Miracles of Fasting

Hello Friends and Family!

Lately, I've been focusing on how to recognize the Spirit, and what Heavenly Father wants me to do.  It has been very influential to me on what I need to continue to improve on.  So, I want to share a couple of miracles that we've had in this week

Miracle 1:  We were going to Lithgow, which is an hour drive from our flat, and it is still in our area!!!  Anyways, we were fasting that day and were trying to fast for new investigators as well as people that we could teach.  We got there, and we had an appointment with a member in our ward.  While we were outside visiting her, literally everyone she knew walked past us, and she introduced them to us!  It was just a miracle that we had people to talk to, and an opportunity for them to be acquainted with us.  WE FOUND A NEW INVESTIGATOR THAT DAY! :)

Miracle 2:  You probably were wondering.  Elder Han, have you seen a kangaroo yet?  The answer is that I have been waiting for a year in Sydney, and I FINALLY SAW NOT ONLY ONE, but like TWENTY!  We were able to go to dinner to one of our member's home, and we saw heaps just jumping around! (picture attached)

We were able to have a lot of conferences and I was really impressed of all the missionaries, and their willingness to serve the Lord.  It has also been really amazing to see new missionaries become who they need to be and the potential that they have.  Being in a leadership position really helps me recognize the love that Heavenly Father has for each and everyone of them and us.  

I'm always so excited to share this wonderful gospel, and my invitation to you is if there ever an opportunity to hear from us missionaries, please at least listen.  

I love you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week!!!

ELDER HAN

1. Kangaroos!!!

2. Sunset up at the mountains!!!

3. E. Honema'u trying to pull a weed :)

Happy Mother's Day

Hey everyone!

First, I want to say happy mother's day to everyone!!!!

Second, there were so many miracles this week!  It is so awesome!

First: We were on a train going to a meeting, and when we walked out we sat at a bus station for a little bit waiting for a ride.  We were just saying hi to everyone, but there was one person who walked towards us with some luggage, and she stopped what she was doing, put her things down, and said "I need some prayers with you."  She then started explaining her life and what she was going through, and said that when she saw us, she felt like she needed to pray with us.  We got talking, and before she left, she said, "I want to meet with you after my travels in a couple weeks."  What a miracle to know that we were in the right place the right time.

Second:  We were thinking of ways how we can get to know our less actives more, and so what we did is that we decided that we would bring food over to one of our less actives house, and just say, "Hey!  We came to have dinner with you!  Can we come in?"  That being said, we just walked in and started to dish out the food, and we had an amazing talk with him and found out the problems that he is facing at that time.  It is a good way to get to know people and have an opportunity to talk to them.

I am so grateful to be here in this mission, and the fact that I have almost been on my mission for a year is very crazy!  In fact, it feels like I've only been on my mission for about 1 month....

My companion is so funny, and his faith is inspiring.  He has total trust in God and is willing to do anything in order to help people learn more about the gospel.

I love you all, and here are a couple pictures of us!

ELDER HAN

1. Elder Honema'u and I just taking a funny picture together

2. Our chapel is very different from other chapels!!!  IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL

May 5th letter: Transfers!

Hello friends and family.

This week has been pretty hectic...  We had transfers, and I was transferred out of Kellyville.  I will miss all the great things there, but it has been awesome! 

My new area is called Leura, in the BLUE MOUNTAINS!!!!

It is pretty awesome there, the missionary work is progressing a lot, but there is one flaw...  IT IS FREEZING!  In fact, we saw a glimpse of snow for 1 minute!  It is getting to be 2 degrees celcius, and it isn't even winter yet....

If you do think of sending me things, I do need mittens and solid colored sweaters...

I love you all so much, and my companion's name is E. Honema'u from TONGA!!!!  It is awesome!

I am so excited for everything, and I don't really have time to tell you everything...

BAD NEWS: I left my bonsai tree in Kellyville.....  SO, i'll have to find a new one.

Here are a couple pictures of everything!

