Tranfers!

Dear many people,

 

      This week was transfers. I am no longer in Camberra nor close to it. I am by Sydney. It was very sad to leave the ward. That final Sunday, I was asked to bear my testimony. Tears were shed, and I was able to realize how much I love the people. It came truly when I knew I was to leave them. It's interesting how that is in life. What great blessings we have, and sometimes we don't acknowledge them or undervalue them until that day when we no longer have them. I now feel far more grateful for that opportunity and I will remember them and love them always. I also learned that I need to take more pictures.

      My new companion's name is Elder Coats. He's from Riverton, Utah, and has been out one transfer longer than I. We get along very well. We share a flat with two Samoan elders. It'll be interesting.

      The area I now serve in is Macarthur, which is close to Sydney. I haven't been able to meet any members except for a couple named the Warwicks. They are very nice. The ward is mostly non white, so that'll be a new experience. I am going to need to work on my Samoan now.

     My final lesson that I had in Tuggeranong was Sunday night. It was with Maria, an investigator. I was on splits with Elder Grant. We had a member, who was a less active that became active again, come so that we could teach her and to fellowship. It was an amazing lesson. We found out deeper her concern--if she believes in the gospel, her friends and family will not agree and she may lose friends and such. We were able to teach about God's support and love that she will feel as she strives to know if these things are true. What a great lesson to end my time there.

      There were some good things about moving to another area. I was able to see how wherever I am sent, it will be okay. I am in His service, so wherever I go, it is home to me. It also allowed me to see even deeper how it doesn't matter what we have, but who we are. The things that are forever are the things that matter: family, faith, testimony, etc. and so I was able to see that when I came to Macarthur. The Lord has been so wonderful to me.

     Many things change, but some things don't. My testimony of the Savior and this gospel will never go away, but will grow ever more, and I am so grateful for that. I am happy, and when I serve, I feel like I am achieving my purpose, and serving has no regrets. It is lovely here in Australia and the work is being done. I love you all.

 

Elder Justin Cederlof

Dear Yous,          This week was fantastic with the zone conference and stake conference that I was privileged in attending. The zone conference is done by the mission president and his assistants, who are missionaries. Camberra zone had this conference on Friday. Stake conference was on Saturday for two sessions, and one on Sunday. Elder Pearson from the Quorum of the Seventy spoke in all three sessions. He was fantastic. He really emphasized on members "awakening" and stepping up in missionary work. He spoke of the opportunities for members to get involved - not just going to friends, but even strangers. He spoke of the need to take opportunities in the general places, such as a shopping mall, the park, and such. He also spoke of the constant need for members to be looking for those opportunities for a person "cannot see what they aren't looking for" and so by putting missionary work as a member as a priority, a member can fulfill their missionary duty. It was truly an inspired stake conference.         This week we had a focus on going through our phone and calling those names that we weren't familiar with. Miraculously, many of them were good with having us come over, such as potential and former investigators. I was amazed at the finding on the phone that we were able to do. It also helped me get out of my comfort zone, because I didn't ever like calling people on the phone, especially non members, and I have come so far now.          Transfers are coming up. I think that I will be leaving Tuggeranong and Camberra to head up to the Sydney area. Hopefully during that transfer I will be able to go to the temple. I haven't been so far.         I studied chapter 10 from Preach My Gospel, which is all about teaching skills. I never realized the amount of teaching skills beyond knowing the doctrine and having good social skills. There is so much in there, and the more I study it, the better I teach and have the spirit and have the guidance of the spirit. It's marvelous. I've also been studying a talk called "The Fourth Missionary" which is all about how to become the true servant of the Lord. The biggest thing in there is the need to give up your will. What a ponderous idea that just amazes me. That is what I will be shooting for this next transfer. This talk also showed how we should follow the Lord's will and not our own because "it's the intellectual thing to do" which is quite humbling. So those days that I do not want to be diligent or whatever, I must do it anyway because it is the intellectual thing to do, because the Lord would have me do it, and I trust Him and want to do His will, not mine. That was really profound to me. That strengthened my testimony and forever will.     Love,   Elder Justin Cederlof

