The Best 18 Months

G'day family & friends.

Here we are. It's been 18 months. 

This mission means everything to me. The people I've loved, the message I've shared, the miracles I've seen, and the changes Christ has helped me make are too much for me to express my gratitude. 

As a missionary I have felt discouragement, I have oft times been stressed, and I have reached a state of perpetual exhaustion, I have felt the eternal weight of this work on my shoulders. I have faced, rejection, doubts, and disappointments. But I can honestly say, I have never in my life felt this much pure joy. Labouring in the work of God Himself, with the Saviour, Jesus Christ, as my guide, and the Spirit as my companion. What an honour! I am not worthy of this work, but the Lord has called and qualified me to do it. I used to think I was making a sacrifice for Him by serving, but now I'm more inclined to believe that He made a sacrifice for me by letting me be a part of the sweetest work under the heavens. 

The love that I've felt for my God, my Saviour, and my brothers and sisters has changed me to my core. The experiences I've had have sealed a sure witness of the reality of the living Son of the living God. The trials have refined me. The work has strengthened me. The love I feel for the people has softened and transformed my heart. 

The blessings of the Gospel of Jesus Christ are infinite and available to all who will come. And we must invite all to come. This is God's purpose and it needs to become ours. 

I can't believe my time to serve as a full time missionary is up in 2 short days. But I know I have no need to fear or to feel sad, because the same Saviour who got me on this mission and helped me for the last 18 months, will fly home by my side. He will continue to be my closest Friend and I will continue to labour with Him. 

I bear my witness that I know God lives. He is our Father. He hears our prayers and answers them in wisdom and love. I know our Saviour. You can know Him too. He is Jesus Christ. He has conquered all and lives this very day. I have seen Him heal and I know His Atonement is real and it is enough. I know the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been revealed by God to Prophets since the beginning and that God has never stopped reaching out to us in love. I know that Joseph Smith restored this Gospel, and that the Book of Mormon paired with the Spirit of God is tangible evidence of this. I believe in Priesthood power, temples, and families that last forever. 

Brothers and Sisters I love you and I am excited to continue to serve in this work with you.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-My last district P-day was last Monday. My district leader tore a ligament in his foot playing rugby and then was dying in pain for an hour while we waited for the mission nurse. We took turns eating, distracting him from the pain, SR & I sprinted to the store and back to by him some pain killers, we sang, and laughed a lot. It was an unforgettable pday! 

-Said goodbye to my new Grandpa Pip. He made me try to play Estonian songs to him on the piano lol. He is not a member and is the most stubborn, hilarious old man. I only had a few chances to be with the Kaimur family, but it was such a special experience to be in their home. I believe that Pip and Loris will be an eternal family one day. I know I will see them again! 

-Serving in a ward with 6 missionary companionships and another 2 working the Mandarin ward has been heaps of fun. It's been awesome to be in such a united team doing the work here in Greenwich. #EnglishClass

-The work was so awesome this week. So many great people to meet. So many miracles. I got to do some door knocking too, which was like Disney world for me. I love the people here so much! 

-Sister Ruengurai has become my little sister. It's official. There is no one else I would have rather spent these last 2 transfers with. She is a firecracker. She is a hard worker. She loves the people and they love her! So grateful to have a friend like her as my companion.

-Game night was SO fun this week. I got to see the elder's investigator from Florida again which was awesome. And it's so good to see all the missionaries, investigators, and members having fun together. 

-Sarah got a temple recommend this Sunday! She was so excited. She also started her family history and is preparing to go to the temple next week. So amazing to see her soak up the Gospel. 

-I taught Relief Society for the first time in my life. So scary but I'm so grateful to be in such a great ward.

-It's just been awesome. This whole thing. Some days were hard, some days were easy, but every day was an adventure. Every day I felt the Spirit of the Lord and got see the His work move forward. I have given my whole heart to this. I know Heavenly Father will sanctify my imperfect efforts to bless as many of His children as He can through the mission I've served. It is never over! 

