We Made The Local Adelaide News! :)
Hi呀！Hope everyone is doing well and enjoying their Thanksgiving break! Australia does not celebrate Thanksgiving, but they do celebrate Black Friday haha. Black Friday was a big thing here! They had a full on super car race! And all sorts of things going on! Thanksgiving Day in Australia was rainy and cloudy, but the rest of the week was hot and sunny! It is starting to heat up over here!
Fun Australian things!
-Phone numbers in Australia are weird. Instead of a set of numbers like America 000-000-0000. It is the opposite and it is 0000-000-000. So it is flip flopped! Kinda funny!
-Chinese fractions are weird! To say ¼ you would say 4/1 in Chinese. It is so confusing especially when they say it in a conversation! It blows my mind sometimes.
-Australian football is just crazy! They have the craziest rules and they are religious with their football. I cannot figure out how the game works yet! However, “Aussie rules football” thats what they call it is so big over here! And the football is different from an American football. It is hard to explain…you would have to come to Australia to witness the unique football that only happens down under :)
-This one is weird, but bananas are different in Australia! You have to wait a lot longer before you eat them! The taste of a normal yellow banana in America is like the taste of a brown banana in Australia! The fruit in general is just so much better in Australia! Everything is grown in Australia so everything is fresh!
-Saw an Australian possum this week!
Highlights of the week!
-I am the designated pianist now haha. I got called on to play at a baptism and it was songs out of the children's songbook. Then I got called on to play at church again and then the Relief Society called on me to play for them as they practiced Christmas songs….I am a pianist not an accompanist (as some of my friends found out before haha). However, since there are no other pianists I have to play everything now. I will be an accompanist when I get back!
-We made the news!! It made our week! On Black Friday we spent 8 hours in Rundle Mall! It was crazy! Little did we know, but the local news station was doing a short news story in the mall. We didn't realize we had made the news until the next day when we got a text of a video and the person telling us that we were famous. We look at the video and in the background behind the news broadcaster there is Elder Gardner and I showing the book of Mormon to someone. And then at the end of the video it shows us getting the person's number! It was so hype and crazy! Like the odds that we were behind the news broadcaster is so slim! So spending 8 hours in Rundle Mall was worth it because we found heaps of people and made the news (inconspicuously haha).
-We found the most people we have ever found in a week! So excited! Also had a lesson with a Chinese lady that we have been waiting to have a lesson with for over 2 months! She came and wow it was the best lesson I have taught my whole mission! And it was because it was totally spirit led and spirit taught! So blessed! This Chinese lady is truly chosen! So excited to continue to keep teaching her!
-China is getting crazy! We are hearing all sorts of things that just blow our minds. We also may or may not have a Chinese spy coming to the branch. And we may or may not have uncovered him this week. It is a really long story and long story short we still don't know if he is a spy or not haha.
-We celebrated someone's birthday and he brought his friends and we ended up getting 4 new people to teach because of that! And the funny thing is that they cut the cake and we all start eating….I am listening to the conversation that is all in Chinese. And I hear the word for coffee. I then ask “is this cake made out of coffee?” They look at me and say “of course”. Keep in mind this is all Chinese. I look down at my cake and tell Elder Gardner and we both stop eating immediately haha. I then realized that the weird crunchy things on top of the cake were coffee beans…I thought it was a weird chocolate thing. I am so naive sometimes. Anyway, Elder Gardner and I repented later that day haha. It was just a funny experience! The birthday party consisted of 5 Chinese guys, cake, chips, noodles, and juice haha.
-We are working so hard and I am absolutely exhausted, but so happy! I can see myself changing and becoming someone new! It is truly crazy! Time is passing quickly! It does not feel like Christmas at all so I am missing the Christmas vibes and music!
Spiritual thought!
President Russell M. Nelson recently wrote: “Mortal lifetime is barely a nanosecond compared with eternity. But what a crucial nanosecond it is! Consider carefully how it works: During this mortal life you get to choose which laws you are willing to obey—those of the celestial kingdom, or the terrestrial, or the telestial—and, therefore, in which kingdom of glory you will live forever. What a plan! It is a plan that completely honors your agency.”
The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is based on the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. We qualify for eternal life through a process of conversion. As used here, this word of many meanings signifies a profound change of nature. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."
I love these quotes! Time is precious! We must look beyond just this life! We must look at what our Heavenly Father wants us to become! So many people do not have the knowledge of the purpose of this life and what will happen after we die! We must remember the purpose! It is to become like our Savior and to help others in that same pursuit!
We also must learn how to use our time wisely and efficiently! I am learning that if you use your time wisely you can fit so much into one day! And remember if you can’t manage your time wisely with finite time then how much harder will it be to manage when you have infinite time. Be wise in how you use your time! “men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do any things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness” (D&C 58:27)“bridle all your passions that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain from idleness.” Alma 38:12
There's a quote I love that says, "there is more grace, love, and mercy in Jesus Christ than there is failure, flaw, or sin in us. God is always ready and eager to embrace us when we turn to Him and repent."
Jesus Christ is truly the author of our spiritual rebirth!
Covenants and ordinances are so important! My mission president said the greatest gift you could give someone is the opportunity to participate in an ordinance or make a covenant!
Covenants and ordinances are individual! They usually involve your name and are done one by one. And isn't that exactly how the Savior works! He knows each of our names, cares for us one by one, and suffered for us one by one. Jesus Christ is truly the good Shepherd! He will always welcome you back and care for you like a good Shepherd does for his sheep! The symbolism is so incredible!
Elder Bednar gave a great talk about the last wagon. The last wagon plays an important role, as the last wagon makes sure that any of the stragglers in the whole group is not left behind! They encourage and push forward everyone in the entire group. I firmly believe that Jesus Christ is part of that last wagon! He is making sure that no one is left behind! He is there ready to care and lift and encourage you along your mortal journey!
No one left behind!! Be a part of the last wagon! Become who the Savior is and invite and encourage and lift everyone around you! No one left behind! The Savior will leave the 99 and go save the 1. No one is ever truly lost or forgotten! If someone leaves the path or the covenant group, they will always be welcomed back! The Savior wants everyone to be with Him and enjoy the power and privileges that come with being part of the covenant!
It all comes back to choice! It is your choice whether to accept or reject Jesus Christ's invitation to come follow Him! This life is the time to prepare! Prepare to meet your maker! Do you want to stand before your loving Heavenly Father with joy that you know you became who He and the Son wanted you to be through Jesus Christ’s atonement? I know that if we come unto Jesus Christ and use His enabling and perfecting power of the atonement we can become someone absolutely incredible! However, it is your choice to choose to accept and use this power or to reject it!
No one left behind! It is our job to help everyone onto the covenant path and receive the blessings that only the gospel of Jesus Christs can offer!
Pictures-https://photos.app.
Love you all! Miss you all! Keep enjoying the snow and Christmas spirit! Keep in mind the true meaning of Christmas!
Cheers,
-Elder Jones (zhang zhanglao)
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