Service and Service Inc.

Well, I'd say this week was primarily focused on less-actives, service opportunities, and both of those put together.  We've tried to get out to Gloucester once a month, and Tuesday was Gloucester day.  It was quite an enjoyable day, we mowed a lawn and got to visit three of the 4 people who live out there.  

Wednesday featured a pretty cool experience.  We've been trying to follow up with a lady that Elder Kumar met tracting during a trade-off a while back, and we finally got to meet her.  So we ask her a couple of questions, she opens up and through tears, tells about her daughter who passed away after premature birth.  She longed to know the answers to some of the questions that the Plan of Salvation answers, so we were provided with a great opportunity to bear witness that not only would she see her daughter again, but she could live with her forever through Jesus Christ and His Atonement.  

We had dinner again with the Aitchison's (the less-active family from last week) this week which was awesome.  Sister Aitchison made what they call an Australian roast.  It typically consists of a few types of meat, sausages, some veges, the occasional potato, and can't forget, pumpkin (which I just barely realized is actually butternut squash, they just call it pumpkin here, so yeah heaps late on that one haha).  

They came to church yesterday which was so good.  Elder Kumar and I were already on the stand preparing to bless the sacrament and when they walked in and saw us sitting up there, they just smiled and waved.  During the talks, both the boys came and sat with us and were like "hey you were at our house this week!"  Way cool.  

The rest of the weekend, we got a dresser out of storage, cleaned up a house, put together a TV stand, two shelves, and helped unload a truck for someone moving in.  Service & Service Inc.  Deuces.  

I'll finish with a story from Sacrament Meeting yesterday, and now that I think of it, I'm not sure what the purpose of the story was, but it was pretty funny:  

"A burglar broke into a house one night. He shone his flashlight around, looking for valuables, and when he picked up a CD player to place in his sack, a strange, disembodied voice echoed from the dark saying, "Jesus is watching you".  He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off and froze. 

When he heard nothing more after a bit, he shook his head, promised himself a vacation after the next big score, then clicked the light back on and began searching more valuables. Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard, "Jesus is watching you. " 

Totally rattled, he shone his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice.  Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot.  "Did you say that?" He hissed at the parrot.

"Yes," the parrot confessed, then squawked, "I'm just trying to warn you. " The burglar relaxed. "Warn me, huh? Who do you think you are any way?"

"Moses," Replied the bird.  "Moses" the burglar laughed.  "What kind of stupid people would name a parrot 'Moses'?"

The bird promptly answered: "The same kind of people that would name a Rottweiler 'Jesus'!"

Love you heaps,

Elder Muh  

 P-Day basketball under the lights.  Don't ask how many times it took to get those shots haha 

 When you finished mowing the lawn but the Sister ain't back from the shops yet

That looks promising. (I had to ask about this one...apparently it is the only road and it disappears on the GPS)

Old Pics:  Christmas in July Activity where they asked the Elders to make a dish from their home.  

I made Haupia!  It turned out pretty good.  

We Hit That Year Mark

Wow.  This was the week!  We had trade-offs in Port to begin the week, and as usual, it was awesome.  We headed up on Monday to spend P-Day with them and there were a few YSA from the city that were up there as well, so we chilled at the cool spots in Port Mac.  I love working in Port because they have a lot of people they're working with who are so close.  It's exciting to see their progression each time we go up.  

The District Leaders were asked to train on a CES Devotional given by Elder Tad R. Callister entitled "What Is The Blueprint of Christ's Church?"  It's basically legendary.  I'm totally gonna give it to any investigator who wants Biblical evidence for the church.  I'l make it easy for y'all by doing this: https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/ces-devotionals/2014/01/what-is-the-blueprint-of-christs-church?lang=eng.  

On Thursday, we had dinner with Christine and the boys.  She makes this really good Kiwi dish that I still have no idea what it's called, but it's like curried rice, with mince (ground beef), cabbage, and green beans.  Way legit.  The boys found out that the day after was my year mark, so I got to shoot a few hoops with them after school on Friday.

Our miracle this week was meeting a less-active family in our Branch.  When I first got to Taree, they weren't quite ready to be visited but they've come around and so we had dinner with them on Saturday.  They also want to have us over weekly now, which is awesome.  They have 3 little kids that totally remind me of some of our Primary kids back home.  Needless to say, I raced them through the house a few times.  

It was Newcastle Stake Conference for us this weekend, which was webcasted to the Tamworth and Taree chapels.  Definitely an interesting experience and I totally should've taken a picture.  It was kinda like General Conference, but not as clear.  Perks of bush life,  I guess.  I choose to do something a little different than usual and just take notes in my planner.  So I jotted down different things that came to mind during the weekend.  Here's a few of them: "Ye are the salt of the earth, keep it simple, invite, Christ centered, faith living, principle teaching, laboring for eternities, and live for Him".  

There were also some really good talks in the General Session that required some longer notes: "Solid foundations are built upon Christ.  My will or Christ's will?  Conversion is not a one time thing.  Let God shape you into who He wants you to be.  Wisdom is the ability to judge correctly."  

Been a pretty sweet week and a first year of the mish as well.  I've learned so many things and changed in different ways.  Heaps excited for what #Year2 has in store! 

Love you's heaps,

Elder Muh 

Shoutout to the Swain's who bought A&W the last time they were at Costco (it's in South Sydney)

Elder Hut'ka took a few District pictures, but hasn't sent them over yet, so this will have to do for now 

This picture won't do Wallis Lake/Bridge (Tuncurry/Forster) justice, but this is probably my favorite place in the area.  Every time we drive over the bridge, I wanna jump off and swim to one of the sand bars.  The water always seems so clear.  I think Satan might be tempting me. 

If it wasn't my year mark, I was gonna title this email "Spaghetti Week" because we had it 5 times and 3 days in a row.  Also, you're never too old to have cool kid pasta.  

 Australia's version of Martinelli's #CelebratingMormonStyle

Elder Bell's favorite beach in Port because it's very empty and missionary friendly 

#Baptism

We'll get to the point, this week was awesome!  Loretta got baptized on Saturday and then confirmed yesterday!  That was a pretty cool experience.  Her sister Bev was so happy all weekend and Loretta kept saying she felt good and was happy she joined the church.  

We also have a less-active lady (Sister West) that's currently in the hospital being observed.  She has really bad insomnia and has slept more in the past 3 weeks than she has in her whole life.  Things are going really well.  Every time we go and visit her, she has the biggest smile on her face and it just makes you feel so good.  Last week, I found out that her brother is Brother Manewell from the Harbord Ward.  Totally tripping.  I thought that was so cool!  I've served in one ward and one branch, and in them is a pair of siblings.  

Our neighbors, Adrian and Felicity have been wanting to take us out for dinner for a while now and they had a free night this week.  We went to a Chinese buffet and wow that was way good.  Heaps of people were staring at us which is always pretty funny.  Although, I couldn't figure out if it was because we were in white shirts and ties or because we kept eating.  Who knows?  

And that's pretty much our week!  We had a sweet Fast and Testimony meeting though, so I'll close with something Brother Puru said: "the proof of the pudding is in the tasting".  Church is true.  

Love you heaps,

Elder Muh 

Words of the Week

- Bench, counter top

- Paddock, an open field usually used for farm animals

I've come to the conclusion that I need to live in London for a few months to understand a lot of the lingo they use in Australia.  Also, I really appreciate American English.  

P.S. I weighed myself at two different places this week, and either the scales lied or I've put on 30 pounds since I've been out!  #wut 

 Cheee! Bev, Loretta, Elder Kumar

Post-Chinese Buffet 

Cleaning out the font