G'DAY LOVES

G'DAY LOVES
Sister Marlowe…Week #4

January 3, 2017

Well hello! What a week. Okay so this is going to be the most random, mish-mosh email EVAAA but. 

AUSTRALIA. Wowwie. Okay so I am currently in the MOORABBIN area, which actually covers about 22 suburbs, with my companion SIS. SCHAUB from Arizona. it is wonderful here. I love the people and the area and the zone.

Okay so it was SO HOT when I got here, no clouds in the sky, and we went to the stake center next to the temple for a training/orientation to meet the AP's and our trainers, and during our orientation, something like a tropical storm just dropped on by to say hi, it was INSANE. It rained so hard and so much that the chapel FLOODED. CRAZY!!!!

We headed over to our flat, just a tiny little cute apartment right in Moorabbin, got a little unpacked, and went to bed! Wow. We had been travelling for over 30 hours. I was sooooooo dead.

Friday, we had a district meeting and then met with the other district in our Zone. our District is so fantastic hahaha. Sister Schaub and I are the only sisters in our whole zone, and the other companionship in our district is a trio of Filipino Elders, who are fantastic hahaha. Then  we met our zone, the rest of which are all mostly Filipino as well, with a few Aussies, and Kiwis in the mix. After meeting everyone, someone was like "AY! Spider fight!" I'm like, what the heck. So we go outside and one of the Elders pulls this wooden box outta his pocket and it is FULL of these huge spiders they've hunted down and caught outside their flat. My heck. So they pull these two spiders out, and basically you just hold a little stick and put these huge spiders on the stick an watch them literally just fight eachother and try to web eachother up hahaha. So weird. Apparently they all do this for fun in the Philippines and all the Elders were getting soooooo into it. I'll send some video footage! The Elder running the stick fight is Elder Casil, our district leader, he is soooo funny.

Okay a few random notes:

My MTC comp, Sis. Pope went straight out to the bush! Had a 5 hour drive to her flat from the orientation..... I'm guessing she wasn't too excited to get in a car and travel again :) Luckily, we're just 30 ish minutes from the mission office!

Every day we hear soooo many birds outside our flat. It sounds like a jungle out there.

Milk here is weird. If you buy it refrigerated it only lasts for like 4 days, and we usually just drink it out of a box. gross. We just keep it in the pantry until we need it and then we refrigerate it! It tastes like condensed milk, but not sweet... if that makes sense.

There are little tiny shops EVERYWHEREEE. and We live right down the road from southland, the biggest mall ever that goes over the highway. We get all our groceries from the mall! Weird, eh.

Okay so they have the funniest escalators that don't have stairs and they're called travelators and you can just go up them with your shopping cart. soooo weird hahaha.

There are never any cops here, but no one speeds! There are cameras that measure your speed and if you're speeding, they just take a picture and send a ticket straight to your address!

Saturday, I got to go to a baptism! The girl getting baptized had been taught by our zone leaders (who rock by the way) and it was a very cool thing to go see my very first week! We had a few miracles Saturday night (PS. Fasting brings real miracles!!!!) and I am so excited to go visit some people we found that night by searching our ward list and a few part member families!

Sunday I got to meet the ward, but most of them are out of town on holiday since it's summer break here, but the people i met I LOVED!!! There is this cute little 96 year old lady who asked if she can please come out with us to a couple lessons to be a member present.... I think if people saw us walking with her and her walker down the road they would absolutely let us in to give the poor old lady a break and wonder why the heck we're dragging this cute sweet old woman around in the heat.... hahaha WHICH REMINDS ME. The weather here is seriously the most ridiculous thing. SOOOO hot some days, and then yesterday I was wearing a jacket around everywhere and freezing to death in the flat!

yesterday was P-day, (couldn't email because all the libraries were closed for cleaning and the holiday) but it was sooooo nice to relax and get some groceries. PS mom. the raspberries here are SO FRESH AND SO GOOD. I just need some cream and I'm set for my entire life. Oh and I forgot! So the other night this wonderful couple from our ward fed us and i almost died.... So for those who don't know I have this deathly ridiculous fear of eating fish and seafood hahaha. So the guy Peter pulls out this HUGE bowl of prawns. I died inside. So yes I ate a prawn and then I felt so sick for the rest of the night and I think I will pass away if I have to eat another thing after pulling its head off on my plate. but Alas I will survive. The next night another cute member couple fed us and we had Carbonara WHICH just happens to be my favorite meal of all time so I almost cried again from gratitude hahaha.

