Baptism, Skype Home, New Place, New Companion= Amazing Week

I'm in a new area with a new companion, his name is Elder Parsons and he is from Australia, he is from Perth. He is a really great guy and I'm excited to start to serve with him, he has been out 1 transfer longer then me . I'm now in an area called Camp Hill, I'm excited to start serving here and will let you know how it goes, we just got back from the Transfer meeting, it was wonderful, went super well and guess what i Live now just a 5 minute drive from Brisbane City, I get this perfect view of the city on top of the hill. It's really great as just before I left Eight Mile Plains, I met this woman, who knew some people in my ward back home and every week for 18 months went to the London Temple, she said she was from Camp Hill, so hopefully I will see her again, now that I'm around her area. I Loved my time serving in Eight Mile Plains It was amazing, I saw a lot of success in that area, people coming to follow Christ more fully in there lives by entering the waters of baptisms, being able to baptize some incredible people and reactivating people who had not been at church in a long time. I left EMP, on the best note, Georgie, got baptized on Sunday, the 15th of June and it was an incredible and wonderful service, Georgie was also confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints straight after, we got special permission to do so, wow what a way for me to end leaving that area, I'm the happiest person, that I was able to see Georgie get baptized and confirmed, I can't describe to you all, how amazing it was, she was baptized by her uncle a fantastic man, when I first got to EMP half a year ago, I met Georgie, her family, mum and Dad started coming back to church, and Georgie started taking the discussions and was amazing, soaking up every aspect of the gospel, we always had tender lessons and her 1st cousin Halen was able to come with us to attend, he is preparing for a mission, when he lives I probably would have finished. There was some things stopping Georgie from being baptized before, I remember she told me before she would love to be baptized, but it would be in a few years, I always knew when those few years would come that she would be ready, and I always had the biggest desire to see and be there to witness Georgie entering the waters of Baptism, well those few years became a few months, things happened and changed and she was able to be baptized, I so happy I could see that wonderful day, although the last few weeks have been the toughest weeks of my mission, I know that the adversary was working triple time, everything that could go wrong went wrong, but we were determined and giving it our all, we were not going to let anything stop her special day from happening as she had such a desire to be baptized, so when that day came, the Sunday just gone was the best, she is a incredible Mother, who will go on and do many amazing and wonderful things, and I'm so pleased and proud of her for the steps that she has taken in her life to get to where she is now, I'm excited to think of the steps that she will continue to take and how she will continue to grow in the gospel :) 

Also yesterday must have been one of the most craziest days of my mission, what a way to spend my last day in EMP, so the car keys ended up getting stuck on top on the roof of the house haha, which was over 20ft up...................................................Don't even ask hahahahahah. I will leave everyone guessing how my good friend from Idaho managed that ;) we were just all cracking up so much, you see in situations where car keys end up on top of the roof at night, down worry, just relax and watch 4 missionaries come up with the most ridiculous ideas to get that down....................I want you all to try to imagine some of the crazy things we done. 
We ended up sprinting to the chapel on the look out for a 20ft ladder, but when to our surprise, but a 20ft Ladder, was there in front of our eyes, we don't even know how, all I know is the Lords timing is perfect :) The man chucked the ladder in the back of the Ute and of we were to fetch the keys, eventually we got them :) 
Then after we got the keys I went and visited people to say my final goodbye, well actually just a see you later :) 
I'm excited for Amir who is being baptized in 2 weeks and I'm grateful that I was able to teach him the lessons, I'm excited for this new week with my new companion we are going to go and smash the work in camp hill and watch miracles happen. 
I also last week, had an amazing and lovely opportunity to Skype home to my family, I just Loved every second and I did not want it to end, It was so great to see everyone, and they are all doing so well, It was Fathers day, on Sunday also and It is also my little sisters 16th Birthday tomorrow, time to get the shotgun out ;) I WISHED and WISH HER A VERY HAPPY 16TH BIRTHDAY :) I was soooooooooooooooooooooooooo happy to Skype back home, I have the best family in the world who I cherish and love so dearly, who mean everything to me, i'm so thankful for them :D 

