Kia ora guys!

And guess what?  This week I did a much better job at writing in my journal!  Aka I wrote in it!  Twice!  I have five million entries that I start and then fall asleep, so it has like one or two sentences and then a bunch of scribbles.  I'm officially fired.

So one of our investigators, Isaiah, pretty much dropped off the grid this week.  He told us he was coming to church, and then he didn't come, but texted us afterwards that a lot of family issues had come up from the past, and it sounded really intense.  Then he didn't reply for a week, and in the middle of emails today he texted us and said that he needed to get away.  We went outside to call him and so my email is probably going to be a bit shortish today.  Sorry!  Reread last week's email ha.  Not too many exciting things happened this week.

Blonde moment for the week that I am going to put down to following the spirit...we were going to invite this family to have family home evening with this amazing family that I love so much, but before we were going there to invite them, we had a lesson with a different less active family who live just a couple houses down from the 1st family.  So we go in and I say, "Oh, before I forget, we wanted to invite you guys to a family home evening....." So I invited the wrong family to the lesson.  When we got in the car we were laughing soo hard.  I swear, we were laughing all week at stuff, I just don't remember why.  No worries, if I did remember, and tried to tell you I'd just butcher it like I did with this story haha. (Good news from the "blonde moment" - the family said yes and Sister Formica and Sister Va'ai were headed to have a family home evening with them the day she wrote!)

So we had a lesson with Matthew, the drunk man that we met last Sunday. He was very straight up with us that "the whole God and praying thing isn't really him." But that he really wants to change his life, and wants to participate in activities with people like ourselves who don't drink at all. We had a pretty good discussion with him anyway, the member who was with us was able to share her conversion story--she used to drink and smoke, etc., so that was also really good for him to hear. We gave him the plan of salvation pamphlet and invited him to our ward activity that night. He was hesitant to come, and said that he needed a little more time, but he would come to the next activity, but not church ha. 

 Heavenly Father's timing never ceases to amaze me. He led us to Matthew on the night that really shook him up and made him want to change...it was kind of his last straw. I feel so strongly that he will accept the gospel and truly become converted unto the Lord. I don't feel like it will take that long either, but that doesn't matter anyway, and that's up to Heavenly Father and Matthew. All we can do we is guide and help him.

I love the atonement!!  Anyone can change at any time--no matter how we may feel about ourselves, Heavenly Father loves each one of us and He never gives up on us.  It's never too late.

So we got a referral Saturday night like 30 minutes before our ward activity--a movie night watching Meet the Mormons!!  We already were going to see someone as a little last minute encouragement to go when we called Sister Escher, and so we were running late to the movie already, but as we were driving, we felt like we needed to go contact this man. So... we went to see him, and were so happy that we listened to Heavenly Father.  Bill lives with his wife who has an incurable disease.  We taught him briefly and were able to share the Book of Mormon with him, but it was so powerful, and he is the sweetest man and desperately needs the gospel and Heavenly Father's comfort at this time.  Afterwards we went and caught the last half of the movie (he and his wife couldn't come), but it was a powerful reminder to me that at all times I need to turn outward and focus on helping others like the Saviour does. It's so easy to get caught up in what I want or how I feel. (Rebecca and I are similar in a few ways -- one way is that we both like to see the whole entire movie.  I don't like someone to "catch me up" when I miss the first five minutes.  I am guessing she felt the same way about "Meet the Mormons", but followed the Spirit anyway.  Gotta love her!)

P.S. I absolutely love the movie Meet the Mormons.  If you haven't seen it, go watch it! 

Oh, this week I found a letter that I wrote at the very beginning of my mission...two days into the MTC...(sorry Brad) and I wrote that I had already lost my card (which is the key to literally everything in the MTC) TWICE and that I was learning that being a missionary didn't make me more organized or less likely to lose things...9 months later...exactly the same.  Don't worry, I still have a long time to learn :)  My poor companions.  I'm a mess.  Actually, lucky them, they get to learn patience haha. 

Anyways, have a wonderful week everyone!!  Love ya!

Love,

Sister Formica

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring...or just drunk

Why do I literally have the best family in the world?  Thanks for all you do guys, I love you so much!!  (That seems to be a familiar missionary phrase -- missions increase appreciation for families, I guess.  Reminder - blue comments are Mom's).    

