A hard nut to crack, but we got to her

Hey guys!

My week was a bit challenging, yet rewarding. Elder Coats and I are still trying to get used to the area, and the kind of people here etc. Hahaha white people are very different from the Islanders here.

A hard nut to crack, but we got to her

I just got some great news!!!! I got an email from one of my favourite families in Campbelltown, and this is what they said:

"O a mai lau susuga Elder??..haha. how yu doing down there Elder??? My gurls missed yu..they kept on asking for yu whenever the Elders came over to our house..
We had koogai [*Elder Larsen insert: dinner] with M_ and her kids with A_ last Sunday...and they are all getting baptize on the 20th next week..A_ asked  if you could baptized her..and I said you will..
We will keep in contact..alofa atu and stay calm and be safe as well..thanks bro Solia"

How exciting!!! That is this Saturday. I am so happy that the family is getting baptized. And a week earlier than what I thought! That is incredible! And it sounds like I will get to participate in one of the ordinances! (A_ is the 21 year old daughter, she was a bit of a hard nut to crack, but we got to her haha. How exciting that she wants to get baptized!!!!)

An update on the people that we have been working with here: So V_ has gone on a trip to tour Australia before he goes. We still have contact via phone call. Hopefully things are going great with him!

Picture from Bankstown - Elders Tai and Larsen.  No In-n-out in Aussie; these hats were sent by the Fam.

I will tell you about the other Spanish speakers....

A little 2 year old girl opened the screen door, and beckoned us to come in

So last Monday, while we were trying to visit some members of the ward, we passed a home with a Chilean flag on the door. Naturally, I am not going to pass up an opportunity to speak some Spanish if it is given (or Samoan for that matter). So we knocked the door. The screen door was open, and a little 2 year old girl ran to the door, opened the screen door, and beckoned us to come in. Hahaha cute kid! Her mom apparently realized what happened, and yelled out "Woops, sorry, just a minute!" We seemed to have caught them at a bit of a bad time, but it turned out okay. The little girl's mom was just getting out of the shower hahaha! That turned out to be a bit of an icebreaker, a point of humor. We introduced ourselves etc. and she told us a bit about herself. Her name is C_ (cool!). Apparently she is Aussie-Maori, which was surprising, considering the Chilean flag on the door. We asked about it and she said her partner is Chilean. It was okay, because I was able to talk about New Zealand and Maori people and about how my dad speaks Maori etc because she is Maori. She was impressed that I said "Maori" correctly! Hahaha

But anyways, the conversation really opened her up to talk about the Gospel. We testified of the Restoration, which seemed to spark an interest. She was sincerely curious, so we gave her a pamphlet, and she said come back during the week! (we stopped by yesterday, and set up to come by this Wednesday, so I will let you know how it goes!)

I have never met anyone so willing and open to talk about their faults

The other positive Chilean experience was with actual Chilean ppl. There is a part-member family in our ward from Chile. We dropped in, apparently for the first time in months. They were so cool! The brother that is a member (less active at the moment) was so open with us. We spoke of his conversion to the church, and of his eventual falling away. He has some obstacles to overcome, but I have never met anyone so willing and open to talk about their faults and obstacles. I grew a sincere love for this brother and his family, who were all so kind and loving. Very funny too! They offered to feed us dinner the night we popped in, and they also asked us to come back yesterday and pretty much every Sunday in the future for dinner and a lesson. I am really hopeful for this brother. His family (his father, sister, and her son) seem prepared for the gospel. We hope to make more ground in the future and help bring him and his family (back) into the fold of Christ!

Smile moment of the week? Well, I would have to say that Elder Coats' stories make me smile pretty good! He is great at telling stories!

Package: You guys normally do well with the packages. Maybe just some more black socks? Those things disappear so quick in missionary flats...

Love you guys heaps! Have a fantastic week!

Elder Larsen/Loseni (I don't know what to put any more!)

BONUS VIDEO - from Jarrad's camera card:

PS: We live with 2 Chinese Elders, and one gave me a haircut..... he cut a bit more than I asked for... They are funny!

Not the haircut Jarrad mentions; this one is another pic from Bankstown, with Elder Tai in back.