Hello Everyone,

 

This week has been wonderful. There were many points of growth that I saw. Firstly, our zone leaders gave an excellent lesson.  They told a story where a man was out at sea but saw an island far away, and he wanted to row there to survive. He aims in that direction, puts his head down, and rows with his might all through the night. In the morning, he stops, puts his head up, and realizes that he is in the same place. He had left his anchor down. The zone leaders told us about those "anchors" that are preventing us from getting closer to our end destination.  These would be those things that are impeding our growth. Under that could be diligence, a need of a change of heart, or many things that are getting in the way of us becoming true consecrated missionaries. We also discussed finding out people's personal concerns, which was great. It's amazing how sometimes I don't even see any concerns that would impede an investigators progress, but now I've been able to see how we must follow the spirit to help these people because there are mostly always concerns of some type. It was fantastic.

 

There were a couple wonderful miracles that happened this past week. One was when Elder Howse and I went to a less-active named Maria. We didn't exactly know what we were going to be teaching and inviting her to do. We got there and talked and then I recalled how she should have the commitment extended to make it a goal to go to the temple. That commitment would help her to attend church and overcome coffee drinking. So that was in my mind when we started. Elder Howse took out the "Proclamation to the Family" and we started reading that. The temple is mentioned in there a few paragraphs in. Elder Howse had us stop and not finish the whole thing, but rather started talking about the temple. I knew that this message that we were going to share with Maria was inspired because of our unison in what we wanted to teach her. It was a beautiful lesson with the spirit. Maria felt that and got a desire to go to the temple. We'll be excited to help her along the way.
Another miracle was when we had a couple of options of people to visit in the evening. We ended up choosing a husband and wife that were members and we hadn't visited for quite the tad. We went, talked, asked how they were, talked about coming to know God and how that brings joy and is what eternal life is about. We then told them how we felt like we should have come but did not know why. Phil, the husband and a recentish convert, then said that he knew why. He told us how he had been going through a rough patch and us coming over was helping him. That strengthened my testimony of being guided by the spirit, even when you don't fully understand.

This week I also enjoyed studying chapter 10, teaching skills. It was even better when the zone leaders had touched on that in their lesson. I think the big area for me to improve is found in the "Help People Resolve their Concerns" area because I feel that when we teach with that in mind, we aren't teaching a lesson, but rather a person; and when we are teaching with the spirit and with love, their concerns will be met and the spirit can testify. What an area for great improvement and an area that will definitely help me be a better missionary.

Also this week with my studying of "Teach People, Not Lessons" I enjoyed the "District" clips, especially the one involving Jynx with the two Elders, who focused on her needs, and helped her understand how she would feel when the spirit would testify to her. I think this also ties to helping people overcome concerns completely, because people are so unique and special, that each lesson should be that special. The investigator, or less active, or whoever you are teaching, if taught with true care, consideration, and with the spirit, will feel the love from the missionaries and the love from God.

 

There is one other important thing that I learned either this week or last: when it comes to patience or growing in confidence, it is absolutely your choice whether or not to have it. I was at a point of the day where I was getting perhaps a tad impatient. I sat there for a second, and realized, I absolutely get to choose whether or not to be patient.  Fortunately, I chose to be patient, and so it was. I learned this past week the same about confidence. It is my choice. I may not be the best at talking to people, or have amazing talent, whatever, but I get to choose whether or not I have confidence. It was an amazing eye opener for me, and I hope it can help any of you.

 

It has been wonderful out here in Camberra, the capital of Australia, and I am fortunate to be among such great missionaries that share the same goals and desires that I have. Truly the work is moving forward.

 

Elder Cederlof

This week was a great week. I just wish I could remember more of it, but life goes on. There was a great miracle that happened when an unfortunate thing happened. An investigator who seemed golden, and was going to read the Book of Mormon on his honeymoon, ended up not reading it, and having disagreements about the church. It was an unfortunate happening. During that time, we were also teaching another person who also loved the bible, studied it a lot, and was interested in learning about the words of Christ found in the Book of Mormon. When we lost the first investigator, I thought we'd lose the other one too. Miraculously, he didn't care about what happened, but wanted to learn for himself. I was amazed at such a fantastic response.

