Church in Angkula

Had a great week this week.  It started out with President and Sister Carter coming up for a zone training.  Then afterwards we had a bush meeting with him to let him know more about what is happening out bush. There is a lot of discussion on whether they should shut down the bush or not and it is President Carter's decision. So we had to let him know the work we are doing and if it is working. So that really motivated us this week to make it the best week and prove that the people out bush are progressing and that the gospel is  helping them.  We saw a lot of miracles this week.  They were more keen for stories and lessons, we actually had church in one of the communities that hasn't had a church service for a few months now.
Here is more about the this experienced in another letter from Elder Hyde:
Had a sweet experience out bush this week where we had church in Angkula for the first time since I have been here, because it is the community where most of the people have been staying in town. It is also the one where the strongest priesthood leaders are. We were over at where we were holding church just getting ready for them to come over, when I looked up I saw these 3 guys wearing white shirts and ties walking in a line together coming to church, it was a cool sight. I just imagined it in slow motion like in the movies. Their hair was all slicked back and they were ready. Wearing clean shirts and pants. Awesome as. Then at church they conducted and did most of the things. Felt the spirit strong.

Just a couple of things that happened.  They showed their love to us by inviting us to have a bit of kangaroo with them that they caught.  They usually just eat it themselves but by inviting us it showed their trust and love to us. It is pretty crazy how they eat it. They put the whole thing in the ground in the fire to cook.  Then when it is cooked they take it out and cut the thighs and heaps of blood comes out and they catch it in a cup and pass it around to drink.  Then they chop it up and get the parts that they like. 

Love yas,
Elder Hyde

Priesthood Power

I still love it here, this week I had a trade off with the zone leader in town though so I didn't go out bush.  But it was cool to meet some of the members here in town. We are trying to connect the town and the bush together, because one of the problems that we have is that the bush members don't really have an example to look for how members of the church should act and stuff because they don't see the members in town much and we are the only people of the church that they really come in contact with. So maybe with the members that I have met we can bring them closer together, and we will be able to accomplish a lot with the members being an example for the bush saints. My trade off was with Elder Taukafa, he is a giant islander from Sydney. He plays pro rugby but he is humble and very spiritual. I learned a lot from him. It was good.

I had the privilege of going on trade off with Elder Taukafa, he is one of the town elders and I was able to learn a lot from him about using our priesthood and the authority that we have as missionaries and not being afraid to be bold about it and using it. We had one experience especially where we were asked to give a blessing to a member from far away out bush where there is no church, but she was in town for the weekend to go to the hospital. after we gave the blessing she just started crying and bearing her testimony. She said she could still feel hands on her head even when we took ours off. Amazing experience.
Keep smiling. Make the best of this week. Love ya.
Love Elder Hyde

A stop sign in Alice Springs "STOP-Hammer Time"

Letter from August 5th

This is a picture when President Carter came up for zone conference a little while ago.  I can't think of anything else you could tell people besides good maybe great or fantastic. Ha. One of the priesthood holders out in Angkula, named Adrian, wanted me to tell you that Elvis Presley is still alive, he is just hiding. But you can't tell anybody because it is a secret. He is obsessed with Elvis and has heaps of Elvis stuff. He wants you to take a picture of him if you ever see him around. Some of the members from Mulga Bore took a horse to the horse races in Harts Range and they just caught wild horses and took them but we saw them getting them ready to take to Harts Range. It was kind of funny because the horses didn't want to be ridden on but they were supposed to be racing in the next couple of days. I realized what the saying "peeing like a race horse" meant because I saw it, yuck. Like a fire hydrant. Anyways, something cool that happened this week, we had a little family home evening thing with some of the bush saints and we used flour in a cup then tipped it over so that the flour was just standing on its own, and then put a skittle on it. Then with a knife you go around and cut the flour and whoever makes the skittle fall has to eat some plain flour. It was showing that we need to build on Jesus Christ, on solid ground. If we don't then we fall down and have to taste the yuck. Then the kids had a flour war after that and they were all white. ha. Those are some cool things that happened this week. I just learned that I will be staying in town this week with one of the zone leaders because the other one is going to go out bush and see how the work is going out there. Yeah. Everything is still awesome here. I hope your still enjoying life as much as you can. Keep smiling. Love ya.
Love Elder Hyde

Letter from July 22nd and 29th

July 22
-Are there any of the aboriginal communities you visit that have become your favorite? 

 I came in an interesting situation because one of the communities that we visit, all of the people are in town, so I haven't seen them out there, but the times I have stayed in town we visit them at their houses here. I have really grown to love them, they are probably the most progressed in the gospel at this point, they have a few worthy priesthood leaders. Then I also really like the other 2, Engawala has quite a few members so that one is cool to visit. And Harts Range there is not many members but it is still cool there.
-Are there any that don't seem to welcome you as well? 

There are just a couple families in Engawala and Harts Range that don't really like talking to us but they aren't hostile towards us.
-Is it mostly the women that will listen to you? 

Yes. Mostly women and kids but there are a few men that are good.
-Do they have a lot of domestic dogs or are there just dingos that run around? 

They have heaps of domestic dogs butIi don't know if I would call them domestic. They are pretty dingy. Missing fur or skinny. But yeah. There are dingos also but they don't really come into the communities, just if you camp outside them. And that is also why they have dogs to fight off the dingos. Like the community that our shed is in, we can hear dingos but then our dog Mcnight fights them off.
-It seems like I read a story of a baby that got carried away by dingos there. 

That is a true story, I heard there was a big debate whether the mom killed the baby or not, but they finally decided it was a dingo. interesting.
-How is your new President? 

New president is awesome!
-Have you had much chance to spend some time with him? 

We got to have a personal interview with him and that lasted 15 minutes then we had a training the next day for the whole day so we spent some good time with him.
-Are there any of the aboriginal women that like to mother the missionaries (sometimes to the point of spoiling) or do they just think you should be men and take care of yourselves? 

They think we are men and can take care of ourselves and they are right. ha.
-Are you happy with the missionaries you are working with? 

Yes, we all have different backgrounds that help the work a lot, but unfortunately we just found out that my comp Elder Hepworth and Elder Teeples are leaving, me and Yamamoto are staying.

Keep smiling. One of my favorite scriptures- 2 Nephi 2:25 We are here to have joy, keep enjoying life. Love you heaps!

Elder Hyde


July 29
-Tell us about your new comp?

My new comp is Elder Visesio, its a tongue twister. He is fairly new in the mission but is already a great missionary. He is an islander with Samoan blood born in New Zealand but lives in Brisbane. He has 4 siblings and he is the oldest. He is very humble and funny. The other new comp is not a new companion for me. He is Elder Sie. The one I served with in Elisabeth. He is even funnier and more focused then before so he is great. It was sad to see the others go, but we are going to accomplish miracles with these elders.

-Have you had any funny experiences with the aboriginals there?

Um well, one that was kind of weird but funny was Elder Sie got peed on by one of the kids in Engawala. There are heaps of little things that are funny that happen and I tend to notice them more when I am looking for them so I will look for more of them so that I can write you more.

-Do they play rugby or do anything like that you could join in on for P day?

Right now it is their footy season so they play that but their practice isn't on Monday so we can't play with them but we go on the other days and talk with them just to build the relationship, because there are some potentials on the team also.

Thanks for writing. Just thinking, we have this vision that we want some of the aboriginal families to make it to the temple by October because that is when the branch is going down to Adelaide to go. Could you include them in your prayers that this may be possible. Thanks. Love yous heaps.
Love Elder Hyde