New Years approaching

Hello! Today is the last time I will be writing in 2012. A new year is approaching!

The remainder of the last week was pretty cool. Friday morning, Elder Pasina and I jumped on a plane and travelled down to Perth, to have some specialised training from President Lindsay, as well as to attend the temple.

President had some really good training, as well as some announcements!

Seeing as how the mission age has been lowered, February will see 16 new missionaries in the Perth Australia mission! Of those 16, all but 3 are sisters. March will see 12 new missionaries as well.

Where are they all going to go? (This will mean new areas opening up.)

Our mission, for the next few months, will be focusing on knowing all the doctrines of the 4 missionary lessons. To do that, we've been practicing teaching, for example, the Plan of Salvation, in 4 minutes, including all the major points, explaining clearly, and leaving a commitment. (Note: This doesn't mean we're going to be speed-teaching people from now on. This will help us to be able to know the teachings and be able to help people understand even better what's being taught.) It was cool. Right afterwards, we went to the temple. I love going there.

Then, Elder Pasina and I went to spend the night with some other missionaries. We met our new companions there! Elder Pasina will be companions with another missionary until the actual transfers day. As for me, my new companion is Elder Richmond. Elder Richmond is from Tahiti, and he speaks French! He's pretty cool. We're going to have fun together.

I've noticed that I've gotten a new companion Every Single Transfer. Hmm.

We flew up the next day, back to Karratha. Yesterday, (Sunday) we both gave talks in sacrament meeting. Elder Richmond afterwards met a member of the branch, who is also Tahitian! They spent the next little while talking in french, while I pretended to understand what was going on. It was fun. It really cheered up the member, because he's missed speaking in his language for a long time.

So that's been my week. People start coming back from holidays now, so we're expecting a good week :)

Also, we've been told it's Cyclone season! Haha, Elder Richmond actually came at the perfect time, because for the past couple of days, there's been one just off the coast. Really cooled things down to a nice 30C. But I'm excited, apparently they're pretty common, and people are starting to prepare (ie. tying down their houses, boats, dogs, etc. )

Love you all!

Elder Reeder

We all survived!

Everybody! Merry Christmas! (Oh yeah, and we all survived Dec. 21, too.)

I got to call the family! It was so great to be able to talk to everyone, and hear all your voices :) Unfortunately, the phone cut out right at the end.

So, here's a written-down version of my week. Karratha, as we came to find out, becomes a literal ghost town the week of Christmas. We spent one day knocking on doors, and I think 5 answered. However, we were able to get in to see Brother Tupou and his family! (Brother Tupou is a member, but his children aren't yet.) We've picked them up as investigators and began teaching them on Saturday. They are a really fun family to teach. They're also moving to Sydney later in January, so...

Monday was Christmas Eve! We were invited by President Pilkington (Branch president) and his family over for dinner. We had a great time. President has a lot of instruments at his house, but doesn't know how to play many of them. He asked if I played anything. (Why yes I do. Clarinet.) And he had one! And requested that I try it out, and make sure that it works. (By all means, if you insist.) Christmas day! We woke up. I thought, oh, yay, it's Christmas! Elder Pasina called his family in Tonga, got to talk to them. I opened the door to look outside and decided that someone had forgotten to order the "white" for the season. This is the first Christmas I've spent with the A/C on :D

We were invited over to a family's house for lunch, the Clarkes. I love that family as well. We had turkey and potatoes and stuffing and "fizzy drink" (soda). We chilled for a little while on the couches, and played a couple rounds of Uno with them. Unexpectedly, they gave us a gift! Chocolate and a gift card :)

So, overall, it's been a very nice Christmas. I miss getting together with the family back home, but it was nice up here as well :)

Today is Boxing day. (No, I haven't boxed yet.)

Tomorrow, is pretty much the only Normal day this week! Friday, Elder Pasina and I get to fly down to Perth, for some special mission training, and to go to the temple! Then, Saturday, I come back up. With another missionary. Elder Pasina's being transferred! We got a call a while back, telling us. He's being transferred 2 weeks early, to somewhere (unknown), with someone (unknown also) as his companion. I'll be up here still, with someone else (Also unknown also). We don't know all the reasons behind it, but the earliness has to do with the cost of plane tickets back and forth. (saving money.)

