Happenings in Harbour City 9

Another great week has flown by.

Some exciting news about today- the whole mission gets a "Special P-Day" because we made it 30 days without a car accident or infringement, so this afternoon we get to watch some movies! We're watching Frozen and How to Train Your Dragon 2, I am super stoked!!

So, I don't have much time to write today. 

But it has been another smash week here in Sydney. I love my companion, Elder Ko, and we've been seeing heaps of blessings from Heavenly Father.

This thursday, Ethan is getting baptized! He passed his interview with flying colors, and seems all ready for his baptism. We're really excited for it!

Jay is doing great. We taught him 3 times last week, and he loved everything he learned. He didn't make it to church on Sunday, but we'll be meeting up with him tomorrow, so that'll be good. We're excited for him!

Yu Jeong has been really fun to teach. She is being antied pretty hard, and has a lot of concerns regarding our church- she kept reiterating that satan is a smart person, and he could very easily be tricking her with this religion. We couldn't do much else besides bear testimony and invite her to take the lessons with us before she makes a decision, to which she agreed. We gave her a Book of Mormon and when she came to church yesterday, she'd already made it halfway through 2 Nephi! She's a living example to me of the efforts the adversary makes to keep us from the gospel, but also the preparation and protection the Lord gives to His children. Clearly, Heavenly Father's got a plan for her, and He's going to make sure it happens! Haha. Truly a miracle.

Nuri and Sol continue to be awesome. We started something called the "Missionary Resource Plan" with them this week, a program designed to help members become involved in missionary work. Nuri and Sol absolutely loved it- and they came with a list of questions for us on Sunday about how they can start working on their goals and what skills they should work on to be prepared to invite their friends. What more could you ask for? 

On Friday we had a ward Halloween party. It was organized by the missionary couple, so of course it felt very American, which I loved. We even got to carve pumpkins and make roasted pumpkin seeds! It was pretty funny though, the Chinese members didn't want to eat the seeds, they wanted to cut up and eat the pumpkins. Haha.

Overall it was a great week. We're teaching more and more in Korean, and so I feel like a new missionary again, having to learn how to teach and ask questions and do all the basic missionary things, only this time in another language. It's a challenge, but I'm enjoying it. Elder Ko and I are getting along really well, and it makes the work so much easier, that's for sure. I'm so grateful to be a missionary here in the Sydney North!!

Love you all, have a great week!

Elder Easton

P.S. Aussieisms: "I'm puffed" or "All puffed out" is what an Aussie'd say when they're out of breath from running too fast, or tired after a game of sport. The opposite? When the little kids are all wild on sugar, they say they've "gone hypo".. pretty close to what they'd say in the states, but a bit different. And there you go!

Happenings in Harbour City 10

What a great week.

First of all, I GOT TO SEE FROZEN AND HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2!! It felt wrong watching them as a missionary, but it also felt good.. haha. The most difficult thing this week has been trying to get "Let it go" out of our heads. It's just so catchy! Haha.

Besides that, Elder Ko and I had some amazing things happen this week. 

We met with Yu Jeong three times this week. She's the one who received heavy anti material and who, we found out this week, used to be a part of the Jehovah's Witnesses back in Korea- which explained a lot about her concerns. We were really struggling with her and what we needed to teach her, how we could help her. On Wednesday we offered to help her study English, but when she came in she put her Book of Mormon on the table and asked that she have a lesson first. We didn't object, and began to share with her some parts in the Book of Mormon. For the first time, the mood in the lesson changed- and in a positive way. She began to be more open, and you could see it in her face. As the lesson progressed, she began to reveal more of her true concerns, and the Spirit was so strong. She expressed how she was dealing with some pretty serious sins, and felt in a very real way the chains of the adversary wrapped around her. We felt inspired to share with her Alma 5- and for the first time, Yu Jeong began to cry. The spirit "cut her to the heart" as the scriptures say, and we could feel it and see it. Since then, Yu Jeong has changed, and it is so amazing to see. She shared with us on Friday that she feels and believes the Book of Mormon to really be the word of God. It's such a blessing to see the gospel truly take its course in someone's life!

On Friday the Assistants (who work in the city as well) came and found us to tell us they had a Korean referral for us- Ji Hyun! He spoke hardly any English, so they thought it'd be better for him to learn from us. Well it was a mighty miracle- Ji Hyun is one of the most humble and prepared people we have ever met, which is even more amazing considering he's Korean! He expressed a desire to be baptized, so in that first lesson we invited him for November 29th, and he accepted! Whoo hoo! Something crazy amazing about Ji Hyun is that his family actually is from North Korea, and they escaped when he was 8. Pretty incredible, when you think about it. 

We also met a new Korean man through English class, Jee Hoon. He didn't seem to keen to learn about Jesus Christ, but yesterday he came to church! So that's a start, for sure. 

The last Korean miracle of the week came through another referral from a set of elders in the zone. They brought Narae to church, and referred her over to us. She's from Korea, and only been in Australia 3 days! The best best best part is that Sol, the recently-returning member, latched on to Narae and sat by her during all three hours of church, talking to her and helping her along the way. How great is that?!

And finally, perhaps the most exciting news of the week- Ethan got baptized!!! Everything went very smoothly, and the service was wonderful. Ethan's testimony was very inspiring, as he explained his conviction that Jesus Christ is real, and is the Savior of the world. 

So, in conclusion, this week has been a very real testimony to me that Heavenly Father is leading this work. So many things that I didn't think would happen, did, and vice versa- all things that, when viewed individually, may seem coincidental, but when compiled together really leave no doubt in my mind that Heavenly Father is real and really does love His children. It really amazes me how lives and experiences of so many people can be so intertwined, so dependant on millions of things, and yet always seem to work out. Truly, doesn't it show that there really is a plan of each of us?? At least I think so :)

Well, I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Elder Easton

P.S. Aussieism- The game "Uno" is very popular here, but for some reason every single Australian calls it "Yuno", not "Uno". Clearly they need some more Spanish influence down here.

Happenings in Harbour City 7

Transfers!

