Wow - What a view!

Dear Mom,

Yeah we were in a hurry so I sent only four photos, and I am sending one attached to this, but that was a hike, or bush walk as they call it, with some members. The baby is Alexander, and is the cutest baby ever - super disappointed that we aren't allowed to hold them. The others are members except the older lady who is a mother of Sister Mandi, an American from Colorado, who lives here with Brother Sam, an Aussie. They're awesome, and the Shoobridges are really awesome. We are going to go on another hike with them today and with the returned missionary/branch mission leader Jared. He's awesome too. He served in New Zealand, but not in Andrew's mission unfortunately. I'll have to definitely get a picture of the Shoobridges for you. Such a great family.  

This past week was very good, though we weren't able to see Eve and Ben Daniel. Eve is still recovering, though we are shooting to see her this upcoming week and same with Ben Daniel, since he is not working this week. We were able to stop again at Gordon's place to give him the "Faith in Christ" DVD but he wasn't there so we left it in the door. We really want to help him to see the relevance for him or else we will have to drop him. We dropped Brandon. The mother came out and told us that they have the JWs visit twice a week and so that's enough for them. It's such a bummer to see people get deceived like that. 

I am doing well though and will miss the area when I leave, I have five weeks til the next transfer so I should be safe. We had a miracle find which was pretty cool. Her name is Nola, and it was truly amazing and inspired. I enjoy my Albanian companion and he cooks lots of food, so I am putting on weight which is just awful but better than starving. But enough about me, my life's the same, good though. How are you? How are the two little people? I will send Melissa an index card in the mail for her. That was a very good idea to have the people do that by the way. I really hope she gets diving into the scriptures. I've been doing some study and that has been good. I am still studying the general conference talks. There are some really good things from each one of them. 

My testimony grows every day and I keep learning just how much our Father in Heaven loves us and why I should love them. It's great. I haven't been to the temple yet, one year now since landing in Australia, so boy I can't wait until I do. 

Love you so much, Mom, and I love getting your emails and the beautiful pictures of you and the family!

Love,

Elder Justin Cederlof

P.S.  This past week we had a wonderful miracle. We were on our way home from giving the sacrament to an elderly couple in a nursing home and as we were leaving I felt the impression to go tracting. I thought, “It's getting late when you usually don't tract, but where should I?” And the thought came to my mind: a pink house with white flowers. I thought that was interesting and actually thought I just thought that and not from the spirit. Well as we are driving I notice a pink house with white flowers on a hill on a different street, and I was thinking: what if..? And so I turned the car around, we knocked, lady opened, and we shared about our church. She was interested and actually had felt like staying home that night, and a little bit before we came to the door she felt that someone might be knocking that night. Cool as!! That was really nice. The Lord works in great ways, even by telling me exactly what house he wants to be visited. Shows you that the Lord's hand is in the work. 

 

P-Day Bush Walk

Dear Mom,

Time is very short this day, but pictures say 1000 words so it makes up. I am doing well. I am still in Merimbula with Elder Osmeni. We are currently working with our investigators, but have only been able to visit with Gordon, the old man who wants to believe. We gave him a restoration video, and hopes are he sees it and then gets that faith and deeper desire.

Eve and Ben Daniel we'll hopefully see this upcoming week. We need to do more finding, and are going to really focus on hastening the work of the Lord. Especially with the current dangers that are brewing across the face of the earth, namely ISIS, which, don't worry I am perfectly safe and six to seven hours away from, I think the missionary work really needs to be hastened.

I am so excited to hear from the General Authorities when we have General Conference and I've been studying the current conference ensign, relating it to my patriarchal blessing, which has been really amazing. I know that the church is true, ever more, and I ever grow in that knowledge every day.

I love you, take care, and know that I know this is ever true and that my calling is ever worth it.

Love, 

Elder Justin Cederlof

Dear Mom,

 

By the way transfers coming up so will be on on Tuesday next week. It is great having Elder Osmeni as a chef, but a bummer because I have some tummy fat and that is just not acceptable for my coming home. Eve is recovering, and we hope that she will be well this upcoming week because we haven't been able to teach her for so stinkin' long. We are busy and there's great potential in the area. I was able to talk to Brother Shoobridge's friend named Lisa, who's the wife of Tom, and was able to talk about the plan of salvation. I think she's ready. Hopefully, we'll be at her mother's for dinner this week (her mom invited us which was pretty cool). Afterwards of teaching, Brother Shoobridge actually took her on a tour of the chapel, which was pretty awesome. We are stopping by today to invite them to an activity this weekend. 

