Elder Jaren Bryner A LDS Missionary Down Under in Adelaide Australia: New Companion, Stolen bike seat, Huntsman spider

Email #22
Area: Grange area of the Firle Zone
Companion: Elder Hamilton & Elder Danielsen-Jensen

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Dearest Mother,

Sorry for the late email in the week, we went to the temple today. I am really glad you got my letter! To be honest, it feels like ages ago that I wrote that though haha. I'm not quite sure if I even remember half that I wrote which is weird. Yeah I got the package! Thanks so much for that I love it! Packages and letters are the best thing to get! They really are, I always get excited when I get something! The tie is really nice and I really like the scripture on the back! Man, there is just way to much to go over in my email thought, I don't know what I should tell you because I obviously can't tell you everything that happened haha.

Well first off, I received my new companion, Elder Danielsen-Jensen (Yeah that's his last name haha). He is from Brisbane, Australia to which is good because now I will definitely improve my accent! he is visa waiting as well to go to Denmark. He is a really great missionary and we have gotten really close already! I have either lucked out with companions so far or I just haven't found the bad side of them yet. It is slightly harder to coordinate in a trio but I think I like a trio even more. We always are laughing it seems like!

There is just so many funny stories this week it is ridiculous. First off, Elder Hamilton's bike seat got stolen so he had to ride standing up for ages... that was just the funniest thing ever! Then they replaced his seat and the new seat was crooked... then he got a flat tire yesterday as well. This seems all bad but it really was just really funny to us. Also earlier this week I received not the best of surprises. We walk into the flat and Elder Hamilton says "Oh... Elder Bryner isn't going to like this" and then he turns on the light and there is this huge huntsman spider on the wall! So we took the salt gun that we have and shot that thing 5 times... but wait there is more. That next day, Elder Danielsen-Jensen was joking that there was probably another one under this self we have, so he lifted the shelf and sure enough, there was a red back spider! Pretty good sized one to. Luckily we have that gun. I'm pretty sure I am getting over my fear of spiders because I was the one that had to pick the huntsmen up and throw it away. Don't worry, I have pics and I think a video as well. As for the work over here, we are in a bit of a struggle at the moment. We have had so much potential in the area, just nothing is quite following through just yet. We just need to build up the teaching pool and keep working at it. We aren't discouraged at all though, we have seen much improvement as well. We did a 24 hour fast with D... this week for him to keep striving to progress. He did really well! I think is making a real effort to move forward, just satin has made it tough for him. Keep him in your prayers for me. Well that's all i have for you until Monday. read dads to it adds on.

Love you heaps Mom!
-Elder Bryner

Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Yeah this week has been a long one for me as well haha. Training is really really good. It's a little nerve racking for me, but Elder Hamilton is still here. I am more nervous for when he leaves. Yeah so the GPS I have works really well.

So this week as I told mom has been just so long and so much has happened I can't possibly tell you everything, but I really want to. Well along with the experiences I have told mom, here are a few more. First, when we were driving to the mission office to pick up our new companion, the assistants give us a call.. they say that Elder Danielsen-Jensen has received his visa and we won't be training, but we can still come to the arrives dinner. We got all disappointed and I was all excited to be training and I was wondering what the heck is going to happen then when Elder Hamilton leaves. Anyway, when we get there the new missionaries start coming in and I recognized one of the new elders. Yep, the Assistants pranked us! Haha no worries though, we are going to get them back somehow. I don't know how though lol. They're the assistants... might be hard haha. Well I guess this the season for pranks, because I got Elder Hamilton real good to. He is already super jumpy bare in mind. So it's a early morning, all of us are super tired. Elder Hamilton is showering, and he thinks I am in the other shower, but I'm not. I am hiding:) he opens the door to his closet and.... yeah you are going to have to watch the video.

As for our investigators, still a struggle. M...... has been struggling to hold appointments for a while, but we invited him out to come play ball with us so we will see. T.... supposedly is almost done with my scriptures so stay tuned. We have had to drop a few investigators unfortunately. so we are trying to build our teaching pool at the moment. There are many that have strong potential that we are still teaching, it is just not to much progression forward at this point in time. We know the time will come though where it all comes together. Well will have to save some for Monday in a few days.

Love ya heaps pops!
-Elder Bryner

Elder Bryner & Elder Hamilton picking up new companion

Elder Hamilton, Elder Bryner and Elder Danielsen-Jensen will be serving in a trio Until Elder Hamilton completes his mission in a few days and returns home.