Here are excerpts from the last few emails. It's Elder Kay's birthday on 18th July, so if you would like to send a card the address is just to the right of this post

27/5

Hope everyone is well, things are good over here although they are cold, yes mum it is transfers this week, if I stay I'm buying some trousers and hat and gloves methinks :/ Things are pretty much the same as last week, a lot of lessons fell through but we continue to go forward. We have some good plans for this week. We were able to get some good stuff done in PEC (Priesthood Executive Committee meeting). That is one thing I've learned about heaps on my mission is administration of the church. It's such a blessing to be on a mission.

LDK xxx

4/6

Hey sorry it won't be much of an email. I'm doing well, Elder Lao was transferred. My New companion's name is Elder Edwards. Sorry it's short; we got back from transfers late and I wanted to email Ems and James as they emailed me and I felt I needed to respond. Love you all hope all is well.

LDK xxx

17/6

Hey!

Sorry I didn't email last week we were super busy. I'm doing really well. I'm not sure if I told you about my new companion. He's from Melbourne and we actually came on our mission at the same time so I knew him from the MTC. He's great we get along well.

The work is going better at the moment we are teaching a lady who is getting Baptised on the 29th of June, she is an ex nun and she is awesome. We are having the Baptism in a swimming pool as Warwick doesn't have a font and she's from an even smaller Branch near the New South Wales border. Toowoomba (the nearest chapel with a font) is too far away for everyone to go and she can't get baptised in the Dam because it's too cold.

Its really cold here it's getting into minus figures at night now and it probs only gets to like 17 tops in the day. Tracting is not the best way of finding here, but we keep moving on. We continue to work with the members and the less actives, I think the members are finally getting to be excited about missionary work.

Anyhoo I love you all, be the best not the rest :P

LDK xxxx

Is 19° cold?

20th May

Elder Kay didn't email last week as we spoke to him on Skype Sunday 12th May, which was Mothers' Day in Australia. He now has an Australian accent and uses a lot of words and phrases he didn't know before he went on his mission - some missionary phrases and some Aussie ones. Here's this week's email: - 

How is everyone? I'm doing great, Warwick is cold  and I don't like the cold, but it is very beautiful here in winter. The work is going pretty well too, we are doing a lot of finding. We have found more great potentials (one of them wasn't in when we called for our appointment today, but she got back to us so hopefully we can set up another time). She seems solid as. We also got a new Branch Mission Leader on Sunday who is awesome so I think the Work is going to get better. We're going to start having a little section in the start of Priesthood/Relief Society to teach the members about Preach my Gospel and how to share the Gospel with Friends, we need more member Missionary work. It's weird to think back to my early days when I struggled to talk to people at a door or on the street, there are still apprehensions but it's almost second nature now. I still need to be better though and I could work smarter. You just learn so much. and I love it when the Spirit calms you when people are being rude or abusive to you, it's amazing.

Missionary work really is incredible, there is no work like it and none more important.

Well I love you all, the church is true. 

(Here is the link to the weather forecast there - http://www.weatherzone.com.au/qld/darling-downs/warwick- it's not as cold as England and it's supposed to be late spring coming into summer here!!! Elder Kay's friend, Elder Jorgensen is serving in Botswana and he was commenting about the "cold" as well - I suppose people acclimatise to where they are)

Mission Conference, Sunday School and a pet kangaroo

29th April

This week has been slow but we spent a lot of time out of the area due to transfers and we also had a special mission conference with Elder Dallin H. Oaks, it was awesome, he's such a great guy and it was such a privilege to feel of his spirit he gave some awesome insights on revelation and our "mantle"

We are still looking for people to teach but we will be teaching some investigators in Stanthorpe (near the NSW border) in a couple of weeks.

Things are good I love you all hope you are well. I'll send a letter to the Branch soon (sorry I'm terrible at writing)

6th May

Hello hello,

How is everyone? this last week has been pretty good we did quite a lot of finding and enjoyed trade-offs with our district leader, I stayed in Warwick but probs would have liked to go to Toowoomba for the day, but we found a couple of good potentials (who at first thought we were school kids hahahaha!)  Something else people do in the super markets- come and ask us where stuff is (mistaking us as employees) - none of the employees wear ties (or badges, or white shirts for that matter, not even the managers) but hey it's all good fun, it's something to talk about.

We teach the youth 12 to 14 Sunday school every Sunday but the teacher for the older youth class was away so we had both classes together and man it was crazy cos there are heaps of youth here. They are really good kids though. You won't believe this, a member we had dinner with has a PET KANGAROO!!!! I laughed when they first told me.  I really want to get Warwick going -  things are picking up, the members are preparing people for us to see. I kind of have the suspicion that most of my mission will be planting seeds but that's OK with me. I just need to trust the Lord.

I also have bad news :( I lost my wallet, I honestly don't know how, we looked everywhere and left our number at the police station. Until I get a new church card we're living on my companion's allotment, we shop pretty cheap anyway (he's the man). That's what I like a lot of missionaries in the mission it's share and share alike. 

LDK 

Not much to say this week

23rd April

I have a new companion now, his name is Elder Lou from Sacramento, he is awesome, he was with Elder Greenfield before. We just got a new Branch President so we are excited to see what will happen here with the work, he seems great.   I don't have much to report this week. Sorry it's not a long one transfers is such an ordeal because we had to travel so much.  If you want to send me anything for my birthday make it something good like Bovril please, there is only so much English stuff I can come by.
Sorry about not sending photo's I've just not really got round to it but I'll send some soon.

8th April

Hey, How's it going?

