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

Transfer Time .... Dun Dun Dun

Well I am staying in Toowoomba for at least another 6 weeks. WOOHOO that means I'm in Toowoomba for the entire summer!! Literally the coolest area of the mission all summer long, it is so great! Tender mercies everyone TENDER MERCIES. Also it just wouldn't be transfer time if nothing crazy happened to me. Sooo here goes:

We got transfer calls Sunday night, I had absolutely no inkling of what might happen to me or my companion. So our district leader called us and told us that all the sisters except my companion were staying.(So sister Tauti, and sister Su'a and I) after which I asked him is there any other instruction for me and he said NO. So then I assumed that would mean I'd be picking up my new companion at the meeting this morning and drive back to Toowoomba by the end of today. We ran our car out of Kilometres so we asked the elders that are on the other side of Toowoomba to drive us down to the meeting and they showed up with a borrowed trailer on the back of the corolla....ok elders. Then we all went on our merry way for the two and a half hour drive to the south side of Brisbane. Side note: we got there early and there is a surf outlet store right near there so obviously we went inside and I was in heaven and I bought some Australian surf wax. Then we went to the meeting where I was informed that I actually would not be returning to Toowoomba tonight with my new companion because once again I am training a new missionary! I was so shocked I stared at President with my jaw dropped until he said you heard me your training again and I picked my bag up and went to sit with the other trainers. And then imagine my shock and surprise when there were no other sister called to train. So this transfer there is only one poor sister coming into the mission and out of all the amazing and hardworking sisters who are far better then me for some reason Heavenly Father trusted me with training her. It is pretty humbling. I honestly think I've been doing a pretty lousy job of training although I have learned a lot each time so hopefully I'll be a bit better this time. I guess I can use this time to redeem myself a bit. One cool thing as well is that I already know who she is since It's just the one sister and she is also best friends with sister Tauti from back home in Auckland. I'll definielty be able to tell you more about her by next week but at least I do know I'll be living with three Samoan sisters from NZ. Good thing I already experienced living with three Tongan sisters early on, and I lived with 6 Tahitians at BYU and I according to the other sisters I might as well just spray paint myself brown at this point hahaha. I'm really hopeful and excited though and feel that we are going to see miracles in 2014 in Toowoomba. I can't believe I've been through half of my mission already it has seriously flown by and I have learned so much. Our area is showing a lot of potential and I get this fresh new faithful and golden sister from the MTC so I'm very excited and happy! I just have to make it home tomorrow with this dumb trailer that the elders left with me hooked to the back of their Corolla first haha. Thanks again for all the Christmas wishes and presents I love you all! I'll be speaking Samoan next time you see me, so better get used to it,

Alofa e,

Sister Rasmussen

Mele Kalikimaka

So we did get to email after all! Just not very long. Thank you so so much for the Christmas gifts I loved them all! This was like no other Christmas I've ever had, but it was still good. We had breakfast lunch and dinner all lined up. At dinner we played volleyball and had a huge water fight, that's what you do when it's summer time. Water fights instead of snowball fights. Anyways It was good and exhausting. We had our mission Christmas Eve party all day and we went to sing to old folks in the morning, then had a big BIG lunch together and dessert and then had a spiritual message from president and finally had pizza candy and watched "it's a wonderful life" which most of the missionaries were clueless and not that into but a few of the Americans myself included were stoked on. It was a really fun day for sure and I loved getting to see the sisters and elders that I have served around and catch up with them. It's weird being on the older side of the sisters now. It doesn't feel like that I still feel like I'm really new and have so much still to learn and figure out. I probably will never feel like I've got this figured out even up to the day I come home. It's also weird to think that I'll be home by next Chrsitmas and back to normal life...in a way I'm looking forward to that but also I'm really not. Thankfully I sitll have half a mission to go before that point. It was so good to see everyone on Skype! I didn't even ask about whether you got my package and liked the presents I sent you. Well I can't stay long I'll let you know next Tuesday (your Wednesday) how transfers goes. 

Love you!

Sister Rasmussen

Merry Christmas!!

Merry Christmas everyone!

I don't even know where to begin with this email. First of all thank you everyone for your emails. I was feeling a bit depressed this morning I think but I got so many great emails from everyone and I'm just so grateful for great family and friends out there to boost me up! 

It's a bit hard to get in the Christmas spirit when it's boiling hot outside. Thankfully I'm in Toowoomba where it only get's hot for about 2 days and then these huge lightning and thunderstorms build and go all night and then the next day it's nice and cool. Today is a cool day and it was storming all last night., There was fog this morning so it felt a bit like Christmas then. I won't be emailing next week because I get to skype! Woohoo! I can't wait. But we have one more week of work, or as our mission president calls it hard yakka, which is Aussie slang for hard work. It's interesting because it's school holidays from now until the end of January and everyone is leaving Toowoomba and headed for the coasts, so our investigators and members are a bit hard to lock down at the moment. We have been going to all the big carols in the parks and festivals and things and handing out Joy to the World cards which has been fun. They have fireworks and stuff at their park Christmas Carol festival things. It's so weird, it's like the fourth of July but Christmasy. I don't know but I can't wait to get back to celebrating normal holidays again haha. We have been teaching some great families lately but they are going away for the holidays so hopefully we can pick up where we left off after New Years. Anyways I don't have a lot of time today because I was so busy reading all the great emails! Love you all and have a Merry Christmas!

Mele Kalikimaka!

Sister RAsmussen