April 26, 2015

Talofa lava!

Heaps of updates for this week so here we go...

I finally had an actual district meeting on Tuesday. In the bush usually we do them over the phone since we're all so far away, but President Maxwell just made a new rule that we have to have at least two in person meetings per month. And the great part about it was that the rest of our district (from Wagga Wagga) had to make the drive to Griffith for our meeting, so we hardly had to travel at all! It was great!

We saw a couple investigators this week: Grace and Reno. They are mother-son and are Italian Catholic. Reno told us he is going to start reading the Book of Mormon because he is curious about it. They are doing well.

Stella told us this week that she knows the Book of Mormon is true!!!!! So exciting!!!!!! Now we just have to get her partner on board because he is Seventh Day Adventist, but huge progress with her this week!!!!

Sister Dere and Sister Best met a less active member, Judith, during exchanges the other week who had just moved here from Adelaide. She had a dream the night before that she had gone back to church in Griffith and met the Sisters there and the next day she saw them walking past her shop! So this week when Sister Dere and I were walking around town talking to people we stopped in and started talking to her. Then just a few minutes later we ran into the branch mission leader's wife, Sister Saipele, who we had already been thinking about as a fellowship for her. We took Sister Saipele over to meet Judith and they hit it off great! She now has met us, Sister Saipele, President Tia and his family, the Elders, and Sister Saipele continues to tell everyone to go into her shop and introduce themselves to her. The branch is doing really well working together right now! I love it!

Thursday morning right before Sister Dere and I were getting ready to start our weekly planning two Jehovah's witnesses knocked on our door. We proudly introduced ourselves to them as missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and then proceded to talk with them for a good hour. The thing that stuck out to me most from our conversation is that I feel really bad for them because they have no understanding about the Plan of Salvation, especially about the Pre-Earth Life and our divine destiny. I cannot understand why anyone would want to believe that they are anything less than a child of God and that they have an equal chance from anyone else on the earth to go back to live with God and become like Him.

Last thing. So the youth in our branch did a mini mission this weekend, and it was really great! They started on Friday night with a fireside where we did some role plays with them and got them as ready as possible to go tracting on Saturday. Saturday the forecast said it would be rainy all day, so we said a prayer that the rain would go away so that we could do our missionary work. Right at 10:30 when we met up the clouds moved away and the sun came out. We walked along for the next two and a half hours, all of us taking different routes to the park across the street from the chapel. I was paired up with three young women and an eleven-year-old primary girl. The second door we knocked a Hindi Indo-Fijian lady let us in to share a quick message with her. The next house a 30-or-so man came out and told us that he was Muslim, but that he would listen to what we had to say. He was very eager to accept a Plan of Salvation pamphlet from the girls so I went ahead and gave him a Book of Mormon, which he gladly accepted as well. We have another appointment to see him this week. After that we continued to go along with not much success until we made it to the park. When everyone was finishing up eating lunch a huge wind came in and it started to rain again, so we went to the chapel and had some activities for the next hour until everyone went back to their houses with their companions for dinner, studies, etc. and sleep. Overall, the mini mission was a big success and helped motivate a lot of the young men to want to serve a mission. It was so good that they even proposed in branch council to have it once every quarter.

Well that's it for this week. Sorry for such a long email, but the work here really is going great right now and I feel really lucky to be in the Griffith branch. I'm a bit nervous because every time I feel this way about an area I am in the next week I get transferred... and transfer calls come this week. But hopefully I will be able to stay up here a bit longer.

Love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

April 19, 2015

Talofa lava!

So we had a pretty busy week... On Wednesday Sister Dere and I drove down in the afternoon to Wangaratta, and we decided to stop on our way at a member's home who lives about 45 minutes away. We looked up the address on the gps and it didn't come up, so we figured 'how hard can it be to find one road in a small as town in the middle of the bush?' haha big mistake. We got to the little town and couldn't find it, so we stopped at the petrol station and the people there told us it was like ten K's out of town and we had already passed it. So we tried calling the family and had no network. Eventually we turned around and as we were on the road back to the family's home they were able to get ahold of us and meet us by the highway to guide us to their house. Haha it was a good adventure and I definitely learned to be sure where we are going next time!

Zone conference was really good. We are studying PMG ch. 4 this month on recognizing and understanding the Spirit, so we got a lot of trainings on that, as well as some on ch. 11 about helping people make and keep commitments.

After we made the four hour trek back home on Thursday, we turned around on Friday and went to visit a couple members in Leeton, 45 minutes back south. It was really good and we were able to have dinner with a family who just moved into the ward from Seymour. They are also just returning back to church and working on getting their eight-year-old daughter baptised.

