118 degrees and 88% humidity!

G'day everyone! 

This week has been weird.  On the 13th it about 118F here in Kalgoorlie.  This last week from Monday (20th) until Sunday it rained.  When it rains in Kalgoorlie it doesn't just sprinkle.  It's like God turns on the facet knob full force.  The ground is just clay so it just pelts the ground and then it floods.  Kalgoorlie is flat.  That is a major bonus on the days we are on our bikes but the downside is that water just sits and forms small lakes as you try to drive around town.  We joked that they need a pump to just dump all of the excess water into the Super Pit.  On Wednesday our last appointment cancelled on us at about 8 at night, which is too late to tract here, so we rocked up at the Elder's flat (who had been basically trapped in their flat due to bad weather) and made them come play in the rain with us.  It continued to rain on and off all week long and throughout the weekend.  

Monday was Australia day!  It's the Australian equivalent of the 4th of July.  Our p-day was changed because the shops were all closed and we weren't able to do our shopping.  The Zone Leaders kept texting everyone and telling us that Monday was going to be a miracle day to try and pump us up.   There is nothing to do in Kalgoorlie so when there is a long weekend half of the town leaves to go to either Perth or Esperance.  We were correlating our weeks efforts with the District Leader on Sunday and asked him if he had any ideas of effective things to do to find people to teach on the holiday.  He told us to just get to work and pray.  My Beckstrand came out and I said, "Okay let's make a deal.  First companionship to find a new investigator tomorrow has to make the other companionship dinner."  The Elders were in.  That seemed to be just the excitement we needed.   Sister Kim and I planned for our day and then went to sleep.  When we woke up at 6:30 the humidity was at 88%.  I nearly died. It only got up to about 96F or so but it felt waaaay worse.  I learned that I could never live in a humid climate.  We spent the majority of our day tracting.  The two hours before lunch were the worst.  The sun had come out and I got a nice tan.  By the time we finished the last house that we had planned Sister Kim and I just looked at each other and said, "I don't blame anyone for not letting us in.  We look awful!"  If the heat at the beginning of the month didn't kill me I thought for sure the humidity that day was going to.  The floor of our flat was wet, the walls were crying, and taking a shower didn't do you much good.   Thanks for letting me whinge.  Unfortunately neither of our companionship's found anyone to teach but we were out working and that is what matters.  Your success as a missionary is measured by your commitment to the work.  

I'm grateful for our District Leader.  Elder Brown gave an inspired training yesterday.  I felt pretty rebuked but he did it in such a loving way that I just knew exactly what I needed to do.  This week our district is focusing on the Christ-like attribute of humility.  We are putting our pride aside and making things happen.  

After district meeting we went home for lunch.  While planning the night before we had about an hour that we didn't have anything planned and we just left it that way.  While we were eating lunch I went into our room to read a letter and just relax.  I had a thought come to my mind and went and grabbed my planner and looked at our day ahead.  Sister Kim was reading a book and looked up at me and just asked what I was thinking.  I told her that we needed to go see Jade.  She is one of the recent converts here and I just felt like we should go see her.  Sister Kim grabbed her bag and we were on our way.  When we got there and sat down with her she said she was having a hard time.  We didn't ask any questions and just started into our lesson.  We asked her how she felt knowing that Jesus Christ was there for her any time she needed Him and that He would help with anything she needed.  We sat in silence and she just started to cry.  We let her cry it out and I just put my arm around her to comfort her.  We talked a little bit and I opened up to Joshua 1:6-9.  We talked all about being strong and of a good courage.  For as long as I can remember that has always been mum's favorite scripture.  So much so that we have a decal of it on our front wall when you walk into our home.  I've never used it on my mission but at this moment nothing seemed more appropriate.   The tears passed and hope filled the room.  By the time we left Jade was smiling and laughing with us.  She doesn't have a phone and she said, "I'm glad yous came today.  I thought you might have come yesterday but when you didn't I really prayed you would come see me soon."  I was so grateful that I acted on the prompting to go see her.  I'm grateful that I'm in tune enough with the Spirit that I can feel those promptings and that the Lord trusts me with them because I act when they come.  It's a major blessing in my life and in the lives of those that need us.  If you ever get a prompting to give someone a call, send them a text, or just drop by for a visit, DO IT.  As random as it may be at the time.  When we act in faith God is with us and we become instruments in His hands.  

