First Email from Down Under!

Family and Friends!

 

I am here! After a long 18 hour flight from LA to Sydney (which I almost missed by the way. I was enjoying talking to my family so much that I hung up, ran to gate, noticed it was empty and heard last call for Kennedy Rushing and Karina Perez.... oops!).

 

But I am here and love it! My Mission President and his wife are the sweetest. I think they like me too because they let me and my sweet companion, Sister Soriano from the Philippines, stay at there house that night because we are serving 3 hours outside of Sydney. But then to ruin that impression, I broke their shower. Just my luck right? Apparently the shower head moves up and down and doesn't tilt down, because if you try to tilt it down and are as strong as I am, it will snap. I felt horrible. But they were still so nice.

 

So I am serving in Belconnen and some of the suburbs here outside of Caneberra, which is Australian capitol territory, like our Washington D.C. It is 3 hours south and west of Sydney meaning COLD. A crazy 10 degrees........ Celsius. But seriously, it is August . It is weird thinking this is winter. For winter, it's great. But for August this 40 degree F weather is not cutting it. Especially because we are walking. No car or bike. Yet. We are living in the cutest flat with Sister Davis and Sister Perez (we traveled together and now are in same ward). They have a car so are taking the further suburbs and we are staying closer (to stalk me... Florey, Higgins, Scullin, Page, etc.) So Mom, not the huge city (where we are at now to email) and not alot of wealth but a good suburb town. 

I have seen kangaroos.... two..... dead.... on the street. Oh! And only one spider! Nothing to exciting unfortunately, still alive and bite free.

 

My trainer is the sweetest though, she just learned English and keeps telling me I need no trainer, but I am learning so much from her. We are both new to Canberra area so it has been a while getting use to the work here. We flew in Wednesday, then drove to our area Thursday, met with members that night (so nice, I love the Aussies) and then Friday was zone pday so we had training and then played heaps of volleyball and basketball. I was hanging with the big leagues. Samoan and Tongan elders- bring it!

 

It is very diverse here. America is not the melting pot, my Belconnen ward is. So many Tongans and Samoans. We also have our one and only appt. this Wednesday to teach a lady from the Congo! I can't wait to talk to her about our Rwandese friends and my dress from the Congo! So by saying the only appt, I mean it. We spent all Saturday tracking, aka walking and walking and walking. NO LUCK. Everyone was nice but no one wanted to talk to us. Then Sunday church was great. We were fasting for more luck and to find more people. I finally have a testimony of FASTING. Aka that thing you do where you don't eat for added power and purpose to your prayers that is really hard for me haha. But it worked. After church we went and talked to a lot of people! Some less actives, part member family, and even a less active grandson who let us in and we taught him the whole first discussion. He seems really receptive but he is moving :( Then a part member family has a daughter that wants to get baptized (almost 8) so we are going to go and teach her so she knows more about the gospel and to make sure this is what she wants and her less active/part member family members will also listen. We also gained 2 referrals from the ward. Looking forward to it!

 

But it is cold. It is my luck I get sent to the cold area during the winter month, but I am surviving. Walking is tough. It is like London study abroad status, very exhausting and not very effective. We are getting bikes this week and bunk beds so my companion and I can have a bed and stop sleeping on Sis Davis/Perez floor on mats. But these are quality mats so I don't mind.

(Selfie-Saturday photo)

 

We are finally getting sign ups for feeds. I hear that this is a 15 kilo mission meaning I am gonna get fat. But I have been exercising, and walking so I won't gain the 30 lbs most people have. I am determined. My mission clothes are too cute not to fit into :) But the Samoans and Tongans feed you I hear. We called up the Primary President last night and they fed us and it was delicious. So food has been good so far. I tried Vegemite first thing. Super thick layer of toast. I finished the toast, but choose honey for the other piece, if that says something. Not bad, but not gonna go out of my way to eat it.

 

Some culture stuff for Layton! Hell and Damn are not swear words for the record. I was teaching the 12-14 year old Sunday school class and the kids kept saying Damn like it was the word "awesome". We also played the game telephone as an analogy for my lesson, apparently in Australia it is called Chinese whispers? Everyone says heaps! Heaps of food, heaps of people, heaps heaps heaps. Also "as" is an exclamation mark. They gave me big as feed. Sweet as. It was huge as. So instead of saying "big gas truck" or "ship my pants" just add "as" to everything like they do here. I was so startled because I thought all these missionaries were saying the "a" word! haha So add "as" to anything for emphasis. It is kinda fun.

 

So Mondays are Pday and I can email. I think we will do about 2 hours but it FLYS by. But I love short emails about new news. Letters will be great. For America, the international forever stamps will do the trick. However for me to get mail to you I have to get Australian stamps. Which will look sweet, but are about 2 $ a piece. So don't be offended if I email you back. No more Dear Elders unless you put in some money and put my mission address on there (sounds too complicated) but I loved those that I got in the MTC. But if any arrived after I left they will not be forwarded.

 

I love you all so much! I am so blessed for your prayers and know I am praying for all of you. This is God's work. It is hard but it is so rewarding. I am half way through reading the Book of Mormon for just looking at character of Christ. Will be done by this month then will do the same with Bible. Then next I will go through both just highlighting missionary work, then the Atonement, then Doctrine of Christ (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, enduring to the end).

 

I love seeing how much the Book of Mormon testifies of Christ. It truly is another testament of him. Don't believe me? Look at my paperback copy with all the highlights of just talking about Christ or read it yourself.

 

I love how simple the gospel is. God loves us, he is our Father, Christ is our Savior, we follow his example and are baptized to follow him. We have the Spirit to guide us and prophets. We have the word (the bible and the Book of Mormon). And we know that this restoration is true and Christ's church is on the earth because the Book of Mormon is true. Which is why it is so easy to teach investigators. Like hey, I know this sounds all crazy but read this book. If you have questions it will help you, and if you feel it's truth, you have the great news that Christ's church is on the earth. That there truly is one faith, one God and one baptism (Eph. 4:5) and that the stick of Ephraim and the stick of Judah can be held in one hand, the Bible and the Book of Mormon (Ezek 37). And this is the good news I get to share.

 

Please continue to pray for me and send your love. It means the world. Please also pray for us as we are brand new to the area and have a lot of work and finding to do!

 

LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS!

Sister Kennedy Rushing :)