
o, colpita sono.
ma mi consolo:
so che questa vita
non e' da trascorrere da soli.
questo lo so.
ce ne saranno altri
che vanno e vengono
che rimangono un po'.
ma nel frattempo
soffro la ingiustizia di distanza
sento la grossa mancanza
di un momento passato
in compagnia di un qualcuno
che non era un qualcuno qualsiasi
ma che adesso non c'e'.
il qualcuno non c'e'
(il qualcuno dov'e'?)
(il qualcuno lo sei?)
(il qualcuno chi e'?)
non finito.
Friday, June 2, 2006
NON CI VOGLIO ANDARE PIU'!!!!!!!!!!!!
WHY CAN'T I BE IN ALL THE PLACES I WANT TO BE AT THE SAME TIME????????????????????????????????????????????????????'
grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. SONO ADDOLORATA!!!!!!!!!!
happy day of the republic to italy by the way.
denver in 4 days
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)