So! That's going to be fun. Even better, this new missionary who I'll be with will be giving a talk this Sunday in Sacrament Meeting. Whee! It's going to be great.

We're excited for the next few weeks, though. That's when everyone who's left town for the holidays is supposed to get back. And that means our investigators as well!

I love you all, and again, I loved being able to call :) Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year!

Love,

Elder Reeder

The End of the World

On the 21st. Or so I've heard. I've also heard the 12th, 22nd, January 5th, and 2036. People are funny.

So, another week up here in Karratha. Elder Pasina and I are still trying to find some new investigators. We've actually had really great success from tracting these past two weeks! However, all of those that we found are going out of town for Christmas. Luckily, they come back soon :)

We go with our ward mission leader a couple of times a week and do a "bread run." A local bakery has a lot of extra bread from the day, and we take it around the community and give it to people. It really helps people to recognise us, and develop a good relationship with them. At the same time, we invite them to come to church. We've met some nice people, members, etc. Also, several members have been going around and befriending people, bringing them along as well! Yesterday, Kelvin, a recent convert, brought his father to Sacrament Meeting. He really enjoyed the service, and he's very supportive of his son. Also, we found a part-member family in the branch. We invited them, and the whole family came to church! We're going to start teaching the two younger kids this week. They're pretty cool.

It's getting to be pretty hard to stay busy all day, every day. We've just about finished tracting the entire reachable portion of this area. Things will pick up after Christmas, when all of our investigators return, but for now it's slow.

Oh yeah, on Saturday I discovered why we keep getting told to wear sunscreen up here. I was out for 30 minutes without it, and my arms Roasted.

I can't believe the year's just about over! And I've almost been out for 10 months! It's crazy.

I love you all, and I hope you're all enjoying the snow, and the 32F degree weather, back there! We get dust storms, and 32C degree weather! (I'm dreaming of a red Christmas?) We've been sharing a Christmas message with people, the past little while. What a wonderful time to reflect on our Savior's birth, and all that came with it.

Love,

Elder Reeder

Christmas Time is Here!

Hi, Family! Today is December 10th!

We've had a pretty cool week up here in Karratha, (relatively speaking...) I think the highest temperature this week was about 44C. (107F)

Elder Pasina and I spent a majority of it tracting, trying still to find new people to teach. It's pretty funny, actually, just about everyone in town is going Out of town for Christmas. WHERE DO THEY ALL GO? (Karratha is in the true outback) Anyway, we had some pretty cool things happen!

We were finishing up a street, and knocked on a particular door. A man answered, and we introduced ourselves. Then the cool part: He invited us in, right there, to talk to him and his family! It was the coolest thing; his wife and daughter joined in, and sat down. We talked to them about their beliefs. Elder Pasina was impressed, they had very strong testimonies of Jesus Christ. We taught them about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and introduced them to the Book of Mormon. The man, whose name is Joseph, said that he and his family would read it, and said that we could come back again sometime and continue to teach them.

I'm really loving this area. The branch is very much involved in missionary work. Something they're trying to make sure of is that every new convert has the support that they need, and that they are able to have their questions answered. One newer sister has been going through a rough time, and it's so great to see the whole branch trying to reach out and help her. The Christmas party for Karratha Branch was on Friday, and we had many nonmembers, investigators, and recent converts attend! There was a barbecue on, (we helped cook it), games for the kids, and then everyone went inside to sing carols and watch a nativity by the primary. That was one of the cutest nativities I'd ever seen a primary do, by the way.

Sunday, we got to see the First Presidency Christmas Devotional! Now that brought the Christmas spirit :)

(By the way, I saw Aunt Danny in the Choir! Also, in the November Ensign, Uncle Scott is in a picture of the choir singing)

Sunday was pretty cool in other ways, too. We had a Lightning storm! Usually, clouds build up in the mountain range near us, but don't actually come to Karratha. Sunday, they came all the way over, and it drizzled a bit, and started a couple fires out in nowhere from all the lightning. I couldn't believe how much there was.

