THE FRONT PAGE

Well it has been awhile so I will try and do as much catchup as I can. As for Paul the bishop got back from vacation and they set a date for august 22nd for Paul's baptism. Paul is very anxious since it is a while away. Then the ward had a baptism and they were told that it was at 9:30. When they showed up early everyone was looking at them and they realized that it started at 9:00 and no one told them. Bryce said that the ward was upset and they did not understand that no one told them so the ward thinks it is their falt. Bryce learned a lot from this experience he talked about how he needs to take action and not wait for someone else to make the move. He is going to try and act and not wait for someone else to make the move. He sent home a newspaper and on the front page was a picture of him and another missionary playing football. It was after a storm and the street is full of water. He said it was fun and now he is famous there.

LOOK WHERE YOU ARE GOING!

They were teaching an investigator one day and it went so good they were able to set up a baptisimal date. When they were leaving Bryce backed into her car. There was no damage to either car. Everyone still gives him a hard time about it. They have set a bapstisimal date for Paul he just needs to get married first. They are wating for the bishop to get back from vacation to marry Paul so they can set a date for his baptism. Bryce stayed in Camira through another transfer. He really likes his companion he is hard working and very obedient.

ONE YEAR MARK

This is a catch up post. He was transferred to Camira where the area is 90% Samoan, has 1 Tongan family, and 1 White family (he is not excited about this due to his weight, every other aspect he is excited). He lives in a four man flat for the first time, he is excited about that.

Well this is his one year mark and he still feels like he has lots of improving to do. He has gotten the word out and got a lot of people ready to be baptized just has not been there for the actual baptism. He is a great missionary (though we are very partial)! He has been thinking a lot about what he wants to do when he comes home and he is interested in being a fireman.

They have started teaching a man named Paul he is excited for this investigator though he says he is far away from progressing.

WORK WORK WORK

Bryce had to go visit branch where there were only 20 people in it. His companion and him were asked to speak in sacrament. He said that he still gets nervous to talk in front of a group of people and that he should be used to it becuase he is always speaking or presenting information. He is working on trying to be in the missionary mind frame all the time. He explained that this meant that everyone he meets he would like to talk about the church to them no matter where they meet. One day he went and did stake priesthood leadership training on missionary work and said he gained a lot of trust in his bishop and ward leaders. this was because they did not know that he was a zone leader. He was invited to an aog youth group worship gathering this was a first for bryce to go to a different relgion. He stated how he was glad for his testimony and for joseph smith. He is doing good and loves it!

TRANSFER

Bryce is doing good. This is his new companion and one of his old companions. He has been very busy these last few weeks. One week him and his companion were so busy with traning other missionaries they were only able to teach in thier area for three days. He is enjoying his companion so much and they get along great. They did find a new investigator Gary that is doing good and is loving to learn about the gospel. Bryce said that most of his ward he is in is polynesian and one night at a members house for dinner they had horse. He just started eating and thought that it was the best meat he has had. While he was eating the family told him what he was eating. He was suprised!

He really loves being in Australia. He said that it reminds him of the song "No shoes, no shirt, no problems." They see someone wearing short shorts no shoes and no shirt walking down the street at least once a day. It is very relaxed and people have no worries. He is always saying that he is gaining weight. He is always around tongan and polynesian families and they eat alot. He is in the middle and sometimes the family does not eat until the missionaries are done eating. It is time for them to go through thier investigators and stop teaching the ones that are not serious and are not progressing. As a mission they are going to try a get 61 baptisms this month. We will have to see how they do.

With the next transfer Bryce new he was going to get transferred because there was so many new missionaries coming in. He kept telling us how he did not want to get transferred but he would because of the number of new missionaries. Well this transfer he did no get transferred. he was way excited! He loved conference and said he would sum it up in three aussie words "amazing as bro!" He is trying to become more aussie and he is loving it!

MOVING AROUND

The week of Feb. 18th Bryce and his companion had to move about 15 mins out of their area. They take their car when which is half of each week. When they don't have the car they have to take public transportation and he said that takes a while. His flat is terrible (that is all we got for an explanation). Well for his investigators Pearl (sarah's mom) she is having a hard time quitting smoking. They are having a hard time getting the ward involved in helping their investigators and making them feel welcome. Then there is nathan's son Toby he is doing really well with the lessons but Nathan is having a hard time with it. So we will need to see what happens.

He got transferred and is now in Heritage Park and serving with Elder Johnson from Orem. he said that elder Johnson is very upbeat and likes to work so Bryce is very excited about. He is really nervous because he is serving as a zone leader in the biggest zone of his mission. The zone is so big that it has to have a dual zone leader so him and his companion are both zone leaders. he is excited about this because he is going learn a lot. He is going to miss Pearls baptism so that bums him out but like I keep telling him that he does such a good job getitng people ready to be baptize that once his job is done in an area he gets to move on and work on new investigators! That is all the update so far hopefully he will send pics soon!

New Companion

He was transferred to Enoggera on the previous transfer. So Bryce really likes his new companion Elder Matau. He says he is a hard worker and likes to teach. He is starting to listen to Bryce and take his advice. They have set a baptisimal date for Pearl (Sarah's mom). They are also teaching Nathan's son and hopefully will be setting up a baptisimal date for him. Him and elder Matau went to a baptisim of a couple that is out of thier district but Bryce taught them thier first lesson.
They had stake conference and Elder Packer spoke about how each coming generation is going to have it harder and harder as the one before and how the holy ghost will guide you through the it.
He is not close to all the natural disasters that are going on right know in Australia. Thank goodness!