On Saturday Elder Leota, former Mission President in Samoa and newly-called Seventy, came to our branch and gave us a presentation on the history of the church in Samoa. It was really cool to watch how the church has grown there! They said that percentage wise the church has the most members in Samoa. I am grateful for the sacrifices of those who have gone before me to build up the church not only in Samoa, but all over the world. The stone cut out of the mountain without hands is rolling forth and filling the earth!

Only a couple more updates for the week. We saw Stella on Tuesday and she has been reading her Fijian Book of Mormon. We talked about it a little more and explained more of the background of the Book of Mormon to her. We also committed her to be baptised once she knows that the Book of Mormon is true and she said she would pray about it.

Mere is also doing really well. We saw her with Anome again this week and talked about Lehi's vision of the tree of life (where she is up to in her BoM reading). She came to church again and we all had a lunch at Anome's house afterwards and watched Mormon Messages together.

That's about it for this week besides the fact that I need to wish my wonderful sister, Hermana Bingham a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Or should I say coumpleanos feliz? Enjoy your birthday doing missionary work in Spain! You will see miracles on your birthday! Love you sis and I am so happy to have you out in the field with me!

Love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

1. Aunt Martha I finally met Elder and Sister Gausnell! (two weeks before they go home)

2. Samoan church history exhibit

3. more Samoan church history

April 12, 2015

Talofa lava!

This week has been pretty good. Nothing too exciting except that we finally dropped Michael. He just doesn't seem to have much of a desire to learn anymore, which is unfortunate, but I just hope that he will remember the things he has learned and felt from us in the future.

General Conference was amazing! I loved all the themes on marriage & family, the resurrection of Jesus Christ, and personal conversion and enduring to the end. Sister Dere and I will be driving down to Wangaratta this week for zone conference so I am looking forward to listening to some of the talks again, in addition to listening to the women's broadcast and priesthood session in the car.

I would encourage each of yous to add Elder Pearson's talk to your list of talks to reread and study. He discussed a lot of the things in his talk that he did with us when we had our meeting with him in January, you guys just got the ten minute version of it though. But all of the principles he discussed were great!

I am so grateful for conference when it comes around every six months. I know that God loves us because he has sent a prophet to lead his church in these last days. I know the church is true and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It gives me a desire to become a better person, the person that God sees me as. I love each of yous!

Sister Bingham

1. One of the cute little girls from the new family that just moved into our branch from New Zealand :)

April 7, 2015

Talofa lava!

This week has been pretty flat out. So Monday we had our Sister's p-day and family home evening. For p-day we learned some cultural dances from some of the sisters in the mission. Then for fhe we went to the mission home and had an Easter message from President and Sister Maxwell, played games, and had an Easter egg hunt. Then on Tuesday we went to a chapel for our conference. Our theme was Be Loyal to the Royal Within. We had some really good trainings and food and then Sister Dere and I got dropped off at the train station to wait to go back to Wagga. It was really great to see everyone and to find out how everyone in Glen Huon and Melton are doing! Tuesday night we stayed at the new Wagga Sr. couple's flat (we didn't arrive until about one in the morning and I was so tired!) and then Wednesday we drove back home to Griffith.

On Friday Sister Kruyer and Sister Best came up for exchanges. It was another really great exchange. Sister Kruyer and I saw Jess (the Peruvian lady that we tracted into on my birthday) and her husband Richard, a less active family, Michael, and Mere.

Michael hadn't showed up for his appointment the day before so we stopped by to see what was up and we finally found out for sure what his concern lately has been. He admitted to us that he had read heaps of anti-Mormon stuff online, so we talked about it with him and explained to him that the best way for him to get spiritual answers is to ask God spiritual questions, not by filling his mind with rubbish. So hopefully he will get better at reading his Book of Mormon and keeping his other commitments again.

Our lesson with Mere was exciting! We had been going through the gospel of Jesus Christ with her and already taught her faith and repentance, so this time we taught her about baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then at the end we set a baptismal date with her!!! Right now she is going to work towards May 23rd, so I'm really excited for her for that right now!

That's all the exciting stuff from this week besides Easter as well and I hit my nine month mark... Officially halfway through my mission. It doesn't feel like it at all! I am not looking forward to continuing to get closer to going home.

Hope yous all enjoy your spring weather. I think our summer days are gone because the past week has just gotten colder and colder. Winter is just around the corner!

Love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

1. sister's p-day

2. SWEET AS!

3. fhe games :)

4. Southern Cross station waiting for three hours for our train

March 29, 2015

Dearest Family and Friends,

Greetings from Melbourne! I have reached civilization again haha! But it's only for a couple of days... Sister Dere and I got here last night for Sister's conference/p-day and will be returning to Wagga on Tuesday night and Griffith on Wednesday. :)

Our week wasn't too bad. We did heaps of finding and didn't really get any new contacts, but that's alright because we got a new investigator this week!!!! His name is Craig, he is in his 20's or 30's, he was baptised as a kid in the Uniting church, he has two sons (four and one) with his ex-girlfriend, and he started praying on his own a few weeks ago! We met him tracting last week and when Mere's appointment fell through this week we went to try and see him instead. He let us in and we talked with him about the Book of Mormon and he committed to read Alma 32 before our next visit! I'm really excited to teach him, he's really great!

