Category: Josh Blog
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Things are looking VERY promising!
Howdy all! Well, things are going good for the most part. We have four investigators who should be getting baptized in the next coming two weeks! Our ward mission leader is crazy good. He sets up at lest fifteen lessons between the three sets of missionaries each week! He leaves work early to be able…
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Transferred Again!
Howdy all! It’s been a really crazy week here in the down under….. I’ve been transferred! I know not too long in Dubbo, but President doesn’t need that many missionaries there right now. I’m now in Canberra! I’m in a section called Belconen, and the work here is exploding! We have six baptismal dates, and…
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Banished to the middle of nowhere and liking it!
Howdy all! Well, this week has been, well, this week. We had our branch presidency reorganized, so basically the whole branch got new callings to adjust to. I think it’s really good though, our branch president is the guy I told you about that studied Greek and Hebrew at BYU. He’s on top of it!…
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New Flat Mate: Elder Van Orden!
Howdy all! It’s been a bit of a week out this way. Elder Detton was emergency transferred on Tuesday, so the dynamics of how things in our flat have changed. But you’ll never guess who came to replace him! Elder Van Orden! It’s been good to see him again. We’ve done quite a bit of…
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Swapping Companions
Howdy all! We’ve been swapping companions around again, so I was with Elder Jones for part of the week, and with Elder Malkovich for the rest. Being with Elder Jones is great! I think he must have a resting heartbeat of 180! If we have three minutes to get to our next appointment, he’ll try…
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Looking forward to this transfer…
Howdy all! Well, things have been good this week. I think I’ll mix it up and start with the questions this time: Tell us about the area, investigators, members and branch? I’ll save that for the second half Where is your new companion from and how long has he been out? Also see second half Tell us…
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Dubbo!
Howdy all! It’s been a great week. I’ve been transferred! Out to the other furthest point of the mission! A little place called Dubbo! Well, it’s actually a decent size, it’s just way out in the country, and the area we cover is mostly small towns except for Dubbo. It’s the kind of place that…
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“Leaving the mission will be just as much an act of faith as coming out!”
Howdy all! Well this week has been a bit of a slow week. I was out of my own area nearly the whole week. I had exchanges twice, a baptismal interview in the middle of nowhere a fireside I had to speak at, and Elder Perkins had a sick day. Really, really slow. Well, the…
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Five New Investigators
Howdy all! It’s been a week full of miracles down here in the down under. Like crazy. Our mission just changed it’s standard of excellence (for those who don’t know what that is, it’s kind of like the mission weekly goals) from getting 20 lessons a week to finding three new investigators a week. Finding…
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A Good Mixed Bag
Howdy all! Well it has been a fantastic week down here. Well, a bit of a mixed bag, but a good mixed bag. Let me explain. No. There it too much. Let me sum up: One of our recent converts has been doing fantastic missionary work and found us an investigator. We went over and…
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Things Picking Up
Howdy all! Well, this week has been a bit of an interesting one. We haven’t done nearly as much teaching as I’d like, but we have been busy in some other worthwhile causes. We actually got a text from one of the recent converts Her name is Kowhai (sounds Ko-fie) she’s 18 years old, and…
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Fantastic Week!
Howdy all! Well, this week has been a fantastic week. We’ve been working really hard with our members for some referrals and they finally came through. We’ve recieved three this week, and it sounds like one more is coming! There’s one of the referrals we haven’t been able to contact yet, seems like he’s out…
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Staying In Lumeah
Howdy all! All right, first off, I’m still here with Elder Perkins. We had one of the elders who I’ve gotten pretty close to these last couple of transfers leave though, so that’s sad. The new one who came in though is the missionary who replaced me in Merimbula when I left though. We actually…
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No more KFC and BigMacs!
Howdy all! Well, I sure hope that all of you had a great week this week. Congrats to the newlyweds! (It just crossed my mind that I’m not entirely sure how to spell my own sister’s last name anymore….. All of her kids are cursed to be called Fankenhouser from here on out……). My mind…
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A short one…
Howdy all! All right, sorry, this will probably be a short one. Not too much going on this week….. Not really anything has happened of interest this week. Our work is nearly out. We’ve got one sort of investigator at the moment. That’s pretty much it. A bit of work with the less actives as…
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Most stressful week ever….Best week ever!
