G'day everybody! And happy 16th Birthday Jack! What an
old guy! Things are going to start happening to you now! Here in
Queensland you're a legal adult at age 17 and you can drink legally at
18. Nuts aye?
It is so great that you boys (and Bryson and Kenzie in the future) have
the opportunity to serve in quorum/class leadership positions. There is
so much good you can do! I didn't realize the impact I could have on the
people I served. Never hesitate to reach out to the people in your
quorum/class, especially the ones who don't come much. Do all you can to
make everyone feel loved and welcomed. The church has been pushing the
"rescue the one," and it is all about making everyone who comes to the
church and activities feel that they are wanted and they are loved. The
youth have so much power in missionary work. The youth can be the
driving force behind the success of member missionary work in a ward.
All we've got to do is invite. Missionary work is inviting. The
missionary purpose is to INVITE others to come unto Christ. Church
b-ball is a great opportunity to invite friends.
The weeks go by so quickly. They seem to start slow and then I
realize that it is already Thursday and nearly the weekend. We are now
halfway through the transfer with three weeks to go, but it still feels
like the transfer just started.
We had an interesting week. My companion was sick for a couple
days. Apparently there has been a virus going around the mission. I had a
couple lovely in-grown toenails (sorry, I don't have any pictures to
show you).
It is mango season here. We are just at the end of it I think, but
there are lots of mango trees all over the place. They are the best
mangoes I have ever tasted. My companion and I pulled some off of a tree
when we were tracting and the members keep giving mangoes that they
have grown. I also tried a new fruit this week. It was called a
jabutocaba or something like that? It was a large round berry with a
thick, firm, leathery, purple skin. It tastes similar to a grape, but
the inside is very soft. This was at the Rea's home. They have heaps of
fruit trees and vegetable plants in their garden. They had banana trees,
orange trees (several different varieties), mango trees, a paw paw
tree, a dragon fruit plant (it sort of looks like a cactus thing).
We also did service for a member in our ward. Just cleared some
dead palm fronds from his yard. We found a massive spider. It was maybe
just smaller than my hand and it had a big white-ish body about the size
of a cherry tomato. I tried to get a picture of it but didn't get my
camera in time. I also learned something new about the huntsman spiders
(big, ugly, and super fast, but not dangerous). They will hop across the
ground, sort of like when a deer is bounding. It is the freakiest thing
I ever saw.
We had a big cane toad that got into our shower some how. It
freaked out Elder Mahu'inga. Apparently he reached down without looking
to grab the shampoo and put his hand on the toad.
One more
weird animal story this week! We were tracting and walked up to a house
and the screen door was shut but the door was open behind it. Sitting
behind the door was a cat. We walked up to the door and knocked softly
and said hello into the open door. The cat said hello back. The cat
could say hello! It was great.
One of our investigators who has been progressing went away to
visit a friend so haven't seen her in about a week. Our investigator
named Suzanne has been doing great. She is still working on quitting
smoking and we need to get her to keep coming to church. Last time we
taught her she just kept thanking us for sharing these things with her.
She is so humble and grateful. It made me realize that I may take the
message I have a bit lightly at times, and that it is the best thing
anyone could learn. Nothing makes more sense. Nothing brings more hope
or causes more joy or freedom or comfort or peace than the truth. And
nothing on earth is more true than the things the Lord has said and the
things he is saying now through living oracles.
We get to go to the temple next Wednesday. That will also be our P-day next week, so I won't email on Monday.
I got
some great Christmas letters from the ward. That was so cool! The first
one I read was Scotty Youngberg. I couldn't believe he was writing a
letter. I'm pretty sure I remember when he was a new-born. I loved
hearing from so many of the members back home, it was great.
Grandma and Grandpa Thieme sent me a check for Christmas, bless their hearts. How are they doing?
Thank you for your prayers, I know they help! I love you all so much! I send my love and gratitude to the ward as well.
Love, Elder Thieme
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