What a week! On friday I was in exchanges and tracted into this kid. Yound kid, but we felt good to teach him. Gave him a pamphlet and return appointment. Didn't think it was anything solid so I didn't think much of it. But we went anyways after the meal. Well the kid came to the door and invited us in. We were a little bit in awe. We thought he forgot and was jsut then talking to his mum about it. But she came in and asked us to sit down. Then the other daughter came in. She was a little shocked, but we told them who we were, chatted with them then taught them the restoration! It was such a good lesson. They were all involved and asking good qustions and their learning was right on track! Then the son and girlfriend came in just after the Book of Mormon principle and they sat in a listened! It was such a great experence! They are having us back on Tuesday! This is the family I've been praying to find!

The whole day we didn't have any petrol and Ijust had complete faith that the Lord would provide! haha the light was on the whole day and we made it everywhere! The Lord is good.

Australian Wildlife

When we were going to transfers we went to Hungry Jacks (burger king) for a little breakfast lunch and last hoorah together. While we were there, there was a bird in the joint! Thankfully we were the only ones there with the workers. We must of looked like idiots trying to catch this thing! hahah but I caught it! I have it on film too! We had a really good chat to the managers and the workers about who we were and what we do. It was really good! and funny! work!

Well this week has been quick! The mission is just flyin by. So many things just happen so fast. I have been getting better at running in the morning. It really is addicting. I didn't stretch this morning and my calfs were screaming at me hlaf way thorough... but I kept pushing! It is great when you can defeat your body. The other day we went on this run that finished on along as uphill. it conquered me. I walked up a part of the hill. It was brutal.
We have some investigators that were supposed to come along to church and do other things... but they are all being slack! Rarr!! This is eternal life people! Stop being lame! So this week was a bit depressing. But the work goes on. My body is just recently getting used to the mission schedule. waking up in the mornings is usually easy. I just have more will power to get up and more of a reason to get up. I wanna keep the habit of waking up early. It is really good. I am reading Jesus the Christ again. I need some more insights. I am like halfway through all my studies. Halfway through the D&C, Book of mormon, and New Testament... so why not add just one more to it eh?!You can only do so much personal study because most of the time I am studying for the investigators. Trying to think how to teach the principles for them and how to really help them overcome their concerns, so studying for myself has become something you do at lunch, dinner and pday. So I dont' get heaps of time. thats why i'm like halfway through it all.
Elder page is the man. Oh and I have a post card I have meant to send. Fathers Day and Mothers Day are all different down here, so i basically forgot it was Fathers Day in the U.S. this weekend. But your gonna love the postcard... it is crack up.

Love
Elder Langston

Elder Zabriskie & Elder Langston

Here I am in my imaginary bicycle stance. It really helps me sympathize with all those
Elders who actually ride bikes... Aye Mate! it's all thumbs up down here in Melbourne!

Oh yeah, I forgot about balute. Balute is that half developed duck egg that the Phillipinos boil up and eat. Well we went to a fillos house and they made six for us 4 misionaries. (for fun not for real meal) and well the daughter can draw really well. so we told her that if the six eggs were eaten, she would have to draw us four as super heros so we could blow it up and put it on the flat wall. So well, I and Elder Zabriskie ate two! yeah yeah! That is one of the pics. I was gagging the whole time.. but got it down. I could do fear factor easy.

Today we are fixing some things and cleaning and rearranging the place. Getting a new view on things. Also going to Bunnings to get some drywall and patch repair things.... hahah... I'll tell the story when I fix it all up. Oh and thanks Dad for teaching me very handy things. Like how to fix holes in walls.

Don't know how the wall could have a hole in it. . . .

" I'm getting this thing cut out of my neck ina week or two. There is nothing wrong, it is just and annoyance and it won't go away unless it is taken out. So yeah! don't fret about it... nothing big"

"My child has fallen among cut throats!! How much is a ticket to Australia?"

We are still in Meadow Heights- aka muslim heights- and living in the 4 man flat. It has been very fun and a good struggle. Thank you for teaching me how to live clean... and how to actually clean.
Life has been going really well! I had the opportunity to give two blessing this past week and they really just helped me out! I am just beginning to learn how the spirit communicates. If you listen .. you can hear it!
Really having a blast and a half and I'm excited to have a new companion! My first American one! hahah
this friday night we are having a culture night and we are putting on a skit of sorts... so this should be interesting... i'll see if i can get it filmed!
Love ya heaps!
Elder Langston

C'mon Grampa, write on the blog!!!

After much prompting from the family, especially our favorite Elder, we have repented and committed to updating this blog in a more timely and interesting fashion.

Planning a trip to Australia?

Australia is a wonderful place to visit. Here's a map to show all the wonderful locations in that wonderful land called Australia

Updates and New Pics

i want a t-shirt...


just a cool photo eh?


tai chi on the beach! beaut! we can't work out sunday mornings, so we walk on the beach


elder williamson the zl on exchanges


this is lori.. he is really funny bloke -(like that? i'm trying to sound aussie)

Things have been going really well. I went on exchanges this past weekend with Elder Williamson. I heard that he was quite a difficult Elder with which to work. I expected the worst and I actually had a good time with him. He is the Zone Leader. I am really trying to be as humble as I can, so I just told him that night, 'tell me the things I need to work on and don't sugar coat them' ... I hate when people do that... just tell them strait up ya know?! Anyways he told me some good things I can work on and I'm trying to get better. This transfer has flown by. it is the 6th week allready and transfers are next week. Elder Tupou thinks President is gonna throw me in deep water. I'm really worried. I'll at least learn how to swim!! or... to float. anyways, i'm thinking of gettinga tasmanian liscence?! It costs 25 bucks and they don't take my usa one... so then I like have proof that I lived in Tasmania?! Good suvanieer (spell check) maybe?! Um yeah, I have to stop wearing some of the ties I have. Pres. didn't like the really dull pink tie I wore to interviews... so I thought the almost glow in the dark orange one is not a good idea to wear. Maybe only on pdays. Yeah, well, other then that all is going well!

