Lots of almosts

Hi there! So hopefully everyone has calmed down by now, :D I hope we have out here, too.

Tuesday we spent probably half of on a train, headed to Perth. Again. Whee! We had to go talk to the church attorney so they could put a statement together for us. The goal of that is so that we don't need to be brought in a bunch of times to talk to the police, they can just go get our statement. Hopefully this is the end of that particular chapter.

The rest of the week, we spent on our bikes! Elder Segi and I realised, for the first time, how big this area actually is. And why there was a car. In one day we biked 43 kilometers! (almost 27 miles) Now that's a lot of biking. However, we have been getting good results from it! We have found two new investigators this week! One is named JD, he is the grandson of a recent convert in the ward. He is 10. Actually, we had quite the time finding him. We went over originally to the grandfather's house, in a very far corner of this area, to Meet him. He invited us inside, and called JD over, "Time for a lesson." JD comes over with his scriptures, and sits down. Now, we had no idea what was going on, but we rolled with it and taught him one of the lessons. Turns out that he'd been a little a while back, but something came up and they had to stop. Now he's decided on his own that he wants to learn them still! Cool! Elder Segi and I are excited about that.

We looked it over, and have realised that we have 3 ALMOST baptisms! We just need to set a date :D

Friday we had Zone conference! President Lindsay came down to Rockingham, and the Rockingham, Bunbury, and Southern River Zones came to receive training, instruction, and Sister Lindsay's brownies. One highlight from the conference: In regards to sharing the gospel: "Be a little Boulder." We all got little boulders to carry around.

I saw a lot of missionaries I knew :) My trainer and my entire intake were at the conference. Cool.

I can tell that it's becoming a lot more like summer now. A member described what happens pretty well. It'll be pretty warm most of the summer, and then you'll get some days where it shoots up to the mid-30's. And then there's about a dozen or so days where it's around 40. (40C=104F) We experienced that this week. I have an awesome tan line where my watch is.

Oh, hahaha, I just remembered- Saturday was Sister Parson's birthday. The zone leaders and I and my companion got together, They took the sisters out to dinner, and we went to their flat and redecorated the ceiling with christmas ornaments. And put chocolate coins everywhere.

The sisters loved it when they got home. And Sister Parsons still has no idea who did it. ;)

So that has been my week. It's been pretty fun! And I can't wait for this coming week, we're expecting some great things to happen.

So I hear there's snow in Utah right now? Someone had better go skiing pretty soon.

I love you all, and miss you! Have a happy halloween!

Elder Daniel Reeder

PS-By the way, Daylight Savings does not exist here.

Accidental

This week. Wow. Where to begin.

So I spent Monday and Tuesday with the Dianella elders. We went into Downtown Perth on Tuesday, and did some city contacting! I love doing that. We met some really nice people, and had some really interesting discussions with them. Sister Parsons and Elder Gardner found a random piano on the sidewalk, and began singing hymns with it. We got some good contacts out of it. The last guy I talked to, I didn't get to talk with him, unfortunately. He talked at me about meat pies and scuba-diving for about 20 minutes. Then right before we left for the day, we passed a magician doing tricks. he pulled oranges and coconuts out of a really small hat. We're not quite sure how.

Wednesday, we had transfers meeting! My new companion's name is Elder Segi. (pronounced sehng-y). He is from Samoa. He's a really great missionary, and I've enjoyed being with him thus far :D We had a lesson right on that first day (Wednesday), with the couple we did service for. He was really open, and bold when he talked with them. We had a long discussion about the Restoration, and we gave the lady a copy of the Book of Mormon.

The two areas have now been combined into one, and it's a REALLY BIG AREA. And lots of people in it! It's going to be really fun to get to know all these members, as well as the investigators. One investigator in particular, is named Jeas. (pronounced "joose"). He is from the Congo. The other elders actually committed him to baptism the last time that they met! We're going to meet with him again hopefully tomorrow and set a date with him. I talked with him on the phone, and he is Super keen to meet with us.

Saturday was not good. We got into an accident.