I love you all so much. Thank you for all the support you have given me in different ways throughout my mission.

God be with you till we meet again.

Sister Froemming

Two Elephants

Sawadeeka family & friends!

I hope you have all had a great week! Greenwich is as fantastic as ever!

One of the great things that I've been learning here is that everything will always be eternally okay if we follow Jesus Christ. With Him, nothing is beyond healing. It may seem that a lot is required, but those who live the Gospel can attest that the requirements themselves are gifts from God. Happiness that goes soul deep, peace that lasts through any trial, strength to overcome human imperfections, forgiveness that leaves no trace of sin, and hope of eternal rest with those we love come in and through Jesus Christ and His Gospel. 

"A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation;" - Joseph Smith

Let's rise up. Let's remember. 

Who are you? Why are you here? Where are you trying to go? 

Please, if you know the answers to these questions, live according to that knowledge. Please continually correct your course through eager daily repentance. Please forsake whatever distracts, dulls, or distances your relationship with God our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ our Saviour. These relationships are worth any sacrifice. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is not an event or an organization, it is a way of life that makes us whole. 

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-Sister Ruengurai & I were in charge of the YSA FHE last Monday. We had a great lesson on the Book of Mormon and then got these suckers to play bobbing for apples.  #almostdrowned #byun&chaoMVPs

-A new girl came into English class this week. Her name is Yulia, she is from Taiwan and made me cry laughing because she is so cute. We taught her some English, got to know her, and taught her about the Gospel. She told us that she is moving (south mission) but wants to stay in contact. We said goodbye to her after games night on Friday as she was leaving Saturday. :( Then Saturday, as we were talking to one of our investigators outside the shops, I heard someone squeal and felt arms wrap around me. Yulia! I got to say goodbye to her once more and we're sooooooooo referring her to south missionaries.So blessed to get to meet the people here! 

-I had trade off this week with the lovely Sister Ihler! She is the sweetest person EVER! She follows the Spirit, she is easy for the people to love, and she works hard. She set a strong example for me and showed so much love! So happy to be able to learn from this sister. Also working in Sydney was amazing! So many people to find. We worked along Darling Harbour and China Town and had opportunities to teach so many people, almost every one of them were willing to meet us again! 

 

-Once again, my companion. We are both so stubborn and always fight to our point across lol, but ultimately we know we both understand and love each other unconditionally. There is never a time I am not grateful she is with me. We laugh all day every day, we have some of the deepest gospel discussions, we have a constant friend and support. She has become my family! I'm so grateful for the gospel that unites us. #lukemaaaauuuuw

-We finally got to meet David (our miracle investigator who contacted us) again. We read the Book of Mormon with him and he soaked everything up. He said "I believe this Book can bridge the gap between human nature and the teaching of Jesus Christ...This will help me to follow Him." We were like um wow. We taught him more about baptism and he agreed to be baptized in December as he reads more in the Book of Mormon. I love this work! 

Have a great week everyone!

Rak na!

S

Happy Halloween from GreenWITCH

Sawadeeka family & friends! It's been another great week here in Greenwich. SR & I are continually getting more guidance for the people we're working with here as well as how we can continue to reach more people!

I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many people have tried to disprove us this week. It has been a wonderful experience for Sister Ruengurai and I to testify of what we know and how we know it. We will never argue, we will always listen and respect their opinions, we will even let their questions effect our Gospel study and personal prayers, but we cannot deny what we know and feel. The Church itself is not what our faith is centered on, it is the true Doctrine of Christ. And the Doctrine of Christ is our Saviour's Atonement. When our faith is built upon this sure foundation, we cannot fall! (Helamen 5:12)

We all need the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ to cleanse and heal us. We all need His divine mercy. But the only way we can truly receive His Atonement fully into our lives is by making promises or covenants with God. We promise to trust Him and to keep His commandments, and He promises never to give up on us, He allows us to receive His Son's grace. These covenants are made by us receiving ordinances (a sacred religious ceremony ex. baptism). This shows our willingness to follow God. To perform ordinances, we need God's true power and authority - the Priesthood. All of these things: ordinances, covenants, and Priesthood, can only be truly accessed through the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. This has been God's truth since the foundation of the world. These are the same principles that have always been taught to God's children to lead them to Salvation. This is God's purpose. And though I don't understand the meaning of all things, I trust God and know He loves us. 

