Our Last Mother's Day Skype!

Monday (5.2.16)

We had our regular Monday morning mission office staff meeting and after that we raced off to our flat to pack our bags because we got to sleep over at the mission home this evening. Later in the afternoon, we went to the airport to pick up the Elders and Sisters who were coming up from Tasmania to attend MLC (Mission Leadership Council – a monthly leadership meeting with all the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders), After we picked them we found out the Elders were starving and so it was KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) to the rescue! They all loved it and we did too! 

KFC is the cure for everything!

After we dropped them off we had to buckle down and finish our preparation for the MLC training Elder Eyring and I were planning to do.

Tuesday (5.3.16)

We had to go and say goodbye to Brother and Sister Latteiers in the very early hours of the morning. It was really hard to say goodbye to such a wonderful senior missionary couple that I love so much!  I remember when they first came into the branch... and now they are on their way home! They did such amazing work in the City Branch and everyone is broken hearted to see them go.  

So hard to say goodbye to the Latteiers! I love them so much!

After we dried our tears from saying goodbye to them, it was time to race back to the Mission home to start MLC. It was probably one of the best MLCs that I have EVER attended!  All the Mission Leaders (Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders) were really excited and felt really, really REALLY motivated to go out and inspire and uplift their zones! As a leadership group, we have decided the Australia Melbourne Mission will do a 10 day mission fast.  We are striving to hit the goal of 260 baptisms Elder Halleck set for us. Through our faith and the help of the Lord I know we can do it! After MLC we journeyed back to the Airport to drop off the Tazzy (Tasmania) missionaries for their return flight home! Then we went back to the mission home and made a trip to the chemist (pharmacy) for the Maxwells. We love helping the Maxwells with anything they need. They are so good to us and Elder Eyring and I love them SO much!

Wednesday (5.4.16)

We went to the Braeside Zone Meeting today. We love going to the different Zone meetings shortly after MLC (Mission Leadership Council) it is exciting to see what the Zone Leaders take away from MLC. It is also a bonus to be able to see all of the missionaries that we love so much. We were uplifted and motivated and the Zone seemed really happy about the new things that are being implemented into the mission! Following the Zone Meeting, we went on a Golden (Goldens are new missionaries in the Australia Melbourne mission) and Zone Leader Exchange back in Doncaster! It was SO awesome to be back in the area that I served in and that I love! I went with Elder Maumau. He is from Tuvalu. He is a great missionary with a lot of drive to spread the gospel and teach people about Christ. I love the Golden Fire that these missionaries bring into the mission. They are so fired up and they want to learn to be amazing missionaries. It was a wonderful day as Elder Maumau and I were able to follow up with some people I taught when I served here in Doncaster. We were also blessed to able to set up some appointments for the Elders for the upcoming week! I love to help missionaries fill their schedules with people to teach! After our time in Doncaster we went back to the mission home to meet with President Maxwell. After our meeting with him we were able to have a great dinner with Sister Bennet and Sister Tehahe. Sister Tehahe is making her journey home tomorrow. It was great to laugh and be with them, they are great sister missionaries!

Saying goodbye to Sister Tehahe. We will miss her!

Thursday (5.5.16)

Today we started out at the Craigieburn Zone meeting and it was great as well! This is the smallest zone in the Australia Melbourne Mission and there are only 14 missionaries total! It was awesome to see the inspiration and revelation the Zone Leaders received from our recent MLC. After the meeting I was able to call my family to set up the time for our Mother’s Day Skype. I loved talking with them while Elder Eyring and I were driving back to our meeting at the office! Even though it was really short, hearing all of their voices really put me on cloud nine for the rest of the day! After we got back to the office we jumped right in to continue our preparation for the Vidmars to take over as the new Mission President when the Maxwells go home on July 1^st. Elder Eyring and I worked really hard on some reports that we need to have for  President Vidmar. Really, that is what the whole week has been like! We are just working really hard and doing everything necessary to cleanse the office and preparing it for the Vidmar’s arrival. We used President Maxwell’s car today and so after we were done we took it to be vacuumed and washed. We wanted it to be perfect when we gave it back to him. After we were through car washing, we raced back to the Mission Home to pick up our (the APs) van to go to dinner at the Goodalls!  It was AMAZING to be back home with them! They are doing so good as a family and Leigh was also happy to see us! I absolutely love the Goodall family! 

 I love Sister Goodall! She makes me happy!

 Wonderful company and wonderful conversation!

Wow! Sister Goodall prepared an amazing feast! 

Kangaroo filet with beetroot and orange salad and duck fat roasted potatoes. Everything was delicious!

Friday (5.6.16)

We went to the Deer Park zone meeting this morning and WOW it was amazing! You could really tell the Zone Leaders had been VERY prayerful on what they were going to train and discuss with the missionaries in their zone. Both of the Zone Leaders have been my companions so it was wonderful to see them and spend time with my missionary brothers!  I truly love Elder Fiaui and Elder Sifuentes. They are both amazing men and fantastic missionaries. 

Twins! Elder Motuapuaka and I wore the same tie 

to the Deer Park Zone Conference! We both have good taste!

After we finished at the zone conference, we raced back home to Dandenong, We were able to take Reuel (a great young man from the ward in Dandenong who is leaving shortly on his own mission to the Phillippines) to the Afghan restaurant that we all love. This was the last time we will be able to meet with him before he leaves. It was good to talk with him and see what he was nervous about and what he was excited about for his mission. It was great because it brought back a lot of memories that I had the week before I left for my own mission! 

 Last Lunch with Reuel (soon to be Elder Lavaka) before he leaves on his mission!

After lunch we went back to the mission office to meet with President to discuss some mid transfer moves. When we were finished we raced back to Dandenong to visit with the Georges!  It was such a great feeling to be back with this wonderful family!

Saturday (5.7.16)

This was another great day! We started working in the office with more preparation duties for the arrival of the Vidmars and then it was off to attend some baptisms! We went to the Vietnam Footscray baptism and the Caufield Elders baptism!  The baptism in Caufield was really special to me! The person being baptized was a member referral from Ivo (Tag taught and baptized Ivo in the city last year!) and his girlfriend! It brought indescribable joy to my heart to see both Ivo and his girlfriend. They truly love the Gospel and they are diligently trying to share it with others. I have learned NEVER to judge a book by its cover! We just need to love and serve everyone and the Lord will always take care of the rest! He loves all His children and He is preparing them to receive the Gospel at the absolute right time for them.  Following all of the baptisms, we had to get the Latteiers (the senior couple that recently went home) car in Kew East. This was quite the adventure as it consisted of us taking a train and then a tram. Unfortunately, we got on the wrong tram and by the time we figured out we were on the wrong tram we got off and had to walk about a mile to find their house and drive back to the station! It was all good but Elder Erying and I laughed about the fact that life as an AP (assistant to the president) can be crazy sometimes!

What an adventure! Sorry we're late....somehow we got on the wrong tram!

Sunday (5.8.16)

IT WAS OUR LAST MOTHERS DAY!!!! It started out as a crazy morning because our original plans to Skype from the Lavakas fell through. I was trying to figure out where I was going to Skype so I could meet the time frame we set up. I decided to just have faith. The Lord knew my Momma and I needed to talk on her special day! Then BAM!  the Lord blessed us with the BEST place in all of Melbourne for skyping…..the Mattock’s home!  It was amazing that this was the last Skype of my mission!  I was so grateful that the minute we saw each other and started talking it was like everything was totally back to normal. AHHHH it was sooo great! 

Last Mother's Day Skype!

Following the skype we met with President and Sister Maxwell for some lunch and we all got back to work on our transition duties for President Vidmar! After that we worked on and practiced the song we will be singing for the Tasmania zone devotionals! It was  best night ever because I got to Skype my mom in the morning and then Elder Eyring and I were blessed to spend the evening with our second mom…..Sister Maxwell! After song practice, it was off to eat a marvelous dinner with the Kumarnasamy family. They are always so good to us and give us so much amazing food! 

Mother's Day lunch with Sister Kumarnasamy