29 Jan 2018 Letter

This week has been yet again so busy but good. We saw lots of miracles when we did park and embark (a car fast day) on Australia Day. We biked and trained around our area and surpassed our goal of talking to 40 people and talked to 50+! People were so much friendlier, it was awesome. I have been discovering that that is my mission, to talk to everyone about my purpose at all times, even when it is exhausting. I can never know when someone who needs my message will be in my path and it is impossible to judge who will accept it and who won't.

Matthew is doing pretty good progressing towards his baptismal date, but is still struggling to completely give up coffee and tea. I am confident, still, that he will reach his date because he is starting to understand the why. Helping him and other investigators understand the commandments and why we have them, has strengthened my testimony of living them, and the great blessings they have brought to my life and my family's. I am no longer apologetic as I teach about them, because as I teach with boldness, our investigators are able to understand the faith that we have of these commandments and how they have helped to strengthen our faith. We just want them to have the blessings we have, that is what missionary work is!

Things are going great, hope they are for you too.

Love,

Sister Pace

pics

1-biking on Australia Day (Jan 26th!)

2-cute Blundell kids in our ward

3-5 MacArthur Zone Conference pics

22 Jan 2018 Letter

G'day all,

This week was wonderful. Sister Monilla and I are always so busy, Heavenly Father has blessed us with so many amazing things happening! Matthew's baptismal date has been pushed back to February 18th so that he has more time to give up coffee, tea, and alcohol. He is already more committed though. We fasted with him yesterday so that he can have the strength and determination to. 

One of our investigators, Deon, is also on date now for February 10th. We will have to push it back because he had an emergency yesterday and was in the hospital so he was not able to come to church. Satan likes to throw these little obstacles. Deon is so humble and prepared though.

I had the privilege of going on a trade-off with Sister Yanez, a brand new missionary from New Zealand who has been in the field for 2 weeks. She is amazing and is already such a smart missionary after only two weeks! She taught me probably more than I did her. We did the trade-off in Mittagong, my old area, which was a privilege!

While there ,we had the chance to see, and do a scripture study with the Snell's: Patrice and her mom. Patrice is a CTR teacher and Sister Snell is the 1st counselor in primary. They are enjoying their callings and still going to the temple, which was amazing to see!

I also found out that Paul, another recent convert whom we taught, does not live in the same house anymore, but is healthy and well after a finding out that he had cancer and having some major operations soon after I left the area, so that is a tender mercy.

So many miracles happen every day.  I am so grateful to be in a wonderful area with a wonderful companion, where we are able to work really hard every day!

Besides Matthew, another investigator, Pamela, came to church for the first time yesterday and had a great experience. So did our neighbor, Simon, a really sweet man with special needs who came to church as well.

Life is good and Christ lives! He is at the Head of our work, I see it every day! Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Sister Pace

pics: Trade-offs in Mittagong with Sister Yanez, visiting Patrice and Sister Snell

3-Cute Sis Monilla and I

4-Got to see Sis Burgess at MLC!

15 January 2018 Letter

Hello all! 

So I got transferred to DAPTO WARD! I am serving on the coast next to the ocean! It was unexpected because I have already served in this very same district. It is the neighboring ward to Mittagong Branch. Both are in the MacArthur stake. The Lord and President Bingham seem to just be jumping me back and forth from Canberra stake to MacArthur stake, but I'm not complaining, it is BEAUTIFUL here. It's just funny because I was called to the Australia Sydney South Mission and I have never served in Sydney.... I am just what they call a permanent "bush missionary".

Even more exciting than the fact that I am serving in Datpto ward though is the fact that I am companions with THE Sister Monilla AGAIN! I was companions with her just a couple transfers ago in Tuggeranong and I have now followed her here to Dapto! I don't know how I am so blessed, she is the best!

Here is what I wrote to President Bingham, which sums up a bit of our week:

Dear President,

This week has been so great! I love being here in Dapto with Sister Monilla. She is so awesome and I feel so privileged to be able to work with her again.  I love that she is exactly obedient and so organized with everything. We are really getting things done!

