November 29, 2015

Dearest family and friends,

Tomorrow is transfer day and Sister Rhodes is leaving me. I am so sad!!!!!!!! I will miss Sister Rhodes SO much! She has become my best friend over these past three months that we've been together. We've laughed together, we've cried together, we've had amazing joys, and devastating disappointments as well. I will miss all the good memories we've had, but I am moving forward into my last transfer with my head up. It hasn't been all that easy for me these last couple weeks stressing about everything going on here and things I have to worry about for when I get back, but I know that this last transfer will be great and that I will be able to finish strong! As Elder Pearson said, you sprint through the finish line, not to it.

We had a couple really cool miracles this week. First is Monica. She is a Hindu mum we tracted into a couple weeks ago and this week we were able to catch up with her with Shannen and teach her a lesson. It went really well and she seems really open to learning so far.

Our other miracle was Rebecca. She converted a few years ago and lately has had a hard time coming to church. A couple weeks ago we were able to finally meet her and this week we went by and taught her the restoration lesson again. Then yesterday she came to church! It was great and she was so happy to be back!

I know that missionary work can be so rewarding, but it can also be so exhausting and disappointing. As I've been having a harder time these past couple weeks I've noticed how 'conveniently' miracles are placed in my path right when I need them to lift me up again. Heavenly Father is aware of us and our needs. He might not always relieve us of our trials straightaway, but He will give us the strength and upliftment that we need to keep on going!

Love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

1. best burger in the world!

2. said goodbye to one of the families in our ward yesterday. Still got heaps on the list for today!

November 22, 2015

Dearest family and friends,

Another week come and gone. It always goes by so fast!! Well, this week we had a lot of changes to our teaching pool. Quite a few investigators and potentials dropped, and some new ones picked up as well. We also had a few other good things happen for us, like taking out two of the recently returned missionaries in our ward and teaching five less active lessons. It's been busy for sure!

One of the new investigators we picked up this week was Meaghan. I know, it is still weird for me too to teach someone with my name. She's really great though! We met her tracting last week. She got in a really bad car accident a few months ago and pretty much only sits at home and goes to physio now until she gets better. She is Christian and really misses going to church so she was really happy to talk to us. We taught her the Restoration yesterday and she was really open and wanted to learn. One of the things I have noticed in my many months being out, and that was emphasized to me this week, is the importance of the people we teach to being open and having a willing heart. It is a complete 180 experience trying to teach someone who just wants to prove you wrong and convince you of all the reasons why they are right as opposed to teaching someone who is willing to learn and act on the things that they receive. If we have a sincere heart and are actually looking for answers, God will be much more willing to give us those answers, we just have to want it first.

I hope yous enjoy your week and spending time with family for the Thanksgiving holiday. I don't think I'll be able to celebrate with yous so make sure to eat some pie for me!

Love you heaps!

Sister Bingham

November 15, 2015

Dearest family and friends,

Sadly, this week has not been too exciting. Tuesday and Wednesday were both slow days for us, everyone kept cancelling on us! But all goods, we never lose hope!

Thursday we had zone conference. As always, it was heaps of fun and full of the spirit. Sister Rhodes and I gave a mean as training as well so that was fun!

Friday we took Sister Rhodes to the doctor because she hadn't been feeling well for about a week or so. Then we spent the next two days letting her rest and recover.

The one lesson we did get to teach this week was Rhonda, and it was really good! She kept her commitment to read the Book of Mormon every day, and she even read more than one chapter a day. Her long friend in the church, Sister Jenkins, came with us and it was great! I know and can feel that she will come back to church someday. I just hope that day is soon.

I will leave yous this week with my ponderizing scripture for this week. It has taught me a lot about charity.

"And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing."

-1 Corinthians 13:2

Love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

November 8, 2015

Dearest family and friends,

It's been a busy week in Lynbrook. We've had a few really great miracles!

First miracle is Teiria (pronounced taedia). She is a 17-year-old girl and was referred to us by one of the members in our ward. On Monday night we went to stop by and meet her and seriously she is cool as! She is really fun and really interested in learning about the church. Her boyfriend is a member and she says that he doesn't really know how to answer all her questions (typical teenagers haha) so we taught her a bit that night and shared our testimonies with her and then made another appointment to teach her Wednesday. On Wednesday she came to the stake president's house with her boyfriend and we taught a lesson to her with Shannen, the stake president's daughter who just got back from her mission. We showed her the Restoration video and it was really great! The spirit was really strong and we were able to help her understand much more. It was funny at one point when she made a comment that we basically summarized two years of her questioning her boyfriend in 20 minutes. Teiria was supposed to come to church as well, but she ended up being out of town so we will have to try next week! But so far things are looking great with her!