Basic version:

We went out in the car that morning, to visit some members that lived a ways away. Around 11, we had an appointment with a new potential we'd tracted into the day before. We stopped at the intersection, and when it was clear, I pulled out to get into the median. Suddenly a motorcycle came at us (blind spot?) and we collided. The police were called, and we got out to help the biker. A nurse who'd been passing stopped to help, as well as a few other people. The biker wasn't badly injured, and the paramedics said he'd be ok (whew). We called President Lindsay and our Zone Leaders, and they came down to help out. Elder Segi and I are ok. We got the car towed back to our place and it's being taken up to the smash repair place today. Still turns on, just not road-worthy anymore.

So we no longer have a car. And, unfortunately, I will probably no longer be able to drive, out here. Which will be really interesting, considering Elder Segi doesn't have a licence, and our district and chapel are about 15 minutes away by Car... Everyone is safe, though.

It was a good opportunity for my companion to meet the zone leaders, too. They brought him a boxing bag (Elder Segi is a boxer. I don't know where the bag came from.) President saw it later in the day, got excited, and punched it. It fell down.

Hey! Next week, we will be having at least one new investigator! A couple is moving into the ward this weekend, and the wife wants to be baptised! It's really cool. The husband was less-active for many years, and they're coming back Together. Woohoo! Elder Segi and I are really looking forward to meeting them.

And so, that is my week. This Friday we will have a Zone conference. Everyone's excited for it, apparently something is going to happen.

It's been pretty unbelievable. But we've still been working hard on our bikes. We Still want to be out here, serving. I love doing this, and I know the church is true!

I love you all,

Elder Reeder

Here, There and Everywhere!

Hi, everybody! This week... Man. It's been busy.

A couple of weeks ago, we'd gone "service tracting," to see if we could get any potentials through that. We found one older couple, but they told us to come back this week. So Wednesday, we went over and mowed their back lawn for them. The man was so impressed and grateful, he said that no one had ever offered to help like that before! They were so nice, and we ended up having lunch with them. They said we could come back this next week to share our message with them :) This is the first time they've ever payed attention to missionaries, they said. Wow!

This weekend was the busiest, though. Friday, Elder Ariki went home! And then, Elder McNamee, who was his companion, went up to Queen's park until Transfers. Elder Bangerter and I helped them pack and move all their stuff out. Then, Friday Night, Elder Bangerter gets a call. He's being transferred! To Albany, which is about as far south as you can go in Australia before you hit ocean. He's excited! Albany, I've heard, is awesome. So he started packing.

General Conference was incredible! I absolutely loved it. I'm so excited to have 18-year old missionaries coming out! :D I think my favorite talk was by Jeffery R. Holland. Priesthood session, however, I have no idea. We had issues with the disc that it was on, and so we ended up hearing about every 5th word. And a frozen picture. President Uchtdorf was saying something about a piper cub plane... That's about all I got. Darn. Thank goodness for the Ensign.

And, as always, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir was beautiful.

Sunday, we get a call from the Assistants. Elder Bangerter is actually leaving Monday Morning, from Perth! So that means that I have to pack a bit, too, because I can't be here alone, I'll have to go up to Perth with him. Hahaha, ironically, Sunday was the one day that we had completely booked. Some other elders in the district went on splits with us, to go to a couple different people.

So we get all packed, and leave Sunday night. We stayed the night up with some elders in Dianella, near the mission office. I still had to get sunday corellation done up there. Monday morning (today) Elder Bangerter left on a bus, for the ~5 hour trip down to Albany. I'll be spending the next few days here, in Dianella, with the elders, until Transfers. As I write this, I'm still waiting to hear from the zone leaders as to who my new companion is. What a weekend!

Because Elder Ariki and McNamee are no longer around, we've inherited their area as well. Suddenly we have a whole bunch of new investigators! Whee!

So I'm kind of a mental mess right now, trying to get a hang on everything. I should be getting used to this kind of thing by now, hahaha! Hope you're all doing well!

