After so many trials, God always seems to lift us back up.

Email #63
Area: Mildura South Pickers of the Marion Zone
Companion: Elder Fala & Elder Siaosi

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

Well this week was full of cool little miracles! One was with a less active named V....... On Thursday Elder Siaosi was not feeling well and was sick in bed all morning. For some reason or another he got up and wanted to go out even though he still felt sick. So we took it slow and went on some visits and one of the people we visited was V....... When he answered the door, he just sighed and said "come in..". So we got to talking and asked him about his membership in the church. He in short told us of his experience he had with the Bishop and Stake President where his son couldn't serve a mission. This offended him quite a bit and he said that was the last time him or his family have ever gone to church. What happened next was a really cool experience.. it was one of those times where I didn't really know what to say, but words just came to me through the spirit. We extended the invitation boldly to come back to church. The next day, the Stake President and Bishop were doing visits for Ward Conference and they so happened to go and see V...... and his family the day after we did. V...... told them of what just happened the day before and felt that this was a call back from the savior. Well, he accepted and him and his family came to ward conference just yesterday, their first time back in more then 3 years. We are hoping to go visit them and see if they received the answer they have been asking for.

Another great miracle was the opportunity to once again teach our investigator T..., who we have not seen for quite some time! We taught him the Plan of Salvation and extended an invitation to be baptized. With tears in his eyes, he accepted the invitation for the 26 of May! We have been trying by T... so much because we know that he has such strong potential and such a love for his children that he wants to be an example to them and live with them again one day. After many many times of stopping by and him being on call for work, we have finally found a way. With his current roommates who don't like religion, we have to do the lessons somewhere else. T... walked 30 min to the Chapel, so that we may have a lesson with him. Pray for him, the adversary is trying really hard with this one! As I write he just texted us as well that he wants to have another lesson today at 1:30!

There are even more miracles that have happened, but I will have to save a few for Dad. It is weeks like this that show me how great this work is. After so many trials, God always seems to lift us back up.

Love you mom!


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

To continue with the miracles:

Do you remember me mentioning a while back a women named L...? We found her back when I was in Berri and taught her for a long time. When we found her, she was with 5 others from Solomon Islands as well. She stood our from the rest and even after a crazy move, we still were able to continue teaching her. In the last lesson I had with her, we again extended the invitation for baptism, and at this point in time she finally understood what it meant to be baptized. I was really sad to not be able to go back to Berri to see her, but over the past transfer, the Elders there kept me updated on how well she was doing! She came to church every week! She quite all of these bad habits she developed growing up! She came to know her Savior and she has now entered into a covenant with her father in Heaven! Hearing of her baptism brought me so much joy and I was even blessed to be able to congratulate her over the phone! She is such a good person with a kind heart!

We attended a multicultural event this past week that had people from Fiji, Africa, even islands off of Madagascar and many more that I have never heard of before! We helped them set up this huge event and helped them take down as well. During the time of our service, we were able to get to know many of these soft heart people from many backgrounds. Even were able to share with them about our faith and what it is that we do! We arranged for the sisters to go and share more with the supervisor who is a christian from one of those islands I was talking about. As well our senior couple are going to go and see the head manager to discuss more as well.

The most recent miracle was just last night! Also was one of the most nerve racking. We were invited to what is called a lotu which is pretty much a devotional. With more then 200 pickers in attendance, Elder Fala shared a message in Samoan and I taught in a mixed English and Samoan. It was a really great experience and we were able to help them understand our purpose. Most of them have seen missionaries back at home but sometimes don't see us as teachers just missionaries. (it is hard to explain haha). Now they have felt of the spirit and even have received the invitation to learn more. Hopefully this speeds the work up with the pickers! My experience with it was pretty funny. We were sitting in the very front with the leaders and my back was turned from the rest of the room. I did not realize how many people were there until I stood up and faced the people.. Found out after just how many there were. Normally I would have been pretty nervous for something like that, but I didn't feel any nerves actually until afterward haha. I guess just another small tender mercy for me.

Love you heaps!

Leadership meeting over Skype

Service with multicultures

Lucy's Baptism from Berri

Teaching 200+ pickers

Alma 26:12 has rang so true to me. They were Ammon's words, but they I feel are now mine.