 

That's awesome to hear that the talk was good for Melissa and the audience, and awesome that Zach sent a video. I'll have to do a video sometime. As for the area, we only saw one investigator that just isn't seeing the need for a true church and it's kind of sad. We might drop him unfortunately. We were able to see two less actives and two came to church which was great, actually three ha. I'm loving the area and it will be sad when I leave. I love this area the most out of all of them so far. 

 

I love you so much, and it's so amazing to think that now Melissa is baptized!  It's great. 

 

Love,

 

Elder J. Cederlof.

 

P.S. You are world's best mom ever still. And these photos are at an animal conservation place we do service at. 

 

It's a Picture Week!

Beautiful Merimbula!



First Snow!

Elder Osmeni and the first snow I've seen in Australia - we were both super excited.
It was on the way down to our area, Merimbula, from Canberra. 

Merimbula

1st Zone Leader, now Assistant to the President

Dear World's Greatest Mom,   So Elder Balenaveikau is Fijian, and was the only Fijian down here. We had gotten a not so nice racist letter at the door of our flat, telling him to get out of there. The second one, and the last straw to which we called mission president, was along the lines of "we're coming after you" or something like that with not so good racist name calling. So he went up north and I got Elder Osmeni, the Albanian. That was sunday night we got the second one. We left the next morning up to Canberra. Wasn't the most fun p-day. He's okay.    Elder Osmeni is from Albania, which is on the other side of the Adriatic sea from Italy. It's by Macedonia. He's a chef and worked before he came out at a five star hotel. So far he's been the cook, and I am glady stepping aside. He's been introduced to the members of the branch and talked a little about himself when bearing his testimony at sacrament meeting. This week we actually didn't really get to see our investigators. They were all not home or busy or whatever. Eve is now out of the hospital and is just resting and waiting for her results from the testing at the hospital. We left a note for her at her house.    Even though the work here is very slow, I love it here and there is great potential. Right now the focus is the friends of Brother Shoobridge who have attended that game night thing. We were able to catch one of them in the parking lot of Woolworths (grocery) and talked about his beliefs and gave him a Book of Mormon, and since we knew him, it was easy to talk to him and talk about the church.    Well, today we are going to build sandcastles at the beach. Time will come short when we aren't allowed at the beach so taking advantage while I can.    Love you, thanks for the ring, and tell Melissa she's awesome and I am so excited for her baptism!   Love,   Elder J. Cederlof

 

Dear World's Greatest Mom,   So Elder Balenaveikau is Fijian, and was the only Fijian down here. We had gotten a not so nice racist letter at the door of our flat, telling him to get out of there. The second one, and the last straw to which we called mission president, was along the lines of "we're coming after you" or something like that with not so good racist name calling. So he went up north and I got Elder Osmeni, the Albanian. That was sunday night we got the second one. We left the next morning up to Canberra. Wasn't the most fun p-day. He's okay.    Elder Osmeni is from Albania, which is on the other side of the Adriatic sea from Italy. It's by Macedonia. He's a chef and worked before he came out at a five star hotel. So far he's been the cook, and I am glady stepping aside. He's been introduced to the members of the branch and talked a little about himself when bearing his testimony at sacrament meeting. This week we actually didn't really get to see our investigators. They were all not home or busy or whatever. Eve is now out of the hospital and is just resting and waiting for her results from the testing at the hospital. We left a note for her at her house.    Even though the work here is very slow, I love it here and there is great potential. Right now the focus is the friends of Brother Shoobridge who have attended that game night thing. We were able to catch one of them in the parking lot of Woolworths (grocery) and talked about his beliefs and gave him a Book of Mormon, and since we knew him, it was easy to talk to him and talk about the church.    Well, today we are going to build sandcastles at the beach. Time will come short when we aren't allowed at the beach so taking advantage while I can.    Love you, thanks for the ring, and tell Melissa she's awesome and I am so excited for her baptism!   Love,   Elder J. Cederlof

Dear World's Greatest Mom,

 

So Elder Balenaveikau is Fijian, and was the only Fijian down here. We had gotten a not so nice racist letter at the door of our flat, telling him to get out of there. The second one, and the last straw to which we called mission president, was along the lines of "we're coming after you" or something like that with not so good racist name calling. So he went up north and I got Elder Osmeni, the Albanian. That was sunday night we got the second one. We left the next morning up to Canberra. Wasn't the most fun p-day. He's okay. 