Couple things this week...I ALWAYS lose my keys in my bag...this bag is the best and has lasted me for 10 months and will make it through the rest of my mission (shout out to the Lovett's--thanks guys!!), but there's a whole in the lining--I probably put something sharp in there on accident, so the keys and pens, etc. always fall into the lining and disappear.  So after a lesson on Sunday, it was raining and cold and we were all trying to find the keys in my bag and afterwards, the member we were with gave me an extra lanyard that she has to help me keep track of them.  Later on I was trying to steer with the lanyard, and it slipped a bit, only as we were going through a roundabout though, otherwise it was fine, and the wheel was locked and it was a bit scary...don't worry,  I won't do it again. But church was amazing!  I learned so much!

So last night we had the coolest experience...one of the less active girls we are working with came to sacrament, but didn't stay, and after church we felt prompted to visit her.  We went to her home, but she wasn't there, she was at work.  We really felt like we should go to her work, but we felt a bit weird, especially because it was Sunday, but we prayed about it and went.  When we got there, she let us in and locked the door because this man was super duper drunk and he had been in the store for like 30 minutes just standing by her and he wouldn't leave.  So when he left, she locked the door. Then when we looked outside, he was laying on the ground by the road.  She called an ambulance, and we went over and talked to him.  He was a bit older, and he was in tears saying that he just wanted to go home.  We talked to him a bit -- he was really pretty present for being that drunk, and he is in a lot of pain, emotionally.  He gave us his address and phone number--and the number actually works, so he remembered his info, and we told him we would help him get home but also help him change his life.  I know that Heavenly Father led us to him that evening.  I felt so strongly that this man is Heavenly Father's child and Heavenly Father is reaching out to him right now.  I love being able to reach out to people for Him.  Or I guess be an instrument in His hands, and I know it's as we listen to the promptings of the Spirit that we can be. 

I am learning how to truly pray and I feel like I am finally learning how to listen to the spirit more!  At least a bit ha.  10 months into my mission haha.  I have so much further to go, but I'm also learning to be ok with the pace at which I am learning.  As long as I am progressing.

So we had this great uplifting night, and when we got home to do our studies, I don't know what happened, but Sister Vaha'i got pretty mad.  To be fair, I probably did something to make her angry without realizing it, but I had no clue what...it was one of the most tense nights of my mission, and I was trying sooo hard not to react, but to act.  Then I remembered something that we were told in Sacrament meeting, that when you want to do something, there's no point in trying, just do it!  I decided to apply that, and when I changed my thinking from I'm trying so hard to be kind and patient and bite my tongue, to think, it's not that hard, just do it, it became soo much easier!  I don't know if  I explained that well, but oh well.  Hopefully it makes sense, because it really clicked for me last night.  I pray so hard for the strength to change and for help becoming better, and then really I needed to change my thinking ... rather than try to be patient or try to be loving, just do it!  Even if you don't feel it right away, you will eventually.  She apologized this morning and we are all goods now, so no worries either.  We all have those moments.  She is amazing and I am lucky to be companions with her :) Sister Vaha'i has such a strong desire to be good and do good.   (One of my new favorite quotes is from a talk by Elder Scott entitled: The Transforming Power of Faith and Character.  It says: "We become what we want to be by consistently being what we want to become each day." 

The one spiteful thing I did last night in response was to eat the rest of the Doritos (there were only crumbs left anyway), but the joke was on me, because they were all stale haha.  Learned my lesson. 

We are working with this part member family, coming, and we stopped by after church to find out why they didn't come.  They told us that they had been hung over, and that's why they didn't end up coming, but the wife shared that she doesn't want to drink anymore, and she  really wants to go to church!!!  The first time we met her, she told us that she just didn't want to keep the commandments at all.  We are witnessing her heart and her desires  change as the spirit works with her!  I am soo excited for their family! 

Oh also this week we were leaving this one home as well, and I said bye, and turned to walk out and walked right into their screen door, and there is now a dent in their screen from my head...I'm that hard headed.  Great. 

Life is great!  Have a wonderful week!  LOVE YOU GUYS!!!

Hola!!

A lot happened this week!  On Monday we had district pday and went to this really cool dam where they have a picnic place. It was so pretty!  I'll send the pictures next week.  On the way home...get ready for this, 

So this week we helped set up for a big huge beehive convention, our washing machine flooded our kitchen, I got a ticket and hit a kangaroo, we found out we have to sing at two different meetings this week and don't have time to practice, (and aren't musical enough to just pull it together haha), and it has been super stormy, which has been really fun!  Bit hectic, but other than a couple sad things (all of the things that have to do with the car), it's been a fantastic week! 

I AM SO EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU GUYS!!!!  

Church was fabulous!  I loved all of the testimonies, and classes were on point!  We got pulled out of the third hour so the primary kids could give us giant cards that they made for all the missionaries.  It was so cute!!  

We haven't been able to get a hold of the woman and her son, but we will this week!

