Missionary Work Down Under: Week 11 - Kalgoorlie, Australia - October 26, 2015

Some wallabies in the Bush - a momma and her joey.

SUP FAM:) I love reading all of your letters! They mean so much to me:) Twas a good week here in Kal. Just beasting it daily, kicking into mule mode and getting the work done:) IDK If I told you in the last letter, but I named my new bike Nemo and I take good care of him with this massive 60$ lock we bought. If you leave anything out, including cars, bikes, motorcycles, scooters....they will be gone within 5 minutes guaranteed. The people (I'm sure not everyone..just the punks) just steal things when they see them. haha So we were walking this street and this group of 14 year old boys start laughing at us and saying that they know where our bike is. Man, it's pretty annoying because my comp and I could have easliy taken the group of 10 but we just kept walking....obviously.

We have been working with a man named G who claims to be an atheist but was raised in a Christian home. He is one of those people who just let us come around because he thinks we are cool and he likes talking to us, but this last week we went by and chatted for a while and asked him if we could show him a mormon message. I carry around a ton of them on a flash drive. He agreed so we plugged it in and I couldn't find the one I wanted to show so I just clicked on this random one that I had never seen thinking that it was the one. So we just watched that one....AND of course it was EXACTLY what he needed to hear. It was absolutely powerful. You could not have walked into that room and said that it didn't feel unique.....I shared with him my testimony and I know for a FACT he cannot deny that he felt something that he has never felt before. Cool experience! God really does want ALL of his children to return to him! For some it needs to be a slow progression. We also met with a lot of our investigators and potentials. It's hard to find people who actually have the ability and self control to change their ways....Addiction is the poison of the people here in various forms, but we met with a man from Paupau, New Guinea named K. Elder Jensen got to give a large portion of the Restoration which was a good experience for him and he was smiling from ear to ear for the day.

I gave training this last Tuesday for district meeting and started it off with a story about me and King Louie (a nickname for Matthew, his younger brother).... man I didn't even think anything of it but the minute I started talking about him the tears just came....man, I miss him! I seriously think often what would Matthew do in this situation because he was always the Christ-like example I needed. But the training went well. The spirit comes most strongly when you testify of things that you know and feel very deeply. Being set apart to be representatives of Christ, and living our lives the way we do every day truly does make us different than anyone else. People don't know why they feel the way they do around us but they just keep inviting us back because of the way we make them feel. I know that this can be lost quickly so I strive daily to be the missionary that is different from the rest.

Something President Fife taught us this last week was this, he said, "Elders, when it boils down to it we have to have miracles. This is the only way that people can come unto Christ is through miracles." He encouraged us to pray more specifically and more often. I know that the God of this world is a God of miracles. I read it in the Book of Mormon this morning and felt the truthfulness of it. He isn't afraid to show forth his power but we do have to live worthily of it and he also wants to mold me into what I need to become. I am learning to trust in the Lord's timing. Some days I don't see the Lord's hand helping us out as much but the minute I start to search for him and his help in the work, I can always see the blessings and the guidance.

I love being a missionary and I love Kalgoorlie. It is getting hotter and hotter but "since when did that matter" - famous quote by Pres Fife... What else can I tell you....We invited like 8 investigators to the baptism on Friday..(the other elders baptized a member's 9 year old) but none of them came:( I guess we will go see what their excuse is tomorrow...I was pretty bold with this less active guy from New Zealand and told him he needs to bring his family back to church but he didn't come either.....I love the members though. Our ward is pretty much a mini New Zealand. I love you all! Have an amazing week! I challenge you all to tame the natural man within you in some way this week!

Love Eldah Cordnah

^^^^^^that's how they pronounce my name here.

ps... sounds like my other half in Brazil is doing just great! My prayers and love go out to you Kenzi:) love you!