Christmas in Adelaide Australia 2015

We hope to have a baptism in two weeks

It’s been a great week and we have been really busy. The City Sisters had 2 people baptized yesterday and I had to interview them last week....first time in a room alone with a girl in a long time. It was weird haha.

We have been teaching a lot of people but they all are either going back to china for summer break (its that time of year here...weird eh) or else moving somewhere else to work. It’s kind of not ideal but its all good cause there are 1000000s of people to talk to in the city and honestly its really not that hard to find people to teach here. The hard part is finding people that live in our ward so we can teach them. Lots of times we teach them once or twice and then refer them to missionaries in there area that can take them to church. It feels like a sacrifice but I know that it helps other missionaries so I don't usually mind too much. Sometimes it is hard.

My companion is Elder Mikami he is from Oregon just graduated this year. He is the most willing companion I have had all my mission and very hard working as well. We get on really well, it’s been a great few weeks. We hope to have a baptism in two weeks with a man named Laurent but we might not because he his going back to china on the 3rd of January. It's the bishops call now.
Things are good for us now. Have a Merry Christmas,
Love Elder Hartley

 Love elder Hartley    

Today was another great day in the Australia Adelaide Mission!  Elder S. Gifford

Nielsen of the Seventy visited our mission while he was on assignment to

preside at a cluster meeting in the Marion Stake.  Our missionaries were very

blessed as he taught with great power and brought the love of the First Presidency.

Brent Malmburg emailed me today

Elder Pitcher, Elder Ruppe and Elder Hartley waiting patiently for dinner at the

mission home.  After dinner the new missionaries will find out who their

trainers will be. This is a fun, exciting night.

Its been a great week and lots has happened. My old companion was sent to the city south area and he is with Elder Henderson my old companion. He follows me everywhere its funny but we are really close. I have spent more time with Elder Henderson than almost anyone else here. I am still in the city north area and am training an elder from organ. Elder Mikami is great he wants to work hard and you would never know that he is knew its been great working with him this week. He is actually my first companion I have ever had in there first transfer everyone else had always visa waited. He have many people to work with and taught a great lesson to a man named Tsia this morning. He has been to church 4 times in a row and we hope that he will choose to be baptized on Dec 27 or Jan 10. I learned something new Wednesday night at the arrivers dinner when we were getting ready to leave. The Spirit was very powerful as the testimonies were born and I was taught more about the atonement in that moment. We have know idea how bad off we would be without it. I was sitting in the mission home and was feeling very grateful for all the wonderful people who were there. I am so grateful for everyone who has been placed in my life and have truly been blessed by the amazing examples from the people around me. I then learned that it is only through the atonement that the people around me are so great. Now not only am I grateful for the changes I have been able to make through Christ but I have even deeper appreciation because I realize that everyone I look up to and am grateful for is the way they are because they also use the atonement. It seems so simple now but I had never thought of that before. We never stop learning and I am pretty grateful for that cause I really like to learn more all the time now. I am so glad that everyone is so well off at home and that things are going well. Thanks for all you do (as always) you are all wonderful. Have a merry Christmas eh! 

Love ya...Elder Hartley

 PS Brent Malmburg emailed me today and says he is going to start painting a sign for me soon cause he is always 6 months behind so if he starts now it will be ready in time maybe haha cracked me up.

 Santa has arrived in Adelaide!

Lunchbreak for the new missionaries and their trainers.  The assistants did some

wonderful training as well as Elder and Sister Larkin. We talked alot about mission

firsts. Here is Elder Mikama and his trainer Elder Hartley.  Next is Elder Ruppe 

with his trainer, Elder Jacobson.  These missionaries will be trained well by these

incredible trainers. They are steadfast, valiant and work so hard. 

Listening intently as President Parker does some training on putting everything 

on the alter for the Lord. These missionaries are taking great notes so they can

let the spirit teach them as they review notes during companion study.