ALSO YESTERDAY. So we found the HUGEST SPIDER in our flat. You can bet your bottom dollar we made the Zone Leaders come to our flat to get it out. What wonderful guys hahhahahaha. I'm so pathetic. Oh well. 

I wish I could add more but I'm out of time! Off to do the Lord's work and bring others unto Christ. I'm grateful that I get to be here and be reminded of how happy I can be because of the gospel in my life!! 

Have heaps of fun this week and I love you all!!!! Happy 2017!

Sister Marlowe

So i'm sorry that this is the shortest most random email ever! I wish I had more time to tell more details! 

CHRISMTAS MIRACLES AND AN AIRPORT

CHRISTMAS MIRACLES AND AN AIRPORT

Sister Marlowe…Week #3

Tuesday December 27, 2016

Hey kiddos!

SO SO SO MAN DONT EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START

Okay so not lots of time because I'm getting on an airplane today but wowwie so CHRISTMAS

First of all, I want to give a shoutout to all the homies who sent so much treats this week I love you all fam. Many sugar, much candy, very food. (No that was not a typo mom, I mean what I say and I say what mean)

Okay WOW

Before I start my beautiful Christmas narrative, I want to share that I have a fam-base yes fam-base not fan-base of about 30 people up in this MT of C. So basically my whole zone and a few other Elders that were our lightning gym time homies I am constantly referring to as my fam, and I have all these handshakes with lots of people it's honestly fantastic. Literally saying goodbye was so sad. Awful. They are my actual day one homies in this adventure of my life that started in this MTC.

ANYWAYS.

Yeah. SO Christmas. Christmas Eve was pretty regular, nothing super exciting or memorable, ended off the night after classes with a live nativity skit thing, I give it a 7/10, then we come back to our residence and we're all just hanging out in our room, eating chips and queso and really just livin it up you know. WELL GUESS WHAT. IT STARTED SNOWING. So you can bet your bottom dollar we had our half our zone sisters outside in the middle of the night in the snowstorm because it was a Christmas miracle! When 2,000 missionaries pray for a white Christmas, I don't think God will say no. It is sooooooo gorgeous here now!  

CHRISTMAS MORNING. The sisters in our district had stockings for our elders for Christmas, (Shout out to my momma Lou) and they loooooved that! Then we had our big Christmas morning devotional with a general authority! Not going to lie, I did have a few hopes it would be President Uchtdorf, but that's okay! Elder Dallin H Oaks came with his whole family, he and his wife spoke and did a wooooonnderful job! And his daughter Jenny Oaks Baker and her kids and a few other family members performed. Beautiful! 

So every missionary every week has to write a short, 3-5 minute sacrament talk because the branch presidents will just randomly select anywhere from 2-6 missionaries to speak on the spot, but this week they told everybody to still have a talk written even though we were having a sacrament meeting with THE WHOLE MTC. So of course, knowing me and knowing there's a one in two thousand chance I get picked to speak, I didn't write my talk. Also I have to add the fact that me and my companion had spent the last three days writing individual letters to every missionary in our zone which comes out to twenty-four handwritten letters. So I didn't write a talk! So we get to the meeting, and MTC presidency starts calling out names of missionaries to come to the front before we started the prelude music. So guess who is one of the lucky 15 missionaries called to the front to be in the pool of speakers they'll pick from.... Yeah. So I'm panicking. Nk talk, and an apostle is sitting on the stand right behind the pulpit. Great. So I sit in my seat and whip out a talk during the prelude and THEY NEVER HAD ME SPEAK. So miracles I guess. 

