Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Happy Valentine's Day!

They just don't celebrate here the way we do. Holidays just aren't as big of a deal here in Australia as they are back home so Valentine's day just snuck up on me without even realizing what day it was. There was nothing in the shops, no decorations, no candy, no cards, and no one was really talking about it until like the day of. So weird. But my companion shouted (Aussie slang for bought us) me and the other sisters KFC haha that's a typical missionary celebration for you. Have I ever mentioned how obsessed they are here with KFC? well actually with chicken in general but especially with KFC. Everyone here loves KFC there is a KFC on every corner. and anyone who knows me knows that is probably my least favorite fast food out of all the fast food places. Which also they just don't have fast food in variety like we have at all. They have McDonald's obviously because it's everywhere, but they call it Mackers (pronounced Mackuhs) and it's like a cool place to go and hang out with your friends here as well, like how we would have starbucks, they go to McDonalds of all places. SO weird. And they have Burger King which for some reason here is actually named Hungry Jacks but it's burger king though. They have KFC EVERYWHERE. and Subway. But that's basically it. They don't have any chain restaurants either like we have all over. The only one I've seen is Sizzler. They just eat at home more I think. or just eat purely "take-away" like KFC. And then they have a few other chicken places that are just here in Australia like Red Rooster. You get chicken flavored salt to go on your french fries, which they call chips. They really love chicken a lot see. So anyways that was how I spent my Valentines day, at KFC and it was absolutely packed with people, as KFC's here always are. But our investigator Josephine works there and she hooked us up with her employee discount which was nice of her. 

Besides all that our week was great. We went and taught a less active man on Saturday and we brought this other man who just recently came to church for the first time in years last week to come be his friend and then we were so surprised and happy to see them both at church again this week! The one guy hasn't been in 8 years! So that was a little miracle we are excited about. Things are progeressing here we are hoping to set a baptismal date with Josephine tonight for sometime soon like in early March so that is exciting! I hope everyone had a great Valentine's day. 

Love you all!

Sister Rasmussen

6 months in Toowoomba!!

Well I'm staying right here in Toowoomba! Which makes me really happy. Although I'm sure by the end of this transfer I'll be ready for a new adventure. I can just feel that this transfer is going to be a transfer full of miracles because we are seeing some incredible things happen with investigators and members here in Toowoomba. The only sad thing about transfers is my bestie friend sister Tauti got transferred away. She's been here with me since I first got here and we have been through a lot together. But the Lord needed her to go be a sister Training leader and help lots of sisters on the gold coast so that's ok. I still have my wonderful companion and sister Suá who can keep teaching me Samoan haha we got a new sister as well sister Cash-Vea who is also polynesian so I'm still quite outnumbered but I fit right in ;) It's going to be fun.   Also all of the sisters from my MTC group are now up North in northern Queensland. Sister Solomon stole my dream of going to Townsville, but no worries I know the Lord wants me here in Toowoomba to carry on here because there is SO MUCH work to be done. 

Don't underestimate yourselves as member missionaries. One thing we are working on with our ward is teaching all our progressing investigators in members homes. So just do what you can and open your homes up to the missionaries and their investigators, and then you can be a big part in this big miracle that is happening all over the world! Time is really flying by these days, I can't believe that it's already nearly half way through Febuary. I'll work on taking some more pictures with people we are teaching and send them out to you guys so you can put a face to a name. Well I don't have lots of time today but hope your week goes well! My P-day should be back to normal next week and be on Monday but you never know haha.

Love you!

Sister Rasmussen

I am so TIRED!

