Sister in Sydney: Good-bye and Hello

HEY YOUS!

I think I am actually getting a few of the heaps of goodbye photos from last week to send through. I hope I can even manage to attach some from this week of my beautiful new area to this email so I don't get too behind :)

But after another long as day of meetings (trainers meeting, intake meeting, etc.) I have a new companion! My 3rd daughter! Sis Larson from Utah!

She is a fresh as 19 year old but is the sweetest person I have ever met, a lot of adjustment to this mission life and Australia culture but not much other than that because she visa waited in Cali. I love her and am so grateful to serve with her. And then the Micronesian sister I was with, Sis Pelto, is now companions with Sis Hala'api'api from the Big island of Hawaii (already made some connections) and we all have heaps of fun together and all love the work! Woot! Woot!

So still adjusting to this new area, but love it! Found a new investigator already, a university student from Nigeria! So its looking like my Sudanese teaching pool will be replaced with Nigerians! Or Asians... there are heaps here with the university. #AsianInvasion

Then got totally creeped out by a recent convert here. He bought us chocolate, checked me out and said I had a good BMI (obviously I'm losing my weight gain here already), talked about my companion's skin pigment for like 20 mins, and ring checked us, but apparently it was all a scheme to "freak us out" according to the elders haha

Well I smelled the ocean air this week, had a tim tam slam party, found out the less active we worked with in my previous area received his mission call to Sierra Leone Freetown mission... Africa... jealous as. Getting use to the area, been sounding out heaps of texts to all the potentials, trying to meet everyone, etc. Found out a less active lady here from New Zealand- she is like best friends with the sister of the rugby player in my last area who I could tell her was now active again and that his wife recently was baptized. How cool is that? Got to bear my testimony in church as well. I think my optimism and energy might have pumped people up to do this incredible work! And I am just happy to be here and be a part of this work!

But mostly this week I am grateful for the spirit. My new companion really wants to work on it and because that was my initial struggle too, I feel like I can really help, especially when it comes to teaching by the spirit. Your investigators needs always come first and the spirit is the key to helping them resolve any concerns. A great example of my growth in following the spirit is that I could sense this week that our flat felt off, I didn't want to be all creepy.. it needs a blessing etc. But Sis. Hala'api'api agreed. So we got the elders over to give our flat a blessing. They were awfully confused (all white as American boys, where are the Polynesians at? haha), and just said a prayer (as if we couldn't already do that!) I felt bad but I looked at Sister Hala again, and after I said its still here, something is off. So I (respectively) told the elders to use their priesthood. Then after acting by that authority, the flat felt completely better and the spirit was so much stronger. 8 months ago, there would be no way I could've discerned something like that.

I love the Holy Ghost. I love that it is the true teacher. As I reflect on my last area and those of my so-called successes, I know it wasn't me. I was just the instrument. I can't wait to continue learning to follow the spirit even more and be its vessel here in Wollongong to bring even more of my brothers and sisters into the fold.

Love you all! Have a great week!

Sister Rushing :)

Photos from Sister Rushing's good-byes to those she loved so much while in Canberra.

Afele

Akoi Family: love these girls to pieces!

Alek and Jason (her baptism was the one that got called off on the day of, but she is rock solid and still progressing it sounds like!)

Alofipo family

Elizabeth: an amazing recent convert from P.N.G. that always wears cheetah! I always sit by her in gospel principles and tell her she looks cheetalicious haha :)

The Filimaua Family

The Hayes

Iris: her mom is the mormon in denial that works at the post office and gives me the best deals. Her daughter is starting to learn about the gospel and wants to be baptized and came to church my last Sunday ( I guilt tripped her mom into coming remember? :)

Lole and AJ

Lata

The Kikkerts

Mangelsdorf Family: they had us over for dinner each sunday to work with their less active daughter and always had nonmembers over too :)

Martha and family! Her 12 yearold daughter Jacquline has a testimony the church is true and wants to be baptized but Dad won't let her. But love this beautiful family!

The Normans- you all know heaps about them. They are my less active and part member miracle family!

The Semanatafas

The Alifipos Family

Shenee: LA aboriginal I met with weekly. She and I are way too "cheeky" together and she knows it. I love her and miss her so much already :)

Sister Amosa

Soledad and her son Steven: met with them heaps. Super less active. She came to church once and it was a MIRACLE and then I also got her to come this last Sunday as well because it was my last one :)

Sterns: LA couple that haven't been to church in decades, but came once while I was there. I love them, they are like grandparents and she has been to Rwanda before :)

Susana and Family

Susana and her girls: You have heard of this family heaps, love them so much! This was at their son's bday barbie which turned into my little going away thing too haha He also just got permission to call me from APs to say thanks and that he got his mission call to Freetown Sierra Leone mission. AFRICA. heaps jealous.