It feels great to be able to help and bless other areas and missionaries

It’s been a great week! I had a companion all week that I was able to work with like normal it was pretty nice. I had 4 this transfer it has been crazy. Today is transfers and Elder Johnson is getting transferred so I will get another new one tomorrow. I am really excited for the coming transfer we have many people progressing towards baptism. 4 were at church yesterday the city is the very best place for missionary work. We find and teach all day I really love it. We have been finding a lot of people that live in other wards and stakes that we teach for a bit get them on date and solid then refer them out to there actual ward. it feels great to be able to help and bless other areas and missionaries with solid people for them to teach. We also have a few people that do live in our ward boundaries that we hope to baptize this transfer. They are all Chinese. One of the recent converts from last year that we taught cooked us a real Chinese dinner this week and it was really good.  Its funny I am all the way in Australia but I think a trip to china would be better to see the people I have become close with rather than back to Australia. I am so glad everything is good at home and that the Lord is taking such good care of everyone.

Love you all have a great week Elder Hartley

Remember the church is true eh!

So grateful for the chance to Him

It’s been a great and crazy week. My companion was put on special assignment last Wednesday so I have been in another trio with the other city elders (same area there are two sets here) We are still not sure if I will get a new companion or just wait till transfers in 3 weeks. The investigators we found last week one is really great he has been at church two weeks in a row! only problem is he just got on a plane back to china until February. I have his email and we will keep in touch while he is gone. I should still be here when he gets back. Its a tough few weeks here because it is the middle of exams so everyone is pretty busy and then after many will leave to china. We do have several people staying here and a few should be baptized in the coming month. It is so great to be back here, it has really helped me to see how much I have changed (I think that is often hard to really see) I had a cool experience to teach a lesson on a split. It was me and Thomas Bien a Chinese convert elder Pitama and I found and baptized last year. We were teaching this chines man about the God head and it was so cool to see Thomas teach and bear testimony. I remember the first lessons we had with him as he first began to find out God was real and loved him. It is a really exciting time here in the city and I love it. I tell press every week he is not allowed to ever move me again. I get to talk to elder Pitama once a week and he told me that Sam was baptized last week in Darwin that was also great to hear. I have really learned alot about the Lords plan and how we should never question it because it really is perfect. The things that have happened here the last 3 weeks have been so perfectly planned to help me and others around me. I love our Father in Heaven and am so grateful for the chance to serve Him. Hope you all have a great week. Love Elder Hartley 

Transfer time back to the city of Adelaide

On the plane headed back to the city of Adelaide

Its been a great week I am so happy to be back in the City..we found 8 new investigators this week. Sister Judy Bird and her daughter spoke at a fireside yesterday about there conversion story and I got to go to that. It was great to hear her story and I am so grateful to have been a small part of it. 
Love ya all and have a good week! Elder Hartley 

I have so much time to work its crazy!

I am back in the CITY were I started. Same flat and everything. It’s so great to be back and I feel like I was sent home. Saw both John and Thomas already (we baptized them last year) probably 15 people in the city that we used to teach and see.

Yesterday Elder Tolbert (my old comp who is now our ZL with Elder Calahan also and old comp) gave John the Melkezidek priesthood at stake conference. I was voice. It was so great. I can’t believe I am here and am so excited to work here again.

Love Elder Hartley

PS no ZL or DL or training this transfer. I have so much time to work its crazy!

Elder Kelese came in from Mildura, Elder Hartley is here from Darwin and also Elder Glova from Darwin!  Welcome to Adelaide!

Sam is getting baptized on Oct 31

I am getting transfered today and gotta catch a plane in 2.5 hours is a quick one. Looks like everything is going great at home you guys are the best I am so grateful to have you as parents. Please say hello to everyone for me.

Feels pretty weird to be going to Adelaide I am pretty nervous, almost feels like I am going home. President Parker told me when he was up here that I might go back to the city in Adelaide that would be pretty great, we will see what happens.

I will let you all know next week.

love ya....ELder Hartley 

Drving down to Katherine took so pictures by these massive termite or ant hills. 