I want to invite you all to find an opportunity to bear your testimony this week! There are so many who need to hear it. 

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-Service for the Kaimur family. They are an absolute delight. The wife Loris is 89 and Aussie. The husband Pip is 90 from Estonia. They treat us like royalty when we come do service for them. Pip makes heaps of Grandpa jokes that crack us up, and Loris gives us life tips. It's kind of like heaven. 

-I do impressions of the other missionaries in our area (who are all like hilarious cartoon characters) and it never fails to make Sister Ruengurai laugh SO hard. It's too easy and so funny. 

-Heaps of amazing finding! Our lessons are getting so much deeper. We are learning to help people open up to us and how to administer the Gospel in a way that they can understand. It's the best!

-Halloween party! So fun to see the ward together. 

-I just love the YSA here! We are pretty close with a lot of those who just recently got baptized. It's so amazing to see their journey and their faith. We had lunch with Telle this week and she's just the cutest. 

I hope you all have a great week!

Rak na!

SF

"This Country is Killing Me" -SR

Sawadeeka family & friends!

I hope you are all feeling fantastic and had a wonderful week! This week was challenging, but we saw so much progress! The coordination between the ward and the missionaries continues to tighten. The vision SR and I prayerfully gained at the beginning of our time here has been realised by the leadership in the ward. And the best part is, we have goals and plans of what we will do to actually achieve this vision. 

I'll try to keep my sermon short this week. I just love our Saviour. He has never failed me. His Atonement is more than enough for us, no matter how great our weakness, mistakes, or trials may be. He has conquered! Sin, death and whatever you are facing right now have all already been overcome by Him. I'm so grateful for the moments when I have felt hopeless, alone, or broken, because these are the times when I have seen a loving Saviour heal me. I testify that I have felt the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ relieve me from pain. This is a tangible experience that has ingrained my belief in Him into a part of who I am. But this experience is only made possible through initial Faith in Jesus Christ. I invite all of you to trust Him just a little more. Please let Him help you a little more fully. He wants to help. He is there. Give Him your load and He won't fail you either.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS! 

-We had an awesome lesson with Andrew this week! A member came (from another ward but has a class with Andrew) and we were able to all teach together in unity! I was the question ask-er, Dana was the question answer-er, and Sister Ruengurai was the testifier (along with the Spirit lol). It was a powerful lesson that allowed us to understand Andrew more. I'm not sure how long it will take, but I know he will be baptised one day. 

-My crazy companion. She is so lovely, so funny, so caring, so happy. I just love her! Funny story this week: We were walking to the train station from the chapel as a group of missionaries and investigators. I was walking a little ahead of SR talking to someone and she was behind me talking to Sister Chao. Up ahead, I could see two wild turkeys. Some of the missionaries began pointing them out. I know my companion loves turkey and is crazy. I sighed and said to the missionary next to me "She is going to chase that turkey." 

I literally slo-mo turned around to see my companion slo-mo beginning her run after this turkey. Sister Chao accompanied her of course. It was so funny. P.S. She did not catch the turkey. 

-One day this week Sister Ruengurai and I had a strong feeling to change our morning plan. We had a feeling we needed to stay in the flat and work on the crusty, old, former area book full of people who were taught years ago. We prayed about it a lot because we really would rather go outside haha, but our answer was clear. So we began to work on the area book and call people. It was mostly just cleaning up old records (ex. number disconnected, moved, STILL not interested, "will contact us"). 

After 3 hours of this, we reached an old teaching record for a Vietnamese man name Hue. We called and a woman answered saying no one by that name lived there. We felt like we should keep trying so we began listing off information we had from our teaching record trying to identify him. Finally after reading his wife's name which was listed on the record, she realised who we wanted to speak with and somehow connected us with Hue. 