Heavenly Father blessed us with so many miracles this week, as He always does when we are doing our all we can to fulfill His work well. One of our investigators, Matthew, is now on date for baptism on the 27th of January! He is originally from South Africa and he is so cool. He is really smart and has been Christian his whole life I think. He knows a lot about The Bible. He is so humble and willing to keep commitments. We are excited to finish the lessons with him and help him be completely prepared to make this wonderful, sacred covenant. (So keep him in your prayers please!)

Everything else is going good. We have had heaps of miracles as we have been diligently opening our mouths at every opportunity. We have found a lot of potentials through that. We are excited to follow up on them.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve here with Sister Monilla. It is already turning out to be a miraculous transfer!

Love,

Sister Pace

Pictures:  Above, Together again! with Sister Monilla

Below:  All my Filipina loves!

 Together again!

 And some pictures from the past couple weeks:
Belinda!  A member I will miss a lot because I followed her from Belconnen Ward at the beginning of my mission to Tuggeranong ward now!

Christmas Breakfast at the Anderson's:

 Last DTM:

 Last day with Sister Haretuku:
 More pictures of Melody's Baptism:

8 January 2018 Letter

This week was a stressful one, but also an amazing one. We spent a lot of time in doing the necessary things to happen before Melody's baptism. The situation got stressful when the last few lessons kept getting delayed by Satan. On Friday, the day before the baptism, we went around with the Anderson's, so they could help us teach her the last lesson. Melody was angry because we still had another lesson to complete before her interview. She thought we didn't trust that she could be baptized and that is why we had to do more lessons. She wanted to call it off for a minute there and we were just praying and praying to know what to do and say because she seemed inconsolable and I didn't even know what to do.

I now have a firm testimony of the power of prayer. I know that we were not the only ones praying for her, both then and the whole day leading up to the visit, to be able to overcome the last few obstacles Satan would put in her path to do all he could to keep her from being baptized. All the prayers worked because we just continued to love her and comfort her, then eventually she calmed down and let us finish the last lesson. I know that it only happened because she was ready and Heavenly Father knew she was, so he gave all of us the words to say.

It is such a privilege to get to be the instruments in The Lord's hands to bring about His great work. I feel so blessed that He has allowed Sister Haretuku and I to take part in miracles every day! He is so good to us!

I found out yesterday morning that I am being transferred:(  I am sad to leave, but Both Sister H and I were expecting it. I also feel excited to start another adventure and grateful that Heavenly Father blessed us with a HUGE miracle to finish my experience here. Don't know where I am going yet so stay tuned.

Melody is so solid and I am so excited to hear about the blessings that will continue to come into her life and to her kids from being baptized.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to serve in Canberra again, especially in Tuggeranong ward, which really grew on me and now I am so sad to say goodbye. I am also so grateful for the privilege of serving with and learning from Sister Haretuku. She has really helped me realize more of my full potential this past transfer.

I am excited for whatever the coming transfers bring!

Love,

Sister Pace

Some of my favorite members: 

Ernest and Lola:

Sister Tan:

Melody's Baptism:

30 December 2017 Letter

It was an amazing week! Christmas was so good and relaxing! And then getting to google chat my whole family on Boxing Day was THE BEST! 

Yesterday was probably the most miraculous day of my entire mission. At the beginning of the transfer, Sister Haretuku and I set goals that would stretch us this transfer but that we truly believed we could reach with the Lord's help. Throughout the transfer, we realized we were reaching a lot of them but falling short in the sacrament meeting and baptized and confirmed ones. We have been doing everything we can to boost these the past couple weeks. We knew that none of our 3 investigators on date for baptism would be able to be baptized this transfer transfer because they have not been to church three weeks in a row. The only one was our investigator Melody, a former investigator we recently picked up, who has been really consistent the past couple weeks. We went into our lesson yesterday, not sure whether or not she would be ready to accept a baptismal date yet, as she wanted to take things slower this time. Our member Sister Tan came with us and really helped her to understand that she doesn't know everything, but she knows enough. Miraculously, Melody accepted a baptismal date for next Saturday, January 6th, right before the transfer ends! I know that Heavenly Father really helps us reach our goals, or get much closer than we could have on our own when we are following the spirit in setting them, and then doing all that we possibly can to reach them. He is amazing and so good to all of us!

That was the biggest miracle I wanted to share this week. I am so grateful that The Lord allows us imperfect missionaries to do His perfect work, and just make things work out. I am so grateful for the experiences I have had in Tuggeranong thus far.

