Everything is Double I mean Awesome!

G'day!

WOW okay, so much news. So last tuesday was transfer meeting and there has been a lot of changes!!! Sister Rooarii was transferred up to DARWIN! I am excited for her, but I also feel bad because it is going to be SO hot to be up there for the summer.

There has been changes to my area. I am quite sure I mentioned that the other Sisters in my district were both transferred so we thought they were closing Christie's Beach area. But NO. This is how the transfer information went:

I am sitting there, my heart beating so fast no idea what to expect. The AP annouces,

"Serving as the Onkaparinga District Sisters are Sister Coultrup, who will finish the training of Sister Reyes, Sister Vaitaiki will also join them."

I stood up with my two other companions we looked at eachother and I just said, "WOW" out loud. I meant to say it in my head but I was so shocked! I am now in a trio, still training. Sister Vaitaiki was in Christie's Beach, she just finished her training. She is from Tonga. Sister Reyes is from the Philipeans, I will be finishing her training, her first area was Darwin. We are now the district sisters. We are in TWO wards, Onkaparinga and Happy Valley. Our area is MASSIVE now. We are so busy. We go to two services on Sunday, two ward councils, two corolation meetings, everything is double! I am still in shock and we are all still trying to figure out just how this will work. But I LOVE my companions! I was already really good friends with Sister V, we get along so well. Sister Reyes is so sweet and we all have a blast together and our lessons are great. At first I was nervous to be put in to a trio because I have always heard they don't work, but we all bonded immediately! 

We have all been trying to get to know the people. I am getting to know Onkaparinga, Sister V is getting to know Happy Valley and Sister Reyes is getting to know everyone haha.

This week we had a fantastic lesson with one of our investigators. We had our ward mission leader and his wife come to the lesson. We asked our investigator to pray and ask whether or not he should be baptized. So we all knelt down and he said a beautiful, very long prayer. And we all just sat there afterwards and just felt the spirit. He said he felt very peaceful and happy, but wants to continue praying. It was a wonderful expereience.

This week my scripture for ponderizing is 2 Nephi 16:8

"Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying: whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then I said: Here am I; send me."

I chose this scripture because I came across it in my morning study today. It really spoke to me. That is how I felt, I have always wanted to serve a mission and if the Lord would have me I would go. Here I am now, serving in Australia. I love it here. I love being a missionary, I love being able to help people in anyway and help them understand their true identity. We are all children of God. Heavenly Father loves us and knows us by name. This is my simple testimony.

A member bought me maple syrup. Because I am Canadian. That was nice! Also Sister V is a pro at braiding hair. I have attached pictures :-)

I love you all, have a wonderful week and HAPPY HALLOWEEN :-) mwahahahahhaha.

Sister Coultrup

--

Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup

Australia Adelaide Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

God is mindful of each of his children

G'day!

This week has been all ups and downs!

First off we had a few little miracles I would like to share!
We went to drop by one of our investigators, we were walking up her driveway when she opened the door and excalimed, "God answered my prayer! I prayed to Him this morning and asked if He could send my Mormon Sisters to me today and you came!" We had a lovely visit and lesson with her. It was nice to see her recognize a prayer being answered and I was glad we followed the promptings of the Spirit and saw her our of the blue. 

In the same day we went to visit a less active who we have tried to see 4 times this past transfer and everytime she was on the phone and couldn't speak to us. We thought, okay let's just go try one more time. We went by and she answered the door. She was very upset and proceeded to tell us she just got some very bad news about her health. She said she can't speak to us now but will in the coming weeks when she is ready. She said I know God is there because every time I decide to pray, you rock up on my doorstep the same day.
God is mindful of each of His Children and their situations. It is the best feeling to be able to see that we are doing the Lord's work and we truly are instruments in His hands.

We found two new investigators this week! The work is going well. I am grateful to Heavenly Father for helping me along. I really would not be able to do this work without his support. One of our investigators moved back to China today though, which is sad. I have attached a picture of her and I. 

Last Pday we went to Victor Harbour... again. I LOVE IT! I would move to Victor Harbour. The Sisters and I went shopping along the harbour shops and then we joined the Elders and went on a hike up a bluff. It was such a beautiful hike. Australia is gorgeous. I hope you enjoy the photos. Also the Christie's Beach Sisters came over (they are in our district) and we filmed a little dance sequence to an EFY song. It was so funny, nice to just have some fun.

Sister Rooarii have started to find spiders in our flat... Every day there is a new one or two. Beacause it is getting warmer they are coming out more.. Help... We always get the broom and attack haha. 

We got transfer information this morning and it came as quite a shock. I am remaining in Aberfoyle Park, but Sister Rooarii is leaving! Noooo! So sad! I only just got her! There were a lot of changes to our district too, so I look forward to finding out what is going on at the transfer meeting tomorrow.

This following week should be interesting! The start to a new transfer with a new companion, again! Let's see how it goes!

Love you all,

Sister Coultrup

Some Picture explanations:

  

Picture in the cave - Spot Elder Skadins aka Gollum

Squishy face with Recent Convert

--

Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup

Australia Adelaide Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Ponderize

G'day everyone,

This week has been great! We have had many blessings!

We had two of our investigators come to General Conference this weekend. The first one came to the morning session on Saturday and she loved it! She took lots of notes and when we talked with her afterwards she was beaming and couldn't tell us quick enough everything that she learned. The second investigator (our African one) came and he brought his brother! They come from a family of 11! They are all so kind to us and we hope that they will be open to discussions as well. We will see how it goes.

