G'day Mates.
It has been a really good week! I received news from one of
our recent converts back in Onkaparinga that she will be staying with her Aunty
up in Murray Bridge and she wanted to see me. So we got to take her out
teaching with us which was really cool, and she came to church.
My companion got sick this week which was too bad so we
stayed in the flat for most of Tuesday so she could recover.
On Thursday we had what we call "Specialized
Training" where the Mission President and his Wife an the assistants come
up and give us a training basically. It was awesome! I really loved it. I
learned so many new things. They also announced that the mission is going to
eat a lot healthier from now on and shared the story about Daniel from the
bible. Where he refused to eat the Kings meats and sweet wines because if he
did he would be breaking his covenants. So they said after ten days of us
eating grains instead of meats and wines see how our countenances are compared
to the other boys. In the end Daniel and his people were more in tune with the
Spirit and more susceptible to receiving revelation. So the mission is going on
a diet, they are sending out a message to the members soon asking them to feed
us healthy food. We also have a new exercise routine. It is a DVD filmed by the
assistants showing us how to do certain exercise movements and things. It is
actually pretty funny, but I think it will help a lot of people in the mission.
We also talked a lot about "we teach repentance and we
baptize converts". Through true repentance (which is change, changing our
hearts and aligning our will to God's will) will bring true conversion. So we
were reminded on how importance repentance is. Which some people think is a
scary thing, but it is actually a happy time. When we repent we are drawing
closer to Christ.
This week we did a lot of biking again, which I am not
complaining about because I know some missions are not blessed with cars like
we are. We were returning from an appointment which was about a 30 minute ride
from our flat. When we came out of the appointment we noticed that the air felt
damper and out in the distance were some heavy grey clouds. We looked at each
other in our t-shirts and thought: "Uh oh." We jumped on our bikes
going as fast as we could back to the flat with the ever encroaching clouds
behind us. We knew that if we stopped we would definitely get poured on. We
kept going and going with burning legs and we made it back to the flat. As soon
as we got into our car minutes later the rain fell. As I think about it I think
this relates a lot to us as members of the church. We have many dark things
that are encroaching on us at all times. If we do not push forward with faith
we can get caught in a messy downpour of sin and trial. We need to endure
(enjoy) to the end! Keep the commandments, trust in the Lord and the things he
asks us to do and it will keep us ahead of the storm.
We had a lesson with a lady that is studying to be a pastor.
She is lovely and a great friend to us. We taught the restoration to her and
her daughters and the whole time she would not even look at us. When I started
to bear my testimony about prophets I said: "If God loved His people
thousands of years ago and sent them Prophets to lead and guide the people
toward the light, why when we say He loves us still, would he not send us a
prophet today?" As soon as I said that she looked me straight in the eye
and I saw the Spirit pierce her heart as it did mine in that moment. I felt the
Spirit all that lesson that it even caused me to shed tears a little as I
recounted Joseph Smiths sacred and precious experience in a grove of trees.
I love the gospel, I am so grateful to have it in my life,
it has blessed my family and I. No greater joy have I had than in my service to
the Lord.
Yours in the work,
Sister Coultrup
Here are pictures of the literal Murray Bridge which my Dad
asked for.
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Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup
Australia Adelaide Mission
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints
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