This transfer I have been given a new companion, truly a miracle... President Howes put the other Korean Elder in the ward with me! Elder Ko! I literally am overjoyed... this is only the second time on my mission I've had a Korean companion, and I am so so excited. I didn't think this would happen, because Elder Ko was already in the ward, but we just switched companions- so my old companion, Elder Marshall, is still in the ward. So it'll be good to still see him :) But I am just so happy, because now Elder Ko and I can really focus on building the Korean program and helping each other!! Wahoo!!!

So besides that amazing miracle, it has been a pretty good week.

Our investigator, Ethan, is amazing. We taught him Word of Wisdom and Chastity this week, and he had no qualms. He is just so prepared. His date is for November 6th, there's only one problem- because he's from Iran, he has to get Area Presidency approval before he can be baptized. We are a bit worried that his situation at present may be an issue, so please please keep him in your prayers! Hopefully we'll be able to get it sorted out.

One highlight of this week was meeting with Nuri and Sol, the Korean sisters (funnily enough, I taught them with Elder Ko, even though we weren't companions yet). we read my favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon together- 3 Nephi 17. Isn't it just amazing? Near the end Sol shared a spiritual experience with us. She has been struggling with a trial for quite some time now, and she told us that after the lesson last week, she left the chapel and just felt her burden lifted. She slept well for the first time in weeks, and in the morning she felt good again- and she knew it was because she's begun coming back to church. Isn't that amazing? It's so incredible to get to witness someone regaining their testimony. 

Yesterday we were asked to teach the lesson for Family Home Evening. Elder Ko and I had no idea what to teach... and randomly I remembered watching a funny music video on the youth website of lds.org called "Find My Cousins". It's just some cheesy clip of people doing Family History work. We thought with the recent push of Family History, it'd be a fun way of introducing the topic, so we planned to teach about how to do Family History. I got onto Family Search to print off my Family Tree, and ended up printing off some photos and stories of ancestors to share during the lesson. I was amazed- there were pictures and biographies of some of our really old ancestors, that I didn't even know were there! It was amazing! Just for example, I read about William Wallace Merrill, who was baptized by John Taylor and crossed the plains with the Pioneers, joined the Mormon Battalion, and settled in the west. How awesome is that- and I had no idea that he was in my family!! Literally, I can honestly say that I felt the Spirit of Elijah as I read about these ancestors. I felt like they were more than interesting historical people- they were some how a part of me. Corny, maybe, but definitely true. I couldn't stop- I kept reading about my ancestors and printed off as many stories as I could, so I could read them during dinner. I love it.

So while I'm on my mission, I don't have much time to do the work for the dead- I'm called to do the work for the living. But for those of you at home who can, I would strongly suggest taking time to look at your tree online and make some plans to add more people to it :) 

And that was just a part of my week! I'm definitely looking forward to this next transfer, especially to really dive in and put my whole heart into the Korean program. Keep me in your prayers!

Much love,

Elder Easton

P.S. This week's Aussieism- Medicine in Oz! The Australian version of "Airborne" (The vitamin tablet you put in water and fizzes) is called "Berocca". They don't really sell IBprofun or Advil- instead, it's called "Panadol", and lastly, you buy your meds at the "Chemist", not the "Pharmacy". Pretty interesting, hey?!

Love you all heaps!

Happenings in Harbour City 8

Hello family, 

This week has simply been amazing. I have loved working with Elder Ko so far- we get along really well, and have been blessed with mighty miracles even in the short week we've been together. Where do I even begin? 

I will share with you all the course of the incredible Korean miracles this week.

1. On Tuesday we had a P-day activity and walked to Macquarie's Chair, a famous site in the Botanical Gardens. Walking back, Elder Ko and and I ran into a Korean family sightseeing in Sydney. We got chatting to them and had a great conversation, they loved us and got a family photo together with us! Haha. It was a small miracle, but a great opportunity to practice our Korean together and get pumped for the transfer.

2. Wednesday we had a Zone service project helping a member move heaps of boxes from his store up to his flat. He is ABK (Australian Born Korean) but his father is straight from Korea, and Less-Active. Following the move, Elder Ko and I were asked to teach him in Korean. I was so nervous- but it went really well! I understood most of it, a miracle in and of itself, and we were able to continue practicing our language skills together.

3. This is when the miracles really started flowing- arriving back in the Teaching Center from that lesson, we found the sisters and a member, Sandy, waiting for us. Sandy is from China, and when I first came to the city she promised me that she would find a Korean person for me to teach. Well that day Sandy went out finding with the Sisters and met a Korean girl! Even more amazing, Sandy brought the girl back to the Teaching Center and waited for us to come so we could meet her. We ended up having a sit-down lesson with So-Hyun (that's her name), teaching the Godhead and committing her to learn. We saw her the next day, and on Friday she came to Games Night with her friend. Miracles! What's even more amazing, she agreed to be baptized on December 13th. How amazing is that?!

4. But the miracles didn't stop there. On Thursday we went to Book of Mormon Institute Class and met Jay, a potential investigator some other elders brought. Jay is from Korea, and knows very little English- so the elders gave him to us to teach. We met with him and invited him to the Baptismal service on Saturday. He came and loved it- he felt the Spirit so strongly that we committed him right there to be baptized Dec. 13th! Another yes! He came to church and loved it as well. The most amazing thing is that he has been texting one of the members that fellowshipped with us- and told her that he LOVED church, and would go every day if he could!! Truly a man prepared by the Lord.

5. Nuri and Sol, the returning members. We saw them Friday and had another incredibly spiritual lesson- Sol continues to blow us away with her spiritual progression. On Sunday she came up to me and mentioned that at the end of every lesson, she noticed that Elder Ko and I always bear our testimonies on the Book of Mormon, Jesus, and so forth. She said that in the past lesson, we both said the same thing- that we know the Book of Mormon is true- and that for the first time, when we said that she really felt something. She felt the Spirit confirm to her that the Book of Mormon IS true. And she loved it :)

6. Saturday we finally got in contact with a potential Korean I met on the street, Jin-Oong.  He was nice, but only interested in the Korean/English practice, and not so much the religious aspect. We respected that and proceeded to have a great language study with him, but at the end Elder Ko asked some inspired questions about where he thinks we will go after this life. The question puzzled him a little and he said that he really doesn't know, and doesn't know where to look for the answer. We asked if next time we could teach him about those answers, to which he agreed. 