Email #62
Area: Mildura South Pickers of the Marion Zone
Companion: Elder Fala & Elder Siaosi

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

Well for transfers a lot changed, but they were good changes! For starters, I am still in Mildura, zone leader, with the same companions. So not much there changed for me, but a lot changed in the zone in other areas. Have a new zone leader who was the district leader here last transfer. I recommended him to the assistance because he is a good leader and I just had a feeling he would be the zone leader here this transfer. I am happy with the new assignments and I can tell that this transfer is going to be even better then the last. Also some other crazy news that we found out last night. This mission is now a smart phone mission! This is a huge blessing for this mission, because it is just so large and the referral system just doesn't go smooth. There is just so much need for it here it is crazy and president has been trying to get them here at least for the zone leaders for a very long time!! As you know, he gets things done! Now the mission is receiving them. We get them very soon.

Well, with the new transfer it feels really weird. Time is just going to fast.... this is number 11. Holy cow! To fast and I know it is just going to get quicker. The area here is doing okay we are just having a hard time figuring things out with the pickers at the moment. The supervisor for the Samoans currently won't let us teach one on one or even use the Book of Mormon, so that has put a halt on things a little bit. However, Sis Pioch (who is at the head) said there will be a new supervisor there coming in hopefully soon who is totally cool with us. In fact, she thinks he is going to be one of the first to be baptized! Don't know yet when he is coming, but we are hoping for it!

No their is no tribe just a group of them, but they do have leaders. Yeah a lot of them come to church, it just varies because they come in groups. One group has two members who bring two of our investigators, two other groups of 5, and then the big group of 20 soon to be 40 pickers. Even more are coming at some point to work with, but the big 20 is the one with the tough supervisor who is seven day.
There was a day this week where I noticed something very cool. We came across a man this week who told us that he has looked into the church before and had a lot of questions that he asked the members. He has gone to heaps of different churches and just felt none of them are right. So he just worships at home with his family as he wants. Anyway, he said he had a lot of questions that when they were answered, he just had more questions. So I just said "well maybe give us a try and maybe we can answer them". I can say that yes, I can see who he could have been so confused with all his questions. A powerful thing that happened however was just before this encounter, my companions and I searched to have the spirit more fully. Made sure there was love strong in the companionship and that we had the spirit. With that spirit in the companionship, within 15 min we answered all of his questions and he wants to learn more. Alma 26:12 has rang so true to me. They were Ammon's words, but they I feel are now mine.

Love you mom and have a good week!


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Yeah we have had heaps of project of our own lately. We helped a member count and sort through thousands of bottles and cans. Here when they turn them in got around $2000.00 for it all! Basically his family every night will just go to the park and pick up all the bottles and cans and things and collect them. They collected at least 20,000 of them in two week! Big family though haha. It is just something they just started doing. They feed us all the time, so we thought we would help them with the big job! We call the dad Kiwi and the mom mama Vave. They are a great family! Kiwi was the branch president a few years ago, but now he has gotten very sick and can't move around very much. Idk what it is, idk if they do either, but he has been in bed a long time so we try to see them when we can.

We have another project coming up to renovate our flat. This flat has been around for missionaries since like 2004 or something and their is some wear and tear. So our wonderful senior couple arranged for it to get fixed up. The project for us is to move everything out of the flat so they can do it... idk when it will be, but it will be one big service project in itself.

This transfer was pretty crazy! The other zone leader last transfer was dropped because his companionship has not been doing the greatest things. So now there are some changes in the zone and I can tell it is going to be a lot better. It has honestly been a struggle for obedience and actually doing the work in the zone for some missionaries hence the changes. They know why and it is getting taken care of, I'm just glad I have a zone leader by my side now that is willing to help and wants to do the work right.

This is Presidents last transfer! It makes me really sad to be honest. He will be here next transfer for a little bit, but not very long.  It will be really weird to have a new one to be honest. Who knows what the future holds though!

Well love you heaps, thanks for the updates at home I really like them:)

Celebrating Elder Bryner's birthday and the elder to his right.

Service project

They are always playing pranks on each other

Bearing my testimony, praying, and teaching a few principles in Samoan

Email #61
Area: Mildura South Pickers of the Marion Zone
Companion: Elder Fala & Elder Siaosi

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Yeah crazy about my birthday. Don't feel like that much time has passed at all! Yeah I got the package last Monday actually! Thank you so much for that! The ties and everything are awesome! I'm trying not to eat candy and stuff like that so I gave most of that to my companions, but they loved it so it is all good:) I had just a little bit haha.

