"Surely there will be blessings for riding in the rain."

May 22, 2011

Hello from Brahma Lodge!

We had a good week this week. Very eventful. We had Elder Tad R Callister from the Seventy visit our mission. We had a giant metro conference. It was nice to see so many missionaries. In this mission we are very spread out. I met some new missionaries this week. One of them was a Sister; she has been out over a year. I took many notes from what Elder Callister addressed us about. He also had a Fireside later that night for all of Adelaide. He speaks and teaches doctrine so clearly, he is definitely a General Authority. You can feel the power in his words, he is a man of God. Because we were at Firle Chapel for our long conference and the Fireside was later that evening, Elder Tasi and I just did some proselyting in the surrounding areas. I had a reunion with my first baptism, Patience Barlee. We were just on foot and I saw her get into the car and about to drive away from her house but I waved her down. It was a sweet reunion, very joyful. Other of my first earlier baptisms have moved out of town like Black and Neo.



On Saturday we had a Ward Activity at our chapel. It was a pot luck dinner. Except we didn’t have to bring any food. It was a Hawaiin or Polynesian theme. Every one was dressed tropical style. I wore a flowery tie. We had quite a bit of investigators and nonmembers at the activity. Two former Sister missionaries that have gone home did a surprise visit to the activity, they both served in this area. Interestingly enough I saw an old investigator from Mt Gambier. She had moved to Adelaide and we lost track of her. She is the niece to an active sister in Paralowie Ward. They are Maori. But she lives far away from Para Lowie Ward but she just came to help set up the activity and cooking. The main reason it was a Hawaiian them was because also that night the bishopric shared with everyone the New Ward Vision. The key word was “Ohana”. This in Hawaiian means one big family. They addressed the need for the ward to have more love and unity and be like a family. The Ward responded well. I noticed from then on the members were friendlier and if they hadn’t introduced themselves to our investigators they did so afterwards. The investigators all enjoyed the activity. They really caught the vision as well that this is a big 2nd family to them. Also on Sunday I noticed a change in the Ward. Ohana was said not a few times yesterday, from member to member in the Corridor, to it being mentioned in classes. Hopefully this becomes the Culture and doesn’t die off.

Thomas and Peter are set to be baptized on the same day on June 11th which is not too far away. This Sunday we also had our Ward Conference. The Stake President taught priesthood and it was all about missionary work and how to be meaningful Home Teachers. We shouldn’t just go Home Teaching for the sake of a statistic but we need to do it as men holding the holy priesthood of God.

I am telling all the Indian and Nepali families that I know about Jarom leaving to serve his mission in that part of the world.

Well I am going to go now. It is bit cold and rainy now. Surely there will be blessings for riding in the rain.

Love you all heaps

-Elder Montgomery