Rob

HEY!
Pictures are of a Dodge Viper GTS (favorite car), a Viper and Me, a Viper and me and my companion... and then some photos from when i was in Redcliffe with E. Thunot.
It was good to read the emails this week. Mum, thanks for the pictures of you and the aunties, as well as the letter Aunt Kay wrote about Nana Rookhuyzen. I love seeing pictures. I'm sure you do as well.
Things are going pretty good here on the Gold Coast in the Mudgeeraba ward. Its winter here. It rained a lot this past week for the first time in a while. We were riding around all week on our bikes in the pouring rain! It was awesome! It just makes you feel so much more like a missionary when you are riding down the side of the highway drenched from head to toe and you're so wet you don't even avoid the puddles anymore, and you are singing and smiling the whole way as you go. We had a few appointments where we just had to ring our socks out and leave em out to dry at the door before we go inside for the lesson. When it rains here it rains hard! No mean lightning storms though like in Detroit, unfortunately.
I love the ward and the people here are just great. Its a lot different than any other area I've been in on my mission. People here have big houses and nice cars. I've pretty much only served in lower class areas so far on my mission. (which i loved).
So the people and places here are a lot different. We live in a nice modern flat above a business in a kind of 'Albion village' type environment. I hear its the nicest flat in the mission. We have a few less active /part member families we have been teaching as part of the 15 families program (Matt, are they doing that program in your wards in Hawaii?). So it was good to see some less actives come back to church this week. But some of them stood us up as
well. You can't win em all. I met our only investigators this week finally. We were having trouble setting up an apt. with them so we just rode our bikes over there one night and had a lesson with them on their porch. There names are the Pagel family. A Mum with 6 kids from 2-12 and a husband who is currently living and working in Papua New Guinea. Its a good thing we went and saw them. They did have a date set to be baptized on August 29th the day after her husband got back in Australia. But now she wants to cancel the date so they can all be ready for baptism together as a family, she said because "I don't think you can put a date on these sort of things". as she put it. But i don't think that's her real concern. She told us that she has been reading this book called "The God Makers" you may have heard of it. Its anti Mormon literature. Its the Devil. She said that she promised her sister she would read it. I pretty much told her that if she is trying to get an answer about the Book of Mormon than she should read the Book Of Mormon and not a book that is trying to convince her not to join the Church. She said that she 'Didn't read it with that mind frame'.
So we are really stressed out about that now. That book was preventing a family in Waterford ward from becoming an eternal family last year as well. I hate that book. But we have a lesson with her and her kids tonight at their fellowships house (the 2nd counselor in the Bishopric's family) So hopefully we can smooth everything over. I want to ask her to bring that book along so we can burn it once we get our hands on it. Pray for us, because we're not really sure what we need to do at this lesson tonight.
Other than that we have a little 9 yr old girl named Zini (half Fijian Indian; half Chinese girl) from a part member family that we are teaching. She came to church yesterday with her less active father who has the funniest Indian accent by the way. "can i tell something to you?" We committed her to baptism but her dad said we would set a date after he talks to the Bishop about some stuff.
My testimony of this Gospel and God's plan for us has grown so much in these past few months. The adversary is so real and will do everything he can to thwart the work. But guess what - i will do everything i can to move it forward.
I'm not really sure what we are doing this Pday... but it will be fun. One thing i am doing is going to the Post and getting some letters in the mail for you Mum and Dad. I finally had some time to write some letters this week.
Mum, thank you for continuing to put our emails and pictures up on our Blog. That is such a good idea. I will have to take a look at it when i get home.
Good job on finishing your cleaning Jobs! Who do you guys have working for you? Do you guys look at my emails when you write me 'cause you hardly ever answer any of my questions. Have fun getting the house and yard cleaned up for the cottage evening you are having with the empty nesters.
Dad, thanks for the insights on being prepared to have an effective last part of our missions! You got me all pumped up (us missionaries need that every once in a while).
To answer your question - no it never gets below freezing - it probably never even gets below 55'F. But my body had acclimated, so it seems cold to me. It sounds like you guys are getting a lot out of the gardens. Keep up the good work! We better still have the best looking yard on the block.
Matt did you lose your 'Clean Blood' story already? I'll try to make a copy of mine and send it to you. Are you still District leader? Its good to hear you are still in Pearl city with your companion. Where is he from again? That is cool that he is like Elder Paki #1! Haha. I like staying in areas for 6 months. I like your 3 on 3 basketball tourneys! That is a mean idea! I think i want to try it here! I just don't know how many kids here are into basketball. They all play rugby league or AFL. Matt, I don't know if I'll be here in October but if i am i will mos def send you my Addy and Mobile number, so that Mike Brett can find me. When does he leave for Australia? October? When do you want me to send you my details? When are you gonna write me and send me some pictures and a tape?
Mum, did you guys say that you were going to send me my flash drive back with a bunch of pictures on it?
Well it sounds like everyone is doing well. This week we showed up at a less active guys house right as he was pulling into his drive way and he said I was just in the car telling my daughter how I wanted to talk to the missionaries today. Miracles happen everyday in the mission field. I don't believe in coincidence.
I love you all and you strengthen my testimony. Thank you for the love and the support and the packages full of American lollys and beef jerky.... Oh wait... (hint hint). Haha jokes.
Love, Elder Robert Prina