29th July 2013

This week our whole flat was sick so we were stuck in the flat for half the week. I wasn't too bad most of the time so I just traded off with the other Kenmore Elders to get work done in both areas. Things are starting to move here, we nearly matched last weeks numbers (apart from finding hours) even though we were sick and compared to last week we found heaps of potential investigators. At the moment we are teaching a guy that busks around Brisbane (he's really good and he said he can get 100$ from 4 hours :O I was like, I'm sooo moving here after my mission just to busk hahaha!)  It's weird being in a ward again, it's not as easy to get to know the members as there are so many. There are some awesome families here.

That church Pageant sounds really good, what's the program? you can up date me next week. There isn't really much to say due to being sick this week.

I hope everyone is good. If you're not good get good :P hahahaha. I can't believe your dying of heat over there while it's still cold here. During the day it's not too bad but at night it's yuk. anyhoo I'll love you and leave you.

LDK xxx

The photo was taken by the Crichton family who visited Elder Kay with birthday gifts and a cake for his 21st.

Back in Brisbane

Elder Kay had his 21st birthday last week. There are photos on his facebook page. Here are excerpts from his last 2 emails

17th July

Greetings all from the land of Oz,

I've been transferred from Warwick, I think I was ready to leave but I will miss the members a lot. We met our new mission President last week, he and his wife are awesome and I'm really excited to be working with them, I'll miss President and Sister Langeland.  President Henderson is excited to take the mission up a notch, he's a business man so he's pushing to get ipads and facebook proselyting etc. to the ABM soon and first in Australia. He's changing a few things and putting a lot of emphasis on Trainers (missionaries who train the new missionaries) which I think is great because it will help the mission be more obedient from the word go.

I've been transferred to an area called Kenmore, in Brisbane Zone (Stake) our area actually borders the boundaries of the next stake.

My companions name is Elder Gross, he's from Arizona, USA and he's the trainee of one of my previous companions, he is a great guy.

Oh yeah I'm also District Leader again, I don't feel I did a good job last time so I want to try hard to do better, I'm realising that the mission is all about self mastery, preparing us for our life and then ultimately for the eternities. President Henderson said at transfers that District Leaders are going to have increased responsibilities so it will be interesting to see the new changes.

I'm really excited for this new Transfer. It's a new start. I think I learned what I can from Warwick and I'm ready to make this last 6 months count. I love you all so much, never give up, live your dreams and be faithful to our Lord and master who has given us all.

Love LDK xxx

22nd July

Greetings.

Hope everyone is well. This week has been pretty good, we've done a lot of finding. We taught a lesson to the young women who had brought along a couple of non member friends and it went really well, I really enjoy teaching a group I think it is way fun. Missionary work in Kenmore seems to be slow at the moment (seems to be the trend for me, being transferred into slow areas) but I hope we can pick it up, we did a lot of tracting this week but got hardly any potentials. I really want to help the members be better missionaries. There are a few good missionary families but the Ward can always improve so hopefully we can serve them and try to lift them up. We meet in a chapel that is actually in a different stake.

I did a couple of Baptismal interviews with the Kenmore 2 Elders' investigators, they are amazing people and will be a wonderful addition to the ward. There are some really nice people here and I think that things could take off eventually, maybe not in my time but hopefully I can lay a bit of groundwork.

The sisters flat flooded last night it was a bit crazy, all their stuff seemed to be ok though is what they told me. Now in the mission there are so many sisters that there are appointed Sister Trainer Leaders to go on Trade-off with the Sisters as DL/ZL's can't go with the sisters (for obvious reasons). It's incredible to be here to see so many changes in the mission, it's so weird, I'm the oldest in the Flat and it's strange being such an old guy, my companion is fairly new in the mission. 

New rules are being introduced by the new mission president to clean up missionaries language (many people adopt like the Polynesian slang and things) to help us be more like the Saviour. It's good, but a little difficult, but I guess it prepares us more for the eternities, We were sent here to become like Him. We truly are Children of God and I love the Plan of Salvation.

I'll probs have to buy some jeans or something when I get home (depends on how much weight I lose)  probs not a lot as there are quite a few Tongans in the Ward and they are great at feeding missionaries!

I love you all never give up and remember who you are.

LDK 

End of an era - change of Mission President

24th June

Hey everyone, Thanks for all of your support and prayers. Things are going well Elder Edwards and I are getting on like a house on fire. We are excited for the Baptism this week. It will be such a good experience. Things are going well here but we've been pretty busy this week we had special training and tradeoffs in Toowoomba and then we stayed in Stanthorpe for two days, there are some great members down there.
We're struggling to find new people to teach but we must keep going. President Langeland goes home this week, he will be greatly missed, It will be strange having a new mission president. Sorry I've not sent any photos in ages. 

1st July

Well this week was good we did alot of finding but it was topped off with a Baptism at the end of the week. On Sunday we also saw the World wide training meeting, it was brilliant! I'm excited for the new mission President arriving this week. Things are going well we will hopefully get the Branch inviting more of their friends to join in gospel related activities and eventually hear the discussions.

  

I love the book of Mormon I was reading in Alma and his wish that he was an angel to declare the Gospel to all the world, sometimes I echo that wish but I have learned that we must use the tools we have been given to do the things we can and the Lord will do the rest.

 

Sacrament meeting was about education on sunday it was really uiplifting and well... Educational hahahah. I'm still figuring out what I'm wanting to do when I come home.

 

Hope everyone is doing ok, if you're not, make it happen!

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.