Hospital Visits

So sorry I'm emailing you late, P-day was changed to today, It was a temple P-day, but I did not get to go to the Temple again this morning, instead we have just got back from the hospital, so to start this last week we have been working as hard as we can and it  has been hectic and a lot of things have happened, like my companion broke his right hand in a bicycle accident as he answered the phone while cycling and did not pay attention to where he was going hit the side of the curb and came off pretty bad, so he will need surgery again and I say again as he had another bicycle accident and a brake in his left hand at the beginning of his mission and needed surgery for that and is still recovering, so we have been in and out of hospital over 5 times this week, so I have just been trying to serve him as well and help him in any way, also all the bikes in the garage are broken, so now we are full time..........walk hahaah :P! We now have a great laugh about his hand, my companion is doing well, it has just been a tough last week and half, nothing has really been going right, but we are still high in spirit as Georgie should be getting baptized this weekend, on Sunday the 15th of June, but everything is trying to stop this baptism from,  happening, from family opposition, to a lot of other things, we are doing are absolute best to help her and to make sure that this baptism goes through for her as she really wants to, I sat down the other afternoon with her parents and had a discussion with them and things were a lot better afterwards, but please please prayer for Georgie that this weekend will go well and that she will be baptized.  Please pray for us as well :) Also this is the last week of the Transfers, so next week is Transfers and I feel that I will be moving. But there has also been a lot of good things happening this week, we taught some really great lessons, and something that I noticed that has happened to me a lot lately is that we will visit someone and I will share a scripture with them and they just start crying and say that was exactly what I needed to hear, that was perfect that scripture was just for me, and that is awesome and I know I'm being prompted share that exact one, Out of all the scriptures and it's the one they need to hear, that was awesome :) Also outside the hospital, there was this young man and I asked him where he was from he said Afghanistan and I just started speaking Persian (Farsi) with him and that was so great, after the conversation we walked away, but then later sprinted back to me and was super excited and so happy and asked with great joy, where did you learn to speak my language' he was so impressed and happy that the effort was made, he understood everything perfectly and then we just left him with a pamphlet. It helps that Amir, who is getting baptized in a few weeks in teaching me :) So even though a lot of crazy things have happened a lot of great things have as well :) and I get to Skype home this week! Super excited about that :) That will be really great, I can't wait, I wonder what they will think of my accent? Also some good news are flat is immaculate, so clean and we had a housing inspection also this morning after the hospital and he said it is one of the cleanest I have ever been in :) but he was like, your accent, are you from South Africa? hahah! I said England, but it was really cool, also I got to speak some Afrikaans at the door this week as well :) Have a wonderful week! - Elder King 

