Happy Australia Day!

Talofa everyone!!

Happy Australia Day! Someone told us that it is also called Survival Day and Invasion Day...depending on who you are talking to ha. Apparently they have crazy fireworks in the city, but we couldn't see any, so we just sat on a hill and looked at the stars for a couple minutes.

So the news is that I am getting transferred to Golden Bay, which is down south, so it should be cooler. And I'm hoping I'm close to the ocean. If it's just called golden bay and it's not by a bay I'm not going to be happy ha. It's supposed to be a really great ward! President told me that they love missionaries. The crazy thing is that my companion is going to be Sister Parks from the MTC...our fourth roommate! What the...this makes 3 transfers in a row that I'll be companions with an MTC roommate.

Sister Vea was sick for about half of the week, but I had so much to do, and I felt stuck inside.

I am so sad to be leaving the people in Ellenbrook. People are just barely starting to get back from vacation ha. School starts next week. I am going to miss Sister Vea so much! I love working with her.

Sorry we don't have long to email again, we had interviews with President Lindsay this morning.

Oh guess what?! We came home one night and there was this huge scorpion in our flat!! I didn't get a good picture, but it was so creepy looking. I caught it and we were supposed to save it for one of the elders, but we forgot that it was in our car and it cooked...oops.

I'll try to put some pictures on dropbox, but if it doesn't work, here's one or two...the first one is our investigator Meemee! She is incredible--she has such a strong testimony and she's so smart!

hey we met this less active man from Italy--he is from the province of Catania I think, from a small town with a famous weird castle? Maybe it starts with an F...I forgot how he spelled it, sorry mom! But He was so funny, and I loved his accent. The weird thing though is that he said he would make soup with ants in it and we have to come try it!

This was definitely a learning week for me. I'm grateful for Heavenly Father;s patience in teaching us lessons. I am so grateful for Heavenly Father's plan for each of us. It's so real. And so comforting. We each have our own path to travel, but the same things bring us true happiness, and we are all on this earth just for a little time to learn. As Antonio, the italian man put it, life is just a school. I love the gospel, and I am so incredibly grateful for the Atonement.

Love you all!! Have a wonderful week!

Put a bug in your ear? Maybe not.

So Golden Bay lives up to it's name...I have now seen the ocean, but still haven't been close to it. Hopefully we will fix that today.

My companion, Sister Parks still laughs a lot, but it makes life fun! It's been a good week. She is incredibly kind and sweet--The most service oriented companions I've had. That sounds weird ha, but I didn't know how else to say that she is always serving me. It's hard to keep up with her service wise! I'm trying though. I'm trying to learn the area and get to know people, and it's a bit of an adjustment, but I already love it here! The people are wonderful! There are very few members in our area, but they aren't too far away--all in the elder's areas haha. There are 6 missionaries in our ward. The ward is huge! Our leaders are wonderful!

Sister Parks got a bug stuck in her ear the other night for like 10 minutes. After we got it out, I was telling her how Dad had a pincher bug crawl in his, and as soon as I start telling that story, I saw a pincher bug...and ever since then I swear they are everywhere in our apartment. I am so paranoid now. 

We taught a 10 year old boy and his grandma last night about the plan of salvation...he had so many questions about what happens after this life, and as we explained it to him, I thought to myself that I was grateful that it is so simple.  It struck me how logical and perfect Heavenly Father's plan is.  Our understanding of it is flawed and limited, but it all just makes so much sense.

Oh, guess what! I've been out for 6 months now. Is that insane or what?! It went so quickly. When I think back on the time though, so much has happened. I have grown to love so many people throughout the last 6 months, and I have learned so much. I am so grateful for my mission, and for the gospel.

I know this is short, sorry. I love you all and hope you have the best week!!! Talk to you soon :)

Love,

Sister Formica

Koi ora -- still not sure if I'm spelling that right.

Time has been flying! I feel like I just got here and I'm 1/3 of the way through. Ahh. 

Two fun facts, 1. Voting is compulsory in Australia. Crazy huh?!

2. It is illegal to wash your car with a hose...I may or may not have broken the law.

So we were just leaving our investigator's house, and their neighbors drive up and there's this massive dent in their car from hitting a kangaroo. They told us some crazy stories about hitting big reds, and I am slightly paranoid now. I've only seen the little gray kangas, but people hit them all the time. Coming out of Ellenbrook, there are always dead kangaroos on the side of the road.

I don't remember if I told you already, but a Samoan sister in our ward taught us how to pongi po po or coconut buns...and I don't like coconut, but I love these! There is another family in our ward who have a son who served around a lot of poly families, and so he loves coconut buns too...we tried to teach him how to make it after only having made it with her once, and it didn't turn out so well haha. They weren't awful, but experience definitely helps. We just need to connect the two of them so that she can teach him directly.   Recipe from internet - no guarantees

So we had a zone conference this week and got to watch Meet the Mormons! Maybe it's just because we haven't seen a movie in a while, but I loved it!! Go see it! Zone conference was the best. Elder Meurs of the 70 spoke to us, and we received some mean training on how to improve our teaching.