7. The last Korean miracle came on Sunday. Those same Elders that introduced us to Jay brought a girl to church who had seen them holding a pamphlet, came up to them and asked them where that church was. Turns out Yu-Jeong is Korean, born in China then moved to Korea a few years ago for university. She speaks fluent Korean and Chinese, but hardly a lick of English. She loved church and afterwards we sat down in a lesson with her. It was epic, to say the least. We had 2 fellowship, a member from New Zealand and one from China. The next hour consisted of her unfolding her story- how she came to believe in God, how she had learned about the church in China, and her fears about death and seeing her family again. The spirit was amazing- never have Elder Ko nor I seen someone so pure, so sincere in desiring to follow Christ. The lesson was in Korean, but we tried our best to translate into English, and then one of the members would add their thoughts in Chinese, and then the other would speak in English, and we'd have to translate that- and then for the words we didn't know, we'd say them in English, the member from China would say it in Chinese and then Yu-Jeong would tell us the Korean word. Pretty funny. She loved it though, and she set a return appointment for all of us this Tuesday. What an amazing girl. 

So, with this onslaught of miracles this week, I have learned quite a number of things. The first is that we really have nothing to do with this work. Every single Korean encounter and miracle has come about because of someone else's efforts to help us teach- and Elder Ko and I have been deeply grateful and blown away to realize that they were all basically given straight to us from the Lord. It has certainly increased my humility- I am aware more than ever how inadequate I am, that were it not for the Lord we could have had none of these miracles- therefore, we simply need to do our best, trust, and desire to accomplish the Lord's will, not our own. Elder Ko and I feel that this is Heavenly Father's way of showing His trust in us, and that now is the time to be more consecrated and diligent than ever before, to be able to qualify for the blessings of Heaven. 

Secondly, I learned that it's time to cast away all my vain ambitions and unrighteous desires. Elder Ko and I are trying our best to show our desires for this work to roll forward, to not be hindered, but also to be in tune with and influenced by the Lord's desires and will. All we want is to trust and work hard in whatever is given to us. 

So, to recap my week in a shorter way, I'll just say I loved it. It was amazing. It has been a time where we felt the Lord has directed us more clearly than ever as to where our focus and our efforts and our desires need to lay- and now it's time to strap down and get to work!!

Love you all heaps, enjoy your week :)

사랑해요,

Elder Easton

P.S. Aussieism for the week- Australians write the date differently, and it's waaaay more confusing to put into practice than you'd think. Americans write: Month/day/year but Aussies do Day/month/year. Sounds simple, but it's easy to confuse the two. It's now worries for a date like 28/7/14, but when someone writes 5/4/14, for example, my mind does a little spin out. Haha. 

Happenings in Harbour City 6

This week has been one of the busiest of my mission- including Special Training, Temple Day, Zone Leader Exchange, Travelling Elders Exchanges, and General Conference- it's been go, go go! But that's definitely how I like it.

An update on some of our investigators. We unfortunately had to give Rob over to the Summerhill Elders. Thankfully, it went smoothly, and he still seems to be on track for baptism. We'll miss him, for sure- hopefully we'll be able to go to his baptism next month! As for Joyce, we saw her this week and it was pretty disappointing- she seemed pretty disinterested, and spent the whole lesson zone-ing out, yawning and checking her phone. Isn't it just the most frustrating feeling when you want to share something with someone, and they won't listen?! Haha, certainly it's a lesson for me in patience... But she still wants to meet and have lessons, so of course that's a good thing.

Miracles in K-town. On Thursday, Elder Ko and I saw Nuri and her sister, Soul (the less-active Korean). We had a pretty good lesson, and they even brought cake for us to eat. The veeeeery best part, of course, came on Sunday- when Nuri And Soul came to church! Hallelujah! When I saw them walk in it literally made my heart burst. We set General Conference up for them in Korean, and they seemed to really enjoy it. 

On Friday we went finding in Victoria Park. I really do enjoy finding, but I struggle doing it in the park- for some reason I just really hate walking up to people sitting down, when they can see me approaching and can prepare a defense in their mind (I definitely prefer the 'surprise' approach of chatting on the street). Anyhow I was walking around the park and was about to go talk to someone standing nearby when I saw a girl sitting down underneath a tree... and had the prompting to talk to her. Oh no, I thought... now I have to do the thing I hate. Remembering the conditions of being a successful missionary, however, I sucked in my pride, did my best to put my trust in the Lord, and walked up to talk to her. Honestly it couldn't have been a more inspired prompting- the approach led into a 20 minute conversation of developing a closer connection with God, and the message of the Restoration. How grateful I am for the prompting to not only stretch myself but bring someone closer to Christ.

Later that day we were down the road from the chapel doing some street contacting. I was waiting nearby for my companion to finish talking to a lady when a Japanese man walked by. I took the opportunity to ask him for some help, and eventually it spurred into a conversation where we were explaining the reasons why we were in Sydney. I invited him to go up the street with me for a chapel tour, and for seriously the first time in my mission, someone accepted it! I was so surprised, but so happy, and we walked up together and gave him a tour. We found out that Hiro (that's his name) went to a Christian College and really wants to learn more about 'this Jesus Christ'. Certainly the Lord's hand is in every part of this work.

Now of course General Conference was AMAZING, and I feel as missionaries, it becomes a particularly special time to receive guidance and revelation for our areas. Last weekend was certainly no exception, and I just felt so spiritually fed. I loved all the talks, of course, but some that really resonated with me included the talks given by Elder Lynn G. Robbins, Elder Jorg Klebingat, and the Priesthood talk by Elder Uchtdorf. I'll definitely be reviewing them in the future. One positive I'd just like to mention about Conference in Australia- we got to print off all the talks beforehand, so it made note-taking and impression-taking a breeze!