 

Elder Osmeni is from Albania, which is on the other side of the Adriatic sea from Italy. It's by Macedonia. He's a chef and worked before he came out at a five star hotel. So far he's been the cook, and I am glady stepping aside. He's been introduced to the members of the branch and talked a little about himself when bearing his testimony at sacrament meeting. This week we actually didn't really get to see our investigators. They were all not home or busy or whatever. Eve is now out of the hospital and is just resting and waiting for her results from the testing at the hospital. We left a note for her at her house. 

 

Even though the work here is very slow, I love it here and there is great potential. Right now the focus is the friends of Brother Shoobridge who have attended that game night thing. We were able to catch one of them in the parking lot of Woolworths (grocery) and talked about his beliefs and gave him a Book of Mormon, and since we knew him, it was easy to talk to him and talk about the church. 

 

Well, today we are going to build sandcastles at the beach. Time will come short when we aren't allowed at the beach so taking advantage while I can. 

 

Love you, thanks for the ring, and tell Melissa she's awesome and I am so excited for her baptism!

 

Love,

 

Elder J. Cederlof

Dear Mom,   This past week I can hardly remember. It wasn't the best of weeks - we only taught one lesson with all others not home or what not - but we did have zone conference in Canberra which was great. The assistants to the president spoke on listening and asking questions in teaching situations (which are found in Preach my Gospel). It was really good because you need the investigator and less active to talk and you need to really hear what they are saying so that you can come closer to knowing their needs and showing that you care.   For the highlight of the week we met Mitch, who came to stay with Brother Shoobridge's friend, Tom. We were able to see him at the gaming activity that happens at the family history center. Right before he left we visited Tom so we could see Mitch off, and we had the chance to give him a Book of Mormon as a gift, wrote our testimonies in it, talk about the Book of Mormon and the restoration, and he was open and said he'd read them. That was pretty awesome.   We're emailing late because we had to come up to Canberra today because Elder Balenaveikau is being emergency transferred so I'm getting a new companion, Elder Osmani, tomorrow and will drive down to Merimbula either tomorrow or the next day depending on if we do trade-offs.   Well that sums up the week.     Love,  Elder J. Cederlof

 

Dear people,

I really don't know how to address yous, and I'm running out of ideas. Elder Balenaveikau is great and unfortunately has been sick since the day after we spent a full day back in our area after transfer. Thursday to Saturday were stay at home study days. That was the first time that I was bored in the mission. Studying is great and all, but whew, for three days in a row, challenge. I did learn a lot and I received some great insights to my patriarchal blessing and questions in regards to scriptures, which was an answer to my prayers. 

Sunday we had seven adults and around ten kids at church. Lots of sick people. I'm a survivor though. We were able to visit Ben Daniel after church which was great, and we have him planned for Thursday with helping him with service. That pretty much sums up the week, but I truly learned how wonderful the scriptures are and the truthfulness of the church with the heaps of extra time I was able to have.