Have a happy new year!

Love,

Sister Pace

pics:

1) (Above):  Us and Jae, a new YSA in our ward, on Christmas Eve:)

2) Christmas breakfast with the Canberra Zone at Elder and Sister Anderson's house:

 3) Christmas banana grams:

 4) A hilarious christmas present we got from a member!

5) Zone gift exchange: I got a golden snitch fidget spinner!

Google chatting on Christmas Day with the family (Australia,Texas, and Nevada):

23 December 2017 Letter

All is well here, it has been a really busy week! I loved the Christmas conference we had with half of our mission this week! We had some really good trainings in the morning then just a fun afternoon. We got to watch Moana!!! Oh my gosh so good! It was so funny watching it with a bunch of islander missionaries, haha. We have had lots of miracles this week, even in the midst of the busy Christmas time.

 
We went to Cooma and Nimmitabel this week and taught a potential named Jez for the second time so he is now an investigator down there! He is really cool guy probably in his 60's. He wants to come to Christmas sacrament meeting even though it is an hour and a half away for him. We pray he does! He agreed to be baptized should he continue to feel good about it!

Piripi and Melody are still progressing and doing good.

 
I have loved this Christmas season and the greater love that we feel from all those around us. It's the best! I especially love being on my mission for a second Christmas in a row because it has really helped me prioritize what really matters in this joyful season, Jesus Christ and drawing closer to and giving to Him.

Have a wonderful Christmas!

Love,
Sister Pace

Pics:

1- (above) - Sister Burgess and I holding a drawing of Jesus someone drew for our training:)

     Christmas Conference!

2- "For unto us a Child is bored" we probably laughed harder than was necessary about this while             writing on Christmas cards.

 3- Us with Prez and Sis Bingham:

4- Getting ready to watch Moana with some of my best friends and fellow sister missionaries! I

   got to see some sisters I haven't seen in a while!

5-Sister Mariner, who goes home to Samoa in 2 weeks:(

6- Sister Monilla!

[The Christmas Card Emmalynn sent home]:

18 December 2017 Letter

Merry Christmas week!

It has been a great week! Some of the highlights included making contact with a former investigator again that we dropped at the beginning of last transfer, Melody. She just needed some space for a while, and apparently it was a sufficient amount of time because when we "ran into her" at an activity with the youth, she was happy to see us and said that we can start visiting again. She came to church on Sunday! We are hopeful to put on date for baptism when we visit her this week so that she can start progressing toward that again. That was a huge miracle. 

Piripi, our 11 year old investigator came to church again and is on track to be baptised on January 6th.

I think the main thing we need to focus on now is his inactive mum, Tracy, and helping her understand the part she will need to play in helping him keep his baptismal covenant.

Sister Haretuku and I had a wonderful companionship inventory this week where we figured out how we can have better communication in our companionship and help each other to be happy. I am grateful for her humility and willingness work through challenges and to work smart.

 
Things are good and we have been able to receive a few referrals from members lately too, which is awesome! We love doing the "member lesson" with them, which means we do a role play with them pretending to be one of their friends who doesn't have the gospel. It helps them see that their friends and family really would benefit from hearing even a simple principle of the gospel.

Well, out of time, have a Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Love,

Sister Pace

Also, thank you so so so so so so much for the package! Sister Haretuku and  I opened our socks and love them! You are so cute and give the best gifts! I especially love the "sisters of Zion" necklace you sent, so pretty! I am saving the other wrapped things for Christmas:) I love the disposable cookbook too! I have been needing one of those! Sister Yuen is jealous and wants one too, I will have to see if I can photocopy one. You are both the best of the best. Expect a Christmas card in the mail soon I am sending it today.  I want to send a package too but might not be for a couple weeks. Love and appreciate you both SOOOOOOOOO MUCH!

Pictures:

1- (above) Evone's kids and I:  the royal family

2- Cooma

3- a picture in a picture:)

4- after getting caught in a down pour

5-6 - with Sister Haretuku

7- We got special permission to go visit a member, Grace, from Ginninderra ward that I taught when I was there. We went with Sister Loney and then two other members, Joy and her daughter Pristine came by when we were there so it was a happy reunion:)

8- Cooma!