G'day fam!
This last week has really been a whirlwind. It went by faster than any
week of my life. The whole transfer was like that actually. My
companion is excited to be going home, but sad to leave missionary
life. So the end of this last week was a lot of photos and goodbyes. I
am going to miss Elder Ormond, I think maybe more than any of my other
companions. I feel that I really learned a lot from him. That's the
way it should be. We are put with every companion for a reason. To
learn something from them that the Lord wants us to learn. President
Hendersen talked to us about that today at transfer meeting. He let us
know that we are to learn something from every companion.
President is the man! We got to listen to him speak last Thursday at a
zone conference and then today at transfers. When he talks he uses his
hands a lot and when he testifies you can tell the passion he has for
the Gospel. You can really feel his testimony when he shares it. He is
a powerful teacher. I already know that I love him and that he was
meant to be my mission president. Even if he is my third one! When he
was speaking to us today at transfers, I glanced around at all the
missionaries' faces and I could tell that everyone else was feeling
the same way as I was: I know he is called of God at this particular
time and place because he is exactly who the Lord needs here in the
Australia Brisbane Mission. He is really fun, humble and energetic.

 I am excited for the future of the mission. It seems that things will change a lot, from
the way our meetings run to the way we proselyte (every companionship
will have an ipad and an iphone between them!).
We got transfer calls this last Sunday night. I pretty much knew that
I would be staying in Somerset, but I was apprehensive about who my
new companion would be. I found out that I will be training. I don't
know if he will be brand knew or if he will be one of the many
"visa-waiters" finally coming through. I probably won't find out until
tomorrow night. I am pretty nervous to be training though! I
definitely feel inadequate, but I know that if president believes I am
ready than so does the Lord. So I look forward to doing the best I can
with whoever he is. I am staying with another missionary who is
waiting for his trainee (or his "golden" as president calls them) in
Redbank Plains. We are both just waiting for the call from the
assistants and in the meantime we'll work here.
I am nearly out of time and I am out of coins. I will email you next
week! I love you all and pray that you will be able to sell the house
and everything. Mom and dad, I know that you are good parents and that
you will make the right choice. I know that because you go to the Lord
with everything. I hope to be able to follow that example as I accept
the responsibility of being a trainer.
I am real excited to see how it goes! Pray for me!
I hope you have a great week! God bless you!

Elder Thieme