He. was. so. excited. He doesn't speak English very well, and is 74. He said "wow thank you to remember me!". We asked when we could visit his family, and he said, "2 o clock today. I will wait for you." It was already 1 o clock so we quickly began travelling to his home. When we got there, he was literally waiting outside for us. It was so cute! We talked to him and it was difficult to teach because of the language barrier, but it was amazing to see that God is so aware of His children! He provided a way for us to visit Hue and be able to brighten his spirit and teach him the Gospel!

-Telle got baptised!  It was such an exciting day! We have come to love her so much even if she's not our investigator. #wardunity. She was glowing and her testimony was so cute! I love watching people accept the Gospel here. It's such a leap of faith for those who were taught their whole lives that God is not real. She kept saying "I am a Mormon! Life is full of surprises." hahah, she is the cute girl in the red dress in the picture of all of us. 

I love you all so much! Have a great week.

Rak na,

SF

Hi From Heaven aka Eastwood

Sawadeeka family & friends!

I hope you are all doing well and had a great week! Honestly, every week I just fall a little bit more in love with Greenwich. Work with the ward is getting better and better! We are starting to understand more where our help is most needed. Also Sister Ruengurai & I are really getting the hang of working with the Spirit and teaching more effectively in our finding. SO FUN to improve with the Saviour's help. 

This week we had interviews with President Checketts. He taught me a principle that I would like to share with all of you. 

He said something like "Sister Froemming, if you want to help the people, you need to focus on more effective prayers. I don't necessarily mean you need to pray longer. Think of when you were a kid, and this mostly applies to Elders, but let's say you broke something and you need to admit what you've done to your parents. You will ponder what you are going to say before you approach them. You will plan how you will tell them, how you will apologise, you will try to map out how they will react. In a way, a similar principle applies with prayer. A 2 minute prayer that you've thought about for 5 minutes can be much more powerful than a 5 minute prayer that you've thought about for 2 minutes." 

I listened to President's council and pondered. It seemed very simple. So I made a decision to make a conscious effort to really ponder my prayers and what I wanted to talk to God about before I said them. 

I have been amazed at the effect it has had on me. Each day, especially in my nightly prayer, I review in my mind what I have done, what I am grateful for, where I need to improve, and who I would like to bless. I have found myself in tears before I have even addressed my Heavenly Father. A deeper understanding of Who I am talking to has begun to sink in to my heart. When we pray, we are literally addressing our Creator, our Father, our greatest Friend. The love I have felt from Him and for Him has grown so much. 

As our faith and love for God increases, it changes the way we approach Him. We don't care so much for the blessings we need or the eloquence of our speech. Prayer becomes more about just being with Him. It's like just sitting before a fire and feeling the warmth. Sometimes you don't have to say anything at all. 

I know God loves us. Please consider what that actually means to you and please consider the effort you are putting into your prayers. 

"And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." - John 17:3

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!

-Last week when visiting a less active, we walked by a man doing yard work in his back yard. We  had a prompting to go back and talk to him. He was friendly and open. He is from Uganda and is Christian. He graciously allowed us to teach him a bit of the Restoration over his backyard fence. A few days later, we received a call from him (first time a potential has called us first on my whole mission lol) wanting to set an appointment with us! At our appointment we taught him the message of the Restoration and he accepted it so well! We are so excited to keep working with this miracle. Please keep David in your prayers. 

-My crazy, wonderful companion. So thankful for her. The happiest girl I know. We laugh together all day as we work. 

                   

 --The Partons! An amazing family in Penrith Stake that I briefly met a year ago in my Claremont Meadows trio. I've been hearing about this family from missionaries I love pretty much my whole mission, and I didn't realize that they've also been following my mission blog. I got to see them this weekend at a baptism and it was such a great experience! I know how much they have blessed and brightened the lives of so many missionaries, and I got to receive the same blessing from meeting them again! 

