Melbourne Mission Moments
I can't believe it's August! Man time
flies! We had another really busy but really good week this week!
Monday we had a few lessons during
our normal p-day time which made it a little crazy but we were still able to
get the things done that we needed to. And it was good to get a couple of
lessons in early in the week because we were out of our area a lot this week.
Tuesday we had MLC at the mission
home. Because we have to travel right through the city and there is crazy
morning traffic we had to leave at 7 am to pick up the zone leaders and head in
there. The meeting lasted all day but it was so good. I learned so much. A few
of my favourite things we talked about:
- John 2:1-11 is
Christ's first miracle when he turns water to wine. We talked about how
important the servant was in the miracle, trusting Christ enough that he
would go and fill the pots with water. We related it to us and how
sometimes when we run out of resources, we just need to turn to the
Lord in our need. We need to trust and have faith that he gives abundantly
to those who ask.
- We live in a
society of potential gods and goddesses. You have never met an ordinary
individual.
- The Savior not
only knows you but likes you.
- The what informs and the why transforms.
There was so much more that I could
talk about but there's not time. I feel so blessed to be able to serve around
so many wonderful leaders in this mission. As I looked around at the room
of about 40 missionaries, I just thought about how wonderful each of
them is and how much I respect them. And of course it was good to see the
sisters that I love so much (my previous companions--S. Ricks,
S. Stevenson, S. Hadfield, etc.) After MLC we had a meeting
with Sister Maxwell and all the STLs to plan a Sisters p-day in a couple of
weeks. By the time we finally left to go back to our area, we were right back
in peak traffic and it took us a long time to get back. We barely got back in
time for our coordination meeting with our Ward Mission Leader.
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| Such great sisters I'm privileged to serve with! |
Wednesday morning we had to leave
even earlier, about 6:30 am to drive in to go to the temple. I love the temple
so much. I am so grateful that we have a temple in our mission and that we get
to attend so frequently. I always feel an overwhelming sense of God's love in
the temple. There was a sealing that day and it was the brother of one of the members
in Mooroolbark so I got to see them which was really good! That afternoon after
we got back from the temple we had a lesson with G. The language barrier with
him is really hard. He doesn't really understand anything. He ended up dropping
us--he was too frustrated with the language. He said that he will take English
classes for a couple of months and then call us again.
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| Beautiful Melbourne temple. |
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| Me, my companion and our flatmates at the temple! |
Thursday morning we had DLC (District
Leader Council). STLs didn't used to go but we decided at MLC that we should be
at this meeting so we can better help the Sisters. It was really good. We
talked a lot about the Standards of Excellence in MLC and how the leaders need
to set the example by achieving them. In DLC we talked about it more and we are
really going to focus on helping every companionship achieve at least one
standard of excellence each week. After DLC we had a Zone Meeting. It was a
really good meeting and the spirit was strong. Sister W and I had to do a 20-minute
training on Dignity. I haven't had many opportunities to do trainings thus far
on the mission but we're having lots of opportunities as STLs and it's good
because it's really stretching me and helping me to grow. I feel like it's
helping me more than any of the other missionaries.
After Zone Meeting, we went on
24-hour exchanges with the Melton sisters. I got to work with Sister K in our
area. Sister K is from South Korea and she goes home this week. She's such a
good missionary and so cute. I loved being able to work with her. Thursday was
not the most successful because we had a lot of people that were not home or
cancelled on us. Friday morning was looking a lot the same way but then we felt
prompted to change our plans and to go contact a referral that we had received
the night before. We knocked on J's door and she invited us right in. She has a
cousin in Sydney who is a member and her best friend in the neighboring stake
is also a member whose family just recently got active. She told us that seeing
how happy her friends and family are has made her want to learn more. Her
partner H got home a few minutes later and we were able to teach them about
God's love and how to pray. H is a bit hesitant but J is all in. I'm so excited
to work with her. I KNOW she is going to get baptized.
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| Exchanges with Sister K |
After we switched back and Sister W
came back into the area we went to have a lesson with a lady called S and her
daughter J. We were able to teach them the plan of salvation and it was really
good! S asked some really good questions! We have a return appointment with
them this week and plan to set baptismal dates with both of them.
Saturday was really good. We did a
lot of finding and we were able to find a lot of potentials and a couple of new
investigators! We had a first lesson with a 20-year-old named I. He is
Ethiopian but was raised in Australia. He's a youth minister at his church and
knows his bible. But he is awesome! He's really interested and is even skipping
his church next week so that we can have a lesson with him!
Sunday morning we had ward council.
After that we used the time to do some finding. The weather was absolutely
BEAUTIFUL so we just parked the car and started to walk. We met a woman named M.
She is a mum of six and is so lovely. We have an appointment with her tomorrow
which we're really excited for. Church was really good. We had a few
investigators come which was good. After church the Elders in our ward had a
baptism and a few of the part-member families that we are working with came
which was really good!
Right after the baptism we went with
the Elders to the H home. Sister H has her grandson A living with her--he has
for quite a long time. A's mum has had cancer for a while now and she passed
away yesterday morning. When A answered the door, you could see the hurt in his
face. I wished so badly that I could just give him a big hug. Sister H gave me
a big hug and just started to sob. The spirit was really strong as we sat with
them and we all talked about the plan of salvation. A is waiting for his
mission call which should arrive any day now. As we were there, I couldn't help
but remember how right after I got my call, Grandma Baker died. I am so
grateful to have had that experience before the mission because it has made the
plan of salvation real for me. I can really teach people about it because I
have my own testimony of it. I know that it will be the same for A.
On a bit of a funny note, we forgot
to fill the car with petrol Saturday so we were on empty all day yesterday! On
the way home, we were getting down to 3Ks to empty, then 2, then 1. We got to
the petrol station that's just up the road from our house and parked the car
across the road and walked the rest of the way home. This morning we picked it
up and filled it up. Man, Heavenly Father blessed us to have barely enough!
I love this area and I love being a
missionary! Love you all heaps!
Love,
Sister Baker
P.S. - That's awesome that you're
having some success with Family History! It's fun, huh? I really want to start
having family tree nights after I get home like Elder Cook talked about in
General Conference!
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