"keep your stick on the ice eh"

Its been another crazy busy week. The first few days we had lessons pretty much solid throughout the day but then the last few days we did a lot of finding. I actually like finding usually cause we get to talk to some many interesting people. Its crazy how small the world is. 

We were able to contact 2 young families the other day and they even live in our area!  That never happens here so we are pretty excited about that. We also taught a Iranian muslim family the other day but then they told us to go "hunt" people that don't have a belief and leave them alone.  We get told a lot of funny things because people's English is bad and they don't have the right words to say.

 I am leaning how to say words in Chinese like prayer, baptize and things like that they never hear in English cause its the only way they understand. 

I also don't think Chinese people ever change there clothes. We taught  this one fellow and he has been in the same track suit for 6 weeks now. We have to figure out who is really interested and who is not cause some of them just want white friends its kind of funny. 

Our apartment  one of the nicest flats in the mission from what I have heard and seen so we are pretty lucky, kinda getting attacked by ants at the moment but we are poisoning the heck out of them so it should be good. We don't really tract much here just street contacting, we had 6 people  committed to come to church yesterday but then only one showed up so that's not ideal.  If all goes well we will have a baptism next Sunday. 

I gave a 5 min talk in church my first week here! But since then nothing, the bishop in the ward was actually the mission president  here in Adelaide 10 years ago. He has a pretty interesting story. One of  the hardest things the first few weeks of my missions was to talk about the church to people.  I can shoot the breeze with the best of them but bringing in the gospel and talking about that was really different. It gets easier everyday. Right now I am trying to figure out how to get more out of my studies any ideas?

If dad could see me now he would be proud, we eat so many sausages and potatoes its not funny, I don't think I can tease him about that anymore. We had dinner with a member yesterday and they fed us tacos just like home, they were so good. I always loved tacos. 

We have many people interested and progressing at the moment and are doing all we can to help them better know who God and Jesus Christ are, what they can do for us and what we can do for them. I learn new things each day and am happy to be here. Love you all

"keep your stick on the ice eh"

Last week I saw this guy walking down the street with a hockey stick and bag, turns out he is from Manitoba. Also saw a guy with a flames jersey on but he was sneaky and got away from us. Funny is when I see this Veitnames guy with a mighty ducks jersey so I went up to him and was like "go ducks go" pretty sure he thought I was crazy and he doesn't even know that he is wearing a hockey jersey.

Coldest in 10 years this week.

Its been a great week. It is transfers this week but we are both staying in downtown. I am glad.  I like it here and I'm not ready to leave. 

We have been really busy with lessons this week.  I guess the other day was one of the coldest in 10 years here. But I think it was around 6 or 7, these people don't know what cold is.

  Last p-day we went out of the city to a wildlife park and saw a bunch of kangaroos and koala bears and stuff. It was really cool to get off the pavement and see some country side. 

I am getting better at teaching and finding.  But  there is still so much more to learn. 

Love you all.

Downtown Adelaid

My first Wipe out on my bike

Its been one crazy of a week but all is well. We have had quite a few good lessons and currently have 5 baptism dates! The thing is that in the city most of them don't actually live in our area or ward boundries so we teach a few times and then refer them to the missionaries in there home area.  I think we are going to refer 2 of the people this week but it is good cause we get to meet so many people here. 
The other night we went street contacting on the main road and were able to get 9 potential investigators  phone numbers.  All in a hour and a half, we felt good after that day. We have had several small miricels throughout the week and we do are best to follow the spirit to where we need to be and talk to. Everyone says talk to everyone and it says it in PMG. But here we can't, there are too many people so we try to discern  who is ready to hear about Christ.  
It is a bit different and hard cause who am I to say one guy is ready and the other isn't. I love President Carter he is a great man and is able to help me more that I would have ever thought before.  I am lucky to be here with him. It is transfers next week but I am sure both elder Pitmam and I will stay in the city a while yet.
 We went back to our friend Jeronamos house (like the Indian) and had dinner with his family. Then he busted out the Kareokee machine and started going to town with this pillipeno love songs haha it was pretty funny. They are really nice but work so much that they can't come to church and don't want to commit to something they feel they cant follow through with. So we don't see them a lot just every once and a while. 
Its funny I am in Australia but have yet to teach an Australian haha .
We are going as a zone to the zoo today I am excited to check out some assui wild life. All I have seen so far are birds and a few rats. Theres not alot of rats but its weird they are like huge mice running around the streets. There is tons of pigeons in the streets as well, it takes all my strength not to stomp on them and kill em! But I decline, that's not very Christ like. 
I can't remember if I wrote this last week or not but I had my first wipe out on the bike awhile ago. Right in the middle of the street in front of a car haha. The guy stops and asked me if I was all good. I said yes and rode away really fast casue my pride was hurtung. So mum was right again I guess I should of brought a needle and thread cause I have some patch work to do. 
All is well and I am doing good, almost half done my training now. 
I love the pictures and emails keep em coming eh.



 Love you all take care

L

Member Missionary Lessons

 We had a good busy week, on Tuesday we were trained on how to use family history as a way to find people. It was pretty interesting and we have already used it to get some people interested in doing it and then hopefully hearing a lesson or two. 

It has been tough to teach this week because all our investigators are students and its testing week so none of them want to see us.  But its all good we did a lot of street contacting and found some new people to teach hopefully. I like street contacting it is a lot less stressful than knocking doors.   But we don't do much of that. 

My first month in Adelaide has flown by already and it all feels like one big day. Yesterday was a fifth Sunday so the ward had a soup Sunday, they had some really good chili there but I may or may not be paying for eating so much of it today.....reminds me of a Jonny Cash song. 

 We went to this islander cultural night Saturday it was good until they started dancing then we got out of there quick.  But we had some good food. Some was quite interesting and I figured it was best to not eat it at all. People here get a big kick out of the family picture I have on my planer cause its on the back of the super duty with the dog and dad and I are in cowboy hats, they figure it is pretty redneck. I actually met 2 people this week that asked if I was from Canada because of the way I talk rather than America. The one guy was awesome he is married with a little boy and even had some interest but wasn't ready to give us a number or address. So now we just keep wondering around that area hoping to see him again. It has been cold and windy and wet here but with a coat it isn't too bad. Its ok because we hit up all the bus stops and talk to people and they never leave cause its dry and out of the wind. 

 We have really been trying to get members involved in missionary work and do what we call MMLs. Its a really cool program that president designed to help people get names they know for missionary work. We visit 1 or 2 homes each week to do the member missionary lessons it also helps us meet the members. It is so different here than at home as far as the logistics go for missionary work. 

I am  learning heaps (and knew words) and progress each day. 

Love you all Elder Hartley

"and remember I'm pullin for ya we are all in this together"  Red Green Show

Keep your stick on the ice - everyone here thinks I love hockey too.