"My mission has meant everything to me"......Week 104

THE LAST ONE

Well, these 2 years have flown by. This is my last email before I fly home in two days. It's almost impossible to describe how you feel as a missionary when it's all over. You leave your home and everything else for 2 years. You don't take holidays off, there are no vacations, weekends don't exist. You get rejected, yelled at, people swear at you as they drive by, and sometimes it feels like you and your companion are against the world. But the funny thing is that not a single one of those things matters in the least amount. In fact you don't even think twice about them. Because on the other side you have the Spirit burning like a bonfire inside of you, you see miracles left and right, you see people's lives change for the better. And those few things outweigh all the bad things that may happen. 

My mission has meant everything to me. It has been the best choice I have made in my life up to this point. My testimony has become solid. I love the simple and the deep things of this gospel. It's all true. 

I was actually surprised how much i loved it. No music, tv, movies, anything for two years. Honestly I can't remember a single day where i missed those things. There was never time to miss them haha. 

This week has gone by in a rush. There have been so many feasts that I am sick of eating. It's a burden now haha. I have gotten so many gifts and felt so much love from these members. Man I will miss the Samoans. It has been a cool experience being the zone leader over a Samoan stake. There are a lot of cool experiences that come with it. 

I like this story and since it is the Christmas season I figured I would share it. 

"There was a little crippled boy who ran a small newsstand in a crowded railroad station. He must have been about twelve years old. Every day he would sell papers, candy, gum, and magazines to the thousands of commuters passing through the terminal.

"One night two men were rushing through the crowded station to catch a train. One was fifteen or twenty yards in front of the other. It was Christmas Eve. Their train was scheduled to depart in a matter of minutes.

"The first man turned a corner and in his haste to get home to a Christmas cocktail party plowed right into the little crippled boy. He knocked him off his stool, and candy, newspapers, and gum were scattered everywhere. Without so much as stopping, he cursed the little fellow for being there and rushed on to catch the train that would take him to celebrate Christmas in the way he had chosen for himself.

"It was only a matter of seconds before the second commuter arrived on the scene. He stopped, knelt, and gently picked up the boy. After making sure the child was unhurt, the man gathered up the scattered newspapers, sweets, and magazines. Then he took his wallet, and gave the boy a five dollar bill. 'Son,' he said, 'I think this will take care of what was lost or soiled. Merry Christmas!'

"Without waiting for a reply the commuter now picked up his briefcase and started to hurry away. As he did, the little crippled boy cupped his hands together and called out, 'Mister, Mister!'

"The man stopped as the boy asked, 'Are you Jesus Christ?'

"By the look on his face, it was obvious the commuter was embarrassed by the question. But he smiled and said, 'No, son. I am not Jesus Christ, but I am trying hard to do what He would do if He were here."

Thats what I tried to do as a missionary.  That's what we should all try to do as Christians.

I love you all and can't wait to talk to you later this week. My mom already claimed rights to the first hug but there are still some spots open if you would like to book in your hug haha;) 

See you all soon.

Love,

Elder White

"God make me into what you want me to be and please don't throw me on the scrap heap." ".....Week 103

G'day,

Well this is the start of my last week on the mission. It has gone by so quickly but at the same time so much has happened. It still hasn't really hit me that I will be coming home soon. It should be all good though haha.  I'm pretty pumped to see all yous.

This was a good week. We saw some miracles and also some trials. Our investigator is still struggling to get over some addictions. He is so close, it makes me realize how thankful I am for the word of wisdom. Our investigator from Venezuala has been really sick this week so we haven't been able to see her. We brought her some star bucks to cheer her up though! She was way excited and then when she took a sip a confused look came over her face and she said "what kind of coffe is this?". And we laughed and said its hot chocolate. She was disappointed haha. It reminded me of one time when I was teaching a ninvestigator in the city and we had just finished the law of tithing or something. As we were getting up to leave she asked if we had a pamphlet that she could study for next time. We said yes and I pulled a random one out of my bag. It was the word of wisdom pamphlet, we thought it was good enough and handed it to her. She thanked us and told us she was going to starbucks to meet up with a friend for some coffee and that she would read it while she was waiting haha. We thought it was pretty funny. 

My studies were awesome this week. I was reading some different things from the Prophet Joseph Smith. I love Joseph Smith,  I love his teachings and what he did for us. It is such a cool and amazing thing to have modern prophets. 

This week has been a war on the mice. Our flat has heaps of them. Because our neighbors that live in the other half of our house are hoarders. So all the mice come into our place as well. We have killed like 10 this week! 