I got told I sounded more English than ever yesterday YYYYAAAAAAYYY, People keep telling me I sound American but I think it's cos they have pre conceptualised ideas about Mormon Missionaries. aaah well, the work is going slowly at the moment but we did a lot of service this week, we dropped a few potentials, we really need the Lords help right now cos we can't seem to find anyone, but there is someone otherwise we wouldn't be here. Our Branch mission leader is the best, he is always encouraging the members to feed us and find people, he's the man. It's good to have challenges though. Our one Investigator is back so we hope to be teaching her a lot but she's really busy with her family Business. An excommunicated member has decided to get re Baptised which is exciting (even though it's not our jurisdiction) 

 

 I'm excited for Zone conference this week as we'll actually see missionaries, it's kinda lonely here I'm glad the members are awesome and my companion is the man. man I hope I can get more humble I'm such a Mahi but hey that’s what the mission is for.

  

15th April

Talofa, ua mai oe?

Hello, how are you? This week has been interesting, our bikes seem to have endless problems, we got flats again, so we bought these inner tubes with slime in, this sealant that stops you getting punctures (YEAH). I really enjoyed conference although I only saw two and a half sessions.  I really enjoyed L.Tom Perry's talk and President Monson’s talk, also President Uchtdorf’s talk.

We are doing a lot of finding at the minute, we found some awesome potentials on a trade-off this week. I think the district leader and his companion got a bit bushed as we had a Zone conference at Karawatha (just south of Brisbane) so they had to get up early to pick us up for the 2 hour journey to get there by 8:30 and they are an hour away in Toowoomba. They stayed overnight after the conference then left. President gave an awesome training on the Saviour’s physical experience though the Atonement and it was incredible. I'm so grateful for he did and is now doing for us and it is such a blessing to be able to have and to share this knowledge.

 

keep the faith and be strong 

April 2nd 2013

Hey,
How is everyone?  I can't believe how much Spike has grown -  his emails are really inspiring and he must have had a great trainer. I'm glad. Man he's such a good example to us all.  This last week was slow as due to many bike problems but we found some awesome potentials, an Irish couple who we left really thinking about stuff I think the spirit really touched them but the appointment we had with them yesterday fell through, but it was a public holiday so they probably just decided to go out as they had a day off. This week has already started off better and we are doing some good work, the members here are awesome, Warwick area in the mission kind of has a bad reputation but it is awesome, I truly have a testimony of attitude and how it can affect things, especially your spirituality. My legs are getting strong as from so much cycling, Warwick town is pretty flat but there are some really hilly areas that we often go to, We've been really looking for opportunities to serve people as well, as that is what will render a positive response from people here, we might be helping a guy landscape his Garden and we might be doing service at a place that does horse riding for the disabled. I love this gospel and the blessings it brings to our lives.
My companion was reading the Infinite Atonement by Callister and we studied how people have concerns with us becoming Gods, one of the scriptures it directed to was in John, chapter 10 where Christ speaks to the Pharisees and tells them that if it wasn't the case "their" law would be Broken. I'll put in a excerpt next week.
I love you all. Stay strong, stay Awesome.
Elder Kay

March 2013

Hello from South Queensland.

This week was transfers and I got transferred to a small town called Warwick about a 3 and 1/2 hour drive from Brisbane. We are working here after Sisters so it's something new and it will be interesting. Sending two completely new missionaries into an area is known as 'whitewashing'. My companion is one of the Elders from my last flat.  It was a big surprise when President announced transfers.  This area seems to be nice. The town seems to be about half the size of Alnwick, but the town centre is about the same size. There quite a few more members in this Branch (about 50 every week). The Branch members are really nice - they gave us a lovely welcome (I love Branches) The work will probs be fairly slow to start off with but the sisters have given us a good grounding - we just need to get to know the members and the area. We are full time walk at the moment as we have no bikes, we wont be able to go to outlying towns in the Branch unless we get a lift with the members, It will be hard but I'm excited I kind of needed a challenge like this, I was kind of comfortable in Redcliffe, especially with a companion I got along with so well. I hope we can follow on from the sisters. 

Warwick is country as it has like rodeos and stuff!!The work just started off slow but the sisters must have done wonders because we had heaps of referrals this week.. We now have bikes ... next  minute... my companion gets a flat, he fixed it today, then it went flat again!!!! aaarrrgh  We found a few potential investigators last week but a lot of people here seem to be busy during the day :/ We'll see what we can do. Half the branch members live miles away from Warwick itself. The members are awesome but I'm still trying to get my bearings to get them to come to lessons and stuff to have people fellowship. We are working hard. Send my best to everyone 

Talofa,

How are you all today? hello from a very humid Warwick, we had a storm yesterday evening; we were just sitting at a members eating pizzas watching the storm pass over - it was pretty awesome. Sorry I didn't get any pictures but it was so beautiful after it passed over the sunset was shining on the cloud bank and you could see the lightning inside the clouds :P.

The work is picking up here,  we've had a few referrals and we are trying to get to do some service because I think that is how we will get through to the people, I think they've had some 'pushy'  missionaries so we are just loving and nice to people. We were invited to a Christian fundraiser by some  people we met and it was nice, we were able to talk to a lot of people. A new door approach I want to try is "we have prayerfully selected you to hear about the gospel of Jesus Christ, is there a time we can come and share it with you?"  I think I'm really learning in this area, 'whitewashing' stretches you but it is good.

I sort of wish I could have stayed in Redcliffe but the Lord obviously wants me here and I love it here, we just can't go to the Temple... again. C'est la Vie.

Take care.

Elder Kay