18 months in the Outback!: Gone in a blink of an eye‏

G'day family!

This week flew by! I feel like it was just Monday. Last Monday we cleaned, emailed, shopped, and then went and hung out with Emma Harper until our dinner appointment. Tuesday was just a full miracle day! We went to Zone Meeting at the Rockingham chapel where we were trained all about our authority and our power. Quote of the meeting, "Our setting apart gives us our authority. Our obedience gives us our power." While at Zone meeting we got a call from a girl named Toree. Toree is in another ward in our stake. We called her back later and she asked if we covered Secret Harbor. We said that we did and she told us that she has a friend that wants to know about the gospel. She asked what we were doing that day and we set up an appointment to come by at 5 and teach a lesson. When we went we got to know her and asked her what her favorite thing was that her friends have been telling her about. Of course as a 17 year old girl her favorite thing wast he idea that her family can be together forever. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and committed her to pray. She said the closing prayer and it was incredible! It was the best 'first prayer' I've ever heard! We asked her how she felt and she just teared up. We invited her right then and there to be baptized. She said yes and we set her on date for the 10th of May!!! She is solid as!!! We went back to teacher her all about the Restoration on Friday and were planning on giving her a Book of Mormon. She already had one and had already read the introduction and testimonies in the beginning of it! That NEVER happens! She is soo prepared. That is living, breathing proof of what happens when members know, live, and share their beliefs and testimony with others. Your friends see the light in you as you live the gospel. The missionaries are here to teach and it is what we have been set apart to do. When we get calls like the one from Toree we know that we have found an elect child of God who is ready for baptism. She went to church on Sunday with her mate Toree and loved it! She said she just cried through testimony meeting. I'm so excited to work with her.

Tuesday night we received a text from President that read, " Dear Missionaries, Tonight, Elder Boynton boarded a flight to return home to England for treatment of thyroid cancer. His early departure is a sadness for all of us." For the last 2-3 transfers Elder Boynton hasn't been eating properly but has been putting on weight. He noticed a lump in his throat that wouldn't go away so they got it checked out. We had a mission fast in his behalf yesterday. It was heart breaking to get that news. We called President just before he sent that text and Elder Boynton was with him on the way to the airport. It touched my heart and brought me to tears that night as I thought that our special little miracle with Tiana may have been the last mission miracle that he heard before he left.

Another miracle came from a blitz in our area on Saturday. We had 10 missionaries come help us find the elect in our area. We had a mean miracle come from it. Sister Murray and Sister Bailey went tracting on a street that we had prayed about and met the Greentree family. Brother Greentree was baptized down in Esperence ages ago when. His family was talking to missionaries but the missionaries were taken from that area and then the branch down there was no longer a branch. They just moved into the area! They know members here! The dad does fly in fly out work so we set up a FHE with them for next Monday. We are so oxcited to teach a family! THe mum and all 3 kids are baptism age. Ahhh!! Getting to teach a family is seriously the greatest blessing. We must be doing something right here in Golden Bay!

Last night we watched the General Women's Broadcast. I cried through the whole thing. This gospel is amazing. The force that Sisters in this gospel have is incredible. I love that we have so much to learn from each other. I couldn't help but think about all of the ladies in the ward back at home sitting and watching the conference last week. I thought about the girl power in my family and especially all of the Sister Missionaries that are serving around the world. It's just amazing.

Other random things from this week:
We had the JW's knock on our door this week. That was a fun little conversation. They noticed the badge straight away and just gave us their little flier and left.

My red pen died on me this week. Why is that of enough significance to be added into my email home? It's the red pen I bought at the MTC. It lasted me over a year! It was like a little funeral having to throw it away and get a new one.

The 21st is ANZAC day here and will be another holiday. Pday will be moved to our Tuesday and your Monday. Just a heads up.

This is a pukana. Sister Murray has been trying to teach me how to do this all transfer long. In the haka the boys do it and they stick out their tongue. Girls don't stick out their tongue. They just make these ugly and scary as faces to be intimidating. Our elders were proud of me :)

Last but definitely not least we got transfer calls late last night. I can't believe this transfer is already over. I feel like I just got with Sister Murray. I will be staying in Golden Bay and training a new missionary!!! I am soooo excited! I had a feeling about a week and a bit ago that I would be training again. It is exactly what I need. I'm excited to meet my new Sister this Thursday! I'll tell you all about her next week. I know she is going to be great.

That's all for this week! I hope you all have an awesome week! I was pumped to hear about the SHAC TRI and all of the great things that are going on back at home. I miss you all heaps and love you more that you'll ever know!

All my love,

Sister Shayne

Pic #1 This is our morning exercises. Sister Murray squats me. No big deal.