Our "First Time" Day

Tuesday October 18, 2011                　
Today we will label as our "First Time Day". This was our first day for a lot of things.
I got up and fixed a lunch for our "First Time Day" . Why do I call it a "First Time Day"?    Because it was a first time for many things today.

First of all I will start off by telling you about this really nice elderly gentleman in our Orange Branch. He is really devoted to the church. I would guess he is in his 90's. Norman Aukland lives in an assisted living center. He comes to church every Sunday with the assistance of the Branch President picking him up and taking him back home. He is very hard of hearing and can’t see details enough to show him a picture, but he still comes.    Every Sunday he is faithfully there in the chapel seat.   

He asked us one day if we would come and visit him.    He is lonely and I think only has 1 daughter that comes to visit him.    The sisters were telling us that it was a long time that his daughter didn’t even come.    He was very sad.    So we go visit him every Sunday now.

When we first went into his tiny little mentholated smelling room, the walls were covered with large photographs of trains. Very old steam trains.   Elder Tietjen asked him about them and he told us that his life’s occupation was working with trains.    His main job was the switching of the tracks or switchman.     We talked trains a lot that day.     We asked if he would like to take us to the railway station and show us around.    He lit up.     The next time we came to visit he said he had a better idea about the railway visit.    He wanted us to take a little trip on the train to Dubbo.     And he would come too.
Monday Oct 10we took Norman Aukland to the Railway Station to have him show us around the station.    He knew it all and seemed pleased to be showing it to us.    We were there to see 2 trains come in and go out.    He wanted us to buy tickets.    He said he had a pass to get on the train for free.     We went in to check on the tickets.     It turned out that his pass had expired back in 2008. But the station man asked if he had a pension card.    He did, and could get his ticket for $2.50.    We had planned on going on Tuesday Oct 18 but it turned out that he could only use his card 7 days before the event.  Since this was Monday Elder Tietjen had to come back the next day on Tues Oct 11 to get the tickets.     It cost us each $45 round trip for our tickets.Norm still has a very sharp mind.    It is just hard to visit with him because he can’t hear too good.  You have to get up to his right ear and talk very loud.    On Sunday he reminded us of the train trip to be on Tuesday at half past 11.     I think he was really excited.    Almost as excited as Elder Tietjen.
So Tuesday Oct 18 finally came.    I fixed a large sack lunch of sandwiches and the normal junk foods for trips.    We then went to pick Norman up.    He was ready and waiting in the foyer.
We drove to the station and waited for the train to come.    11:50 am we boarded the train.
This was a "First Time" for Elder Tietjen to ever in his life ride on a train.
We were assigned 2 seats together and then 1 seat across the isle.    The train was pretty packed because a school group of kids were going on an field trip to the Dubbo Zoo.    That same zoo that we saw the $46 a ticket per adult zoo.    Elder Tietjen sat with Brother Aukland because there was a lady that needed to sit there.    So we had her sit by me.

We visited and I showed her my family photos.    She kept saying that I was so blessed to have such a wonderful family.   

At one moment, and I still can’t believe that it was at that very moment, that I looked out the window. The track was built up and down below on my side the ground had a flat trail running along side of it. And right at that moment, there was a kangaroo running along the trail going the same direction as the train.   I could not hardly believe it that I got to see another kangaroo and so close.    The train moved faster than the kangaroo could run and therefore we over took it in no time.   I could not get my camera out fast enough to snap a shot at it.

The lady rode for 1 hr and got off at Wellington.    Then a man had to sit by me.    He was a young man probably in his 30's.    He was black and very nice looking.    Elder Tietjen introduced himself and because of "our" accents he asked where we came from.     After telling him we came from America he asked the popular question of why were we here.      (Now isn’t that suppose to be our question as a missionary?) We told him we were missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.    He said he had seen several other missionaries walking around.    Then the lady in front of Elder Tietjen turned around and said, "No you probably saw Jehovah Witness Missionaries, there are a lot of them".     Elder Tietjen commented that there were probably a few of them around too.    And she let him know that she was a Jehovah Witness and there were a LOT of them.     The man then started to ask me questions about the church.       As the lady was talking to Elder Tietjen so I was on my own.  I could not answer all of his questions.     I was telling him about Joseph Smith and he asked how do you know his story is legitimate and not just some other fairy tale.    The train then stopped.    I gave him a pass along card that gave the mormon.org web site. He went away acting like he wasn’t too sure of me.     I felt like a real failure as a missionary.
Hopefully he will go to the website and read more.     I also gave him our card with our name and address and phone on it.
So this Day was:

A "First Time" ever in his life that Elder Tietjen got to ride on a real life size train.

A "First Time" ever that I got to see a Kangaroo running along side a train.

A "First Time" ever for me to talk the gospel to someone all alone.

A "First Time" for Elder Tietjen to talk to a Jehovah Witness and she did not want to hear about the Book of Mormon. The Bible is all there is.

Now the train ride was something else especially for here in Australia.   It was smooth and straight.   shocking huh?    Elder Tietjen was amazed at how smooth a train could feel.    He always imagined that they would be very bumpy and go clank clank as it went over the rails.     It was a very enjoyable and relaxing trip. (Except when I was put on the spot).

We rode to Dubbo, sat in the station for 15 minutes and then boarded the train and came home to Orange.    Dubbo was the end of the route as far as this train goes.    They push a lever at the bottom of the seats and turn them around backwards.    The engine that was pulled is now the lead engine.    Very cleaver.    On the way home the train was almost empty.    Very very relaxing.

Brother Aukland said this will not be our last ride. I hope not. It was a total of 4 hrs for the round trip.

As I walked him towards the home, those that saw him coming asked him about his train ride.    Everyone seemed to know about it.    The manager lady of the place walked by and said to me "thanks for doing that for him".    That made the day complete.
Now most of you have been told the typical missionary story like the following. "Overeating."

5:40 pm -To top off our wonderfully ecstatic day, we had our "First Time" barbeque with W........., L...... and kids.     We gave them a short missionary lesson first and then Winston dished up the plates and oh, my goodness.     Each of our plates had two pieces of chicken, a steak, a huge sausage, a scoop of cooked veggies, and a scoop of fresh veggie salad. Which consisted of large chunks of fresh onions, green and red peppers, whole peas, corn and avocados. Before we hardly even got started, he was offering us more. They were all finished eating before our plates even looked like we had started on them. And he kept offering us more. I did not see him go back for seconds. I ate almost all of it. But if you know me very well, I will probably go into Uric Acid shock tonight along with onion breath. He wants to have another barbeque again this Saturday out at the Lake. I will be sure to dish my own plate up.
We played 2 rounds of Phase 10 and then said we had to go home.     It was 8 pm and there is school for the kids tomorrow.     We both went home to explode.