So I apologize but today has been verrrry long. We got up at 3am and drove to Ipswich (like 1hr and a half drive) and then caught a train to Southbank and then walked to the temple so that we could be changed and ready to go for an 8am session. It was much needed since we haven't gone in so long but I am absolutely exhausted. Especially since I'm the one who drives so I couldn't sleep in the car or anything. Neither could my wonderful co-pilot Sister Tauti whom I love, and we are both a bit loopy at the moment. So rather than try and make up something new I just copied and pasted most of my letter to my mission president. I think it describes what is going on in Toowoomba pretty well at the moment:

Things are going well in Toowoomba still. We had a new investigator come to church on Sunday, and get up and bear her testimony! She talked about how it was an answer to her prayers that we knocked on her door and invited her to church and also that the members of our ward were able to help provide her transport to get there. She is 19 years old and so ready for the gospel in her life. She also told us she is definitely bringing her family along next time(her mom sister and brother)! Our ward really stepped it up on Sunday as well as we had 5 investigators between the two companionships in the ward and it was all five of their first time at church. The ward members did such a great job at helping them feel welcome and comfortable that they all said they want to come back again this Sunday. We are working on teaching more in the members homes because we feel that that is what will really make the difference between just teaching these people and baptizing them.  It was such a great Sunday, even when we found out no one had organized to teach Gospel Principles class or prepared anything and I ended up teaching with 0 time at all to prepare I just said a prayer and followed the spirit as I went through the lesson and it was one of the better ones we have had with the class participating and everything. I know I couldn't have done that on my own and I'm so glad for the spirit especially in situations like that. Just as church was about to finish a family of 5 whom we had met earlier walked into church. They are Chinese and don't really speak much English at all so we offered to take them on a church tour and thankfully Elder Pu from Darling Heights was already at the church and was able to help translate for us. So Sunday was a day of miracles! 

This week has also been a miracle with some of our less actives who live farther out of town. We have been trying to get down to them and get some interest in returning to church from them for the entire time since I opened the area, (3 transfers now) and haven't had much success except with one family. This week so far we have 6 lessons scheduled in that part of the area, 5 with less active families (which most are also part-member families) and one with a new potential we found while following up on a less active family who we found out had moved. So basically the Lord is just blessing us right now with so much work and so many people to teach! It is a bit overwhelming to be honest to think that for whatever reason the Lord entrusts so many of his children to us to help guide into his fold. But I know with his help we can handle it. 

Besides that transfers are happening this week. The ward is having me give a bit of a talk on Sunday. I don't know if it's that they are expecting me to get transferred or what but I hope not. So much great stuff is happening! BUt anything could happen. I will email you on Tuesday and let you know all the details of it. 

Alofa Atu,

Sister Rssmussen

PS I heard the Broncos got smashed by the Seahawks!

ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FARE

Happy Australia Day Everyone!

Australia Day was Sunday but the public holiday was Monday so that is why I'm writing to you late. When the rest of the world gets a holiday we get to work twice as hard! Because more people are home and are available to listen during public holidays. Australia Day is basically like the 4th of July except they don't make hardly as big of a deal of it as we do. Like no Fireworks or anything. Just BBQs and drinking. They have "sausage sizzles"here which is where they grill sausages, not hot dogs, and then put them on a piece of buttered plain white bread and roll them up and eat them with Tomato sauce, not Ketsup and grilled onions. It was really weird at first but I've fully embraced it now, except for the onions, it's not a bad way to have a BBQ and it's cheaper than the way we do it, just a bit odd at first. So P-day is Tuesday this week and next week it is on Wednesday because we are going to the temple. I feel like it's been ages since I've been to the temple and I cannot wait to go! It has been ages because we went in the second week of last transfer and then weren't scheduled to go until the 6 week of this transfer which is next week. 

First of all I just want to email to say that I don't have a lot of time to email back today because it took me so long to read so many wonderful emails sent from you! I love it and I am so thankful for everyone who writes me, I don't think anyone who hasn''t served a mission would understand how much letters and emails mean. It's just nice to know that you're all still out there somewhere and occasionally think about me enough to write an email. I'm feelin the love today. 

