Baptism!!!

Hello Family!
My what a week it has been! Real quick wildlife in Gladstone i forgot:
1. Locust! Seriously. I am partners with those who suffered the plague in Egypt. Okay jokes. But they do have huge locusts here! And it does plague once in a while apparently in western Aus! Theyre huge!
2. GECKOS! Theyre so cute. And theyre everywhere. I have seen a gecko the size of my thumb and the size of my hand! I love them. Also they keep the cockroaches away. Our appt has been pesticided i thnk because we find cockroaches with their legs in the air being carried away by a herd of ants.....also their are beautiful butterflies :)

So this week Mark and Tabitha got baptized! It was beautiful!!!!! Ahh my goodness. We went and taught them the last of the lessons with the Fentons on Friday and on Saturday at 5 we had the baptism. Elder Fenton did the baptizing. A lot of the branch came to support so that was great! Myself, Sister Kyaw and the other sisters Wulfenstein and Watson all sang "Our Saviors Love" A capella for the musical number. During the last part of the program when Pres Rapp was speaking Tiana their little daughter and her friend Yana, Dilys's daughter were being a little rowdy so me and sis Kyaw took them out and played with them for the res of it so the Spirit could be there with Tabitha and Mark.
The actual baptism was so special, everytime i see someone get baptized my spirit jumps. Its the best place to bring investigators because the spirit that resides when a living ordinance is performed...something, some feeling from another place, another time...love it. Mark just stood in the water (her got baptized first) while Tabitha was baptized and they hugged after in the water and man it was beautiful! Husband and wife :) Mark recieved the Aaronic priesthood the next day!! He is blessing the sacrament this Sunday. He is so solid and excited to hold the priesthood. It was amazing to see the difference in their eyes after they were confirmed as members and recieved the Holy Ghost. And now the priesthood is in their home :) How amazing. Im so happy i got to be there to help teach them with the Fentons and sister Kyaw :) Group effort baptisms are the best!!

Sister Kyaw, Schaelling, Tabitha, Mark and little Yani and Tiana

Also this week we went to follow up with our potential Jesse, a 19 year old boy from Texas whose mom is Mormon. We were sitting with him outside because we couldnt go in and his friend Jordan came out and joined the lesson. Jordan is 21 from England but raised in Western Australia. We were talking about God and the Spirit and he mentioned he had a brother pass away that he feels like is always with him. I asked how old his brother would be now, he said around 25....just like Cameron! (We celebrated his birthday by the way! with cake and everything...is that wierd? haha.)  Anyway Jordan and Jesse were smoking so we invited them to quit smoking using the 15 step program we would teach them. We also taught about prayer and committed them to pray that night. Jordan was all over that because he wants to quit. We were going to come by the next day and do it with them but i didnt really feel good about it....seemed a little wierd, so i scheduled them to come to the Fentons flat and we could teach them their with our lovely senior couple. Jordan came and was so genuine. We taught the stop smoking program (which is awesome if you smoke, DO IT) and he said he wanted to come to church. Jordan said he prayed that day we committed him too for his Christrian friend who was about to go into jail. Then his friend wrote him and told him that he didnt have to go to jail anymore. Jordan came to church and we had a recently reactivated member about his age sit with him and they hit it off.....i feel so happy when my investigators make friends with the branch :)  My little children making friends. :) Im excited for him he is super genuine, and once our investigators meet the Fentons THEYRE HOOKED!  Nothin like a senior couple to love and teach. I love Elder and Sister Fenton. Elder Fenton is a hoot, always teasing and joking. Sometimes i have to hold in my laughter around him so ill look mature or something....haha

We also taught Joann and Nino this week with the Fentons. Nino is such a good listener and we taught the Restoration. I love teaching. I wish i could just teach all the time. Joann and Nino are accepting to the idea of baptism. We hope to baptize their whole family this month or next. Theyre amazing, sadly they missed church yesterday. :( :( please pray for them.

Dilys, Dilys, i love Dilys. She is so humble and funny and fun to teach. She came to the baptism of Mark and Tabitha and was so excited for her baptism on the 19th.I love teaching her! She has good questions and is just sweet inside and out and willing to do anything for the Lord. She has and adorable daughter Yana, theyre from PNG.

Sister Schaelling with Yani and Tiana

Bree, our eternal investigator made some progress when she came to the baptism :) She said she will get there one day. Shes not married to her partner and need a solid answer before she will commit. Patience, a heavenly virtue :) Her daughter Mia is also getting baptized on the 19th. If all goes according to plan that is :) She is excited for Mia and Bree knows she will always come to church and help Mia do the same :)

This week has been amazing and very very hard. Satan tries in  "divers ways" to lure us away, to keep us from success. We must never give up our fight with him. We must make the conscious choice, NOT TO BE AFRAID. Fear God only. I am learning so much in Gladstone and this area has more physical, emotional and spiritual challenges i have ever faced in my life, and i feel lucky i get to be a part of such a stretching experience. Sometimes the Lord wants us to recognize that we just cant do it alone...that is when he will help us. 

I love you all!!!
Sister Schaelling