So life has been interesting for Scott and I.  We have moved house and its taken me 5 weeks to get the internet connected, therefore we are really behind with Elder Duffus' blog.  Hope you enjoy the catch-up.

Email 1 - 25/3/13

First of all, thanks mum, I didn’t get Jayden's email me so now I have to wait a week to find out. It better be here next week!! And if he is going to Spain,  I'm coming home!!

Man it is so good to hear everyone going through the Temple, that place is going to be packed when we all get back...there will be no room for you oldies!!

How long till Tia and Robert get married, can't wait to see photos of them married. it's so crazy to think that all these people will either be married or on their missions when I get home.

That’s crazy that the girls are heading over to England and it's snowing, they won't know what going to hit them with the cold haha. It snows here sometimes, in the freezer!!! but I prefer the heat to the cold. I love coming home at night to a freezing apartment after being out all day in the sweaty sun, and having a cold bottle of water.

It was the biggest surprise to see Eddie here in Darwin. It was during sacrament and I looked back and I was like what the heck what is he doing here hahaha!!  I asked how long he is staying for and he said until Esetah gets back haha, but yer it is good to see them going to church and to the ysa activities. 4 of them moved, Eddie and his brother, Jordan and another guy for Liverpool.

Man the work is going ok, every time we find someone knew to teach, someone else drops off and so we only have 5 or 6 investigators at a time, and it's the worst when the ones that drop off seemed the most interested to learn. but other than that we taught 12 investigator lessons and a few less active and going to our families, having dinner and teaching them, And next week we are trying to go for 20 lessons and have them all progressing.

Is everyone going to start popping out babies soon?  Keep me up to date with them all. I did get the photos of  Bec's reception, I loved the boots lol.  

love you heaps  Elder Duffus :)

 

 

mmm who is the melon head here!!

 

I wonder if my child realises that it is illegal to take a shopping trolley home?

 

showering in the rain.  whats really funny about these last two photos, is that we have the same from Matt on his mission.  they are nothing alike lol

 

Email 2/4/13

Yes I get to email, it's just public holidays are a good time to catch people at home so we work and p day is today.

Jayden emailed me!! that's so crazy, I'm so jealous hahahaha, not really I love my mission. Other people to look out for their mission calls are Pule, Tipe and Nikee Hart. .Jayjay wrote to me and said that he has been going to everything in ysa and is so pumped to be putting his papers in 2 weeks, so keep me up to date with that as well, can't wait to hear where they are all going.

Everyone is having babies!! but it's so weird to hear that someone is married and having a baby because here in Darwin I don't think people know what marriage is... which makes it hard because we can't baptize them if they aren't.

This week has been good. we got dropped by someone that had a baptismal date but at the end of the week we were able to find 4 or 5 people who the lord has definitely been preparing.

It is now officially the wet season and every day and  we get smashed by the rain. it's horrible when it rains during the day because it stops us doing so much work... no one wants to talk to us if you're dripping wet.

yes dad, grandma was very excited to tell me about the doggies big win, she said the paper had tipped them for the wooden spoon so that's good that it might not happen.

I don't have any real exciting news this week but pray that you will hear some good news next week :)

Love you all and miss everyone

Elder Duffus

Email 7/5/13

 

I tell everyone about how the family moved and I tell them how excited I am that we don't have to worry about a leaking roof anymore, I feel sorry for the next people that move in. hahaha. I thought I got out of cleaning the house before we moved but it actually turned out that we were helping a family move out so we did wall cleaning windows fans and everything that I was hoping I didn't have to do. the Lord doesn't want me to miss out on the experiences ;)

I don't care about you getting rid of all my stuff, just as long as the Xbox my laptop and bike are still there hahaha. mans its so exciting that Eleisha is off on her mission now. She will get home just before me as well. I found out about Tipe in the email from Alyssa because she emailed me! that's so exciting for her. Is there a new mission opening in Sydney?

JayJay told me about dance fest and said that every Stake did really well. It seems like YSA is going really well. I cant wait for him to get his call. I told him to video record it and send it to me.