Powerful Week

This last week I went as hard as I could, All I have ever wanted to be is a consecrated missionary. In companionship study I broke down crying because I know I don't have long left and all i have wanted is to be consecrated and work my hardest and I'm finally doing that, it's been super hard for me to do this, I have had to change somethings but I'm getting there and I have had a really emotional week, but like 1 one of the best weeks I have had on my mission, every lesson I was in I cried, because it was such a powerful lesson the spirit was so strong, I noticed changes that were wonderful, I shared such a powerful thing about the Plan of Salvation, It's something I will never forget, I was teaching our investigator who lost her Baby, I was crying as I shared this tender moment with her. :) When I thought of that last week, i went so hard with work, I set another baptismal date and have been working so hard, better late then never, I set a date with Georgie. Georgie will be being baptized on the 14th of June, it also happens to be the day I get to Skype home :) I can't tell you how much joy that brings me in my life, when i first met Georgie, she said it would take her years to be baptized because she had to get married and all, a things happened in her life, and she is no longer with her boyfriend, but she is now able to be baptized, it's sad that they are not with each other especially for her baby who is 6 months old, he was born when I first came into the area, but this is the best step for Georgie in her life and also with the lesson, who did I teach with but the mission President :) So amazing, he is going around every zone, and went out with missionaries who had lessons, that day he was in the area, we scheduled a lesson with Georgie and president came :) I have taught with president before, It's funny because when I first came out to Australia, I was still so fresh in the gospel and I did not really know how to teach, but I'm so much better now and president was super impressed by my teaching and I know it made him so happy to see the progress I'm making. So the week went to fast for me with teaching with president, to having many emotional lessons, we are teaching this Muslim man at the moment, and it is going super great, we have been having some incredible lessons and he will be coming to church this week. :) The week was also great because we had an Inactive woman come up to us on the street and say hey Elders reactivate me and my family, for any one reading this who is not a member, I'm not talking about robots and because reactivating kind of sounds like I'm on about a robot or something, it's just where she has not been to church in donkey's years like soooooooo long and wants to come back, so after 5 minutes of talking to her on the street 5 minutes later we were in her home visiting with the family and she came to church this Sunday she needed the extra push, put the Lord places us where we need to be, she had just moved into the area and  she just happened to see us cycling at night, it was pitch black out and it was about 8pm but we needed to be there at  this time! and her 1st cousin goes to our church on Sunday and she did not even know it, so they got reunited :) Also Fast and Testimony meeting was great, sacrament actually went over 30 minutes longer then it was meant to as I have never seen this but 20 people all went up at the same time to share there testimony, so there were heaps of people just sitting on the stand waiting. So powerful I was paying full attention to what they shared! You some times get worried with Fast and Testimony meeting when you bring your investigators to church as you know that the 1 crazy person in the ward will get up there and say something just insane, every ward has one :) but luckily all went well for us :) The week was also great as we had a 'Come Follow Me' Fireside, with the Mission President there and 3 recent converts spoke, It was so wonderful and they were from all over the world, it's funny because none of them were Aussie, one was South African, one was from New Zealand and 1 from China, but It is so wonderful to know that the gospel is for everyone no matter what background or walk of life, or like me from little ol' England. What I Love about My mission is that no matter what door I knock on, I have no idea what kind of person they are going to be, what they look like, where they are from or there kind of personalty, all i know is that whoever is behind that door i know that the message of the gospel will bless and help them and bring more joy into there lives, I love 2 Nephi chapter 26 verse 33 and this kind of says it all! I Love that we never force, just invite :) It was also awesome last week because at the fireside, there was my old friend Elder Double' from New Zealand, he was back in OZ for a few weeks and he wanted to find what area I was in to come and say hello knew me from me being fresh on the mission or just a 'Greenie' Elder Double' now just Allan was my first Zone Leader back when I was in the Gold Coast. We had a great catch up and got a picture, it was really good seeing him, seems like it was literally just yesterday we were going on trade offs together having a blast, but that was nearly a year ago. 
Always going on in Australia right now is the biggest sporting event of the year 'State of Origin' Queensland, VS New South Wales, it's so intense and everyone gets involved. Have a Blessed and wonderful week!

