Letter #11

Hello From the Summer of Perth!

It is so Hot somedays and it is only going to get worse and stay hot. We are talking 110 for multiple days. We experienced biking in it and it wasn't fun.  We thought we were going to die. Good thing we have one of the few flats that have air conditioning (:
We went to the Temple this week and it was beautiful! I can officially say I have been through the Perth Temple! I can also admit that I must be doing something right because I am exhausted enough on my mission that it is hard to stay awake.  The Temple was still wonderful and peaceful!
Tim's Baptism was this weekend. He is 25 and has traveled the world and absolutely knows the church is true.  He was so excited and nervous. He says he is happier and we can see a difference in him especially after he recieved the Gift of the Holy Ghost. There was a glow about him.  What an amazing experience! We are so excited for him!  Its amazing the Joy you can feel helping one person make the steps to return to Heavenly Father. The spirit was very strong and Sister Vos and I sang and so now everyone knows how well we harmonize together so the members are starting to make plans to use our talents in firesides and church meetings.  We are happy to do it but both of us get nervous about singing solo parts.
Our Joy was even more fullfilling on Sunday as we had 12 of our investigators or people we teach make it to church. That is not including little children under 8 and the potentials that we are teaching soon.  This never happens. Everyone is super excited and the ward is starting to really trust us and so that might be why they keep coming and adding new people to our teaching list.  Its amazing and we are so excited to be apart of the growth here. Australia is a very very very hard mission and to get one baptism is really good but I think we are looking at more here very shortly.  One of the women we teach is indian and was Hindu all her life till a miracle saved her sons life and it was her first time on sunday coming to church. She hung on to every word and absolutely loved it and there was not the most interesting speakers in sacrament.  She is an amazing woman of faith who lost her father recently and is holding on tightly to her husband and 2 children. She has seen a lot of grief and has wrestled with God and yet still has incredible faith in Him.  The mormon messages have really touched her.  Showing the messages that the church puts out on the internet is an incredible resource to help people feel the spirit and understand things clearer. 
Wow. what a week. I am exhausted. We both are. I can't do this by myself, we know its not us. We humbly give the glory to God. He has blessed us and so many others.  I am so grateful to be apart of this Mission, I know it was inspired of God that I should be here, at this time in this place with these people.  I don't know when it happened but I honestly Love My Mission! Seeing so many different cultures and getting out in the world I have learned so many things and it has opened my eyes on how I view the world and other people of different cultures.  We forget sometimes that there is so much more to life and get stuck in our little bubble of where we live.  I will never be the same when I get back because I finally learned what is important in life.  I'm starting to forget myself and worry about others, its a far better work and in doing so I am learning more about myself. No more worrying about the silly things. I plan to be a missionary for the rest of my life.  I know what a member missionary should look like now.  Hold on to your faith and remember obedience brings blessings but exact obedience brings miracles.



With Loads of Love,
Sister Haney