Dear Shanell,

Last Wednesday the Holmes family came and picked us up and took us to Flinders Gorge. I started climbing up a cliff of rocks and my companion followed me so that he wouldn't look like a chicken. We got up to the top of the rocks and we had an excellent view. It was so pretty! I loved it! After that we went to another place called Alligator Gorge. We ate lunch on a blanket and it was quite chilly. Then we walked down about 1/4 mile of steep stairs to get down into the canyon and then we hiked around for a while. We saw some pretty neat formations of rock.

I am very excited about this month of missionary work! We have 5 baptisms planned. On Thursday we went to give Jose Lang a birthday card, but she wasn't home. We sent to Sister Stuart's house and found out that Jose went to Adelaide for 2-3 weeks.

Friday was an excellent day!! First we taught Helen and Sister Ernesti was there during the discussion and it went very well. Then, I was able to baptize a little 9 year old girl that the sisters taught. Her name is Linzy Jason Scott Haberle. I was quite nervous because it was by first baptism! The water was very cold! When she came down into the baptismal font, the water came up to her waist and it only came up a little past my knees. My garments didn't even get wet. When I brought her up out of the water, she had lost her breath because of how cold the water was. My legs were numb, but I can easily say it was a high point so far in my mission. I felt so warm inside through the whole baptism.

On Saturday I was sitting in the foyer at our church building and Janice Ernesti and Ruth Baker were driving me nuts! They were climbing all over me, pulling my hair, and scratching and biting me. Finally after fighting them off for about 15 minutes, I got sick of it and kept asking them to quit. I finally stood up and grabbed one of them by the shoulders and told them to calm down in the church house. She ran off crying and told her mom I beat her up. Oh brother! The other girl called me a meanie. I have bite and scratch marks all over me. Kids around here don't know how to treat the church or how to act in it. I love playing with kids, but when 10 year old's can't behave, I'm not amused. Later that day we went to a BBQ and ate lamb chops and sausage. It was great!

We took Cindy to church with us on Sunday. Kylee Shultz went, too. There was lunch served after church, so that was great! The next day there was a testimony meeting and breakfast to celebrate the Whyalla chapel being 20 years old. The testimony meeting was excellent, but I wasn't very impressed with the breakfast. I was hoping for eggs, pancakes, sausage, and juice, but we had cold cereal, muffins and hot milo (like hot cocoa). I keep telling myself that I am not in the USA any more. My companion got another flat tire and when he went to fix it, he put another hole in the tube. He fixed it again and when we went to pump it up, he filled it too full and it blew up! That is 5 or 6 times he has put holes in inner tubes in 2 months. I haven't had a flat tire yet.

On Tuesday we had a great experience! Cindy Shultz has read the Book of Mormon and many other books we have given her such as A Marvelous Work and a Wonder. She loves reading a lot and writes down questions, and when we get there, she asks us the questions and we answer them. She had two questions this week and they blew us away. Her first question was "If there really is a God, why did my baby die?" The day before we had come to her house to take her to the breakfast and she was in bed. When we went in to see her, she looked at us and said she hated us and the church and everything about it. I almost broke down. Then after a few minutes, she said, "No, I'm sorry. I don't hate you." She told us she had a miscarriage. I felt so bad. The other question was "Will you help me find out if there really is a God." The missionaries have been working with Cindy for 4 months, but religion was never really discussed until then. We will be giving her the first and second discussions and she gave us permission for her daughter, Kylee, to be baptized.

I am getting transferred to the Prospect area in Adelaide and my new companion will be Elder Fusselman. I am happy and sad about the change. I won't get to see Kylee or Cindy get baptized.

Thank you for all your support!

Love,
Elder Wallentine

Dear Shanell,

Last Wednesday we got up at 6 am and washed our clothes and went shopping. Then the Ernesti family came and took us to the beach. We had a picnic on the beach and played Frisbee. Elder Dalrymple dropped their little girl in the water because she threw sand in his face. It was quite funny. Afterward, we came back to the flat and I prepared my talk for district conference.

