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.
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