Week 1 Back in North Pine

Aloha,

Well a lot of things are going on. It's been pretty crazy adjusting to being in another new area, sort of, and new companion, and new responsibilities etc. But the great thing is I haven't really been too stressed. The comforting power of the Holy Ghost is real, and also when you focus more on others than on yourself you don't really have room to be stressed. So that's been good. I had to go to my first Mission Leadership Council meeting. That was weird. Then I had to go on my first tradeoff with a companionship of sisters in my region, also weird. I got through it though with some help from my friend the Spirit and also a lot of help from my wonderful companion. It was cool going to church on Sunday and seeing all the wonderful members in North Pine ward that I missed and also meet some new faces. It was good to see Bishop. Things with the ward have backslid a tiny bit...like they are back to having no ward mission leader again where they were when I first got here. But it's ok because the first thing Bishop told me is he wants to meet with us once a week again so we can keep up the work and stuff. So I'm glad I already have that good relationship with him and all the other good members here which can help us push the work forward in unity. I was really sad to leave Camp Hill ward though because I really loved it so much and there were some really great members there and investigators and people we were really able to work with and so much good potential in the area. I know that Sister Semaia and Sister Robertson will do great though.  Anyways I'm short on time but I hope all is well back home. I hear really interesting things all the time about how much the United States is struggling, but I take that with a grain of salt. A lot of Australians have a pretty weird conception of what it's like to live in the U.S. 

Ofa Lahi Atu

Sister Rasmussen

Well, This is Crazy!

ALOHA

You may be wondering why I'm emailing twice in one week. 

Well let's just say that immediately following me getting up from the computer at the library on Monday a lot of things changed very quickly. 

I got a call from President Henderson....that is usually not a good sign, many things run through your mind when that happens. I was worried about something bad happening back home, and thank goodness it wasn't anything like that. 

So he informed me that there was a need for an emergency transfer, and that I was going to be going back to somewhere I've been before. TOOWOOMBA???? NO.. NORTHPINE! YES. So my poor friend, Sister Parata, was serving in North Pine and she got very ill to the point of not being able to work at all and now she's in the mission home until they figure out what's wrong with her, and they sent me to her area, which is North Pine. It's my old area plus the other half of the ward because since I left they've gone back to being just one companionship in the ward.  I have a new companion named Sister Moran. She is from Melbourne, Australia (my second companion from there) and is wonderful. I am having this weird reverse culture shock kind of though because I got really used to being with Samoan sisters. Anyways the reason I'm emailing again is because for this zone their temple trip was this week, today. So I got two P-days this week kind of. I'd like to say that Mondays "P-day"  was more of an anti-preparation day though because I was not prepared for any of that. We were at the library when President called...I had just emailed him this: " So things are looking up, I'm not eager to leave Camp Hill any time soon." OH THE IRONY. Heavenly Father really does have a sense of humor. This is how you know you can't get too comfortable in your area. There was a bunch of other switches and a new sister came in from the MTC mid transfer that made it all work out for Sister Semaia to gain a new companion over there in Camp Hill and I have full confidence that they will continue to see miracles there although I am going to miss it and her. It was a really great area. North PIne area is basically completely the same except it's totally different....if that makes sense. It's really weird to move back in to my old flat and be driving around the old streets where I was trained, and look in my old area book and see my own handwriting. I've seen some of the members and people I really grew to love already though and that's been really fun. I'm not quite sure how long I'll stay here. Either I'll stay for only like 3 more weeks and then get transferred again when proper transfers are, or I'll probably stay for a while because Sister Moran goes home in one more transfer. It's weird being with a companion who has been out longer than me again and back in the area I was trained in. Sometimes I feel like I'm just back to being trained again. Especially when she knows the area and I kind of don't but kind of do, which hasn't ever happened to me because every time I've been transferred so far I've been opening the area and neither me or my companions have known what's going on. So basically moral of the story is It's been a pretty crazy week and I think I'm probably reeling a bit from all of the craziness as you can probably tell by this email which I'm not sure even makes a whole lot of sense. Going to the temple this morning was great though, nothing comes close to the peace you find in there. Hope everyone elses week has been a bit less hectic. Love you all!

Sister Rasmussen

Mission Tour and other Exciting Things

Aloha!

So we had our mission tour with President and Sister Hamula this week. It was really great. He is the Pacific Area President. We had a zone conference type of thing with him and then went to a meeting with all the ward council members of all the wards and stakes in our mission, which was also broadcast throughout the far reaches of the mission on Thursday night. It was a cool meeting. Just to see how everyone can come together with the same goals. It was good to see lot's of missionary friends too, we always like getting together. We have been busy here in Camp Hill as always. Knocking on so many doors everyday and speaking to people at bus stops and on the streets. Recently, actually on Mother's day I think it was, we were talking to people at the big bus station which  is connected to the mall in our area. During that 2 hours we were there talking to people we had a very interesting time: between my companion and I we found 5 people who were interested in the gospel....just one problem not one of them lives in our area! But we got their information and were able to give some other missionaries referrals, which I love doing because referrals are great. Also in that two hours my poor companion had every religion under the sun thrown at her....we got finished and she said she got told off my Muslim, Buddhist, Lutheran, Hindu, and Anglican people. While she was getting converted into other faiths I was busy getting asked out on dates! I had two creeeeeeepy individuals come up and ask me to go out with them. 

