Happy 4th of July

Hey mates,
How ya goin? Mum can you please forward Matt my emails because i send them to him but the sending 'fails'. So if you could please make sure he gets my emails. My watch ran out of batteries or something this week. I woke up one day this week and time ceased to tic on my watch. Some times i wish i could freeze time because it just seems to be going by so fast! It seems like i just got to the library and already i only have 15 minutes left on my 1hr. timer. i can't believe how fast my mission is going by. I pray everyday that i can do my best, use every minute of it wisely and return with no regrets.
John how is University going? i reckon you're on summer holidays right now... but how did all your classes go and everything? You'll have two send me some of your work from the art classes you took. I haven't had much time to do many creative artistic things lately, and i miss that aspect of things.
Today we are having an activity with the youth of the Redcliffe and Burpengary wards where they are coming to Pday with us! well at least part of pday. They are meeting us at the chapel to play volleyball and basketball and have a sausage sizzle after wards.
Mum, please make sure that no one sends anything up to my old address in Rockhampton. I heard that i have a letter that got sent to me up there from Alex Ramsay so hopefully i can get that sent down to me. I'd give you my new flat address, but i don't know how long i am going to be here for anyway i could be trasnferred somewhere else in 2 weeks... who knows? So please just continue to have people send things to the mission address. Mum could you please send the package that John sent me for Christmas and came back to yous?
Mark did you get the package i sent you? I got your post card from Japan. what are you doing in Japan? Fairdinkum mate!
Andrea thank you to you and your family for the letter with the Starwars picture and the letters in it! That made my day. The starwars picture was crack up! Especially Blake Sr.'s Obi Wan face.
Mum, i know a while back you asked for a picture of just the front of us, in our missionary clothes so i'll try to send one in this email.
Thanks for all the emails and filling me in on whats going on. Sounds like things are going well back home. Give Grandpa a big hug from me. You should have the missionaries in his ward go around to see him to give him some comfort in this hard time in his life. The knowledge and testimony of the Plan Of Salvation is so essential to finding true Happiness!
We had a Baptism on Saturday the 3rd for our investigator Troy (39 yr old guy). My companion Elder Thunot baptized and confirmed him. I got to stand in the circle for the confirmation along with the 2 other missionaries in our ward (the Deception bay elders). It was a wonderful opportunity to get to know him and teach him these past few weeks. We don't really have many investigators now so, like Matt, we will be doing a lot of finding now - in between all the meetings that we have to go to with the new mission President and that.
Matt, good on ya mate, for getting 20 lessons in one week! I haven't hit that quite yet on my mission! Matt, the best suggestion i can think of on getting people to come to church would be that ice cream "Sunday" lesson you described to me. I haven't used it yet but it sounds like a good idea to me! Matt do you get to go to the Laie temple dedication?
Matt, as far as Mike Brett's trip to Australia goes - i could be anywhere by October but i'll give you the Redcliffe flat addy and the mission addy just in case so he can get a hold of me. I want to meet your recent convert and talk to him.

ABM Mission Office
7/146 Racecourse Rd.
Hamilton QLD, 4007
Australia

Matt, im glad to hear you got the package. It was a long time coming and there was a lot of random stuff in there. I can't even really remember all the stuff that i put in there. Did you get to listen to all the tapes. I got the 'MCP' tie from an Op Shop called "life line" its like a "DI". I thought it was so random - a tie with pigs and your initials on it. It was a $2 tie which is more than i would usually spend on a tie, but i decided i would make an exception for you. Hope that adds to your otherwise dwindling tie collection. I have heaps! i had to send some home. Matt i didn't ask elder Misbach if he is related to Isobelle... because frankly, i forgot about her. But i'll have to ask him now i guess when i get a chance. thanks for the reminder.
Happy Independence day everyone. I missed singing patriotic songs in church yesterday. I was disappointed. But hey i'm not in Kansas anymore. Funnily enough we did have a lunch appointment yesterday with some less actives who promised to put on a 4th of July Barbecue for me with Hot dogs and Rootbeer. I was so excited but when i got there they didn't have the rootbeer. But we still had hot dogs and Polish sausages and oreos. So that made my day. Our Greeny in the flat (Elder Tidwell from Arizona) his dad sent him a box full of American Lollys and Beef jerkey this morning! It was so good to taste the sweet flavor of America again! I'm gretfull for the FREEDOMs which we enjoy. I don't know anything about politics. But i heard Australia booted their Prime Minister and some how this new lady is the Prime minister now even though the elections haven't taken place yet or anything. Shes the first female prime minister. All sounds a bit fishy to me but i'm glad i'm on a mission and i get to worry about more important matters than politics.
Kristin and Pete how are things going with the new little GG? You'll have to mail me some photos of her when you get a chance! I'm so proud of my 20 nieces and nephews!
Its good to hear so many people were able to get together this past week for Grandma's funeral. I hope all are coping well and i send my comfort and my testimony of the plan of salvation - that we will see our loved ones again! Grandma Rookhuyzen. The gospel brings comfort to our hearts and true happiness!
Matt that's awesome that your stake patriarch opened the Redcliffe area, (Elder Simpson). I've been telling everyone about that. But i'm still ironic. Matt did you get your new mission president yet? My MTC comp. Elder Jordan Macias from Orange County California says he knows your new mission president and they were in the same stake. Have you met your new mission president yet? I meet mine tomorrow at a special zone conference, but he called us this morning to congratulate us on the baptism for Troy on Saturday.
Matt the pictures and videos you sent in your 'Aloha Email' didn't send. Try sending three at a time.

I gotta Peace out now. Love, Elder Prina