Trip to Mt Gambier, couple little miracles

Email #75
Area: Murray Bridge
Companion: Elder Hirro

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

Yeah I am loving it here again! It is a difficult area, but still a good one you just have to work hard. We have a big teaching pool at the moment, but not many progressing.

We traveled down to Mt Gambier this week which was really awesome! We went there with the stake presidency for a few days so that was nice that I didn't need to drive! It was good to be back there since it has been so long and I have only visited there once. They took really good care of us too when we got down there. Soon as we arrived we got a nice dinner and then went straight to teaching and following up. About half way there we stopped in another small town about an hour and half outside of Mt Gambier. While we were there we visited a member referral and they were really good! We went on splits with the stake presidency, so we also got a lot done. Visited a lot of people while we were down there. It was so successful that we want to go there again this week, but we are trying to coordinate with the assistants what we should do because we want to go down longer, but zone conference is next Tuesday and will complicate things.

While we were down there we also followed up with these former investigators that I met 6 months ago down there. They haven't been visited since missionaries left there, but they have been doing awesome. They moved about 5 min walk away from the chapel recently and have been able to go to church 3 times. Their names are Taine and Harley. They are an interesting couple and they are expecting their first baby in a month! Young couple that are interested in video games a lot and go to conventions all dressed up and stuff, kind of funny haha. A miracle happened when we were there, but is a different sort of miracle. So we stopped by just after they got home from the hospital to see how the baby is doing. Really healthy by the way! So Harley went to lay down and so we just talked to Taine for a while and he brought up this costume that they had made for 2 thousand dollars for this cos play convention thing. Anyway, we just asked to see it and apparently they haven't had it out in a few months and it has been stored so he pulled it out and there was mold growing on the neck part of it. Kind of panicked they called the maker of it and she said if it is not inside the head they can still save it. The miracle was that Taine said "wow, heavenly father does care about us. If you didn't come this probably would have been ruined." It showed us that God does care about the little things in life as well. If it is important to us it will be important to him. This was really important to them and so a tender mercy. Different to us for sure, but for them meant a lot.

Another miracle I forgot to tell you about is my bike! So I got down from Darwin two weeks ago and was wondering what I was going to ride. In Darwin, they have separate bikes and my bike for here was stolen if you remember. So I get down and was talking to the senior couple about it and he just pulled my bike out, the bike that was stolen, and gave it to me. Shocked I asked how they got it back. Well they didn't know how they got it they just had it. Still haven't heard how they got it back, it was missing months ago. So that was a cool miracle, now I am cruising around again not on a sisters bike haha.

Love you heaps and have a good week!


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

The reason we go there is the mission just has a short of missionaries at the moment and so we have to cover two area haha. Might change next transfer by the sound of it though. Yeah we still get along super well! Kind of weird how well we get along haha.

Well something really cool that happened is that we had a lunar eclipse Saturday morning. Apparently the longest one of this century. It was funny one of our new investigators called us and wanted to come over and watch it with us. We couldn't because, one we can't tell him where we live and two it was to early haha. Was about 6-7 am through the whole thing. Was kind of cool I sent pictures.

The travel to Mt Gambier was pretty to so I sent some pics.

The other pics are of these investigators I met when I first was here and they are just working on their marriage papers so they can be baptized. That's all that is holding them back it just takes time to get that sorted here especially because they have to sort out as well divorce papers. Their names are Vince and Lisa if you remember me talking about them 6 months ago. Well since the last time I saw them, they had another baby! As well their other baby just had her 1st birthday and they invited us over to have cake with them to celebrate. They had an official party on the weekend but knew we would be in Mt Gambier so she made cake on the day of her birthday.

Max is doing well. Being 92 years old, he still gets around a lot! He is a busy man but still he is getting a lot closer to God and I think it is surprising him how much he is learning. I think when you get that old you don't expect to change but he is surprising all of us. Still baptism is discussed but not sure about it yet with him. He is helping this one neighbor way to much. He is almost to giving. She moved in all of a sudden, uses his car, and just kind of takes advantage. She even used his name in some phone contract which caused some problems they just sorted out. He is just a good, giving man though it is kind of amazing to see.

Besides that, not much change. Found 4 new investigators which was really cool! We have a good sized teaching pool it is just hard to help them progress. Nobody came to church this week! Haha stubborn Aussies sometimes ;). Nah but we are keeping the faith because we know miracles never cease!

Love you heaps!