Now this week of studying about revelation through church attendance, I realized just how much our investigators and less-actives do not understand about the importance of attending church. Some even don't see yet why they need to come to ours, and none others suffice. It's funny how you can be ignorant of something until you study it out, and in this case how much those we are teaching aren't getting the idea of church importance like they should be. It's fantastic how much of an eye opener it was.

In the Book of Mormon I've been studying in the chapters about Noah, Limhi, and now the capturing of the followers of Alma. I love the part about the Lord trying their patience and faith, and that no matter what, if they choose Him, they will be saved. Alma's people contrast perfectly with Noah's people when they are both captured. It relates to us choosing to follow Him and receiving blessings to overcome our afflictions.

 

Gwen has gone to Melbourne for a month to visit family, so we won't be able to teach her for more than the end of this transfer. Jessie should be coming back soon, so we want to get on that. Besides that all is good and groovy.

 

Love,

 

Elder Justin Cederlof

This week was very good. It involved miracles in finding. You really do need to be bold and courageous in talking to more people because that is where great progress and miracles can come. Several days ago, Elder Howse and I were going to visit a few potential investigators. The first ones weren't home at all. As we were heading to the car, Elder Howse had the phone and someone was calling, so we stood for a minute. A lady from a home that we already tracted saw us and started walking towards the two of us and stopped several meters between us. Elder Howse and I both wanted to say hello and invite her. As soon as we said hello from the distance, she started walking quickly towards us, eager to speak with us. She spoke of how she needed to talk to someone, that she was a christian too, and the stress of her family. We actually did not invite her to learn, but she asked for a pamphlet, our number, and said she'd call us. She also said we could stop by when we were visiting the area. That was a miracle because we hadn't met her when we tracted her house, so we would have never met her.

Another miracle occured less than an hour after that when we were heading to a house that Elder Howse had heard a family with children when we had visited the street before, so it wasn't even a potential, but a potential potential. They weren't home, but as we were at their front door, a red vehicle parked in a house just a few houses away. We decided to visit, and found a wonderful man who had had experience with past missionaries quite the tad ago. He was busy at the moment and week, but gave us his phone number to contact in a few days, and he was happy with us stopping by again. That was another miracle.

Lastly, Elder Howse and I, as we were about to head off for the day in the morning to start proselyting, we saw a man walking on the other side of the street. We got out of the car, headed over to him, and introduced ourselves. He had currently been thinking about what's really out there and we taught a mini lesson right there. We gave him our number and now we are waiting for him to call. It was amazing, miraculous, to have such an encounter. This week was just so full of miracles involving finding.

I studied the role of the Holy Ghost during this past week and especially loved the idea of needing to be courageous in following the spirit. Sometimes I honestly don't know for sure if the spirit is prompting me or if it is just myself, but when I exercise the courage to test it out anyway in faith, I don't regret it. I think that if it was really easy to detect the spirit, my faith wouldn't grow as well than if all I had to do was be easily shown what to do. I can really grow if I am more brave with following promptings, even if I am not sure.

I also have been reading the Book of Mormon in Mosiah when Abinadi is chastising Noah and his priests. I love how Noah and the priests, leaders with power on earth, have no power over Abinadi save God lets them. At first, they have nothing and Abinadi does as needed--to testify against them and preach unto them repentence. Afterwards, God lets Abinadi die, and now Abinadi is in joy with God. We are protected when we have work to do. No man on earth has the power to destroy us. There is no reason for fear when in the service of the Lord. Peace unto us is given.

 

This week was really great. I wanted to also focus on humility and selfishness. I had great opportunities for both, and I pray for more. Such a purging is taking place out here, and boy do I have a tad to go. It is wonderful. Affliction truly can be consecrated to our benefit and growth. I love you all, and I pray you peace.