I'm so grateful for the blessing of eternal families.  We have an investigator that is 19 and has a two year old daughter.  Her partner is 23 and is a hard working man.  They are a responsible couple and are trying everything they can to make it all work.  She mentioned though that her daughter has her last name because "you never know how long he might stay around."  We taught her the Plan of Salvation and explained that your loved ones should be with you for eternity.  As we left I was filled with gratitude for my family and the fact that we will be together forever.  That simple knowledge makes everything else in the world seem right.  No matter what happens to anyone in our family around the world we are connected.  That is my favourite thing to share with people.  I can't put in to words the feeling that I had leaving that lesson.  My heart was so full.  I thought about the trials that people go through.  I thought about the suffering that families are put through with divorce and drugs.  I thought about how happy that makes Satan when we can destroy a family.  I thought about my parents and their example of righteousness, love, and companionship.   Life isn't always sunshine, lollipops, and rainbows but if there is anything I've learned from the flooding and rain in Kalgoorlie it is that the most beautiful flowers blossom after the storm.  Another recent convert we have comes from a part member family.  Her mum is a member but dad is not.  We were visit them the other day and her dad was asking us all kinds of questions.  One he asked was, "So after your mission will you go home and marry a Latter-day Saint?"  I responded, "Yes!" with a big smile.  He said, "Good on ya.  That will be good for you."  We tried to get him to crack and explain why he isn't a member yet but he wouldn't open up.  It's only a matter of time though before he does.

Update on our Golden investigator Ronnie.  Two really cool things about him his week. 

 #1  While looking at our sheet of potentials I realized that the potential we were looking for the day we found Ronnie lives at 42 Boundary, not 24 were we found Ronnie.  We were never even supposed to knock on Ronnie's door that day.  Sister Vaiula wrote the number backwards when she put it in her planner.  Everything happens for a reason.   

#2  We were planning on teaching the Word of Wisdom to Ronnie yesterday.  We were nervous because up until this point he had so easily accepted the other things we taught him we thought he was too good to be true.  We knew that he was a social drinker and so we entered the lesson with a mighty prayer in our hearts.  We started talking with him before the lesson and he said that this last week he had been doing a health detox to help him clear his system so he can be healthier.  All of our jaws just dropped.  When we finished our lesson I said, "Isn't it amazing how the Lord is preparing you one step at a time to hear what he has in store for you?"  We were just so happy about it all.  He committed to live it with no worries.  He is amazing.  At the end of the lesson I quoted Boyd K Packer when he said, "The Word of Wisdom does not promise you perfect health, but it teaches how to keep the body you were born with in the best condition and your mind alert to delicate spiritual promptings".  Ronnie said that that made the most sense out of it all.  He then said, "I'm so looking forward to getting the Holy Ghost, aye. It's going to be so amazing to have this feeling all the time."  He is GOLDEN!  We moved his baptism up to the 15th of February.  It's going to be so amazing.  I look forward to it.  

President announced this week that Elder James J. Hamula of the Seventy is coming to our mission in March.  Elder Hamula challenged our mission to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover before he gets here.  We are starting on Sunday and will read about 15 pages a day until the 7th of March.  It's a major commitment but I'm so excited to do it.  I love being able to just read.  I read the book 'Our Heritage' in 3 days this last week because I would just sit and read during lunch and dinner.  I'm looking forward to read straight through the Book of Mormon in a month.  It is going to be so powerful to reread the stories.  Last week I went through to find stories to share with members to get them excited about the Book of Mormon and it just amazed me how nearly every chapter of the book has something that we can relate to.  If you have never read the Book of Mormon or haven't read it in a while I challenge you to pick up the book and read.  If you do so with real intent and a pure and sincere heart then you will feel God's love more abundantly in your life.  Joseph Smith said, ". . . the Book of Mormon was the most correct of any book on earth, and the keystone of our religion, and a man would get nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”  It's true.  I know it is.  If you don't know it, find out.  I love this gospel.  I love the scriptures.  I hope you all are doing wonderful and are creating holy places wherever you stand.  I love you all! 

Much love, 

Sister Shayne!  

My card from Brescia that got soaked in our letterbox from all the rain. 