Howdy all! All right. Most. Stressful. Week. Ever…. Best. Week. Ever. I’ll try to condense what happened this week into a single email…… Alright. So to start off, I guess I should let you know that there’s a superstition out here that every baptism has it’s “hiccup”. I’ve seen a hiccup in every baptism I’ve…
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Baptism Coming Up
Howdy all! Alright, I guess I should say this first off, things have been really rough this week. My new companion has been a bit more to handle than any of my other companions, and it’s not been easy, please pray for me to help me help him the best I can. All right, well…
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Transfers and Temple Trip
Howdy all! All right, this week was transfers, so sorry for the late email. Elder Lavulavu has been transferred. I’m a little bit sad about that, we have had a great time serving together, but he’s still in the zone, so we’ll still see each other a couple of times a week. He has been…
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Positive, uplifting experiences…
Howdy all! It’s been a great week this week. A lot of positive, uplifting experiences and a surprising amount of changes. First off, I guess I should let you know that the other missionaries in the ward moved to our flat. I’ll admit, I’m a little disappointed in the mission office on this one (let me…
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Not Eaten By Tongans After All
Howdy all! All right, I guess I probably ought to explain what the cause of the brevity of my last letter was all about. I think I mentioned we had an all mission p-day, but it was really crazy. Nearly all the elders were there, we had a barbeque (three meat shops sold out from…
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Eaten Alive By Tongans
Hey, sorry, this is going to be a short one, we have basically a mission p-day today, so I don’t have heaps of time to write. This week was a week of mostly administrative work, but it was very productive. As it turns out this is the first MCM this ward has had in seven…
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A Happy Birthday!
Howdy all! It’s been a great week this week. A bit different than normal, a lot of meetings and stuff, but a good week. First and foremost, thanks to everyone for making my birthday so great. I loved all the little inside jokes! (my companion was really confused, especially with the towel). It was a…
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New Mission President
Howdy all! Well, things have been great this week. Because of the new mission president coming in, there was a couple day lag for most of the mission, (transfers, zone meeting, and a recent convert fireside (that got canceled and we had no idea until about half an hour after it started. We were really…
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Still in Leumea with Elder Lavulavu
Howdy all! Well, it’s been a bit of a hectic week down here, I had exchanges, two flat inspections, a new mission president come in, and a transfer. Things have been a bit crazy here too, there’s a school break going on at the moment, so almost no one is home. But all is well.…
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We Have a Baptismal Date!
Howdy! Well, it’s been a great week here in the down under! Guess what?!?!?!?!? We have a baptismal date! Yay! It’s one of the little girls we’ve been teaching, her mother is less active, and her older sister as well. She’s super exited to come to church though, and really loves the lessons and coming…
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“I’m loving it.”
Howdy all! Well, it’s been a good week down here. The work for Elder Lavulavu and I has been fantastic. We’re really doing well together, and I’m hoping he doesn’t leave at the end of the transfer. We have had some difficulty getting in to see our most promising investigator because his mom is really…
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Cabin Fever
Howdy all! I’m going to start this email off with an apology. It’s going to be short, and it’s not because I don’t love you and not even that I’m on the clock. It’s because there’s really not much to report. I got sick this week, really quite bad. (Not to an extent you’d need…
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Under the weather in the down unda…
Howdy all! It’s been a bit of an adventure this week in the down unda. I got sick during the week and had to stay in the flat and it basically killed me. Don’t get me wrong, I love studying scriptures but it’s hard to do for like 12 hours. I’m feeling much better now,…
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Good ‘ol KFC
Howdy all! It’s been a really good week here in the down unda! (er, under, I suppose is how you’re supposed to say it but I’m trying hard to hold on to the accent I have and I’ll explain why.) Well first off, I’m the only white person in the ward as far as I…
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Transfer to Lumea
Howdy all! First off, it was great to talk to you all on mother’s day. Second off, I just got transferred. I’m in a place called Lumea now (it’s still in Sydney). I’m still getting a hold of my settings, but it looks promising. The investigator who was really close to baptism is actually closer…