This week has been really good. we taught the most lessons this week than I have on the mission and we had some really good lessons with people. one would have to be a 22 year old Philippino named Chris. Some of the other elders helped him move his car off the road and asked for his address and we went and visited him. he was saying that every time in his life that it is getting hard or he's having a crap day the missionaries always show up. he was telling us when he lived in Canberra he went without food for 3 days because he had no money left so the missionaries met him and fed him and gave him the restoration pamphlet. he's said he read it a couple of times and felt something different. at the end of our chat with him we said a prayer and when we finished he was tearing up saying that he felt really good about us being there and that he feels like we are opening up a door within him. this is just one of the good experiences this week.

like I said I have no motivation to do the health kick thing because of a few reasons. my companion is trying to put on weight, I just burn everything off. and its too expensive to eat healthy.

the family that we have been teaching is going alright. we will find out today if they are going to get baptised soon because they need a loan for their wedding and if they don't get it they have to postpone it.

How did Tashs and Simba go with the move?  did you put butter on their feet?  have they settled in?

I will be going to a members house on Sunday at about 3pm Darwin time. so that when we are able to Skype (for no longer the 40 minutes) for mothers day.  looking forward to talking to you and dad.

love you all Elder Duffus

PS the first photo is Jason. as less active member and the second is just the clouds in the morning

 

 

 Email 13/5/13

It was good to talk to you both but as we talked yesterday, I have nothing else to tell you haha.  so I am taking your email time to write to others.

 

here are some photos for you.

 

love you Elder Duffus

 

 

 

Email 20/5/13

this is what we got this week - gotta love him!!  he has been transferred and we will find out where he is on Monday.

Hi

on flight q757 Elder Duffus pack 23kg

love you Elder Duffus

 

 

 

Here are Brendans last 2 emails and some pictures he sent us.  hope you enjoy

 

Jene

 

Email 1

 

HANS????!!!! Did he get his call?

Too many things are happening in YSA. Man it's so quick when everyone gets their call till the time they leave, it's exciting.

 

It's nice that Vern says hi but - tell Vern if she wants to say something to me write it in a letter!

 

I can't believe dad wanted a jelly fish tank! He wants some of the weirdest things hahaha. But I bet he would have loved all the attention from the YSA when they sang happy birthday to him. Dad how is your Samoan going? haha

 

Too many weddings happening. Tell the people to slow down, Ysa is going to be empty when I get back haha.

 

Who are the people you had staying with you?? Man you seem to always have people there, just make sure there is always a room for me!

 

this week has been good. I did get a new companion Elder Lacanivalu (Lathanivalu) from Fiji. He finishes in October so he is and oldie in the mission, and he is 6 ft 6. We have been working hard this week to find more people to teach. we got 25 people to allow us to come back and teach them so hopefully some/most of them become investigators and members.

 

Mum, you can't get around mission rules! Everything has to go to the office first... It's like praying... When we pray we can only do it through Jesus Christ! Just like sending things, You can only do it through the office. We just have to be patient. (Jene - I got in trouble cause I was trying to send a parcel directly to Darwin!!)

 

Dad, I don't know if I told you already but i met some bulldog fans up here (his and Scott's AFL team). One of the ladies fathers is a fan and he tells me how they are going, Has it really been since last June that they won?

 

Elder Marsh was the man in the MTC and i knew someone would have been trained by someone i knew. (Jene - Scott saw the missionaries in Ashfield and one of them was in the MTC with Brendan and his trainer served in Penrith Ward).

 

Sorry for wishing you a happy 52nd birthday dad, i knew you would be 52 by the time i got home and that's the only thing i could remember haha

 

I love you all, and tell everyone I'm still waiting for letters

 

Elder Duffus

at the crocodile cruise

working hard

looking happy and healthy

with his trainer - Elder Vanisi

yes that is a frog on his head!!

 

Email 2

Mum and Dad!

 

This week has been good. Got 3 new investigators but they are all single sisters!! so we have to get members there so we can teach them. I am happy, Darwin is the best, I'm just waiting for dry season because everyone says it's so nice because it its humid and there is never a cloud in the sky.

 

The shot of the sunset is at a place called East point. Dad probably knows about east point. It's a historic place. I try and take heaps of photos but i never take my camera during the week only on Mondays but i get some good photos. I will try and send some more.

Mum, It had to be done! (Jene - sending the parcel to the mission home) i can wait, the first one still hasn't come so I'm thinking they sent it to Alice or something, what was in it? anything important?

Man YSA sounds like it's going crazy, everyone is getting involved!! how are they doing it? Just keep it going and make sure they don't fizzle out and let it get boring!

