July 4, 2011
Hello from Paralowie!
Happy 4th of July! An American brother and his family are feeding me tonight. I don’t really see the point in emailing too much. I will be seeing you all eventually. We set another baptism date this week with a 16 year old named Prem. I have one week left; I am going through my “lasts”. I had my last monthly Multistake Missionary Fireside yesterday, I conducted it. I want another 6 months to serve. I love this work. I felt the spirit very strongly twice this week. So much that it will further strengthen the foundation of my testimony. I can add them to my core experiences. We found a potential investigator from India this week. We have an appointment with him on Tuesday. I will be thinking of Jarom and what he is experiencing on his mission.
There is a Tongan family that is cooking lunch for us today. It is going to be a big feed.
I am going to go now. It is my last week and want to go hard out.
Love you all heaps
Elder Montgomery
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
"I am going through heaps of “lasts”."
June 26, 2011
Hello from Paralowie.
Man I was reading Jarom’s email. Indian is way more intense than Australia. It is pretty Americanized. The culture is pretty much the same. We had a pretty good week. Probably the most exciting thing is that we set another baptism date with a guy named Chandra. He is from Bhutan. He had read most of the bible back in Nepal. His families’ faith since coming to Australia has dwindled concerning Hinduism. So he will have less family pressure. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has pressure from his peers. We will help him out. We have given his some time to prepare him for his baptism. This will be on August 27 because he doesn’t have a solid Christian background. He hasn’t attended church yet, so these are the things we are working on with him. Really nice guy, his brother Prem has been to church a few times. Also Jaylan and Tiara are still both solid for their baptism on August 13th. We found them through our work with the less actives.
I am going through heaps of “lasts”. My last dinner date with so and so. My last time going on tradeoff to this area. My last training meeting. I am battling that at the moment. Trying to purge the thought that I only have two weeks left. June is almost over, shucks. I am just staying connected to my purpose and trying to leave this area better than I found it. We have a flowing teaching pool. We are successfully dropping the dead weight and picking up new investigators quite successfully. We have been working heaps with the members. The zone is doing quite well. Everyone had good weeks. Many referrals and new investigators.
I am going to go now.
Love you all heaps
-Elder Montgomery
Hello from Paralowie.
Man I was reading Jarom’s email. Indian is way more intense than Australia. It is pretty Americanized. The culture is pretty much the same. We had a pretty good week. Probably the most exciting thing is that we set another baptism date with a guy named Chandra. He is from Bhutan. He had read most of the bible back in Nepal. His families’ faith since coming to Australia has dwindled concerning Hinduism. So he will have less family pressure. I wouldn’t be surprised if he has pressure from his peers. We will help him out. We have given his some time to prepare him for his baptism. This will be on August 27 because he doesn’t have a solid Christian background. He hasn’t attended church yet, so these are the things we are working on with him. Really nice guy, his brother Prem has been to church a few times. Also Jaylan and Tiara are still both solid for their baptism on August 13th. We found them through our work with the less actives.
I am going through heaps of “lasts”. My last dinner date with so and so. My last time going on tradeoff to this area. My last training meeting. I am battling that at the moment. Trying to purge the thought that I only have two weeks left. June is almost over, shucks. I am just staying connected to my purpose and trying to leave this area better than I found it. We have a flowing teaching pool. We are successfully dropping the dead weight and picking up new investigators quite successfully. We have been working heaps with the members. The zone is doing quite well. Everyone had good weeks. Many referrals and new investigators.
I am going to go now.
Love you all heaps
-Elder Montgomery
"I looked on their mobile phone and I saw the name of Neo."
June 19, 2011
Hello from Paralowie!
We had a pretty good week. It was very well balanced. The office gave us new bikes so that is good. We have a car anyways but it is convenient to have both the car and the bike. Peter and Thomas have not been baptized yet. I know the Elders have pushed it back a bit. Eventually they will be baptized. Some exciting news on our part is that we set two new baptism dates this week with Tiara and Jaylan. It is set for August 13th. I will not be in the country but it is not about me anyways. They both felt good feelings when they prayed. We had one investigators finish the book of Mormon. She read it in about two weeks. Due to the inconsistency of us being able to see her, we have only taught her once! We did commit her to pray about the book so that is good. We have an appointment with her tomorrow. She is living with a less active Sister. We will probably give her a Gospel Principles book to read next. Throughout my mission investigators have had excellent feedback with the Gospel Principles book. They love it.
The Zone is doing quite well. There is a dodgy companionship that we are working with. They are disunified but they are united in disobedience here and there. This mission is way more obedient since the beginning when I came in. But we have probably the most disobedient missionary in the entire mission. So yes we are dealing with that. Other than that northern Adelaide is rocking.
