Wonders from the Land Down Under

27 Feb. 17 Letter

This week has been a really good one! We saw so many miracles and received lots of tender mercies. The highlights include:

Stuart's baptism: the elders in Belconnen ward have been working with him for years. He is the best and was finally baptized on Saturday night. Our potential investigator, Ali, came to the baptism! Ali found us after we talked to his friend, Korosh. They are both from Persia. Ali called us like right after we met Korosh wanting to learn more and have a Persian Book of Mormon! Heavenly Father really blesses us with tender mercies when we work hard and are obedient! After, we taught Ali the Gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end). We usually start teaching people with the restoration but he was confused about baptism and it was good to teach about it directly after he had just witnessed one. At the end of the lesson we asked if he would follow Jesus Christ’s example and be baptized if he came to know for himself if it was true, and he said he would. We are so excited about Ali! We usually refer to him a Prince Ali (not in front of him), and Aladdin songs are sung regularly around the flat.

-Ali and two other investigators, Facree and Bree (lots of e's) all came to sacrament meeting! Facree is an older Arabic man, he is so cute! He doesn't speak very good English, so it is hard communicating with him. We only were able to teach him one lesson so far, and it only worked because his son-in-law could translate. We are not really sure how to proceed with him so if anyone knows a member who speaks Arabic that we could Skype into lessons let me know lol. Bree has been learning about the church for a long time. His partner’s family, (the Amosa’s) are strong in the church but he is not. We have Family Home Evenings with her at the Amosa’s almost every Monday night. Recently her house burnt down which has been really hard for her and her two daughters. The church has been a big help to her through it all though-- so she has been coming to sacrament meeting almost every week. I think she knows it’s true but she doesn’t believe that she can change. We are going to start meeting with her at her new house now as well so we can help her more personally than at the FHE’s.

-We had a missionary work themed sacrament meeting in Ginninderra ward yesterday. One of our less active YSA, Paita, gave a really good talk on her conversion story and how she needs to continually be converted. Brother Loney gave a great talk as well, as did Elder Jensen, one of the YSA missionaries in the stake. All of the 7 of the full-time missionaries in Ginninderra ward plus the 5 YSA missionaries did a musical number. There were twelve of us singing the EFY medley “As Sisters in Zion-Bring the World His Truth”. I think it was pretty powerful and encouraging to the ward to see so many missionaries that they have at their access to strengthen our ward. I feel like good things are coming in the coming weeks and months in the Canberra Stake, and I’m excited to be an important part of it!

-I have been feeling a lot of support and appreciating from our wards lately, especially our awesome ward mission leaders. It is good to know that our work is bringing about something good, and I see that happening as we are bringing more investigators to church and are helping them progress towards baptism.

I have been praying a lot this week to have patience and to overcome my pride as Sister Nilsson and I try to work through minor differences that keep us from being completely unified. I think it is working and it has been a humbling process so far. I love and admire Sister Nilsson so much and I’m glad that we are able to work through little things like this.

God is so good and His way is always the best way and the winning team.

Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Sister Pace

Pictures:

(Above): We had dinner with the Vuki Family the other night. They are the ones who have 7 daughters, 1 son, and they feed us HUGE plates of watermelon after HUGE meals. I always hurt after.