 

 

Elder Brown wouldn't take a serious picture. 

 

 

 

 

 

 Sister Kim's glasses fogged up in the rain.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found Elder Lucero in Kalgoorlie!  Only the 2nd teaching record I've seen with his name on it.  :)  It's always a fun tender mercy to see things like this.

 

 

 Adds you don't see in Utah 

 

Okay so scary story about this spider.  The first picture is what we saw as we walked up to the door of this house on Sunday.  The second was the picture I took when I realized that this spider (just a bit bigger than the palm of my hand) was INSIDE THEIR HOUSE!!! We tried to knock to let them know but no one would answer the door.  I hope they found it before it found them :)

The last one was what happens when I was helping with dinner.  My new mascara isn't waterproof. . . I'm so used to wearing waterproof that I didn't think much about the tears running down my face until Sister Kim looked at me and just started laughing at me for having big black tears coming down my face.  Lesson learned. 

            

Big changes in a small world‏

G'day!

Well this has been and amazing week :)  We had transfers on Tuesday.  We picked up my new companion Sister Kim from the train station at 2pm.  She rode up with the new District Leader for Kalgoorlie, Elder Brown.  Let me tell you a little bit about these missionaries.  Sister Kim was born in South Korea.  She moved to Adelaide when she was 12 years old.  She has one brother and 2 sisters.  She is the oldest in her family.  Her dad converted to the gospel when he was 10 with his parents and siblings.  Her dad served a mission in Korea and her grandfather is the Patriarch in her home stake in Korea.  Her mum joined the church when she was 26.  Sister Kim was sealed to her family when she was ten.  She has been out on her mission for 10 months.  We would have both got to Perth the same intake if I didn't have to visa wait.  Sister Kim and I were trained in the same district.  She was trained by Sister Manu in Mindarie when I was trained by Sister Peivi in Clarkson.  It was a mini flashback the first day we were together.  It's been amazing to teach with her this week and see how much we have both grown in the last several months.
  

Elder Brown is from Taylorsville, Utah!  He is a convert of about 10 years.  He has been serving for about 17 months.  He is a magician.  We call him the magicianary :)  He loves card tricks and is really good at them.  We may just be easily entertained but I think he is pretty good.  He has a lot of gospel knowledge.  This scriptures are marked in all kinds of different ways.  I was flipping through them the other day and I came across Isaiah 5:26-28.  He had a tab on that scripture labeled "Push bikes".  I questioned him on it and this is how he explained it like this, "These verses talks about missionary work. 'And he will lift up an ensign to the nations from far, and will hiss unto them from the end of the earth: and, behold, they shall come with speed swiftly: 27 None shall be weary nor stumble among them; none shall slumber nor sleep; neither shall the girdle of their loins be loosed, nor the latchet of their shoes be broken: 28 Whose arrows are sharp, and all their bows bent, their horses’ hoofs shall be counted like flint, and their wheels like a whirlwind:'  Now if I were Isaiah in those days how would I explain a push bike if I saw it in a vision.  Well most people rode horses so a horse whose hoofs are like flint and wheels like a whirlwind.  Sounds like Isaiah saw us on our bikes if you ask me!"  I laughed and had to agree with him.  It's going to be a great transfer out here in Kalgoorlie if you ask me! 

Here a a few highlights from this week:

Our investigator Ronney is going great!  On Tuesday we went over and read 3 Nephi 11 with him.  We didn't want to teach two big lessons back to back.  He mentioned that he had read the introduction and the testimonies of Joseph Smith and the witnesses and that he found it all very interesting.  It was great reading straight through the scriptures with him and just letting the Spirit take over.  We took Sister Graff with us to teach that lesson.  It was such a fun blessing to have her here.  The babies were still in the hospital that day so we kidnapped her and took her with us.  I love the Lord's tender mercies that he has given me this week.  I feel incredibly blessed.  It was great to have her talk about home and be able to give her the opportunity to come teach with us.  We all felt unified and uplifted.  Then on Thursday we went and taught him again.  We took Brother Timu, our ward mission leader and his wife, Pia.  We taught the Plan of Salvation.  Ronney again the whole time just kept saying things like, "I knew there was more after this life."  "Of course God loves us enough to do it that way." and on and on.  He is like a big sponge.  He said that he bumped into an old mate the other day and told the mate all about how he goes to church now and is getting closer to God.  It was awesome.  We have a FHE tonight at the Timu's with him.  They invited him over after our lesson.  It's going to be great.  He stayed for the whole block at church yesterday too!  He said he learned so much in the other classes.  I've never met someone as prepared to hear the gospel as he is.  