This week we had a full day of meetings and trainings. I went on a tradeoff with the assistants back to my first area of Firle. The area has changed so much since then. I looked on their mobile phone and I saw the name of Neo. He was my 2nd baptism on my mission, I was aware he had moved but didn’t know where. I asked the assistant which Neo this was on the phone and he didn’t know. I called the number and it was the same Neo. It was sweet to talk to him. He has moved to Melbourne, ages ago. He says there are many Chinese members of the church in Melbourne. That was sweet to hear from him.
Well I am going to go now. We have a jampacked P-day today.
Love you all heaps
-Elder Montgomery
Hello from Paralowie!
We had a pretty good week. It was very well balanced. The office gave us new bikes so that is good. We have a car anyways but it is convenient to have both the car and the bike. Peter and Thomas have not been baptized yet. I know the Elders have pushed it back a bit. Eventually they will be baptized. Some exciting news on our part is that we set two new baptism dates this week with Tiara and Jaylan. It is set for August 13th. I will not be in the country but it is not about me anyways. They both felt good feelings when they prayed. We had one investigators finish the book of Mormon. She read it in about two weeks. Due to the inconsistency of us being able to see her, we have only taught her once! We did commit her to pray about the book so that is good. We have an appointment with her tomorrow. She is living with a less active Sister. We will probably give her a Gospel Principles book to read next. Throughout my mission investigators have had excellent feedback with the Gospel Principles book. They love it.
The Zone is doing quite well. There is a dodgy companionship that we are working with. They are disunified but they are united in disobedience here and there. This mission is way more obedient since the beginning when I came in. But we have probably the most disobedient missionary in the entire mission. So yes we are dealing with that. Other than that northern Adelaide is rocking.
This week we had a full day of meetings and trainings. I went on a tradeoff with the assistants back to my first area of Firle. The area has changed so much since then. I looked on their mobile phone and I saw the name of Neo. He was my 2nd baptism on my mission, I was aware he had moved but didn’t know where. I asked the assistant which Neo this was on the phone and he didn’t know. I called the number and it was the same Neo. It was sweet to talk to him. He has moved to Melbourne, ages ago. He says there are many Chinese members of the church in Melbourne. That was sweet to hear from him.
Well I am going to go now. We have a jampacked P-day today.
Love you all heaps
-Elder Montgomery
Tradeoffs in Golden Grove and Elizabeth
June 13, 2011
Hello from Paralowie!
This week I went on a couple of tradeoffs with other Elders in the Zone. They were the complete opposite areas in some ways. One tradeoff was in Golden Grove, which has very rich suburbs. The other tradeoff was in Elizabeth. This is the ghetto of Adelaide. Everyone in Elizabeth pretty much lives in housing trust homes and live off the Government, which isn’t very much money, just enough to survive. I had heard rumors about Elizabeth that there are many young mothers there. And sure enough when we left the flat to go out to proselyte I saw two very young mothers pushing a pram. It confirmed the rumor. The people in Salisbury and Paralowie may be rough, but the people in Elizabeth may be Feral. Unfortunately our bikes were stolen from our flat in Salisbury North; they must have cut them from the pole it was attached to in our backyard. Fortunately I have only a couple of weeks left. I will not need to buy another bike. I will just borrow a bike off some missionary that is up north from the office when we need it. My eyes are always alert to see someone riding on the streets with my blue diamondback bike. Maybe they sold it.
The baptisms for Peter and Thomas have been pushed back a couple of weeks. They haven’t overcome the addiction to smoking yet. The Brahma Lodge Elders are onto it. We helped the Elders move into a new flat this week. We have quite a few investigators we are working with. We have some good potential investigators. We are trying to point their sails towards progression.
Yay Claire is born! And Jarom is on his way to India. The weather has been nice lately, not much rain. It is quite cold at night and in the mornings. It will be a big weather change shock for me when I come home.
I am going to go now. We are not sure what we will do today. It is nice weather; I would like to do something outside.
Love you heaps
-Elder Montgomery
Hello from Paralowie!
This week I went on a couple of tradeoffs with other Elders in the Zone. They were the complete opposite areas in some ways. One tradeoff was in Golden Grove, which has very rich suburbs. The other tradeoff was in Elizabeth. This is the ghetto of Adelaide. Everyone in Elizabeth pretty much lives in housing trust homes and live off the Government, which isn’t very much money, just enough to survive. I had heard rumors about Elizabeth that there are many young mothers there. And sure enough when we left the flat to go out to proselyte I saw two very young mothers pushing a pram. It confirmed the rumor. The people in Salisbury and Paralowie may be rough, but the people in Elizabeth may be Feral. Unfortunately our bikes were stolen from our flat in Salisbury North; they must have cut them from the pole it was attached to in our backyard. Fortunately I have only a couple of weeks left. I will not need to buy another bike. I will just borrow a bike off some missionary that is up north from the office when we need it. My eyes are always alert to see someone riding on the streets with my blue diamondback bike. Maybe they sold it.