-Going to the temple. It was probably the best experience I have had in an endowment session. Our Heavenly Father's Plan of Love is more than I can express my gratitude for. 

                   

-So fun celebrating Sister Chen's birthday with her this week!

-Sister Chao is the little sister I never had. She absolutely loves bugging me but is also the cutest person I know so she gets away with it. 

Have a great week everyone!

Rak na,

SF

Sister Froemming's General Conference Address LOL

Sawadeeka family & friends! 

I hope you have all had a fantastic week! Another amazing one here in Greenwich. 

The work is moving forward. We are increasing in vision of what to do, and trusting the Saviour who goes before our faces to know how to do it. I love serving Him. When we serve for the Saviour, we are never alone!

I remember a time I watched a sad movie about someone who passed away. After I watched this movie, my emotions were raw and I couldn't stop crying! I thought of my own family and how devastated I would be if this situation were my own. To console myself, I decided to watch bible videos (while eating chocolate obviously). As I watched my heart burned and I continued to click, video after video, scene after scene, watching how the Saviour lived His life. And then finally, I clicked on a video portraying when the Resurrected Saviour appeared to His apostles. 

As I watched, I felt something like a lightning strike go through me! It was as if my chest was full of hot air and fire was running through my veins. Fresh tears overflowed from my eyes. 

"He lives!"

It was more than a thought, more than a feeling (don't you dare start singing that song ahah), it was a knowledge that pierced my very being. It went right through me. Of course I had already believed that Jesus Christ was my Saviour, of course I believed that He lived, died, and rose again. But for some reason as I sat watching this video in Spanish Fork, Utah, I was absolutely aware in every way that He was somewhere near right then. That He actually knew my name. That He truly understood my feelings. That He loved me. It was suddenly so much more real, suddenly so much more personal. I don't really know how to put it into words, but I cannot forget the feelings of that moment.  

I hope that we have all had similar feelings as we have watched General Conference. The theme I personally saw as I watched was knowing, feeling, and trusting the reality of Jesus Christ and His saving Gospel. We must be deeply converted to Him. We must recognise the battle we are fighting and Who's side we are on. We must allow the Gospel to become woven into who we are. The love we have for our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ should be an anchor to our souls and influence each decision we make. 

I testify that we are truly Children of God. That the Plan of Salvation is real. Each day we make choices that determine our destiny. As a missionary who lives each day to serve God, who has seemingly sacrificed (but really just received more in return) a worldly life to more perfectly represent Jesus Christ, I can testify to you that it is worth it. No matter how hard living the Gospel may seem, no matter how inadequate you may feel, no matter what you may be withholding at this time from giving your all, I invite you to put your soul into this. Sacrifice what you must, forsake what you may, nothing is more important than living the Gospel of Jesus Christ and allowing His Atonement to heal us.

He lives. The Spirit has witnessed to me that He is real, and I have witnessed His power changing me and others. He absolutely lives. I know it.

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS! 

-FINDING! SR & I are getting soooo much more effective. We really gave our all to our finding efforts this week. We are seeing the work move much quicker as we are constantly seeking the Spirit. A lot of the time it's easy for us to pick and chose who we want to talk to, but only Heavenly Father knows who is actually prepared. Following His promptings has brought so much joy! 

-Last week I had trade off with Sister Spainhower. It was a dream. And it literally felt like a dream cause I was burning a low fever the whole time lol. But we went to all these beautiful places in Sydney and shared the Gospel with people. It was absolutely the coolest. We also had a sweet lesson with one of SR + I's investigators who we are referring to the City. They have this awesome set up in this big building right in the City where they converted a whole floor to be the chapel and a floor to be a teaching centre with fantastic reverent rooms. It was such a powerful lesson. We could see that David really understood and had desire to follow Jesus Christ. An experience I will never forget. 

-Watching everyone we meet who asks where I'm from as their face drops and they tell me about the hurricane. Everyone in Aussie thinks Florida was like wiped off the face of the planet! Sending prayers to those who lost their homes and their lives wherever they may be from. 

