The Fire is Burning

Hi, everybody! It's me again, writing from a library in the middle of Armadale, Perth, Australia!

This week has been VERY slow. There is a flu bug going around. So, about half of the less-active members, active members, and investigators we usually see, we weren't able to see. Also, we have been going EVERYWHERE, trying to find new people to teach. It's not fun. Apparently the whole zone is having problems with finding. And finding members to join in on the lessons. (Moral of this story: If the missionaries come by, give them someone to teach, or offer to join them in teaching a lesson. They'd appreciate it. ;)

On a happier note, we found a new less-active member! His name is Fabian. He is from Chile, and has been in Perth only 5 months. We are 2 of the 3 people he knows in Australia. He has been a member all his life, and is a returned missionary. He really wants to get back into the church, more active in it, etc. So we are teaching him now too! In a way, he reminds me a lot of Daniel, the other less-active we were teaching. He knows an incredible amount about the church. He's even spoken with Elder Holland! :O Also, Daniel is doing ok. He had a lousy week this past week. Jobs are very hard to find here, I gather. But wonder of wonders, he got two job offers for a months work from ward members this sunday! That boosted him up.

We have a baptism coming up! June 9th, Zach Jenner will be baptized into the church! Zach is 9. His family was less-active until now. He is autistic, but really wants to be baptized. So we've been teaching him, and getting everythign sorted out with the mission president. His family is fun to teach as well.

On Saturday, we went to a bonfire mission farewell, for someone in the ward. They're headed to Washington, D.C. Believe me, this was no ordinary bonfire. We pulled into the field, and said bonfire was about 15 feet high, and included a dead tree, standing in the middle. You can't get near the flames without your skin crisping off :D It was so awesome. Australians have no idea how to make s'mores. (their version: get marshmallow, two cookies, a few m&ms, wrap in tin foil, chuck in flames. Then grab stick, cover face with jacket, and try and pull it out before it turns to charcoal.) We showed them the correct way, and they were very impressed.

Also, during the bonfire, I taught the First Vision to a catholic lady, who had some questions about the church! She loved it, and wanted to learn more. WOOT!

This upcoming week is Week 11 in my training. This is the week where I take the lead in Everything. Oh. Crud. Hopefully I make it through all of this with my sanity intact. Wish me luck!

So, that's been my week!

Hey, cousin Micah! Armenia, wow! That's going to be so Cool!

Also, congratulations Peggy on getting a master scriptorian award!

Just a quick note, I love getting all these emails from everybody! It's great to hear from you all. Unfortunately, I only have an hour to write this general letter, and to my mission president, and respond to a few other emails. So if I sound hurried, crazy, or something, I don't mean to. (letters are easier to respond to, I can sit down and write them at night. ;) ) So anyway, just to let you know!

Love you all!

Elder Reeder

Your area is being transferred: please hold...

So. Transfers week. It's completely different from any other week of the mission.

There were 10 companionships in our district. 4 missionaries went home. We gained another 8. It's pretty cool. I feel a bit sorry for the mission office, because they have to find places for all those missionaries to live :D

Among those places, we finally moved into our new flat! I am loving it. It is next to a busy road, and, for some reason, someone who likes using a chainsaw. On the plus side, it's a very new flat, and very cozy. Also very in-the-middle-of-our-area, which means we don't have to bike for 7 minutes just to get Into our area anymore! Mom, it does have a washing machine. No dryer, though. I think there's only one working dryer in the whole mission XD

On the work side of things, though, we didn't get to see many people. Apparently that's normal for this week. Nobody seemed to be home, etc. Huh. It'll pick up next week. We got one of our investigators to church, too!

We had a pretty interesting experience last night, too (Sunday). We were heading over to contact a referral, and as we passed a park, we heard yelling, a beer bottle smashing, and general noise you'd find in a fight. Holy Cow. So we rushed down another street, to the first house with a light on, to get the number for the police. They gave it to us, and then we discover that they're members of the church! Seriously, what are the chances? :L

So, that's my week. Nothing too exciting, besides general missionary work.

So! I love you all! See you next week!

Elder Reeder

The Things They Say

Hi there, it's me again!

Remember that time when I told you all that it only rains like 1x a year here? And the rest of the year is pretty much dry? Remember that? Forget I ever mentioned that.

IT POURS. AND POURS. And I found out that my rainjacket is water Resistant. Woohoo. But it was so awesome! We were about 2-3 k's from our flat, and it began to drizzle. Ok, jackets on. We biked a bit to another house (no one home.) It began to rain harder. Ok, this is interesting. Bike a bit more. And then. AND THEN. It really starts. (To experience what this was like, go outside to your nearest garden sprinker, turn on, and aim at your face. That's what it was like.) Incredible. And we still had about 1 k to go. So yeah, awesome.

This week we had some really cool successes! Daniel, the less-active member, has been coming to church the past 2 weeks, and he just got in to see the bishop, get ready to go to the temple, etc! Seriously, he's awesome. He can't wait. Haha, side story, he was joking about how he looks good at the gym, for girls, and Elder Kerr told him ok, so today's lesson is on Humility (haha, funny). Daniel said "Oh, well doesn't it say in the scriptures to Love thy neighbor as thyself? So I have to love myself first!" We had a short break to stop laughing. Heheh.

Also, we tracted into a guy named Ross, who has been baptist since he was married. He was really interested right at the door, and said he'd like to come to church this sunday. Sweet! We didn't see him at the church sunday, but we're going to go by again this week.

In other investigating news, you know you're in australia when an investigator can't come to the door because they're too hung over. Yeeahhh... Also, ANZAC day saw a lot of broken bottles on the sidewalks. And, for some reason, melons. We spent that day doing service for an older couple, digging a giant hole for them, where they're rebuilding their koi pond. Actually, they're a cool couple. They are catholic, and her mother is in our ward. They lived in Colorado for three years, and spent most of that time exploring church history sites, like Martin's Cove, Temple Square, etc. They've been taught the lessons before. Woot!

Today marks the beginning of a new transfer! (Transfers are 6 weeks long) I'm with Elder Kerr for at least another 6 weeks, until my training's finished. Elder Kerr, however, is now the district leader! Wow. As well as this being a new transfer, we are FINALLY moving house! The flat we've been staying in this whole transfer is not in our area, and technically belongs to another companionship. They've been staying with the zone leaders. But the church finally found us a new flat in our area and we're moving into it on Wednesday. So we've been cleaning it up, getting ready, etc. The new one is in an interesting area. Supposedly more rough than where we are right now. And it looks old, too. Hmm. Crossing our fingers!

So there are a lot of phrases I've noticed around here that you wouldn't hear anywhere else (unless the people here are there...) For instance, the word Fillet. Pronounced Fill-et, not Fillay. Or Sachet. Pronounced Sashay. What?? Also, an SUV is called a Ute. (No dad, basketball is not that big here.) Or, when you think something is , you say it's -as. "Man, that car is Sweet as." "My chicken is tasty as!" "Darn, the bike tires are Flat As!" And so on and so forth. Cool as.

So, uh, yeah! Have a good week, and I'll see you next monday!

Love, Elder Reeder