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!!