Ps. I'll just send the talk I wrote so it can at least benefit someone 

We are celebrating a special holiday today, Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ. We are all at the MTC preparing to go share his gospel--a simple plan of five steps: faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

Because of Christ, we don't have to worry about having a sad ending, only a joyful eternity.

We are all here because we have faith in that plan, Faith in our savior, and faith in our Heavenly Father.

We have faith that Jesus Christ enables us to overcome any challenge, whether it be serving a mission, or even death. We will overcome. 

2 Nephi 22. the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation.

I will not give up, let up, shut up, until I have stayed up, stored up prayed up, preached up for the cause of Christ.

We are disciples of Jesus. 

Garbage, but anyways

Okay so on with my Christmas story, we're all just hanging out after sacrament, (and I got to call my family and honestly I think they thought I was crazy because I just kept talking about the most random things but it was sosososo good to talk to them) and I'm thinking "ya know it's been a pretty good Christmas, we got snow, Elder Oaks came and gave an amazing talk, I didn't actually have to speak in sacrament, I'm with my best buds and 2nd favorite fam, it's been okay" 

So. Then we go to our last little (psh, little) christmas evening program and guess who shows up my heckies 

SO MTC PRESIDENT JUST GOES UP JUST LAUGHING AND GIGGLING AND SAYS SO WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST TONIGHT, HE'S A RETURNED MISSIONARY AND HAS SOLD MULTIPLE ALBUMS AND 

DAVID ARCHULETA JUST LITERALLY STANDS UP FROM THE AUDIENCE.

CRYING. 

PS. I know like only probably two people care but just have to add the fact that he sang: my jam Be Still, My Soul, his brand new song My Little Prayer (@erinastel), and also Glorious, which he recorded for Meet the Mormons. Also. Little known fact, the only recording he has ever done of Glorious was while he was ON HIS MISSION. Elder holland called his mission president and was like hey fam. I need Elder Archuleta to record a song, the church's recording artists are flying down tomorrow and he has to have it ready. So he's amazing 

And yeah. That was my very merry Christmas at the MTC. 

AND NOW I'm 45 minutes away from getting on a train to the Salt Lake Airport, and my life will never be the same. I AM SO EXCITED. Also. I've heard it said that a goal not written/shared is only a wish..... So you are all my witnesses: Sister Pope and I have made a goal to have 5 referrals to give to our mission president when we meet him on Thursday after all our layovers and flights... Pray up for us!!

I love you all and I'd love to hear from all of you over the next year and a half of this adventure!

December 27, 2016

Hi! Just about to head over to the travel offices with my bags! I'm sorry I couldn't get you my itinerary yesterday, not my P-day. I don't have a way to send you a picture right now I'm so sorry!!!!! I completely forgot. We fly out of Salt Lake at about 12 today, have a two hour flight to San Fran, then next thing I think we leave San Fran at 7:50. I'll call you with more details probably in Salt Lake.... If I can figure out the phone thing :) We fly from san fran to Auckland, about 13 hours, and then I can't remember when we leave there. All i Know is we land about 10:35 am in Melbourne. I'll call you. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!! Give everybody hugs for me!!!!

Ps. Pics

Proof of David archuleta

me and my cutie Sister Boyce

our pretty pretty Christmas miracle snowstorm

I have more pictures I wanted to send but I don't have my camera with me! just had those on my email from my ipad before I got that turned in. Next week!

                                

                                                

President Vidmar

Elders and Sisters,

Happy New Year!

PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING LETTER AND LOOK FOR MY REQUEST:

This transfer will be unlike any other in the history of the Australia Melbourne Mission:

1. As you know, the Book of Mormon Musical opens mid-January. Soon after, the extensive campaign from the Church will open in various locations throughout the city, most prominently at Southern Cross Station. But regardless of where you serve, “Mormon” will be on the minds of people in this region more than any time in it’s history. We have a special opportunity, along with ward and branch members to let more people know who we really are, what we really believe, and what really can be found in the Book of Mormon. Let’s continue to prepare ourselves and members for this unique opportunity.
2. We will be privileged to receive a visit from Elder Gifford Nielsen, General Authority Seventy and First Counselor in the Pacific Area Presidency, and his wife Wendy. He will preside over 3 zone conferences from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (lunch included) on the following dates:
- January 25 at the Launceston Building for the Tasmania zone
- January 26 at the Deer Park Building for Wyndham, Deer Park, Craigieburn, Wangaratta and MCC zones.
- January 27 at the Maroondah Building for Maroondah, Heidelberg, Braeside, Narre Warren, & Gippsland zones.

In preparation for the meetings, Elder Nielsen has given each of you the following assignments:

A. Fill out the missionary questionnaire (125 of you have completed this. Thank you. For those who have not, I believe we have passed the deadline, since I have already received the results).
B. Prepare a five minute lesson on how to teach the law of repentance. (Be prepared to teach this lesson if called upon by Elder Nielsen).
C. Read Alma 17-27 keeping in mind how Ammon and Aaron connected with King Lamoni and his father and how Ammon cared for those he baptized. (Be prepared to contribute to any discussion and to offer comments if called upon).
D. Read and study the words given in the recent worldwide General Conference (Take the time in your personal and companion study to review the conference talks, including those given at the General Women’s session).

Please arrive at 8:30 AM and sit reverently until Elder and Sister Nielsen arrive with Sister Vidmar and myself. Please stand respectfully when they enter the chapel. I am confident that what will follow will be truly special, if you come with the spirit to learn. Come prepared, take notes, make commitments, and follow through. Do not be as the five virgins who came without oil in their lamps.

My friends, I love the promise of a fresh start and a new year. Many people use the beginning of a new year to make resolutions to change: to lose weight, to exercise more, to give up bad habits, to be more kind, to study their scriptures, among many other things. However, these commitments are too often short lived, and after only a few weeks, many find themselves reverting back to old habits and behaviors. Let us together make a commitment to make 2017 the very best year of our lives. Commit yourself to being the missionary you expect of yourself, the missionary your family expects of you, and most important, the missionary the Lord expects of you. Each of you knows your strengths and your weaknesses. I know mine. I resolve to repent and be a better mission president to each of you. As a mission, we are not reaching our true potential. But I know collectively we can improve. I know together we can see miracles if we quicken our pace and lengthen our stride, and trust in the Lord. Sister Vidmar and I love you and have great faith in you. May God bless you in this noble cause!

PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOU HAVE READ THIS LETTER BY BEGINNING YOUR LETTER TO ME WITH THE FOLLOWING 3 WORDS, “I GOT IT!”

With Love,

President Vidmar

KONICHIWAAAAAAA

KONICHIWAAAAAAAAA

Sister Marlowe…Week #2

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

Konichiwa! 

Hey so I'm just kidding, I'm not actually speaking Japanese, just English haha.

Soooooo I'm so sorry to disappoint, but I think this week's email won't be as completely straight fire as last week's. That's what happens when 79348029483 awesome things happen everyday, so I'm now 4 days behind on my journal writing. But still love all of you.

So, WHAT A WEEK. First off, T-minus like 6 hours after I emailed everybody last week, my homeboy Elder JEFFERY R HOLLAND showed up at the MTC and dropped the most amazing talk evaaaa. Honestly so good. Since I know none of you got to experience this magic, I'll just send a summary of my notes I took on my iPad because it was wonderful:

Pretty much we, as members, and especially as missionaries, are our very first sermon of Christ! Before we talk to people, teach a lesson, bring them to church or anything. Our actions and the things we say preach of Christ, whether we want them to or not.

