District BLITZ

Email #29
Area: Grange area of the Firle Zone
Companion: Elder Danielsen-Jensen

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

Yeah I have been feeling a lot better for sure. No worries about that, we call president Parker since he was in the medical field before. Yeah so the stain on the shirt was because of the rain, the wax(hair gel) in my hair dripped to my shirt lol. It came out really easy so no worries I just thought it was funny.  Yeah that was just for us (McDonalds), a member dropped it by and this week a member dropped off heaps of KFC as well.

Well things have been going really well lately. I pretty much understand things now. Some days are better then others for sure, but that's okay.  This was a really slow week for us and those in the district. I came up with this district idea called a BLITZ. We did it in California when I was there, but I had to make a couple of changes to it to fit the mission rules.  It is where members of the district following district meeting will go to one area who is struggling and do finding for an hour. That way we can work together to lift each other up. Basically like a blitz in football haha. I had to get it approved by president and it is going through tomorrow! I'm pretty excited about that.  I think president really likes the idea as well! As for our investigators at the moment, L... has taken major steps back. I don't see that fire that was there anymore in her. Now with F..., we had an amazing lesson last night with him and his family. This time their daughters sat in on the lesson and we felt prompted before hand to change the lesson plan and teach Moroni 10 and testimony. His wife bared testimony and told us how supportive F... has been to her when she went through her trials. When she fell away from the church, he encouraged her to pray and helped her read. She was really emotional as she told the story and the spirit was so strong. He has read all the way through the Book of Mormon, but we found out he has never prayed about it. I feel by the next lesson we will have a set baptismal date.

My Companions visa probably will come this transfer and he will leave next transfer most likely. I am always enjoying my mission no worries about that!

Love you to Mom!!!!


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Yeah Elder Stevenson was an amazing experience no doubt! Yeah I heard about the flooding in Texas, L... gave me a call one morning all worried. She said "Elder Bryna, I am watching the news right now and it looks like there is a hurricane in America! I hope your family is safe! Where is Elder Hamilton? Is Texas close to where you guys live?" It was really cool of her to call me and worry like that. It was like 7:30 in the morning to haha. She had me worried for a second because she had some real concern in her voice.

Hmmm a detailed story... Well the first thing that comes to mind is when we were following up with formers all over our area. We have been going through our area book and visiting all the formers that stand out. Haven't got in contact with a lot of them, but there are a few that stood out. We went by a less active who's son is not a member. He told us how just the day before he asked about the purpose in life and his dad, W....., told him a little bit about the plan of salvation. Then we knocked on his door the next day and we set up a time to go see him this next week. The part of our area we went to is a good 20 min drive north from our flat, which made me realize how large our area is and as we were driving I felt a little guilty for neglecting this part of our area. We were driving past all these people walking on the beach and with their families. All these people we could be talking to, but we have not yet really found in that part of our area. It is just all so big and I never really realized how many people are under our steward ship in our area.

Another interesting story was when we went to an investigators house with a member. The member is unable to drive do to his eye sight, so his wife had to drive us there and drop us off, but she drove off before we even knocked on the door. So we knocked on the door and our investigator isn't even there. So Bro Hollow goes to call his wife to come back and we hear a phone going off in his bag.... He had his wife's phone! There we were in the middle of probably the most sketchy part of our whole area, at night, with no transport. Plus the members home is a good 15 min from where we were, so he couldn't let his wife know. So we called our good friend, Brother Gabeheart who has saved us so many times! It was a pretty funny experience because we always meet very interesting people in Port Adelaide, the suburb we were in plus we were there with this member who I'm sure had a new experience himself lol. It all worked out in the end though.

Yeah we are really trying to find more people and we do slowly. Today is going to be busy, as a mission we will be tabbing 1000 Book of Mormons! 250 as a zone today. It will take a bit, but will be cool. That's all I got for ya this week :).

Love ya heaps Dad!!!!!

KFC dinner from a wonderful member

Salvation was never easy, but it is so worth it!

Email #28
Area: Grange area of the Firle Zone
Companion: Elder Danielsen-Jensen

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

Man it feels like it has been a while haha. Yeah we had temple today so p-day is today as well. As always so much has happened since the last time I emailed, so it will be hard to cover. I didn't really hear much about the eclipse. Only that some people thought it was a sign of the end of the world or something. The baptism went pretty well, but it was an interesting one haha. L... is really really struggling at the moment, so we had to push her date. We don't know what it is exactly that is holding her back, I think it is mostly those that are around her unfortunately. Yeah it's tough, but we know that it is in the future, just don't know when.