You know, even with all of the challenges, I am really loving to serve! I have said it before, but for some reason or another it just feels like it is where I am supposed to be and what I am supposed to do. The gospel continues to just make more and more sense to me and my understanding of it increases daily. Of coarse the hardest part of the process is then applying what you have learned and I know I am not perfect, but that has been a huge blessing to me. I never thought a simple concept like obedience (especially with even the little things) would make such a difference to everything! It is hard, yes. Knocking doors EVERYDAY for 3 hours per day and being rejected door to door is not the easiest thing in the world, but there is nothing I would rather be doing right now in my life then this.

This week was pretty interesting! A great highlight was the sports night on Saturday night! I will send you pics of this. There was about 25 pickers there and even got to ball with them in basketball haha. Then the best part at the end was sharing with them about the gospel. To be honest I don't really know all that was said, but the spirit was there. It was cool to see all of them sitting around us listening so closely. Bearing my testimony, praying, and teaching a few principles in Samoan has become a lot easier. I need to work on my prayers so they are not so basic, but that's okay.

We as well last night went to a members home for dinner and we sang hymns almost the whole time! The best part is singing in Samoan, I have loved doing that! It is hard, but they all sing really loud so not to difficult.

Well love you heaps Mom! Have a good week!


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Man I really love reading emails to be honest! It always gives me a good lift up. I am really curious what the heck you are talking about with the changes with home, but I guess I am learning patience with that one haha.

Yeah there are a lot of interesting foods that Samoans eat here. A few to mention would be: Fish head, taro, sapasui, and KFC. I swear my companions have eaten that for breakfast, lunch, and dinner many times! I won't, I refuse to haha! I will not really eat fast food anymore because there is just KFC, McDonald, and Hungry Jakes. That's all. I cook Mexican when I can at home. I've lost about 6 kgs in the past few weeks. I'm at 78 currently, but when I got here I was at 85.

Something really cool actually about that is D......, our master chief, is having us over for dinner tomorrow!! So pumped for that because he cooks semi healthy haha. Their family is really awesome! I'm not sure how far they might go, I hope baptism and onward of course, but who knows. They still haven't come to church so maybe next week. The lesson tomorrow we are doing something called the Cupsteration. It is basically using cups to explain the restoration of the gospel in a way kids could understand it. It is really good actually, we made cups for it a while ago with pictures and stuff.

We got some exciting news from our investigator T... yesterday! He is finally off work! We stopped by off a prompting to see him and see if we could catch him and he was there. The bad news is when we walked around the back he had a beer in his hand... You could tell that his heart sank when we saw him. He just moved out of his home where his kids live because his ex partner and him aren't married, but he wants to be baptized. In order to pay for his new rent, he has to work a lot. However those he moved in with are a bad influence on him "making him" drink beer to celebrate finishing work. It is confusing, but we have an appointment tonight to set expectations and help him out.

Much ups and downs for sure. With the new transfer coming, I hope things pick up and there are some changes as well. We'll see I guess, but I know whatever happens I will go and do what the Lord commands:).

Love you heaps! Message me! :)

I loved conference! Finishing the Book of Mormon now for the second time

Email #60
Area: Mildura South Pickers of the Marion Zone
Companion: Elder Fala & Elder Siaosi

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

Yeah the weather here has been nice lately not to hot except directly in the sun. Mildura's weather is mostly really nice. This week there were a few meeting that I was on over Skype plus general conference. So what happened with that was I watched the Saturday Sessions on Friday because I went on trade offs up in Broken Hill on Saturday and they don't have the meetings shown up there for some reason. Then I watched the Sunday Session as usual. I loved conference! It is so weird how the messages they share always apply directly to you even though they are speaking to the whole world. It is considered scripture, so it is no wonder that it works that way! I received a lot of answers that I have badly needed lately.

The Broken Hill trip was a good highlight of the week. Broken Hill is about 3 hours away like I said before and the work up there is booming. This trip we taught two children up there that are awesome kids. It is always really fun to teach children because then seem to understand a lot more.

The work here in Mildura has been challenging for this past week. One of our investigators came to church which was awesome, but the rest of them haven't been coming:(. It's been difficult to teach any of them, so we have been trying to find others as well. The good news is that another 20 Samoans just arrived and all came to church! It was the first time that we met any of them and we are trying to set up to go visit them probably tomorrow night! There should as well be heaps more coming in the coming week or two!

