15 July 2012

G’Day Mates! 

Another wonderful day down under!  Again, the four Pansoys who are going to be baptized Saturday came to church.  During Sunday School (I had arranged for a substitute for my class), we took them aside with our Sister missionaries and taught them some few remaining items to prepare them for the baptismal interviews on Tuesday.  Elder Ashby asked if there were questions, stopping at each person, until at last he asked the father.  “Na,”  he answered, “Ready to go!” in a strong voice.  Then I saw him tear up a little bit, as he sat there blinking rapidly in his brand new hair cut.  I think the Holy Ghost must have borne witness to him at that exact moment that his life was changing for the better.  I couldn’t help remembering having the wish as we sat in our own comfortable home only a year ago that I could have the opportunity to witness that change in someone’s life!

We got them all outfitted for the big day, and asked all the members to come, and to bring some “nibbles” with them for afterwards.  Also, tomorrow night we have arranged a little potluck dinner for them at one of the members’ home.  Please pray that everything will go well this week for all of us!  We know that Satan will try to get them back, but with the Savior on our side, we will not allow him to win!

 It’s also fun to watch the growth of the young missionaries.   If you remember Elder Naruo from Guam, who was here a few months back, he has since seen some success in bringing a few to baptism, and now is our DL, calling us each Sunday night from Kelmscott in WA.  We love him, as we do all “our” Elders and Sisters.  When he left here, I remember telling him that the Lord surely wanted him to be a leader of his people when he goes back.  When he calls us on the phone now, we can hear the difference in his voice.  Elder Ashby says, “He’s learning!  He’s learning to be a leader!”  What a wonderful work this is!

 The missionaries don’t expect baptisms from Albany!  We have a reputation for having no baptisms down here.  (But the attitude is beginning to change among the members.)  This is so far from the headquarters of the mission, the DLs were not even keeping in touch with us until we got serious about baptizing!  They are too far away to have District Meetings with us, so we have been having our own with the Elders or with the Sisters.  The young missionaries are only allowed so many kilometers per month, so we don’t often get them visiting.  But this Tuesday one of our ZLs, plus Elder Naruo, will drive down to conduct the interviews.  They will have dinner with us; then we will take them to the interviews; then they will stay with us overnight.  Elder Naruo will sleep on the floor in the best bedroom, and his companion in our bed.  He said he likes the floor best anyway, because that’s how he sleeps at home. 

 We’re excited that one of the members from Mt. Barker has given us the names of a new couple out there, so we went up on Saturday to meet them.  We took him with us to their house, and had a fun time with them.  We are invited back next Saturday morning, and will give the first lesson.  That is, if we can get him to stop talking trucks and motorcycles!  (Of course, you know, my own companion is at least half the problem!)  Since we’ve been out here, I’ve had a kind of revelation about what goes on in those long, long meetings when wives are waiting at home for their Priesthood-holding husbands!!