ATTITUDE=100%

I had a great week I truly did, So there has been some really uplifting things i have heard something that happened about this recent convert who has only been a member for 5 months and he has already read the Book of Mormon 2 times the Pearl of Great Price 3 times and the Doctrine and Covenants 2 times and also a Marvelous work and wonder, And has already been going to the temple to do Baptisms a few times, he has truly embraced the gospel and that brings me so much joy to hear that. 
Another experience happened quite a while ago and is that our Ward Mission Leader had Spinal Meningitis and while he was serving in Japan and he was very sick and before he got the spinal meningitis, he had been working with this family teaching this woman however he could never see the husband ever because he was so busy, well when he got that sick he had to obviously go to hospital to be operated on and the person who was operating on him was the husband of the woman, he shared some of the gospel with him and then after the operation he went and taught him with the mission President, he went on Trade off with the Mission president well the woman, the husband and the kids got baptized and they are still in contact with him now 15 years on. So My Book of Mormon reading has been going really well lately and I am reading in the Book of Alma, I'm on Alma 21, but I was reading in Alma 17 about the Sons of Mosiah. it made me think of an experience I had so i had just joined the church, and my other friend had, we were with a few of our member friends, sitting outside in the garden and having marshmellows over a fire, just reading the sons of Mosiah story, before we were kind of party boys, but we did not need alcohol to have a good time, just friends the scriptures and marshmellows and we had a blast. So also the last week on my mission has been great because we have been able to play a lot of Basketball and I was able to drop another 8 (3)  pointer shots in a row but in a big missionary game, I was shocked but definitely happy with the performance. So I was able to help give service this week to a Widow with 8 children, we were able to do her whole garden for her the 3 of us, and really quickly and do and good job, I went super hard to help this family as they really needed it, but then it made me feel guilty of all the times I never helped my family, but now I have learnt how to give service and mean it and I look forward to serving my family when I get back and giving them my all, as I know will go and give the rest of the time I have here on my mission it's all. Also when we were out finding we got into the richest home, this multi-millionaire property to teach a lesson, and then get on this other home, in that reach area we got a return appointment with this woman my 1st rich potential from the start of my mission, she broke down on us at the door and started crying it was really sad, but we reassured her that the message we share can and will help her, so was so thankful, she started then crying thanking us for all that we done, and then we saw her in the evening as she was jogging and she started to cry again thanking us, :) I even got to speak some Italian to her and she was like 'You are a Legend' she was so impressed by me speaking some Italian to her, just the basics, it's nice to meet you, what is your name etc etc! So I have also learnt more Tongan this week, my favourite is when the Tongan members tell us 'Eat Elders Eat' and I Love being able to speak Some Tongan to people :) I also learnt a bit more Serbian!!! I Love to learn languages, it's so much fun!!! So we also Taught a very powerful restoration lesson yesterday to this Muslim, that we were all crying, as I shared my testimony about the Book of Mormon, I started to cry, and the others did as well, then this Chinese member we were with shared his testimony it was so powerful and he started to cry, in his broken English, he shared about the missionaries finding him in Taiwan and how when he prayed he received such a strong answer. Also yesterday, I set a Baptismal Date for July 5th My companion was talking to this other man and I was talking with Amir, from Iran, who I have taught a few times, well when talking to Amir, I asked him had would you  feel if you were able to follow the savior more in your life, he said I would Love to, I then committed him to baptism, and even if I'm not in this area then, that's completely fine as I know I have played about in helping him get to the waters of baptism, also, It's not my baptism it's the Lords, but it's super exciting that he will be baptized, that is the date that works best for him. It is awesome as well as because Arash is from Iran and is a recent Convert and also Max is a recent convert from Iran, and they are all good friends, we are baptizing Iran, but seriously so many people from Iran are joining it is awesome and there were 3 other guys from Iran came to church the other week and that is why I have been learning to speak more Farsi (Persian) It makes them super happy. Also I'm confident we will set another date this week with Georgie the one with the young baby, the one who said, 'I did not have the church in my life until this guy' pointing to me, well it is sad as she is not with her partner anymore, but she is more then ready to be baptized and we are having dinner with her this Thursday evening so hopefully if it feels right we will commit her to be baptized on June the 14th, the day i get to Skype home, what a day that would be :)  I know that I need to have a better Attitude about everything and all, I want to show you something cool with Attitude, so take the the letters from 'Attitude' and what number are they in the Alphabet? A is number 1 for example T is the 20th number in the Alphabet etc. 
ATTITUDE:

A = 1 
T = 20
T = 20
I = 9 
T = 20
U = 21 
D = 4 
E = 5 

Add them ALL together and you get 100% and that's what I will give for the rest of my mission here in Australia, I treasure this time serving.

