Week 37

Okay here we go. Here is what happened this week:

We went to the beach on Monday with all the elders and tossed the footy ball around and did all the fun activities you can do at the beach except swimming. It's fun to just watch the surfers sometimes. Someday I will go surfing on an Australian beach. Someday.... hahahaha ANYWAYS that was heaps of fun and we ended up going back again yesterday. haha "man, I'm bored and it's P-day, I guess we'll have to just go to the beach again..." #southcoastzoneprobs

Tuesday we received a text from the APs that President Lew was in the Hospital. I'm not sure of all the details, but he's been in and out of surgeries this week so he could really use your prayers. Last I heard he was recovering slowly but surely. 

Nothing else too eventful happened for the rest of the week. We had district meeting on Friday, and once again, I remembered that I used to LIKE going to district meeting when I didn't have to stress about giving a training... haha it's good though, because I always learn a lot when I study for a training. this week I did it on the missionary purpose. I feel like that's something that people look over because it is one of the basics, but I really like studying it. There's a reason why they're considered the first principles and ordinances of the Gospel. It starts with faith, which leads us to repent because we believe in what Christ did for us, which allows us to participate in saving ordinances like baptism, which qualifies us for heavenly gifts like the Holy Ghost, and if we endure to the end, Then we are able to receive the big reward for the other four. I always love church on easter sunday because its always a really good sacrament meeting. Our ward mission leader spoke about how our spiritual health and our physical health are similar. he said something that I really liked. he said "we are not physical beings in search of spiritual experiences, rather we are spiritual beings immersed in a physical experience." haha pretty deep, but really cool at the same time. Then elder wang taught our Chinese gospel principles class and made me tell the story of Noah in Chinese! hahaha I had to chinglish it a bit, but I did it! I'm very pleased with how much my Chinese has improved while I've been in Wollongong. I'm not to the point where I can hold a normal conversation, not even close really, but I'm getting there!

Today we are going to meet a guy from Vietnam who elder Barlow contacted before I got here and had him in the area book under potentials and it said "English not very good, text instead of call" so I texted him and set up an appointment for today. Hopefully it goes well. We've got a member who speaks Vietnamese coming so hopefully we can bridge the language gap. I've learned the trick to teaching the gospel in a language you don't know is to use the pamphlets and book of Mormon and stuff that they can read in their own language. We've got some investigators that we want to set baptismal dates with this week so we'll see how that goes. I'll let you know next week.

Sunday night we went to visit Tracy. He's from New Zealand and we've been going over there every sunday since I got here. he just started coming back to church and in a couple weeks he's getting the Melchizedek priesthood. I'm really excited for him and we were talking about it sunday night and he asked if I would still be here and I said yes, transfers are a couple weeks after stake conference. Then he asked if I would ordain him! I was so surprised! I told him I'd love to and I've been memorizing how to do it ever since! hahah really happy for him, and really nervous at the same time...

Yesterday we went on a hike up mount Kembla. it was pretty cool, and a really good view. I WOULD upload pictures to show you, but I can't find my SD card reader so I'm kinda sad about that... hopefully I find it.

for those who are following along with the book of Mormon reading, isn't it cool that we got the part of Christ's visit to the Americas right at easter time?? man that was cool. I love this time of year. I know that Christ laid down his life and took it up again. I'm so thankfull that he did. Without his sacrifice, there would be no point to anything we do. but he did, and because of him we can receive all the blessings our Heavenly father has in store for us if we will just follow the savior. Love you all, happy Easter. I got your package! thank you sooo much! I'm disappointed that I couldn't be there to give Jessica some competition in the candy hunt. i'll give her one more year, and then I'm comin with a vengeance. hahaha

Love,

Elder Tingey