Hello Again!

Another hot and sweaty week has passed by here in Sydney. Everything is going great- the work is really starting to pick up. We've got a lot of potentials to work with, but right now our only progressing investigator is Jim Nichol. He's come to church twice now, which is awesome! And we're meeting with himtonight for Family Home Evening. His newlywed wife, Nestine, was baptised in the Phillipines and went less-active, but now wants to come back and get her husband baptised too. So we're really excited about them!! 

I feel like I've had a Korean wake-up call this week. I have been pretty discouraged and unmotivated to study.. I had just had a really unproductive Korean study, and Elder Bettridge and I were walking to the car to go to an appointment. Out of nowhere (or so it seemed) this Korean man popped out and I was able to talk to him and get his details, which was a huge miracle. We then drove to our appointment, and when we got out of the car I heard 3 Korean guys talking as they got into the car next to us- another huge miracle! So I was able to talk to them and use some Korean twice in like 15 minutes, which doesn't happen very often. It was a good reminder to me that I still need to keep at it, because I never know when it'll come in handy. 

Speaking of Koreans, I had a little adventure this week. We went to Strathfield for finding (the really good Korean area), and I sat on the bus stop next to two old Korean women and began reading the Book of Mormon in Korean. Of course, they noticed, and were really excited that a white guy was trying to learn their language. They started gabbing at me in old-woman Korean, and before I knew it they were inviting us to come get some Korean food with them. I dragged Elder Bettridge along and we started following them, only they then led us into this van chuck-full of Korean elderly. I asked them where we were going and they said just around the corner, so I figured what could be the harm? and we got on and left with them. Well anyways it turns out it was NOT just around the corner, and soon I was very confused where we were and where we were going. The only thing I could do, of course, was to keep following them. Well when we got out they told us we were going to their church to hear a sermon and then they'd provide some Korean food.. I thought we might as well, it'd be good Korean practice and I could meet more people. When we started walking in this suuuper old Korean woman (a different one than who we were with) saw us and began screaming and spitting at us, but I had no idea what she was saying. Probably a good thing. We went into the church and met their lady-pastor, who thankfully could speak a little English. I asked if we could sit and listen to the meeting and she said of course, and then asked us what kind of missionaries we were. When I told her we were Mormons, her face went pale and she started freaking out. To make a long story short all these Korean women came up and started cursing us, and we ended up being kicked out of the church. No big deal, right? We're pretty used to rejection.. only the problem was now that I had no clue where we were! It turns out we had been taken over the border into Armageddon, aka the South Mission. We had to call up President and arrange for someone to get us out of there really quickly.. and of course I got a swift talking to. Haha. You know the lesson they told me to take from this experience? To not get on buses or vans that are going somewhere I don't know... haha. Sound advice, I suppose.

One other funny thing happened this week- I was on exchanges with another Elder, and we had to take their car in really early to get serviced at the Toyota Dealership. We had to do our studies there, and when it got time for companion study, we did everything- from singing an opening song to praying together to recitations. We got some pretty funny looks, but we were able to brave through and do it all! 

As for the food I've had this week, I had to face a lasagna again, and I managed to gulp it down. Heavenly Father truly works miracles. I also tried a "Kransky", some sort of Australia-fied German sausage. It was pretty good!

Now the Aussieism of this week took me forever to uncover the meaning. Whenever I do something for Elder Bettridge, he always says "Ta" and I never understood... I finally asked him and it turns out it is another word for "Thanks" that the Aussies use. No where the heck'd they get that?

As for the Spiritual thought, I'd like to invite you all to read 3 Nephi 18 sometime this week. It's about when Christ is in the Americas and establishes the sacrament. I've really been trying to improve my sacrament meetings, to make them more meaningful to me, and reading this while taking the sacrament really helped. Just a thought. 

Well, love you all HEAPS and have a great week in the freezing weather- I'll try not to sweat too much!

Cheers,

Elder Easton 

p.s. the picture: Me in the South Mission! Oh No!!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! Hope everyone's started the year with a bang. 2014 has been great so far down here in Sydney- we've had some scorching days so far, but thankfully today's been overcast and a little cooler.