The baptisms for Peter and Thomas have been pushed back a couple of weeks. They haven’t overcome the addiction to smoking yet. The Brahma Lodge Elders are onto it. We helped the Elders move into a new flat this week. We have quite a few investigators we are working with. We have some good potential investigators. We are trying to point their sails towards progression.
Yay Claire is born! And Jarom is on his way to India. The weather has been nice lately, not much rain. It is quite cold at night and in the mornings. It will be a big weather change shock for me when I come home.
I am going to go now. We are not sure what we will do today. It is nice weather; I would like to do something outside.
Love you heaps
-Elder Montgomery
Transferred to Paralowie Ward
June 5, 2011
Hello from Paralowie!
Yes as you may have heard I have a new companion. I have been transferred to the other area in the Ward. I wasn’t happy when I found out I was packing my bags from Brahma Lodge. But I was happy when I found out I was going to serve in Paralowie. I do not have to relearn names of members, investigators etc. I generally know the main streets in the area. I can just focus on the work; it is great for my last stretch.
Thank you for telling me the news of the shooting back home. I can pray for everyone involved.
We had a good week. I met some new people. There isn’t much to do at 8:30 PM just before the night is over. There is this train station we go contacting at. We meet some unique people. We catch the stragglers at the end of the day. Many times on my mission I have given people that are intoxicated Book of Mormons or pamphlets. I wonder what their reactions are when they are sober and they find they are in possession of these things. For the first time in my mission I was talking to someone who was a huge NFL fan, I had never been tempted to talk about footie to anyone. I did quite well I think staying connected to my purpose. He accepted a Book or Mormon, if only I could carry on a conversation about AFL or rugby I wonder how many more Book or Mormons I could have given out in my time.
Thank you for updating me on the family. I look forward to hearing about the new niece on the way. Thank you for signing me up to that fafsa thing. I want to be educated. I love learning, I like studying. Well I just enjoy studying the scriptures I do not know about studying something else but I do enjoy some aspect of studying. So I am capable. What is the new address to the house again? I may i have received it but now i cannot find it.
Well I am going to go now.
Love you all heaps
Elder Montgomery
Hello from Paralowie!
Yes as you may have heard I have a new companion. I have been transferred to the other area in the Ward. I wasn’t happy when I found out I was packing my bags from Brahma Lodge. But I was happy when I found out I was going to serve in Paralowie. I do not have to relearn names of members, investigators etc. I generally know the main streets in the area. I can just focus on the work; it is great for my last stretch.
Thank you for telling me the news of the shooting back home. I can pray for everyone involved.
We had a good week. I met some new people. There isn’t much to do at 8:30 PM just before the night is over. There is this train station we go contacting at. We meet some unique people. We catch the stragglers at the end of the day. Many times on my mission I have given people that are intoxicated Book of Mormons or pamphlets. I wonder what their reactions are when they are sober and they find they are in possession of these things. For the first time in my mission I was talking to someone who was a huge NFL fan, I had never been tempted to talk about footie to anyone. I did quite well I think staying connected to my purpose. He accepted a Book or Mormon, if only I could carry on a conversation about AFL or rugby I wonder how many more Book or Mormons I could have given out in my time.
Thank you for updating me on the family. I look forward to hearing about the new niece on the way. Thank you for signing me up to that fafsa thing. I want to be educated. I love learning, I like studying. Well I just enjoy studying the scriptures I do not know about studying something else but I do enjoy some aspect of studying. So I am capable. What is the new address to the house again? I may i have received it but now i cannot find it.
Well I am going to go now.
Love you all heaps
Elder Montgomery
"Lost my whole email..."
May 29, 2011
Hey i am at a different and smaller library today with horrible internet conncection. I lost my whole email i had written to you. but now i am out of time. sorry. No transfer news. I hope i die in this area. I do not want to go to a new area and learn new names and streets and then leave. Thomas and Peter still good for June 11th.
Hey i am at a different and smaller library today with horrible internet conncection. I lost my whole email i had written to you. but now i am out of time. sorry. No transfer news. I hope i die in this area. I do not want to go to a new area and learn new names and streets and then leave. Thomas and Peter still good for June 11th.
Monday, May 23, 2011
"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
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
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