I love that he repeated the quote "Joseph Smith did more to save the human family than any single person in the world, besides Jesus Christ himself." He had ONE job that he worked on for 10 years, before anything else was done--Book of Mormon. It wasn't until he spent about 10 years translating and publishing the Bom, that God then had him worry about an organized church, temples, endowments anything. BOOK OF MORMON Y'ALL. "GET WITH IT." -E. Holland

He said that no matter how much we read, study, ponder, contemplate, we will never have taken this book seriously enough. Ever!! So get working on that.

One thing he said that I loved, was something he was told when being called as an apostle, "Be your best self. But be yourself. And give all the glory to god." I am working on being my best self!

One of my very very favorite things he taught:

GO ASTONISH SOMEBODY. WE ARE NOT ASTONISHING. BUT OUR MESSAGE IS. AND IT WILL BE FOR GENERATIONS AND POSTERITIES.

*astonish=thunder

If I could pick a missionary quote by Elder Holland instead of scripture, it would be this:

"Salvation is not a cheap experience. I'm going to pay for it. And I'm

bringing it to others. As a missionary I will walk where he walked and

say what he said and do some of what he did and weep his tears. I will

pass through Gethsemane with him. I am a disciple."

When he finished speaking, he gave an apostolic blessing by the Melchchizidek Priesthood "as if his hands were on our own heads." He blessed us with lots of different things, but I really remember him saying that as I serve as a missionary and walk with Christ, that I, and my family, will be blessed tenfold and a hundredfold. So basically mom and dad, (and all the fam) I got a blessing from an apostle this week that if I work hard and do my best, you will be blessed lottsss too fam. Love you.

So I guess I just blew all your emails up with Elder Holland but I don't even feel bad. Also one of the Branch President's counselors told us this week, that our mission is like going to Disneyland. 

Disneyland pretty much summed up is: Wake up early, get to the park, wait in lots of lines, ride awesome rides, have fun, eat food all day, sometimes get sick on crazy rides, go home late and go to bed wrecked. So on my mission I'm going to get up early, walk around and talk to people all day, eat lots of weird food, sometimes feel upset because missions are harddddd, and then HAVE A FREAKIN BLAST THE REST OF THE TIME. Then go to bed every night dead tired. Sooooo y'all have fun while I'm at Disneyland in good old AUS this next 1.5 years, kay?

Speaking of AUS, I got my Visa! Yay exciting. Also my travel itinerary--

Dec. 27, I'll be flying from SLC to San Fran, and then after a 7 year long layover (5 hours), we'll fly to Auckland New Zealand. 13 hour flight, kill me now. Just kidding. But lol I'll be leaving California, on Dec 27 and landing in New Zealand on Dec 29. There goes a whole day of my life that I'll never (except for when I come home) get back *eye roll*

Then from Auckland straight to Melbourne!

I AM SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I don't have a lot more exciting things to share in the amount of time that I have, but I did get to clean showers this week in the dorm bathrooms and oh my gosh it was a traumatic experience. Ew. Also one time I sneezed so loud and scared one of my roommates and told her I got a loud sneeze from my dad (Sorry dad) and she just goes " I think dads sneeze loud to scare away predators." in her british accent and it was fantastic probably had to be there haha. But thanks for that dad. Also our district playing lightning during exercise time and it got soooooooo lit the other  day, like 20 people wanted to join because we are just so cool. Literally love my zone. and District. they're like my fam away from fam except I can't hug half of them and it makes me die inside sometimes. Whoops. Yes I said that. 

Anyways, I love you 700x and you da you da best best I eva had (all of you) (Ps that was totally the lyrics to jam, and yes I'm suffering but it's okay I get to watch mormon messages so who wins me that's right)

Signing out kidssssss,

Sister Kur Marls

  

OH MY GOSH PS. So last week I mentioned the whole breaking an apple thing and how we were going to make it initiation. SO YEAH THAT HAPPENED. This apple tradition has totally been going on in our zone for like "5 years" I'm such a liar we made it up hahaha. But my little baby district sisters believed every word and participated. Wow. One volunteer from the district has to break the apple with their head, then they all can take a bite from the apple of their champion. Greatest. wow Okay. Bye