Allright first off, HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM AND JENNA!! Forgive me for not saying anything last week Jenna! Me and my beloved companion definitely sang happy birthday to both of you on the 29th. I hope you heard it :)
This week has been lovely! So time to update you on my new companion Sister Kyaw! So its pronounced Jaw. She is from Myanmar and is a convert of now three years. They dont even have missionaries in Myanmar just a senior couple and a tiny branch! So get this, when she converted she didnt really speak english so she read the book of mormon with an english to burmese dictionary. In like a month. whaaaaat?? She is the bomb! She is 27 and very loving and kind. She is still learning English. We get to do language study together which is fun for me :) And she teaches so simply and lovingly. I have learned the power of teaching the doctrine simply. We dont need to use big words or perfect English for the Spirit to testify of what we are saying, that its true. :) I love Sister Kyaw. She is like my little mother, always worried about me getting sunburned or if i am tired. "Is you okay Sister?" She always asks in her adorable accent. :)
The Fentons! They are the senior couple that lives right next door to us. They are so lovely. Sometimes we teach lessons with them, and they are just so nice. We plan together who we will see and what we will teach. Love them.
My area! Gladstone is an industrial town so everything is expensive. There is a coal mine/big idustrial factory thing on a little island that we can see that everyone goes to work on. Its dusty here :) But not too dusty. It has kind of a country feel. I feel like i am in a new mission, far away from the rest of the world. Its awesome. I also feel like a hard core missionary because we bike everywhere. Wow im not sure if i have ever been so tired. :) Its a good tired :) The people here are nicer than in Park Ridge, less door slams, more polite declines. Thats nice, i guess.
The people! The people we are teaching are great. Bree has been coming to church for seven months and is living with her partner and three kids. Let me tell ya im gonna start handing out Chastity pamphlets at the door! Everyone lives with their partner here haha. We are also teaching her daughter Mia who wants to learn more. She is a little eight year old. I love teaching children because they seem to understand so much better and just accept Gods commandments. I remember studying 2 ne 31 this week where it talks about Christ's baptism, and how he was baptized to fulfill all righteousness, to show an example, and most importantly to humble himself before the father and show that He would be obedient to Him. Um, hello, this is Jesus Christ, who is perfect. Know ye no that he was holy?? The scriptures say. How much more need have we to keep the commandments!! I love it because we dont always need a reason to be obedient, we shouldnt need to be persuaded by logic or emotion. We should just obey for the sake of obeying.
We are also teaching Dilys who faithfully comes to church :) She also has a partner who lives in PNG. (Papau New Guniea) We are teaching Arnelson, a Fillipino who is living here to work and his family is back in the Phillipines. He misses them so much. We went to knock on his door for his appointment and heard someone was inside. So we just kept knocking. We were about to leave and get lunch and come back but we knocked a little more and finally he came out. We were able to talk about the plan of salvation and the doctrine of Christ. He loves his family and misses them
We also are teaching Phillip, a kiwi (new zealander) who is living away from his family and working. He works so much and is getting sick because of it. He is sad and misses his four daughters. We gave him a book of mormon to read and pray about. So many people in this area and in the whole world are sad a lonely. I am just one person. I cant be there all the time to comfort them and try to help them. But i can give them the word of God. The book of mormon, which will always be there. I love the scripture in Jacob 2 that said the word of God healeth the wounded soul. Isnt that so true?
We have seen many miracles this week. Fast Sunday was so hard for me. I was so tired and hungry. Tiredness is probably my biggest....stumbling block i think on the mission. Its so humbling being a missionary, because we have appointments we need to get too and it doesnt matter if i am tired and hungry. i just have jump on the bike and make it. Many times a day i pray for strength and help and i know that these prayers are heard. The Lord helps us just enough to make it to the end :)
much love,
Sister Schaelling
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