I LOVE Being a Missionary!!!

Monday (2.8.16)

We had scheduled a meeting with a potential investigator at the chapel but we had to reschedule the appointment because he and his wife were stuck in super heavy traffic coming back from the hospital in the city.  However, when this happened I KNEW the Lord was at work with something else! Because of the cancelled appointment we were able to give a blessing to a member that was in need because of an infection she had from an operation. And if that was not amazing enough we were able to go to the Havili’s home and share, "Hope of Gods Light" with them! The Spirit was very strong and it is helping them gain more strength to learn more about the gospel! :) We also were able to receive two more referrals from them and we are going to see how we can best help their friends enjoy the blessings of the Gospel as well! They are such an amazing family, I love to spend time with them!!! GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!!!!  

Tuesday (2.9.16)

We made the long journey up into Sale in the morning to go on an exchange! I was happy to go on splits with Elder Motuapuaka again! He is a great missionary and I always have a wonderful time when I am with him! 

Elder Kim's Korean crackers were calling our names. So Elder M and I decided to give them a try.... shrimp crackers are definitely an acquired taste!

When we chatted with Elder M and his companion about how Elder Kim and I could best help them they shared with us that they are really in need of finding new investigators in their area.

Riding the range, looking for souls to save.

So before we met up with them I was sure to put it to the Lord with Fasting and Prayer! To start the day off, we went out to a street that I had told Elder M to pick the night before and we TALKED TO EVERYONE!!!! The first person we talked to was a new Christian who wanted to know more about the gospel, The second was a lady who was initially not interested but after chatting with her more about her personal life she became interested in the message of Jesus Christ we were sharing. She has now become another new contact for Elder M and his companion!!! Then we met a man named Mark just a few houses down and we were able to talk and bear solid testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel and we extended a baptismal date with him for the 19th of March! He told us when he knows it is true he will be baptized! WOW!!! 

We knew Heavenly Father had blessed us so much and we were very grateful but we wanted to keep going. So we went and knocked on just a couple more doors and we were led to Veronica, Dylan and Paul. A mother, a nephew, and a son!!!! We were able to teach and testify of the Book of Mormon and give them a greater understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and ALSO through the blessings of the Lord we set baptismal dates for Paul and Veronica! :) It was an amazing afternoon with Elder M and it helped our faith to grow tremendously. We were also able to teach a part member family and get some more information as to why the children were not baptized! It was a great day with him and I am so grateful for it! :) We must EXPECT great things to happen and then trust in the Lord and Heavenly Father and He will grant them to us as HE sees fit!

Wednesday (2.10.16)

It was a crazy day to be honest! We did a crazy hot noodle challenge with the Elders Before the long Journey back to Cranbourne! 

Crazy hot noodle challenge... don't let my smile fool you. Notice Elder Kim over heating in the far left corner.

Looking back it was probably not the best idea! Lets just say that my stomach was ON FIRE the 2 and 1/2 hour journey back home! Haha! 

After we arrived back in Cranbourne we attended missionary correlation meeting with Brother Faiva and of course an amazing yummy lunch. 

Lunch with Brother Faiva.

There are going to be some good things happening in the Devon Meadows ward pretty soon! I can feel it! :) Elder Kim was super tired from the drive because it was his first one out to Sale. I felt bad for him because he was so tired he was falling asleep while we were talking:) Sorry for all the times I did that to you Mom and Dad! 

After we got back to Cranbourne we got permission to go to the hospital in Clayton because Brother Havili was there. It was really good to be with him and it was amazing because while we were there the Spirit directed us to someone else in the hospital who needed our help. Her name is Noel and she was going through quite a tough time... However, we were able to share the Plan of Salvation with her and it was great! She accepted a Book of Mormon and was seemed really interested! She will be a wonderful referral for some other missionaries:) Then we went to Heather’s and had a great meal and talked more about her granddaughter’s baptism. We finished up with teaching a lesson to Wai. He is doing very good! He really wants his family to hear the missionary lessons and enjoy the blessings of the gospel too but right now they are just not interested. I shared with him that I KNOW It will happen in the Lord’s time!

Thursday (2.11.16)

This was a Major Miracle Day! :) I really can feel the effect of all your prayers and fasting here in the Land Down Under!  Today during my morning studies, I had this image of a street sign flash into my mind. It was Fernisky Drive. I had NEVER been there before but I knew a member lived on the street. I told Elder Kim that no matter what we needed to be there in the afternoon. Even though our day looked a little tight in the afternoon I KNOW that the Lord needed us on Fernisky Drive in Cranbourne, Australia and of course He provided a way for it to happen.

