Week 59 Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2018

G’day and Merry Christmas to everyone! I’m doing a voice recording again because don’t really wanna type a bunch of stuff right now. It’s the day after Christmas pday. It is very hot right now 103 degrees and it is only going to be hotter 107/108 tomorrow so the heat is very draining. 

Christmas was great! Last pday we went to some waterfalls called Woolshed falls which was really fun with some of the zone. I went there last year about this time so it was cool to go there again. Thursday and Friday we did some following up with a few more people to teach so we’re excited about that. Saturday we did service for one of our new investigators—pulled some of her weeds. We did service for a less active member and she says she coming back pretty soon so that’s a miracle for that day. That was a good. 

The Ludbey family opened up their 2^nd restaurant on Saturday so we helped them get it organized. Kind of a Mexican Street food restaurant. They already have the pizza shop so they opened that up. Sunday was the good one hour of church good sacrament meeting. Then we had dinner at the Ludbey’s again because we always do on Sunday nights delicious and scrumptious as always. 

Monday we had district meeting Christmas Eve and very good as well. I ate so much food—I had a regular lunch and then I went and had 2 cheeseburgers from McDonald’s. 

Later that night we had a Hangi which is a New Zealand Maori way of cooking. It’s a dish where they dig a big hole and they put hot coals in the ground and put this basket of food wrapped in banana leaves and then cover it with a tarp and it cooks the food.  It was pretty good lots of food again lots of meat. It was a good little party we had at the Horne’s for their Christmas with them. 

Tuesday was Christmas we got up and went to the gym. Been going to the gym every day so we went on Christmas morning. Came back and talked to my family which was great. Went over to the Ludbey’s for a big breakfast at 10:30. Then started the Ludbey Olympics. They do gifts but aren’t big on the whole celebration of all the extra stuff for Christmas so they do a family Olympics. There were 10 of us competing—they added the Elders this year. We did 10 events. First event was Basketball shoot and I got 2^nd place in that next was a pool/Billards type game I got first in that not because of my ability but it was a game of luck. Next was knife throwing and I came in mid-pack. Next was handball like a four-square type game and I did alright. We did ping-pong and I did terrible in that.  We did a planking challenging and I did pretty good in that 2^nd or 3^rd. We did a spelling competition and I got 2^nd in that. We did a math competition and I got 3^rd in that. We did a 100M sprint and I won that. Everyone’s pretty athletic so it was all pretty close and fun.  It was pretty spread out—some of the family was good at one thing the other was good at the other.  We had fun. The last 2 events we had to leave but they did a plank walk across the pool—you had to stay walking on a plank while people threw things at you. Then holding your breath under water. They had food throughout the day that we had it was really awesome—a great way to spend Christmas. They are really fun. 

Then we headed to Finley which is another area in our district which my companion served there so a family invited him for Christmas dinner. We drove up there Christmas night and had dinner here—big Phillipino Feast—quite a few Phillipino families here and had big feast again.  

We stayed the night in Finley, got up played basketball in the morning with the Elders today for pday. Then we came and the Finley Elders called their families at same Phillipinos’ house because they have WiFi and we just chilled out and emailed.  Now it’s 5:00 and we are thinking about dinner maybe we’ll drive back or we might stay. 

Hope you all had a great Christmas and thank you for the support. Remember the real reason for Christmas and just be grateful it’s not bloody hot where you are because it is 103 degrees and it’s going to be 108 the next 2 days. It is blistering. I’m just sweating everywhere I’m going but Have fun work hard love you guys! Byyyeee!

Week 58 It's Hot!

December 18, 2018

Voice Recording Transcript

Hello everyone! I’m making a voice recording this week because I’ve been making other ones for other people. Ya it seems fun saves me some writing about a bunch of stuff. We’re kind of busy today so this week was pretty good. My new companion Elder Zalypko from the Ukraine.  We’ve been going good. We joined a gym. We joined Anytime Fitness here in Echuca. We’ve been going to the gym everyday but Sunday for a week. Been getting the gains um pretty fun. We get to the gym by 6:00 in the morning and spend a good time there and come back and start the day. It’s really good I highly recommend it. It just gives you more energy throughout the day even though you’re spending energy and getting up earlier. 