I'm almost in Antarctica!!

Here are some new pics from the recent transfer to Tazmania


The gospel must be preached to all creatures...

Presiding...Princess in charge with her two jesters

Scary, scary missionary


Beautiful Lighthouse

A single tree...

Some excerpts from the most recent letter...

Tasmania is awesome! This is what I kinda pictured my mission to look like. It is so beautiful! Things are really looking up. I think the members trust and love us because we have feeds every night. We had a really rough week this week, but are trying to move through it. We had Zone Conference this last week, I woke up with Pink Eye one morning, and have learned that I can actually run pretty fast. I am learning how to better communicate and am learning heaps! I sure love this....more to come later.

New Tricks

Check out the new tricks Elder Langston has learned....see, missions give you time to polish up your skills! Another letter from Abe...

"One guy we are teaching, David, is the coolest guy every! He is Mauir and is totally humble. He is a funny father too. His little boy (maybe 4 years old) was playing and started to cry. The dad was like, "shut it!" and then he started to doing it the way Austin Powers says to Dr. Evil to "zip it". He even lifted his shoe and acted like he was gonna throw it at him and then started saying stuff in Mauri. It was SO funny. We were dying laughing. The kid stopped crying! And those kids will be tough because they'll only cry when they're actually hurt and not just for attention.

David goes above and beyond every commitment we leave him. I asked him to read Moroni 10 and he instead read all of Moroni. I asked him to do three questions, and did the whole pamphlet we left him. He wants to be married and baptized on the same day! We are so excited. He also wants to be sealed. It would be so cool to be here when his family goes through the temple.

Other than that, Elder Langston tells us he isn't having trouble waking up on time. That was a worry for him before he left. He said he can get up at 6:30, walk around a little, and then sit and read the scriptures for an hour without falling asleep!! If we all could do that it would be a blessing!

Would you ride with this driver???

It's amazing they actually let some people drive....

Another week flies by...

Time really has started to fly by... it feels like yesterday I was writing you and it's already been a week! The mystique of the mission has worn off and now it's just hard work, to say it quite simply. It is way hard to get people to talk to you. Waking up at 630 is pretty hard, too.

We were tracting yesterday and it was my turn to knock on the door. It is weird here because all the doors are metal mesh, so you can't see the person unless they open the door. I hear this man's voice and I start up a conversation. He wasn't interested at all and didn't want any pamphlets, so I said, "Do you think infants would live with Satan if they die?" (Once I blurted it out, I thought to myself, "WHAT AM I DOING??!! This guy is gonna think I'm off my rocker!?")

Well, he said, "no, I don't." We later found out that his six year old son died years before and he actually did want to read the pamphlets we had. Who knows what will happen with that. I guess it is true that if you open your mouth, it will be filled.

Lessons Learned

One of the first letters from Elder Langston once he reached Melbourne....

"Thursday Elder Bednar came and talked with us. That was really good. Probably the biggest lesson I'll learn I learned right out of the gate from him, which is how to learn from the Spirit. Before I came out, I think I was trying to hard to be focused on sounding smart and packing my head with one-liners and all that stuff. I found that all of it comes together if you just do what you're supposed to and follow the Spirit all the time."

It's nice to hear he is learning something new each day.

The First Letter

Finally that long awaited "First letter" from the MTC. We haven't gotten a picture so I found one that shows the real Abe. Like always, Abe is fitting into the routine just fine. He says that it's weird even thinking about girls. Now there's a change. His instructor is a "Cutie" but he wouldn't look at her fearing she'd think he was checking her out. His companion, Elder Gremert, is a little older and Abe appreciates his maturity. They taught a volunteer the first lesson at the TRC and she said she was very impressed that it was their first time. He stays very busy and can only write on P-Day which is Wednesday. Says He's had no homesickness, actually he loves being at the MTC. Abe is still Abe however. He and his companion have made harmony to "Ye Elders of Isreal" in whistle! That child is unique.

Hopfully there's another letter this weekend. We seem to be watching the mailbox pretty close.

FYI: Abe is scheduled to leave for Australia February 19

Thanks to Elaine and Tom Carlile

There is a wonderful couple that takes pictures of the missionaries that arrive at the Prove MTC on the shuttle. These new missionaries don't have a family there to take photos, so Elaine and Tom take over. We recieved this shot of 4 great young men. You should be able to pick Elder Langston out on the right side.

Sucessfully checked in

Elder Langston has checked into the MTC successfully today at 12:30pm. He looked good this morning as he boarded the plane bound for Salt Lake City.
We all enjoyed Abrams last dinner at the local Taco Bell. He doesn't have a highly developed pallet, but we had a good time. All the brothers and sisters came and some friends as well. Then we all went to the president's home and had a wonderful evening that resulted in Abe's setting apart as a missionary. He we given and reminded of wonderful blessings and promises.
This morning as we were leaving the house, he asked his dad "Where's your tie?" Abe made ole dad fully aware that even though he wasn't leaving for a mission, for the time being, he was Abe's companion and needed a tie. He will be great Missionary!

Here's one of his first pics as a missionary.