-GENERAL CONFERENCE! A real game changer. So much revelation was received! So much spirit was felt. It was an amazing experience and it just renewed over and over again my love and appreciation for the Saviour, Jesus Christ and His Gospel. We were also so happy that our investigator Andrew stayed for all 4 hours on Sunday! :) 

-Being a missionary is the greatest. And the best part is, we don't have to have a badge to live a consecrated life and to partake in the greatest work in the world! I hope you all are having meaningful experiences taking care of your Heavenly brothers and sisters (especially those in your family). It's truly the best!

I love you all heaps! Shout out to all of you who made it through this long email! #GeneralConferenceFinallyMadeItToAussie

Have a great week!

Rak na!

SF

Are You Keeding Me?

Sawadeeka family & friends!

I hope and pray all of you are doing great! What a wonderful week in Greenwich. Sister Ruengurai and I are fantastic! 

Everyday we are so grateful to be missionaries! I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ so much. I'm in awe that I know about it, understand some part of it, and have the opportunity to live it. To feel the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ, cleansing, enabling, and healing me each day. 

I was very, very, mildly sick this week. As a result, I felt a little light headed and not as enthusiastic about the work. As Sister Ruengurai went out to go visit less actives, I really didn't feel I had the strength to open my mouth along the way. But Heavenly Father put people in our path, and I found that I couldn't keep my mouth closed. As I looked at people, it's like I could feel their need for the Gospel. And I couldn't deny them. I know that this was not from me, but a fruit of the Spirit. How wonderful is our Father in Heaven to look upon our hearts and not just our imperfect actions. He strengthens me so much. I know we all need this power and can have this power in our lives if we will but come unto Him.

"Come unto Him" is something we hear a lot. But what does it mean? For those who feel far from the Saviour, for those who feel they are not doing enough, for those who feel a Christ centered life is out of reach, it can feel difficult to come. It doesn't need to be complicated. Singing a hymn, saying a prayer from your heart, reading a scriptures, or simply continuing when they journey is hard. These things invite our Saviour to walk with us. He is eagerly waiting for us to come.

"Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me." -3 Nephi 9:14

WEEKLY HIGHLIGHTS!!!!!!!

-We had our first YSA FHE in Greenwich and it was so fun! Our investigator Andrew came and loved it! We felt the spirit, played games, and fellow shipped with one another. I also dominated at Ellen's game Head's Up. 

-SR & I gave a training during District Meeting. She loved it! We made a decision to only share experiences from our transfer together, and it was amazing to see how many miracles we had to share! We love the Greeno district! #whereyagoing? 

My District

-We also had a district service this week and we met the most adorable part member family! The wife is an Aussie and is 89. And the husband is from Estonia and is 90. His name is Peep. They are so cute and were adorably overwhelmed with gratitude for our service. We went hard because we love them so much and weeded like crazy people in the rain. (hence the cold). But it was so worth it for them. 

-A cute moment with Peep:

He was so funny and got some juice from the fridge and starts shaking it up and asking if we want any. He didn't realize that the cap was off though lol so cute. So he made a mess and my companion ran to grab paper towels. And Peep takes them from her and starts cleaning it up. I say "No, no! I'll get it!", grab the towels from him, and start cleaning up. Then he just looked at us lovingly and said "I wish I had more daughters." It was so cute. Grandpa Peep is my favourite. 

-Taiwanese night market with my bestfriend/daughter/companion. 

-Sister Chao tries to lock me out of our flat all the time, so I have to try to catch her as we run up 6 flights of stairs several times a week. She is killing me but it's so cute and funny. 

-Chinese BBQ activity with like ridiculously expensive high quality meat, investigators, and recent converts! So fun! #NotARedneckBBQ #LemonThymeInsteadOfKetchup

A Little Cold

-I'm obsessed with the Sisters we live with. We have a weird little family dynamic.

-We are loving the work! Every day is a new adventure! Greenwich is just so fantastic! 

I hope you all have a great week! 

Rak na,

SF