Wednesday, February 11, 2015

A Journey to Hebersham Zone

                My 11th transfer here in the mission gone so fast and time flies so really fast here in the mission. I can't even believe that I'm been out long in the mission right now and it feels that I'm just new in the mission. We had an 8th week transfer this time and it's really a long one but still it's all good. I got a call last Saturday the 8th of February that our area will be closed down for a while and that me and my companion are getting transferred. It's very sad to hear that I'm leaving but I think that the Lord had something to do with me in my new area. Some of the areas in our mission got closed down also because of the huge number of missionaries who finished their mission this transfer. We had like 19 missionaries who finished their mission this transfer and we only had like 3 missionaries coming in our mission. There is no enough missionaries to cover some of the areas in the mission that's why it got closed down. There are still heaps of missionaries coming in our mission but some of those missionaries are still waiting for their visas to be approved.

             I'm in my 4th area right now in the mission in Doonside Ward/ Hebersham Stake with my new companion Elder Tematafaarere or in short term " Elder T "and he is from Tahiti. I already meet him before and actually we are in the same district in my last zone in Penrith. He is an amazing missionary and he loves all the people that we've been working with .






- this is me with my new companion Elder Tematafaarere from Tahiti.

              Coming here in Hebersham is something that I did not expect for but the Lord has something to do with me in this new area . The area that I'm in right now in Doonside is where most Filipino lives which is really cool. Their are heaps of Filipino people in our area and I've been able to talk with them and we also had some Filipino members in our ward . We had been visiting all the members and less-active members in the ward this week and it's been a great week this time. We had found heaps of miracles in our area and the members in Doonside ward were really great not because they feed us but because of their desire to do missionary work as individuals and as family.

              My first week here in Doonside area is really great and I've been able to meet some of the members in the ward. I've been able to get to know the members well and they are all really good. We had found heaps of miracles this week and it's really amazing that the Lord is really helping with us in the work . We had 2 baptism last Saturday and it was really cool because we had heaps of investigators that time also. The baptismal program was so wonderful and the Spirit was really there. 

Friday, February 6, 2015

Temple P-day and Penrith Zone Service

                   Our week starts with a wonderful Temple P-day that we have at Sydney Australia Temple at Carlingford. We wake up early that day and we catch the train by 7 a.m. and got there by 8 a.m. We got there too early and knowing that our session in the temple starts at 10 a.m. We just wait at the temple grounds with the other missionaries in our zone and then just went talking with anybody else. It's really a great privileged for us as missionaries to have the opportunity to go to the house of the Lord and be able to feel His love and His Spirit.


- this is me with the Penrith Zone Missionaries.



- this is me with Sis. Sindorff, Sis. Turina, Sis. Lagalaga, Elder Nikua, Elder Moore, me Elder Cecilio, Sis. Brown, Elder Chin Ah You and Elder Clemente. 

 - this is Elder Lonitenisi from Tonga.


- this is me with Sister Brown 
and Elder Chin Ah You.
                                        
- this is me with Sister Lagalaga, 
Sister Brown and Elder Chin Ah You.


             Being in the temple really makes me happy because it helps to remember those blessings that I received from our Heavenly Father . The temple has blessed me with many things especially when it comes about my family. I know that our families can be together forever and this is something that I know is true. The family that we have bring happiness in our lives. Even though that I'm too far away from my family right now but it  doesn't bother me anymore. I am here in the mission to help other families to be together forever and help them experienced those blessings that I got with the temple. 

- Elder Cecilio at the Sydney Australia Temple.






- this is Sister Lagalaga and Sister Brown from Samoa. 
















- this is me with my companion at the temple. 





- this is Sister Lagalaga.


















- this is Sister Brown, Elder Chin Ah You, and Sister Lagalaga. 





- at the front of the Sydney Australia Temple.







- with Sister Brown, Elder Chin Ah You, Elder Cecilio, and Sister Lagalaga. 













- with my companion Elder George from Hamilton, New Zealand, Elder Chin Ah You from Tahiti and Elder Cecilio from Philippines.








- selfie photo with them! SMILE!!

               Our session at the temple was really great and I did really enjoyed it because I feel the peace and joy in my life. This is something that I wanna really have in my life especially when I am able to feel the influenced of the  Holy Ghost in my life. I wanna come back again to the temple someday in my mission and I wanna feel the same thing as what I felt when I am in the temple. We then went back to our area and catch the train again with the other missionaries in our area. We decided to go the Penrith Westfield Plaza and have lunch out there with the other missionaries in our area . We got to our area by 2 p.m and I'm really hungry that time also. We had the best food in here and this is something that I love and with the other missionaries which is KFC.



 - lunch time ! 
KFC !!!
Kentucky Fried Chicken ... 

- we got a Zinger Box and I also got a 
wicked wings which is really good mate!







 - with Sister Lagalaga, Elder Cecilio, Elder George,
Elder Clemente, Sister Brown and
Elder Chin Ah You.

            Something that we had this week also is District Training Meeting which is every Wednesday. We did our DTM at the Minchinbury Chapel and we had 12 missionaries in our district which consists of 4 Sisters and 8 Elders. We did a lot of role plays today and it's really good because it does really help us with our investigators. We did street contacting in our role plays and its really a good thing because it's the best way that we have to find more people to teach. After our DTM , our district decided to have a district lunch at the 8.50 dollar rump steak which is just near to the chapel. When I first got here in the mission, I used to eat a lot in this place with my companion and enjoyed the food that they serve for us.


- this is me with my companion 
Elder Georgeinside our car with
Elder Clemente and Elder Chin Ah You,






- the Claremont Meadows District .. some of the missionaries in our district are not here yet! 