Love you heaps,

Happy as can be

Dear family and friends,

Just want to let you know how EXCITED I am for MY BROTHER CHRIS!!!  He just got his call to Reno, Nevada, Spanish Speaking, August 6!!!!  I know that he will tear it up in Nevada.

 

This week has been hectic for many reasons.  First, being that our ward is really pushing missionary work, and strengthening each other.  Second, my determination to be a stronger missionary and creating the best atmosphere that I might be able to do all that I can do.

 

But I want to tell you about a miracle about today.  It was Thursday last week, and we have an allotment of time so that we can go to Mormon.org and learn more from it, so we can share it with others.  Then, Sister Howes (My Mission mom)  calls and tells me something I wasn't expecting for another week.  CHRIS GOT HIS CALL!  I was so shocked and excited.  It brought me back to when I got my call and how excited I was for it.  I'm sure that he is super excited and preparing for it. 

 

It's amazing and sad at the same time how fast time goes by now.  It literally feels like yesterday when I first started my mission. 

 

Anyways, life is always good in Australia. 

 

I have an interesting story about being in the right place at the right time:

 

We finished a lesson with one of our members in their home, and because we didn't have a car, we walked home for weekly planning.  As we walked home, we heard an alarm go off and screaming.  So, we jogged over to see what had happened and our neighbour had a fire in the house.  At the moment, the only people on the scene were the other Elders in our flat and the neighbour. 

Here's the story:

 

Elder Chin Ah You was in his study room with Elder Keefer and smelt an electrical fire, but thought it was just the fan in their room.  They turned it off, but realized that it was coming from the outside and heard an alarm.  They ran over to our neighbour's house.  We knew the kids in that house fairly well, because they are always outside playing around.  Elder Chin Ah You thought they were in the house, and right when they were going to kick the door down, the mom came with her car.  That's when we come in.  We jogged up, and they already went inside and stopped the fire and turned off the gas stove.  4 Fire trucks and 3 police cars showed up, and many people came out of their houses to watch. 

 

The kitchen was damaged, but the rest was just covered in smoke.  However, the miracle is that we were all there to help at the right time.  If we didn't do anything maybe 5 minutes later, something bad could have happened.  As well as our neighbours will always know who we are and if they ever need anything, they were going to call us.

 

I love simple miracles like that, and I am so grateful for the fact that Heavenly Father will guide us in the paths that we need to be in.

 

I love you all!  I hope you have a fantastic week.

P.S. Transfers is on Friday this week, so next week we will see what happens!

 

LOVE YOU HEAPS

ELDER HAN

Latest from Michael including news about the Bonsai tree...

Dear Family and Friends,

I believe that the subject of this week is Celebrating what's right in the world.  We all have the ability to choose to accept what happens in a situation, but I think a lot of us tend to go on the pessimistic side.  Recently, we had a training from our Mission President and his wife.  She told us about this concept and a movie about it.  It is a man named Dewitt that works for National Geographic, and in the video it shows his view on setting a vision and what his vision is. 

 

It's been interesting the last couple months on my mission to really think about my vision, and what I want to do here.  Especially how I want to act and what I need to do to help the work.  I think one thing that I have come to learn is this very statement:  What we do is what we become. 

 

That is my vision at this time.  To do everything in my power to do what Heavenly Father wants me to do. 

 

So that is something I wanted to share with you all this day.

 

My week:

 

It has been getting colder lately.  I have been so accustomed to Australian Weather that I am cold to the weather that I used to like being in...  Probably in relationship to America the weather here is about 50 Degrees Fahrenheit.

 

Easter!  One of our ward members invited his friend to come to church, and he stayed all 3 hours!!!!  He loved it, and said that he wouldn't mind coming back!  Although, he isn't our investigator yet, I have a feeling that someday he will be.

 

Sad News:

A lot of you wanted to know about my Bonsai tree.  Well here is the news...  It has been dead the whole time. 