If you remember the young man we started teaching last week, we are going to have the elders continue to teach him, but he is still learning, which is great!  I probably already told you that.  I'm just trying to think about all the people you asked about...

Just for future reference, many many people aren't married here, so when I say partner, that's just what they call the person they are living with/have a family with or whatever haha.  

I am learning that everyone has their own time table, and no matter how fast I want things to happen, oftentimes patience is the key.  Conversion isn't a cookie cutter process, or else it wouldn't work.  I read this week that the first step to conversion is desire. The people we are working with right now have differing levels of desire and different needs, and we have to work with them to not only help them learn how to plant the seed, but help them nourish it and then learn how to nourish it for themselves.  See Alma 32 verses 26-43

The gospel is the best!  I am so grateful for the Saviour's atonement, which allows me to change and grow and allows each of us to find relief during our trials and from our weaknesses.  Have a great week!  Love you all!

Love,

Sister Formica

P.S. Tell Mckay to send me a picture from Prom!  

(Here are two for you, Rebecca)

Half-way!!! What the ....

Man oh man this has been a good week!  Can anyone believe that it has almost been 9 months?!  I can't, I swear I just got here...

About Flat Adam--I got him this week and sent the pictures we took.  Do you want me to send him back immediately or should I keep him a bit longer?  One of our members did Flat Stanley with her daughter and took a bunch of pictures, so I am sending those as well, since I didn't get to take a bunch of exciting pictures with Flat Adam.  Sorry Bud!  Her pics are better. 
(Adam's class made flat "selves" and sent them as far away as possible, asked their recipients to take pictures and send both the pictures and the Flat Adam's back.  Adam felt extra lucky to have a sister in Australia!)

(And here are her friend's Flat Stanley pictures)

We had a family home evening yesterday where everyone brought food and games and we had a lesson. We had 3 investigators come and a less active woman and her sons and another less active man with his two kids and several member families. The members were so welcoming and great with everyone who came. It was really a successful night!  I got smashed at soccer by all these little African kids...

This last week we taught a lady named Sharon and her eight year old son about the Plan of Salvation. It was soo cool! She has a lot of knowledge and naturally knows a lot of things that are true. When we shared the Plan with her, she was excited because it's what she already believed.  She is so keen to learn more, and we are so excited to share it with her, because she loves it!  I know Heavenly Father has prepared her for this time.

 We also met and taught a man named William who has had a really rough life and doesn't seem to have a lot of hope. But when we had a lesson with him, we had two members with us, and one of them had a really strong impression at the end that if he accepts and acts on the messages we share with him, he will find true happiness. She shared it with him, and it was really powerful. We are going to have the Elders teach him, but at least he is getting taught!

Saturday morning we woke up to go to Dawn services for ANZAC (Australian New Zealand Armed) and Sister Vaha'i said she wouldn't bike there.  It wasn't too far from where we live, so we set off walking through the streets at 5:45, thinking we would get there soon...It was a lot further than we thought, and we missed most of it.  But the part we caught was really cool.  Everyone was so respectful and quiet.  I sent a bunch of pictures from the memorial.  It starts in the water, representing the soldiers coming from the boat to the land, then up over the hill, and then it gets smaller and smaller as they were killed on the other side of the hill (look up the ANZAC story, I don't have time to share more, sorry!) ANZAC story   On our way there, we were walking through the streets and no one was around, it was such a weird feeling.  Sister Vaha'i said she felt like we were in the walking dead...I basically half-ran/dragged her the rest of the way there ha. 

Uploaded a bunch of pictures, but no time to explain them.  Sorry!  Next week :)

This is definitely where I need to be right now!  The gospel is just the best!  I learn so much each and every day.  Have fun, be safe! 

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!  Have a great week!!!

Love,

Sister Formica

qwertyuiop

Malo e lelei everyone! 

I couldn't think of a subject line, so I was just typed the letters in the top line of the keyboard and was going to say it was something in Aboriginal or Maori or whatever, but I couldn't think of anything.

Ok mom, answers to your questions first...everyone else can skip down to where the numbers end if you don't want to read about my shoes or healthy food and whatnot, sorry I was feeling a bit lazy with writing emails. 

1. No I haven't yet bought new shoes.  Funny story, I always forget about the hole, and wear them anyway, and one of my favourite sisters in the ward saw my shoes and asked what size I wore because she was going to buy me new shoes.  Don't worry, I told her I have some, these are just my favourite ha.  Yeah but I am pretty sure Rachel had to walk a lot more than we do.  We have a car or bike and don't walk all that often, so I should be right. 
2. No we're good, thanks though!