The weather here is warming up. A lot. It is summer weather for back home. High 20s. It is beautiful but I know this will not last, that it is the calm before the storm where it goes into the High 30s. I think I will come home a puddle of Sister Coultrup, I can't handle the heat!  

We followed up with a potential this week and she set up an appointment to see us this following week. She is a mum of 3 children. Can't wait to teach her. She is so lovely. It is always exciting when we find new people to help. All the hard work pays off.

I loved General Conference this weekend. I wanted to bring my note book and share some of the things I liked the most but I forgot to bring it to the library! Arg! Sorry! But I will share what I remember off the top of my head.

The first one. I loved the "PONDERIZE" talk! Each week we should pick a scripture, read it, memorize it and ponder on it throughout the week. I have taken up the challenge and this week my scripture is 1 Nephi 15:24:

"And I said unto them that it was the word of God: and whoso would hearken unto the word of God, and would hold fast unto it, they would never perish; neither could the temptations or fiery darts of the adversary overpower them unto blindness, to lead them away to destruction."

I loved Elder Hollands talk for a few reasons. When he spoke about a Mothers love I cried and thought of my Mum. I loved the line that went something like: "A mothers love is divine." Beautiful.

I learned a lot about keeping the Sabbath Day holy. That is something the Apostles (aka Jesus Christ) is really focussing on right now. It is in the 10 commandments. We are promised so many blessings from keeping the Sabbath Day holy and I know it can be hard but it is all worth it in the end.

I loved the talk directed towards the YSA about university and just things to look forward to. It really gave me a lot of insight into things for after my mission. 

In the General Woman's Conference I loved President Uchtdorf's talk! That was lovely. He told the story of Old Aunt Rose and the little girl. We need to be postive and look forwards with a brightness of hope.

Anyways that is all for now. I love you all so much and I hope you have a great week. Next week is transfers! Woo hoo!

Love,

Sister Coultrup

--

Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup

Australia Adelaide Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Golden Investigators and Tons of Pics

G'day!

Sorry you didn't receive an email on Monday. It was Labour Day and everything was closed so we didn't get to email. Then yesterday was so hectic there was no time to email so, here I am on Wednesday finally emailing!

We had a really good week. We got to see a lot of our investigators. One of them, from Africa came to a Missionary Fireside on Sunday. I was SO pleased. He has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and loves reading and studying it, it is just a struggle to get him to commit to church. The fireside was the next best thing. He came and loved it, I loved it too, it was great, it was all focussed on Jesus Christ being "a poor wayfaring man of grief". The best part is after the Fireside our investigator found one of his really good friends from school there! His friend is a recent convert also from Africa and they have been in Australia around the same time. They both didn't have any clue about eachother being involved with the church. I am so glad that he now has a built in friend in the gospel. 

 

 We saw another one of our investigators this week. We went with her to visit her Mum who lives in an age care building. Her Mum is unwell so she was so pleased that we would take time out to visit her. We also had a lovely lesson. She as well, loves the Book of Mormon. She has been reading and finding comfort and wisdom within its pages. She bought Sister Rooarii and I presents as well, also made us bracelets. It was so sweet, she said that we are her angels and wanted us to remember her when we leave and go back to Canada and Tahiti. It warmed my heart to have her thank us, it made me happy to know I have made someone else happy, even if it is just in the slightest.  

We received a referral from the office on Monday and they set up and appointment for us the following day. We went to visit this couple who are interested in the church and it was a great lesson! The spirit was so strong. Tears were shed and smiles were shared. I am so grateful to have met them and that I can be apart of this new journey in their life. They are so kind, humble and willing to learn. Golden investigators! And they have a best friend who is a member, which is who got them interested in the first place. Members and Missionaries need to work together "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." We need to align our will with God's will and seek to help our Brothers and Sisters find the gospel. Everyone needs it, whether they know it or not. It is such a blessing to be apart of the gospel of Jesus Christ and be involved in this great and marvelous work. It is the work of angels and it leads people to eternal joy with their eternal families. 

Now I will talk about my two Pdays we had last week and this week. Last week we had a zone BBQ at Hallet Cove Beach. It is the only beach in the mission where missionaries are allowed to go. I was beyond pleased to go to a beach! It was sooo beautiful, which you will see in pictures. We had a nice BBQ and threw around the American Football. Sister Rooarii and I went on a little hike around this park next to it. Stunning. I love Australia, I feel so blessed to have been sent here. This Monday we went to Victor Harbour's wildlife park. First I want to say how much I love Victor Harbour! It is a small town, but I would live there. It is gorgeous! I got to pet and feew Kangaroo's, hold a python and pet a Koala :-) It was 36 degrees though and we walked around all day. I thought I was going to disappear in a puff of smoke. I have never been in such awful heat in my life! It was windy too, but it was not a cooling wind, it was HOT and just made everything worse! But other than the weather I thoroughly enjoyed myself! The kangaroos just jump around freely and they come up to you and sometimes climb up you and it kinda freaked me out, which you will see in the pictures. But it was so great! I also got to see the most poisonous snakes in Australia, they were behind glass of course. I saw the Death Adder and my favourite one was the Red Bellied Black Snake. It was a beautiful matte black. We are going to Victor Harbour again next Monday, but just to walk around the town :-) 

We have been working really hard to find new investigators. It has been going slowly... Other than the referrals we were given. But I know if I just do the work and show Heavenly Father that I am sincere in trying he will help me find people that are prepared. I love this work and this gospel. I want everyone to know that I know that it is true. 

 

I love you all and will write to you next Monday!

Love,

Sister Coultrup

--

Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup

Australia Adelaide Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints