May 19 letter

Dear fam, how ya goin' everybody?

Another week has flown by here in Capalaba. I can't believe that in a couple weeks I will have been in this area for three months. It sounds like, with a growing number of missionaries, they might split our area this transfer and put two elders in the Capalaba ward. We don't know for sure yet though. Transfers are fun. I always get real psyched out waiting to hear what's going to happen and where we're going to go.

Ah, I'm going to miss McCall this year aye! I hope yous have fun up there!

Yes, I did get the Easter package! I would have remembered to thank you for it but it didn't last very long! I haven't looked real hard but I don't think they sell Dill Pickle Spitz here! Thank you heaps for that! I know it's probably not cheap to send packages all the way here. I also got the conference Ensign! I love it, haha, that's an awesome idea.

We had a pretty good week this week. I think I am still being taught patience. We have found several very promising potential investigators, but it's been a slow process of having more teaching opportunities. Our investigators keep going out of town and things, and sometimes I think, what's the deal? Don't they know how important this is? I forget that people who aren't full time missionaries have lives to worry about. It would be easier if people had nothing to do with their lives but listen to what we have to share. It makes me think about us as members though. We know the things that matter. We know the Gospel. So is it at the top of our priority list? It's easy to say "yes" when you're a full time missionary, but I plan to keep my focus on the things of most importance for the rest of my life.
 It seemed like this week we came across more rude people then before. I hadn't really been cussed at much until this week. But I am happy to endure a little verbal abuse for the Savior's sake. When you think about what he did, it's easy.

It has also been pretty cold this week! I wake up in the mornings and have to put on my beanie and my jumper and my pair of wool socks I kept and I study with a little heater blowing on my feet. I know it's probably not cold at all by Idaho standards, but I think I was getting used to the heat.

I finally tried Milo. It's a malted barley drink that you mix like Ovaltine. You drink it warm and it tastes like chocolate.
I made pancakes for dinner the other night! We had pancakes and bacon and eggs. I think it was one of the best dinners I've had since coming out. There's nothing better than breakfast for dinner.

On Tuesday we had interviews with the President and listened to trainigs

 from the assistants. Afterwards we split into our zones and listened to trainings from our zone leaders. They also asked me to give a training on setting baptismal dates, which I have very little experience in. I felt pretty inadequate. But I was on exchanges with one of the zone leaders (Elder Moikeha from Hawai'i) and he told me that I was chosen because they (the zone leaders) thought I could do a good job of it. So that gave me a little confidence. I was very nervous to stand up there in front of missionaries far more experienced than I, but I definitely know that I wasn't alone. It's the same with talking to anyone, whether you're tracting or on the street. The Lord helps us be more than we can be ourselves and the Spirit helps us say what needs to be said. The Lord definitely helps me everyday and he helped me then too.

Bryson and Kenzie, thanks for the personal emails! I loved them! Have fun in swimming lessons! I miss you guys!

Thanks for the letters everybody! Looking forward to hearing from you again! Love you all! Thank you for the strength you are to me! Have a great week everyone! We haven't been able to see Anne this past week but we're planning on setting a baptismal date with her for the middle of June. We could use your prayers in her behalf!

Love you and miss you all!

Elder Hayden Thieme

After Mother's Day Skype

May 5th

G'day everyone! It's been another week already!
Every week in church I think to myself, "wasn't last Sunday just yesterday?" Time goes by so fast, especially when we're busy. We've still been doing plenty of tracting. We've found a few more people that we will hopefully get to start teaching this week. One of our investigators, Anne, is progressing very well. We think she'll get baptized in June. She just needs to come to church! She is perfect relief society material, so she'll love it. 
I also did what we call GQ ing (golden questions) at a big bus stop for the first time in Capalaba. The first few minutes were rough. I was so scared to approach people! Especially since the first lady I talked to really didn't want anything to do with me. I finally mustered up some courage and I went and talked to two ladies sitting on a bench. Turns out one had met Mormon missionaries before and had read some of the Book of Mormon and the other had just recently lost her mother and she had some golden Plan of Salvation questions. I gave the one lady another book of Mormon to replace her lost copy and took down her number, but unfortunately the other lady left to catch her bus before I could talk to her much. I had spent too much time being nervous to open my mouth. 
So I learned an important lesson. I have to open my mouth before the Lord can fill it! I have to take a step into the dark and then The Lord will show me the way. I have to jump before He can help me fly.I had an interesting thought as I was reading Lehi's dream. We can hold to the rod, but if we don't take steps forward we won't get any closer to the Tree. We have to hold to the rod and then put one foot in front of the other and press forward. That's the only way to make it through the mists of darkness. 
Thank you so much for your letters! It seems like they always come just when I need some uplifting and encouragement, and it's always just what I needed to hear. I love you all! Mom, I hope the shots help with the allergies. Dad, thank you for your letter and the talk by Elder Eyring and your example to me. Jackson, you're not allowed to get any faster man, you already smashed my record for my freshman year. Evan, same for you! You guys are awesome. B and K! Thanks for the pictures! They're on the wall by my study desk. Love you!
Elder Hayden Thieme



May 12
Hello everybody! It was good to talk to you! I still can't believe how much Bryson and Kenzie and Jackson and Evan have changed!  Evan is definitely taller but he doesn't seem to be packing on the lbs. Jackson looks a ton older all of a sudden. Kenzie's voice sounds much older. That's so cool to hear about Kenzie helping  that boy out and being his friend. One of the biggest things I have learned in my life so far is the truth of Mosiah 2:17. I know that I am the most happy when I am doing something for someone else. I have seen it more than ever here on my mission. I am not here to do anything for myself. This time is not for me. It is for serving others, serving the Lord full-time. And it makes me happier than anything else I've ever done. The Savior's life was never for Himself. He was always about His Father's business. He preached the Gospel to the poor, spoke liberty to the captives, healed the sick and gave sight to the blind. He is the Perfect Example. All that He did, and does, is for us. I know that this is His work. I know it, I live it, I love it!  
Elder Thieme

Saw Elder Nathan Kisner at the transfer meeting

lighthouse at Wellington point