This is the last week of transfers. I can't believe how fast it went. I don't want to leave Ellenbrook at all! I've been here for a while though, so who knows what will happen...

We met this man who stopped coming to church when he was about 19 or 20, after he had his mission papers all set and everything, and we were talking to him about a lot of different things. He's been to America, and he loves root beer and he Baby Ruth candy bars and the Salt Lake Temple. He was complaining about American medical care though (his mom lives there) and he said that if Americans just had to pay taxes that we would be all set. We just kinda looked at each other and were like...umm, yup. Also he dated the wife of our elders quorum president.

Did I tell you about Harmony? We met her a couple weeks ago, and she is incredible. She recently decided to turn her life around, and has been praying for guidance. Then we came to her door! She has so much faith in Christ. When we taught her the Plan of Salvation she just knew it all already. Said it made sense and that it answered so many questions that she had. When we invited her to be baptized she started crying and said that she would love to. She was super pumped for a bit, and then her family got home from New Zealand, and they got super busy. They have to move in a couple weeks and they are trying to find a place for their whole family. So we are going to keep teaching her until she moves and then connect her with the missionaries there. She still is excited, but it really sad that her baptism will have to be pushed back. She feels like it is her purpose in life to find the truth and share it with her family. So she said that them moving in all together is perfect ha.

Life is good, we are working hard and having fun! I don't want transfers to come. I wish we had a couple more weeks at least. I love being a missionary! I love the gospel! It has brought so much joy into my life and I want to share it with everyone. It just makes so much sense. I know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and that His goal for each of us is to return to live with Him and become like Him. Seems like a pretty tall order, but I know we can change and become better if we turn to our Saviour and ask for His help. I am gaining a much greater appreciation of the Atonement! It truly is the greatest gift!

I love all of yous! (I finally started saying yous every once in a while...I don't like that one, and I held out for so long, but oh well...what are you going to do). Hope you have a wonderful week!

Oate Alofa ia te Ou!

Love,

Sister Formica

When Sister Formica was in Arizona, she really connected with Carla, an investigator.  She loved her dearly and had a hard time leaving because she wanted to keep working with her.  The first email in my in-box this week was one line:  

"MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM!!!!! CARLA WAS BAPTIZED!!!!!"

I think she was happy about that.  Wendy from Arizona sent me some pictures and a summary of the baptism. We are so very happy for Carla!  :)   

Wendy and Carla

Carla and Sister Graham (Sis Formica's trainer)

    

Christmas and New years

This is Sister Formica's mom.  I just realized I hadn't posted anything to the blog since Dec 15.  We haven't received much via e-mail, but we did get to visit with her on Christmas Eve via Skype!  She looked happy, loves her companion, loves the members and her investigators, and shared a few stories with us.  I'll share my favorite.  To help her think of something to tell us, we asked her to share a small miracle or answer to prayer that she had experienced.  She said: 

"Well, it's a small one, but the other day we really wanted to share an object lesson about priorities with one of our investigators -- the one with the jar, rocks and sand -- if you fill up your day with all the extra things (the sand) then try to shove the essential things in (prayer, scriptures, FHE, church), it doesn't fit.  But if you put the rocks in first, then the sand fills in all the gaps and you can get it all in.  We'd been looking for rocks for a few days, but it's amazing -- there aren't any rocks.  Just a lot of sand.  So that mroning, we prayed that He would help us find some rocks that day.  As we were riding our bikes, we looked in the field next to us and there was one small rock right in the middle.  Then another field had another one.  Soon we had enough rocks to teach the lesson.  So we were so excited.  We rode over to her home, and she wasn't there. But her dad was.  He is a member, but hasn't come in a long time.  He let us share with him the lesson and we all felt the Spirit.  It was great.  

Then Rachel pops up from the couch and said:  "We wanted to do that lesson in England too.  But all we could find were rocks - there wasn't any sand!" 

Sister Formica and her companion are asked to sing a lot together.  They were in the MTC together, then went to Phoenix together, and are now companions, learning together.  Hopefully we'll get a longer letter this weekend that I can share with you all.  She did say something else that I loved.  She said, "I don't know why I was so nervous about coming on a mission.  I am so happy and it is really great!"  That's a good thing for a mom to hear.  

Sunset & speed limit sign = 50 mph

January 4 - short, sweet letter.  After remarking on a few funny things we sent her, she said: 

I have to run, sorry, we had to fill out a survey for a mission tour and it took forever. Everyone is waiting on me (nothing new there).