We were also able to get a couple more members to come to lessons with us this week. It was the most we've had since I've been here in Lynbrook and we have a few lessons this week that members have agreed to come to with us. The work is really moving forward right now! It's so exciting!

Last update for the week. We found out yesterday that Sister Santos is getting transferred to a different area this week. It's sad to see her go so soon, but I know that President Maxwell is inspired and that she is needed elsewhere at the moment.

Love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

1. I love to see the temple

2. me and Sister Rhodes <3

November 1, 2015

Dearest family and friends,

Our week was pretty eventful. On Monday evening we had a FHE with President and Sister Maxwell and all the Sisters on the east side. It was heaps of fun and we had a couple trainings that I felt like were just for me and my companions!

We also got to see President and Sister Maxwell again for zone interviews this week. It was exactly what I needed at the time because President Maxwell is so patient and understanding. I had been getting pretty stressed slowly through the week, but after talking with him I felt much better.

Last exciting thing from this week, we had exchanges! Sister Rhodes and I got to go to Dandenong with Sister Wairepo for the day. It was so much fun and so stress free! Exchanges are inspired, they always bring miracles!

Last thing I wanted to share this week is the scripture that I have been "ponderizing".

"Therefore, dearly beloved [sisters], let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." - Doctrine and Covenants 123:17

As I have been reflecting on this scripture throughout the week I have grown in my testimony that we can only control the things that we do, the things that we put in. We cannot control others agency, but we can control our own. Our job is to try our hardest, to do our best, and then we must wait for God to make up the difference. I know the church is true and that I am doing God's work right now.

I love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

1. FHE with President and Sister Maxwell

2. our stake president cooked "completos" for Sister Rhodes' birthday

3. happy halloween/ exchanges with Sister Wairepo

October 25, 2015

Dearest family and friends,

Well, we had transfers this week. Sister Rhodes and I are now with Sister Santos, a Sister from the Philippines! She is now my third Filipina companion. She is great and has an amazing testimony and conversion story.

A quote I wanted to share for this week is one from Neal A. Maxwell:

"God as a loving Father, will stretch our souls at times. The soul is like a violin string: It makes music only when it is stretched."

I also wanted to share about my testimony of the priesthood. I received a blessing this week and I can honestly say it was one of the most powerful blessings I have ever been given. The words that were spoken were exactly what I needed to hear and I know they were straight from my Heavenly Father. It was so specific for me and gave me so much counsel I will need these remaining couple of months in Australia. God loves us and knows us perfectly. The priesthood is real.

Love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

1. I got to say goodbye to Sister Lee at transfer meeting. Can't believe she is already finished and back in Korea!

2. the new district

October 18, 2015

Dearest family and friends,

Another transfer has come to an end. Which means one thing. Transfer news!! Sister Rhodes and I are happy because we are staying together another transfer. AND we will be picking up another companion tomorrow. I'm pretty excited to be in another trio, should be heaps of fun!

Now for all the updates from this week.

We had to drop Trenyce's baptismal date for now. Her mum felt like it was too rushed and that she isn't ready. In my opinion though if anyone waits until they are truly ready to get baptized they will wait their entire life. But we will continue to visit them and help Trenyce to continue to learn until she does eventually get baptized.

We still had good success this week still, though. We went one day to try to see an investigator who has been dodging us the whole transfer. We decided that this was the last time we would stop by and then we would drop her. When we knocked on the door her step daughter Tiffany answered the door. She was really keen so we started teaching her instead. We taught her the restoration, plan of salvation, and the first two principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ by the end of the week. We also set a baptismal date for her for November 28 and she came to church on Sunday. Miracles!!

Last fun experience from this week. So apparently in Cranbourne every year they have a big event where HEAPS of men with motorcycles drive down to Phillip Island and watch some race thing there. But before they drive down they have a massive public event. So of course all us missionaries close by decided to go and check it out and do some GQ-ing in the process. We did and it was actually quite a lot of fun. Sister Rhodes even talked to this one guy for almost 30 minutes and he called us that night saying that he might come to church on Sunday, but unfortunately he didn't make it.

Well, that's all for this week. Hope yous are enjoying yourselves and have a great week!

Love,

Sister Bingham

1. people here really go all out for halloween...

2. Cranbourne GP event