On Thursday we met with Helen and the discussion went very well. She is accepting everything quite well, too. We went to visit Cindy Shulz, but she wasn't there, so we talked to her son and a guy named Tommy who is staying there. He could really talk and was quite rude, but we are missionaries and we must be understanding and loving! There are a lot of people out here who don't want to know anything about the church, but they are very nice to us. We try to meet people on the streets and most of the time we chat with them about motorcycles, houses, or whatever comes up. Many times they ask us why we are on missions and then we get a chance to talk religion with them. A lot of them say, "You must have given up jobs or something to come out here." I always used to think to myself, "Yea, I gave up the most wonderful girl in the world for this mission!" The more I think about it, the more I realize that I didn't give up you. I gave up being with you, but you are always in my heart and prayers! You are such a great support to me on my mission and that is such a blessing to me.

On Friday I got to pick an orange off of a real orange tree!! Isn't that neat!! On Saturday we had a zone conference and I officially certified! I had an interview with Elder Scicluna who is an assistant to the president and passed off all the discussions and dialogues. We have to re-certify every 3 months or so to make sure we know all the information. I had a good discussion with some of the sisters today and we talked about why we came on our missions. I really dug deep and know I came on my mission to become a better person. I didn't come to convert myself because I already know that the church is true.

On Sunday I came to Port Pirie again and stayed with Elder Jennings. He is having some problems with his thinking process and is part deaf, too. We went to visit some members and it was quite fun. We also had a district conference that was quite good. Lots of people attended and it was such a joy to see the Whyalla chapel full! The Spirit was definitely there as we were singing. I love having the Spirit so close! Mission life is great! One of the rules in this mission is to have fun. I like that rule. Some things are not easy or fun on a mission. The bathtub here in Port Pirie is 2 ft. wide and 2 1/2 ft. long. I had to curl up my legs to get in. There is also no refrigerator. Milk is delivered each day so it is still a little bit cold. I cannot imagine not having a fridge. You also have to go outside to get to the bathroom and toilet. Here in Australia, the bathroom is just a room with a tub/shower and sink. The toilet room just has a toilet and sink. The two rooms are totally separated. It is a new lifestyle.

On Monday I was back in Whyalla. I like Whyalla a lot more than Port Pirie. I actually love Whyalla! One of my favorite scriptures comes to mind: "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that He giveth no commandment to His children, unless he prepares a way!"

I want you to know that I love and appreciate you so much!

Love,
Elder Wallentine

Dear Shanell,

Last Tuesday we went tracting in the pouring rain. We got drenched! We visited the Whites and they fed us hamburgers. Then we went to visit the Elders Quorum president, but he wasn't home. His wife was babysitting a young boy and the boy's dad came and we gave him some pamphlets and a Book of Mormon. We had a great talk with him about the church. We also visited the Woodums and Cooks.

On Thursday we met with the Elder's Quorum President and discussed which inactive members we can visit. I think we will have plenty to do for a while. Then we visited a man named John Costigan and his wife who are investigators, but they don't seem too interested. After that we wanted to visit Cindy Shultz, but she wasn't home so we went to the bank and post office.

On Friday we visited the Dugans and set up a chess game for later so that we can get to know one of the kids who lives there that is not a member. Then we went to visit Sister Stewart and Jose Lang was there, too, so we set up an appointment with her for later. After dinner we went over to see Ross Reed and he is super cool. He is not a member but we are working with him. We also visited David Mann and his wife. She is a member, but he is not. He would make an excellent member though!

On Saturday we went to see Sister White. Her son, Leslie is going to go tracting with us next week. It should be good. He listens to Iron Maiden, Wasp, Black Sabbath, and other hard rock groups. Today he was being quite nice to me and he was very calm until my companion started bothering him. Even though he was jokingly hitting him, it ruined all the trust I had built up with him. I was kind of upset, but I'll just keep trying. After that we went and invited Cindy Shultz to come to church the next day with her daughter and her daughter's friend. We also went to visit Stuart, but he wasn't home. His sister said he was interested in going so we decided to stop by before church. We had tea at the Ernesties that night. It was fun talking to them!

On Sunday we took Kylee Shultz and two of her friends to church and the girls were not treated nicely. Two of the girls said they would never come back. The member girls and boys ridiculed them and would not quit harassing them! It made me so mad! The members should know better than that! We are going to talk to the branch president and President Wells about it.

