Elder Jaren Bryner A LDS Missionary Down Under in Adelaide Australia: #MiraclesNeverCease, Baby just sat there almost in ah looking at me

Email #48
Area: Murray Bridge of the Marion Zone
Companion: Elder Siosi

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

That is funny how you saw the elders because the ones in our stake emailed me about sending them a referral haha. Thinking about doing the same thing for the missionaries that are out from the ward I am in. Yeah for some reason animals have that sense a lot especially if the feeling is familiar. I have noticed that mostly happens when it comes to members dogs. Idk if it is because they recognize the feeling because it reminds them of their owners or something. Interesting though. We had an interesting experience with one of our investigators babies yesterday when we were teaching them the restoration. The baby was fussy up until we got to the part of the first vision when I recited Joseph Smith's account of it to them, the baby just sat there almost in ah looking at me. Kind of funny and V.... noticed it as well. That is when L... asked questions about children and we were able to explain a lot that she has had questions for for a long time. Yeah I have learned a lot of stuff like the things you and James are talking about. The sisters are doing a lot better haha I think they are in high spirits now. They got a new investigator this week from a referral we sent them so that was good. The area here can be a hard one, but at the moment things are going well with plenty for us to do.

Elder Siaosi and I doing really great honestly. I thought it was going to be really hard with having to teach him English all the time and wasn't sure if we would get along just him and I, but the truth of it is we get along great. I think I have learned a lot about genuine care for your companion. I definitely have had to go out of my way to be positive with him all the time which has been really good! I feel responsible for him to have a good first experience because the beginning of a mission is hard enough, but he has to learn an entire language as well. I just want to be sure that he has a positive experience for the beginning of his mission. It has brought a large change in me as well I have noticed. I'm happier, more excited in the work (especially finding), and just continue to change everyday. The beauty of the Atonement!

We have had a lot of great experiences this week! In the zone we broke the record for the highest amont of new investigators in a week ever in the Marion Zone! Half came from our district! Smashing it eh? Really though the Lord is blessing us so much right now and the work is hastening! Members this week are going to be a huge focus because we have set up a game plan with our ward mission leader so looking forward to that!

One great experience that we had this week was a lesson we had with our new investigators S.... and S........ They are both from india and have no background in religion at all. They had no idea who God is, have barely heard of Jesus Christ, and all if it is a foriegn concept to them. Having had taugh many Indian people in Grange, I had an idea of how to approach it, but they were from a different part than anyone I have ever taught so they never heard of any of this. Anyways so we sat down with them and started teaching and figured out that S.... doesn't even speak any english, so his wife translated for us. Normally when you teach people that never have heard about God you just teach Godhead and Prayer first lesson, but I was prompted to jump to the First Vision. We could see as we taught that S.......'s face lit up with a huge smile. She asked if it is really possible for her to know God is there. We left them with the promised blessing that if they pray, God will answer them. The spirit was very strong and such a great experience!

Love you Mom and have a good week!!!!

Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

How's it going over there in the land of promise? Work still tough? Hope it is getting better.... Pray for you every day that it will get better!

Well this week has been really a good one! This upcoming week should be exciting too! I am headed up to Mt Gambier with the zone leaders for a trade off with elders there. It is about 5 hours away, but it is suppose to be beautiful. Still figuring out details with them, but I won't be driving luckily haha. Should be a good trip.

Man it is getting hotter and hotter here sometimes! The weather is crazy! One day it is raining and the next it is 40 degrees.

It was good to have a full week to work! I think I have Murray Bridge down now since it is so small haha. I know where I am going where it took me a lot longer to figure thinks out in grange. Speaking of, I found out a miracle that happened! So back in Grange we had an investigator from a part member family named C..... So C.... didn't want to be baptized yet, since he had never felt it was right for him. Anyway so we had EFY coming up at the time we were teaching him and we talked him into going to it. He was good friends with the youth in the ward. So guess what! We got a text yesterday about a miracle in the Grange area!:

"At church today, we met with C.... ... who went to FSY and he came back a changed person. He approached us with the young men president and told us that he wanted to be baptized next month. We set a return appointment for this week! #miraclesnevercease" -Grange Elders

That was really cool to see! I guess he had an experience at FSY! I am so glad to here that because I went back through my journal where I wrote about why we told him to go to FSY. It was a random invitation based off a very fast prompting and he originally rejected it. Well I see now it does take time for miracles to happen after a seed is planted, but still worth the wait!!

I love this work more and more everyday. Sure we do hard things but I can't explain the love I have for it now!

Love you heaps Dad!!!!