This is Sam he is getting baptized on Oct 31

Linton is a recent convert that we work with

President Carter visit in Dawin

The Lord is taking care of all of us

The Lord really showed his hand to us this week. We have had a goal to baptize on Oct 17th or 18th and have been doing all we can to make that happen but just the other day our last hope investigator said he would not make it. We had fasted and prayed over this day a few weeks ago and just Wednesday we all fasted as a zone to make things move forward faster. Sunday came around and we had no one coming to Church but then Sam showed up. He is a former investigator he's 15 and was almost baptized several times before I was here and during the first two transfers that I was here but it was always his parents holding him back. He has moved out and his less active uncle has been coming for a month now and he brought Sam to church yesterday and went straight to Pres Dunn to get baptized! We talked to him and set a date for Oct 17 to give us two weeks to refresh his memory and so he can come to Church two times in a row and then a third when he is confirmed.
 Also the indicators in the whole zone almost doubled this week in every area! I know its all because of the Lord answering the prayers fasting and faith that we have been trying so hard to work on for the last few weeks! It's great to see some success and I feel bad cause I was complaining last Monday but I know there is a plan to over come always and that the Lord is taking care of all of us. Love you all have a great week! Elder Hartley 

2 new investigators on Saturday

We had a good week and were able to find 2 new investigators on Saturday. That seems pretty keen so we are grateful for that. It has kind of just hit me today that I have been here 5 months and no body in the Zone has baptized since I have been here so I am kind of feeling a bit bad about that but I know that all we can do it. Work hard and be obedient. They are talking about sending a mission couple back up here. That will be nice. There is a lot of work for them to do here. Elder Glova and I have one person who we are really praying and fasting to be baptized on Oct 18 we just really need to get someone in the water and show that we can do it up here. That pretty much our only focus at the moment. Elder Pearson (our area President...he gave a great talk last conference called stay by the tree) came to the mission this week so we got to listen over the phone to his training and MLC. Those guys are so powerful it is crazy and he talked a lot about having the faith to succeed not just the faith to survive I am trying to learn more about that. We are excited for the coming week and know that the Lord is blessing us.

 Love you all Elder Hartley  

I know that the spirit is real.

It’s been a great week. It has been wonderful to spend time with Pres and Sister Parker. They gave us a training on Light Thursday and then took us all out to a restaurant for dinner! (first time I have done that my whole mission haha) If your lucky mum there will be a few pictures of me on the blog now...maybe. We had district conference this week and I really enjoyed it. The focus was on the Sabbath day as well.  The highlight came yesterday as we were searching for a new investigator. We were going to tract and had planned a street the night before. As Elder Glova looked at the map he says Elder we need to go here and he pointed to a different place. We went and said a prayer and jumped out of the car to talk to a man getting into his car in front of us. He gave us his number and said we could come back! He was raised Christian but since he has left home has realized that he doesn't have any of his own faith. We will go back next week to teach him and help him build his own faith. Over the course of the hour we had great conversations and teaching moments with 4 christian families! Although non of them excepted we were able to teach a bit about the restoration and testify that it is true. Heavenly Father lead us to 4 families and we were able to give them a really good chance at accepting the message. I know that the Spirit is real and that we need to allow the Spirit to find for us....it almost never happens that other Christian people allow us to talk with them and to get 4 in a row is a miracle! I am grateful that Elder Glova is so great at following the Spirit.

Love you all

Elder Hartley 

and remember....if the women don’t find you handsome they should at least find ya handy 

President and I landed in Darwin and met a couple of our great missionaries at

Subway to pick up lunch.  Here is President and Elder Hartley  the great Zone

Leader of the Darwin Zone and his faithful new companion Elder Glova.

Here President Parker is making sure these wonderful missionaries know how

much we love them.  

Being trained on obedience, the Light of Christ and the Atonement. We loved 

being together with these obedient missionaries. Sister Villianueva, Sister Goisisi,

Sister Reyes, Elder Henderson, Elder Duabe, Elder Seru, Elder Heindel, Elder

Costalas, Elder Johnson, Elder Glove and Elder Hartley, we love you.

This group of wonderful missionaries are working so hard to find those who

are searching for the truth. We love you so much and love hearing of the 

miracles happening in the Northern Territory!

Elder Costalas, Elder Johnson, President Parker, Elder Glove and Elder Hartley

finishing off the appetizers. 

Here Elder Hartley, Elder Duabe and Elder Henderson do some planning to 

make every minute count. There is nothing we love better than to see

missionaries with a great plan!

Met a lady yesterday from Toronto...1st Canadian in 4 or 5 months!

It’s been a crazy week. It was transfers and they put two new missionaries out in Katherine but neither of them can drive so Wednesday night we drove them down and showed them around the few places that we knew and came back at 5 Thursday morning in time for district meeting.