 
Does it feel like a year since you were in England?  the time has gone so wuickly and so many things have happened and changes that we have gone through.  If it has gone that quickly just think how quick it will be for me to come home - well quick for you, I dont want it to go quickly.

 Man i hope Jayden gets his call soon, It's so exciting that everyone is going.

TELL HANS I HATE HIM!!!! I WAS SUPPOSED TO GO TO SPANISH SPEAKING.  Man that is soooooo exciting. Gets his address please so i can send him a letter! He was supposed to come to Adelaide mission hahaha. its alright is still have Jayden and JayJay. they can come here with me.

 

That's it from me ... Have a good week!

 

Love Elder Duffus

Two more - Catch up continues

Email 3

Hi
only had 30 mins and i have to write to president first Im out of time for email i will write a letter

Love

Elder Duffus

Jene - Lol you have to love these types of emails don’t you!!

Letter from Elder Duffus

Hi Mum and Dad

Has Emily Pauna left yet?  if she has that was quick. Man it is so exciting to hear how many people are putting their papers in back home, keep it up and tell them to come to Adelaide haha.  The American missionaries were saying that the MTC (mission training centre) was packed before the age drop so we can't imagine how crowded it is now.

Dean is going to the Philippines as well, how many people are going there?? that’s so crazy.  tell him and Hans to write to me, man I miss those guys. it seems like everyone is leaving for their mission, its going to empty when I get home lol.

I told dad that some people here are saying that the next best time to go on a cruise would be January…………. 2015, when I get home!!  and really you are going to go to Hawaii without me???  and you are finally moving house - yay, I better have a bedroom!!

Just thinking about Tia and Robert, man I am so excited for them and what they are going through and planning for.  Hopefully Nathan and Matt are moving towards doing the same thing!!

I'm doing fine here in Darwin and the work is going well.  But sadly, both Elder Vanisi and I feel the he will be transferred this week back down south.  Elder Vanisi is the man!!  He played for Tonga in the under 20's in the world cup all around Europe.  He lives on Nuku'Alofa and went to the Liahona school.  He is the oldest of 6 kids, 2 sisters and 4 brothers and his little brother has just been called to serve in Guam and he has been on his mission now for 10 months.  And, yes mum I do know that Elder Akeripa is Lowlah and Ula's brother!!

Oh by the way, I killed a brown snake this week with a lawn mower, I was very proud of myself but it also scared me as I nearly stepped on it.  it was about a meter long!!

man writing is hard work, don’t expect too much of this (writing letters).  Dad, I don’t know how you did this for 2 years back in the black and white days!! but can you send me some stamps, envelopes and writing pads - they are expensive.

love you heaps and miss the family and everyone

Elder Duffus

Email 4

Hi Mum and Dad

I just got back from the airport, as it was transfers and I had to take the missionaries, including Elder Vanisi.

Man the mission has been crazy the last couple of days. With the transfers here... Every companionship here in Darwin got separated with 4 missionaries going down south and one moving to another area, I was one of the lucky ones to be staying.

I'm a little sad that Elder Vanisi has left but I'll get over it... and I will be getting a Fijian as a companion and he will be district leader. I dont remember talking to a Sister Simpson, and everyone asks if I know her and they describe her as the good looking sister, but I can't remember who she is! (Jene - I spoke with Sister Simpson last week who has just finished her mission and she served in Adelaide.  She was at the mission home the day Brendan arrived as she was preparing to finish her mission and come home.  She remembers talking to him or at least seeing him.)

Thats great news that Hannah (Arnold) got her mission call and is going to serve in Perth. I'm so excited to hear about Hans call, hopefully it will come before you email me this next week. Its so crazy that Ethan Neill and Daniel Sherriff are home already.  that went so quickly, well it seemed it did to me.

This is part of the email I sent to president this week and thought I would send it to you as well (so I don’t have to think about what else I have to write lol...

One of the core experiences with Heavenly Father this week would have to be an answers to my prayers. This week we had a few potentials investigators that we really wanted to catch up with and teach but the numbers they had given us was wrong and they didn't give us an address.

The main person was, Fidel, and he seemed really interested in the things we talked to him about and said to come back, But lately we have been getting some wrong addresses and numbers to contact people with. I prayed to be able to meet up with Fidel again and teach him and Heavenly Father answered that prayer. Elder Vanisi and I were riding And saw a young boy who waved at us so we went and talked to him and asked if his parents were home... And Fidel walked out the door. I was shocked and laughed a little because he was shocked to see us but he allowed us to teach a lesson and to get a return appointment. We have been back since and he said it makes him happy to read the words of God (The Book of Mormon). This was our main experience this week.