3. We have enough money to get fruits and veggies, no worries. We have started having meals with members more and more and this week we have like 4 dinner appointments, which is the most I've really had in any area here.  We just bought a bunch of fruits and vegetables this morning, so we are totally fine.  My companion is addicted to meat though.  Like seriously addicted.  She craves it all the time.  We were talking about the Word of Wisdom in Sunday School, and everyone who knows her kept looking at her when we talked about the eating meat sparingly part haha. 

4. Umm not so much with the exercise, but she is pretty patient with me most of the time.  We just started going outside--there's this grassy area where you can see the beach, and I'll run the stairs while she sits or does some other stuff. 

5. I have no clue.  I'll ask what they do if you don't vote.  I really don't see them enforcing it ha.  And a law without a punishment is really like no law at all...I don't know if that made sense, but oh well. 

(Most of my questions were implied ... #2 had to do with a gift of having food delivered.  #5 was asking about the mandatory voting requirement in Australia -- someone asked me what happens if you don't vote.  So I asked her).  

Ok here's the rest:

Hope you all had a fantastic week!

This last week was good but a little rough.  I was feeling like it was a bit hard to feel the spirit or struggling with listening to the spirit to know what to teach or say.  I felt overwhelmed and stressed, but from Sunday on I have been feeling a lot better and happier and waay less stressed. 
Sister Vaha'i and I have come up with specific things we are going to implement this week to help us.  I am so excited for this week!

 Sister Vaha'i is very strong.  Her testimony is definitely a strength to me.  I love her!  We are staying in Halls Head for another transfer...surprise!  I love this ward and am so excited to stay here :)
Oh guess what?!  So we have the coolest member in our ward, and this last week after we talked to him and his family, he asked his friend if she would like to meet with us!  When he called and told us about it he was so excited!  He wants us to go to her home first by ourselves, and said after that if she is comfortable with it we can have the lessons in their home. And then this morning when we were shopping, our checkout lady knew all about missionaries because she knew this same member and his dad! 

On our slow day ( I explained that last time, right? ... Nope...) when the whole mission was walking or busing or biking, we met this man named Chris who we helped to get his yard ready to rent out to people.  We were biking by, stopped to talk to him, and a couple minutes later we were mowing a lawn and trimming the trees with him haha.  We were able to talk a bit, and he is amazing!  He recently began to change his life--gave up gambling and drinking and all sorts of stuff and started going to a church 3 weeks ago.  We invited him to church with us, but he wasn't sure if he could come.  We're seeing him and his family this week though, I'll keep you updated!

Funny stories...I know there were a bunch, we laughed a lot this week...I just didn't write them down. Sorry!  I already told you that peppers area called capsicum right? (I don't remember that ...) Yeah sorry...l'll write things down this week. 

I love the gospel!!  I am so grateful for this opportunity to share it with everyone!  Hope you all have an amazing week.  Love you!

Love,

Sister Formica

Best. Week. Ever.

This was just the best week ever, and the weekend was even more amazing!  We had general conference and zone conference and I feel so excited for this coming week!  At zone conference President invited us to participate in a mission wide fast on Sunday to increase our faith and diligence to find those that are ready to hear the gospel.  We did it, even though at first I was a bit heartbroken to have to make everyone crepes and not be able to eat any myself.  But I am so glad that we did.  The brunch was so much fun!  We made crepes, other members brought food, and everyone sat outside at tables and visited in between sessions.  Sister Fell, the young women's president, brought her crepe maker and made crepes with us the whole time.  We have such an incredible ward! 

Conference was so so uplifting.  We had two investigators come on Sunday and they really listened intently for almost all of it--towards the end of the second session, one of them dozed off haha, but I almost did too).

 

I loved Elder Eyring's talk about fasting.  Ok I loved all of them.  We printed off bingo and gave it to the kids and told them if they got it to come and we would give them a chocie (Ok so people abbreviate chocolate, but I have no clue how to spell it haha.  It just looks strange. choc-ie? choc-y). None of the kids brought it to us, but all the elders did haha. 

A picture of Kite-Boarding, not from Sis Formica (from Google).  

After conference, we decided to continue our fast for a bit, and went to do our personal and companion study, but it was such a beautiful day that we went outside and sat on the bench across from our flat to do it.  While we were studying, this lady was windsurfing (ok it wasn't actually windsurfing, it was the one where you have a kite and a board...I don't really know how to explain it, but it looks really fun and I really want to try it when I get home!