We were scheduled to meet Yvette in the afternoon to teach the kids.  But then we got a call from her that she had to move our appointment to later that evening so I KNEW that it was time to hit Fernisky Drive!  To be honest we tracted the WHOLE street and NOTHING! But you know what?  The lack of success at the beginning didn’t even scratch the surface of my faith!  I knew we were supposed to be there so we just kept going and going until the VERY LAST HOUSE!! In that house we were blessed to meet a single mom from Chile named Karina. She had just separated from her husband of ten years and she was praying to Heavenly Father to send her some guidance and direction of what she needed to do. And then we knocked on her door!! She had previously met Elders back home in Chile and so she really was able to take it as a sign to listen to our message from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and accept what we have to say. It was a miracle and a GREAT testimony builder:)

Elder Kim and I... just another day of miracles.

After that we went to our rescheduled appointment with Yvette. It was the last missionary lesson with the Mattock family.  We taught them rest of the commandments and we asked them the baptismal interview questions in front of Yvette! They passed them all with flying colors!!! They are very prepared! Even Monique said, "Mom asked me to pray about it so I did. I feel like I want to be baptized! " It was a miracle!! and you could see Yvette change! :) Elder Kim and I were feeling very happy about how things are going for the family and we were also feeling pretty hopeful that something big was coming:) As we left we challenged Yvette to pray about allowing her kids to be baptized on the 20th of February. We finished up our night by visiting the De La Cruz family to ask if they would visit Karina tomorrow afternoon.  We were overjoyed because they accepted happily! :) 

Friday (2.12.16)

This morning we were scheduled to do our weekly planning! 

Look what showed up to our weekly planning meeting... and I'm not talking about the two crazies in the background. The spider in the tupperware definitely tested our manhood.

It worked out great because after we finished we were able to go over to Yvette’s house! We were so glad we visited her because the adversary was working overtime and trying to confuse her and cloud her thoughts and feelings. She told us she was getting mixed emotions about everything and to be honest I HAD NO IDEA WHAT TO SAY!! But I trusted in the Lord and just bore my testimony to her. Elder Kim did the same. Then we sat in silence for a little while and then I found myself just talking... To be honest, I still cannot even remember what I said! My mind was just blank and the Spirit was using me as a tool to help one of the Daughters of God that He loves very much. The next thing I remember hearing is Yvette saying, “Yes, I know you are right. I know that it is the right thing and so I am going to do it! Monique needs to be baptized!!!!” I was in shock!! The Lord is truly AMAZING!!!! :)  

After that we went over to the Brown’s home and had a great meal with them. This is a different Brown family than the one I have sent you pictures of and told you about with the cute little daughter named Steele. We finished our night by visiting the De La Cruz family, They had visited Karina and got the whole story from her. It was amazing! Karina is going through A LOT at the moment but she is a fighter!!  it is really crazy how much she is going through! It is truly a miracle that we knocked on her door when we did!!  The Lord loves all of us and he is mindful of us and even when He can’t take away our trials He gives us the strength to get through them.

Saturday (2.13.16)

We had the night meeting for stake conference today and it was awesome! We were blessed to teach a less active family before the meeting and they fed us a really great meal.:) We are trying our very hardest to make progress with them! And then the miracle of the day was that Yvette called us and she said... "I have been thinking and I want Jordan to be baptized as well! My family is all coming down on the 20th and it is from God!" It was a miracle!! :) I was just soooo happy!! I testify to all of you that the blessings that come from fasting and prayer is REAL!!! Then President Maxwell called and said that tomorrow we would be getting another missionary so we will be serving in a tri-companionship for the rest of the transfer. Guess who the Elder is??? My very first companion from the MTC….Elder Eilers!!!! I think we are going to be a great group and we will be able to support and encourage each other!

Sunday (2.14.16)

We went to Stake Conference and it was amazing! I sang in the choir and it  sounded really good! The Spirit really can work miracles through music. After that we were at the mission office until about 6:30 pm for some interviews. After that we went to the Terramate's and ate a quick dinner. 

 Last Valentine's Day package from the family... feelin' the love!

We always love to be with them and feel the wonderful spirit in their home. Jordan is feeling a bit nervous about the baptism next Saturday but we are working with him and we think he will be alright as it gets closer! :) 

IT WAS A GREAT WEEK! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!