But anyway um Thursday we really just followed up with people a lot of less actives and tried to get our visits in and try to follow up with all the people we are teaching.  So we stayed busy doing that and on Friday we kind of focused more on finding. Friday finding um I just realized that but a that was pretty good. Found some new people we can teach in this kind of farming community so that was fun. Still really hot here it’s probably 90 or so today. It gets up to a 100 sometimes. You guys are pretty lucky to be in the wintery wonderland. It’s going good here.

 Saturday was pretty good we did some service for a member and we had a little bit of a rodeo getting out there in some mud because it has been raining actually. But the old Corolla got a little bit western in some mud. I won’t go into too much detail because just to spare you. You just don’t want to know.  It was fun and we got it out and you can request a picture of the car if you really want but I probably won’t send it out just cuz I don’t want it floatin’ around there. Did some service that day and cut up some firewood for this member that lives a ways out and spent some time with him. He’s kind of less active so it was good to catch up with him. 

Then on Sunday we had normal sacrament meeting in Echuca and then straight after sacrament we had this meeting led by our branch president talking about the 2019 goals for the branch.  Then straight after that we had a branch luncheon which is always delicious and yummy and the best.  That night we went and had dinner with the Ludbey’s is always a good time always crazy. Monday we had a district council with all the new guys in the district so that was good.  Always a good time. 

Straight after that we did exchanges with the Finley Elders which is an area about an hour and a half from us because my Companion served there a few months ago. We got invited to do a dinner that night so we all went to dinner there and ate tons of Phillipino food it was really good. And the next morning we got up and came back to our area.  Tuesday we went and did some more service for this person we are kind of teaching or that has been taught he kind of a former investigator.  His friends who are really old have an apricot tree that we picked up a bunch of rotten apricots off the ground.  Had to throw them away because they are infested with fruit flies and they wanted to get rid of them from the property so it was a good time. 

Then we went and talked to the Ludbey’s at their Pizza shop they are building a restaurant next to the Pizza shop which is pretty much done so we helped out with them there getting that ready. It’s always good they always try to bring in gospel conversations when we talk to them so we enjoy it. It was a busy week and hope you are all enjoying the cold weather because it’s just blinking hot here I can’t even believe it. The sun’s good for so it’s good. Hope you all are jumping on the Light the World program that the Church is doing for the month of December.  This week is Light Your Family head to lighttheworld.org and check out what you can do to help your family. It’s good Christmas is all about Christ and our Families so it’s important that we contact them and service them and just love them.  Remember the true meaning of Christmas because Christmas is coming up if you didn’t know that. Any hopefully this isn’t too long I love you all and stay killing it!

Week 57 New Transfer Who Dis?

December 11, 2018

G'day everyone this was a eventful week! Here's the highlights

- We were busy getting my comp Elder Middis all packed and cleaning the flat really well for him to go home. He said all his goodbyes to the echuca fam. 

- Sunday we stayed in shep cause we had to be in Melb early. We got transfer news! I am staying in echuca,  my new companion is Elder Zalypko! He's from Ukraine,  I've served near him before so I know him a little.

- Monday i parted with Middis and me and my new comp headed back to echuca! We stopped by the ludbeys for him to meet them.

- Yesterday was a hot one. We visited a few less active members, and some of our investigators. We read the bom with Rita and she really likes it and believes it is "probably" true. But it's good to see the spirit work with her! I mowed her lawn as well and did some gardening. She's so sweet. Then we played bball at night with the boys.

- I hope you're all enjoying this wonderful Chirstmas season!!! It doesn't feel like Christmas here cause it was 99 degree yesterday!! But remember it's all about the savior and his love. LOVE one another. Peace outttttttt

Elder Satterthwaite 

Week 56 Hello All!

December 4, 2018

Hello All!

Hey everyone I really don't have much time at all today! 

Here it goes: we went to a wedding for my companions family so that was very interesting. It was still a good time. We worked really hard Thursday at some service for some less actives. Then I did yard work at our own flat for a few hours. 

Sunday we went to swan hill! It was crazy good! After Sacrament we drove to the border of our area, which us the border of the mission! It's the south Australia border! 8 hours of driving to do it lol. Still fun. 

Monday we did exchanges with the zone leaders. Me and elder Osborne went to visit Suzi, she is JW. She is very interesting. Long story short we won't be seeing her again lol. Yesterday we drove here to Shep, so today we could drive to Melbourne for the Christmas party! I'm keen as for the party and seeing all my bros. Anyway sorry not much time, love ya all!

Elder Satterthwaite