But probably the most spiritual experience for me this week came from a conversation I had with the Travelling Elder. A quick background- President Howes has assigned two elders to go around and try to go on tradeoffs with just about every companionship in the mission. One of them is the old Assistant, and these are his last two transfers in the mission. Anyhow Elder Marshall and I were with him, Elder Richardson. While we were waiting for a lesson I asked Elder Richardson how he's been able to increase and purify his desires for missionary work. Essentially, he shared that pure desire to do missionary work comes from loving God- i.e. we want to help the old lady cross the street because we love God and we know that He loves her, and that helping her will make Him happy (Mosiah 2:17). But how do we develop that love? Quite simply, it comes from understanding, applying, and appreciating the Atonement. Like Elder Bednar's talk in Conference, when we experience something that helps us, it instills in us a desire to share that with others- just as Elder Bednar's son wanted to put the ointment on all of his friends. It reminds me of Alma and the sons of Mosiah, who, once repentant, would cringe at the thought of anyone suffering from not receiving the blessings of the Atonement. They desired to share because they first felt. Missionary work is an outward expression of our inner conversion- putting faith and trust to application. It really doesn't have a thing to do with numbers or success, but everything to do with having an "eye single to the Glory of God", which glory is the Atonement. I realized that if I want to show God that I am grateful for the Atonement, that I love my Savior- then I need to refocus my efforts, my actions, on desiring to make Him happy, to accomplish His will. Having a personal agenda is vain ambition, and that disqualifies us from the power and authority of our calling (D&C 121). 

Basically, to become a better missionary- and, I suppose, to become a better person- we need to grow our understanding of and gratitude for the Atonement of Christ. This come through becoming "really really good at repenting" (Elder Klebingat's talk) and having joy, happiness, excitement, in the opportunity to change. This has changed my outlook, as now I feel like I am finally understanding what I can do to improve myself, that is far more effective than any other technique or skill I could perfect. How grateful I am.

Love you all and have a great week. 

Elder Easton

P.S. I can't forget an Aussieism... at General Conference, everyone brought heaps of snacks and treats- my favorite. A classic Aussie lolly that everyone brought was "Jaffas", or small round chocolate balls, covered in a bright orange coating. They taste a lot like m&m's, and boy are they delicious! Haha.

Happenings in Harbour City 5

Happy Conference Weekend!

Unfortunately, since I'm in Australia, we didn't see Conference last weekend- we will watch all the sessions this upcoming sat/sun. Also, the reason why I'm emailing a day late- we had a special P-day today and got to go to the temple! Ah I love that place, it's the perfect place to receive revelation and feel of God's love. It's been way to long since I got to go!

Last week had a lot of awesome things happen. The first I have been aching to share is, of course, the highlight of my week- Dinner with Nuri and Soul. So some background- Elder Ko (the other Korean Elder) and I have been meeting weekly with a Korean member, Nuri. She is a returning member, and our main focus is helping to strengthen her testimony. She comes from a once faithful family, but now has sunken pretty far into inactivity. Anyways she has an older sister who used to be really strong in the church, but hasn't come in years. After weeks and weeks of trying, we finally convinced Nuri's sister (Soul) to come to a lesson with all of us by bribing her with food. Never underestimate the power of food. We cooked up some "American-Korean Fusion" food, aka sloppy joes, rice, kimchi, and seaweed. Delicious! Haha. We had a great little dinner in the teaching center, and then proceeded to talk about the priesthood. Honestly, it was one of the most powerful and spiritual lessons I've had on my mission. We began by talking to them about how the priesthood is given to us to feel of God's love- then shared some experiences of how the priesthood has blessed our lives. Surprising all of us, Soul shared an experience that when she was 12, she was deathly ill in the hospital, received a blessing, and immediately became better. She began to cry, and the Spirit flooded the room. She gushed out to us, telling us how she believes in God but stopped living some commandments and felt too guilty to come back to church, but that it was time and she needed the invitation from us. We were blown away by her honesty, and her humility.We committed her and Nuri to read the scriptures together, to come to church, and to prepare themselves for a priesthood blessing. They happily accepted. Unfortunately on Sunday only Nuri was at church, we asked her what happened and she told us Soul had been planning on coming the night before, but when the alarm rang in the morning she was just too tired. On a good note, though, Soul made her and Nuri read from the Book of Mormon together- which was awesome! Still a success. We are meeting again with Nuri and Soul this week, and we are excited to see what we can do to get Soul back into the gospel. 

I just feel like Korean miracles continue to flow. We were walking through Belmore park and I see a Korean sitting on a bench. I pointed to him and began walking determinedly towards him. He looked confused and a little bit frightened, but I mustered all my courage and just started talking to him. Turns out he had come to Belmore Park to think; his last friend in Sydney had left that morning back to Korea. He felt all alone, and didn't know what God was leaving for him in Sydney, as he still has three months to go before he returns to Korea. I told him that I believed God had put our paths together, and wanted us to meet, to which he agreed. We are seeing him tomorrow- hope all goes well! Truly there are no coincidences, especially in the Lord's work.

Yesterday we had FHE and an English Class student brought someone who he had just met that day to the activity. Yes, this new friend of his just so happened to be Korean, and as I talked to him he told me he's been looking for a church since he left Korea- and he asked if he could come to our church!! Isn't it just the best when people commit themselves?

One thing I've been learning since coming to the city is the importance of following up. Everyday I see miracles in the people whom we meet and talk to, and I am filled continually with a testimony that this work is so true. What I'm coming to discover, however, is that even as we find these people, if I don't follow up with immediate contact, and strive with every effort to keep in touch with them, it is so easy for them to fall by the side and be lost. In the fast pace of this area, it's easy to forget and lose track of where everyone is at, but it really is so crucial if we want to be effective missionaries. It's an eternal principle, I think- the Lord sets the example in His accounting to Heavenly Father, in the consistent efforts He set forward with His disciples, and in the direction He gives us. Forgetfulness; Laziness; "Can't be Bothered" mentalities; those are the things that set us back from progression, that stall the work. On the flip side, I love that as we include the Lord, do our best to stay on top that He really does provide, guide, and help. I'm grateful for that help; without it I would be 100% lost.

Aaaaaand lastly an Aussieism: "Like Chalk and Cheese", referring to two things that are complete opposites, that do not go together at all. "We get along like chalk and cheese" aka they hate each other; "Sydney and Beijing are chalk and cheese" meaning they are two completely different cities, so much that you can't compare them. Now I don't know if this is a phrase in America too, but I'd never heard it til I came here- and they say it all the time!

