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!

Camp on the Hill

So I don't have a whole lot to write about this week. It was pretty normal. I am starting to really know where I'm going around here now which is good. We really really tried to get people to come to church for Easter, the only problem is that here in AUS it's like a major holiday weekend, so everyone travels up the coast or down the coast or to some sort of coast and a lot of people were out of town. So that was kind of a bummer. We haven't had any investigators come to church yet in this ward, which kind of bums me out, but we also don't really have many or any solid investigators which is a bit of a bummer,  but it just comes with opening an area. I've done it three times and I can do it again. It just takes a lot of patience in the beginning. We are doing all we can to find those prepared people, I'm positive we will be lead to them eventually. 

My companion and I had to speak on Sunday for Easter in Sacrament meeting. That was a good opportunity for me to reflect a bit more on Easter and the real meaning of it. Since it was just a normal if not even more intense work weekend for us it didn't feel that different, so the speaking assignment helped me to remember  the Savior's resurrection even more. I used that book you sent me the Infinite Atonement, and also Elder Christofferson's talk from conference on the resurrection. I feel like I learned a lot about the importance of the resurrection and how vital it is for us all to have a personal testimony that our Saviour died and that he still lives today, and that we can gain that personal witness by reading and praying about the Book of Mormon which testifies that he was resurrected and that he did visit those people after his resurrection. I think it was an alright talk. I learned a lot even if no one else was listening. 

Anyways it was a good week and I had a very good Easter so I hope you all did too. 

Also check out this lds.org video. This is my ward mission leader, he is THE MAN. We love him. 

www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/a-prodigal-son-returns?cid=HPFR102513131 

Have a great week. I'm going to the temple next Thursday so I don't get another P-day until then...so I won't hear from you for a while that is why. 

Alofa Atu

Sister RAsmussen

Food Poisoning & All Sorts of Weirdness!

So I don't have a lot of time and the shift key is broken. Sorry for the horrible punctuation and capitalization. So last week was going really well until my companion and I both woke up with horrible food poisoning. That was icky, and we were down and out for 2 days. I have never taken a sick day my whole mission but there was just no way around it. And wouldn't you know that  it would hit me on the year anniversary of my first say in the MTC! It was a great way to celebrate....basically sleeping all day and running back and forth to the bathroom, alternating with my companion. Gross! Satan just sure knows how to get you. But it is pretty cool to think of all that has happened to me in the past year. It has been just the craziest time. This week we have a mini missionary with us which is cool. We did have two but one didn't quite make it past her third day. She said she was sick and had her family come pick her up. Kind of sad but I don't think she wanted to come really in the first place. We have interviews with our mission president this week which I am looking forward to. Oh and General Conference was just amazing as usual. It's funny the closer I get to the end of my mission the more I have to think about the future...scary. But hope your week is good! love you!

Sister Rasmussen

Camp Hill is Very Hilly!

Hello everyone!

I don't have a whole lot to say today. This week was much better than last week. We were much more organized and set up in the area so we were able to really just get to work and work and work this week. My area is super full of hills, and we live in the very top of a tall building with no elevator as well. My calves are going to be huge when I get home....Oh well! We have been figuring out the bus/train system around our area. It feels really weird to be traveling around by bus and train again because we didn't have any of that in Toowoomba. It is really nice though a major bus line runs from our place (which isn't in our area) to the train line which basically runs across the whole north end of our ward, and it also runs us up to a major bus line that goes right through the south half, which is my area. So it's been good we are blessed And even though it's hilly we haven't had to bike much because of the buses and trains. We still don't really have anyone to teach beside all the families that the ward wants us visiting, but we are always finding and talking to everyone we meet. I'm sure that Heavenly Father will lead us to those people who are ready here shortly as long as we continue to work as hard as we can. Anyways hopefully you all have a great week and you enjoyed General Conference. We get it this next weekend which should be great. I'm really looking forward to it. Another chance to receive heaps of revelation and have our testimonies strengthened by our living special witnesses of Jesus Christ. It's pretty great. 

Love you!

Sister Rasmussen