Monday was such a good day. After we emailed we went to a
park and played sports and ate food with the rest of the zone. It was a lot of
fun and I finally have faces to all the names I've been hearing. After p-day we
went and saw Camila, Zaia, and their daughter Ornina. They're amazing! They're
from Syria and are super excited to read the Book of Mormon. Ornina is the only
one who speaks fluent English, so she had to translate into Arabic for her
parents, but they're all so lovely. Then we went to see a less active member,
but when we knocked on the door, six Iraqis answered (None of them were Siosifa
whom we were looking for)! They're Muslim but they let us in and let
us get to know them and it was really fun. They spoke absolutely NO
English, so we had a really good chat via a translating application on their
phones. haha. The only English they could say was, "American Sister,
pretty face." I was pretty flattered, and apparently I blushed a lot
because they wanted to take a picture to remember how "my face
changed colors." Haha. I love them.
Tuesday was good as well! We were at the train station and
this guy and I were talking about religion then all of the sudden he asked,
"So, do you have a boyfriend or anything?" And I said, "No. As
missionaries we don't date." And he said, "Oh, well I'm looking for a
really nice girl, but not you because you're a missionary." Haha. Then all
of the sudden he wasn't interested in religion anymore. Weird how that works...
But he had already given me his number so the Elders can be his friend. Then we
met Helen! She's from Fiji and she is having a really rough time. She had a
baptismal date over a year ago but then she went to Fiji for a few months and
the sisters never saw her again. But we found her! And her life kind of stinks,
but that's okay! The atonement is real and she can use it! We had a lesson with
Lee as well and then another lesson with Mary. Heaps of lessons and it was just
a good day! Sister Sekete broke the chain off of her bike when we were biking
home so I taught her how to rechain a bike. That was a party.
Wednesday was mad. We walked an hour to see a potential and
he wasn't interested and blew us off! BUT his wife and mother-in-law welcomed
us in and we had a really good chat and lesson on faith. They're so awesome and
they loved the first vision! So we have a return appointment with them. They're
super excited to read the Book of Mormon as well, especially Alma 32. We had a
lesson with Lin Lin and then a lesson with Kathy. Both super lovely ladies,
just working on keeping commitments. We had splits and I went with Sister
Papalii. Oh my gosh, what a riot! I have never laughed so hard in my life.
Samoans.... They're just good for your soul.
Thursday started off good! Instead of exercising, I taught
Sister Eddie how to ride a bike! That was interesting and I have a nice bruise
on my leg from trying to be her training wheels. Haha. I now understand a
portion of the patience parents must have... But it was so much fun! We had
another lesson with Mike and it was crazy! His whole countenance has changed!
he was yearning to know the answers to his questions, and he was searching for
the answers in the Book of Mormon! It was so good! We had dinner and a lesson
with the Mafoas as well and I just adore them... Speaking of people I adore,
I've been getting sick, and Thursday was especially unpleasant, but we had
appointments so I didn't have time to be sick. So I felt like crap, and
Australian chemists are super confusing, and I don't know any members well
enough here for me to feel comfortable talking to them about being sick. I
wanted a nap, I wanted my mom, I wanted to be in a country where I
understood what medicine did what! So we were walking into the flat
and I thought, "Hey, I should check the mail." Even though I was 90%
certain no one had written me, and there was a little package from Katrina
Stewart! And it had a letter and giraffe socks in it! And I'll tell ya, I could
have just cried. God is so aware of us. He is aware of our needs and our
struggles. And He always shows us that He cares! And sometimes He shows that
love through a beautiful woman from the Wollongong ward you miss and a
pair of giraffe socks.
Friday was good. We had Zone Training and it was most
excellent. Then we were walking to an appointment afterwards and this guy ran
up to me and said, "Sister! I'm dying! I need help." Apparently he's
a junkie and wants to be in an addiction recovery program and someone had
mentioned our church does a free one! So he was out looking for a member! Kind
of cool. We had a lesson with Isabella and she had heaps of questions, which
was so good! We also had a lesson with Sister Anastasia and that was so fun. I
love getting to know members! She's pretty great. We went home for dinner, and
I felt even sicker than I had been the previous day, so we were debating
whether or not to stay in for the rest of the night... It was 8pm
and we didn't have any set appointments, so it wouldn't have been a big deal,
right? Wrong! I had a second breath, and we went out! I wasn't about to have a
sick day for an hour. So we went to the train station and we met Courtney! This
incredible 17 year old who has been wondering if God is there and was just
waiting for a train. The Lord blesses obedience! We have an appointment with
her this next week.
Sat-day (Aussies shorten every word)! We had a lesson with
Bronwyn in the morning and that was good. We tried seeing heaps of people but
no one wanted to be home apparently. But we did have a lesson with Shelley! We
also had a lesson with Julie... Apparently people have been calling us a cult
and she's been freaking out and she just laid out all of these concerns! So we
said, "Have you asked God if Joseph Smith is a true prophet?" And she
hadn't, so she knelt down right then and there and asked. Then after her
prayer, she was quiet for a few moments, and she looked me in the eyes and
said, "All I keep hearing is 'He is a prophet, he is a prophet.' "
BEAUTIFUL! She's going to pray more, but she has her answer, now she just needs
to act on it.
Sunday was so good! We had meetings in the morning and they
were just fantastic. The Bishop here really wants members to get involved in
the work! I love it. I gave a talk in sacrament meeting... It went well I
think. I talked about faith and how we need to constantly be increasing our
faith and acting on it. Tad R Callister said, "Every time we exercise
faith, we invite miracles." And the world is in need of some miracles!
After church we tried seeing heaps of people but no one was home or interested
for the first hour or so. But then we had a lesson with Kathy and we're going
to get her started on Family History so that when she is ready to go to the
temple, she can take family names! And then we had a lesson with Vera, a less
active member from Sweden. She is such a riot. If I'm still here for Christmas,
I'm taking over hot chocolate, because we both think it's ridiculous that Christmas
is in the summer here. haha.
It was a crazy week! We have so many new investigators and
it is so good to see the work moving forward. God is good and he is preparing
people! We're going to find them.
Have a beautiful week,
Sister Danielle Laree Stott
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