I haven't seen Debra Rogers yet but it was good that she saw us.  The area that she saw me isn't in my area as its in Nightcliff, but I'll keep an eye out for her.

Get Nathan to write to me, because he is the only one who hasn't yet!!!

Love you all

Elder Duffus

Catch up time with Elder Duffus' emails

With our holiday and getting back into work we are a little behind with Elder Duffus' emails, so here are the last couple that we have received.  I hope you enjoy.

Jene

Email 1

Hi Mum and Dad

Oh mum, when are you gonna realise that you can't be in any kind of light without being sunburnt?!! So cruising is fun? maybe you should plan one for when I get back! It's nice to know that my parents are getting fat on a cruise while there son is in Darwin sweating out the little food that he eats!!

Man the work this week has gotten better, a few more investigators that are looking pretty solid! I had a trade off with the District Leader and that was great seeing how everyone else works and what ways of teaching is the most effective for them. We got one baptism date this week, an Aboriginal Lady name Louanna, she is keen to learn but she just went back to Alice Springs for a couple of weeks for a funeral so we will catch up with her when she gets back.

The teaching is getting easier, I'm getting more comfortable with teaching people and to stop and talk to people. After the trade off with Elder Holmes (the District Leader), he said that I'm already starting to be a great missionary. I think that because he is letting me that's why I'm getting comfortable teaching!

I haven't got my parcel yet but President Carter is here at the moment so I can ask him what's happening with that. I really can't think of anything I need at the moment. Everything seems to be going fine.

We went on a croc cruise today with Elder Watson (Area Presidency) and got some good photos of the group and some crocs but I forgot to bring the connection for the computer so I'll send them next week. Just wondering if the stuff from Deseret Books came through yet?  If so can you send me that stuff please.

Man, that's heaps good news about Keiana, is she excited to be serving in the Wellington Mission? I know silly question of course she is. Has Dean or Hans or anyone else get theirs yet?

That's all this week!! talk next week

Love you all

Elder Duffus

Email 2

Hi mum and dad!!

Since Friday when I sent you the last email and as you guessed, nothing more has really happened. I'm on trade off with Elder Faamausili from Melbourne. This week we are aiming for some big numbers and we really need to achieve this goal. The work is going well and I still love everything about it.

I think it is about time to move to maybe a house where the roof is on properly!! The weather here in Darwin has been crazy, as they are having a late wet season. It rained heavily for a couple of hours yesterday and this morning it rained even heavier. but having said that, its fun just standing in the rain though. Our house would definitely not last a day here in Darwin, you would have the buckets out every day haha.

That is so exciting about Eleisha!! can't believe she is going to the Philippines, she's going to love it. Elder Vanisi's cousin just got her call to the Philippines as well and may be going on that day, he said she goes sometime in May?? So out of all the girls that have put their papers in from home, none have gotten their call to Australia!!! that's so crazy and exciting and gay at the same time hahah, as the boys have been called to Australia and the girls are being sent overseas.

That is pretty much all I have to say at the moment but there should be more next week!

Love you heaps

Elder Duffus

We had this posted onto face book by Lowlah, whose brother is Elder Duffus' zone leader

 

21st January - 29th January 2013

Hi everyone

Here are the next 2 installments from Elder Duffus.  My questions are at the begining of the paragraphs - i guess he found it easy to respond and not forget anything lol.

Email 1: 21/1/13

Mum, you remembered to email this week!!

So how are you going??

I'm going good! the work is going strong and we were able to find and teach a lot of people. Elder Vanisi is now giving me the lead and I've started leading the lessons and leading the contacting. he's a good trainer like that! shows me how it is done then slowly makes me do it so i can learn.

How's the work?

The goal for Darwin branch is 46 baptisms this year!! seems crazy but you divide it out to 5 companion ships and that's 9 each over the year, and people are really receptive to the message up here. everyone is so friendly and they are always up for a chat even though they don't want to hear the message! the investigators we have are very good at keeping commitments as well. before i came Elder Vanisi and Elder Sextons committed a couple to get married so Lauren can get baptised... so they are getting married in 3 months!! that's just one story!