Sister Kim brought with her heaps of faith and miracles.  I am soo grateful to have her out here.  The whole work just feels better than it has for the last couple of weeks.  Since we have been out the same amount of time we feel evenly yoked in the work.  It's refreshing to know that as soon as I finish my thought in a lesson that she knows exactly where to take over.  The Spirit has been so strong in the few lessons we have had.  We also found 4 new investigators last week!  That was a major highlight.  The people are here we just need to find them.  

Sister Tairua in the ward shared with us a cool family tradition that they have in their home.  Whenever they eat around the table together for dinner they go around and share 3 good things about their day.  Sister Kim and I really liked that idea so before we fall asleep we share 3 good things about our day.  It's been fun because even though we are basically connected at the hip all day long we have had completely different things every night.  It's pretty cool to see that there are sooo many good things that happen everyday.  Every day might not be good but there is definitely something good in every day.  

Here are a couple tender mercies from church yesterday: 

Back to the Kaa family.  The babies are home!  They were blessed yesterday in Sacrament Meeting.  Jack gave them both amazing blessings.  It was awesome to see them walk in and Jack had a baby seat in both hands.  They are the cutest little family ever!  I'm so glad I'm here at this time to be a part of it in some small way.  

Sister Mitchell, a lady in our ward, was talking to me before Relief Society started and she said, "You are from St. George?  Do you know the Wittwers?  I think they own some furniture shop there.  It's called the Boulevard or something like that."  My jaw just dropped.  I said, "Yeah we know the Wittwers!  My dad worked for the Boulevard for over 17 years!"  Apparently Sheldon was a missionary in New Zealand when Sister Mitchell was investigating the church!

And last but certainly not least,  every Sunday as people come into church all 4 of us missionaries stand by the front door and welcome everyone as we wait for investigators to show up.  Well yesterday I was standing were I could see out the glass doors that are always propped open and all the way to the street.  I was shaking some peoples hand when I looked out the door and made eye contact with Mike Hawkins!  He just stopped where he was and said, "What the heck are you doing here?!"  I just shook my head and freaked out a little and said, "I'm serving here what the heck are you doing out in Kalgoorlie?!"  His brother is in this ward!  Mike and his girlfriend were just out here visiting him and his family.   For those of you who don't remember who Mike is,  Mike served in the Washington YSA ward when I received my mission call.  He is from south of the river in Perth.  I've never served in his ward but I've seen him about 3 times now throughout my mission in the most random of places.  We snapped a quick photo after Sacrament before we went to teach Gospel Principles and he left back to Perth.  

I love that even out here in Kalgoorlie there are people that make me feel right at home.  Sitting in Relief Society yesterday I really felt at home.  It's amazing how quickly you get to know people and connect with them.  The church is true no matter where you go.   This is Christ's church.  I hope you are all growing in your testimonies and that you feel God's love for you.  Those are a few things that I've learned are just as real as everything else in this world.  Keep the faith! 

Much love!

Sister Shayne :)      

This is Sister Kim :) 

 

 This is from the wicked lightening storm we had the other night.  

 

 

 

 

 We drank coconut milk straight from the coconut the other night at a members house.  It was a different experience that's for sure.  It wasn't half bad though. 

 

                                                  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Mike Hawkins!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are our Elders.  I love em.  Elder Brown always wears a 3 piece suit with a pocket watch.  He's crack up that one.  Elder Battye is still here and as cool as ever. 

 

Me and Sister Kim!  A lot of our pictures will probably look like this.  haha  

 

Esperance, Heat, and Tender Mercies :)‏

G'day! 