Well I love you all heaps! Enjoy your week and talk to you soon.

Cheers,

Elder Easton

Happenings in Harbour City 4

Another week flies by!

First things I'd just like to mention what a small world this is- this week I went on a trade-off with Elder Fowler, a Chinese speaking missionary in my district. And it just so happens that Elder Fowler and I went to middle and high school together! He lives by Butler elementary. It was so fun to catch up with him and talk about things and people we both knew! Too fun.

The most prominent miracle for me this week was probably meeting Olivia. I have been reading a lot on what it means to be mighty in prayer, and to have total faith, doubting nothing that the Lord will fulfill His promises. Well on Wednesday I decided to pray with all the energy of my heart to not only meet a Korean- but to set a return appointment, and to be able to meet them again. I had a lot of doubts, but I did my best to push them all out and just trust that I could do that. Well near the end of the day we were walking through Belmore Park and I saw a Korean girl sitting on a bench, so I went up and chatted to her, and although we had a nice conversation she was pretty disinterested in meeting again. I was grateful I could talk to her, but as I walked away I wondered in my head if that girl was the one Heavenly Father had provided me, and if only I had tried a little harder I could've accomplished my goal. I felt pretty disappointed in myself. About 5 minutes later, as we were walking back to the flat, I struck up a conversation with another Asian girl- and turns out she was Korean! As soon as she said she was from Korea, I knew that I hadn't let down the Lord- and that He hadn't let me down either. I just felt so assuredly that this was the Korean Heavenly Father had prepared for me, and as I talked to her I felt confident in extending the commitment to learn more and meet again. And she accepted! It was just such a confirmation to me that Heavenly Father wants to help me and bless me, and can use me even with my massive imperfections. 

Actually, looking back this week has been full of meeting and progressing with Koreans. I feel like a pot on the stove when it's just about to start boiling- when the water at the tops just begins to swirl around. I know that accomplishing my purpose here, especially called to learn Korean, depends entirely on my hard work, diligence and faith. I am beginning to understand more and more that out of those three, the very most important is the faith- I could be the best speaker, but without the faith and confidence, the trust in the Lord- I could do nothing. Comparatively, when I trust totally, doubting nothing, even my broken and limited Korean skills can be an influential part in bringing the Lord's children to Christ.

As for our investigators, Ethan came to church- and still awesome as! Ricky couldn't make it because the train lines were down yesterday, but he still seems to be doing great. We just have to be patient, and faithful, in helping them! 

And for an Aussieism, I've been thinking about it a lot about it and think I found an interesting one. Here they call Cotton Candy "Fairy Floss". Keep that in mind when I tell you the next part. I think this might be specifically a "Sydneyism", but there are Asian bread shops EVERYWHERE. Like bread shops are the "in thing right now". Anyhow Elder Marshall and I stopped in at one last week and I bought a pastry called "Pork Floss"- yep, it was a bread bun with pork-cotton-candy on top. It was actually very delicious, except it felt like I was eating hairy bread. Yum. 

And that's a wrap for this week! 

Sending my love,

Elder Easton

Harbour City Happenings 3

Wow, time certainly does fly here! I can't believe another week's already passed by. I am really loving it here in the city- my feet ache and my back is sore, and it's never felt better. The missionary work is a constant rush, and there's always something to do. It's a missionary's haven!!

This week we finally got to meet a referral from Brisbane, Robb. He's an Aussie man, probably in his 40's or 50's, and is studying art here in Sydney. He was a really nice bloke and seems pretty interested in the gospel. He even came to church yesterday, what a miracle!! We may have to give him over to the family ward, however, because he technically doesn't fall under the YSA ward category... but we'll see! Haha.

One fun experience happened while street contacting this week. I was talking to this Korean lady who seemed pretty unsure about me, until I told her I was a missionary- her eyes lit up and she told me it was a very good thing I was doing. She said she was Buddhist, and not interested, but was grateful for what we did- then she reached into her bags and gave me a whole heaps of bananas. It was pretty funny- I've never had anyone thank me on the street before! Certainly a boost to the day.

I learned a valuable lesson this week about being clear in our message. I was talking to a chinese student who seemed pretty disinterested about what I was sharing- I told him I taught about God and I help people find out if God is real, and what it could mean for them. I asked for his number and he declined, saying he wasn't really interested- and just as he was walking away, he turned to me and said, "Wait, do you teach about Jesus?" I responded positively, and he explained that he went to a Christmas Mass last year and has actually been really intrigued about learning more of Jesus. I told him that it was exactly what I did- and so he happily gave me his number and set a return appointment. It never occurred to me that people might not associate God and Jesus Christ together- and therefore how important it is that they know the message we share IS centered on the Saviour! I was thankful that student was inspired to ask me about Jesus, and that it's taught me to be very specific in all that I say.

I met another Chinese student this week and had one of the best conversations ever on the street. We began talking about families and I asked him where he thinks our families go after we die. He said simply that he believes we cease to exist. As he asked me what I thought, I told him that we teach families continue on after the grave and that the reason we're on earth is to prepare us to live together. He was confused at the thought, and curious to know more. It was just the best feeling ever when you're able to have a conversation that goes just how you want it- I swear, it never happens! And yet this week it did. Ah, what miracles! 

As for our two baptismal dates, they continue to be awesome. We met them bothSunday morning and so we went on splits; Elder Marshall taught Ricky, the one from China, and I taught Ethan, the one from Iran. The lesson with Ethan was awesome- he is just so so prepared. He told us that he has school Monday-Saturday, 9am-2pm. He then walks each day from school to work, which goes from 3pm-8pm. The only day he has free is Sunday, and he chooses to even come early for a lesson, because he knows that there's something about this church, and he feels something different when he does come. Talk about faith!

And those were just a few of the highlights for the week. Honestly, the work here is exhausting, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I love being around all the missionaries each day, being able to meet so many Koreans!, and most of all to really give my all to the people here. Missionary work is the best!

Much love,

Elder Easton

Oh P.S. as for an Aussieism- we had a Zone Dinner Last night and we cooked up heaps of sausages. I learned 2 of the slang words for sausages here- "Bangas" and "Snags". Usually you call them "Bangas" when you have them on a sandwich or with mashed potatoes, and "Snags" when it's with a barbeque. Haha I have absolutely no idea how those two names came to be.