 

Love,

 

Elder Justin Cederlof
 

       This week has been very fruitful. Firstly, we've a new missionary in our flat taking place of Elder Van Orden. His name is Elder Grant. He is an Aussie, and very awesome. He has heaps of church books, including a book about the teachings of Joseph Smith. I read a section about the plurality of gods and my mind was blown. Joseph Smith just has so many amazing speeches and teachings that contrast with his farm boy life before. He definitely was inspired and enlarged.

 

        We have two people who have agreed to baptism. Elder Howse and I extended one to Gwen, who said it was an "honor" to have us invite her to do such. That was humbling. The other, an african lady named Eustina, also agreed, and we hope that we may see their baptisms before we are transferred. An elderly lady named Sister Perry was very helpful in being a fellowship to Gwen. We do not yet have a female fellowship for Eustina, and fellowship is essentail, so that is one of our goals for this upcoming week.

 

       A miracle this week was stumbling upon a man whom we encountered a weekish prior. We were tracting, and decided to start at the top of a complex. The first door we knocked on gave no answer, but then my companion felt like knocking another time, and sure enough, John, the man we met earlier, was the owner. He let us in, we talked, gave a lesson, and have met him again already. He has such great faith in Jesus Christ and the bible. He will be difficult to teach and to help, for some of the people who are really focused on the bible and Jesus Christ ironically somehow blind themselves almost in a really hard way to understand. We will definitely be praying that we will teach him with the spirit as the senior companion, and then we'll have a miracle.

 

      The heat peak was this week, and now it will die down, and Tuggeranong is doing fantastic. I am feeling the spirit, and seeing such areas that could use growth. What a time to refine. I love it.

I love you all. Fairfarren.

 

Love,

 

Elder Cederlof

I don't have my planner on me, and my memory is not the greatest - so much room for improvement there - so I will try to include things that have happened this past week.

 

Once again, for this new transfer, which started yesterday, I am with Elder Howse. He has been my only companion for this whole time. There must be something to be done here in Tuggeranong. There is definitely a lot to be done, people to see, etc. and I am so glad to still be here with him to serve those people.

 

In our weekly or montly new letter from the mission, I read a fantastic quote that just is too awesome to describe, so I won't.

 

Christ says "Give me all. I don't want so much of your time and so much of your money and so much of your work, I want YOU. I have not come to torment your natural self, but to kill it. No half-measures are any good. Hand over the whole natural self, all the desires which you think innocent as well as the ones you think wicked - the whole outfit. I will give you a new self instead. In fact, I will give you Myself, my own will shall become yours." (C.S. Lewis)

 

Such an amazing and inspiring quote. It is overwhelming to think that we are given doctrine about God and that being Almighty, he would speak unto us, offering the opportunities of the eternities. And to think that I get to be involved in sharing that opportunity and knowledge of God and His plan to others, to bring them unto Christ, is just amazing and obviously not fully understood. I don't think I will ever understand how magnificent this opportunity to serve was until after mortality.

 

This week has not been the best of weeks, though there was enjoyment in doing 24 hour splits with other missionaries. Our visits and key indicators were down - but shall be avenged. Mutherun, an investigator, has accepted the invitation to baptism, and we are excited to be pushing for that date. Fellowship will make all the difference, and we are blessed with that.

 

I have not much to write concerning this past weeks history, but I can write of the spirituality of this week. It is kind of odd to think about the gospel in the idea of us being totally not involved with obtaining the message. Can we come to know God by our own means - forever no. It was given, a blessed gift. And to think that most do not know the fullness, and yet we have it - dumbfounding. And furthermore, to think that we can be privileged vessels to share that, mere mortal me to another person - just humbling.

 

Besides writing that I can say not much more, for words do not fully depict. I can testify, however, that I am filled with the Holy Ghost, and my testimony is at its peak, and there is so much more room to grow. Also being out here, you see your carnal self more than ever, and you see the need to kill it, slaughter it, destroy it completely, for it is the enemy. That's the cool thing about being out here and having afflictions. That's the marvelous thing about having a companion that is different than me. It's fantastic.

 

I love you all and what great times to come.

 

Elder Cederlof