 Pres. Parker is coming up on Thursday and we are all really excited for that! But he has to drive back down and pick up Katherine bring them here for a day and then take them back haha not as much driving as you guys but it feels really long when I am not used to being in a car much. We had a busy week of teaching and there was one investigator at church! We have a few people we are really close to being baptized but they just don’t quite commit to do the things that they need to. They are all around 20 and that seems to be one of the biggest things that holds them back. It’s hard for them to make that big commitment at a young age. I am still with Elder Glova and his English is getting better and better everyday. It’s teaching my patience because he has a lot of questions all the time but he is making such a big change, not just to mission life but even just to the culture and 1st world country life. We are doing great and this week we really just want to find more people. We have a goal of speaking to 30 new people everyday. I know the Church is true and that Heavenly Father has a plan and is in control. He is giving us all opportunities to improve and have more happiness and I am grateful for that. So glad to be here, thanks for all the support. love you all Elder Hartley

PS met a lady yesterday from Toronto...1st Canadian in 4 or 5 months! 

The Lord did bless us but not in the way of new investigators

We had a great week.The focus was to talk to as many people as possible. There are many many people here that we can try to visit and teach but last week we set a goal for 20 contacts each day to meet some new more prepared people. We know that all the Lord expects of us is to open our mouths and that was what we did this week. While we only found one new investigator we have many new people to follow up with. The Lord did bless us but not in the way of new investigators. He helped us get 2 investigators to church and one of them brought his brother as well! Everything just fell into place because the Lord was blessing us for our faith in trying to talk with everyone and really pushing ourselves. It was great to have people at church again and we are hoping to put those investigators on date this week! Its the start of the new transfer and I am staying here with Elder Glova for one more which I am very happy about. I will be here six months by the end of this transfer but I really love Darwin it’s a good place and I would be more than happy to stay here till the end. The last six months have gone by so fast.
Family has always been the greatest source of happiness that Heavenly Father has given us.
Love you all have a good week!
Elder Hartley

one member here runs the swimming pool for race horses down at the track so we went to check it out...it was pretty cool and Elder Glovas first time to pet a horse!

we also went to the museum and the beach to get some shells

I have really felt the spirit as I read the Book of Mormon and Preach My Gospel

I think the highlight was preparing to train on Tuesday...and really all of my studies this week, I have just really felt the Spirit as I read the Book of Mormon and PMG this past week, I am striving to write more down and I think that is really making a big difference. Preparing for District meeting I received some cool revelation about trying to model our lives after the temple so that we can have more Spiritual experiences. We all love the temple because of the Spirit we feel there. But really the principles that allow the Spirit so strong there can also all be applies into our day to day life. I am trying to use that to really have Spiritual experiences everyday...if Hugh Brown can have a Spiritual experience trimming a current bush I reckon there is a lot more for me to have throughout my days.  

I felt like I was driving the green beast

Hello everyone it's always so good to hear from you all and it sounds like everyone is doing so well. Its' been a really crazy week here but the trip down to Katherine went great and I felt like I was driving the green beast to mountain view....only it was a toyota carrola and a 7 foot trailer with some mattresses and a couch haha. But we found a new investigator and several other great people to follow up with while we were there. 

I am in a trio again until transfers in 2 weeks and we are covering all of Darwin (two areas) so things are pretty busy and the office will not be happy with our KM situation. Its alright they will forgive us. 

Hope you all have a good week, next week I will have some spiritual experiences to share promise! 

Love Elder Hartley 

Elder Glova and I had the greatest experience on Saturday

Elder Glova and I had the greatest experience on Saturday. There was a non member who came to church a few weeks ago on his own.  We had never seen him before. As we talked with him we found out he went to church for a bit in New Zealand as well but was never baptized or taught by the missionaries. We got his address and planned to go and see him. That was 3 weeks ago and we have still not been able to ever meet with him but we keep on trying whenever we are close. It seems like every time we go and he is not there we say.....we should tract here sometime....but we never did there always seemed to be some where else that we needed to be or someone else we were trying to track down. Finally Friday night during planning we decided to tract James street if he was again not at home. When we went there of course he was gone so we started to track. The first door we knocked on in the flats next door we met a man named Mitchel. He is the most prepared soul I have met my entire mission. He let us right in and we taught the restoration and Book of Mormon and committed him to be baptized on September 26 all in that first lesson with him. The Spirit was so strong as we taught and Elder Glova bore powerful testimony at the end to finish it all off. We are so excited to keep teaching him and hope to meet and teach his parents soon as well. The Lord is always preparing people we just need to listen to the Spirit tell us where we need to be! Things are good here and I am learning a lot about patience....Elder Glova speaks really well but he doesn't understand what people say as good but I forget because he speaks so well its kind of funny.

