First Zone Conference of the Australia Sydney Mission

Good day, everyone! I am loving life down under! It has been a slow week but I still feel the spirit and am learning so much about the restored gospel! It is seriously being such an incredible experience!

So with investigators... the week was going pretty good nothing out of the ordinary. We had an appointment with the Southams on Sunday evening and as we were driving out to Branxton we get a call saying they can't do it tonight and they are probably going to have to wait a while because they are moving down the New England Highway to a town called Windella. It was kind of heartbreaking! 1) We really want to teach them because they will love the church and 2) Windella is in Maitland Ward boundaries. So it was a big bummer but I know that it is in the Lord's hands! On a brighter note, Bishop Faustini went and visited a less active family, the Emertons, and he told us that they want their children, there are three over the age of accountability, to be taught by us so that is exciting and we are working on setting up an appointment to do that so that is pretty exciting!

I read a cool scripture... Doctrine and Covenants 123:17. It is a great scripture and I feel it basically sums up what missionaries need to do.

We had our first Zone Conference as the Australia Sydney Mission! It was so good! I love President Simmons so much! He and I get along great. He always puts me in a headlock but I love it! I love how there are are so many inspired men in this world and how lucky we are to have one leading our mission! He announced the new mission curriculum, basically interviews and Zone Conferences are now quarterly. Pretty crazy. eh? I don't have another Zone conference till October. It is a little bummer but it will make Zone Conferences that much more incredible!

Last Preparation Day Elder Hill and I went to Grant Hamilton's home and finished up our didgeridoos! They are so cool and I can't wait to show you guys.

That is basically it for me. Life is good and I love this work I wouldn't want to be anywhere else! I just love being a missionary. I look forward to hearing from you next week!

Cheers!

Elder Landon Brough

(Note from Nancy: He did clarify the "taking out a tree" comment and they actually did dig up a tree, NOT hit one with their car! Whew! I was nervous, especially after the "hitting the roo" incident.)

I Really Don't Know What to Put for the Title

Oh, man! Oh, man! I love being a missionary! Even though we only have two investigators and they had to a cancel our lesson and were not able to attend church and basically all we do is talk to people on the street and tract all day and no one wants to talk to us because they all went to a Catholic school when they were younger and they were turned off by religion... but besides that it was a really good week!

Like I said, Shelly and Derren Southam cancelled their lesson with us on Sunday because they had the opportunity to take their 4 year old son down to Sydney to go to the aquarium so they did that instead. She did say she read and that she has questions so that always makes a missionary happy. We set up another appointment with them next Sunday so we will see what goes down next Sunday.

Robert, Ryan and Ali are doing really good. Yesterday Robert recieved the calling as the YSA rep for the Cessnock ward. Elder Hill and I were able to participate in the setting apart of Ali as the Young Womens secretary and Ryan finally got interviewed for the Aaronic priesthood. So they are all still progressing in the Gospel which makes a missionary who has to tract a lot more then teach really, really, really happy! They are also going to do baptisms for the dead later this month and Robert is working on getting the Melchezidek Priesthood in September. So, yeah I am a happy elder.

I was able to have my first interview with President Simmons. He is so incredible! I can't believe how inspired mission presidents can be! It is so incredible! He is so relaxed, even more then President Scruggs. I didn't think mission presidents could get anymore relaxed. But President Simmons has a special talent of connecting with the missionaries! We can go up to our ankles into the ocean! I know! Crazy, eh? Anyway, President Simmons is the man. His wife is awesome, too. As you are getting interviewed by President your companion visits with Sister Simmons. She is a very sweet lady and she makes amazing fudge brownies. She and I will get along great!


Elder Hill and I took out a tree the other day, isn't that cool? (Note from Nancy: What? We have no idea what this means and didn't get a chance to chat and ask for more clarification! Hopefully, it means they dug up a tree for someone for a service project and not that they hit one in their car! We'll find out next week.)

This past Saturday we went up to Lake Glen Bawn for an Elders Quorum activity. We fished and had a bbq. Just for everyones' information, no, they don't throw shrimps on the barbie (They call them prawns anyway). It was very fun. Robert brought some friends and they all seemed to have a good time! No one caught any fish which was sad but it was a good time had by all! They also played baseball... I know, weird! For some reason somebody brought a bat and we played. It was funny to watch some of these people swing a bat exactly how you swing a cricket bat, but we throw rugby balls like a football so it is all good. I love this ward so much, especially the Elders Quorum!

