The Best Way to Go Out

 I could not have gone out of my mission on a better way, I was able to Baptize Toni a beautiful single mum with 5 children, last night at 7pm, there was over a 100 people at the service there to support her!! She is the best and it was the best night of my life to be able to baptize her and she was confirmed a member straight after as well. It was unreal, the best thing ever!!! I'm so happy, I'm at peace, There was nothing more in the world that i wanted then to see her get baptized and see the change in her life, to be at peace in her life, despite all what is happening and all, when she told me she feels like a daughter of God ahhh it was wonderful, I could not have had a bigger and cheekier grin on me then yesterday :) I tried to send to you a picture with her and her children I hope you got it :) 
I could not have had a better mission, being able to baptize someone I Love with all my heart on my final week and for my final Sunday to be Easter Sunday. and I'm 2nd speaker on one of the biggest and most packed Sunday's of the year and I love it, I Love speaking as you know and I'm speaking on Elder David A bednar's talk ''come and see'' which is my favorite talk out of all of them  ;) but being able to deliver something I know to be true and that has blessed me immensely, I don't know if you remembered but last week was a very important day for me, on the 25th of March 2012 and I got baptized when I was 18 and looking back on the 3 years I have been in the church, and what has been accomplished is unreal, It has been such an amazing experience thus far and will only get better to come :) 
I look back on my mission thus far and look at what has been accomplished, I baptized in every area, there was not one area where I did not baptize whether it was for 6 weeks or 6 months. I was blessed to see someone  change there life :) and now that Indian Couple who I get to meet just before I fly home and I get to present them with a Hindi book of Mormon what an honor it is to me, this Indian couple are going to be baptized on the 18th of April, and we also set another baptismal date for the 18th of April as well, and we will set a few more this week. 
I have also been so blessed looking back, to see all of my converts over the 2 years and they are all still active and solid. An amazing track record, which is usually unheard off!!! :) 
I tell you these things not to Boast, for as myself I am nothing. But the In the hands of the Lord as his Instrument, I'm something and can be used to bless people, I have always been a missionary, I will always be a missionary, It never stops and I will never stop, If you know anyone I can teach when I come to America let me know :) My missionary badge will be impressed upon me forever. This week has been the best it only gets better, I'm running through the tape. Always Learning, Always growing and progressing trying to become a better person. 
We had a great week, we were also able to save a Posom, this week, Posom's are one of my favorite animals, we were driving back it night and at the side of the road we saw a man by the road next to an animal, it looked like a cat, we flipped the car around and pulled over next to him, we walk up to him and see that it infact was a Posom and then just a pool of Blood. he was in a right state, So the Posom is still on the road and I'm diveriting all the speeding traffic around the Posom, so he does not get completely smashed, we then get a towel and pick him up move him on to the grass, we were trying to help him and we get the animal people to come out, and they collect him, to some it was just a Posom, but we knew we had to help this Posom and at the same time try to share the Gospel with this man, who was trying to help, missionary opportunities can come in all different ways!!! It's amazing, Something I also love is the word, Listen, which if you change the letters around in it you also get the word Silent, a skill that has blessed me now on ,my mission, although I love to talk heaps as well, but I know when I listen I'm able to receive that revelation to asked inspired questions!! 
I'm excited that General Conference is coming up, I hope you all love it and enjoy listening to a Living day Prophet of God, what a blessing and Privilege. I love that together we can all work as a TEAM, Together Everyone Achieves More. 
This time next week, I will in the Temple with President Henderson, On Tuesday I will flying to Dubai, then London. 
This is my final departing statement to all the missionaries i will give to in the ABM, 

A is the 1st letter in the Alphabet and T is the 20th letter. If you add up all the letters in the word Attitude you get 100% Attitude develops character and to develop the character of Christ we need to give it are ALL, Elders and Sisters, in the Name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

My Badge is Impressed Upon My Heart

Well this week, has been a lot better, I definitely have seen the Tender Mercies of the Lord in my life, like we went up to a place called Montville and we got to look at the view of the Glass House Mountains, and walk in a Rain forest and all, well it was really awesome, and all, as when we were looking of the view of the mountains, it was quite cloudy and I felt like saying a prayer, so I said a prayer with my Companion Elder Derhak and Brother King and his son Benny, and as I said it, a massive ray of Sun, just burst threw the clouds and landed straight on me!!! It was such a Beautiful experience and all, looking back, I was thinking what a similar experience that Joseph Smith had and how important it is sometimes to have our own Sacred Grove experience :) as we were in the Rain Forest we saw Baby wallabies hopping around and afterwards we played some Soccer (Football) Also Anthony and Vicki went through the Temple last week, what a wonderful experience it was for them, that same weekend Anthony also received his Patriarchal Blessing, and Vicki is getting her's so soon :) Also Anthony is preparing to receive the Melchizedek Priesthood in May :) He is already Progressing so much. 
We also had an incredible miracle happen, we were on Trade-offs I was out with one of the Assistants we were knocking doors and we knocked for ages and no one was home, not a lot was happening, then we knocked on this one door and a 15 year old boy called Cory came to the door, we spoke to help and told him, we could help him find God in his life and help him come to know the Saviour Jesus Christ more, we asked him if he would like to learn more he said he would be interested, we said that becuase of your age, we are going to have to get permission from your Mother first, so we got a return appointment on to go back on Saturday, so when we went back on Saturday, we knocked on the door and Cory was not there, but his Mum answered the door and said Cory was away at his Father's and gets to see him once a month, she then Proceeded to tell us that she was a super Inactive member, who had joined the church when she was younger and then was Re-Baptized at age 21, a held a calling and was an active. She said she was not on the records, but that she would love for us to come again and help teach her son Cory and Convert him. :) 
I ended up also having a lovely Birthday here and visited Members like all day, and was fell feed and had another surprise Birthday party here at Lion's park!!! Then in the evening went down to the Mooloolaba Esplande and saw Anthony and Vicki, and Vicki, got this man to play the guitar and sing me and song in front of every one, it was ''Purple Rain'' by Prince she said this is the song she wanted to sing me!!! It was the sweetest thing :) Also the best Ice Cream here or ''Popsicle'' has an interesting name but it is the bomb, just totes mcgoats the best it is called ''Golden Gaytime'' and my friend in the ward, she made me a Golden Gaytime cake, it was just soooo good!!! just Dangerous. I also got a pair of Aussie Thongs!!! and a heap of Caramel Koalas, Buderim's the Best!!! I don't ever want to leave Buderim, just because the relationship I have with this ward in unreal :) It was also pretty warm out lately and I was loving it, it was around 37 degrees which is probably around 98 Fahrenheit and all, and that is not bad for Autumn ;) 
We also had great success, this one time we were out knocking doors a few weeks ago, and we spoke to a 16 year old Rugby player called Benny, who had met missionaries in the past a year ago. We got on really well, Benny also has two sisters one age 18 called Jasmine and one age 21 Called Savanna, when we meet them, we got on super well, and this one time after we had finished talking to them and walked off, they ran after to catch up and said we could come anytime, so we saw them again and then, we have built up a good relationship with the parents, we saw them on Saturday evening and ended up having dinner with them, and we are going to watch Benny play a Rugby game on Wednesday evening and then they are coming to watch 'Meet the Mormons'' with us on Thursday at the cinema, we know great things will come from this and that as we introduce these awesome people to some more YSA miracles will Happen. 
Also last night we ended up having a BBQ, at our friends place and he had family over from Arizona, they are from Yuma, one of my good friends here on my mission was from Yuma, well me and my friend from Yuma, had the best of times, just so many crack up times, and I asked this couple who were visiting from Yuma if they knew this family and they were like, yes we know them, your friends Dad was our Bishop :) what a small world, I treasure experiences like this. 
Also hopefully Chelsea Coalfax will be coming to listen to my final talk in Sacrament meeting, it is hard to believe that next week, is my last on my mission, but I'm smashing this week and my last week, going hard in the paint!!! Also I was talking to this awesome girl yesterday at my friends mission farewell, party, she is going to the Temple Square Mission, so I will see her later this year anyway, well one the people i was talking to know's Kate Mathieson and she just got back from her mission in Korea, it's unreal how fast it went, i really hope to see her before I leave, and I have got her to pass on a message to Kate and hopes she can come up to Buderim on the 5th of April for the 9am session of Church and here my farewell talk. 
Also a big shout out to Caitlyn if you are reading this and can come to Buderim on the 5th of April at 9.00am to hear my farewell talk the address for the chapel is 1 Sunbird Chase Road, Kawana, it's just of Nicklin way. 
Also Toni is getting baptized this coming weekend, on the 29th of March at 4.00pm, she is so excited and really really wants it, a lot of hectic az things have been happening lately, but I can't wait for her to get baptized and all :) It is so exciting :) 
Also we have the coolest experience and miracle this morning Brother ''the Man'' Smith our Assistant Ward Mission leader came around this morning, to tell us some good news :) One day, while he was waiting for the Elders at are Flat, the one's that were hear a while ago, he decided while waiting to talk to our Indian Neighbors who are the sweetest people ever, he left them with a Book of Mormon, and he wrote his testimony in it and put his phone number in it and gave it to them, the Book of Mormon, then was sent to India, when It reached India, it waited there a while, before being sent back to Brisbane, where this woman who has been in Australia for a week, while she is studying over hear with her husband, found the Book of Mormon and read the testimony inside it and called the number and spoke to Bro Smith and she said she wants to get baptized, so I then called the husband after receiving some information, and I wanted to speak to Poonam, that is his wife's name his name is Vikram and we chatted on the phone for about 30mins, his wife Poonam was away at univeristy, we had a great chat, he said how he had been stiudying the bible for 3 years back in India, and before they moved here he prayed that he would be shown the way and that is when the Book of Mormon showed up. So I got all his information and his house address and I'm going to call the missionaries near Brisbane to go and teach and baptize them, as he expressed over the phone how he wanted to join :) also on my last day, I'm going to try and meet up with him and give him a Book of Mormon in Hindi with my testimony in it :) 
It had been a great week!!! we just went hard knocking doors the whole of Saturday and wow did the blessings come with over 10 return appointments. The Lord really is Hastening his work in this part of the vineyard, I can't believe next week, is my last week as a missionary, although i will also be a missionary, as my badge is impressed upon my heart :) 

See You in Three Weeks

 I'm so lucky to be here in Australia turning 21, good ol' St. Patricks day, it's a great day!! The sunshine coast is Paradise!!! It's the best, the weather is amazing, and Buderim ward is the best :) It was really Lovely as Vicki one of the recent converts, well we always see her every single Sunday at 3pm, we turned up yesterday thinking it would be like a normal Visit, however when I walked in and all, there was a lovely cake with 21 on it and the Australian flag all the way around it, and there were some people hiding in the Kitchen, and in the Garage who jumped out to say Happy Birthday, It was the nicest present, putting on an awesome surprise birthday and what not, I was soooo happy :) 

It's not been easy for me lately, I have been really struggling, emotionally and really down in the dumps as well as well as really happy, like I'm not happy, then I am, but then really I'm sad but I'm not, I'm just Numb so very Numb. Like I just don't want to leave my mission and go back, i love it here being a missionary,I have mentioned and about going back so much, but I truly do not want to leave because It's amazing, I wish I could just start over and do it all again, I love the people with all my heart,!!! We had a ward activity and it was the best it was a Mexican Fiesta, it was super sweet and all, and I got to teach my last Gospel Principles class and Brother King was like that was the best Gospel Principles class I have ever been in!!!! .

 Skyping my mum was great, I Loved it, she is the best and I'm just so blessed because of her like I'm so happy to be able to see my Mum, Dad and Sister and the rest of my family, but It is so great being here, I know you always love using the words ''Bitter Sweet'', well this is the most ''Bitter Sweet'' ever for me., I was super sweet as my family sung me happy birthday, who would have thought 21 years ago we would both survive, me and mum, I know that God lives and his Only begotten Son Jesus Christ lives, I love the scripture in D&C 76 verse 22-24. ''That He Lives''. That God has been so merciful. 
It was really interesting Skyping them, just to be like, see you in 3 weeks hhaha, So I Loved that.

Marching Forward in March

 Everything is going super well lately, Wow I Just am having the best time ever here and just loving it!!! I'm so happy here, the Mission is the best and going so well. We are having lots of wonderful experiences here with teaching. This week was great,  I went to a Leadership council in Brisbane with President Henderson and all the Leaders were there, it was just incredible such a great and uplifting meeting, It was super awesome and we are excited to launch the Easter Initiative, 'That he lives'' the church will be realizing it on the 27th of March. It was so awesome in the meeting, as I was standing up and saying something, President Henderson, was like, 'I Love you, I just have to give you a hug'' His Love for me since I have been serving is just incredible, he is the most Christ Like person I have ever met. It was great in the meeting as this one comment I made he was like 'Now that's revelation'' haha, he is the man, I have been able to spend a lot more time with him, we actually went to Dinner last night with President and Sister Henderson, he took out the whole of the Sunshine Coast Zone as we were the only Zone to SMASH all of our goals and all, no other Zone came close, and this is the hardest Zone in the mission, February was a great month and we are all ready Marching forward in March. I also had my last Zone Conference, yesterday it was super intense and just such a great day, then after then when we went to Dinner with President and Sister Henderson, we ended up going to a park and smashing like 50 boxes of Cost Co Pizza and drinks and Churro's. The Zone Conference was really great, we got to watch ''Meet the Mormons'' in it and I think I was like crying for half of it haha, i was really emotional during it, It hit me like a brick wall. Then after I was talking with one of the Sister Missionaries who is in Caitlyn's ward and she said Caityln was going to watch Meet the Mormons with them. so a massive shout out to CAIYTLYN, IF YOU WATCHED MEET THE MORMONS, I HOPE YOU LOVED IT, IF YOU HAVE NOT WATCHED IT, YOU WILL LOVE, KNOW THAT I LOVE YOU AND I'M SO PROUD OF YOU FOR ALL THAT YOU DO  FOR BEING SUCH A GREAT MOTHER, KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK!!!! So all is going super well here in the best mission in the world, what ever mission you serve in, is the best mission in the world :) the Australia Brisbane Mission, THE MIGHTY ABM, ''Australia's Best Mission'' 
Toni is doing super great and all and the kids are doing really well, we are seeing them pretty much everyday and helping Toni prepare for her special day, It's also awesome and me and Bishop get on really well, and we just found we have the same Birthday, so we will have to do something then, with Toni and the family also. 

Finish Line

 I have just got back from the Australia Zoo!!! I Loved it there and had a great time Anthony came with us and all. March is already here it is going to be the most exciting month on the mission, a lot of great things happening :) So my travel Itinerary is all sorted, I got 2 different copies for some reason, But I will be back on the 8th. I get to Skype home in 2 weeks time, as it is Mother's day in England :) So that is pretty sweet I get to Skype just before I come back, not long just under 5 weeks, and Toni did not get baptized on the weekend, but is getting baptized this coming Saturday on the 7th of March at 7pm, so 7 for 7. We also set another 2 more baptismal dates, for both on the 21st of March and they are friends they are called Amy and Nikhil, they are friends of a member's daughter :) It's also crazy to think that I baptized Chelsie Coalfax a year ago, on March the 1st and she is going really great in the church and lives with a member family, I'm excited to be able to get in contact when i get back :) The work is going amazing here!!!! I Love it, and I'm going as hard as I can, running through the tape. Going to run through that Finish line, we hope to set a few more Baptismal dates this week, we are pumping this area!!!!! Buderim's just incredible. Sorry, I could not write more this week, We have to go in just under 30 mins to a lesson!!!!But i will write much more next week. Elder Samuel King

Cyclone

So I don't know if you heard but the weather here the last week or so was was crazy there was an Earthquake further up North, then came the Cyclone,and luckily we were quite south of it, but still got hammered and there was quite a bit of flooding, I don't know if you saw the picture of me standing under the massive whole in the roof, that was in the chapel, the roof caved in and got destroyed!!! It was pretty intense, the last week was a really tough one, not just with all the other things happening, but also, that Toni, did not end up getting baptized, but we have reset the date and she will be getting baptized next Saturday, the 7th of March, the other dates we has with Gary, for the 28th, we got dropped by him and he is not interested any more and with Jacqueline for the 28th we are going to have to move her date back to sometime in March, but she is still going really well and wants to get baptized,  but still we have already seen a lot of blessings come despite these things happening, we were able to set another baptismal date with Skye for the 4th of April, and have been able to teach a lot more as well. I was also able to interview 5 people last week, the Keech family, they are from the States, and when they were living there, they moved to Utah, to St.George, and went to church for a year and no one checked to see if they were members or not, they just assumed they were and all, so they would go every single week, then they moved here to the Sunshine Coast, and they were driving in their car and saw the elders on the street and pulled up next to them and said, hey we were living in Utah for a year and no one taught us anything about the gospel, we want to learn as a family, so they started being taught, then they all got baptized, the Dad got baptized on Friday, and he was baptized by my south African friend and he has a daughter who is serving in the England London South Mission,  So i think it was super sweet that he was able to baptize him!!! :) , then he baptized his wife and their 3 children on Sunday, they are called, Edward, Maribel, Travis, Ty and Arriana Keech, the wife is from Panama, so i got to practice speaking in Spanish to her :) They are just an incredible family and I love them dearly, i met them a few months back when I first came to this area, but know they are ready and all :) and They are going to meet Toni and her kids properly, they met briefly but we will try to get them together for an activity. I also get to interview another 2 people this week, one Tomorrow and one on Friday :) It was also Elder Derhak's Birthday and all and it was a super sweet Birthday the ward was amazing and he was really looked after as well, so I was just super happy for him!!! We also should be going to the Australia Zoo next P-day, to celebrate Elder Derhak's Birthday, he just turned 19. Also It's funny as when we are teaching people we show people a picture of Jospeh Smith, and we have had a few different people say, is that 'Captain Cook' haha, it's definitely put smiles of our faces :) Well I hope you have a wonderful and great week and that all goes well.

Hello Elder King..... and Elder.....

So I hope you have been able to see the pictures from Mooloolaba beach last week when we were there and we found 'The Loo with the view'' and how there was the perfect rainbow there, like I have never seen a more perfect rainbow, it when from the sea into the sand and looking at it through some palm trees it was just amazing. So I found out some more about why this was a 8 week transfer for you, so the reason is they are trying to get all the transfers in all the missions across Australia in alignment with one another so they coincide one with another :) So this week my companion's Birthday is coming up and all, he is still only 18 at the moment!!! but it will be awesome as his Birthday falls on the Sunday!! and we have some great news!!! We moved Toni's baptism a week forward from the 28th to the 21st next Saturday at Noon, and she has asked me to Baptize Her!!!! Yay Yay Yay!!! It will be an amazing day and everyone loves Toni, so there will be heaps of people there!!!! Then Elder Derhak, will give her the Holy Ghost on Sunday, so it is awesome as he is giving her a gift on his Birthday and it is a great start to his mission and all. We Love Toni and the kids, we are actually all seeing them today at Cotton tree park at 4.30pm to play sports with them!!! The work is going so well here, we also moved Jacqueline's baptism up from the 14th of March, to the 28th of February, so a week after Toni, and we will then probably Move Gary's baptism from the 28th of February to the 1st week in March as he needs that little bit of extra time and all. And Yesterday evening we had a Pacific Wide Area Broadcast, and that was super great we had Anthony with us for it and all, I found out that, at the moment in the South Pacific, there is 127 Stakes and 35 Districts :) So the work is definitely hastening for sure in this part of the vineyard!!!! So it was also funny in the week, I was out playing some Basketball in the morning and all, and this random woman approaches me and was like can I put this Sling on you, and I was like Yea go for it hahah, I was thinking what the heck hahah, so I get this sling put on me, so was going around trying it on people as a prototype and getting there feedback on it, that same day my companion ends up with a different sling given to us by Toni for his shoulder!!! So the work is going super well here, I was on trade-off on Forest Glen on Saturday, Valentine's day and it was a great day, we just done heaps of Door knocking and all, and I ended up being able to teach with the missionary who was with my parents back home, so that was awesome being able to teach with him in a lesson together, it was an awesome experience, I don't know if you have seen the picture of us together on FB, I'm holding up a Book of Mormon next to him :) I also on Trade-off for the first time in ages so long was able to practice speaking some Persian (Farsi) This man from Afghanistan came to the door and he said to me after we had been speaking for a while, you would not be able to speak my language at all, I said try me I want to see if I can, he said you won't be able to hahah, Then he says do you speak any Persian, Next Sec I'm spitting out some Persian to him and he is so happy, I then asked him for a glass of water in it, it's a useful line as a missionary, and as soon as i asked him no hesitations or anything he just goes to the tap turns it on, and pours me a glass of water, I was so happy to at least now that it worked!!! :) Then he invited us in and we taught him :) I have also been setting other goals as well for when I get back, another one of my goals is to become a better cook :) So I also had interviews with President Henderson on Friday, it was my final interview with him and I have some exciting news for you to tell you when I get back, it is really good news :) So it was also awesome as when we were out knocking doors we met this awesome elderly couple, she had her 89th Birthday and they were so happy together it made me smile!!! and I thought of us :) It was also sweet as we got a card given to us and a big block of chocolate :) in it the card said " To Sam (Elder King) and Elder Derhan I hope you like chocolate! Thank you so much for stopping off that day to help me with my car, from Trish'' It's funny because everyone always get my companions name wrong, Derhan instead of Derhak, in fact Australians do not even try to pronounce my companions name, they are like Hello Elder King....... and Elder how are you!!! me and my companion always joke about it, these our some of the different names he gets on a daily basis ''Derhan'' ''Derhank'' ''Durbar'' ''Burhar'' That one was not even close :P ''Dererk'' just ''Dur'' and DurHawk :P we just call him elder Burhar now as that has to be the most random one!!! So a lot of great things are happening here though and all It will be a hectic and exciting week!!