The deaf man iItalked about last week is doing solid. We had a lesson with him on Saturday and he showed up to church. He has gone through quite a bit in his life. He is seeking direction and he feels that we are helping him find it. After our lesson we watched the mormon message called Refiners Fire. He was crying at the end of it and he really understood why we face hard times as well as good times. I was reading this story about a blacksmith the other day and it talked about a man who was a blacksmith. His family was Christian and after many years he eventually softened his heart and believed in God and everything. But as soon as he made that change in his life everything seemed to go wrong. His buisness started failing, his friends left him and so on. One day a close friend of his came around to his shop. They began talking and his friend said he didn't want to put down his new found faith, but just thought it was interesting that the moment he began following God everything seemed to fall apart for him.The blacksmith was quiet for a moment then he said "do you know what i do as a blacksmith?" He said "I take this metal here and heat it until it is red. Then I pound it over and over with my mallet then plunge it into cold water. I do this over and over until it becomes what I want it to be. Sometimes, he said, the metal doesnt hold up to this treatment. I dont know why it fails but I know it will never make a good horse shoe or whatever else it is that I am making. So I take it and toss it on the scap heap." He then said to his friend, "I am feeling the heat and the blows from the mallet right now in my life." HE said "this is my only prayer, God make me into what you want me to be and please don't throw me on the scrap heap." 

All of us feel those blows. We just need to have faith and trust in God. When we told this to the deaf man he was quiet for a moment, then looked at us and said -that is very hard. We agreed that it was, but promised him God has not let us down yet and we know He never will.

Well I hope you all have a good week! 

Love you heaps

Elder WhIte

"sign language came flooding back somehow".....Week 102

This is my companions email:

Elder Nielsen of the seventy came to our Stake Conference to speak. He is an incredible speaker to hear from. But the most enjoyable part that came from that conference was that we had an investigator that wanted to meet him. Our investigator is Aussie and deaf. My companion can speak sign language and our investigator can read lips most of the time. When we brought our investigator see Elder Nielsen, he said, through sign language, that he desire to have more authority than Elder Nielsen. He said he wanted to keep going up and up and up. Elder Nielsen in his best efforts told him that he couldn't. But our investigator did not stop asking how he could be an individual with such high authority. Then I will never forget what Elder Nielsen said. He began to be a little frustrated and pointed towards my companion and me and said, "You cannot go higher than these two young men here." My calling? I thought to myself of this statement he just made. How could my calling as a mission at the age of twenty be above the seventy, the apostles and prophets!? He continued to explain there is no greater calling, and there is no greater authority than to be a full time missionary.

We had to move our baptismal service to a couple of more weeks because our investigator is still struggling with some addictions. It is difficult to see him succeeding and then failing in his attempts. What makes it hard is the person he lives with who is a less-active member who has been convincing him that it is okay to drink here and there. Even our investigator asked was it really bad to have a beer once in a while. It just reminded me of Nephi saying how Satan convinces the world that it is okay to sin here a little and there a little, because God will beat us with a few stripes and we are then saved. However, no unclean thing shall ever inherit the kingdom of God. We will continue to work with Steven and pray for him. We then met up with a referral from a recent convert family. When we called the referral and asked if we had permission to teach his son, he gave us more than permission. He wanted us to baptize his son in a couple of weeks. 

The first photo is us using the fire hose at the chapel to wash our car. the second photo is trade offs with Elder Kafusi from Tonga.... i hate bikes haha, i have had a car my whole mission!

Third photo is a massive cockroach in our bathroom. We tried to kill it with fire and if you look closely at the picture the flame just covered my companions hand instead haha. 

And the rest is just a photo shoot.

We ate a pigs head. It was pretty nasty to be honest but the elders from Vanuatu loved it haha. 

Then we did some service and pruned the trees using machetes. 

(Conner's comment on the deaf investigator)....everything i learned about sign language came flooding back somehow. i was able to communicate with him and we will have our first lesson on Saturday! I know it was the Spirit helping me remember what I had learned almost 2 years ago. I even signed things i had never learned. It was pretty cool:)

Things are going great. I am loving life:)

Elder White

"This is week 100 for me in the mission field".....Week 100

So this was my comps weekly email. I figured it covered everything well enough. And he has way better grammer skills than me haha. 

Our investigator was at work this week, and during his break time, he was reading the Book of Mormon. He is 18 years old from New Zealand and as he was reading the Book of Mormon, heaps of co-workers asked and even scoffed saying, "Why are you reading that book?" Now most people from New Zealand are cheeky as. So our investigator turned to them smiling, "Don't you worry, I'm a man of God now." We were also teaching him about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he kept on saying, "I'm so glad that I am Mormon." He is not even baptized.

We are still working with our investigator from Venezuela. One of the sweet as experiences we had with her this week was we mowed her lawn for her and asked how her Book of Mormon reading went. In our previous appointment, both Elder White and I forgot to bring a Book of Mormon so Elder White gave his Book of Mormon to her. When we tried to give her a brand new copy she would not give Elder White's Book of Mormon back because it was all marked. She was reading all of the marked verses and is loving it. 

