Wollongong Week #1
Yes, that
is right, I am finally in a new area and had to say goodbye to my family in
Belconnen! It’s been a great 7 and half months though :) I am shot gun training
here, so I will go back to Sydney tomorrow to pick up my 3rd
"daughter"(Greenie). So Wollongong so far is beautiful!!!!! It is on
the south coast (which is where I wanted to go, that and Orange which is the
Bush, but here I get to go the TEMPLE and the temple trip for our zone is this
transfer too! Inspired huh?) It is beautiful though, so green and SO. MANY.
HILLS. Luckily, I am one of the two out of the TWELVE missionaries in
the ward driving. We are even going to go and see the beach today for P-day. We
had FHE and dinner last night with a family here that feeds all 12 missionaries
every Monday... and get this... they aren't even Polynesian. haha I feel like I
might be committing adultery if I like this area too though... but I guess that
is a good problem #areaadultry
(I had to grab these photos of Wollongong off the internet and post for Kennedy since she had technical difficulties getting any photos to come through on her emails this week.)
So after
making the drive from Canberra to Sydney this week 3 times I decided I really
miss cruise control! But it was all
worth it to meet one of the twelve APOSTLES on Wednesday!! As soon as ELDER
NELSON walked into the room the spirit got 1,000,000x stronger, and it was
already strong (being that there were over 400 missionaries from the north and
south mission there). We got to shake his hand too, that was really special he
said "Hello Sister Rushing!" AH! Later on he even called a
missionary way in the back, whose badge could obviously not be seen and called
him by name. So amazing. So now some cool notes of what I learned at this
INCREDIBLE conference!
- The
common family slogan "remember who you are" *cough cough Dad* applies
to missionaries, we are representing Jesus Christ
- Am I
here because I want to be here to do what I want? Or to do the will of my
Father as Jesus did?
- Grace
is given also here a little and there a little, tested and tried then receive
more
- Don't
waste time! Pres. Eyring "One day when you know who you really are...
you'll be sorry you didn't use your time better."
-In
Judges chapter 7, they cut down the army to a ratio to 1 and 500 so when they
won they knew it was with the Lord, not themselves. Today, as the work is
hastened with so many missionaries we have the same ratio. 14 million members
of the church to the 7 billion in the world, so when we win, it will be with his
help. This is his work, not ours and is only possible with Him. And that is why
the church was restored to a 14-year-old boy, with no education, who translated
a foreign text faster than scholars today. So that people can know without a
doubt, that the Lord was behind it. The Lord makes the impossible, possible.
-And much
much more. If I didn't have to send a trillion pics from my goodbyes this week
I might attach a pic of my journal entry just so you could get a smidge of a
glimpse of how incredible this was!
(Sister Rushing with Sister Boiteux and Sister Burgress at Conference and then post conference pizza)
My last
two days in Belconnen were crazy though. I literally had to say goodbye to the
entire ward haha I think I saw like 30 people a day! But all the missionaries
sang in sacrament and bishop/stake president announced the 3 of us getting
transferred and said after they would like me to share my testimony since
I've been there forever! Luckily, I didn't get as emotional talking as I
thought I would while I was singing!
It was so
special though looking out at this congregation, this family. I for sure
felt like I was leaving on a good note and I hope and pray I
left that area better than I found it. I was so happy to see heaps of
less actives there that I guilt tripped into coming haha Including my Mormon In
Denial post-office friend and her daughter who now wants to be baptized! woot!
woot!
But
some highlights I got to leave on have to be that a less active couple is
completely active and worthy again, he got his priesthood and they are for sure
naming their baby GIRL after me! :) The young man we reactivated got
ordained to the Melchizedek priesthood and his mission call is on the way.
Another reactivated YSA, gave a killer talk in church and her non-member mom I
just adore came. She was the first goodbye to make me really cry. I want their
family to be eternal so so so bad. Then a member said he took my Power of
Everyday Missionary advice and said it is going really well and now when
his friend is baptized, I'll be the one to blame haha Seed planter for life! :)
But
so many goodbyes and so much good to leave on. And I got way to many gifts to
put into my luggage :) (Note for London friends... my recent convert got
me a CATH KIDSTON BAG. Like a big one, and it is so cute. I am so mad at
her.... but my other bag was breaking so I guess I won't be toooooo mad)
This
church is so true. I loved my time in the Belconnen ward and feel so optimistic
about my new area. I feel so honored to have met one of the twelve apostles
this week and for the spirit I have felt there and the inspiration and revelation
I was able to receive. Take part in this great work. Have a great week. I love
you all :)
Sister
Rushing
(Kennedy said after eliminating many photos, she had selected 31 photos she wanted to email home today but the Internet was too slow and none of them came through. She really wanted to share photos of all the wonderful people she was leaving behind in Belconnen Ward. Until she can get those to us, I will post some that one family posted on Facebook with her before she was transferred)
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