One guy introduced himself and stuck out his hand, so I shook it, then he wouldn't let go....

he asked if he could kiss my hand, 

(in my head: WHAT THE?!?!?!) 

out loud: NO. 

then he goes Oh...are you single? 

(in my head: taken by God!! haha) 

out loud: NO.

then he goes Oh...can I have your number too? (I had just given my number on a card to a nice girl on the bus stop next to me) 

(In my head: HECK NO) 

Out loud: Here is a card where you can call this number for a free DVD of Christ, I have to get going now, have a nice day!

Then I ran away. 

After that another guy that I talked to wouldn't let go of my hand after I was just leaving and saying nice to meet you and stuff and he said "would you go out with me?" seriously I don't know what was going on that day it was so weird. I think the weird guys are just attracted to the spirit or something. Anyways things are going pretty well here and I'm still alive. 

Love you all!

Sister Rasmussen

Miracle May

Aloha!

So this month has been dubbed "Miracle May" by our mission president. In preparation of the mission tour which is this week where one of the area presidency members comes and tours the mission from the top to the bottom. I'm going to the meeting where he will speak to us on Thursday with a few of the other zones so it should be good. But we have been preparing as best as we can spiritually for the tour and it's been really cool to hear other missionaries miracles and to see our own. My companion had some pretty crazy cool things happen to us this past week. We went knocking on doors on Thursday and without knowing it at all we knocked on  the door of an elderly member of our ward. He doesn't make it to church often because of his health. We were able to sit on his patio and visit with him and found out he had been very depressed recently and not coping well with the death of his wife of over 60 years. His family had been taking it in shifts to stay with him and look after him but he asked them to stop a few days prior and told them God would take care of him and whatever happens happens kind of. And the next day we knocked on his door! He told us it was so nice to see us and we were able to lift his spirits by reminding him of the promise that he is sealed to his wife for eternity and that he needs to trust in the Lord's timing. Then we happened to have the next night free for our dinner appointment so we told him we would come back and cook him a nice meal and so he could have the missionaries over for dinner. It was so much fun and one of the best and most fun dinners I've had on my mission. The same day we knocked on his door we also met his neighbor who is a young mom who is also going through losing a loved one and has been looking for a church to answer a lot of the questions she's been having about life. She is so keen to learn and prepared and it was such a miracle! We stopped her just as she was getting in her car to drive away. Miracle May is real! also a lot of other funny/ cool stuff has been happening but I'm out of time so I'll have to save that for next week. 

Love you all!

Sister Rasmussen

One More Transfer in Camp Hill

Aloha!

Well we got transfer calls Sunday night and I'm staying in Camp Hill for at least 6 more weeks as well as Sister Semaia. The longer I stay in Brisbane the farther away my dream of going up north goes. haha But that's ok I just want to be where the Lord wants me to be really, and I guess he knows me well enough to keep me away from the ocean :)  I'm actually really stoked to be staying here because our ward is so great and on to it here that I know we will be seeing miracles here soon enough. Heavenly Father won't lead us to those who have been prepared until we are prepared to receive them, but this ward really seems like they are doing all they can to hasten the work and so I'm sure we will find those people here soon. 

It's been really weird this week to be at meetings and things and realize that I'm one of the oldest missionaries there....I feel like I just got here! But then I think back to one year ago and where I was and who I was and I realize that a lot has changed..in a good way. 

This month we are having a mission tour coming up with our Area presidency and other mission presidents and people so in preparation our mission president has been having mission wide conference calls and has been having us do some special things to spiritually prepare for the tour. So we have been studying chapter 5 and 6 from Preach my Gospel the past two weeks. Ch. 5 is about the Book of Mormon and ch. 6 is Christlike Attributes. It's been really good. I've been focusing on studying more this past transfer than I have ever on my mission. Like I study in the morning during breakfast, before studies start, I study at lunch if we are at home, I study at dinner if we are at home, and I study at night before bed. I've been reading Jesus the Christ and the Ensigns. I think being with only one sister in my flat has contributed to that. I get way less distracted haha. Anyways I love studying! Also Elder Ballard challenged every member to start studying Preach my Gospel in his conference talk and my companion and I have been going around and issuing that challenge to our ward members...so consider this as me also extending this to you my family as well. Preach my Gospel is truly inspired, it is the words of Prophets and Apostles and so it is also the word of God. I you want a good place to start might I suggest chapters 1,3,5, or 6. But really the whole thing is good and will bring you closer to God. In the mission we have also been submitting in little "miracles" we experience every day to be recorded in a book. This month is going to be known as Miracle May, and I can't wait to witness the miracles! We have already seen some pretty cool ones. Hope your May is going well too. Happy Cinco de Mayo! We got $5 burritos yesterday at this Mexican place in the mall that is the only yummy Mexican food place I've ever really found in Australia that tastes like home. 

Love you!

Sister Rasmussen

Pictures

 A mural in the train station we use alot.  This is in the ramps that go under the tracks between platforms. I feel like Harry Potter when I talk about train platforms. Haha.  You know when him and Dudley get attacked in those tunnels by the dementors?   It looks just like that but with cool paintings.

 Look how close I am to the city! It's right there! Just across the river from my area. It's super weird to be so close.

 Look at these birds!!  Australia has some really cool birds.

 Me and my good friend, Sis. Russell, who we picked up from the airport, coming from Mackay, so we could drop her off at the mission home to go home to South Africa.  :(   I will miss her.

My beautiful companion!