My companion showed me what is known as the "Southern Cross". It is a constellation of stars that can only be seen from the southern hemisphere. I also found out what "Whyalla" means. It means windy city. That fits very well right now because the wind is blowing dust and leaves everywhere! I received your package yesterday! It meant so much to me! The cookies were great!  The missionary work here is starting to pick up now. We got 7 new referrals from another investigator and we got an inactive x-Branch President coming to church again, too! He is a super man. There is an investigator we have that is really having a hard time with fighting the devil's temptations, so Monday we asked her if she would like a priesthood blessing. She said yes.  I know that it is helping her. There was such a peaceful feeling there! I love using God's priesthood to help others.

On Monday we visited Eon Clark and met Tony Morrison. He actually attended Ricks College and at a football game against Dixie College, there was a contest to see who could kick a football through the goal posts and win a prize of $5,000. Well, Tony did it and won the prize! Tony is a great guy and we had a nice time talking to him. Eon and his wife are super neat, too.

I am not perfect yet, but I am learning how to love everyone. I am also becoming more patient. Thank you for your prayers and support.

Love,
Elder Wallentine

Dear Shanell,

Last Sunday Cindy Shultz came to church and brought her daughter. That was great! We also talked to a friend of hers who is an alcoholic. His name is Doug and he is 43 years old. As he was talking to us today, I almost cried my heart out for him. He wants to return to his wife, but he said he has to quite drinking first. We told him to pray every time he wants to drink. He was crying and he kept saying he wants to come to God. I really think we can help him. He definitely has the desire to change. Later we went to a fireside and President Baker spoke on self esteem and feeling good about yourself. It was very helpful and I loved it. He shared this poem with us:

If you think you are beaten you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win but think you can't.
It is almost certain you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost,
for out in the world we find
success begins with a fellows will.
It's all in the strength of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are.
You've got to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself before
you can ever win a prize!

Life's battles don't always go
to the stronger or faster man.
But, sooner or later the man who wins
is the man who thinks he can!

I honestly believe that poem is true! We have to think positive. Positive thoughts can never lead to unhappiness.

On Monday we went and visited Doug and Cindy Shultz. We also visited one other investigator and two other members and went door knocking for a couple of hours.

On Tuesday we tried to visit Jose Lang, Sister Stuart, and Doug, but none of them were home. We were able to visit Ross Reed's wife, however, and we played "footie" with her son and mucked around with the bull terrier named duke. Then we visited Sister Bell who is the sweetest lady. She wears a tubing to help her breathe and could complain if she wanted to, but is always so positive. She is knitting me a "jumper" or sweater. It has a picture of an Aussie flag shaped like Australia on the front and down the sleeve it says "I Love Australia" with a heart for love. She is super nice and enjoys knitting. It only takes her 3 days to knit a whole sweater.

I have learned that nobody here likes Idaho. They think we all grow potatoes. My companion always knocks Idaho. Elder Toi and my companion just walked in with our 2 week supply of drinking water. The tap water here is gross! It comes out looking like dirty mop-water, so we drink rain water.

We get up each day at 6:30. That part is not very enjoyable, but I love teaching! It is a great experience to share the only true gospel with people. I do know honestly that this church is true!

That's all for now.

Love,
Elder Wallentine

Dear Shanell,

Last Wednesday we did our laundry and bought groceries. Then we were planning to go bowling with Elders Harp and Toi, but the league was practicing so we went golfing instead. It was my first time golfing and I loved it. I did not do really well, but I had a great time laughing about it.

On Friday we went tracting and a BIG dog lunged out at us. I never want to own a dog! We also had 4 or 5 doors shut in our faces as soon as we said the words, "From the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." I wish they would listen to our message before they chase us off!

On Saturday we went to fill the baptismal font for a convert baptism from Port Augusta. Then we tracted for about an hour and got in a discussion with a man who said that we should not push religion down people's throats. He said that Christianity is not meetings, it is helping others. We explained about the programs the church has in place to help people. He kept arguing with us and about miracles and how they don't exist and how everything can be explained scientifically. After that we talked to him about why we were here and where we came from. He looked puzzled and said, "Do you know where we came from?" We explained to him the Plan of Salvation which is the 2nd discussion. It was kind of funny because he had told us he didn't want to talk about religion, just relief programs the church has for the poor. I love trying to teach people. It is a challenge to feel love for them while they are cutting down the church, but it is fun to watch their reaction when we just smile as they are yelling at us. After the baptism we went to dinner and then saw a recording of General Conference. We got to watch them on Saturday and Sunday. I have always taken for granted that we could watch conference on TV. They only get to listen to it hear or wait for the recordings to come.