Well this week has been pretty exciting!  We started our week out with a trip to part of our area called Esperance that we haven't been to.  We woke up at about 3:20am to get ready for the day and were on the road by 4:30am.  We went that early because we had to be back by 6 because that was the end of p-day. It's about as far from Kalgoorlie as St.George is to Lehi.  We got there right around 8am.  The first thing we did was go to Macca's and get breakfast.  Then we walked down to the jetty.  We aren't allowed to swim but we got as close as we could by walking out on the water as far as we could.  It was so much fun!  I learned a fun fact that my Samoan companion doesn't know how to swim.  When questioned how someone from an island surrounded by water doesn't know how to swim we found out that although Samoa is an island many people there don't know how to swim.  She is from a farm up in the hills and doesn't go to the beach very often.  The seashore is called the foreshore here.  That was my new word for the day on Monday.  After we took pictures on the jetty and enjoyed the fresh sea breeze we drove up to a look out on the hill.  I wasn't expecting much but when we got up there I saw the most beautiful water I have in my entire life.  I didn't know that water could be so blue.  I don't know what is wrong with the Pacific but it needs to learn from the Indian ocean on how to look beautiful.  I just sat in awe.  Well we took a little hike to get a better view of the water.  The closer we got the prettier the water became.  It was definitely worth the early morning wake up.  I only agreed to the trip because I figured I would probably never have the opportunity to see this town ever again in my life so we went.   We spent a lot of time just looking out over the water and taking pictures.  I took easily over 50 photos of just the water.  The pictures don't do it justice in my opinion.  We made a pit stop at the Library to see if we could use their computers to email home.  The lady was super nice and since we were only there for one day she said she would let us use the computers for free instead of having to pay.  There were only 3 computers though so she scheduled out 2 computers and gave us each half an hour.  We wanted to stay longer to send better letters home but we didn't' want to abuse her generosity.  After quick emails we grabbed lunch and made the drive back.  It was a great experience and I'm grateful that I had the opportunity.  

The blessing of taking that trip means that we get to spend more time on our bikes because we used quite a few k's to get to Esperance and back.  I was excited to be out on the push bikes again.  It's a much more effective way to contact people along your path.  People tend to think you are really weird when you just pull over and jump out of the car to try and talk to them about Jesus.  I've had companions that wanted to try that.  Anyway just like a lot of people have written to me in their Christmas cards yes it is warm here.  It's not just warm, it is hot.  It is really really hot.  It has been over 42 degrees Celsius all week long here in Kal.  It wouldn't be so bad if we could go for a swim or get out of the heat more often but the ozone is thin and the rays are strong here.  Instead of lotion in the mornings I put on sunblock.  Instead of coming home for dinner we come home to take a shower.  Instead of a nice cup of Milo at lunch we bought 2 bags of 24 Zooper Doopers last p-day that are almost gone.  A Zooper Dooper is the Australian equivalent of an Otter Pop.  They are also called ice poles.  Why?  Because they are a pole of ice.  Australian terms are very simple and often self explanatory.  I'm getting a pretty solid tan.  It goes from the middle of my biceps to my wrist where my watch is.  I have a wicked tan line from my watch and from the straps on my feet from my shoes.  One day I must have forgotten to put sunblock on my face because my nose, forehead, and ears got burnt and peeled.  I learned my lesson that day.  Being on bikes in this weather isn't awful though.  There are benefits.  While riding around people see you.  They may think you are crazy but when we tract into them latter they go, "Oh you are the girls that were on the push bikes the other day."  Also as we tract we get the sympathy vote.  Some times people offer us water.  They aren't interested but we still get to tell them something while we drink whatever they give us.  It's a pretty good deal.  On Saturday we tracted a street with about 40 houses on it.  Only one kid was really into what we shared.  He said we could drop back by any time this week.  Hopefully we can share more with him and his family.  During that tracting it was really hot and only 1 man offered us a drink.  That night I prayed that he and his family would be blessed for giving us a drink.  We took an early dinner so that Sister Vaiula could get out of the sun.  She didn't drink enough water earlier in the day.  I've had to teach her all about how the sun and her body work this last week.  She made a New Year goal to lose weight so I wrote down simple things she can work on.  She stuck it right in the front of her planner. I've been doing better this transfer.  Every missionary that heard I was coming here said that I would gain weight.  I have proved them all wrong so far by maintaining if not dropping a few pounds.  I think it's all just because of the heat but it's all good.  

