Happy New Year!

I loved talking to you this past week. It was weird hearing all your voices but it is all good I really enjoyed it. We really didn't have heaps to talk about because I have only been out about two months. I loved it though and glad to hear all is well. I love you all so much!

This week has been so slow! Nothing has happened. We visited both Brenden and Judy but nothing much has happened. Everyone is busy this time of year so there has been a lot of tracting and a lot of I am busy. But what can you expect it is Christmas. I would do the same if Jehovah Witnesses came to my door the week of Christmas.

So this week we had to deep clean our flat! So Christmas Eve was designated as a non prosyeliting day so we deep cleaned our flat. Man did it need it! IT WAS DISGUSTING! But we are good now I could literally feel the spirit be come stronger as things were organized and cleaned. It was a good feeling.

Christmas (or Chrissy as they say here) was way nice! We actually were able to sleep in! But of course we had breakfat at a member's and it started at eight but we had a whole hour to sleep in. It was nice! The rest of the day we just hung out. I wrote heaps of letters so to those who wrote me within the past month expect something coming your way. I will also start letting you know when I have recieved your letters. But Christmas day was the closest to a day off we have, and it was nice I won't lie.

The day after Christmas, Boxing day here and it is funny because no Aussies know the reason why they celebrate Boxing day, beats me, was also a cleaning day so guess what, we cleaned. So our flat is beautiful! i also called home this day it was nice to talk to my family. Man I love them!

So nothing really else is going on just waiting for the Holidays to be over!

I had one interesting experience, The other day I was sitting on a Moari's porch and we were talking about how some Moaris want to start a Moari Ward, He said it was stupid because it is not about the culture, it is about the gospel. That hit me for some reason and I thought about it a little. It is not about Culture it is about the Gospel. When I wake up each morning I don't look outside and see an Aboriginal playing a digerido or go to my window and have a kangaroo stick its head in and I pet it. No, when I wake up each morning I think how am I going to help Bob stop smoking or how am I going to help Lucy recognize the Holy Ghost. It doesn't matter where you are called because wherever it is the people are lost! They need the gospel and your job is to be a rescuer! That was just something that was on on my mind.

Aaron, Dallin, Nathan Zuniga! I love you guys! I am excited for you that you get to start your incredible adventure. If you don't mind I would like to give you and all those who are about to go some things that I wish I knew before I came out:

1. Know Preach My Gospel! Don't worry about what it will be like. You will only be able to understand what a mission will be like by experiencing it. So don't worry about that stuff, study Preach My Gospel. Not just the lessons but the whole thing.

2.Be diligent! Never stop working. When you are tired and you don't really want to do it anymore... keep doing it. Diligence means so much more to me then it did before I came out.

3. Be the Elder that you want to be now! You will mess up sometimes, live with it. There have been so many times when I have messed up a door approach or made a fool of myself, but I learned valuable lessons from each door, each person that I talk to. Pretty much talk to everyone and don't worry about making a fool of yourself! You won't just magically become an amazing missionary you have do it line upon line!

4. Be you! I have had a hard time with this. Just recently I have been able to relax and be myself and I have found that to be so much more effective. Be you, people are praying for you, not just the missionaries, you!

All of you who have your mission calls I pray for you all the time and I know you will do amazing, probably much better then I have done. We will shake hell.

I love you all Thanks for your support and prayers.
Remember Who You Are!

Elder Landon Raphael Brough