Michael is doing alright. This week when we saw him again he said that he went to a Protestant church this week and thinks he might want to join their church. He also hasn't really been reading the Book of Mormon much anymore. I am beginning to question how much real intent he really has because he's been having a really hard time committing to anything recently, but we are still working with him and praying for him.

I am really excited for Easter that is coming up. It is a great time to remember about the resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. I am grateful that I have this opportunity to proclaim his gospel and be a living witness of Him. If any of you haven't already, you should look up the new Easter video that's been released: helives.mormon.org

Love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

sorry no new pics for this week so far but I am sure I will have heaps after the next couple of days! :)

March 22, 2015

Dear family and friends,

This week wasn't too bad. A bit slower because of the slow week last week, but still pretty good.

Sister Dere and I also both survived transfers so we will be together for at least the next six weeks. Whoo hoo! My second companion that I will get to be with for more than one transfer!

We had zone interviews on Tuesday so I had another six hours of driving... Three to Shepparton and three back home. Heaps of fun haha!

Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! It was a good day! Sister Tia, the branch president's wife made me a cake so we went over in the afternoon to see them and sing happy birthday. Sister Dere and I also found a Peruvian lady tracting that day who has been taught by the Elders in Peru before, so I'm really excited to follow up with her soon.

Everyone here is doing pretty good. Slow progress at the moment, but we continue to work hard to help them increase their faith in Christ.

Love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

1. throwin' up the W's for the Wangaratta Wagga Wagga district

 2. Sister Dere and I

3. my birthday cake!

4. yes I made salsa for myself for my birthday... and yes I have almost practically single-handedly finished it off :)

March 15, 2015

Dear family and friends,

Big, Amazing, Exciting news!!!!! So you remember Kendra Wilkie, my first baptism from Glen Huon? Well I found out last week that her mum Dale is getting baptised on March 29!!!!!!!! Seriously such a miracle!! Dale has been investigating the church for over 29 years now. Her mum, and both of her daughters have been baptised within that time, and now she is finally getting baptised as well. When she began investigating the church she said that she read the Book of Mormon and prayed about it and if she should get baptised and her answer was always 'not yet'. But as the sisters were talking with her the other week they were able to help her recognize that she does indeed have a testimony of the restored gospel and that she is ready to be baptised! I am so excited for her and wish so badly that I could be down in Glen Huon again to see her baptism, but I will be cheering her on from Griffith!

Our week was actually a bit slow for Sister Dere and I. On Tuesday I took Sister Dere to the doctor to have a boil on her leg looked at. The doctor decided to operate on it right then and since then she has been doing her best to recover. We ended up spending most of two days in the flat because the medicine the doctor gave her made her drowsy and nauseous, but it gave me extra time to look through our area book and try and identify some more formers we could go see. Fortunately, on Wednesday night we got the Elders to come over and give Sister Dere a blessing and she has been doing much better since then. I am so grateful for the priesthood!

Now for the fun updates: We have a new progressing investigator! Her name is Stella and she is from Fiji. She is Seventh Day and she came to church yesterday and loved it! We also taught a lesson with her earlier this week (with her less active nephew who showed up to her flat) about temples and family history and she wants to go to the family history class on Tuesday. I love Stella, she is so amazing and has a wonderful heart!

Michael is still praying for a baptism date. He was pretty shocked this week when we taught him about the priesthood and then told him that he could hold the priesthood after he gets baptised, but he'll be right.

Mere came to church again as well. We had a good experience teaching her this week. We started talking with her about faith and she said that after she first started meeting with the sisters that she stopped believing in God, but thanks to some of her friends she started believing again and that's when she started meeting with the sisters again and coming to church. She is great because she feels like she has come back even stronger than the first time!

Last one. We went over to the Soqosoqo's this week and gave them a Fijian copy of the Book of Mormon. I was sitting there listen to Sister Dere and them conversing in Fijian, when out of nowhere Tokasa (wife) looked at her Fijian Book of Mormon and said "I think I really like this book!" Without even opening it up, she could already feel that she was going to enjoy it! I love watching their faith grow! Every time we see them I seriously can just feel that someday they will be baptised!

I'm really grateful to be in Griffith right now. We have a lot of really good work here at the moment and I can just feel that there are heaps more people out there just waiting for an answer to their prayers to hear about the restored gospel. The church is true!

Love yous heaps!

Sister Bingham

1. Dale (Kendra's mum) is in the back behind Kendra