1 Whole Year

So It is crazy for me to to think that 1 Year ago I left home to go on my mission and that 1 year ago the 19th of May.  I can't believe that it has been 1 year already!!!! I still can't believe that it has been 1 WHOLE YEAR!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhhhh that is soooooooo crazy for me to think that!!!!! I remember just going to the airport and getting on the plane and just had no idea what to expect it was such a crazy adventure that i was undertaken and going on!!!! Definitely has been the hardest year of my life, everyday is such a struggle but sooooooo rewarding as well :) This week was especially great because of the massive meeting that we had with President Hamula of the 70 Addressing us and all and It was very uplifting and inspiring for sure, It was so great and when President addressed us also it was so powerful it was a very special meeting with it being the 'Mission Tour' Also After the big meeting that took up Thursday daytime, there was another meeting Thursday evening with 2 of the 70 there and the mission president and 6 stakes were there and I saw and met a lot of the people who I served with when I was in my first ward in the Gold Coast, lots of people were there from Burleigh Heads which was awesome :) It was sooo great to see them again :) and it was so nice to go down to the Gold Coast for the meeting to Nerang!!!!!! It felt so good going back there!!!!!! This week has been really great as we have been able to teach so much more and have a few new investigators, and hopefully with one of them we will be able to see her enter the waters of baptism soon :) So we have been really pleased with being able to teach more!!!!!  I just Love teaching, it's so much fun, I remember teaching in the MTC and all It was so crazy haahha so much fun and all but i really had no idea, I can definitely look back and I have seen a massive improvement within the last year!!!! So Also what was awesome this week, I was able to learn to bless the food in Farsi (Persian) :) and the amount of Island food we have been smashing lately has been pretty intense.this is the coldest it has been here for a while :P I definitely Love the hot weather in the morning's here it is a destroyer hahah, it's really not that bad but for Queensland hahah this is Unheard off :P it is now going to be my 2nd Winter here :/ but what makes the mornings better are that We go for a run then play Basketball and then run back :) So good exercise to warm up :)
  Honestly, the last year has been so hard and tough for me!!!! It really has you see when I put in my mission papers I had only been a member for 9 months and I did not really know that much at all about what a mission would be like, others have heard so much and so much preparation some there whole lives was about mission mission mission, when you are you going etc etc etc!!! but All I knew is that the reason I wanted to serve a mission is because I know that the Gospel was a blessing in my life like it really helped me and there was so many amazing things that had came from sacrificing and joining, I knew that I should serve a mission because It would be selfish of me if I never went and was still active in the church like in my 40's to look back and be like why did I never serve I was so blessed so why did I not go???.....  All I knew is that the Book of Mormon was true and that the church was true and I had such a strong testimony of that!!! It's sad because you meet so many missionaries who go just because ''They have to'' etc and so many missionaries in the field who did not even really believe or have a testimony, they were just going through the motion'' luckily they find it in the field which is fantastic, some don't, but I have been blessed this last year with a testimony that has grown so much and I was able to have found someone who's life changed dramatically and for the better and that was Caitlyn, I struggle so much here in the field, I have so many shortcomings but I have also so many strengths, I feel Lonely a lot of time, but anytime I feel down and in the dumps I'm able to think of the success I have seen here in the field this last year, I think of how others are being blessed by serving.