On Monday we visited Jose Lang, the sister we baptized on April 27. I love to see her so strong in the church! She is a great asset to the branch. Then we taught Helen, the lady who came to the door last week with face cream on. We are going to visit her on Friday, too. I hope she will pray about these things. After dinner we visited the Skragg family and heard about Brother Skragg's mission. It was fun! Then we visited Sister Waite. She has a son who acts like he worships the devil, but he is a good kid deep down. We also visited the sister missionaries. Sister Grey is still sick and Sister Roper is going crazy.

On Tuesday we visited a family name the Popes. They have an 8 month old baby and he his cute! I loved holding him and playing with him.

The missionary work is going slow here, but we are working hard to change that! I still have not seen any kangaroos or koala bears! Bummer! They have a bird here called a "Gala" and there are millions of them! People hate them here. They are worth hundreds of dollars in the states. I wish it wasn't illegal exporting them. I could be rich!

I would like to share a thought with you that an elderly lady here told me. It made me think because I would often use the phrase "I'm bored". This lady said, "Only stupid people get bored. If you have any sense, you can always find something to occupy yourself." I won't ever say "I'm bored" again.

I honestly feel that you have helped me improve myself into a better person. I could have easily skipped over a mission, but you knew I needed to grow and that a mission would help me. I know that you believe in doing what's right and not what is always just easiest. I love you even more for urging me to go on a mission. I thank Heavenly Father for sending you down when He did to bless my life.

I'm taking lots of pictures to show what Australia is like! The Church is true! Joseph Smith was a prophet of God! Jesus is the Christ! I love this great work!

Love,
Elder Wallentine

Dear Shanell,

On Sunday we gave one of the sister missionaries, Sister Grey, a blessing. I was able to anoint her and Elder Dalrymple gave her the blessing. It was really neat to use my priesthood! I am so happy to be worthy to call on the Lord for help! It is a great feeling.

Some days I really struggle with feeling bummed out. My companion seems to cut me down every chance he gets in front of members and that makes the homesickness worse. It seems like all the anxieties of missionaries have hit me all at once. It seems to help when I pray for comfort and those depressive feelings usually go away.

On Monday we knocked about 65 houses. One lady came to the door with white face cream on. It scared me at first! She asked us to come back next week. We also met a lady named Elizabeth and taught her the first discussion and she also asked us to come back next week. She sounds very interested. I hope she is! One embarrassing thing happened to me today. We were tracting and as we entered a front yard of a house, an old man who appeared to be the gardener, said, "I don't think you will do much good here fellows." Then he mumbled something about sisters being there and I thought to myself, "This isn't the sisters area so they wouldn't have come here." Well, we got up to the door and Elder Dalrymple knocked. It was then that we noticed a sign that had a bunch or writing and said "convent" in the middle. I about died! The Catholic Church made that house into a convent. A man came to the door and we said, "We have a message about Jesus Christ." He said, "Yes, He is a nice fellow." We then asked if he would be interested and he said, "No." I wasn't surprised!

Love,
Elder Wallentine

Hello Shanell,

There is a couple we are teaching that are not married. The boyfriend is moving to Queensland to find better work so they will be separated. Then they can be baptized. I think that Chris and her little boy will be baptized. It is so neat to teach people the gospel.

Last night we got stoned again. We were riding our bikes and rocks started coming at us all over. We quickly got out of there. People around this area, Whyalla, don't appreciate Mormons very much. We are just going into winter here. The kids here go on summer vacation during December and January. It is about 75 to 85 degrees here and the skies are clear and the sun is bright. I have seen my first orange and banana trees since I have been here. It is neat.

On Saturday my companion went to Adelaide and I was left in a town called Port Perie with Elder Tilton. My companion is a great guy, but he snores. That's okay, though.

Love,
Elder Wallentine