Elder Jaren Bryner A LDS Missionary Down Under in Adelaide Australia: Zone Conference

Email #101
Area: Alice Springs
Companion: Elder Richard

Excerpts from Mom's email:

It's been a pretty good week! District pday have us a great start where we played our version of chopped! We had the first course, the Elders had the main coarse and the sisters had dessert! The Elders did a really nice big burgers that were amazing! Even put coconut in it which was our surprise ingredient we have them.

Another big event was zone Conference weekend! So Thursday we had Elder Fau (assistant) with us for the day and had a good time. Turns out that he has a cousin that lives here in Alice that he hasn't seen for years. He messaged him to let him know that he will be here for a few days and his cousin invited us over for dinner and a lesson. He is a nonmember, so we were able to teach him a little. After the lesson, he took us to this place called the Gillen Club. It is some nice place where you need a membership to get in. Because he was a member, we were able to get in with him and his family. It was such good food! Probably some of the best food that I have had in a long as time! He got me the salmon!

While we were there, we got a good amount of weird looks because this is topically not a place people would see us haha. It's like that casino place where we used to eat. Anyway, while we were there, this lady calls out to us and we go and talk to her. Turns out that she has been wanting to meet with some missionaries because she has heard how it helps people. She said she is in a really hard time in her life and needs God's help. Cool place to find someone for sure! Spending some time in a trio was a lot of fun and a good change of pace.

Zone Conference itself was awesome! We received training about a how the mission department has asked our mission to do a test where we only do family history finding for a month. It sounds really cool to try and we will see what kind of fruit family history can do here in Australia. We are trying to prepare for it with members and trainings for ourselves as well how to properly use it. Unfortunately for me, this starts beginning of next transfer... 😅 But that's okay, I am enjoying help prepare for this and maybe it will help me with my family history for myself to do temple work!!

The saddest part about zone Conference was baring my leavers testimony! It happens almost every transfer where someone is leaving, but every time it feels like you have a long ways to go before it is you. Then all at once, you reach that very moment... It was very tender and I felt the spirit very strongly! I was also blessed to hear sister Saoloto leavers testimony! I was her first district leader when she arrived in the mission and now her last as well! It's been cool to finish with her because I've been able to see the growth in her and she can see it in me.

The day after zone Conference, there was this fun run that we heard about, but it was at 6am. Since President was in town, it was really easy to get permission to go. The other elders decided to wear their white shirts and ties, but we didn't get the memo haha. Nobody told us😂. But that's okay we didn't die as much as they did on the run. Elder Ostraff ran track at home, so he did really well! Took 19th place out of hundreds of people! He beat me by like 6 minutes! It was good to do, because helps the community be familiar with us. The cool thing was Kylie saw us at the fun run! Now that lead to a conversation that got us back in the door with them!

We found out that M... has been on strong medications and underwent a surgery. Now that he is feeling better, we will be going by hopefully tomorrow.

My companion and I are doing well! We seem to get along fine without any problem. It's nice not having to worry about that and just enjoy the work! Found out that his mom met the Hansen's (the ones that were in our ward). I don't know if I told you, but he knew then well. Anyway, his parents might be coming to my Homecoming. Do we know the details to that? I can't remember.

Time is still flying, but sometimes time slows down a lot. There are some slow days. The anticipation is real haha! Still pressing forward though and honestly still really enjoying it here!! Love you and have another good week!

Excerpts from Dad's email:

Hey Dad!

Time like you said sometimes seems to drag on, but probably out of anticipation. Missionary work can be very draining as you know going 24/7 and the anticipation that I won't knock another door is pretty exciting lol. However, I don't like the feeling that I won't be a missionary anymore. It's who I am right now haha and it will be weird to change, but hopefully not to weird. I'll still be me with a few changes and hopefully all good ones.

Just rounding up a few things each week just looking for the right things to bring home. It's been pretty fun and I definitely have things that are special to me to take back! More so trying to gather a few things for each of you, but as you know, you are all hard to shop for. Weird thing is for some reason or another, a lot of things I have have been given to me! Very few things that I have bought haha. I recon this week and next will be when I buy a few things. When I am down in Adelaide, I will be able to shop in the city hopefully the day before I leave. Talking to president while he was here, he basically told me what it will be like my last few days. I'll fly down on the Friday before. Saturday will be all leavers stuff going on like temple. Sunday I will be in Grange being able to go see everyone there along with Fords family. Then Monday will be last Pday where I will be able to shop and stuff and then family home evening with President. Then Tuesday I fly!

I've got know idea though what is going on this week! The work has been slow as haha! Trying to do things that are productive but it's to hot sometimes and President doesn't want us out Finding in that heat. So we have been trying to do visits, but we are running out of members, less actives, and everything to visit. Kind of complicated to fill the schedule. I've done it for two years, you would thing it would be easier but man it has slowed down a tone!!! Can't even go out to the abo communities because it's even hotter out there!

I've learned something interesting this past week. When the Savior went into the garden, he had his disciples with him, and it was much more then just the eleven apostles. There were multitudes of them! He told them "sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder". Then he took with him 3, Peter, James, and John. He invited them to go a little deeper into the garden. He invited 3 to "watch" with him. Christ has invited some of us to "watch" with him a little deeper into the garden. There are only two callings in the world to be a full representative of Christ. That is the apostles and full time missionaries. Now has been my time being able to be deep into the garden. Christ went back to his disciples and found them asleep. He said "What, could ye not watch with me one hour?". They slept through the most important event in history. If they followed his council to "watch" with him, could you imagine what they might have saw? I don't want to sleep through this and miss what I might have seen. Now is my time deep in the garden and at some point, I will have to leave it and join the rest of the savoirs desciples in the world. My job then will be to testify of what I have seen but I can't do that if I sleep through it all.

I'm grateful to be here at this time and will do my best to watch the Miracles unfold before me. I'm grateful you've been able to see Miracles at home as well! Angels are round about each of you, I know it!

Love you heaps and have a great week!!!