Last week was pretty fun. We had our sisters conference in Brisbane which was so much fun! My MTC comp sister Solomon basically organized the entire thing and was running around all day making sure things were going smoothly so I was running around after her making sure she was alright and had a chance to enjoy herself. The best part of it was that even the sisters who are up North in Never Never Land came down for it! So I got to see all my sisters that are up there, Sister Carter, Sister Merrill, 

Sister Mafi, Sister Russell and all the others too. It was awesome. I hope I get to serve up there before my mission is over but we will see what Heavenly Father has planned for me. I'm torn because I've really grown to love Toowoomba, and things are really starting to accelerate here. We are working better with the ward especially our bishop and we are seeing miracles as a result of that. So I don't want to leave because I think I will miss out on a lot of the fruit of  my labors here especially because much of that labor has been very hard but in a way I want to get out and have a new challenge and experience a new area and everything. Except I don't particularly want to train again, not that I don't love my new companion because we get along super well and I love her to pieces but just training kind of wears you down I think, I don't know I just want to experience what it would be like not to be training I think and have a companion that already has an idea at least of what missionary work is like. But who knows maybe I'm meant to train my whole mission, and if that's the case maybe I'll actually be good at it by the end haha whatever the Lord wants is what will be the best for all involved, even if I can't always see that. I don't know if I've mentioned it already but we are reading the Book of Mormon together as a mission last transfer and this transfer and we are getting to our last two weeks of it. It's really been so great to read it this second time through since I've been here and realize how I'm different and facing different challenges than the first time I read it but the same story still gives me answers and peace. It's crazy! I love it though and one thing that has helped me recognize that and get so much more out of it has been taking notes as I read. It makes all the difference in the world to my study to write impressions and things down as I go along. I get so much more out of it. So If I may, I would encourage everyone to start a scripture study journal and use it, because it is really great. I can go back and read what impressions I got 6 months ago and compare that to what's going on now, and I know it'll be something that I'll keep forever even after my mission. Anyways sorry I wrote a novel I will try and reply to a few of you and get the rest next week. 

Alofa Atu!!

Sister Rasmussen

Life in T-Bizzle

Well life in Toowoomba is going well. I love the sisters that I serve with here! We have so much fun together everyday. It is so nice to be in a flat again that has such a nice spirit of unity, love, and fun! They tell me that I am the most Samoan American they know, which I am taking as a compliment. But they are trying to teach me Samoan because they keep forgetting that I'm not Samoan and speaking it to me, until I look at them like huhh?? and then they have to translate. I think I'm learning slowly though. My companion taught me to sing the primary song "love at home"all in Samoan. I think I'm going to come home with more of a kiwi accent then an Aussie one. And I'm starting to think that I will have to save up my monies to go to New Zealand after my mission to visit. Anyways I'm having a blast here and don't ever want to leave which is probably why time has been completely flying by! And knowing the way these things go I'll probably get transferred too. But at least I have a few more weeks here and I can feel that they are going to be great! 

This weekend was great we had a baptism! It doesn't count as a convert baptism because she's one week off from being 9 years old but I am just so happy she was baptized! She's the daughter of this less active family the Lances that I have grown to love so much. They are like my family away from home here in Toowoomba. They have a daughter my age who lives away from home so I think they've just adopted me in a bit as well. But they are the coolest people and we have been teaching them since sometime in November and they've been coming to church every week, the boys Dallin and Brent got ordained as Deacon and Priest. In fact Dallin was going to baptize his little sister Charley but then he went to EFY and decided to do back flips and broke his leg, so he was in the hospital waiting to have surgery during her baptism. You know how crazy stuff like that always happens right before baptisms!? Satan tries so hard but he always fails...good try but the Lance family would not be stopped! Charley asked me to give the talk on the HOly Ghost at her baptism which was really nice and it was a beautiful service. Did I mention that brother Lance in a chef? haha yep so our weekly lessons at their house are always accompanied by delicious food and he used to cook for troops in Afghanistan so he knows how to cook like an American, and he made Pecan pie for the baptism! And no one but me likes it so I took a whole plate home. Crazy Australians. Anyways that was our miracle for the week I was going to send pictures but then I forgot to bring my camera cord with me. I'll send some next week. Anyways life down under is good. Australia day is coming up so that should be fun to celebrate as well. I'm sure it can't beat the 4th of July but we will see haha

Alofa Atu 

Sister Rasmussen

Over the Hump

ALOHA! 