His Testimony
I have decided to share with you what matters most to me, which is my testimony: Our Father in Heaven loves and know each of us, through prayer we can communicate with him. We might not always feel he is listening or guiding us, but he knows what we all need. He knows what situations and circumstances are going to prepare and help us to become the sons and daughters he needs and desires to have. Through his son Jesus Christ his plan is perfect and we also can become perfect, although none of us will attain that in this life, it is the strive for perfection along with the journey that we are here to experience. Christ's Atonement is perfect! Although I will never fully understand how it works and all things that pertain to it, the atonement is the greatest gift, and I'm so thankful for it. Joseph Smith was and is a prophet of God. The Book Of Mormon is the most correct of any book on earth, and we grow nearer to God by abiding by it's precepts. This church is led by a living prophet today, and what a blessing to be a member of it. I say these things in the name of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Christ, Amen.

UPDATE

So these pictures are of the pet spiders that some people have. These spiders eat other spiders for the residents. The first one shows is close up. The second one shows you just how big they are in compareson to the house.

So a lot has happened. Him and his companion did work things out. Though there has been another transfer so Bryce got to stay in the same area and get a new companion. He is so excited about this one and gets along with him great. He did find out that nathan (who they were going to baptize) can not be baptized just yet. Then Raj is moving though he is still planning on getting baptized. Bryce was also called to be a district leader so know he gets to train new missionaries. He is very nervous about that. Well when he went to pick up his new companion/trainee Elder Matua from Darwin Australia. he was very nervous thinking how when he was new he thought that the trainer missionaries were the best and now he is in that position. He is very excited about Elder Matua because all he wants to do is work! He said that in missionary terms he calls Elder Matua his son and that is what it feels like. Bryce says that sometimes Elder Matua has a listening poroblem where things go in one ear and out the other(like father like son). Well they started teaching nathans son and pearl (sarah's mom). That is all for the teaching part. They played crickett the other day and Bryce said that baseball is not boring compared to that game!

This picture Sarah's family gave him Australia stuff for chrsitmas since he always says how America is better. Then the other one is of him and Elder Matua at the mission home. The one below is of him, Elder Kohler and Elder Lefrandt(Bryce's trainer) they are waiting for thier trainees. (You should be able to click on pictures to see them big)

This picture Chantell wanted a picture of Bryce driving on the right side of the car. So here it is I love to see that he is having a slurpee!

PICTURES

Here are some pictures Bryce has sent through out his mission. I just found some of them and others he just sent.

This is him and Sarah, who was baptized recently, and his comp elder Vimahi

If you rember in a previous blog there are pics of Bryce at a animal park well this is another pic of that same time and he is holding a Boa Constrictor! Yes he really is!

This is a Pday and they are going to play touch rubgy. These are the stake missionaries

This pic he is holding some kind of lizard (he did not know what kind).

So these pics he and his comp are with some members cleaning out a house and yard due to a storm that caused some major flooding. The top pic you can see where the water comes up to the car's wheel wells.


This pic is older it is of his comp elder Dally it is his 3rd comp. they are doing laundry (if you could not tell) We miss you Bryce!

NEW YEARS

Bryce had to be in his "Flat" by 5 on news year eve so he said there was really nothing exciting he had to tell us. Though they did play monoply so that must have been memorable though they were only up til 10:30. then he told me that they have sister missionaries in thier zone now and they played touch rugby with them. Bryce said that it was funny becuase they did not want to touch them so they tagged them on the back of the shoulder.
He started to teach a new investigator named Raj. He went to a baptism with Bryce and said how lucky that person was to get baptized on her birthday. When bryce was setting up his baptism date Bryce suggested the 17th of this month and Raj wanted it on his birthday so they set the day for feb 5th and that made Raj happy. He is still having some problems with his companion following the rules but they did talk it out so hope fully everything will be better know.

HOLIDAYS

Well sorry it has been a while. I have tried to scan pictures that bryce has sent home but they went to some where on our computer where I can not get to them. So hopefully soon I can figure it out. We got to talk to Bryce on Christmas it was so good to hear his voice. His voice sounded deeper and more mature even though his laugh is still the same. He called at 1:30 our time and it was 6:30 am for him the day after christmas. Our mom was so funny she had a list of questions to ask him. So if you can picture all of us huddled around Brad's cell phone and Bryce is on speaker phone. He went to a few members homes and ate huge meals at each one. While we were talking about christmas Bryce said that Australians are very lazy and they will do anything to get a holiday and get out of work. He told us about boxing day, this is where they take out all the boxes and garbage from christmas on the day after christmas and get this day off from work. He also told us that if a holiday lands on a saturday they get monday off of work. Is this considered lazy or smart? His favorite pday activity is touch rugby. He told about these spiders they have as pets so they can kill other spiders. The spiders that are considered pets are the size of a male fist. As you can all remember Bryce is very scared of spiders. He said that he is not as scared as he used to be. He also told us that is rains every day from sprinkle to down pour no matter what you can count on it. He told us how Australians hate americans and then will say how they want to be like us. Australians are not allowed to carry guns. My mom had to ask him if he has ever had someone threaten him physically and he justed laughed and said no. He is having struggles with his companion following the rules and they have some disagreements. He has tasted Kangaroo at a members house. What is funny is he said the members had moved from the US. Australians do not eat kangaroo, and compared it to us eating bald eagle. He was excited to talk to us as we were to talk to him. Bryce we love you!