Trip down to Mt Gambier

Getting our new smart phones

Lunar eclipse

Work has accelerated at Murray Bridge

Email #74
Area: Murray Bridge
Companion: Elder Hirro

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

So yeah being back in Murray Bridge is much better then I thought it would be at first. I remember that this area is a really hard one to baptize in, but for some reason or another I have been more confident all the time with that! I know that we will have success this transfer in some way. The days are going soooo fast it is crazy. Idk if it is because I am working even harder, if because I am just having more fun with the work, or if that is what happens when you have been in the work long enough. Whatever it is though, I am really enjoying the work! I admit that it is a hard area yes, but that hasn't changed the joy I feel. It is really awesome actually I am just really excited about that haha.

My new companion is really great! He is from the Philippines and his name is Elder Hirro (you say it like hero). We get along so great and never really have a boring moment. He actually served here two years ago, but a few months into his mission had to go back home for medical reasons but was able to return and now has been back for only a few transfers. Still a new missionary, but he is super old haha. I think 24 if I remember right.

Well the work here has stayed steady since the last time I was here. They had the area closed after I left and they just opened it last transfer so have some of the same investigators that I taught and funny enough have been able to follow up with a few other potentials that I found 6 months ago when I was here. The members remembered me for sure when I showed up at church. Most of them were really surprised when they found out that I came back. All of them are really great and really love the missionaries. They feed us heaps now! Almost everyday! I hear it is because they lost missionaries for so long that they missed it haha.

Another new thing since the last time I was here is now we cover Mt Gambier. Mt Gambier is 5 HOURS AWAY! Yeah so we have a lot of traveling still here... We go there I guess ever other week for a few days. I don't know how it is exactly going to work yet, but we are headed down on Saturday. We have people there to work with that I know because I went there on trade of last time I was here, but there was a companionship there at the time. What I do remember is just how beautiful it is there. Still has to be the most beautiful place I've been to here. I am really excited to go back there this week!

Work has accelerated here for sure because we now have a teaching pool of 12 which is crazy for this area! Should be a really great transfer based on what I have seen this first week! I have loved it! Pres Marquis has made a few changes, but not many yet but I hear there are going to be heaps soon. I will tell dad more about that so check that out!

Love you so much and talk to you soon!


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Thank you for the email I am glad I am able to have a little detail there haha I like that to. I would love to do something like that when we get back haha, but I know that it might be a while.

Well I guess a little more in addition to the things I told mom is that we have smartphones now! We picked them up this morning and still getting them all set up. In a couple weeks they will be all set up and we can start using the data and things. We will be able to see emails and cool stuff like that as well, but you will get more details as time goes. I am just really glad we have them at the moment because the phone we had before was horrible. I will send a picture of the difference haha. Well with the photos you just got to remember the internet is super slow here in the bridge so might not get as many.

Yeah it was a surprise that I came back, but I am glad I really like it here even though it is tough. Back in leadership now, I don't know if I mentioned that before. Haha kind of miss all the extra time I had last transfer for studies at night but still happy to serve more in a greater capacity!

Love you heaps!

Darwin Zone Conference and Transferred back to Murray Bridge

Area: Katherine
Companion: Elder Justin

Pictures from Zone conference & transfer

Elder Bryner teaching a lession

Darwin Zone

Elder Bryner at the airport getting transferred back to Murray Bridge

Elder Bryner getting on the plane

Transferred back to Murray Bridge

Email #73
Area: Katherine
Companion: Elder Justin

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

Well crazy news to start out with! I have been transferred...again haha! Going back to Murray Bridge if you remember when I was there for one transfer before! Yeah I was pretty surprised to I thought for sure that I would stay in Darwin for a long time if not the rest of my mission. Well that's okay though because I did love Murray Bridge when I was there last time. Feels like a long time since I have been there though. Will be good to see all the members again and old investigators!!

So at the moment I am down at the mission office just waiting for my companion to come down within the next our or so. So he has been there for a little bit but he is really new to the mission. So I don't know the full story, but apparently he served here like two years ago but went home not very far into his mission for medical problems. Well he is back and just finished his training again!

I am really sad that I left Katherine because I loved it there a lot. However, I am still really excited for this next transfer as well! Every single change in my mission has turned out for the better! Every one! I know that our new mission President is inspired and the Lord needs me to serve in Murray Bridge at this time. I'm curious if much at all has changed there haha. So in Katherine the week was really good haha! They now have 7 on date and should be seeing some baptisms sometime soon here! Really soon actually haha wish I could have seen them but that is okay.