When you go on a mission, they always make you watch what is called "the District." It is a live documentary about missionaries in California who try to show us what missionary work is supposed to be like. Every time I watch it, I always say to myself, "This is a picture perfect mission. No mission is like this." So Elder White and I have begun to make our own District documentary, and it has been absolutely hilarious. There is only four of the twenty four missionaries in the zone are Americans. So some of the things they say are crack up! We have two missionaries from Vanuatu and when we tried to wake them up at six thirty in the morning and they said, "My handbook does not say to wake up at six thirty!" We kept on telling yes it does, but he pulled out his white hand book and he wrote in it, "You must arise at seven thirty." 

We had a meeting with the Stake President this week and he challenged the Zone to have sixty investigators at church on one Sunday. As a mission we have two goals which is to have 125 people show up to Sacrament Meeting, and to have 35 baptisms in the month of December. So we had a fast as a mission, and for the first time I was not hungry. I was just so thirsty! It was hot and humid this week, and when I was at church I kept on seeing members drinking from the faucet and I would yell, "They broke their fast! Look, look Elder White, he is breaking his fast." My companion tried to calm me down saying it is the missions fast and not the ward's, but I am not myself when I fast. I start to hallucinate.

This is me and my comp. And the vanuatu elders that are crack up

This is week 100 for me in the mission field. I love it. This is the happiest I have been. It is such an amazing experience. You grow so much and have heaps of crack up stories. 

Love you all heaps:)

Elder White

"I think I know him, I feel deeply that I do. I love Him so much".....Week 99

Hey!

Hey family and friends! This was an awesome week. We watch general conference the week after in Australia so it was awesome to get to see that this weekend. I'm so thankful for the gospel. It rocks:) 

We had a cool culture experience this week. Our bishop is married to a Samoan. And his wife's mother just passed away this week. And the culture is when someone passes, that you bring their body to your home for a week with the casket open. And during that week there is heaps of food and songs and stuff. So last night all the Samoans and us got together and piled into bishops house. There was like 80 of us and we sang Samoan songs and it was so powerful. Their language is so beautiful. We all sat around the coffin on these beautiful woven mats from Samoa. The only hard part was that in their culture you must sit cross legged. And your knees have to be on the ground or it is very disrespectful. As many of you know I have very long legs and I'm not the most flexible guy. I just could not get them down. So the two Samaon men next to me (who were literally big enough to eat me) were very helpful and said they knew how to help me. They then proceeded to each put an elbow on my knee and bring them to the floor. And they kept them there. Elder Demke and I kept on looking at each other from across the room trying to hold back tears of pain as we waited for the meeting to end haha.  After the meeting was finished a hour and a half later, I  was positive I would never walk again haha;) then we all went outside and ate pigs and other manly stuff:) It was a cool night!

Our investigators are doing great. We had a powerful experience the other day with our investigator from Venezuela. We were driving down the road and felt prompted to visit her. We swung around and knocked on the door. When she opened it she was so happy to see us. She invited us in and we saw why she was so excited to see us. On the floor was a disassembled table that she had no clue how to put together. So after some sweat and man skills we had the table put together. Then we sat down and began teaching. We had a powerful experience. She asked us a question that I have been asked more than any other question on my mission. "If God truly loves us so much and is so powerful, why do people suffer, why do little children go hungry, why." This is a question we all have deep down. We looked at her and I felt prompted to pull out my old Book of Mormon. I have carried this copy with me every day of my mission. It's cover and back are almost worn through and the pages show the wear and tear of two years of missionary service. I flipped to one of my favorite passages in 3rd Nephi chapter 9. We read with her about the destruction that had come upon the Nephites. we read and talked about the fear they must have felt, the doubt that a loving God would be able to do this to them. We talked about the anger some of them surely must have felt towards God. Then we read these sweet words from the Savior himself, she read these words out loud.  

13 O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you?

 14 Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me.

 15 Behold, I am Jesus Christ the Son of God.

We all were silent for a moment. We continued talking and as we were leaving she said "I don't know where those quotes you have been telling me today come from but I can feel they are true, they are really making me think." We smiled and said "It's all in there" and pointed to the Book of Mormon. I left her with my copy until we can bring her a new one this week. I am so thankful for the knowledge we have of our Savior's love. I know he lives. I give my testimony and witness to the world every day that He lives. I know it with every fiber of my body and soul. 