It's all Happenin' in Harbour City!

        What a hectic week!

Almost my whole week was spent roaming the streets, talking to anyone that would listen. I loved it, although my legs felt like jelly after the first day. I really enjoyed going to Victoria Park, it's actually the same park I used to go to all the time back in Summerhill, so it brought back a lot of good memories! Overall a fun, and certainly tiring, week.

On Tuesday we were on our way to the Sydney Opera House when a girl passed me by with her headphones on. I had the slight inclination to talk to her, but we were going in the opposite direction and I was already walking away from her. I really felt like I needed to speak to her though, and I turned around to see where she was- already pretty far away.I decided not to bother, that it was already a lost cause, and then the strangest experience came- I felt like someone was yelling in my head "GO TALK TO HER". It shook me up and so I turned around and ran all the way to catch up to her. I bet I looked pretty funny to everyone driving by, but I didn't care! Haha. I ended up talking to her for awhile and found out she had just come from China, and had been talking to her Christian roommates about God recently and was curious to learn more. Coincidence? Certainly not. We're seeing her this week, and I couldn't be more grateful for that yelling voice in my head!

I'm learning more and more on my mission that some people are just prepared. On Sunday morning before church we met with Ricky, an investigator from China. He met Elder Marshall his 4th day in Australia, and had really been pondering the existence of God. It seemed to him that Elder Marshall just shown up at the right time. I have never seen anyone, Chinese or Aussie, who was so engaged and interested in the message we were sharing- it was almost as if he had anxiety because he wanted to learn more so badly. When we committed him to baptism, his answer was immediate and resounding- yes! He really is desiring an answer from God, a sureness in his heart, and he was firm in committing that the moment he feels his answer, he will be baptized. When we sat down for the sacrament later that day, I saw out of the corner of my eye Ricky praying so earnestly to himself. It deeply humbled my heart, to see someone so sincerely desiring to know the existence of God. Isn't Ricky just awesome?!

Another investigator, Ethan, came to church yesterday. He's from Iran, and he's been a bit skeptical about Jesus and Christianity and what not. Well it was so cool- after sacrament meeting I asked him what he thought, and he said, "I felt something there that I haven't felt before. And I really liked it." After explaining that it was the Holy Ghost he felt, he responded, "I think I know now that Jesus is the way". He committed to be baptized in October. 

Another experience finding was Emmy. She is a Chinese girl studying her masters in Education at the University of Sydney. I got talking to her and she thought it was really strange I just walked up to her and started a conversation, but she thought it was fun, too. Haha. As we got talking she explained that she found God about a year ago and has been going to church and bible studies every week since. I shared with her a little bit about the Book of Mormon and the importance of Authority, and she agreed to meet up again. At the end of our conversation, she said "I think God really did put you in my path today. Thank you". I am really looking forward to teaching her more!

One last happening I'd like to share is about a member in the ward. He actually grew up in Sandy, and graduated the same year I did, just from Alta. We actually have the same circle of friends, and I think we've met a few times before! Anyways, he was very inactive, and through a course of events came to Sydney for some work. Before he left his friend's mom made him promise to go to church just once in Australia. He promised, and wanted to get it out of the way so he went his first Sunday. And since then he's been coming every week! The very best part is that when I met him yesterday, he had just gotten out of an interview with Bishop and had submitted his mission papers. What a miracle. Whoever that mom was that made him promise to go to church, I am sure that there are lot of people now and in the future who will be very, very grateful for her influence on him. 

As for an Aussieism, I thought I'd tell you about the 2 main grocery stores here. Well first off they don't actually call them grocery stores, but just 'the shops'. Basically every store they just call 'the shops'. If you're going out for clothes, food, or anything, you just say 'I'm going to the shops'. Anyways the 2 stores are Coles and Woolworths, though everyone calls Woolworths 'Woolys'. These two stores run Australia, and have shops, petrol stations, magazines, everything. The interesting thing is that both these stores are owned by the same parent company- Sears from the U.S. Now I forget if I've already told you this but I don't think so! So hopefully not, haha.

Well, love you all heaps and hope you enjoy your week!

Elder Easton

Photo: Snow, a Korean member, took Elder Ko and I out for lunch (Elder Ko is the other Korean speaking Elder in the Zone). She took us to this hole-in-the-wall Korean restaurant and ordered HEAPS of food- so delicious! There was this one that was so spicy, Elder Ko and I were crying and sweating out of every pore in our face. Gotta love that hangook food!

Times in Tamworth 23

G'day from Down Under!

This has been a "going-back-to-basics" sort of week. Unfortunately we've been having quite a number of investigators drop off, or give us the "too busy" card, so we spent some time building our teaching pool back up via tracting. It hasn't yeilded a lot of success yet, but we have faith to just keep trying! As for Chris, Jacob and Adam they are all doing well and are still coming to church, always a bonus. Adam's gearing up for the Melchizedek Priesthood come Stake Conference in September, which is really exciting!

This past week we had a trade-off up in Armidale. I really enjoy those trade-offs, especially since my old companion from Summer Hill, Elder Bettridge, is up there, so we get to catch up and always enjoy the time together :) 

One lesson that really impacted me this week was with Greg and Kathy. We decided to just rock up and ended up having a great afternoon with each other. From start to finish, the conversation was based on gospel principles and other church-related topics, and the spirit was just so strong. It basically turned into a sort of makeshift-testimony meeting, and we all were able to just sit back and enjoy the company of not only each other, but the Holy Ghost as well. It just felt good.

About every 2 or 3 weeks we stop by and visit this less-active man and his family. He is very nice, and usually we chat for awhile and then end up sharing a mormon message or something. Well this week I decided to take a step forward and invite him- and his non member family- to take the lessons. He politely, but firmly, declined. When I asked why he explained that he didn't mind the short videos or little thoughts, but he didn't want to do something that would expect him or his family to do anything. Basically, he didn't want to change. It makes me so sad to think that some people, such as this man, are missing out on so many blessings and opportunities simply because they hold the mentality of "couldn't be bothered".