 Our worlds at home were so different. He learned how to use the microwave the other day and that you cant put metal in it. He is great and will do anything that he is asked to even if he feels like he can't do it good. We are really excited for the coming weeks and the people that we are working with at the moment. It will be a short week I am going to Katherine again on Wednesday and Thursday. We had to rent a little trailer to take some stuff down for them and to do trade offs. It will be a fun little trip. We are always so busy and time is going to fast.

 Love you all have a good week....love you 

Elder Hartley 

My companion is Elder Glova he is from the Philippines.

It’s been a good week. It feels so nice to be back in our own flat and our own area again with just two of us. My companion is Elder Glova he is from the Philippines he was there for 4 months waiting for a visa. We picked him up at noon on Friday, he is great and has such a strong desire to do all he can to help others learn the Gospel We do language study together every day and it is funny because he helps me with grammar and I help him to pronounce. Serving with him has already helped me to be much more grateful for all that I have been given. He came here with so little but he is so happy, none of his family our active and most are not members of the Church. It’s going to be great to serve with him and to find new people here that are ready to hear the Gospel. He is hard working and tells me that he loves knocking doors so we should get along just fine. Many of the people we have been working with are slowly disappearing but that is ok there are plenty more out there to talk to.

I am so glad to have the chance to serve and learn here and things are going great.

Thanks for all you do

Love Elder Hartley 

I am happy to stay in Darwin for a while longer.

It’s been a crazy week of running around and changing companions and getting all the new missionaries here set up with the paperwork and things that they need to be legal! We have to get approved to work with children and if you are here more than 90 days get a Northern Territory drivers licence and stuff like that, it all takes a lot of time.

I am still in a trio my new companion gets here Friday at noon, he is coming from the Philippines! I am pretty excited to have a steady companion and area again it has been a crazy month. People here in Darwin are so different than in Adelaide. We find so many people to teach here but most are unwilling to commit to do much acting on what they know to be true. Almost all of the people we found the last two transfers have been dropped because they are not willing to make the changes that the Lord wants them too. The culture here is very relaxed and friendly it is great. It will be so good to have a companion that can communicate with the Philippine people here! We still meet with Gary and his family they are doing good progressing slowly we are really trying to help the mum to have the desire to be baptized Gary really wants to but he wants to do it all together with his family. Things are going great here and I am happy to stay in Darwin for a while longer...maybe I will be here till Christmas!? That would be good by me....thanks the emails and letters I am so glad things at home are going so well.

 Love you all Elder Hartley 

Usually only get 5 at church if you count the missionaries!

Me and Bro. Friday...his English isn't great so we were reading 2 Nephi one of the Isaiah chapters and he asks us what it means we look at each other and shrug our shoulders..he pauses and says in the aboriginal accent "sooo is the Lord coming or what" it was so funny! 

We had a really busy week, zone training on Thursday...I went down to Kathrine to run church with the Elder that looks over that area (he has been with us 3 weeks now cause his comp went home early for his bros wedding, sorry forgot to tell you that) Kathrine is a lot like Cardston small only one stop light and full of aboriginals like the natives at home. It’s a 3 hour drive...we went with some members Saturday afternoon and came back Sunday afternoon. Usually only get 5 at church if you count the missionaries! It’s really different there. It was a fun little trip I am going again in 3 weeks to take a trailer of supplies down cause no ones else can drive a trailer.

 Elder Kelese got transfered today we just put him on a plane to Adelaide. That is why I am late emailing. Our new companions will get here Wednesday afternoon.

We are working hard but most of our investigators have either dropped or are not progressing so we will hit the doors more this week but I actually really like it so it’s all good.

