18 months in the Outback!: The downs, the ups, and the allegory.‏

This has been a strange yet rewarding week. We started the week by dropping about half of our teaching pool. People that weren't quite ready, people that wouldn't progress, those too busy for the gospel, and those that dropped us for this reason or that. When you start a week like that. It can be a little disheartening. But there is opposition in all things so where there is a lot of sad then there is also a lot of good. We had some highlight lessons this week.

The first one was with Jade, a recent convert. She started reading the Book of Mormon again to read it cover to cover this year. She kept reading how if you keep the commandments that you will be blessed. She started our chat with, "What are the commandments?" That's something that you get taught before you are baptized but she didn't remember them all. It was fun to see her get so excited about the commandments that she gets to live. At the end she said, "I can say that I'm living all of those!" That was a great thing to hear. She is just awesome. She has this vision of bringing her whole family into the gospel and I have total faith in her that she will do it.

Next was a drop by lesson that we had with Tess. Tess is partners with a returned missionary, her brother is a member and a return missionary who if fully active, married to a return missionary in the temple and they have 4 beautiful kids. Tess is a pretty strong Catholic. We just dropped by and she let us in for a good little chat. She had a couple of things that she and her partner Jay had had some heated discussions about when it comes to their difference in religions that she asked us. It was fun to help her understand and see things in the eyes of a Latter-day Saint. My favorite part of that lesson was when she asked why we baptize by full immersion. I responded, "Because that is how Christ was baptized." That caught her attention. She asked how we know that and I told her that it was in the Bible. She looked really interested at this point. I opened up Matthew 3:16 that reads, "And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:". She didn't say anything. She just picked up her phone and pulled up her Bible. She read it and said, "Mine says the same thing but it's phrased differently." We just smiled and testified that that is why we baptize by full immersion." It was a good eye opening lesson for her. The Spirit was there and just touched her heart every time we gave her an answer and then testified. That is my favorite feeling. You can literally see the change in the person. It's amazing.

Highlight number the next one was our lesson with Ronney. He passed his baptismal interview with Elder Brown and will be baptized this upcoming weekend! We are all very excited. The ward has been incredible! We have had a member come with us to every lesson, people welcome him at church, and others invited him to other activities outside of church. This last week Brother Taupau took him to play squash (the Australian equivalent of racquetball). He really enjoyed playing with him. It's been a major blessing having so many people that are willing to help in the work.

That's about it for this week. It doesn't seem like I have much to report but this has been our greatest week this transfer as far as the work goes. We have been richly blessed by reading the Book of Mormon as a mission in a month. We have only been at it for 8 days now and are already through the first 6 books. Today we read Jacob 5-Omni. I have to share my realization about the allegory of the olive tree. As I studied this morning I couldn't help be get so excited about the things that I was figuring out. Here are my insights from Jacob chapter 5. It all brakes down into 5 parts:

Verses 3-14 talk about the scattering of Israel. The period before the Savior's time.
Verses 15-28 Relate to the time in which the Savior was upon the earth.
Verses 29-49 is the Great Apostasy. You can just feel God's love for the people at that time. The Lord of the Vineyard wants so desperately for the trees to bring forth good fruit but no matter what the servants do the trees bring forth bad fruit.
Verses 50-75 though give us comfort while it talks about the gathering of Israel. This is the last time that the Lord will work to bring about much righteousness.
Verses 76-77 are about the Millennium.

The vineyard is the world.

The tame trees are the covenant people of Israel.

The wild trees are the gentiles.

The branches are groups of people.

The fruit is the works or lives of men.

The term grafting means the process of spiritual rebirth thought covenant making.

The roots signify gospel covenants. At one point you see how the Lord says that he will do everything in his power to preserve the roots of the tame trees that bear forth good fruit.

I know I probably sound like the biggest dork by saying that finally understanding this all made me a very happy Sister this morning but it did. I don't know if anyone else struggled with understanding this chapter but if you were like me use this little tips and reread it. I shared them with my companion Sister Kim and she rejoiced just like I did when we finished the chapter and saw the warnings and power that came from the allegory of the olive tree. The scriptures are amazing. I love reading through the Book of Mormon like we are. It is definitely a challenge to read 15 pages a day but the knowledge you receive is so worth the work. There are only 239 chapters in the Book of Mormon. If you read one chapter a day you will finish the whole book in less than a year. I encourage all of you reading this to start today if you aren't already reading the Book of Mormon and finish it by Christmas. I promise you will draw closer to the Lord if you read it looking for references to Christ. It truly is another testament of Jesus Christ. I love you all. I love hearing updates about everyone. I miss you heaps! Keep the faith :)

Much love,

Sister Shayne

Picture #1 This is a red back spider. They are more poisonous than a Black Widow. This was a daring picture to take. We went back to the house later and it was gone.

Picture #2 Me and Sister Kim on Sunday :)

Picture #3 Is the swimming center here in Kalgoorlie. It's called the Oasis. They have a 50 meter pool. We went and took a tour last Monday so I could suffice my craving to swim. We didn't swim but just being in the chlorinated room and seeing it was enough for me. Sister Kim just laughed at me all day long that we actually went there. I was grateful that she was a good sport. I miss swimming heaps. That was just the thing I needed to get me through these last 7ish months left. :)

Sister Kim and I went and were tourists last Monday and took photos of all of the old buildings here in Kalgoorlie.

Here is the History of Kalgoorlie and the statue of Patrick Hannan who discovered Kal.

And the town hall.

Historic Hannans Street

Exchange hotel

The Law courts. This was the original town hall and post office back in the day

Original Kalgoorlie Markets

Hotel/Pubs

* Funny story about the pubs here in Kalgoorlie. Last week we were trying to give someone directions to a house and we named the streets on which they needed to turn and they looked really lost. I said, "You know the pub on the left after the market before the primary school? Turn right there. The street name is Premier." To which they replied, "Ooooohhh yup gotcha no worries."

The original newspaper printer :)

Hotel. The Australia

The chapel. One street over from all of these buildings that I'm sending you

The following photos are from Burt Street. Kalgoorlie is made up of 2 major cities. Kalgoorlie and Boulder. The Elders serve on the Kalgoorlie side of town and we serve in the Boulder side. Burt street is the major road in Boulder.

Burt Street :)