New years was good! Quick update on some people:

T moved back in with the member family and has expressed a desire to quit smoking and be baptized this year. Her boyfriend came to church this week! He said that he didn't enjoy it, but coming was still a huge step for him. They are taking small steps to get to where the Savior and Heavenly Father want them to be.

Sometimes I am just so full of gratitude for the opportunity I have to be on a mission. I love being here and working with these people to help them return to live with Heavenly Father. I know the person it is helping and strengthening the most however, is me. I love my Savior and am so grateful for His Atonement, and Heavenly Father's plan for us.

I LOVE YOU SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!! Hope you have a wonderful week, and I am legit writing you a long letter this week.  Tell Adam and Mckay I said hi!

LOVE YA!

You are the kindest, most patient family ever and I loved your emails!

Ahh I really just love you all so much.

Mom, I am the same as Adam and Mckay with being corrected... (I commented on how they hate to be corrected - they act like they should already know everything).  I've been trying to work on it for a really long time haha. Hopefully it's getting better. I don't think it's anything you taught us, just the natural man in us ha. 

Have an FHE lesson on being chastened...I heard a definition of being chastened that I really like...to be chastened is to free from fault through teaching. I think that was the gist of it at least...Read either Jacob 4 vs 9 and 10; Hebrews 12 vs. 11-13 (not the ones before it necessarily haha); and Ether 2:14-15 along with the next chapter where he sees the hand of the Lord vs 9--Because The Bro of Jared accepted the Lord's chastening (for 3 hours--danggg) and humbled himself and repented, he grew and progressed to the point where he was able to see the finger of the Lord and was told that no man has come before the Lord with greater faith...where a chapter ago He hadn't prayed to the Lord in a while.  Now you aren't the Lord, but He has commanded us to honor our father and mother. And I guess you and dad are pretty wise sometimes.

Wow, that was not supposed to be so long...  haha sorry about all of that, doesn't have to be for the blog, but I really love this subject ha. Something I'm working on is being more humble and teachable.

So transfers...Sister Iosua-Fiu is going down south, and I am staying in Ellenbrook! I'm excited to stay, but I'm sad that she has to leave. I so don't feel like I know what I'm doing yet haha. Probably should...oh well.

But you are never going to guess who my companion is going to be!!! SISTER VEA!!!!!! Yeah...you read that right. Crazy huh?! Companions in the MTC, visa waited in AZ, in the same district for 2 transfers here and now we are companions! And for Christmas!

Sad news is that she scratched up her leg pretty badly in a biking accident. But she is tough.

Oh and Sister Jardine is coming to the Dianella Zone!

Coolest idea ever...making quiet bags. You guys rock.

This week was pretty eventful. Theresa finally moved out! She's the one who was in a really bad situation at home. She is now living with some members in the ward and doing really well!! She came to the ward Christmas party Saturday, church on Sunday and the broadcast of the Christmas devotional Sunday night! It was down at the chapel by the temple, so she got to see the temple, and she loved it!! She said now another reason she wants to be baptized is so she can go into the temple. She described it as the spirit at the temple jumped over the fence and into her haha. Made me laugh a bit.

Our ward Christmas party was great! One of our investigators made it, and a ton of less active and part member families came - everyone enjoyed it! The theme was Jerusalem markets, and it looked legit. I'll have to send pictures next week when I find my camera cord.

Ok, I am so sorry, but I have to go. I really really love you all and hope you have the best week ever. You are the best family ever. Don't hate me for my bad emails!

Love,

Me

Here are some pictures the mission sent us from the Newsletter.  Baptisms and temple trips.  :)

kangaroos, kangaroos, and more kangaroos...

Hey guys!!!

I am feeling a lot better. I went to the Dr and it was pretty pointless ha. He said that I have tonsillitis (the computer says that is how you spell it but it looks pretty weird, so I don't know), but that it is viral tonsillitis rather than bacterial or whatever. Basically it should go away on it's own, but I should rest my voice. But it was already feeling fine, so I didn't really think I needed to. It was all good for a week, but then we were singing a lot and it started hurting again, so I guess maybe I'll take him seriously now. Maybe he went to school for a reason haha.

Our 8 week transfer is almost over. One more week and we'll find out what's going on. I read in the email of one of the sisters that I came out with that she hit her 4 month mark, so apparently I've been out for 4 months. Time is such a funny thing. I can't believe it's December. It came so quickly!

Oh I got your Not for Christmas package with my camera!! Thank you so much, I loved it!!!! The advent calendar and my Christmas pillow case are wonderful!! And thank you for the camera! I promise to send pictures more frequently now.

Mom, I was reading your letter and wishing that I was there to help you. Busy day. You are incredible. It's so true--Heavenly Father wants us to be happy, and when we listen to promptings about the little things each day, our lives are so much smoother and happier.