Gary and his family are good just slow because they are really busy and the wife is not to keen at the moment but Gary still really wants to be baptized so we are still really working and praying for them.

Thanks for the emails sorry I never give you all a personal reply. Love you all have a good week! Love elder Hartley....

PS open to any help on receiving communication from heaven next week it is something I am thinking about recently. 

This is were we had lunch

They pull 4.5 meter crocs out of there sometimes but people still swim....crazy fellas 

Elder Kelese and Keith Sailor

Elder Kelese last night in Darwin 

Swinging from the vines

Got a Christmas card from Aunt

Ginny this week....that must have gotten lost somewhere! 

Went down to Kathrine, check out how big the trucks are some pull 4 trailers! 

This is were they have church in Kathrine....only like 3 come usually but we had some visitors from Darwin so we needed more chairs haha pretty different from home...the elders speak every week!

WW2  Cemetery

Pres. and Sister Parker came up this weekend and they are so great I love them.

We had a crazy week again, I have spent two days in Hospital with two different Elders for different reasons and meetings and different things. I feel like I wasn’t a missionary this week! I was but we did a lot of different things.

Pres. and Sister Parker came up this weekend and they are so great I love them. They have so much energy and are so excited to be here and get to work. Pres. Parker is really excited. He actually didn’t serve a mission, so this is his first one! We had a short training and were able to spend time together getting to know each other more. It was a really good experience. It was sad to see them leave, they are just getting on there plane right now....they brought the assistants with them. It was really good to see Elder Pitama again. Its’ been a while since I have spent much time with him, brings back memories of the city and all the Asians we talked to. I didn’t get to see many of our investigators this week because of the logistics of everything. They all are moving a bit slow at the moment. Gary and his family our still really solid but they are busy every day doing paper work to get permanent residency here. They plan to be done in mid August so until then we have short 20 min book of mormon reads with them which are great. Pres Parker got the whole mission to read the book of mormon together (8pgs a day). We started last week and I am in 2 nephi now its good because we can talk about what we are learning with each other because we are all in the same place. Pres Parker is a really hard working man and he is going to do a great job. I am really excited to work with him. Things are going good here. We are really going to help people to read the book of mormon this week.

I love you all thanks for all that you do!

Love Elder Hartley 

I did learn something about revelation.

This week was kind of average to be honest, we didn’t work much at the end because of meetings and a sick missionary that we were doing some trade off with so his companion could go and work and teach some of the investigators that are getting ready for baptism. I did learn something about revelation. When I first got here we did not have a branch mission leader (he had just moved the week before) I was here for several weeks and we still did not have one...all of us and many of the members were getting a bit frustrated because there were many members whom "we" thought could do it. It has been nearly 2 months but finally they called Bro Popp! He just moved in and his second week here he was called. He is so perfect for what the branch really needed. If they have called someone who "we" thought would be good it would have been the wrong man. Our Branch President wasn’t going to call someone until the Lord told him too and now I understand why. The Lord knows what is best not us. 

 Thanks for all you do love you all and thanks for the emails!

Elder Hartley 

I have been working out can you tell? 

 The Greys are a mission couple. They came and got a bunch of spare furniture to take to Alice Springs 

It’s all because the Lord is blessing us with families to teach.

big old dead toad on the road

sunset from our flat 

The highlight of the week was to teach a young family for the first time last night. Jared and Kristie are there names. We met them nearly a month ago and have been trying to follow up with them since then. We finally got there at the right time. They have 3 kids (one may be 8 we are not sure yet).  They have no religion but have always been very spiritual. They are great, two of the kids are autistic. They are so humble and willing.  They are just grateful for everything they have, which is not much. We taught them about prayer, how to pray, why it’s important and how they will receive answers. It was a great lesson we were only there for about 20 min in and out with a powerful Spirit as we talked. We are excited to work with this young family and to see them again on Tuesday or Wednesday!

All our other investigators were really busy this week so we didn’t see them much but we have several appointments and plans for this week already.

We are doing really good and we keep on finding new investigators every week, it has been great. We have found 21 in the last 4 weeks! It’s all because the Lord is blessing us with families to teach.

Love you all Elder Hartley 

The lady on my left is a member Sis Winfield she gives us so much food. The one on the right is Margret her neighbor we taught he that day