chelsea after life

9.21.14 tasmanian happenings

To the people in America and whoever else,

This week has been the best one yet! I mean not as far as "numbers" go but wow it was the best. Wanna know whyyyyyyy???

HAYLEY AND JEROME WERE MARRIED AND BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED AND HOLLA. Hayley and Jerome are the famous golden couple, they have been investigating for about 4ish months now, and I've been lucky enough to be here to teach them for a bit over 3 months of it. They have two beautiful boys called M (has the same bday as me) and R. They are so amazing and wonderful. We spent all week making preparations for the baptism which is SO much to do! We asked people to speak and sing and cleaned the chapel and made programs and cleaned the font and boiled water and all these crazy things.

Just a bit about this font we have in Launceston chapel. It takes 3 hours to fill up but only 1 hours worth of hot water...so about every baptism that has been there has been stone cold. Like fareeezing! And this was really special because it was Jerome and Hayley so we tried the best we could to get it warm for them, our ward mission leader came and rigged a gas heater to it and heated the water more so it wasn't that bad for them. I just wish they would get that fixed you know. Haha it just makes life harder.

So guess what? We sang at the baptism and guess what else? It was shocking. Shockingly terrible!! Hahahaha Sister S was dead set on singing for them and I refused at first and just decided to do it. Worst idea ever, but thats okay because it was for Rome and Hayley so oh well, haha. But the rest of the program was really good, the primary sang and RP gave a perfect talk on Christ, which we taught them just a week prior and she didn't know so it was perfect. And after they were baptized Jerome bore his testimony, it was the most beautiful testimony! His testimony of the Book of Mormon is unreal, he has really felt the change that comes from reading it every day and night. He says it speaks to him. I can't put in to words what Jerome and Hayley are like, they are just amazing and have so much to give, through their testimonies people will change as well. Ah they are awesome and were so happy to be baptized finally. 

They were planning to be married and baptized on the same day, one after the other, but we went over on Friday night for the baptismal interview and they said that they were going to be married that night! It was awesome, they got married by Bishop Rogers in the house they have raised their boys in, it was so good! They had this amazing cake too.....haha it was really special. They love each other so much.

Our week has been a dream! (apart from the crazy stress and everything) its been the best. Also because we started it off so well too. We got to hold WOMBATS and feed wallabies and pet tasmanian devils!

Brother TR and his wife P (from esk ward) took us and the elders to Truwana on Monday to see all the animals. We had the best time and took some pretty good pictures.

Just wanted to add something from my personal study of the Book of Mormon this week. Based in Alma 30, "..The Book of Mormon..fortifies the humble followers of Christ against the evil designs, strategies and doctrines of the devil in our day. God so moulded the Book of Mormon that we might see the error and know how to combat false educational, political, religious and philosophical concepts of our time. " Ezra Taft Benson. There are a lot of antichrists like Korihor in the world. They try to destroy the faith of the believers, they all go about it in about the same way as Korihor did as well. They ask probing questions that are meant to be answered with a full knowledge, not faith. But if we knew the answer to every question about every detail there would be no need for faith and no need to be here living and being tested in our faith, right? Korihor insisted on a strictly rational scientific approach to all problems, trying to steer the people away from "the silly traditions of their fathers" 

vs 31.

Alma used his most powerful weapon in response, the power of personal testimony!! That is sometimes all we can do, is testify of what we know to be true.

Another quote I found "..When a lie is told often enough, even the one who knowingly spread it may begin to believe it." Robert J Matthews. Its so easy to get caught up in the lies and things of the world, if we say it or do it enough it begins to be okay....noooo! Those contradictions to the church are Satans way of taking the faith from the believers, he acts as if he were God, telling us that his way is the right way and making us think that by turning from what we know deep down is right we will be happier, because its easier. Satan is on our side until we have nothing else and then he leaves us be (vs 60).

Kind of all over the place but just a bit from what I studied. I loved it! Basically all we need to do is have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, it's true. Joseph Smith and all the others would not have gone through what they did over a book full of paper and false words. They just wouldn't do that. I know its true! If you haven't, read it and ask if its true! You'll get an answer.

Shout out to the Woodwards for always making the best food and the best faces

Love you people, you are the best.

Sister Hatch