So this past week we had the chance as a mission to experience something really rare, especially here in Australia! We were visited by Elder Gary E. Stevenson, a member of the quorum of the twelve apostles! Apparently south Australia hasn't been visited by an Apostle for ten years or something like that. The experience is hard to describe. The first day he arrived, he had a meeting only for the missionaries. Almost all the missionaries in the mission except the ones in northern territory came down for this visit! I never have shook an apostles hand until now and I don't think I have felt the power of one until now either. It was something special! He gave us direct direction in the mission and I feel it was needed at this time more then ever! The whole day was really special, as we prepared, we sang every song we new by heart together and there is real power behind all these missionaries singing together! Wish you could have seen it. Over all these past few days the greatest thing I have learned is how to better understand revelation and the spirit because I think I have felt it more abundantly then ever before!

The work at the moment is moving at a slow pace, but still is moving. There is a lot of struggle at times, but there is many miracles all the time that we see. I really wish I could tell you more. Guess it will have to wait for a time!

Love you heaps mom!

Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Life is good over here! Definitely getting better, yeah there is still trials daily, but that's okay. Something I have never forgotten is the quote "Missionary work is not an easy task because salvation is not a cheap experience." It never was easy, wasn't easy for Christ, Not for Joseph Smith. Not for any of the Saints so why should it be easy for me? I guess it is to help me greater understand what he went through. I have become more and more grateful for my trials everyday which is a strange thing to say, but it is true. This past week there has been more rain here then any other time on my mission. One day while we were biking we could see the storm coming in, but we just kept on going of coarse. We took that on because we knew we would be blessed in some way, but it was not the way I expected. The next day I got pretty sick, sick enough that it hindered the work and we ended up having to stay in the flat for a day. My companion got sick as well through the day and it made me wonder at first "is this our reward?" Well my answer came in such a loving way, a better way then I could have asked for. We of coarse had a lot of time on our hands with not much at all to do. I couldn't sleep, could barely lay down without coughing up a lung haha. So I decided to study... and study for a very long time. Just two days before we heard from an apostle of the Lord who gave us such spiritual strength! It gave me more motivation to be sure my testimony is in the right place! So I did exactly what we tell our investigators to do. I prayed and I studied. My answer came and my testimony is higher then ever! In the end I was able to completely receive my answer today in the temple. The rain keeps coming, the trails of our investigators continue to persist, but I am not discouraged. Salvation was never easy, but it is so worth it!

Some good news, F... is doing really well! Not sure how long it might take to get him there, but trust me, he will get there. L... still is struggling and we have to push her date, but she said she will pray for a date. It is kind of crazy to see an area this long. I know where everyone we are teaching has been and I can see the change in all of them. I can also see how the area has changed, all the new investigators that we didn't have before. Some I am not to sure of where they will go yet and others I have come to love like family and I want so badly for them to change and see just how amazing the gospel is. I understand them more than I did before, why it is so hard for them to change, it is all they have known. In the end though, it is up to them if they test it out or not.

Love you heaps dad!

Looks like someone got wet

Hangin' out in the flat

Looks like they are really hungry!

A visit to the temple with the district

First baptismal interview

Email #27
Area: Grange area of the Firle Zone
Companion: Elder Danielsen-Jensen

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

Man I am so excited that you were able to see him! I miss that kid a lot! I asked him to be sure to give you all a hug from me, so I am glad that he did. Hope everything he brought got to you safely and that nothing broke. Yeah I feel like he will be my favorite companion I will have on my mission, but who knows. Definitely let me know how it goes seeing him again. I really want to go and see him after my mission so keep in touch for sure. That will be cool for him and James to meet just because Colton can see how much he is like James.

So good news, I am staying! So is my companion; his visa comes in about 4 weeks, so probably will be here one more transfer. This was the first transfer I wasn't nervous for. I think I have fully accepted whatever the Lord has in store for me at this point, but yeah staying in Grange for another 6 weeks at least and still district leader of the Prospect District! So not much change at the moment, most of the district is staying. I am glad I am staying for sure, but now I know what I am in for for another 6 weeks haha. There are a couple of things that I don't really want to have to deal with or address really, but that's part of the work I guess. The week really went by fast and let me tell you, it was just full of ups and downs. The high points first:). So I gave my first baptismal interview with A.....'s grandfather and it went really well! It was interesting though because of the large language barrier, but his daughter, L..., translated a lot for me. His baptism is on the 20th, so looking forward to attending that. Another miracles this week is the fact that we are now teaching F...! His wife is a member and their kids are just so cool. He is basically a dry Mormon, but has never made the decision to be baptized because his sons have basketball on Sundays. He wants to be all in before he makes a commitment which is really good, but for ages missionaries have tried to begin the lessons with him, but never have been given the opportunity... until now! Bishop saw him on Sunday last week and felt prompted to extend a baptismal invitation to him and he said he would think about it. We followed up on that this week and he told us his concerns but accepted to begin the lessons; gave the first lesson last night! This is super exciting because we have wanted to since I got here and even before that.

