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

Transferred

HAPPY EASTER!

I know I am a day late, but our P-day got changed to Tuesday because of transfers yesterday and because all the libraries were closed.

I got transferred! Sister Freitas and I were really shocked, we thought she would leave because she had been there a lot longer than I. I am now in the City Sisters area. We are literally in the heart of Adelaide. We live right outside of downtown and bike into the City everyday and contact all around the city (downtown). I am really excited because this area is really fast paced, complete contrast from Murray Bridge. We don't have a car, only bikes. My new companion is Sister Taufa. Her background is Tongan (my third Tongan companion!), but she lives in Sydney, born in New Zealand. She is really cool. We have gone on trade offs before. We share a flat with another set of Sisters which I have never done before, it will be interesting. 4 Sisters. 1 shower. We will see how it goes. I am excited to be in the City and see what this new chapter brings to my missionary story.

Saying goodbye, feeling pale, love my gift

This past week has been good. It was pretty slow because people were busy for Easter and also I was sick again. Easter was great. We went to church and I told the hummingbird story off by heart to the Relief Society Sisters which is about the atonement and it makes you cry. We also went to one of our Catholic friends baby baptism lunch, everyone there was Philippine, I felt very white. We had dinner with the Ete family. When I found out that I was being transferred we went back there and they gave me a special Lava Lava which is a traditional Samoan skirt that they all wear. I will miss Murray Bridge. I sent some pictures of me with the people I had the opportunity to say goodbye too. I only had an hour to run around and say ta ta.

 

How can I say goodbye these adorable kids?

Yesterday we switched companions and got straight to work. I almost died. THE HILLS in the City are massive. I will definitely get whipped into shape in this area. We ran around like crazy appointment to appointment. It was awesome. I love being busy, the City is all hustle and bustle. Most of the investigators are Chinese as well because we have heaps of Chinese in Adelaide.

My new companion Sister Taufa

I hope everyone had a great Easter and took the time to remember Jesus Christ and the sacrifice that He made for all of us. I am so grateful for my Saviour. I know that He died for me and through Him I can be redeemed from my sins and downfalls. I feel so blessed to have this knowledge and to have Him in my life. I love to share His word and help others feel His love in theirs lives as well. God is great and His love is great.

Love you all!

Sister Coultrup

--

Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup

Australia Adelaide Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

G'day mate,

How is everyone? I had a really awesome week! I have so many pictures and stories to share.

On Tuesday we had PDAY and we went to the Adelaide Central Market, which is world renowned. Even Jamie Oliver says it is one of the best markets in the world. We went with a member who was kind enough to take us and I had so much fun. I felt like I was in a movie, has anyone seen the movie Push with Dakota Fanning in it? When they are in this underground Chinese market place and it is dark and busy. That is what it was like. So many different smells accompanied by yelling market people trying to get your business. So cool! I hope I get to go back there. They had food from all over the world and it was all fairly cheap and delicious. I got to have an Italian donut called a Zeppoli. We had a great day. I will send some pictures of the City but they may not be that good because I took them while in a moving car.

Sa got baptized

This week we got a call saying we will be going on trade offs and that I will be going to HAPPY VALLEY with Sister Vaitaiki! So I got to go back to my birth area. I was so excited and I had the best time. It gets even better. I was surprised by... Sister Funaki! She came down from Brisbane this weekend for Brother Watts' 50th birthday party. I got to spend my trade off with Sister Funaki as well because she came out teaching with us pretty much the whole time. We got to see our recent converts and teach those who we all used to teach before together. It was so cool being with two of my previous companions in the same area we served in together. I got to see a lot of the people I dearly love. I really had the best time!!! I am still excited about it.

I also got to see Sister (Lisa) Travers this week as well at a fireside, she was a Sister I served around went on trade offs with in my training and she came back to the mission to visit as well!

Trainer came by for a visit

Also this Saturday Sa got baptized!!! We had President and Sister Parker come, as well as the senior missionary couple the Larkin's. It was a beautiful baptism and she got to be baptized by her new husband Foe. It took them a while to get the right positioning in the font, dancing around one another. Everyone giggled a bit before the ordinance actually took place. It was lovely to see her take the step to follow Jesus Christ more fully in her life.

Another visitor

I hope you all have a lovely week. That is all for now, sorry it is not too long, but I have lots of pictures to make up for it.

Love

Sister Coultrup

Hitting the streets

The market

--

Sister Bethany Victoria Coultrup

Australia Adelaide Mission

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints