Payback eh?

G'day Mates!




Como se valu(sp)? Se va tres bien. How are you? I'm great! Our new

African Member from Togo, Charlesmagne, is teaching me a little

French. Its really fun. So since you didnt get my email last week you

just gotta get me back by not sending one this week eh? Ahh I see.

Well let me tell you whats the haps here in Wollongong.



This week was pretty awesome. Elder Tamatafaarere went back to his

area in Campbelltown so I got Elder Kerr back. He missed wollongong.

You just cant really beat this place. Plus we're seeing a lot of

evidence of God's hand in the work down here. I had fun with Elder

Tamatafaarere for the short time that I was with him. So much happened

while I was with him it feels like we were together for a whole

transfer. Hes a funny as Islander. Massive and just the biggest softy

ever. He also can barely keep his massive body awake so he's always

falling asleep haha. It was good to have Elder Kerr back. He's a great

missionary. I need to learn more from him. He knows a lot about the

scriptures.



This weekend for the Wollongong ward is the Christmas Nativity

Pageant...thing. Its gonna be sweet as. Katrina Stewart asked me and

Elder Kerr to sing We three Kings and for me to play it on the guitar

since we will be the wise men but we just found out that Elder Kerr

has to go to his last area because one of his previous investigators

is getting married and baptised so he wont be able to make it. I'll

probably be with Elder Sermersheim's companion for the weekend. But

other than that it should be fun and we should be able to get some

investigators to it too.



Triston is still with his family in Bega. Hopefully he comes home soon

but Renee came to church! Her partner is the famous footie player.

Renee, Jr. and his Rm brother Setu came to church and it was really

fun having him there. I'm pretty sure Renee liked it. She went to

Relief Society too which was great because they were going to leave

before Relief Society. Triston and Renee are probably our best

investigators. They are very genuine people. They would great members

of the church. Jacob, our Greek Orthodox Priest friend had to return

back to Greece yesterday morning. We went and said good bye to him.

Hopefully he'll catch up with some missionaries in Greece.



On friday we had a very exciting experience. I met Tad R. Callister!!

Yeah buddy. And Elder Jensen of the Seventy. They visited the mission

and had a short meeting with us in Carlingford. We werent going to be

able to go at first but Elder Kerr REALLY wanted to go so we asked

president and he allowed us to go which was very nice. Elder Jensen is

actually the church Historian so they were busting out all these cool

historical facts and trivia from the church's history. Before the

meeting started we got to shake all their hands which was great. They

wanted to know who we were and where we were from and I thought to

myself "Crap! do I say I'm from Sacramento, CA or From Springville,

UTAH?" In the end I decided to tell them I was from Springville

UTAH...ya know..just incase Tad needs to give me a ring and get in

contact with me. haha. They were like "Oh, its so great to have so

many missionaries out from UT." Man I'm a Cali Kid and I always will

be. haha jk it was all good. Then they got to serious stuff. Their

message was on POWER and Authority. whats the difference? "The

Priesthood given to you by the laying on of hands gives you authority,

keeping your covenants gives you power." They strongly emphasized the

importance of our "exact obedience" and how that is what will gives us

power and the spirit of prophecy that the sons of Mosiah during their

mission which made them so successful. It was a great mesage. After

that Elder Callister finished off with His testimony of the Book Of

Mormon and he SMASHED it. It was awesome. I definitely believe the

Book of Mormon is true. And for those of you who believe its true but

dont really know why? Read it. Ponder its words in your heart. Ask God

if it is true. Apply its teachings. The Book of Mormon is such a

remarkable book. I love reading it.



The South Coast Zone has been great. We've got some high, faith

testing goals this month and we are going to try and see how far we

can all push each other to help the mission acheive its goals. One

thing we are going to try to do. I got the idea from our family's

tradition. We're going to do "A Christmas gift for Christ." At our

meeting on friday we're going to have our missionaries write down one

gift they are going to give to christ this month to improve themselves

as missionaries and to help the mission to acheive its goals. I think

it will be great. We are also going to be showing this documentary

that Johnny Jackson showed everyone in Elders Quorum called Marathon

Monks. Check it out. Its crazy.



Well I think thats about it for this week. I hope you all have a great

week. This is the last week of another transfer here in Wollongong. I

dont know whats going to happen this one. We'll find out Saturday

night. Love you all. Catch yas.



Elder Nelson