The Week of Craziness!

Monday (7.4.16)

We started the day by taking Elder S to the Airport. This is the missionary whose father unexpectedly passed away. It was a very sad ride but he was grateful he would be home to to help his mother during this very challenging time! After we got back from the airport we worked at the mission office for the rest of the day! 

We were so busy at the office we barely had time to stop for lunch!

This is normally what happens the day before MLC (Mission Leadership Council…a meeting with President and Sister Vidmar, the APs, Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders) and MLC is on the agenda for tomorrow! After taking a short break to email my family, it was all about planning for MLC. It takes a bit longer with President Vidmar because this is his first one and he has basically just jumped into deep water. However, President Vidmar is an amazing, capable man who is filled with the Spirit and he is swimming flawlessly! Elder Jensen and I are SO blessed to learn from him and the entire mission is extremely blessed that he is our Mission President!  We took a break from all of the planning in the office around 7:00 pm to go pick up our Tazzy (Tasmania) Zone Leaders at the airport for the MLC that they are attending tomorrow! After we got them situated, Elder Jensen and I headed back to the office to finish up our trainings for MLC.

Late night smoothie break!

Tuesday (7.5.16)

Today was our first MLC with the Vidmars and it was GREAT! The MLC loves them so much! The Vidmars are energetic and they have a clear vision of how and where they want to lead the Australia Melbourne Mission! We all felt so uplifted by the time the meeting finished! I know the Vidmars were placed here to help the work continue to move forward!  Following MLC, we raced off to the office so we could get ready for our flight down to Tasmania with the Zone Leaders who came up for MLC. We planned it this way so the Tasmania Zone could meet the Vidmars. Unfortunately, our flight was canceled and by the time we finally made it to our hotel in Tasmania it was midnight! It was a crazy night but a blessing because I was able to talk to a man named Dean the WHOLE flight down to Tazzy and he was semi-interested in the message of the Gospel!  I am going to keep in contact with him. He definitely has some potential.. but this might be a conversion to the gospel after I get home and work on staying in contact with him.

Candid shots at our hotel in Tasmania! What can I say.....it's a tradition!

Wednesday (7.6.16)

Today on the agenda was our “Meet the President Meeting” in the morning with the Tazzy missionaries and then we were able to stay with them and attend the Tasmania Zone Meeting also! It was a fabulous day being with the great missionaries in Tasmania and they were VERY excited to finally meet the Vidmars!  But I mean, who wouldn't be???  THE VIDMARS ARE SO AWESOME!

After the zone meeting, we hurried down to the city of Hobart so we could grab a quick bite to eat before we headed to the Airport to take the trip back to the Main Land. However, we had a four hour delay at the airport and and we didn’t end up getting on the plane until 11:00 pm.  We finally arrived in Melbourne around 12:15 am.  Unfortunately, we had to go straight to the hospital because three of of our beloved Senior Missionaries, the Gourlies and Sister Mangelson, were in a severe car accident. Sister Mangelson was hurt the worst. She has a broken sternum and pelvis. We were so happy to visit them, pray with them and pray for them. We finally got back to our flat around 3:00 am. I absolutely LOVE President Vidmar! He is so loving and always wants EVERYONE to know they are important in his eyes. I have watched him always go the extra mile and do a little bit more than expected so people can know and feel the great love he has for them! This is an amazing lesson that I have learned from watching him just in the short time we have been together!

Thursday (7.7.16)

Because we got home so late this morning, President Vidmar gave Elder Jensen and me permission to sleep in a bit this morning. Once we woke up we jetted back to the office to start our preparation for the upcoming transfers. The Vidmars were still at the hospital visiting the Gourlies and Sister Mangelson so Elder Jensen and I went to work setting up transfers. We got as far as we could without President Vidmar’s input so we decided to go to KFC (remember how I told you that KFC fixes everything??)  

If KFC fixes everything, then slurpees (Aussie style) are a close second!

After we got back to the office we went to work on the “K” report (the log and tracking for how many Kilos missionaries drive each month). After we finished with the K report we had an appointment to teach Mason again! HE IS TRULY AMAZING!! Mason has so much faith and he really believes in the church! We taught him the first part of the Plan of Salvation along with the Word of Wisdom. He has been able to gain a strong testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He has a bit of a smoking problem but nothing major and he is DETERMINED to stop smoking so he can still be baptized on the 23^rd of July! Thank you for all your prayers and fasting because it is WORKING!!! 

Friday (7.8.16)

This was the buckle down and work on transfers day!! We basically went hard on it from 10:00 am until 5:30 pm. We didn’t even come up for air until we all went to the Hospital to check on the Gourlies and Sister Mangelson. We were able to visit them and they are doing better. Sister Mangelson is still in the ICU but she is improving bit by bit. 

Don't worry Momma, I'm not hurt! I just couldn't resist a spin!

Elder Jensen and I ended up taking Sister Vidmar home while President Vidmar caught a taxi from hospital later. He wanted to stay back and talk with some of the doctors regarding Sister Mangelson’s options with all her surgeries that are coming up.

Saturday (7.9.16)

We went hard again on transfers from 10:00 am until about 3:00 pm. Then it was time to jet to the office and work out the logistics for the transfer. This consists of flat, cars, and phones for the missionaries being transferred. Elder Jensen and I worked on the logistical stuff for about two hours and then we drove to Goodalls for dinner! It was SO great to be with them again!  We taught them a lesson about the Armor of God in Ephesians. We showed them it doesn’t matter if we are a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints or a non member, ALL are given the Armor of God. However, It is up to us if we strengthen our Armor by keeping the commandments and doing the things the we know are right or if weaken our Armor by allowing the adversary to beat at us. I have found if we give the adversary any room in our life it is so much easier for us to end up succumbing to the temptations of Satan. It was a great lesson and it was good to be back "Home" with the Goodall family who I love so much!

 Not the Missionary mariachi band...just guitars that some missionaries tried to sneak under the radar! We packed them up and we will keep them safe at the mission office!

Sunday (7.10.16)

We went to Church today and Mason was there! He is nervous but he is getting excited for his baptism! He told us he really feels at home when he comes to church. He even allowed us to announce his upcoming baptism in Priesthood Meeting so we are cruising right along.  Following church, we raced to the office so that we could catch up on some additional office work. After we got finished, we went to a great feed and lesson with the McLeans. A little while later the Kumarnasamys called and wanted to feed us as well! We are so blessed that so many wonderful members want to feed us but we were STUFFED with amazingly yummy food by the end of the night! The last part of the evening was spent calling various missionaries that had new assignments as District Leaders and laying down some new expectations we want them to focus on in their new areas.