I like this story, it is by President Hugh B Brown

Sometime ago a great actor in the city of New York gave a wonderful performance in a large theatre, at the close of which there were rounds of applause. He was called back again and again. Finally someone called to him, "Would you do for us the Twenty-third Psalm?"
"Why, yes. I know the Twenty-third Psalm.' '

He recited it as an actor would, perfectly, with nothing left to be desired as far as a performance was concerned. When he was finished, again there was thunderous applause. Then the actor came to the front of the stage and said: "Ladies and gentlemen, there is an old man sitting here on the front row whom I happen to know. I am going to ask him without any notice if he will come and repeat the Twenty-third Psalm."
The elderly gentleman, of course, was frightened. Trembling, he came to the stage. Fearfully he looked out over the vast audience. Then, as though he were at home only with one, he closed his eyes against the audience, bowed his head, and talked to God, and said:

"The Lord is my shepherd: I shall not want.
"He maketh me to lie down in green pasture: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
"He restoroth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake."
Then changing to address the Savior directly and intimately:
"Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
"Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil: my cup runneth over.
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

When the old man finished, there was no applause, but there was not a dry eye in that house. The actor came to the front of the stage. He, too, was wiping his eyes. And he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, I know the words of the Twenty-third Psalm, but this man knows the Shepherd." 

That has been my question to myself every day. Do I just know of the Gospel or do I truly know the Gospel?  Do I just know about Jesus Christ or do I truly KNOW Jesus Christ. I think I know him, I feel deeply that I do. I love Him so much. And I will keep doing those things that bring me closer to Him.

Love you all heaps,

Elder White

"My mission has been the best 2 years of my life so far".....Week 98

Hello everyone! 

So transfer call was on Saturday night. It was pretty cool.  We had some members drop off firewood and we had a fire in the back yard and listened to the call. I will be finishing my last 6 weeks in Hebersham! I was so pumped to hear I was staying. I love this area and these members so much.

Our investigators are doing great. We will have some baptisms this transfer which we are pumped for! 

This week was a little crazy. Some things went down so we were out of our area for a couple days solving some stuff. We got this old Samoan grandma to come to church though which was pretty awesome. She isn't a member but her family used to have the missionaries stay with them back in Samoa! She is crack up. Honestly she is the most cheeky grandma I have ever met!

We had a cool experience with one of the elders in our zone. He was feeling way discouraged and was about to call it quits and go home. We had a long talk with him. And he called us later on and said he had decided to stay out. It's been cool serving as a zone leader for the past 10 months. You get to work with so many missionaries and see them grow. 

My mission has been the best 2 years of my life so far. I have changed so much.  I like this story by President Spencer W Kimball:

 "Lord George had led an evil life. He had been a drunkard, a gambler, and a cheat in business, and his face reflected the life he had led. It was a very evil face.

"One day he fell in love with a simple country girl to whom he proposed marriage. Jenny Mere told him that she could never marry a man whose face was so repulsive and so evil, looking; and also that when she did marry, she wanted a man with a saint-like face, which was the mirror of true love.

"Following a custom of the day. Lord George went down to Mr Aeneas in Bond Street, London. Aeneas made waxen masks for people, and his skill was so art-perfect that the person's identity was completely hidden: As proof of his skill, it is said that many spendthrift debtors, equipped with his masks, could pass among their creditors unrecognized. Aeneas went to his storeroom, selected a mask, heated it over a lamp, fixed it to Lord George's face; and when Lord George looked in the glass, he had the face of a saint who loved dearly. So altered was his appearance that Jenny Mere was soon wooed and won.

"He bought a little cottage in the country, almost hidden in an arbour of roses, with a tiny garden spot. From then on his entire life changed. He became interested in nature; he found 'sermons in stones, books in brooks, and good in everything.' Formerly he was blasé and life had no interest for him; now, he was engrossed in kindliness, and the world around him.

"He was not content with starting life anew, but tried to make amends for the past. Through a confidential solicitor he restored his ill-gotten gains to those whom he had cheated. Each day brought new refinements to his character, more beautiful thoughts to his soul.

"By accident, his former companions discovered his identity. They visited him in his garden, and urged him to return to his old evil life. When he refused, he was attacked, and the mask was torn from his face.

"He hung his head. Here was the end of all; here was the end of his new-found life and his love dream. As he stood with bowed head, with the mask at his feet on the grass, his wife rushed across the garden and threw herself on her knees in front of him. When she looked up at him, what do you suppose she found? Lo! Line for line, feature for feature, the face was the same as that of the mask. Lines of beauty—regular features." 

There is no doubt that the life one leads, and the thoughts one thinks are registered plainly in his face. SPENCER W. KIMBALL General Conference April 1975

I feel as if my face has been molded over these years as well. I feel like I  have grown into a new man ready for whatever the world throws at me. 

I love you all,

Elder White

We had just taken off our suits and our tags were on them!
 That's why we are name tag less. Also this was just the beginning, we eat good in Hebersham! haha

"I'm the man"....Week 97

We  did a pday with one of the districts in the zone last week:) in the one I'm grilling the barbecue cause I'm a man, the rest are just random:)