G’day y’all!
Miracles happen y’all! This week has been really good. I really feel as though I’m doing very well now, some of you may know about how I’ve really struggled with my depression on my mission so far. But I suppose since coming out here to Bathurst it’s as though a weight has been lifted. 🙂 Since being here I’ve felt newly restored and even STRONGER desires to serve, and to be Christlike in all things, to magnify my calling and fulfill my purpose every day, be exactly obedient and even to get myself to have the qualities of leadership developed in me as a missionary. I’m loving it! We taught heaps this week too staying super busy and saw a few miracles! We even have 5 Progressing investigators! Which is unheard of up here in this Branch.. I’ve really been able to boost my confidence here and have been challenging myself and my companion to challenge those we teach to come to church and to be baptized. It’s got us heaps of results. We already have a vision of some of the people of Bathurst dressed in white very soon and I’m so excited!
This week we’ve decided to focus on Exact Obedience. We’ve decided to implement what I call: S”TRY”VE 4 FIVE, it’s something that my trainer (shoutout Sista J!!) in Texas Dallas Mission taught me, and she learned it from her previous Mission President before President Taylor (President Devin G. Durrant, now in the SS General Presidency). He had made it a mission goal and it is awesome! I’ve really tried to implement it in every one of my areas, but it hasn’t really taken off until now.. But basically, it’s a point system and you can either make it a healthy competition with other missionaries or just keep it as companionship goals (we’ve decided to try and wrangle the Elder’s into doing it with us for ice cream at the end of the week.. we’ll see how it goes haha) but you get 5 points in the morning for adhering to the missionary schedule (wake up, exercise, studies, out the door..), and then 5 points during the day (lunch, dinner, in flat, plan, in bed..) plus a bonus point for something random (eg. a ward council contact, a member present, Baptismal invite etc.) so you can earn up to 11 points on any given day.. I hoping that by the end of this transfer we will be EXACTLY obedient!! I’ve always felt as though I’m really obedient.. but I don’t think I’ve every been EXACTLY obedient. Now’s the time to change that! 🙂 And with God on my side, anything is possible! I’m so excited!!!
Other than these spiritual revelations 😉 we’ve had some fun around here.. we went out to Sister Remme’s farm (the one who was hurt by her dog) as she’s still in hospital, we went to help out with some of the chores 🙂 it was heaps of fun and a day for firsts!! I chopped wood for the first time! AND I MILKED A SHEEP!! heck yes. I am officially Australian. 😉 haha hopefully the video will work for y’all haha (if not.. next week for sure! UPDATE: the internet is too slow today… next week!) and then on Saturday, I rode a bike for the first time on my mission!!! crazy right?? I’ve been out for a whole year and I’m just now getting on a bike.. and it shows lol… it is hard riding in a skirt ok! but you can assess the damage below.. haha
Well, in closing.. for some reason people here in Bathurst find me hilarious… I have no idea why.. maybe it’s my accent haha. I swear a day doesn’t go by here without at least ONE person teasing or laughing at my accent.. haha and it’s usually my companion 😉 lol good thing I like laughing at myself too, and I can almost always say the same thing about THEIR accent back at them hahaha but since being here, I’ve been to church 3 times and EACH time I’ve had a part on the Sacrament program (1-new missionary testimony 2-fast and testimony meeting 3-talk on Charity) and each time I felt more like a comedian than a missionary because everyone just laughs at the things I say lol… I can’t tell if it’s sacrilegious or just awesome!! Lol but I love the people here, they’re either amazing spiritual giants, or downright crazy.. but both are good company anyways 🙂
That about sums up my life here in Aussie Land (aka Zion)!
Much love,
Sister Swan
