Excerpts from Elder Kay's emails. Hopefully I will keep this blog more up to date in future!
6 Feb
Hey everyone!!!
It's so great to here from you all. Guess what?!!! FIRST KANGAROO
SIGHTING!!! I'll send you the picture
(half of them were wallabies) Elder Richards and I went
exploring one day (he's not been in the area that long so we wanted to get to
know it better) We went to a little garden and saw a few lizards. On Wednesday we went down to the city to a new missionary training meeting at the
Kangaroo Point chapel (which is the one right next to the temple). We walked
from the train station along the river and it was a lovely walk, probably the
hottest it's been so far. We saw loads of water Lizards just sitting there and
Elder Taufa (who is training Elder Reiri) tried to catch one. The
meeting got me fired up a little.
Someone asked if I'm in Sunshine Coast? I'm a
couple of hours south. It's also only a 30 minute drive from the city. About
the weather the summer is actually the rainy season so it's pretty humid most of
the time. Today we're going to play lazer tag and theres not a cloud in the sky
so it's pretty hot. I thought I'd lost my sunglasses this week but I found them in
my bag this morning :P.
We taught Michelle this week who turns out to have a 23 year old son with Angelman syndrome. I think thats what its called, its like a severe brain damage so he
can hardly talk and he's wheelchair bound. The first lesson went well so we're
seeing her this Tuesday. In district meeting Elder Richards and I taught an awesome
roleplay of the Restoration, but theres still alot to get better at.
31 Jan
It was raining last week quite heavily for a time and parts of Burpengary
had an evacuation warning. We didn't though - it'll be really unlikely our flat is
actually flooded. Rain here is so much nicer as it's warm although if it doesnt
rain the day after it gets sooooo muggy. Apparently it's forecast to rain for the
next couple of weeks but not as bad. It was only light rain this morning and I
think it's stopped now.
My exercise consists of push ups. We played touch rugby on P-day with most of the zone. It
was great fun and I met alot of cool missionaries. These are the members of my district - Elder Taufa, Elder Reiri, Elder Caby, Elder
Stuart and then of course the ones I've mentioned who are in my flat. Elder Richards is a good missionary,
he is teaching me a lot.
Our washing machine broke :/ but it'll be all good. Thanks about
the journal I am trying to keep it. I made notes in a training meeting by Elder
Person of the seventy, so they will be of great value.
The missionary work continues to progress, I'm getting to know the members
of the ward, which is a great blessing. I met the Bishop and his family for the first time yesterday as he had been on a buisness trip to New
Zealand. They are a great family. Me and Elder
Richards are also slowly trawling through some less actives and former
investigators. We found a lady called Miriam from central America who we think
will accept the gospel. She also has two children. I am so grateful that the Lord has
blessed me with health, as we do quite a lot of walking when it's not our car
day, which reminds me of a time last week when I was on Trade off's with Elder Wallace. We walked for ages, but I did not faint. but when we got back to the
flat I felt as though I couldn't have walked any further. The Lord keeps his
promises for keeping the word of wisdom (run and not be weary, walk and not
faint). The work is sometimes difficult but I feel blessed to be here. When Elder Richards and I were tracting, one lady was
interested. We told her who we were and the message we share and asked if that
would be something she'd be interested in (people nearly always say not really or
try to dodge) but this woman just said plainly and boldy YES! We were taken
aback a little but that day was one of the days we'd prayed specifically to find
someone. Heavenly Father certainly answers prayers.
Send my love to the branch. "Onward, ever
onward as we glory in his name. Onward, ever onward as we glory in his name.
Forward, pressing forward as a triumph song we sing God our strength will be,
press forward ever called to serve our king!" (Hymn no. 249)
23 Jan
My area is called centenary lakes but we actually live in the Burbengary area
cos we're with the District Leaders. I'm in the Brisbane North Zone and I stay
around Brisbane while I'm being trained which is two transfers. My companion is Elder Richards. This first week has been kinda quiet on the
missionary front as on the first day (Thursday) we had a District meeting in the
morning, and some appointments fell through in the afternoon but we did go and
meet a recent convert and we talk with her and got a teaching appointment from
her sister. On the Friday it was weekly planning so that takes up the whole
morning, then we had to go into Brisbane to the
office to pick up a form then drive back out to get it signed which ate up our
time and we had to ask for more K's (km for the car). I'm in a
shared car area so we have the car every other day. Our area is huge. We'll be using the trains quite a bit so I need to get
a GO card (which is like the queensland version of an oyster card).
I'm learning lots including that this is absolutely nothing like my
missionary experience I had in England. The Centenary Lakes ward seems cool. We had a dinner
appointment with the second councillor and his family and on Sunday we had a meal appointment
with an English family. I had
probably my first and last Cornish pasty in australia. They were home made and
delicious. They kept feeding us carrot cake. The district leader is called Elder Webster and his companion is called Elder
Wallace. I went on trade offs with Elder Wallace on Saturday and that was
really good but I learned not to got tracting without suncream. Oh and I've put
on weight! I dont know how much cos we dont have scales but I can tell.