How are you coping with the weather and the humidity?

At first the weather was hard to get used to but now i love it! especially now it's wet season and we have been having monsoons for the last few days. its cooled down heaps and hasn't been to humid! all the locals said when it gets to dry season it doesn't get very humid and the temperature doesn't usually reach past 30, so I'm looking forward to that... if I'm still here then! it's fun because most nights it's raining heavy so the ride home is always fun.

Have you seen anyone that you know up there yet??

I have not seen anyone yet. I don't know if i will, i haven't seen aunty Debbie either. you will have to find out what suburb she lives in so if I'm there I can say hi to her. At the moment we are one the bikes! And my legs are going to be huge after! but there are 3 cars up here and they always pick us up if we need to go places like church and emails. Elder Vanisi is still good and no I can't speak Tongan because he tries not to speak it because he doesn't feel it will help him on his mission.

it's crazy how so many people are going out now. I'm excited to hear where everyone is going.

That's all I have to write about this week!

love everyone lots

Elder Duffus

 

Email 2: 29/1/13

 

Mum! you ask too many questions hahah!!

Australia day was hot and I was on trade off with the zone leader. we worked and talked to heaps of drunks! the branch did have an activity day on but we didn't go to it. Yes Brother and Sister Matua are here in Darwin, I talked to them when I first got here, I knew they looked familiar! (Jene - This couple were from Hebersham Stake and taught institute last year - and it was the class Brendan attended - shows how much notice he took!!)

the weather is good here. very humid but always sunny. Got a nice watch tan already. it's nice when it rains, the water isn't cold so we just sit in it at the end of the night. No the bad weather isn't hitting us, although they did put us on cyclone warning last weekend but nothing happened.

We are teaching heaps. we are focusing on former investigator this week and we got 2 or 3 solid potential baptisms from one family and some referrals for others. We have one baptism date at the moment and that is on the 9th of march.  We had a 17 year old named Lance who had set the date to be baptised but we got a text off him to say that his parents wouldnt let him be baptised, and whats really weird is that we got another baptismal date for another investigator.

I got mail of JayJay today! and i know mum i make sure you get an email because I'm to close to home to not send one. it's very easy for you to 'accidently' come to Darwin and hit me hahaha. (Jene - you may have guessed that I have told him that he cant forget to email home each week!!)

I got a new camera its going good.  I got one that is water proof, freeze proof shock proof with 1 year extended and a memory card! bargain i say. it would probably be best if you sent some usbs up and i will download it onto them and send them back.

man YSA sounds fun! It's good to hear everyone is going well. I was excited to hear that jj Richard, Iyrah and Andrea are all doing mission prep!! Any new mission calls this week. Man everyone will be married or on their missions by the time I get back.

 

Elder Williams if the man! helooks like the type that would play cricket and thats probably why you chose him for your team lol (Jene - Scott ran into a missionary at a Liverpool activity that was in the MTC with Brendan)

 

I wont be emailing till next Friday. P day has changed because President Carter and Elder Watson are coming up so they changed it to Friday.

I want everyone to serve a mission so encourage them all. Thank you for everything you did for me and continue doing for me! get everyone to write to me!!

Love you Lots

Elder Duffus

 

for those that would like to write to him, hes address is:

Adelaide Australia Mission

PO Box 97

Marden SA 5070

 

Hope you enyoy

 

Scott and Jene xxx

Finally arrives in the mission field

It's all systems go now.  he has hit the mission field running.  it's been an exciting time for us over the last week to see if he made it and where he would be serving.  as mum I was hoping he would call me from Melbourne airport as he had a stop over there - but of course he didn't, so then hoped he would be able to call when he reached the mission home - again nope!!

but we have heard from him and he is safe and sound and very excited.  hope you enjoy

Email 1

Hi Mum And Dad!!

This is the last day in the MTC and I have loved every bit of it !! Feels like only yesterday i said goodbye and hopped on the plane, but at the same time it feels like I've known all these people for ages. It was hard saying goodbye to a few that had to go home and wait for their visas so I don't know how I'm going to be after a companion! or 2 years!!

We had scales to weigh our bags so everyone decided to way themselves as well. I've put on 3 1/2 Kilos since being here :(   

You two working together? Just make sure you are still married by the time i get home! (Jene - Scott has started his new job in the same office - and floor level - as me!!)

