"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.

People think I'm crazy not wearing a coat!

Today the weather here is kind of nasty its cold and really windy and it randomly down pores every so often so I am grateful to not be on the bike. We had a busy week and there never seems to be enough time to get everything done but we do our best.

 We have really been focusing on trying to find families and people that will really help to strengthen the Prospect ward here. Our area is so full of international students that we have to really work to find more permanent people that are interested in hearing the Gospel but it is good to stay busy. We do knock on a few doors but for us it is mostly street contacting. I can usually shoot the breeze with most people but it is tough to start talking about the church and stuff without making it awkward. So I have been really trying to learn how to tie it in with the conversation rather than have to say "what we do or what we teach or do you have a few min". It is so much better if you can just have a regular conversation. So that is what I have really been working on this week.

Everything at home looks really good and green, that is a ton of water that you got last week. I am glad everything is ok there. People look at me funny when I walk around without a coat on cause it is 15 out and they are freezing. I get cold some days but most I am not too bad in just my long sleeve shirts. We have laundry in our apartment which is really nice to keep your clothes from getting nasty cause I spill all the time so then I can wash it right away.

 Going to the temple Thursday was great, its the only time I was able to really relax my mind from all that we are doing here and focus on something else. I am finding more and more that if I have a specific question I can always find the answer in the scriptures, at the temple, or praying.

I am doing well so don't worry about me Elder Pitama is even a half decent cook so that is a bonus. It just randomly started pouring again, its like a hurricane in the library. Tomorrow we have a specialized training on family history so that should be interesting. I don't have a clue about that stuff.

Love you all take care.,

Elder Hartley

Elder Pitama, my companion from New Zealand

Elder Flintoft (Zion Leader)

Playing Basketball in Australia

Its actually Tuesday here in Australia, it was a public holiday yesterday so our P-day was moved it is normally Monday (Sunday for you all) The plane ride actually was not to bad. I slept for like 10 hours so that was nice. In Melbourne, I got to talking to this Beef marketer that is working all sorts of deals with China selling different beef and stuff to them it was pretty interesting. Its been awhile since I was on the computer in the MTC so I only had time to skim letters today sorry sounds like everyone is doing great and I am happy for that. My companion is Elder Pitama he is from New Zealand, he's a great guy and is teaching me a lot (only 18) but wise beyond his years. I am in the Downtown area it is literally downtown Adelaide. We walk and ride bikes here, most of our time is spent on the main street doing what we call street contacting. It’s kind of hard but I am learning. It is easy to say hi to people but if you want them to stop you pretty much gotta jump in front of them....it can get awkward.

Most of the people we teach we just meet in a library in down town and they are almost all Asians that don't hardly speak any English and have never heard of God before. Want to learn to teach simply? Teach someone who can’t speak English about the God Head.

But we were playing ball with some Chinese yesterday

 (I tower over them all and they think they are good but are really really bad haha).

 And we met this Philippine man that invited us over for dinner and we met his family. He is such a nice man and there family is so nice.  Tthey aren't really interested in the Gospel but we will keep trying. There is a Sister Hartley in out mission who is from Australia. I met her last week she is in my district it is kinda funny.

I gave a 5 min talk in Church on the spot on Sunday cause a speaker didn't show up.

There is 6 missionaries in the ward but the new guy always gets picked eh. SO much has happened I don't really know what to say I am happy and working hard, learning a lot. The ward here is interesting but they are doing the best they can. I know this is where I am supposed to be and am working hard to meet the people I was sent here to meet.

 Love you all and feel your prayers, so thanks for that. There are so many different types of people here. Some are really nice others not so much.  Australians are kinda mean but its all good they don't know what they are doing. We talk to a lot of immigrants they are nice and like what we teach only thing is they can’t speak English very well. 

Love Elder Hartley

He made it to Australia

Jason and Paula Hartley

Box 39

Aetna, AB, Canada TOK 1YO

Dear family,

Elder Travis James Hartley arrived in the Australia Adelaide Mission safely. Sister Carter and I are mindful of the great trust you have placed in us by sharing your son with us. When he arrived, we met him at the airport and took him to the mission office, where he was introduced to the office staff for orientation. This was followed by dinner and testimonies at the church.

Elder Hartley’s companion is Elder Te Teira Pitama from New Zealand. They are serving in Downtown Area of the Firle Zone.   

PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL MAIL IS TO BE SENT TO: 

                                                               AUSTRALIA ADELAIDE MISSION OFFICE

                                                               ELDER Travis James Hartley

                                                               P O BOX 97

                                                               Marden, SA  5070           

                                                               Australia

I am aware that the Lord blesses, in many special ways, the families of missionaries.  As your son serves, you will find that to be very true.  Your support is greatly appreciated.

President Bradley D. Carter

AUSTRALIA ADELAIDE MISSION