We got news from the Assistants about after Christmas; we're going to be Flying again! Down to Perth, for a mission-wide training meeting, and to attend the temple! Cool!

So that's been my week. Merry Christmas, everybody! I love you all!

Love,

Elder Reeder

On the 3rd Day of Christmas

I got sent to the Pilbara :)

It's been really intense up here, so far! Karratha is the northernmost area a missionary here can go to. And the hottest. I got off the plane, and was physically slapped by it. Yes, we're wearing hats and lots of sunscreen up here. Elder Pasina is pretty cool, he's from Tonga. My first night here, we went over and met President Pilkington. Karratha is a branch, but a growing branch! Let me tell you, it was a very packed meetinghouse yesterday. (Plans are in the works to build an extension.) President Pilkington is ON IT when it comes to missionary work. Also, he has a 5 year old son who everyone, (myself included) thinks he looks like me. Haha.

Elder Pasina and I are on Bikes! And no one really knows why. Our area, if you look on Google Earth, covers a chunk of WA visible from space. And we're on bikes. But we're making the most of it. The members in the branch are very nice, and help us out when we need a lift somewhere far. It's going to be really fun here :)

We're spending a lot of time tracting right now, trying to find some new investigators. There were a lot of baptisms happening here recently, and so the area is definitely "ripe for the harvest." We've just got to find them :) The majority of the people here are workers, out on the mines, industrial area, or building homes for those working in the mines. There are a Lot of company trucks driving around.

Christmas is coming! We're preparing and inviting people to come to a branch Christmas party at the chapel this Friday. This is definitely going to be the most interesting Christmas I have ever seen in my life.

Well, that's been my week. I love you all! And Happy Birthday to Scott! 18!

Love,

Elder Reeder

I'm Leavin' on a Jet Plane!

So, you'll never guess what's happened. This week is Transfers! But before I tell you that, I'll say other stuff first.

We had a really great week :) Elder Segi and I got to see Jady baptised! It was really cool. His whole family turned up for it, and several families in the ward as well :) Everyone loves him.

Hahaha, it was a really bizarre morning, though. We got to the chapel to get the font ready, and guess what was inside? The Rockingham Clogger's Association, with their annual get-together in full swing. Who approves stuff like this? Our jaws just about hit the floor. Same with the bishop :D Luckily, they weren't using more than the cultural hall, so we went to the other end of the chapel for the program. It was all good.

There were 7 baptisms in the mission this weekend!

We also were able to get in contact with Jules again! He's been really busy with job training, and forgot his phone. We brought him to church this last Sunday. That guy is Amazing. He was singing the hymns, he took notes during class, asked questions, Seriously got into it :) He loved being there, made some new friends, and wants to come back next week. We're going to set a new date for him next time we see him.

Guess how far we biked in one day? 72 k's. (That's 45 miles.) We found out there are some families living way out in the country, and we decided to go visit them. And then we had to bike all the way to the other end of our area for an appointment. What a day. Allie, I saw a statue of a pink elephant, and thought of you ;)

So, back to transfers. *Drum-Roll*

I got a call yesterday from the Assistants. I have a Plane Ticket to Karratha! I'm leaving today sometime, and taking a plane tomorrow, up to the near-northernmost part of WA. IT'S HOT UP THERE! But exciting :D I'm packing my one bag, and leaving everything else (bike, etc.) at the mission office for storage. It'll be cool. And kind of sad. It was becoming really fun here in Kwinana! My new companion will be Elder Pasina, and he will be the District Leader. Elder Segi is going to Train now :) There are 12 new missionaries coming into the mission tomorrow!

(Oh yeah, fun fact: The mission HQ in Salt Lake City usually gets around 500 requests a week, average. The week after General Conference, they got 7,000. Is missionary work increasing? I THINK SO.)

Yup, that's what's going on this week, down in Oz.

Random event of the week: One of our recent converts, named Kevin, was driving up to Kalgoorlie last week. He hit a kangaroo. Apparently that's a pretty common thing to happen.

Hey! It's the Christmas Season! I hope? Happy Holidays :) go ski!

Love,

Elder Reeder