Come to think of it, quite a number of less-active members I have met over the course of my mission seem to have the same symptoms: laziness. Not wanting to come to church or read or pray not because they don't believe it's true, or have a testimony or not desire the blessings- but simply because they can't seem to find the time, or the energy, to do those very things. I am learning more and more that this church, this gospel is not a passive one, not one that "if you have time" to fit it in, but one that we need to make time to fit in. It reminds me of a FHE we had at the Fordham's once, where Aunt Suzi had sugar, gumballs, and a big jar. When she put all the sugar into the jar first, not all of the gumballs fit. But when she put the gumballs first, then the sugar, it all magically fit inside. How true that is in our lives- if we put other things above God (remember the 1st commandment), then naturally the things of God will fall out of our lives. It's so important to always actively keep the Lord in our everyday experiences.

Well an Aussieism I want to share is to commemorate the closing of Summer break for you all in the states and to celebrate the Spring coming over here in Australia. They all call sunglasses "Sunnies", and as for swimsuits, there are a few names- "Swimmers" or "Cozzies" are the most common. I finally found out how in the world they got "Cozzies" for a swimsuit- "Swimming Costume" was the proper English name for a swimsuit back in the day, so of course all the convicts down here Aussified it by adding the 'ies'.

I love you all heaps and hope you have a great week!

Love Elder Easton

p.s. Shout-out to Sally for her birthday today (I guess tomorrow for all of you) and also for Katie and Irv! Good luck on Saturday!

Photo: Elder Bettridge and I "tearing" it up in Armidale.. haha.

...It's all Happenin' in Harbour City!

G'day everyone,

It's official! I've been transferred!

I've had some hectic events happen this week, of course the biggest being transfers! We went up to Coff's Harbour Thurs-Sat, then I got my transfer call and drove to Newcastle on Sunday, then to Sydney on Monday. And the verdict is.... I'M IN THE CITY! I was pretty surprised to leave Tamworth, actually, and although I was bummed I am really excited to be in Sydney CBD! My companion is Elder Marshall from Maryland, I'm really excited to be working with him. I think the thing I am most looking forward to is all the KOREANS! YESSS! The city is a YSA ward with 14 missionaries, and they go street contacting basically all day every day. It's going to be a whole lot different from the work I did before, but I am really excited about it. I am also pretty happy because a lot of the members in Summer Hill work in the Family History Center in the City-I even ran into some yesterday! It was the strangest feeling riding the train into the city, I couldn't believe how many people there were. After being in Tamworth for so long, I definitely felt like a little fish in a really really big pond. Haha.

As for my last week in Tamworth, we had some fun experiences. Elder Tavalea tracted into a Pentecostal minister, and after a brief discussion on our beliefs he asked for a prayer, then proceeded to "heal us" and even tried to get me to speak in tongues. It was pretty funny, and just a bit too fanatical for us. Great experience, though!

On Wednesday we went to clean Betty the crazy-bird-lady's flat. Holy smokes, I have never seen a messier house. The floors were covered in bird-seed, and you couldn't see the ceiling from the number of spiders covering it. The walls looked like they were moving from the number of cockroaches roaming around, but it wasn't even the best part- every 2 or 3 seconds you'd see the scatter of several mice running around. It was, to say the least, disgusting. I guess Betty had gotten really depressed and just let her house go to dumps, and so she was very thankful for us to show up to help her. It took all day, but we managed to move all of her furniture out to the back lawn and sweep all the floors down. We didn't even touch the walls or ceilings. At the end of the day, she took out all her birds and let them fly around. They were pretty fun, except the Galahs bit me, those nasty birds. I've got quite a number of photos from the event, so I'll have to show you all one day :)

The call to transfer came as a pretty big surprise to me, so after we came home from Coffs Harbour I spent the rest of the time saying goodbye to members and investigators. It was quite difficult to say goodbye to a number of them, especially Matt and his family, Chris, and Adam. I've really come to love them- it's hard to let go and leave someone else in charge of their eternal affairs. Such is the life of missionary work, though! 

And that's been about my week- full of travelling and saying goodbyes! I feel really hopeful about this next phase in my missionary adventure, though- I just feel like it's going to be a really great fresh start for me. I am setting some goals to really push myself, and I am excited for the potential of growth in me this area has to offer. Wish me luck! 

Oh and I cannot forget an Aussieism: The country folk of NSW (New South Wales) had a really funny quirk in their speech. When saying a sentence that begins with "But", they flip it around and say the "But" at the end. example: "I am happy, but I am just really tired" would instead be said "I am happy, I am just really tired but". Or when responding to the question, "She was in hospital?!" a country Aussie would say, "Yeah, she's okay but". Don't ask me why.

Well, I love you all heaps and hope you have a great week!

Cheers,

Elder Easton

 

Photos:

The last moment Elder Tavalea and I had in Tamworth! I'm gonna miss him!

I found a baby mouse at Betty's house! (Hopefully I won't get sick now! ;) Haha)

Times in Tamworth 24

Another week's flown by!

Some really great things have happened this week. Every month we get a certain number of km's we can drive in our area. Being the end of the month, we had quite a bit of km's left over and so this week Elder Tavalea and I decided to do some road-tripping to visit the members that live far away from Tamworth. It was a lot of driving, but we had some great experiences!

The first town we went to is called Werris Creek, and we have a number of less-active members living there. It's a tiny town of maybe 200 people, but we managed to stay busy the whole day! We met some interesting less-actives, including a group of them who apostatized and formed their own church down in Werris. I think the membership of that church is 5.. haha. They were very nice to us, but had some interesting spins on certain doctrines. 

We also went tracting and knocked into an ex-communicated member. At first he didn't let on that he used to be a member, and so we were amazed when he knew all this stuff about the church. He finally introduced himself as the ex-branch president of Tamworth. I was pretty amazed- he had grown up in the church, served a mission, been in just about every leadership position, etc etc, but when his marriage broke up, him, his ex-wife, and all 8 children left the church. It was heart-wrenching for us to think about such a good family becoming so totally lost. Nevertheless it's certainly not every day you run into people like that. He was very nice, though, and even invited us back for a barbeque. Who knows, maybe his time to return is coming!