Well idk what else to right about at the moment haha talking to the assistants at the same time so kind of hard to think. It is good because one of them is in the same intake as me so I know him really well so just catching up.

Hope your trip is going well! Looks really fun! Beautiful! Never seen anything like that for sure! Keep me posted!
Love you heaps!

President and Sister Marquis

Email #72
Area: Katherine
Companion: Elder Justin

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

This week was pretty busy as always! We started off by traveling up to Darwin which was a great journey! We were there only for a couple of days. We met our new mission president and his wife, President and Sister Marquis. They are really great! He is very different from President Parker (now Elder Parker) for sure, but will bring so much to the mission! It was super weird when he kept saying "have fun" and "this meet will be totally casual" because being casual was not a good thing by definition to Pres Parker and same with "fun". We always said we have "joy" instead because having fun can have a different meaning to it. I understand completely what Pres Marquis was meaning, to enjoy the work. Just was different hearing those words, hard to explain why. I know he is called of God! Not just in my interview, but as well just a day or so ago I received greater confirmation that he is truly called by God to lead us at this time, kind of a cool feeling! Cool side note, him and Elder Parker know one another very well! They are long time friends. He told us the story about his call and how his family thought for sure they wouldn't come to Australia of all places because the only mission president that he knew was President Parker, so of course they assumed that would never happen. I thought that was really cool! For a few hours we just got to know one another and I was able to get to know some of the missionaries in Darwin a lot better to! Sister Marquis is really great as well! It was of really strong comfort to know that we are in good hands!

Had a really good day this week on Sunday! It was a normal day for the most part except for a few important differences. I have decided to once again attempt to do a 40 day fast from ten specific natural man tendencies of mine. It is something really cool that I learned about how to increase in light it having a very strong significance to the saviors 40 day fast. To start on Sunday I had a 24 hour fast to obtain heaven's help and the biggest reason Sunday was a good one is because I felt the spirit almost all the way through! Following Sunday however, the adversary followed his pattern of attacking following great spiritual experiences! I was expecting it because just the day before I listened to a talk by Elder Holland on why that happens. I did expect it, but it still was a really hard day! Felt as though Satan was poking at me through the whole day and even my companion and I struggled that night. Accounting with the Lord last night made me determined to make today the best! Been focusing on that all day and will continue to every day!

We have seen a lot of miracles for sure recently and I don't want them to stop. Trying harder every day to improve! Love you mom! Pray for you EVERY DAY! Be safe!


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Continued:

For the past 4 or 5 days, my companion has had talk about returning home early because he feels he has not accomplished much and feels super home sick. I've done my best to lift him best I can, but it has been a burden for sure. Something good did come out of it though. After contacting President about it, he called again to check on Elder Justin. Following that, he checked on me to make sure I was okay. I felt the spirit especially as he talked to me, reassuring hat he is also there for me. The spirit touched my heart after that call. Him and I continued to text back and forth and I feel I have developed a good relationship with him the past few days and have grown a lot because of it.

Well we had another movie night in Rockhole and Binjari communities and the kids are loving in. Just yesterday, we brought ice cream with us and no doubt they loved that to haha. It has opened a few doors for us now being about to teach a few of them! Warren's nephew actually is one of them and he is really good! He is on date for baptism and is already progressing well coming to church and everything! His name is Alberto. Today we are going to Rockhole again to see 5 of our investigators there who are there with Alberto and who are all on date as well! Blessings continue to flow out as we work hard and do everything we can! I really hope to see one of them enter the waters of baptism sometime soon here!

John is progressing the most for the adults that we are teaching. Most of them have some addiction or another except for John and the kids. Working through those addictions such as smoking and drugs has been the biggest challenge for sure!

Funny side note, being up in Darwin with the other missionaries was really refreshing! One Elder had heaps of american food (sent a pic) and his companion wouldn't eat it so I smashed through some of it haha! Good stuff! As well they made this crack up card for this missionaries birthday! (in pic as well).

Love you heaps! Have a good week!

Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it.

Email #71
Area: Katherine
Companion: Elder Justin

Excerpts from Mom's email:

Hey Mom!

Dang it was great to have the whole family all close together for a time. It will be hard I am sure having them live away. Tell them hi for me! Yeah June went by really fast for me as well and it is always hot here haha. This week was a great week for sure! Especially Sunday!