That is all that is going on down in Cessnock. I love you heaps and can't wait to see what lies ahead!

Love Elder Brough

Blankets, Didgeridoos and Leaches

So this past week we finally got new investigators! Shelly and Derren Southam! They fed us and we taught them last night and it was so incredible! First off she made a decent Mexican dish with the very weak ingredients Australia has and that was impressive itself. But it was just an incredible lesson! They asked the best questions and she talked about how much she enjoyed the elders in Texas! Also before we began the lesson, which was on the restoration, Shelly said it always made sense that there should be a prophet today because they have had them all throughout history. You should have seen the smiles Elder Hill and I exchanged. After the lesson Shelly made another comment about how out of all the churches she looked into the Mormons seemed the most true. I just love being a missionary! So we set up another appointment for next Sunday, and we committed them to read, pray and to go to church! So we will see how all that plays out!

So that was the best way to end the week. As far as missionary work went the rest of the week it was really slow! But we are trying and doing our best! We had our first district meeting as the Australia Sydney Mission, actually it was a zone meeting but it was cool to see all the Southern Missionaries. Elder Hill and I thought it would be funny if all the missionaries were from Louisiana and Mississippi and stuff but surprisingly they are just like us! we also found that we were the only pure bloods, two northern missionaries, we refer to ourselves as the Union. Just kidding. At the meeting we learned that at the begining of next year zone conferences and interviews are only going to be held quarterly each year but go over four days! Crazy, eh? So that is something to look forward to.

So Elder Hill and I went with the Young Men on a hike. They camped but we went up Friday got a ride back to our flat at night and then got a ride back to where they were to finish the hike. I am not going to lie. This country is so beautiful! We were in the Watagan National Park doing the great north walk and it was seriously so awesome!( All still in our area). It is totally different terrain then AZ. Like there were running creeks and super dense trees and vines and all that jazz. It seriously felt like we were in the jungle. IT WAS CRAZY. It was even more crazy as you were walking to hear something in the bushes just to see a wallaby hop out. I seriously love this sunburnt country! I also got attacked by a leach! That was a neat experience. I seriously loved the hike and was able to spend time with the young men!

That is all that is going down in Cessnock! The Young Mens President, Grant Hamilton, he and I are tight like unto a dish. He is teaching Elder Hill and I how to make didgeridoos. So yeah pretty sick, eh?

I love you all so much I know I am doing the Lord's work and I am so happy to be here!

Elder Landon Brough

(Note from Nancy: We were able to "chat" while Landon was online typing our letter and here is a little "conversation" between Don and Landon about the didgeridoos they are making on P-day):

Don: What's the story on the didgeridoo? It looks like you are making your own.(referring to a photo) How did you learn how to do this?

Landon: There is a member who knows how to make them so he is teaching us and he just happened to have two that needed to be made.

Don: So, you are making them for him or is this one you will get to keep?

Landon: I will be able to keep the didgeridoo. I know! Sick, eh? Another member offered to tan some kangaroo scrotums for us (to make seamless coin purses) but that requires us to cut them off dead roos on the side of the road. Elder Hill and I are still considering that and discussing it.

(Another note from Nancy: The blanket he is referring to in the title is one that Sister Tisdale, a member of the Cessnock Ward, made for him. Thank you, Sister Tisdale! It is beautiful!)

Happy Birthday, America!

It was pretty funny yesterday at church when the whole congregation tried to sing America the Beautiful. It was basically a duet of me and Elder Hill but it was all good!

So investigator wise... we have no one! Our pool is dry as! A little discouraging but Elder Hill and I are working hard and doing a lot of tracting! I actually really enjoy tracting. The only progress towards a new investigator is with Derren and Shelly Southan. That is the American lady who we tracted into. We set up a dinner appointment for this coming Sunday so hopefully everything goes well!

Ryan, Aly and Robert are doing so good! Robert is the man. He is way into science and this past week he talked to us about how much science and religion goes together. It was so cool to hear. Ryan sadly didn't go to church this week. He competed in a Call of Duty tournament for all of Australia and he got 2nd. But that still is no excuse for missing church!

But besides that nothing much happened this week. We drove up to Scone and visited some American families and lit some sparklers but that was about it.

So I have been thinking a lot lately about my mission and I have concluded that I don't understand how people can say their mission was the best two years of their lives. THIS IS HARD. But the thing I have realized is that this will be the most important two years of my life. I am learning so much!

I love you all so much! The church is true and I am happy to be able to strengthen it in Australia!

Love Elder Brough