D... set his own goals for himself which is a step forward as well. We want to follow up with that tonight if we can. The downs I will email a little bit to Dad, so check that if you would like haha. Over all a really good week, especially the end. Last night we had interviews with president and it probably was the best interview I have had with him. He is really able to help me overcome everything and I know he is called by God, I have no doubt about that!

Love you heaps mom


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Yeah so investigators are doing okay, some better then others. Yeah we found a new one this week, P..... He is a cool guy for sure and look forward to getting to know him better. We find investigators, but something always seems to happen it seems like with them idk why. The people here are just not open to that type of thing. It's tough, but I mean not to tough. L... has been doing really well! We taught her Tithing and at first she was drawn back on it, but she called us this morning and told us that she thinks she wants to do it. Now here is the concern.... her carer, J...., who was also her partner, said in the background "You're not giving them 10%" and was yelling at her, then she hung up. So we are super worried about that.. don't even know what to do at this point to be honest with you. She texted us that she is okay and we asked if we can go see her today. She said yes, but J.... won't be around. This is one of the downs of this week. If you have any advice let me know haha. I think he feels we are just trying to get money out of her, where of coarse we aren't. Don't really know what to do.

Love you heaps dad!

Be a leader, which is to minister in the savior's way. Bump Day

Email #26
Area: Grange area of the Firle Zone
Companion: Elder Danielsen-Jensen

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

This week has just gone by really fast and honestly didn't see to much success this week. Our current investigators are doing really well though, especially L...! She is quitting smoking really well and I think she will make it to her date, Aug 29! She is always so funny when we go over there! I love visiting her for sure! I don't know if I ever told you, but she is aboriginal and that is a different culture  I have learned a lot about the "dream time" and its pretty interesting for sure. It sounds a lot like the spirit world. We are working hard with L... these next few weeks so pray for her especially.  Everyone else is doing well, we are just struggling at he moment taking steps forward. It feels like we are stuck in a rut at the moment and it is no good haha. Idk what it is, if we need to change things up or what.

Being district leader has been pretty interesting so far. I have learned a lot of what it means to be a leader which is to minister in the savior's way. That's a text book answer but really it is a good experience being given the opportunity to help other missionaries and give council even though most of them have been out on a mission longer then I have haha. I gave my first training and I think it went well. Surprisingly the assistants came to it and I had no idea that they were going to come. I think it went really well and the good thing is that I don't get nervous about it or anything. I only get nervous slightly when I am planning for the training I am going to give because I don't have very much time to do that but when it comes to the actual training, it just flows (at least so far).

Not to much us from this week haha sorry it is a boring one. Love you heaps Mom!
-Elder Bryner


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Haha I will be honest I sort of forgot that it was my 6th month mark tomorrow. I knew it was coming up some time in the next few weeks, but I forgot about it until now haha. Wow that is a little weird though. Idk if it feels like I have been out that long. It does and doesn't at the same time. Almost as if I have been here for ages, but at the same time it feels like I just started.

This week has been a fast one, but really not much happened. Stuff happened, but not all that much exciting. We are in a rut for sure. Our focus this week is getting new investigators, we have one, A...., but his appointment feel through so don't know were he is at in progression at the moment. It's really been a struggle it seems like when finding, pretty much every single door is slammed in our face. It sucks a little bit, I'm not discouraged at all it just makes it boring to find. I am used to doors being closed in my face though that doesn't bother me none. Just really hoping to get a new investigator at some point. Many people are nice, but not many people are open to the idea of us or what we teach. We plan to change things up somehow though. We have to do at least 3 hours of knocking doors, but I am much better at street contacting for sure. We are going to be trying both the best we can.

That's really all that's going on at the moment. I'll tell you what though, my patient level has definitely increased ten fold! Sorry not any exciting stories, it was a slightly boring week compared to others.

Love you heaps Dad!
-Elder Bryner

Elder Hamilton's last day

Another rainy day

One of our investigators houses that caught on fire.