Elder Jaren Bryner A LDS Missionary Down Under in Adelaide Australia: "Just so you know, you aren't going to convert me."

Email #55
Area: Mildura South of the Marion Zone
Companion: Elder Fala

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

Yet another crazy week here in Mildura! Things have been slowing down a bit with the driving which is really good. We had to make a trip to Adelaide to drop Elder Mose off. He made it home the next morning before we were even up. We stayed in Adelaide for a day and then the next morning we drove back up to Berri. We have been spending good amount of time an Berri and it has paid off for sure. We now cover both Mildura South and Berri areas until transfers next week. That is pretty much what we have been doing the last couple of weeks though, so used to bouncing back and forth.

There was another miracle over here! We witnessed the baptism of our friend Sam who we have been teaching in Berri for the whole transfer. The cool thing is that Elder Fala, my companion, was the one who originally found her back in November. I guess the missionaries in Berri took some time to follow up with her and get teaching her. Once I started going into Berri at the beginning of the transfer we were able to catch up with her and start teaching her. Elder Fala has even been able to come a few times with us to teach her which he thought he wasn't going to be able to do since he has been in Mildura. Teaching same has been both a privilege and a learning experience. She has been so prepared by the Lord! Thing just seemed to click with her even though she comes from a background of no belief in her life. She expressed just how this little voice in her heart keeps telling her to keep going. When Elder Fala first found her she said, "just so you know, you aren't going to convert me", but she was curious to hear our message. That's how it works a lot of the time. When people first let us in, I don't think they expect to here the beautiful message of the gospel. She has been welcomed into the branch in Berri with loving arms. The branch is pretty cool and is different from things I have experienced. Chapel is literally this house that has been changed up to be kind of like a chapel. I think it gives it a family feel to it.

Sam's baptism was a great highlight of the week! She was baptized in the Murray River that passes through Berri! The seen looks a lot like I would imagine the saviors baptism was like. The spirit felt was something I couldn't even describe, but I will hold this memory close for the rest of my life! I am so grateful how the Lord has blessed us here and continues to bless us as we move forward!

Love you heaps mom! Have a good week!

Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Dang this week we have been so blessed! The zone is just taking off. We had another two baptisms this last weekend and one of them came from us. Guess I did luck out to go to Berri. The experience I shared with Mom has really shown me that everything happens for a reason. Even though Elder Touma having to go home Elder Maliuwas unfortunate, it open the gate for other miracles to occur. It has also shown me that the Lord places us where we are needed it we listen. When I found out I was going to be going back and forth between Berri and Mildura, I was honestly not to excited. Now that I have followed the counsel though, we have seen the blessings from it.

Finally I have been able to go finding! We have been able to still find the time to knock doors finally! Missed that oddly! Finding out in the River land is a little difficult, but when you find someone, they are usually prepared as! The pickeries have been going slow as well do to a shift. All the old Samoan pickers have just gone home this past week and now there are new ones coming in. We were sad to see a lot of them go, but we referred them now to the missionaries in Samoa so the work continues!

Driving down to Adelaide was good, but sad to see Elder Mose go. He helped me a lot to learn to be a zone leader! It is weird to be a single zone leader at the moment, but hopefully it is only for another week. Transfer planning is this week and transfer day is next Monday... Time flies! Another transfer gone by and it is just going quicker and quicker!

Love you dad! Have a good week!