She finished and was walking up the path to us, so we started talking to her.  She is the most lovely lady--she's from Germany and has been here for 5 years.  We started talking, and she lives in the unit next to ours.  Her ex partner used to visit with missionaries, and also she was the one who came to view our apartment last week to see if she wanted to buy it.  Crazy huh?  She invited us to come eat dinner with her, said just to give her half an hour to shower and change. She is crazy cool!  She used to work in a kitchen and had these stuffed potatoes that she made too many of, so we helped her with that.  We sat on her balcony and had dinner and were able to teach her a little bit.  She made us a smoothie and is going to make bread for our next lesson.  She so reminds me of Ashlyn! 

You know how we cleaned our car in the rain?  Well it was vacuumed and spotless and everything for zone conference, but in between Tuesday and Friday it became messy again :(

I have to run, but I've decided the library is the best place to find people to teach.  Maybe we should just come camp out here ha.  Anyways, I love you all!  Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Formica

8 months down ... "This was a Wonderful Week!"

This was a wonderful week!  I love being a missionary.  And I love reading all of your emails giving spoilers for general conference ha...just kidding.  But we don't get to watch it until a week later.  I'm SO excited it's ridiculous!  They broadcast it at the chapel (They do that at home too, right?)  But no one ever goes...guess it's the same in the states haha.  We are trying to organize a brunch in between sessions on Sunday so that more people will come to the chapel and it'll be more fun and welcoming for anyone we can get to come! 

Here's a pic from the temple before Sister Formica left,
Courtesy of Jeff Van Jindelt - great photographer and friend!
Thought I'd share it, since there are no new pictures.

This week:

my companion learned how to ride a bike

It started to get cold!!  Thank goodness...I'm done with summers for a little while ha. 

Easter was amazing!

We pulled an April Fool's joke on our vehicle coordinator, Elder Sunderland. 

It was super small, but he thought it was so funny afterwards, which made it really funny. We had to text in how many ks we used, and when our next tune-up appt was.  We had an apt scheduled, but it was a week later than it was supposed to be (oops), and we told him that we had gone over our ks by a ton.  He called us laughing to tell us that he was muttering under his breath and getting frustrated with us until he got our april fools text. 

We just did little things to each other all day--I found out that Sister Vaha'i is super gullible and had a lot of fun with that ha. 

It's been a really fun morning!  It was rainy and gray today, but we washed our car in the rain (it was so bad that it had to be done, and it wasn't raining hard enough to get the dirt off...) sounds really dumb, but it was necessary.  And we had to take our car in for a check-up or tune-up or whatever you call it, so we walked to the library after that and here we are!

And then the library was crazy busy since it had been closed for the last couple of days...but while we were waiting for computers to be free, we met this guy from Zimbabwe who just moved over here and is looking for work.  He just moved here by himself and is having a really hard time.  When I finally got on a computer, we watched the Because He Lives video together and then introduced him to the elders who were here emailing--he's in their area :( --and they are going over sometime this week!   http://www.mormon.org/easter   John said that even though he didn't get to do what he needed to (it was too busy), he believes he came to the library for a reason, it was divine intervention.  I know that is true, and if we are paying attention, Heavenly Father will guide us to those who are seeking for the truth and for comfort.  Corisa sent me a quote today that I LOVE:

"Be where you are supposed to be when you are supposed to be there, and be prepared." Sister Clark.

If we do that, Heavenly Father will work through us to answer the prayers of others and bless all of His children, and it gives you the best feeling!  You are all the best examples to me of being ready and willing to serve those around you. 

I am the biggest fan of open communication.  It solves soo many problems that aren't really problems but get blown out of proportion because of miscommunication.  One night this week, things were just a wee bit tense between Sister Vaha'i and I--and I had no clue why.  I LOVE when you have a companion who will talk with you, because we were able to figure out what the problem was and how we could fix it, and get on the same page....I am working on being more kind and loving with my requests like, "can you look this up? or text this person?"  I'll ask without really thinking about it, which I decided I get from Dad ha.  But it was bothering her, and it never would have occurred to me that that would bug someone.  It's not something that I think anyone is really comfortable with (Communicating, I assume), it's something I've had to learn to do, and am still learning to do, but it really strengthens all relationships. 

Easter Monday isn't a public holiday over there is it?  Sad, but I can't remember. 

This is such a random email, but that's all folks.  Hope you have a great week!  I was reading something this morning by President Hinckley, I can't remember exactly how it went, but it was along the lines of, "be happy,  (something probably really insightful), it will all work out."  Good advice. 

We had family home evening last night with a less active member who had just learned on Sunday that Gordon B Hinckley passed away haha.  Oh, that sounded disrespectful, but it was really funny! 

Ok, computers gonna shut off.  Love you all!!!  Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Formica