Sydney Here I Come

Hey everyone, hope you are safe from the Corona virus. I sure am, at least so far. Pray for the people suffering with it and also for the missionaries in Hong Kong who can't go outside at all. 

So this week brings some big changes for me. Tomorrow I'll be transferred, I'm going to a new area: Sydney. I know, I thought was called here on my mission right? The truth is, many missionaries in this mission go the whole two years without serving in the main city. I'm excited because it's generally known for lots and lots of street contacting and finding people to teach. I'll be serving in the city YSA ward. My proselyting area is mainly that around a university campus, the University of New South Wales (UNSW). The college is 80-90% Chinese students so hopefully my language skills will come in handy. Also, I will be training a new missionary who gets here tomorrow. I don't know who he is or even what language he will be learning, but I'm really excited. A fresh start will be great and I'm committed to giving my all and bringing people right in the heart of Sydney unto Christ. It'll be a lot different from my last area and I'm looking forward to adjusting to a new way of life and especially to even more missionary work. 

I will miss my Chinese companions and friends. I built some friendships in Ryde that I hope last for many years. There are some truly amazing people in the area and they were very kind. I learned to love the Chinese culture and everything that comes with it. I'll share a few experiences from this week:

Everyone was pretty scared of the virus this week which meant no one was outside. So we went to a member's house to visit with her. All 4 of her kids were staying home from school to avoid contamination, and she also had her sister's family of 5 over too. I started talking to all the kids but the mom told they were too shy and might take a long time to get used to me. Then I asked if anyone knew how to do a cartwheel. I told them about how I used to be a gymnastics coach and the kids got really excited. It was pretty fun having them all follow me around and get them interested in different games and magic tricks. I just tried to distract the kids so my companions could talk with the mom who needed some peace and quiet time to feel the Spirit. But man those little kids are so cute. I miss my little sisters!

The virus cut down our English class from 20 to 3. So we did a lot more speaking and had a lot of fun. It's kind of crazy how the whole city basically just shut down when they heard       that someone in Sydney got it. Now if people get back from China they just hole up in their houses so they don't infect anyone. But, the work goes on.

We were called to give a blessing and showed up at the house. We were greeted by a middle aged man who told us that he hasn't been to church in years but his mom was about to pass away from cancer and he wanted her to receive a blessing. So he had found the missionaries number from so long ago and was grateful that we could come. We went in and his mom was very weak. She didn't even open her eyes as we gave the blessing. We knew it was her time to return to Heavenly Father. At that time, I could feel how close her spirit was to Him, and how much He loved her. We gave the blessing and then talked with the man. I felt his burden, he was clearly trying to accept that his mother would soon pass and also trying to be strong. I felt so happy to be able to comfort, to be able to tell him that he can see his mother again. As he remembered God's plan for all of us, I could see his weight being lifted. He felt comforted and the Spirit was there to comfort all of us. About an hour after we left, we got a phone call from him. He told us that his mother had passed on soon after we left and he was deeply grateful for the peace the blessing had brought to him and his dad. I felt grateful for the experience to be God's instrument to bring the Spirit to someone who really needed it. 

We taught an 8 year old boy who is preparing for baptism and it was such a different experience from teaching adults. He accepted things so quickly and also got distracted very easily. I think the part that he remembers the most is when we told him to go outside and let him get his hands all dirty. He came back in with muddy hands and we asked him how it felt. We talked about how whenever we do something bad like not listening to our mom or fighting with our brother, we get a little more dirty. Then we let him wash his hands in the little tub of water we prepared and explained how when we get baptized, we can be clean from all our sins. I love teaching in a simple way because it also reminds me of the same covenant I made with God, to keep His commandments, to remember Him, and to follow Jesus Christ. It really is a life changing experience, and it's a blessing that even an 8 year old can have it.

Ever since I arrived in this area months ago, we have been teaching a lady named Lily that we found my first week in the area. And ever since we started teaching her, I've felt that she needs to meet this member Ting. They both have 3 little kids and similar personalities and I just kept feeling that they needed to meet and it would really help Lily progress. Well, after many failed attempts, cancellations and bad timing, we finally visited Lily's house with Ting. We kind of made Ting feel a little pressure by telling her that her testimony and experiences could be very powerful in helping Lily see how the gospel can help her and her family. Ting was nervous but once we got in there she just started chatting with Lily and quickly became friends. Then she started sharing the gospel with such confidence that you could feel the Spirit speaking through her. I was so grateful for how powerfully she spoke with Lily. Then Lily decided she wanted her kids to grow up in the church environment and she wanted to strengthen her own faith as well. She also shared something that I was touched by. Usually when we share the gospel with Lily I feel like she's not really getting it. But she started talking about how when I first met her months ago and her daughter's finger was swollen to 3 times the normal size because of an infection. I said a prayer with them that her finger could get better. At the time I didn't think much of it. Actually, I didn't even remember saying the prayer until Lily brought it up. But Lily said that she remembered my prayer and then she saw her daughter's finger get better over the next few weeks. To her, it was telling her that what we missionaries were teaching her was good. It was just good to feel once again that we had made more of an impact than I realized. I feel that we are taking small steps with Lily and really making progress. I hope that next time I come to Ryde, she is baptized!

It's time for a new adventure. I'm so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary and all the ups and downs that come with it. I know that what I'm doing is what God needs me to do. I know that Jesus Christ's gospel is the way to peace in this life and eternal happiness in the world to come. I love it, it's such a blessing to be a representative of my Savior.

Have a great week, 

好期待去市中心！

Elder Halverson