There was a baptism in our ward this Saturday. It was beautiful! It was a woman the elders have been teaching. She was so ready to accept the gospel. She bore such a strong testimony of the gospel and the Book of Mormon. She has two sons, one wants to be baptized in a few months when he turns 8! The other is working on it. We sang at her baptism as well.

We had dinner with a member whose backyard attaches to a golf course. They took us out to the golf course to take pictures with the kangaroos! So that's the picture with me standing awkwardly in the corner haha.

The one of me and Elder Renner, the elder who waited for his visa in Park Hill, is for Grandma.

The sunsets here are gorgeous. You really can't capture it on camera, but I tried anyway. Sorry about the speed limit sign.

This last week we saw tons and tons of kangaroos. I really haven't seen any in the wild up close until this week, and then it was just crazy! They were waiting until I got a camera to come out ha.

The picture of the little pond is where we went to do our weekly planning. It's the most beautiful park. And we took a little break to feed the ducks the rest of our pizza rolls.

We taught the young women lesson this week, it was on the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a beautiful group of young women, they are smart and sweet. Mom, we shared Because of Him and ended with He is the Gift. Crazy. (crazy because this is what I emailed her about my lesson the same day: I want to show a video at the end, not sure if I'll show "He is the Gift" or "Because of Him".  Kind of cool how the lessons are the same across the world).

Dad, yeah a lot of missionaries live in houses, at least where I am. No they aren't cheap, but we are so spread out that we need to be in this area, and this is the best deal they could find. I never showed you the house, did I? I'll have to take a picture this week.

We get to watch the Christmas devotional on the 14th of December. Man, I took living in America for granted. Everything is so much faster ha. You have to wait longer to get your patriarchal blessings, to watch conference, to do anything like that.  I love that story about President Grant. When you don't forgive someone, you are weighed down, and it is hurting yourself. You are so wise too.

I have the best family ever. I love you guys and am so grateful for you!

I learned how to make coconut buns this week! They are delicious, and I don't even like coconut ha. Crazy. I'll make them for you when I get home, or just send you the recipe next week.

I am so excited for the Christmas season, but at the same time, it is so busy that a lot of people don't want to listen. And sooo many people go out of town! A lot of the members and some of the people we are working with are going back home to New Zealand for the holidays, or even just moving back there.

We are sharing the He is the Gift initiative this Christmas, which is incredible! 
He is the Gift – Christmas Video – #ShareTheGift - YouTube  It's such a powerful message that Jesus Christ is the first gift, and He is the best gift I've ever received. I cannot comprehend the extent of Heavenly Father's love for us. And the love that our Savior had in order to accept Heavenly Father's will and sacrifice Himself for our sins is incredible to me.  (It's 2 minutes long and well worth the time).  

Tell Mckay and Adam that I love them!!  

Rach, email me! I love you so much!!

Hey you three, I love hearing your mission stories/experiences/whatever.

I got a package from Wendy and a letter from Marianne! They are both the sweetest!!! They both made me smile so much. I love you guys so much!!! Hope all is well! Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Me 

Forgot thanksgiving but it was Sister Iosua-Fiu's birthday!

 I forgot about Thanksgiving, but it was Sister Iosua-Fiu's birthday on Thursday!! I made crepes that were decent, no where near as good as our Sunday crepes though...

So I've been a bit sick lately, but nothing too bad, it was really just my throat. You know my tonsil that is usually a bit swollen? It was massive haha. I'm feeling a lot better today, but I'm going to go to the Dr. today just because Sister L wants me to, just to be safe. But I really am all good, I'm not just saying that. I have a bit of a headache, and also since I was sick this week, this email will be a shorter one, sorry! I just can't think about what happened right now.

Sister Iosua-Fiu was soo patient and took really good care of me this week.

Unfortunately, not as many people as we were expecting came to Invitation Sunday, which was a bit sad, but the talks were wonderful! And those who did come, as well as the members we've talked to, were touched by them. One recent convert spoke about her conversion story. She shared how Heavenly Father transformed her and how the gospel has brought her so much joy and how it has healed her. It was beautiful!

Cool thing, a few of the less active members we are working with shared with us that they are considering/have considered going on missions! I am so excited because I can just see how they would bless those around them and how much it would bless them!

I am so sorry about this email, but just know how much I love you and how grateful I am for yoU!!!!!!! I love your perspective on things! You are so wise!

Love,

Me  

(This is mom:  I always have a hard time writing to "Sister Formica" instead of her first name.  I think she may feel the same way with signing her name.  Maybe closing with "Me" is her way of avoiding that whole thing.  It makes me smile.)  

(We asked her what she wanted for Christmas -- this was her answer).  

things I need: lozenges--the throat numbing ones