Last week I mentioned how we had tracted the majority of our Saturday and only found one person who was interested at all in what we had to share.  Well he has been the biggest tender mercy from the Lord.  His name is Ronney.  When we first met him we were actually trying to find someone else.  The guy we were looking for doesn't live there.  We introduced ourselves and asked if we could share a message with him.  He gave us the okay and I shared Alma 38:5 (my favorite scripture) and he said, "Well that's what we all hope for isn't it?"  I just stepped back and said, "You believe in God?!"  We hadn't met very many people that day that believed in anything.  He said, "Of course just look around you!  You'd be stupid not to believe in a God."  I told him that I wish we met more people like him.  That statement hasn't been more true.  We told him that that scripture actually comes from the Book of Mormon.  He said that he had heard of the book before.  He said, "It's okay that it's from that book, it's all word from God."  I was blown away.  We set up a time that we could come back and teach him more about our church.  We went on Thursday with Sister Prall from the ward to teach him the Restoration.  We went inside and he said, "Alright, where do we start?"  Ecstatic we introduced ourselves a little more, opened with a prayer and dove into the Restoration.  Everything we shared was like gold to him.  He loved every bit and listened intently.  He just kept saying, "Yeah."  and "Of course!"  When Sister Prall bore her testimony of the Book of Mormon I couldn't help but feel prompted to invite him to be baptized.  I said, "Ronney when you know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith is a true prophet will you be baptized. . . "  He cut me off and said, "Oh yes!  I'd love to be baptized.  I've never been baptized before!"  We promised blessing, gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon (which he said he was honored to have), invited him to church, set a return appointment,  closed with a prayer and went on our way.  We got in the car and just looked at each other in amazement.  We said a prayer of gratitude and went on our way.  He came to church yesterday too!!!  We are excited to go back tomorrow and see what he thought about it.     

   

That's about it for this week.  I hope you are all doing wonderful and are enjoying being back into your normal routine of things.  I pray for you always.  Always know that a Sister in Australia loves you :)  

Aroha Nui (Maori for Lots of love), 

Sister Shayne  

#1 Morning of drive to Esperance

 

 

#2 Jetty 

 

#3 Me on the Jetty

 

View from the hill out look

 

View from the cliff we hiked down to from the look out. Look how blue!

 

 

 

 

 

Me and the blue water :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

      

 

          LIFE SAVER!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me and Sister Vaiula

 

Welcome to Esperance sign that we actually took a picture of on our way out of town haha!

 

 

New Year!  Midnight in Perth, 9:00am in St. George, time where Jaden is as well as Brashley :) 

Phone Jan 1 12:00am 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 My New Years Eve Party! Journal writing, rubiks cube, water bottle, chips and salsa.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 I saw this Christmas cactus on a doorstep that we knocked on and had to take a picture for you :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The twins!!! Tiariki is named after Jack's brother.  Ps Jacks full name is Jack Brian Richard Matthew Kaa.  I kid you not!  He has 4 white first names!   The nurses call Tiariki TK so they don't mispronounce it.  He is on the left.  The one on the right is Curtis.  Named after Nykells dad.  He is the older of the two.  He was sucked out with a vacuum so his head is shaped funny.  

Feeding tubes :( they were about 7 weeks early so even though they were 6lbs each they still can't quite suck on their own.  They were doing one breast feed with two tube feeds when we saw them on Friday. 

Curtis was sick of his tube and pulled it out.  Nykell wants them out so they can go home.  

TK :)

 

Bikes!  My bike out here is ghetto!  We don't bring our own bikes to Kal.  They don't really fit on the train so they just keep spare bikes out here.  I have the brakes tied to another part of the bike to keep it from killing my legs because I need to get it fixed.  Not only is it hot but my bike constantly has it's brakes on.  

 

Fun tan lines from my skirt and shoes :)

 Look how long my hair is getting!  I didn't color it by the way.  It just was drying from my shower that morning.

 

 

New Year!‏

Happy New Year! 