How to Make A Polynesian Happy

We had a great week, We are just still trying to re-build up the area, It's been a struggle, but we are doing all we can to try and find new people to teach and all :) We have been teaching some awesome people from the Middle East this week, we just found them while out Knocking, but it is definitely something i enjoy, sometimes It goes a lot quicker then other times :P please keep praying for us that we can keep on having the strength to get through, as I feel just wrecked some days hahahah, well actually everyday hahaa I don't know How i get through, my body has really taken a toll. I Love it I have to go to the island food shop again, the Polynesian's Love it when I can smash so much food and they just wonder were does it go, My Samoan companion is so impressed by it as eat way more food then him!!!! If you want to make a Polynesian happy honestly the key my Love is just to eat hahaha, keep on eating :) So this week a massive Mission thing is happening we are having a mission tour, President Hamula of the South Pacific Presidency is coming for a Mission visit. So everything is has to be in top order :) that is happening this coming Thursday so we are very excited to that, I think I'm going to Nerang back to the GC those crazy days of the Gold Coast, good times :) Brad Pitt and Angelina Jollie have a place in Nerang they were here making a movie a while ago in the Port of Brisbane, where I have been :) So that was pretty cool to find that out :) Also it was fun this week, we were playing Basketball as normal and we had a game first to 21 points all on all I don't know how I managed this but I won straight away as I hit 7  three (3) pointer shots in a row to win hahhaha never again though :P well I have done it before now but not in a game :P just gotta keep on making that money :P So also we went to the temple, well the Chung Tian Buddhist temple that is as my Companion wanted to go and that was pretty awesome. Also this week we went on a Trade off and I went with my other friend Elder Kisner from Idaho, the amount of people I'm starting to meet from Idaho :D well we had a great day and no joke Dog Catcher 3 happened :P in the park as we were playing Basketball after going for this run we noticed this dog, as I went to catch it he just took his business next to me it, it looked so awkward haahhaha, like if you has seen it i know you would crack up laughing, like it was time for that awkward elevator music to come on, you should have seen my face :P 
So I wanted to share something that at the time really made me smile, so I was at a Part-member families home, a family who love me dearly and I Love them dearly, who I'm very close with here, they live in the Ghetto hahah, I got them to the Stake Activity to hear me speak which went really well by the way and that was the first time the woman had been in church for years :) and also they have like 30 pets in this tiny house and every time I go there I just get Guinea Pigs launched at me for me to catch :p well we were talking about height and all, So the Woman wanted to find out the height of her Father, so she text her brother to ask about how tall her Dad was and he text her back about said 3ft,she burst at laughing and well it turns out he was that height because he had his legs amputated when he had to go to Hospital for something, so when he went to Hospital and when he woke up he did not know what had happened and the doctors were like we have some terrible news we had to amputate both your legs, the first thing he says is 'Well at least I won't need Socks for Christmas this year'' Hahah I thought what a champion, to have something so bad happen and yet take it so well :D He just a smile on his face!!! That is it's done :)
Hope you enjoyed this email. 

Fun Times With the Companions

 All is going really great here :D So with Transfers, I stayed :D I'm really surprised that I stayed :) But I'm so happy and I'm still with Elder Elisara :) Elder Elisara really wanted me to stay with him and was praying that I would stay and I did :) So I'm happy and we got on really great, we are having crazy times with each other, we are so loud hahaha, the neighbors hate us, all 4 of us are so crazy together, it's so much fun though, in fact one night we were so loud that apparently the neighbors were banging on the wall with a shoe but we could not hear it hahah :P also last night was fun, but yesterday day time we just stayed in, as my companion was sick, so I just lay on the sofa with a blanket and heater,, it's soooooooo cold here hahaha, Like I'm wrecked, there were 3 of us under the blankets with the heater on for study time  hahaha, it's so cold :P   Also with the accents, so when the French AP used to be here, when he was teaching he, when he would say Apostles, he would say like 'Apple Sauce' so I sounded like Jesus Christ, ordained the Apple Sauce instead of Apostles :P and also I was so surprised to see Caitlyn Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh I got the shock of my life hahhaah, I was soooooooooooo happy!!!!!!!!!! it was so unexpected, she might come and see me this Sunday on Mothers day here, with the kids which would be awesome. It's going to  start to get real cold here soon, well I guess in Aussie standards anyways, I guess I came from a cold country, but I won't truly know cold until I hit up byui Next year :) So I just got another Lava Lava hahaha!!!!!! Going to be rocking it hard :)