Another town we went and visited was Manilla, which is a little bit bigger than Werris Creek- maybe 500 or 600 people- and we met up with a less-active American. His accent sure sounded foreign to me, haha. Anyhow when I first saw his name on the record list, I was confused; his priesthood level indicated "Seventy". Only later have I found out that ages and ages ago, they used to have "Seventies" as they called them in every ward and stake. It was sort of like the level above High Priest, but they got rid of them and instituted High Councils or something instead (at least from what a member has told me). Anyhow we met with him and had a nice lesson. It's interesting to me, he says he is still obeying all the commandments, from Word of Wisdom to praying everyday- but had some issues with the church organization and chose just to "do his own thing instead". It blows me away how tricky satan can be in leading the hearts of people away. 

Some brighter news, however, is that we found out Matt's daughter had her baby this weekend! Which was really exciting! Matt was very happy and proud, and he said he'll let us come by this week to see the baby boy. His daughter chose a pretty great name for the boy as well- Matthew. Haha :)

Chris is continuing to do awesome, as she came to church again and even participated in the combined priesthood/relief society lesson. Goodness, it just makes me so happy to see how she is progressing so quickly in the gospel. Patrick, her son, wants to come to church a few times before he is baptized, but slept in again yesterday. I think this week Elder Tavalea and I are going to go hide alarm clocks in his bedroom so he'll have to wake up. Hehe. We'll see how that goes!

One miracle I'd like to share~ on Saturday Elder Tavalea and I were at the chapel cleaning up the English class when we saw some young boys playing footy in the car park. We just walked up and started playing with them, and then at the end got their contact details and scheduled to go visit them this week. I feel really good about them for some reason, they were just good boys- and the best part is they live right across the street from the chapel. Pray that this family is ready for the gospel! 

All-in-all, an unusual and interesting week. I really enjoy being up here in Tamworth, it strays a little bit from ordinary missionary work, which makes it enjoyable. We do have transfers coming up next week, and I honestly have no idea which way it'll go. We are also going up to Coffs Harbour this weekend which will tie it all together quite nicely. I guess next week you'll find out where I'm at! 

As for an Aussieism: "I'm puffed" or "All puffed out" is what all the Aussies say when tired after a full game of sport. I guess it makes sense, it just sounded funny to me at first!

Well, love you all heaps and hope you have a great week. Congrats again to Katie and Irving for tying the knot! What an exciting adventure they're just beginning. 

Cheers!

Elder Easton

Times in Tamworth 22

G'day everyone!

What an incredible week it has been.

Saturday was incredible- both Jacob and Chris were baptized!! It was a very spiritual day. Elder Tavalea and I did our studies in the morning, had lunch, then spent the entire day at the chapel preparing the two services. Jacob's was at 2pm- his Grandpa came up from Canberra to baptize him. It was a great turn-out, and even Jacob's non-member mom came to see it! Certainly some big miracles. Jacob really is a light to his whole family- following his baptism, he began putting the pressure on his mom and dad to get married so they can "stop breaking the law of chastity". Haha. What a great kid! 

 Following the baptism, we began setting up for Christine's. Everything went smoothly- she showed up on time, all the speakers came, it was great. Christine asked me to baptize her, which was a really big honor. I was really nervous for some reason, but as I stood in the freezing cold water (and boy was it freezing!) I said a silent prayer and suddenly felt a whole lot warmer. As I raised my arm to the square, I really focused on the words I was saying. When I got to the part "Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ", the Spirit hit me so strong. I felt so assured that I really have been commissioned of Jesus Christ Himself- this calling, this mantle we have as missionaries, as members of the church, is so real. I don't think I ever felt as sure as I did standing in that water that we really do have the Priesthood, that this really is the Restored Church. And what a tender mercy that was.

Another highlight from Chris's baptism was the musical number. All of Matt's daughters (Matt, our investigator) have beautiful singing voices, so we asked them to do a song for the baptism. We went over a few times during the week to teach them "When I am baptized", and they did an amazing job. Everyone was so touched by the little girls all singing, and they certainly felt the Spirit. The best part is that Matt came up to us after and told us that he really wants Ruby to be baptized before the end of the transfer- he can't be baptized yet, but Ruby really wants to be and he thinks it's time. How wonderful is that?!

Earlier this week we had a trade-off with the Zone Leaders so that they could interview the baptismal candidates. I was with Elder Mauigoa, an Elder from Hawaii. It was a blast! We had some good laughs and saw some awesome miracles. We really focused on "Creating Sacred Space" as President Howes says, or basically making an uplifting environment by talking about spiritual experiences and other positive things. We took some time to dwell on what we have learned and how we have grown over the course of our missions- and it was really encouraging to realize how far I've personally come! I think for myself, I've been learning a lot more about patience, faith, and seeing everyone as who they are- a child of God. I can't tell you how many times I've seen a person and judged their response to the gospel before even asking them- and nearly every time I've been surprised by their response. I think this is so true in all aspects of life- not taking the time to find out the hearts of people, of getting to know them instead of going with how they look or what others say about them- could mean all the difference. I suppose the person who said "Don't judge a book by its cover" wasn't so far off.

As for a spiritual thought~ Saturday we woke up to stormy clouds and pounding rain. I love rain. It rained all day, and all night, and it's still raining now- I just thought it was so perfect for the baptisms. That Primary song says it just right- "I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain". I thought about the rain in relation to the change and the cleansing that both Jacob and Chris have undergone. How indescribable it is to think that we really can be made clean, but how true it is. Just as dry, dead Tamworth can spring to life and become green again, so can even the most dismal of circumstances be made fresh, the most sinful of people be made clean- but it's only by the power of Christ, through the Atonement, that it is done. "He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities. The chastisement of our peace was upon him... and with his stripes,we are healed."

Lastly, an Aussieism: "on the Dole" refers to someone who is out of work, either because they truly can't find work, or they just can't be bothered. Usually it's the second. Quite often others will joke when they see someone sitting down or taking a break- "What are you, on the dole?" or "Get off the dole, get to work!". I think I even heard once, "Stop dole-in' around!".

Well, I love you all heaps! Have a great week, and enjoy that warm summer for me.

Much love,

Elder Easton

Elder Tavalea, Jacob, and I!

Elder Tavalea, Christine, and I!