I really enjoy holding mutual in Binjari! I think one of the kids is sticking to me like glue now haha. He is the one in the pictures his name is Jasoon. Great kid and his older brother is one of them that we have been really trying to teach. Jasoon is only 6 so we can't teach him yet, but he always comes around with us. Even church, as soon as he sees us. There are a few over there that we really want to teach, but it seems like every time we get over there someone is to busy or not around. That is the hardest part I think with the communities and in Katherine in general. There is no schedule with these people. They one day could be out fishing or could be sleeping at the same point in the day. Usually with people we can always find a good time to go by based on there routine/schedule, but that just does not apply here. It is more of a test your luck haha.

We have been teaching W..... still. His date was for the 7 of July, but we had to now push it again. Giving up smoking has just been to tough for him. We have tried almost everything to help him. All the tricks up my sleeve are gone. We have tried smoking patches, baptismal countdown calendar, daily contact, used visual reminders for his commitment like white gloves for him to wear, and especially focus on the Book of Mormon! He has cut back heaps, but still has not quite fully. He has to stay clean at least for one week before he is able to be baptized because we don't want him to just go right back to it after. We are going to keep working with him because we don't give up!

With our other baptismal date J..., it has been hard to see him often. Over here, not many people have phones for some reason so daily contact is really tough. We try to have daily contact in some way with baptismal dates, but without a phone we have to go visit. We have seen J... at the end of the week usually, but during week days he is never there. He has come to church sense we started teaching him a few weeks ago though! He has real desire and has some great experiences which to most people would be out there but, he is being for real! J... is an aboriginal man who lives not in the communities, but actually the same neighborhood as our flat! So that saves us a lot of K's for sure! Sometimes we just pass him on our bikes and say "hey we will come by in about an hour to share a story with you!". Like I said, it is just luck sometimes with them.

This morning in my personal study I learned a lot! My personal studies have continued to get more and more meaningful! I was studying in Enos. Last night after seeking forgiveness in my prayers, I begun to pray especially for the welfare of my loved ones. In vs 9 it explains once we have felt the love of God for our-self, that is when we pray more for others!! I have seen an increase in this for myself!  I have been praying much more especially for our family. I have learned about how we can call down angels for others to protect and minister to them.

Vs 10: The answer to the prayer- "I will visit thy family according to their diligence in keeping my commandments. I have given unto them many blessings..."
Vs 12: Ï will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith"
Vs 15: "Whatsoever thing ye shall ask in faith, believing that ye shall receive in the name of Christ, ye shall receive it."

Love you mom!


Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Sorry for the late email today is a bit crazy! Well to continue from Mom:

Sunday this week was especially special! We first had some visitors in Katherine for church. It was this couple from Vicotria travling around for a few months. They were really great to be honest! They helped us so much. Usually we have to drive out to both Rockhole, then Binjari, and all the other members that we have to see. This takes up a good 100 K's or so on Sundays which sucks because we have limited K's of course. However, this week this couple offered to come with us to the communities and to even give us a lift to each of them!

The huge highlight to the day was church in Rockhole community! We went around the community and have developed a strong relationship with the kids there. We told them about church and about a great story that we are going to have with lollies (candy). Ended up having like 20 there at church mostly being kids! It was a lot like you would think it would be. Kind of loud, hard to stay reverent, and really exciting! Never seen such an interesting sacrament meeting in my entire life to be honest! They bring a lot of firsts for me! First time I have heard clapping after a talk from a prophet. First time I have had to keep 10 or more kids to be quiet while the sacrament was being passed. Haha lots of firsts! Was really great though! Be as a little child right! We at the end taught them about being reverent and of course used lollies to explain it to them. Only way we can get to them sometimes haha.

Well today will be a bit exciting. The reason I am late to emailing is because today started off with a district meeting. Right after emailing, we have to head straight to Darwin because tomorrow is our meet and greet with our new mission president! While we are up there to we are getting a new car because the one we have has gone over 100 thousand K's. Crazy day ahead haha.

Well love you heaps! Have a good week!

Meet The Mormons part one movie night

Movie Night

Projector setup

Pictures from Katherine Branch facebook page.

Today at Binjari we had a lovely 6 year old boy who came to visit. He was very cute and joined in with the lesson we had. President Walmsley taught about putting on the armour of God. He had us make paper hats as our helmets of salvation. Problem was the wind kept blowing them off so Elder Bryner made him a chinstrap. We called it the chinstrap of security to help secure his way to salvation. It really was lovely.

Elder Bryner, President Walmsley & Elder Justin