Well I'm officially on the downward slide of my mission now. MY half way mark was last week Friday and it was so great because I was at new missionary orientation pretending to be a new missionary all day! A great way to celebrate my half-way mark. Normally the trainers just drop off their companions and go to work in another trainer's area but my companion was the only sister to come in this transfer so I had to stick with her so she wouldn't be alone. It was awesome. Way different from the new missionary orientation I got when president Langeland was here. We got to go out to eat at a restaurant and stay the night in a hotel and get up in the morning for a run down by the river and the temple. There is actually this run that is super cool because it is so similar to Lehi's dream. The running trail goes right along the river and has got a hand-rail all along one side of it(iron rod!). On the other side of the river(which actually is pretty filthy looking and brown) is the main city district of Brisbane with all the large skyscrapers and offices (great and spacious buildings for sure) and as you go along this trail you get to these really steep stairs that lead up a cliff and if you hold on tight enough to the rod you'll make it up them and as soon as you reach the top you are smacked in the face with the tree of life, or the beautiful Brisbane Temple. It is directly up the cliff and stands tall and white and beautiful. So that was a pretty cool run to go on in the morning and to experience that more physically. Being a "golden"missionary again was a good way to help me regain my focus and drive again. Not that it was badly lost but just to see those new missionaries come in and feel all of their enthusiasm and desire to just come in and learn everything and be as obedient as they can so that they can just be the most successful and best servants of the Lord reminded me of how I felt when I came in and reminded me not to lose that. So I'm starting this second half of my mission off fresh this week and I'm going to pretend like I just got here and have everything still to learn. Which I do anyways. I hope that everyone isn't frozen. Who's playing in the superbowl? I heard an Australian won the ASP world tour. AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE OI OI OI! haha

Have a great week! 

Sister RAsmussen

2014

It's 2014!! What the?? How did that even happen? It's weird because my new companion asked me when I'm going home and I told her this year, instead of next year. It's so crazy. Anyways, as usual, the beginning of the transfer has been busy and crazy. Especially when I have a new companion and especially one who's even new to the mission. My new companion is sister Fesolai she's from Auckland, NZ and she is Samoan. She is from the same part of Auckland as sister Tauti, they were in the same stake, so that was a fun reunion for them. The other sister is sister Suá from Christchurch so I am surrounded by Samoan Kiwis. It is so great! I love it, wouldn't have it any other way. Sometimes I wonder if I got called to Australia or New Zealand though haha. I think if I come home with an accent it will be a kiwi accent not an Aussie one. I'm ok with that though. So my new companion is 19 and just recently reactivated into the gospel so she is full of faith and enthusiasm. It is so great. We are going to see miracles here for sure. A lot of our investigators are getting home from the holidays about now and so things should start to get back to normal a bit. We have to go into Brisbane again this week for new missioanry orientation so that will take a chuck of two days out of our work week but that's alright it should be fun. We also got two new elders here in Toowoomba to replace two of the elders in our district. Elder Beverige and he is training another new missioanry named elder Pu, Yes that is right and it is pronounced Poo. We thought about just nicknaming him elder P but that is just as bad and then we thought we will just spell it out elder P.U. but also just as bad. He just has a really bad name haha. He is from China and is hilarious. So he will really help us with our English Conversation Classes I think. So anyways good stuff happening here and I'm feeling really good about this transfer, also my bike fall wounds are mostly healing up. My one hand is still giving me problems a bit but our bishop is a doctor so I might just ask him to look at it. Hope everyone else's New years was awesome! 

Alofa Atu,

Sister Rasmussen