- this is me with Sister Brown, Sister Lagalaga, Elder Clemente, Sister Turina, Elder Chin Ah You, Sister Sindorff and my companion at the back.






- Valiant missionaries of the Penrith Zone! 








 - It's lunch time!
$8.50 Rump Steak .












- that's how you point it! 














- Elder Clemente                 and
 Sister Lagalaga.











- it's cooking time . 
cooking our own steak!







- This food is for someone who is very hungry!














- District photo while eating our lunch.





























- Elder Chin Ah You and Sister Brown.


 "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God"(Mosiah 2:17).

              One of the great opportunity that we have as a missionaries with finding people is the opportunity to serve other people. When we give loving service to others, we are serving God. As we strive to serve others, look to the Savior as your example. Even though Jesus Christ, He came to the earth as the Son of God, He humbly served all those around Him. He declared," I am among you as he that serveth ( Luke 22:23).

              Something that we did this week also is a zone service at Leura which is really cool. It's a whole day service that we had up there and it's an hour travel by train that we have from our area. We all meet up at the Penrith Train Station and then we did go to together at the Leura. This is my 2nd time doing this kind of service at Leura and I'm so excited for it. When we get out from the train, it was really cold out there and none of us did bring our jackets but it was still all good.

- at the Penrith Train Station.





- at Leura with the Richmond and Emu Plains Sisters. 





- with Sister Agaava-Faanoi, Sister Leauanae, Sister Pomate from and Sister Metta from Papau New Guinea.


- selfie photo and here is my companion
Elder George from NZ.




- Sister Metta, Sister Agaava-Faanoi and Sister Pomate. 






- this is me at the front of the 
Greystanes Disability Sevices.


           We did a lot of cleaning today and it's really hectic. We clean the front and the backyard of the of the house and its a lot of work to do especially with cutting the trees. We use the rake for the leaves in the front and some of them did cut the trees at the backyard. We also trim the trees at the front and back ya and it's really  good when you see that it looks nice.

- cleaning at the front yard with Sister Lagalaga, Elder Clemente and Elder Cecilio.



- Sister Lagalaga and Elder Clemente.







- trimming the trees at the back yard.


- this is Elder George and Elder Clemente.




- this is Sister Metta trimming the
trees at the front.


- look who's trimming the trees also ...
Elder Cecilio .




- I'm not that comfortable this time cutting these trees with this ladder. 



- it's a long way to cut it and the
ladder don't seems to be safe at all.






- they're taking photos while I'm at the top of the ladder cutting down the trees. 



- Sister Brown from Samoa.









- Sister Metta and Elder Chin Ah You cleaning at the back yard.





               All of us in our zone did leave our flat so early because we need to catch the train so we don't even eat our breakfast. But glad to say that they also give us some morning tea/ snacks which is really great though. We also had heaps of pizza and garlic bread for lunch which is really good... work hard , eat hard !!!



- Our morning tea/ snack at the veranda.
You want some milo! ..







- Elder Chin Ah You and Elder George. 













- This is Sister Leauanae, Sister Sindorff and Elder Chin Ah You with his milo.









- lunch time!
we got heaps of pizza for our lunch.







- Elder Lowry and Elder Moore.







- this is Sister Sindorff, Sister Turina, 
Sister Metta and Elder Chin Ah You.


- Sister Lagalaga, Sister Brown Elder Chin Ah You,
 then Sister Metta pointing Elder Clemente.









- Sister Lagalaga , Elder Cecilio,
Sister Brown and Elder Chin Ah You.











- Sister Agaava-Faanoi and Sister Pomate from Samoa.
- They got an apple tree at the back.











-Elder Leota from America Samoa,
 Elder Nikua from Tonga 
and Sister Lagalaga from Samoa.





             Our service with them finished by 3 p.m. something and then we went to the Leura train station to catch the train back to our own area. It took us a whole day to do the service and its really nice when you saw someone being help by other people. As representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are not just here as missionaries  to teach people about the gospel of Jesus Christ but to give service to other people.

-Elder Chin Ah You.









- this is me Elder Cecilio at the Leura, Blue Mountains.
- group picture!



- Sister Brown, Sister Lagalaga
and Sister Turina.










- just taking photos at the tree with Sister Leauanae and Sister Metta
- just sitting at the tree.









- another group picture with them while at the tree.





- I told them to do a wacky face
but my companion just smile in the photo ..


It's been a great day that time for us to do a zone service at Leura and we did really enjoyed it. The unity in the zone was really there and the willingness to serve other people is such a great opportunity. One of the promised blessings that I love with giving service is in Mosiah 2:21  which  says: say, if ye should serve him with all your  whole souls yet ye would be unprofitable servants. The promised blessing is really sure and I know that it is really true because I've seen the blessing of it in my life and in my family.


             I just found out also that me and my companion will be getting transferred this Monday and we were very sad when we  heard that we are both leaving the area. It's been great for me to be here in this area and to serve the Penrith Ward for 5 months.I'm gonna missed all the members in the ward especially those families that makes me happy being with them. Time goes so fast in the mission and right now I already have like 9 months left in the mission. I don't know yet what area I would be in this Monday and who's my new companion but I'm looking forward for it. I know that the Lord had something to do with me in my next area and I'm gonna found that purpose. 

            In every area that I've been too, I always got the answer to my purpose why the Lord had sent me to that specific area. The same thing in our life, God's whole - purpose - His work and His glory - is to enable each of us to enjoy all His blessings. He wants us to be happy everyday in our lives with our family and He provided us a wonderful plan which is the Plan of Salvation. Knowing that there is a great plan that God had provided for us is such a wonderful blessing for me and my family. It helps me to really have that desire to share all these things to other people and be able to help them received the blessings that God had provided for all of us. Eldste Cecilio.