I think more then anything through this past week I have learned a lot about caring for ones companion. There to be honest has been a good deal of contention on and off for the smallest reasons. However, I have seen the need there is to show greater love and greater respect toward one another. These past two transfers although being the hardest of my mission, I have learned the most and have been blessed the most with so many things! Finishing the Book of Mormon now for the second time on my mission has opened my eyes to a lot of revelation. I am now back to 2 Nephi and I have loved every page! I'm beginning to love to be obedient more and more. I have felt the need to repent even for the small things. I have grown closer to God more then ever in my life. The Book of Mormon is true!

Love you mom and have a good week!


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Man this week has been crazy!  Well real quick I will tell you about the three investigators that are doing really well. They are a family who is so great! The father, D..... is a chief and he seems to always give us food of some sort that is so good! Last time he gave us a marinated kangaroos stakes! They have had missionaries in the past, but I am not sure what the missionaries were doing because they don't know much about the gospel haha. So we have been using many gospel messages to help the kids understand the teachings and last time we taught the Plan of Salvation. As we watched the video, the mother and kids began to cry! We continued to teach them the lesson and you can tell that is so important to them. The one concern with them is that the parents have been baptized in another church, but they want the kids to be baptized. Not sure if they fully understand the restoration or priesthood yet, so we are going back over that tonight. I love teaching people like this! So receptive!

Love you!

President Parker being called as an area 70

Email #59
Area: Mildura South Pickers of the Marion Zone
Companion: Elder Fala & Elder Siaosi

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

This week had some exciting days and some really slow days haha. I have really grown to love the culture here! I even sing a lot more with them and have a lot of fun with that. There is a lot of exciting things going on in the mission including President Parker being called as an area 70! Yeah that is super exciting. It kind of was on the down low for a little bit, not even the assistants knew where the Parkers were going just knew they were going to be gone for a bit. We heard about it yesterday and were super excited! That is not a common thing to have your mission president called as a 70 while he is still out. He is a very hard working man, probably one of the most dedicated man to the work I have ever met! I knew he was going to be called sometime, but I didn't think it would be so soon. Pretty crazy for sure.

On Friday and Saturday we had our sports nights and FHE with the pickers! The turn out was awesome! There was more non-members there then there was members! Over 25 non-members including the sisters investigator and our other ones as well! This is the first time in my mission where we have had so many investigators and so many of them being taught at one time! The cool part is that we found out yesterday that more Samoan pickers have arrived, but we don't know where they are at yet. So far all of them that we have come by have been willing to learn. Tongans are a little different story for sure haha. The Tongan elders have had a harder time with them and they have hundreds to work with at the moment. There are two of the pickers we are working with that hold the strongest potential. With the other ones there is one who is priest of another church and he has been a little harder to go around. He even got 10 of them drunk over Easter, but then 5 of them refused to and came to Easter with us at a members house here in Mildura. That really was a good indicator  that they were really prepared to be able to refuse like that.

We got in contact with another one of our investigators named T... finally who is pretty much set for baptism. He moved out of his ex partners house so he could be baptized even though his kids live there. He still sees them as much as he can for sure. To be able to afford the flat he is staying in though, he has to work heaps! We never see him he is so busy so that has been hard. Still working things our and it might take a little longer to teach him all the lessons then we had hoped but still the time will come where he will be ready.

Love yous! Have a good week!


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

To continue from Mom's email, I have really loved the culture here. What's crazy is that I have become accustomed to it! There is this drink called Coco Samoa that when I first had it I though it tasted kind of bad. Now it is honestly my favorite! It is basically like a weird Samoan hot chocolate, but it doesn't taste like chocolate at all. It is mad straight from the coco bean. Samoan food is now my favorite as well! Man I am going to miss it when I go...

This past Sunday was as you know fast and testimony meeting. Normally now I am not nervous even a little bit public speaking because I do it all the time. However this time was a little different.. I decided to bare my testimony in Samoan and English for the first time in front of so many. There was a lot of non members there for the Easter sunday so I thought I would do it for them so they may understand as well. They told me I did really well so I hope I didn't mess up on any words haha.

Well that was basically my week haha. I am having a harder time finding things to tell you about as time goes forward. I feel like I repeat things sometimes so getting harder. Sorry for that.

Love you heaps!!!