Sunday, July 27, 2014

Making the cut‏

Hey everyone!

This has been an incredibly hard week physically.  As a missionary with a car every month we are given a certain number of kilometers that we are allowed to use.  For the last 5 months that I have been here in Golden Bay we have been allotted 1,800ks a month.  On the 19th of this month we got a text from the Zone Leaders that read, "1,400 ks. Sorry for getting it to you so late."  I was quite frustrated.  To be honest I really don't think I'm really over it yet.  By the 19th we had had mini missionary meetings, Zone Meetings and a Zone Conference up in Rockingham so we were already at just over 1,100 ks for the month and I was trying to be careful how we used the rest of them anyway.  I was judging it by 1,800 so getting 400 ks cut from us caused me quite a bit of discomfort.  We cover 5 suburbs.  3 of them we can walk to (we have to walk because Sister Tomaki just can't figure out this whole bike thing.  We devoted an entire p-day to it last week and she still hasn't got the hang of it.)  but the other 2 we have no way of getting to them except by car.  It just so happens that our 4 people with baptismal dates all live in those 2 suburbs.  I think it was Satan's way of trying to stop our work.  Let me tell you a couple stories about how we have traveled this week. 

Story number 1:
We had Zone Meeting on Tuesday morning up in Rockingham.  We got up and caught a bus at 7:35am to the train station.  We met up with the Elders at the train and took the train up to the Rockingham station where we got off and caught another bus to the chapel.  Our meeting went longer than expected so we missed our bus back to the station.  We decided to walk because it would be faster then waiting for the next bus.  About 45 minutes later we got on the train to go back to Mandurah station.  The Elders got back in their car there and we waited for the next bus back to Golden Bay.  We were on exchanges so Sister Ama was my companion for the day.  Since she can bike we spent all day on the bikes.  It was great!  I was happier than a fat kid with chocolate cake being back on a bike.  I missed it so much!  Sister Ama just laughed at me the whole day.  Tuesday came to a close and we went to bed.  We woke up and during personal study I realized that I didn't have my scriptures.  I started frantically searching the flat.  Sister Ama asked me what I was looking for and I told her that I lost my scriptures.  I kept pleading with Heavenly Father that I would find them.  Then Sister Ama used her awesome memory and told me that I left them at the train station while we were waiting for the bus back home.  I called the Mandurah Elders and asked them if they would stop by the train station before we saw them at 3 and check to see if someone turned them in to a lost and found or something.  I didn't hear back from them all day.  When we saw them all they said was that on there way to meeting us they bought us chocolate.  I was gutted because that in my mind meant that they couldn't find them.  Sister Tomaki opened the bag that they gave her and pulled out my scriptures!  I wanted to cry.  I just held them against my chest and said the most sincere prayer of gratitude I think I have ever offered.  It's funny how something as simple as scriptures can make your whole life fall apart if you don't have them.  I've had these scriptures since I was 8.  They are marked and have notes and everything from the last 12 years of my life.  I know Heavenly Father answers prayers!!  My testimony of that definitely was strengthened this week.
 
Story number 2:
Sister Tomaki and I had a meeting at our chapel with the Elders and our Ward Mission Leader.  We told them that we would be at the meeting and that we would be getting there by bus.  The Elders really didn't like that idea because the sun goes down here at 6pm and our meeting was at 7.  We finished a lesson at 6:10 and got to the closes bus stop at 6:25.  I checked the timetable and it said that the next bus was coming at 6:27.  I prayed that my watch and the bus time was the same.  I told Sister Tomaki that we needed to show our faith and I had her pull out her fare and I grabbed my bus pass out of my bag.  I figured it's one thing to pray that something will happen but you need to show your faith just as much and think you have faith.  Less than a minute after we made sure we had our stuff the bus came around the corner.  We made it on time to our meeting and everything worked out alright.  After the meeting we caught the bus home and the bus driver asked to talk to me.  I thought I was in trouble.  Come to find out he just caught my accent and asked what part of the states I'm from.  He is heading over in September and had heaps of questions for me.  It was kind of fun.
Walking everywhere has made me really sore but it is totally worth it! 

Saturday morning we got a call from Phil Greentree.  He has been away at work this week.  We had 2 awesome lessons with his wife and kids this week.  I love this family.  Tia told me that we have to keep in touch when I go back to the states.  I told her that their family will always have a part of my heart.  It's amazing how much you can grow to love people.  When I answered Phil's call I knew something was wrong.  I asked if he was okay and he said, "Actually no I'm not.  We just got in a massive truck accident up here on site.  The driver of the truck shouldn't have made it out alive."  Basically they weren't even done figuring out what had happened with the accident when Phil called us.  I could tell he was still in shock.  He said, "I just felt like I needed to call you.  They keep trying to give me alcohol and stuff to calm me down and I told them to bug off and that I didn't need any of that stuff.  I just needed to talk to yous."  I got off the phone and burst into tears.  I texted Bishop and all the ward leaders, I called our Elders and the Zone Leaders who sent a text out to all of the missionaries in our Zone asking for prayers for their family.  Then I called the temple and put Phil and Tash's names on the prayer roll.  At our last lesson with his family cute little Georgia prayed that her dad would be safe at work.  She said that she always prays that he will be safe.  Tash also told us how not having Phil home makes it harder to do the right thing.  She still hasn't had a drink but the temptation has been a lot harder not having him home.  We talked about how the Savior is always there when Phil can't be and she said, "I know I think about that every time I'm tempted to have a drink!"  We explained that she is more converted than she realized.  Phil was flown home last night after they figured out all of the statement papers and what have you from the accident.  He will be home for a while before they make him go back up.  I talked to Tash at work and helped her see how this is a blessing in disguise.  They all pray that he will be safe at work which he was but Heavenly Father still created a way to have him home to help his family become stronger.  Heavenly Father is brilliant.  His plan is perfect.  We have no idea how incredibly mindful He truly is of each and every one of us.

I hope you all have a fantastic week!  We are making the most of it here!  Miss you all heaps.

Much love,
Sister Shayne     


Alma
49:27-28 Anger caused him to curse God because of the righteousness of others. Are we helping those around us or are we letting their blessings get us down and angry?
51:14 Even the best people get mad sometimes
53:13 Out of love when their brothers were in danger. . .
53:20-21 they went to help.  I want to be like them.
Chapter 54  This is what happens when men try to settle an argument with a letter.
55:31  What are we doing to avoid the poisons around us?


Pictures
The purple and yellow bracelets (Lakers colors!)  are from one of the boys in our ward.  Loom bands are huge here right now.  Every little kid has a loom and has been making these bracelets like crazy.  The heart one we made as part of our Young Women's lesson last week at church.  It is to remind the Young Women to pray for the Spirit to be with them.
 
Golden Bay!  I finally got a photo! :)
 
This is what a bus stop looks like.  We look for the little green posts and text the bus stop number to the Transperth people and they tell us when the next bus is supposed to come.  It's great.  This was us waiting for the next bus to show up. 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 This weekend we went and helped Aaron paint his house.  Alex came with us and Brother Light our EQP, who is a painter by profession, came and helped us as well.  It was great!  We all had so much fun. 

 
 
 
 
 
 

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