I haven't really been bothered learning Spanish because I know it won't help me so there wasn't really any point. (Jene - I had asked him if he was picking up any words from his MTC companion). And yes Marina did come! she bought about 4 kilos of lollies and chocolates for me so that was good hahah. tell her i said thanks! And i met her brother, and we talked for a bit.

Yer we did hear Elder Groberg, he was good to listen to. He just talked about his mission and the stuff that wasn't on the movie (the other side of heaven) and how us as missionaries can greatly affect people's lives. he told a story of a investigator he had that the ward didn't approve of but he kept at it and baptised her, she moved away and had 12 children. All of them served missions and now her grandchildren are starting to serve. It made me realise the chain reaction you can have in people's lives.

We had a few people come (Church Leaders), but the people that matt got to see were the Quorum of the 12 but it is still good to hear from General Authorities.

It's crazy!! everyone is going all over the world on their missions, tell them all I said congratulations!! I told all the Melbourne elders to look out for Elder Wood.  It's good to hear that he is going so well on his mission!!

Have fun at the wedding. Tell them that I love them and hope the day goes well.

Before I go I have some requests! Can you please put some money into my account? and the Camera is broken. I charge it for hours then I take one photo and before the photo is processed it says battery low then turns off, but when I turn it back on it says full battery! and I can't take any photos, and when I could there the photos were blurry and I couldn't fix it. Feel free to send the SLR camera :)

I love and miss you and everyone else. Tell them to love me back... and send letters!! (Jene - sounds so like Matt on his mission!!)

 

Love Elder Duffus

Letter from mission home

Dear Parents of Elder Brendan Scott Duffus,

Thank you for sending your wonderful son to the Australia Adelaide Mission. He will be a wonderful missionary. He arrived safely on Wednesday, 9 January. His new companion is Elder Vanisi and he will be serving in the Malak area of the Darwin Zone in the Northern Territory.

Email 2

HELLO MUM AND DAD!! thanks for emailing me!!

This week has been crazy, being shipped to Adelaide then straight up to Darwin the next day!! And for dad (I know he wants a specific place) I'm in Malak! it has been good and the work has been pretty productive! We have a few baptisms coming up in the only branch here in Darwin. there are 5 missionary companionships in the branch and I think there are about 5 scheduled baptism over the next 6 or 7 weeks! Everyone is so friendly up here, everyone talks to you!! I'm loving it so much!

My Companion, Elder Vanisi from Tonga, and he is the man! Matthew served in his ward so he already knew of me before I got here. He is a good trainer and we have been stopping everyone and talking to them, because that is the only way to get new investigators because every house here in Darwin has a massive fence with massive locks or dogs so it is hard to get in them. All the missionaries up here are so loving, everybody loves everybody and the members are all nice. the only thing is during sacrament, no one sings so it is really quiet and sad :( haha. But I'll change that :).

The humidity is slowly getting easier to handle. Every time you walk outside you start sweating straight away! it's crazy, but everyone gives you drinks. the storms here are better than down in Sydney, lots of lightening, wind and rain.  there was a  big one that hit in Saturday night while we were at an appointment and so we got to ride home in it!!  it was so much fun and then we pretty much just showered in the rain.

Man Darwin is so much fun and I'm glad I got to be here to train. Hopefully I stay up here for a while, because even the non members and less actives feed us. Nanna Sue and Mary (less actives) always feed us and always give us heaps of food to take home.

I don't know what else to write about because I've only been here for 4 days but I'm sure I'll have more to talk about next week!! I'm thankful for the example that dad and matt set for me in serving a mission and I'm grateful to you, mum and dad, for bringing us all up in the gospel. I know that the message we share is true and can improve the lives of all those around us. I use our family when teaching and tell people how happy we are together and that the gospel can do that for them.

I love you all heaps!!!!!!!

Elder Duffus

Now I have to say in our defence, we thought his p-day was Wednesday lol.  luckily he was still on line and we were able to email back and forth for a little while.