So some info about my new companion: His name is Elder Bettridge, he's 21 and from Adelaide. He's been out just a few more weeks than I have, so he just barely hit his 6 month mark. Previously he was in the Charlestown area up in Newcastle, but now he's here with me! He did a welding and metal working apprenticeship and then decided to come out on his mission... and here we are! He's really great with the members and we're going to smash it out in Summer Hill! I'm excited for this transfer.

So yeah my New Years was pretty boring... we had to be in the flat by8:00pm, and then lights out by10:30. So no, I didn't get to see the fireworks or anything, but I did have a very nice sleep. You'd be proud of me though (dad especially)- my first dinner for 2014 was a whole fish, and the member that fed it to me made me eat ALL the parts of it- including eyes! So I guess I can finally say I've joined the ranks with Anna F. by eating those nasty little things.

I had my first exchange this week with an Elder from Tonga, Elder Uasila'a. He's incredible- he has 8 brothers and 4 sisters, every single one has served a mission and is married in the temple, and his parents are currently Tongan temple president/matron. Pretty strong background. Anyways we went finding at a park and he told me something I really like- He used to watch American movies for English Practice and remembers watching Batman. At the very beginning he said that Batman's dad tells Batman this little piece of advice: "Don't be afraid". Whenever he goes finding, he says, he just remembers that- "Don't be afraid". That's all it takes. With that in mind, him and I had one of the best finding times yet on my mission! We talked to literally EVERYONE we could find and placed about 6 Book of Mormons, it was awesome. I even ran into a Korean, his name is Sang Hoon. I'm really excited to meet up with him, we're teaching him this week so wish me luck! I need all the prayers I can get to try to teach in Korean without Elder Han... haha.

Speaking of Investigators, right now we still have Romario, Graham and Letitia. Romario was in the hospital last week with some complications, but is out again so we're stopping by this week. Graham is still good, we're seeing him tomorrow which will be nice because he's been a bit dodgy as of late. As for Letitia, she has "been super busy" which makes me worried she's giving us the slip... but we'll keep trying! Thank you all for your concern and prayers for them. I love working with all these wonderful people and I'm so glad I've got your support too :)

Elder Bettridge took me tracting this past week. We were seeing no success, until finally this man started talking to us. He was born again Christian and wasn't interested, but we did have a good conversation on religion with him. I got a prompting halfway through to give him a Book of Mormon- unfortunately all I had was my own set, the scriptures I've had and marked since I was 8. I immediately cancelled the idea in my head to offer that book but then I thought came into my mind. I realized that if giving up my own Book of Mormon- even if it had all my markings, insights, and personal thoughts in them- meant the difference between this man joining the church and not making it to eternal salvation, it would be a pretty easy sacrifice. Still perhaps a bit grudgingly, I offered my own Book of Mormon to him. Suddenly Elder Bettridge said, "don't give him your own, I've got one here" and pulled out a fresh Book of Mormon to give the man instead. I was really grateful in my heart, to be quite honest, and I realized something. Because I put my faith in Heavenly Father and chose to give up my own copy, He really did send me a tender mercy and let me keep my own. I know it doesn't always work out that way but it's still a testimony to me that had I not put my faith into action and been willing to give the man my own Book of Mormon, he may not have gotten one at all.

Aussieism of the week: Okay so since I've moved in with a genuine Aussie, I've picked up on dozens of more Aussie quirks and sayings. Hopefully I'll be able to spread them out over the next few weeks, but here's one that really had me confused for a while- instead of saying "bought" they'll often say "brought". Example: "Hey Elders! I just brought you some biscuits!". That one doesn't sound too strange. But then they also say it in contexts like this- "Yeah he crashed his car, and he had just brought it". The first one I understood but the second I just don't get.. At first I thought it was maybe a lisp or something Elder Bettridge had but then I started hearing heaps of others say it too! very weird.

Well I hope you all have a great week! Don't forget to set your New Years resolutions- mine this year: "Don't get any fatter". 

Love you heaps,

Elder Easton

Pictures so far from the mission