Letter #76 from Australia

January 1, 2017

Dear Family & Friends,

To begin, I just want to apologized because this email will be a smaller one, and because I won't have anytime today to email all of you individually. Today is a public holiday for the New Year so all of the public libraries are closed. We are currently at the chapel and we don't have too much time. I just wanted to let you all know a little bit about this week and how it went! We had a great week and were able to see quite a lot of our investigators! We spent a lot of time in the area this past week and we had a lot of success! One of the highlights of the week was a lesson that we had with John, one of our investigators. He is on date to be baptized next month and he has been struggling lately with the decision to be baptized or not. We had a lesson with him on Saturday and decided to focus on Repentance and how through Jesus Christ, he can be cleansed from his sins. We were a little hesitant at first because we didn't know how he would take it, but we felt prompted to teach him still. He really needed it and he took it all so well. It was probably one of the most spiritual lessons that I have ever been in! My companions and I were so unified in what we were saying it was crazy! Like a couple of times during the lesson, John would ask a question or make a comment, and I had an idea come to my head on how to reply to him and answer his questions. Well my companions started to respond to what he said and they said exactly what the spirit had told me to say! It was crazy to experience and such a spiritual lesson! 

I failed to mention this last week in my email, but we got transfer news on Christmas Eve, and all three of us will be staying in Greenvale together for another transfer! It was crazy to hear the news because first off, this is my 7th transfer in the area! I have already been here for 9 months, but now at the end of this next transfer, I will have been in the area for 10 1/2 months! My longest area by far! And because usually a new missionary, like Elder Levaci, usually never stays in a zone leader area more than one transfer, when being trained by zone leaders. But apparently he is different! haha.  We are all so excited to stay another one together and can't wait to see what Heavenly Father has in store for us this coming transfer!

Well it is a new year, so HAPPY NEW YEARS to all of you! 2016 is officially in the books and it was sad to see it go, for a couple of reasons, but overall it is exciting to see a new year come in! I can't wait to see what 2017 has to offer me and all of you! It is weird thinking that it is already 2017, considering that this is the year I will be coming home. I am looking forward to the remaining time on my mission and all of the people that I still need to help. I am so grateful for all of you and the great love and support that you have given me throughout last year and that you continue to give me this New Year! I love you all and it is my hope and prayer that God will continue to bless and protect you in this New Year! Have a great week and stay safe! 

Love,

Elder Wheeler

What our freezer looks like after Christmas! Thanks to all
of the members for the lollies! ha

It bucketed rain here the other day! Like it flooded in some areas!
Well this is what we looked like, all of us soaked completely
through all of our clothes...ha 

Our flat was repainted this week as well as we had a hole in
our wall fixed. Long story short, Elder Lawler and
Elder Levaci learnt that throwing a rugby ball
in the house isn't a good idea...haha massive hole in the wall!