His Trek Ma, Alyssa Carroll, is over in Adelaide and was hoping that he would be around for her to see him.  She took a bag of clothes that we couldn’t fit into his case over to him and took them to the mission home.  She was able to find out that he had been sent to the Northern Territory before we heard from the mission home. 

there are lots of people that both she and I know up there, including the Branch Presidents who said she freaked him out on Sunday, as she knew so much about him lol.  when Alyssa went to the mission home they said that they took everyone passports, except for Brendan's and told him the mission president will speak to him.  he then got a huge smile on his face and said ''you know I really want to go to Darwin while I'm here''.  he knew that he would be sent there.  it's so nice to know how he is being looked after.

till next week

Scott and Jene

 

 

 

First contact

We have had a couple of emails and a letter so I will combine all of them. Hope you enjoy the start of the journey.

Email 1

Hi Mum and Dad

We just got back from the temple after 2 sessions! My room mate and 3 others went through for the first time, it was a really good experience. the MTC (Mission Training Centre) is hard but am enjoying it. The classes are none stop all day but the District I'm in is heaps cool, because there are only 53 missionaries in this MTC everyone is really tight and good friends. It's good to know that there is always someone to turn to and rely on.

Over the Christmas period we has a heap of General Authorities come here. I was hoping it would be more physical activities and games but then I realised we are not in YSA here!! They all had great points to give to us and good tips for being a great missionary.

I'm glad I came on a mission, I'm glad for the example that you all set for me and the support you and everyone have given me. I'm glad I made the decision to serve my Heavenly Father and through hard work I will become a good missionary.

Love you all heaps.
Elder Duffus

whilst it was great to hear from him it left us with more questions, thankfully a few days later we got a letter from him, which answered a few of our questions.

Letter

Family,

I'm so glad that I chose to serve a mission, I can feel the blessings already. The first Sunday away from home is the hardest.

Its so cool here in the MTC. There are so many going to serve in Adelaide with me. The MTC president scared my by pulling me into his office and said "well Elder you must have done something wrong before you came because my counsellors and I were up all night praying for you and you have been called as a District Leader while in the MTC, almost had a heart attack!! Sister Salanoa is going well, most of the Sydney people have callings here, Elder Shaydon Wirehira is a Zone Leader.

you know how i wanted to go to Spain for my mission, well i got the next best thing - i got the next best thing - a Spanish companion!! He is serving in Sydney, but another one of my room mates is also serving in Adelaide as well.

We got to teach a lady yesterday and that was a great experience to see how Elder Moncho and I would work together and I feel we did ok.

President told us that Elder John Groberg will be coming to the MTC to talk to us - I hope Matthew will be jealous haha. (Jene - Elder Groberg was a missionary sent to serve in Tonga in the 1950s and a movie called the Other Side of Heaven was made about his experiences.) We also have Elder Hamula coming soon, so the next few days will be packed with great experiences and i cant wait.

We just got news that Evan might hit Auckland as well so we are preparing for that at the moment.

I love and miss you all but I cant wait to get out into the field and start teaching. I am safe, happy and doing well. I love the example that you all have set for me and I am grateful for the opportunity to serve.

Love Elder Duffus

Jene - In my email i had told him that he didn't tell us very much and left us with many questions. We also told him that we were told that one of his teachers was a cousin from a YSA from Hebersham Stake, as well as telling him about convention and our upcoming cruise.

Email 2

Mum and Dad

There really wasn't much to write. Yes Ruth's cousin was our teacher for 2 lessons. I totally forgot about convention and that it was on till New Years Day, but you guys would be used to having no sleep by now haha. It good that dad is always on Facebook now but he does have us as sons!!

Mmmm yes the cruise - i thought that was a joke haha I hope you guys have fun being by yourselves because as soon as I get back you have to take me everywhere with you hahahaha

Thats so crazy about all the calls and I cant believe they leave so soon. tell the all I'm so excited for them.

and I cant really think of anything that you can send me at the moment but as it gets closer to going to Adelaide I'm sure I will think of something.

My companion is from Valencia and another is from Columbia who also speaks Spanish.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH to those who became engaged (Sarah Krix to Alex and Daniel and Cheri) thats great news.

love you
Elder Duffus

On top of the letter and emails, Marina a lady I work with, is currently visiting her family in NZ as her brother has just finished his mission. He is the only member in his family. Marina and her brother took the time to go and visit Brendan in the MTC and take him some treats. They got him out of class and managed to get a photo with him. It was so so good to see him in his current environment and he looks every bit a missionary, thank you Marina and David for doing this.

 Elder Duffus arrives in Adelaide this coming Wednesday, so we are praying that the weather cools down a little bit by then. Hope you enjoy his update.

Scott and Jene