 

Well New Year's Eve was definitely different this year than any other year of my life.  I was so excited to stay up (yes breaking that mission rule, shame I know) and seeing the New Year before any of you!  Well 9:30 rolled around and we finished planning for New Years day.  Sister Vaiula fell asleep straight away.  She slept all the way until the next morning.  She didn't even squirm!  I was sooo disappointed.  I asked the Elders if Kalgoorlie did fireworks earlier in the day and at like 10:20 they texted me and said, "Well if they are it's raining so one it won't work very well and two you won't see em."  I was pretty disappointed.  So I camped out on my bed with my chips and salsa, Rubik's cube, and my journal.  I'm a bit behind so I needed to catch up in my writing.  I stayed up all the way until midnight just to take some pictures of the new year and then I fell asleep at like 12:15.  Pretty lame but it was cool knowing that it was only 9:00am on New Years Eve where you are :)

 

President Lindsay challenged all of us to start off the New Year by reading Joseph Smith's History in the Pearl of Great Price.  If you haven't read it for a while I encourage you to do so.  It's only 12 pages long.  I totally had the realization that Josh is 14 and Joseph Smith was 14 when he saw God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  I have to give some credit to Joseph's family for trusting Joseph when he told them what he saw.  I would probably have thought that Josh hit his head on something.  Love you Squash :)  

 

Our Zone Leaders came up this week.  It was good to have them visit and share the missions goal with us for the new year.  The theme is "Members."  In the Australia Perth Mission for the last 4 months we have seen miracles that we have never seen in this missions history.  But we have been doing most of the work alone.  We can not do this work without the members.  I have a plea for every person who has been baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint that is reading this.  This week I want you to write down the time that you remember becoming converted to the gospel.  When you really knew for yourself that the church is true.  If you haven't had that yet, ask the missionaries to come share a message to your family.  The Spirit that will come to you as you recall those tender and precious moments in your life is what all of your non-member friends are missing.  They don't have the Spirit to help them in their lives like you do.  No wonder they seem to struggle more than they should some times.  Please reach out to a friend or relative and share your testimony with them.  Even if it is as simple as, "Hey you should pray about that."  That's a testimony that you know prayer works.  Show them a video on Mormon.org or mormonchannel.org.  Heck you don't even have to show it to them, just posted it on Facebook.  

 

Sister Vaiula and I tracted all day Saturday in the hot Kalgoorlie sun and only found 1 person that was willing to have us back to share more with him.  Missionary work is hard, and for you it may be scary.  But trust me if you start with something simple and harmless then it will become easier.  D&C 33:7-10 promises us that we can be like Nephi of old if we just open our mouths and share what we know.  Once a friend sees something they may click on it and end up watching several videos.  You never know.  But God knows who needs to see that video and that simple post will turn into a friend asking questions, taking missionary discussions in your home with your family, coming to church with you and when they get baptized it is your baptism.  If it weren't for you they wouldn't be in the church.  I know my family has had this kind of experience just by having family prayers at night and having friends pray with us.  It's as simple as living what you believe.  Don't just be a Sunday Mormon.   Going to church makes you a disciple of Christ as much as standing in a garage makes you a car.  I know that you, whoever is reading this, has someone that you have already thought of.  2 Timothy 1:7 says, "For God hath not given us the spirit of ^afear; but of ^bpower, and of ^clove, and of a sound mind."  If you are afraid, pray for strength or courage and He will give it to you.  

In Gospel Doctrine we talked about Moses talking face to face with God.  He had an incredible experience that I don't think any of us can fathom completely.  He learned one incredible truth though that helped him rebuke Satan.  He learned that he was a child of God.  We are all children of God.  If you don't know what that entirely encompasses I want you to know that God loves you.  He knows you perfectly, and he loves you anyway.  He always will love you.  He will never leave you alone no matter how stupid your mistakes may be.  The Atonement is real.  It is powerful and it can change lives.  I've seen it in myself an in others around me.  It's the greatest gift that God could have given us.  

 

The last thing I want to share is about goal setting.  It's a new year and time for new beginnings.  We should grow like the Savior did in wisdom and stature and in favour of God and man.  Luke 1:22.  I wrote out my goals for the new year in 4 categories: Mental, Physical, Spiritual, and Social.  It made goal setting a lot easier and more realistic.  Best of luck with your planning.  I love you all and I love seeing mom's blogs about all of your fun ice skating and what have you.  I look forward to joining you when I return.  For now know that I love you and pray for you all daily.  I loved speaking to you on Christmas.  It was just the boost that I needed.  You are the best family a missionary could ask for.

 

Much love,
Sister Beckstrand