 

Good News:

I have decided that I am going to make the 'Tree of Life' with my bonsai tree.  I'll send pictures when it is done.

 

Just wanted to say that it is pretty awesome to be here in Australia, and to share what I know to be true. 

 

I love you all

 

Elder Han

Happiness and Sincerety

Family and Friends!

 

What a fantastic week we just had!  I know a lot of you had the privilege of watching General Conference!  Interesting part about Australia is that we don't watch it until next week!

 

I am so excited to talk about my week and share the many miracles that have occurred on my mission. 

 

It's been amazing to see the progression of the ward since I've been here for about 3 1/2 months.  Honestly, it has been so fast, and amazing. 

 

I want to share with you an experience I've had:  I was walking down the street and there were three boys probably the same age as Chris, and I just said, "Have a good night!"  Granted, it was about 8:00 Pm, and so it was quite dark.  However, as I kept walking, I looked out and no one else was around to talk to, so I turned around and talked to them.  Two of them were not really excited to talk to me, but the last one was.  He talked about how he never judges until he learns more, and so I invited him to learn from us! 

 

The miracle of this experience is that people are always being prepared to hear the gospel, and all we need to do is either invite or accept to learn. 

 

The title is Happiness and Sincerity, because I've learned a lot this week to be a happier influence in other people's lives, no matter the circumstance.  And to also be sincere to those we talk to.  I honestly can say now, that I love each and everyone of the people I talk to and I really want them to listen to the wonderful gospel.

 

I'm so excited for all of you, for another week! 

Stay safe and healthy, and I will pray for all of you!

 

LOVE YOU HEAPS

ELDER HAN

Addition of new missionaries!

Dear family and friends,

 

A huge announcement is that we have new set of missionaries in our ward!  So that means double the efforts in Kellyville!  It has only been a week, and we have started to see many miracles from the new missionaries.  Their names are Sister Cluff and Sister Valdes.  We gave most of our investigators to them, because we felt impressed that they would help them progress.  THEY DID!  One of them asked them if she could come to church.  The miracles continue.

 

It's been a pretty hectic week, and has been raining a lot this week.  A lot of things have just been happening lately, but I know that as I continue to work my best and do what I need to do that Heavenly Father will help me. 

 

Elder Gibb and I are doing a lot of work!  =TIRING, but WELL WORTH IT.

 

My Bonsai tree is doing well.  I've been watering it daily, as well as giving it heaps of sun.  So, hopefully it blossoms soon. 

 

I am so excited for General Conference, where we can hear our modern day Prophet and Apostles!  It is so awesome to learn what they have to say. 

 

Elder Jun, my trainer, is about to end his mission soon...  It just feels like yesterday when I was with him.  A lot of things changed with the missionaries that I have been with.  My trainee Elder Easton has already trained an elder named Elder Evans.  Just this transfer, Elder Evans got called to train as well! 

In the mission, we have what is called a family tree.

Elder Jun (my Father) => Me => Elder Easton (my Son)=> Elder Evans (Grandson) =>Elder Hung

                                          II                                                                                     (great grandson)

                                          V

                                      Elder Gibb (My Son)

 

It's pretty cool to see what happens every transfer.  It is also the beginning of another one, so I have 5 more weeks until another transfer! 

 

Something that I have been thinking a lot about is family history.  Genealogy and the importance of it.  In our ward, we were kind of trained as a whole ward how to use familysearch.org and what we can do with it.  I think that as you invest in the time with that, you will be able to see the blessings of finding about the ancestors we have and to learn from it as well.

 

I am so grateful for the missionaries that taught my Father and Mother.  I am grateful that my parents joined the church, so that I could be able to grow my testimony of Jesus Christ.  I know that as I continue to be diligent and work hard, that Heavenly Father will bless not only me, but those that I teach and those that I love. 

I pray that all of you will find a way to come closer to God this week.  That you may all be healthy and well, and do everything that you need to do!

 

Love you so much,

Elder Han