Serving the Lord in the Land Down Under: Letter #45 from Australia

May 29, 2016

Dear Family and Friends,

What a transfer this past one has been!!! Yep, that's correct. It has already been 6 weeks and Elder Halsey and I cannot believe it! If this is how fast the rest of my transfer will go while serving my mission, I am going to be home before I know it...and that scares me! haha So because it is the end of a transfer, some people will be moving to new areas and will be with new companions! Well it saddens me to say this, but Elder Halsey will be transferred. He has been serving here in Greenvale since January, so it did not come as a surprise to either of us! But it wasn't the news that we wished we would hear. He will still be serving as a Zone Leader, but will be on the East side of Melbourne in the Gippsland Zone! My new companion is also one of my old companions...?! I will explain later!

This week was great and the work hear in our area is really progressing! We are still working really hard with the members to find new investigators and are having a lot of success! Elder Halsey and I didn't find a lot of new investigators this past transfer, but the ones that we did find, are so golden that it is unreal! This past week we received another referral from our Ward Mission Leaders family and we went over to their house on Wednesday to have dinner and meet their non-member friend! His name is Liam and he is golden!!! He is 18 and is really interested in the church! We taught him a lesson and the Spirit was so strong during the lesson! It was one of the most powerful lessons that I have ever taught or been in while being on my mission! He came to church yesterday and we are going to continue teaching him this week! The Wharemate family came to church as well and they really enjoyed it! We were finally able to teach them last week after not being able to for 2 weeks! They are doing really well and we have re-committed Mia and Shane to be baptized on the 25 of June! Much later than we would have wanted to, but everything will work out!

So you are all probably wondering who I will be serving with. He is from Utah, he is really tall and he is one of my past companions...actually my first companion in Australia!! ELDER KELSCH, my Trainer!!! I will be serving here in Greenvale with Elder Kelsch and we will be the Craigieburn Zone Leaders together! I am so excited to serve with him again, beyond words can describe! But there is a really cool story that makes us serving together even more exciting! So it all starts when Elder Kelsch got transferred after training me up In Wangaratta! He was transferred down to Tasmania to serve as a Zone Leader with his Trainer, Elder Orrego. Elder Orrego only had one more transfer left on his mission, and he was able to serve it with his "son", Elder Kelsch as Zone Leaders! Well, I will have the same opportunity! Elder Kelsch only has one more transfer left on his mission and he will be able to spend it serving with his "son", aka- me, as Zone Leaders!

HUGE HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHOUT OUT TO THE WORLD'S BEST BROTHER! Happy 13th Birthday Mitchell! I am so grateful to have such an amazing little brother like you! You may be my little brother, but I look up to you as an amazing example to me! Our family would not be complete without you and I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for sending you to our family! Have fun and keep up the great work! I love you!

The Lord really does work in mysterious ways! I am so excited to serve with Elder Kelsch again and to be able to be Zone Leaders together! Dreams really do come true! I had always wished that I would be able to serve with Elder Kelsch again and now I will! I can't wait for all of the amazing experiences and the great success that Elder Kelsch and I will have! This area is ready to be harvested and who better to be able to harvest it with then my Trainer, Elder Kelsch! I love you all and hope you have a great week! Be safe and enjoy all of the great summer activities!

Love,

Elder Wheeler