Lots of Tracting

G'day!

This week was a really good week.

We got a new district leader plus two new elders to our District. Our previous DL got deported back to the USA. His Visa ran out and was threatened to be arrested so he is finishing his mission in the USA. I was so shocked! It was quite sad. But our new district seems alright, it will take a while to warm up to them all! We took our first district selfie.

Happy District except for that one in that back

We have decided to clean out our teaching pool and go tracting!... A lot! I am going to be honest and say it is one of my least favourite things to do! Talking to people you don't know is awkward. And they know why we are talking to them and we know why so usually they just stand there like "Get to the point" then once we get to the point they say "not interested" and repeat with all the other doors. Sister Reyes is shocked and says people here are not open. Apparently when she would go door knocking up in Darwin, lots of people were really open and nice to the Sisters. But down here we have a lot of hard hearts, but that is okay! I don't know if I have mentioned the rule of sevens before, if I have I am sorry because I am going to repeat it. We were told by an area seventy that it takes about 7 encounters with the Church before a person is open to missionary discussions. Whether it is a mention of the name of the church, seeing missionaries, talking to missionaries, etc. So when people reject the gospel (they are rejecting the gospel, not us) it just means they are one point closer to accepting it later on. So we are turning 3s into 4s and 4s into 5s and maybe we are even making some 1s. But no effort is wasted, everything we do, everytime we open our mouths we are fulfilling our purpose. That is what comforts me when we experience rejection. 

 

The benefits of having a companion who is an expert braider

 

Christmas mail!

This weekend we had what we call Mission Preperation Conference. Maybe you have heard of Mini Missions? Well I got to take part in that! A Youth, or YSA between the ages of 17 and 15 gets paired with a missionary and spends the weekend with them as their companion. They get to experience mission life and mission rules. I got paired with Casey Herrick from North Adelaide, we are the same age and we got on like a house on fire. I had such a great time this weekend and she did great with all the work we did. I made sure she experienced everything! We saw investigators, Potential investigators, less actives, members, we went door knocking, ward council, etc. On Sunday we had a testimony meeting where  all the prospective missionaries got to share their experience with being paired with a missionary and bear their testimony. Then we had a break the fast dinner and then a fireside to end the evening. It was so beautiful, the Spirit was so strong. We all sang "Come Unto Christ" As a missionary Choir and I couldn't sing because I got all choked up feeling the spirit and seeing people in the congregation cry too. It was so beautiful I wish you all could have been there.

This weekend I got to meet two of my trainers previous companions, they both came back to the mission and visited the ward I am serving in. It was so cool to meet these Sisters who I have heard so much about from Sister Funaki.

Mini Mission!

 Also this week I received heaps of Christmas mail! It was so crazy I took a picture! I am so grateful, again their were tears. I guess it was just a teary week. Thank you everyone! We had a member give us a mini Christmas tree and I set it up in the flat. It makes it feel just a little more like Christmas now :-)

Our Christmas Tree

I love you all so much have a great week!

Sister Coultrup xx

PS. I got a Kangaroo Skin Case for my scriptures. It is really soft. Sorry, Kangaroo but you died for a good reason. You are protecting the word of God. 

My new case which my parents think is disgusting

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Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup

Australia Adelaide Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints