Emergency Transfer

Hello Everyone,

Bethany didn't have much time to write this week, so her mother (me) will be writing her blog.

Three weeks into her new area a shock came one night when she and her companion were informed that Sister Taufa was to be emergency transfered to Golden Grove the next morning.  Sister Siale from Golden Grove would be moving to the city to take her place.  They were all more than a little upset and emotional as the work was going great and Bethany and Sister T had become fast friends.  Bethany was also very nervous about taking over the area after only 3 weeks and not knowing it very well yet, and she doesn't know anyone in the Ward yet.  However, duty calls.

The reason for the transfer is that Sister Siale had a stalker.  The office had to find a new flat for the sisters in the Golden Grove area and get Sister S out of there quickly.  That's all I know about the stalker situation.  Bethany says the first couple of days were hard but a week later they are adjusting to the situation and she gets along well with Sister Siale.

Personally, I think she will be just fine. She's pretty resilient.  Get the map out and find and teach, find and teach...

ANZAC Australian Remembrance Day

New Companion

My District

Jedi's are Just Missionaries in a Galaxy Far, Far Away

G'day Howyagoing?

So it has been a good couple of days.

We have done mainly a lot of contacting and door knocking. Yesterday evening we spent hours in our suburbs which we haven't done because we are always in the city. We door knocked into this guy and he said:

"Sorry I am watching a movie."

"Oh cool, what movie?" I asked.

"Star Wars."

"THE NEW ONE?!"

"Yes."

"I love Star Wars, I am so jealous!"

"Yeah, maybe I should believe in Jedi's instead of Jesus." *Door slams*

supplies

We also were walking down the street in the city contacting and some high school girls that have obviously seen the Book of Mormon musical started singing one of the songs, "Yes I believe in God the Father..." as loud as they could to bother us and get our attention. The mission is definitely teaching me patience and humility. Sister Taufa is really funny because she gets frustrated and when we approach people and they just say, "NO" and nothing else. She says, "No to what? Be specific. What are you saying no to?" I have to turn away and try not to laugh.

  

For good news our investigator Candy is really set on her baptism. She was telling everyone at Stake Conference yesterday that she will be baptized in two weeks. We are so excited for her.

On Wednesday this week Sister Taufa and I will be giving a training in district meeting. We prayed a lot about it in the temple and were able to receive the same revelation. We received UNITY. So that is what we are focusing on in our training. I am pretty nervous because I haven't given a training before and it is also infront of 3 of the Assistants and the Zone Leaders as well. But I FEAR NO MAN!

You're a Mormon aren't you?

We also attended a baptism for the Sisters that live in the same flat as us. Their investigator got baptized and we got to go and bring some of our investigators. It was beautiful, as baptisms always are. Their investigator bore her testimony and told her journey. She is in her 50s and talks about how she remembers the missionaries coming over to their house once in the 70s and saying a prayer. She said she remembers how that prayer "really worked" and she has never forgotten it. It confirmed to me that the work I am doing now will continue to impact many generations down the line and continue on for years. Even if people may not be jumping into the waters now, so to say, they may be touched and will enter in by the way later on.

I am so grateful for this blessing of serving my savior with all that I have and all that I am. I am grateful for missionaries as well because if it wasn't for them I would not be here today.

Lots of love,

Sister Coultrup

--

Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup

Australia Adelaide Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

City of Colour

G'day!

It is autumn and all the leaves are changing and falling, it is so beautiful here! The mornings are starting to get chillier as well, which you would be surprised to hear since it is Australia. But South Australia is actually the coldest state I have heard.

Autumn in Australia

This week has been really great. We got to see General Conference. I loved it! We had a few investigators come as well. I loved to hear from Thomas S. Monson, our Prophet, even though it was short. I love Alice in Wonderland, it is one of my favourite books and children's stories. I love how he related Alice's conversation with the Cheshire (Did anyone notice President Monson said Chinese?) Cat to our lives as members. Unlike Alice we know where we are going and we know which path we have to take. I also loved Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's talk about fearing tomorrow. That really hit home for me as I feel like those children running away from the tomorrow dinosaur in that picture. A scripture just came to mind: "Therefore, let the morrow take thought for the things of itself." - D&C 84:84. I tend to worry to much for the future, (like what to do after the mission) but I just need to trust in the Lord and worry not because He has everything under control. Life is but a weaving.

 

Nightime contacting

We had a little miracle this week. While walking around talking to people on North Terrace by the library we found this lady from South America. After a bit of talking to her she said, "You know I am actually baptized into your church." She went on to explain how she got baptized for her Mormon boyfriend about 6 years ago, since then they have broken up and she had moved to Australia by herself. She told us we have perfect timing, but wouldn't tell us why. We just told her the Lord knows HER perfectly and we are just His servants. She will come to church this Sunday for the first time in years.

My district

No, I don't think I'd rather be anywhere else

Today we went to the temple, which is why I am emailing on a Thursday and not a Monday. The temple was gorgeous and spiritually uplifting as always. I will include some pictures of the temple today with some of the new district I am in.

Love you all so much. I hope you have a wonderful weekend :)

 Love,

Sister Coultrup.

Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup

Australia Adelaide Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

The City Never Sleeps

On Mon, Apr 4, 2016 at 12:55 PM, Bethany Coultrup <bethany.coultrup@myldsmail.net> wrote:

G'day!

Hope everyone is well! I am exhausted!! I was thinking of the song "The City" by Ed Sheeran and changed the words a bit. There is no time for breaks with City Missionaries there is so much to do we barely get time to eat. We skip lunch a lot and dinner now and then too. The bikes are really hard, I feel like I say that every week, must mean I am really out of shape. But it is getting easier, so that must mean I am getting stronger! Sister Taufa is a biking machine!

  

Some more info about my new area: I am in Prospect ward, it has about 160 active members. It is very diverse in culture, lots of Chinese (which are pretty much all recent converts). There are 16 missionaries in the ward (8 sets). I have never heard of a ward having that many missionaries before. I was shocked. It is a really great area. I am loving the City. The City area basically means we are always downtown, we proselyte all around the universities and around the big business buildings, just like Calgary. Adelaide is very similar to Calgary.

Wish we had a library like this in Calgary

 This Sunday one of the Elders had a baptism of a Chinese man. He told a really cool story. He went to the USA about a year ago and had no idea where he was, all he knew was where he needed to go. He was walking around aimlessly completely lost. Until a man pulled over and told him to get in the car and he can trust him. He got in the car and the man said he would take him where ever he needed to go. The Chinese man was very grateful and asked how he could repay him. The driver said, "You don't need to pay me anything. Just remember that I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints." He remembered and got baptized this Sunday.

The Sistas

I do not have that much time left. I will talk more next week and I don't think I can send pictures this week either because these library computers don't work well.

Hope you all have a great week. I love you!

Sister Coultrup