 
Elder Cederlof

Dear Associates,   This past Thursday we headed up to Canberra because of zone training the next day. It's about a three hour drive, and we are pretty cautious considering the incident with the now rotting-on-the-side-of-the-road-with-us-seeing-it-a-couple-times-a-week-because-they-leave-carcasses-to-rot-if they-are-just-on-the-side wombat.   The amazing part of the week happened on Friday. On Friday, after zone training meeting, Elder Withers and I went on trade-offs together for the day. Two things happened this day that showed the hand of the Lord in my day. The first came about just after Elder Withers and I got out of the car to head towards an investigator’s house named Bruce. Behind us we noticed a man in his garage sitting at a table doing some sort of mechanics. We headed toward him, and Elder Withers didn't have any hesitation - what a great missionary. We had conversation with the man and brought up that we were missionaries. He told us of his experience with prayer and how he's received undeniable answers to them. With that, we taught of the restoration and how Joseph Smith prayed to know what church to join. We then showed him the Book of Mormon and had him read Moroni 10, verses 4 and 5. We testified of how by prayer we can come to know that the Book of Mormon is true and that by prayer we can know of the truthfulness of the things we had taught. We gave him both the restoration pamphlet and a Book of Mormon, invited him to read and pray about it, and we got his number to contact him and we gave him Elder Wither's number (since we were in Elder Wither's area). Miracle!!!   The nesx miracle was a wonderful lesson with Elder Withers again on the same day, in fact this was the investigator that we were walking over to meet when we saw the man in the garage - whose name is Tony by the way. Both the investigator and the partner were home. It was a great lesson as we taught of the restoration. We didn't feel that we should commit him to be baptized during the lesson, but we were able to help him understand how the gospel is for him. He's super humble and cheery.   Saturday was amazing. This fantastic day I was on splits with Elder Paterson, my district leader. The highlight of the day came about ten forty in the morning at a little after ten thirty, which was a lesson with a potential named Darcy. We stopped by and he was there and let us in. We started with the Restoration of the gospel. We had the pamphlet of it, and Darcy had read through it plus he did the "Additional Study" found in the back - super diligent! We started with God is our loving Heavenly Father and continued into Christ's personal ministry and the Atonement. I shared a story about the boy who took the stick whacking for the other boy who had taken the first boy's lunch. I related that to Jesus Christ and how He atoned for us - taking the beating - because He loves us, and that I love Him.   We continued on with the lesson and the spirit was there ever strong. It was amazing. At the conclusion, we both bore testimony and we invited him to be baptized when he came to know that these things were true. Yes was his reply. We then testified that through diligence he could be ready to be baptized by the 6th of September and invited him to prepare for that day. Yes was his reply. The spirit bore witness at those moments. I felt the need to give him caution about the devil not wanting this for him, and how he'd have trials and inconveniences as he prepared for that day, but through relying on the Lord and being diligent, he'd overcome. We then asked Darcy if he had any questions or concerns, and he spoke up of how he didn't think he could get an answer because he hadn't that faith like it spoke of as a requirement in Moroni 10: 4. Elder Peterson and I had Alma 32 come to mind, and so we invited him to read that and we shared a verse or two from it and testified that he could receive that faith. We concluded with prayer and he was willing to offer it, and we knelt as we did so! He is so prepared and willing, and the spirit made the lesson. The church is true.   On this last Monday evening, Elder Pederson and I had the opportunity to have dinner with the Landeryous. Brother Landeryou is the one who became active after inactivity for what I recall to be twenty years. He's awesome, and his wife isn't a member. Dinner was a 300g (or about 2/3 of a pound) of meat burger. Not just any burger, but a burger with jalapenos and chilies and spicy sauces of sorts. And when we put the burgers together, he had some more really spicy sauces to put on. I could only eat one and a half, but Elder Pederson had two. I actually got some sauce onto my finger and then put it on my tongue and my taste buds went crazy- I'd never before had the sensation of super spicy with super sour before. T'was pretty awesome. The best part was the lesson we had after. Kari, Brother Landeryou's wife, is an investigator but isn't keeping her commitments. The lesson we had, involved that new Mormon message of the guy who's going to commit suicide until he learn of fasting by prayer. The spirit was really there and we found out that she's actually had past experiences with the spirit. And we know that she felt it too. We gave her verses to read and boy that was an amazing lesson because I felt the spirit, and most importantly, I relied on it. When I don't, I teach to complicatedly and it doesn't work too well, but this was an amazing lesson. The spirit is amazing and should always be the senior companion in missionary work.   I know that the church is true and that when we truly rely on the Spirit and Jesus Christ, we are happy and guided. We feel contentment and we feel loved. Why seek for things that will be gone once we die and move on, when we can enjoy the love of God forever when we walk in the path of His Beloved Son. That is the way, and no other way will do, for by none other will come joy, and the joy of Him is everlasting. Of this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.   p.s. We had transfers this Monday and I have received a new companion who is referred to as Elder B. due his very long name. He's awesome and has been out 16 months. I am excited to work with him down in Merimbula.     New Companion - Elder B