Smashing it in Somerset 6/16/13

Another week has flown by here in the Somerset area of the ABM! We had
a pretty good week. My companion Elder Ormond and I are smashing it
and having heaps of fun. It feels like last P-day was yesterday! We
haven't got mail for a while so I'm looking forward to our special
training meeting with president. We'll get mail then on Wednesday. It's
cool how diverse this area is. There are heaps of people from the
Middle East and Africa and we run into a lot of back packers (people
who travel from place to place working here and there). We met some
back packers from France, some from England, and one guy from Spain.
There are also Asians everywhere. We tracted this one street yesterday
in Gatton, QLD and it seemed like the whole one side was Japanese
people. Some didn't even understand English. I was tempted to say
something I learned from a Japanese Elder in my last zone. I don't
know how you spell it but I can say "I want to fight" in Japanese. I
decided against using it as a tracting approach.
Last p day we were at a mall in Toowoomba ("just past One-woomba" -
President Langeland) and I went to the Target and bought a thick hoody
and some long johns. Last night, I slept with a beanie on as well, and
I was still waking up freezing in the middle of the night! I thought
Australia was supposed to be warm! We have a little space heater, but
it's kind of old and it struggles to heat our ice-box-like flat. We
leave it running all night and it makes a bit of a difference.
My companion and I have been doing some running this week. It's good
to finally have a companion who'll run with me. He's been cutting his
weight and he only eats protein shakes with fruit and stuff (except
for when members feed us). I really like Elder Ormond, we've been
doing well together. I think I've learned to open up a bit more and
just be myself. I think I've learned a bit of humility from my past
companions.
We were tracting in Laidley, the town we live in, and we knocked on
this guy's door and he told us we had five seconds to get off his
property or he would shoot us. I was thinking, "what do you think this
is, Texas?" but I didn't say it. This was a first for me and Elder
Ormond, who's been out 23 months. We figured if Satan's trying that
hard to discourage us it must mean we're doing something right!
We have a baptismal date for June! There is a part member family in
our ward who haven't been 100% active. They are a young couple with
five girls and one boy. The oldest is ten and she has not yet been
baptized, so the keys are now in the hands of the mission President
rather than the Bishop. The Bishop told us that we needed to be up
front and commit them ("pull the trigger"). So we went over Saturday
night, not entirely sure what we were going to say or how we would
approach the situation. As we met with the parents, the father brought
it up out of the blue and said they wanted to set a date and get
going. They decided on June thirtieth. The daughter has been taught
most of the lessons before so we will be doing review and also
focusing on preparing her father to baptize her. So we're pretty
excited for them.
I just finished reading the Book of Mormon and the New Testament
recently. I have developed such a love for the scriptures, more than
ever before. I just can't get enough! I think I've learned better what
it means to "feast" upon the word. I wish that I had gotten that ages
ago.
I love the Book of Mormon. I've had instances on my mission when
people try to bash us or argue with us about how we're wrong. And some
of the things people have said has caused me to think a little. What
if? What if they're right? But the thing I always fall back on as I
ponder is that I KNOW that the Book of Mormon IS the word of God. The
Spirit always brings this thought to my mind and everything else melts
away. There is no doubt in my mind that it is true. Because os this
knowledge, I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, called to
translate the ancient record and restore the Church of Jesus Christ.
Nothing can make me doubt that this Church is God's kingdom on the
Earth, led by true Apostles and a living Prophet of God. Most
importantly, through the Book of Mormon I have come to know my Savior.
I know He lives. I know what he did for me. I know it is Him I serve.
I hope everyone is doing well and has a good week! I love you all! God
be with you!
Love, Elder Hayden Thieme