Love, Elder Reeder

The week in review

Happy Monday, everyone :)

So Elder Bangerter and I have been trying to contact our potentials this week, without much success. Nobody's home. So, it's back to tracting. And contacting. Still trying to work hard.

Our appointment with David and Lisa fell through, unfortunately. Something came up, and they had to cancel.

On the plus side, some fun new finding ideas came into play this week; One, I went on exchanges with another missionary in the district, Elder Rigby. He's from Idaho. We had a fun time out and about. We found some really cool people, and he is really good at starting a conversation with them. We were contacting people on the train, too! (Right now there is a carnival thing going on up in Perth, so the normally empty station has people getting on the trains this week.) I think one of the nicest responses there is to hear when you give them a passalong card, is "I'm definitely going to look this up!" So it's a positive contact :)

Second, This Friday was pretty fun for a lot of the district; Elder Ariki, who finishes his mission this weekend, went down to the city center, and Soapboxed! President Lindsay gave him permission, and he taught the missionary lessons to everyone in earshot. Then another missionary was singing some hymns in between, and about 4 other missionaries were contacting everyone nearby. I think there were actually a few referrals that came out of it.

I'm really excited for this weekend, We've all been hearing about General Conference from the members and emails and such! Lucky you all, getting to see it a week earlier :D

So the mission age has changed... Wow! Mind blowing! It's going to be so cool in the next while. Plus, General conference is just awesome! I love hearing the apostles and prophet speak. And I think it's good for investigators as well, to "come listen to a prophets voice."

I'm pretty sure that the weather is broken. I'm not sure if it's fall, spring, or summer! (The leaves are coming off some of the trees, the flowers are blooming, and some days it's really really hot.) Right now, happily, it's nice. Sounds like things are seriously cooling down in Utah, though!

Transfers is next week, I'll probably be staying, though. But will I still be in a 4-man flat? Tune in next week to find out.

I love you all :) Have a good week!

Elder Reeder

Potential

Good Morning, everyone! Today is Tuesday. Yesterday, Monday, was the Queen's Birthday. So it was a public holiday. So P-Day is Today.

This week has consisted of more tracting! (Can you believe it?) We have had some very long discussions with people at their doors, and a few angry faces, mixed with dogs and locked gates and funny children. However, we have 3 new potentials from it all! And one new investigator!

Actually, the new investigator has a fun story;

We were tracting (yep) a couple weeks back, and came across a young lady. She told us to come back later, when her partner was home. So we came back that evening, and met with them in front of their house. We taught them a bit about the restoration. She asked us a bunch of questions about our beliefs. We weren't sure of their interest level at that time, and it was a bit of an awkward lesson, standing right there. But they said that we could come by again, if we wanted.

Sunday, we decided to introduce them to the Book of Mormon. We knocked, and the lady was on the phone. But she heard us, and said "Oh! I've got to go! I've got Christians at the door!" She came over, said "I was hoping you would come back!" No way! Awesome! So we taught them about what the Book of Mormon was, and she accepted it, and said "I'll read this if you promise to come back!" And her partner invited us to dinner this coming Friday, so we can share more with his kids and her.

That was seriously the coolest moment I've ever had tracting.

Also, another story; We knocked on a door, and a lady answered. We shared how the gospel blesses families, and how families can be together forever. She agreed with it. We asked if there was a time we could come by to share more, and she said yes, how about Tuesday? :O We're going by tonight.

Wow! I've never seen this much success from Tracting before! Elder Bangerter hasn't either. We nearly started dancing on the way home.

In other news, it was 34C yesterday. Which equates to about 95F. IT WAS ROASTING. Also, spring means pollen! Apparently I have hay fever out here. Bad. Bought some Claratyne, and nothing happened. So we had to spend the evening indoors so my nose didn't run away from the rest of my face. Ugh, not a fun night. A couple other missionaries are having the same problems. Whee!

Aaand, that's my week. Lucky you all, General conference is this weekend! For me? Next weekend. (I can't wait!)

Cheers! Elder Reeder