这个孩子很喜欢饺子

Hello everyone! Hope you're all having the time of your lives back home. Australia is still great, and the Chinese bubbles are even better. There was lots to do this week and never enough time to do it all. But we press on. 

To answer the most common question that has been asked: have I seen any kangaroos/wallabies/spiders/other assorted wild animals. The unfortunate answer is, no. I have not. If you don't count the drivers or the footy fans (which I might), I haven't seen any creatures. I'm jealous of all the other missionaries who have bumped into a few. Looking forward to being transferred into the city so I can go to the zoo. 

However, speaking of footy: I assume, if I were in an English branch, I might know something about the phenomenon that is Australian Rules Football. But, I don't. All I know is that everyone on the tram for the last week has been wearing yellow and black (Richmond?) and they all freaked out one night after whoever that is presumably won. They're all crazy. I love the Australians.

Chinese is still coming slow, but I get a little better every day. I'm surrounded by a lot of incredible members and missionaries in my branch and mission. Our little branch is on the 1st floor of a building on Lonsdale street in central Melbourne, and it's just the Chinese who meet there. There's maybe 20 people there every week and they're all so fun, so encouraging, definitely understanding of this poor American boy. I love the Chinese.

Our investigators are progressing. We taught Liu Word of Wisdom and he is working this week to give up coffee and tea. Chelsey and Leo are still moving along slowly. We met this week with two new sisters - Stacey and Lian Rong. Stacey is pretty determined that God doesn't exist, but still is willing to learn. Lian Rong is incredible - brought a Book of Mormon and pamphlets with her from Taiwan after getting them from missionaries there. She's so excited to learn, and has such faith. It's admirable. I love my investigators. 

Because of our area and the people we'er teaching, we don't get fed often. However, this last week was a treat - we were taking out twice for dumplings. I've had a lot of good food here, but the Chinese continue to impress. I love dumplings. 

Those of my beloved friends who went with me to New York last spring might remember the musical we saw, In Transit. It depicted regular New Yorkers on their daily commute from work to school to home on the metro. The show wasn't exactly the most family-oriented, so I wouldn't recommend googling it - but I spent some time thinking about it this week. I spend a lot of time on the train and the tram and the bus, watching and talking to all sorts of people. I've come to notice two things. The first, we really are so quick to make judgement about people around us - we so easily based on our limited perception decide what's happening in their worlds. I've met all sorts of people - happy and angry and just plain crazy, but I rarely can tell from the outside. I never know who wants to hear the message I have to share, who wants to argue, who just wants to talk because no one else listens. There's a whole lot of people out there and every single one has a story. Every person has families and friends and jokes and complexities that we could never understand just by looking. I can tell you, there's a lot we don't understand even after we talk to someone - to this day, I'm still struggling to comprehend how the Chinese people think. But this much I do know: we make the world a little brighter when we put that aside, when we look at people with the perspective of God. There are so many incredible brothers and sisters that pass us by every day. May we better love them as Christ might have if He were here, walking with us.

I noticed the second in talking with several of my investigators. I've heard a number of comments about how unreal I seem to be to them - they can't comprehend how someone could be as "perfect" as this Mormon American boy seems to be in front of them. Like a child, they've said. How could someone be so untouched by the world? I know I'm not perfect - very far from it. Nor am I saying that my investigators think I'm perfect, they're more than aware I'm not. But as members of Christ's church and as followers of Him, they can see that in us. They can see the light and the difference in us as we encourage them to follow. They might not understand. We might not either. But we know that we have God's light in us. I have so much to improve upon, but we've been promised that He won't let us fall short. He'll give us what we need to help those who are ready to listen. That's what I will continue to do - I will listen and serve. I encourage all of you to do your best to share the light of Christ that is in every single one of us. God lives and loves us and we will help us reach farther than we ever thought we could. I'm so grateful to be able to wake up every morning and go and serve Him.

Few other fun stories from this week, because I know that's what you're all really here for.

Scripture night. Members all came and were put into three teams, and there were assorted games where teams would compete to be the fastest to answer. Questions were about principles taught in a particular Book of Mormon chapter, or about when a temple was dedicated, or who was Jesus speaking to when he said something. 

Except it was in Chinese.

Those of you who know me, you know I love games. And competing. And I couldn't because it took longer to translate than it did to actually look up the scripture. 

Aurgh.

Anyway. That was fun. My branch rocks - a lot of really good people. 

I was really tempted to start telling my companion that Americans don't actually write "QU" in words, but instead, we use "Kw", i.e. skweeze and kwack and kwocodile. I decided against it - he was already a little annoyed that I laughed at him for saying "I want to mate with you" as an example phrase to ask someone if they wanted to be college roomates. Ah, English. What a language it is we have. 

To my MTC friends who hit the field this week, best of luck. To the rest of you back home, keep on loving and serving. I miss you all. Good on ya, mates. May God be our guide.

Love you all.

Elder Blackhurst

Australia hasn't killed me yet

Hey everyone! Another week has come and gone. I can still hardly believe that I'm here, talking and serving every single day. I'm sometimes as surprised as the people I tell on the street that I'm going to be here for two years, just talking to whoever will listen. But I know Christ is behind me and this is his work. I'm so very blessed to be here.

So, this week. Where to begin?

The bulk of what I do out here is what we call GQing. I talk to every Asian who passes me on the street and seek out those who have interest to learn about how Christ's gospel will bless their lives. About 50% don't even turn their heads or walk faster when I say hello. Another 20% look over, make a face, and keep going. Maybe a solid 15% will tell me why they can't / won't stop. That's 85% of the people who don't even stop. Of the other 15% who do, most aren't interested at all either. Still, if it was easy, the work certainly wouldn't be working. We just keep looking, talking, sharing what light we have with whoever will listen. I had the pleasant opportunity yesterday to GQ in the City Center, where, along with the Asians who wouldn't listen, I had people who told that I had too much faith, too little faith, I was wasting my time, I was "desecrating her holy ground" (whatever that meant), that my church was vile, and that there was no God in heaven watching out for me. So, you can imagine there's a little pressure out there on the streets. I certainly can't answer every question that arises. But this much I know. I know God lives and He loves me and He'll help me all the way as long as I'm doing His work. There is power in my calling. And until I'm physically unable or until my two years are up, I'll continue to praise and proclaim his name to the Aussies. I'm proud to wear his name on my chest, whatever language that name may be in. 

Our investigators are pretty incredible. Liu is still progressing and learning and getting ready for his baptism. Chelsea and Leo are learning, slow but sure. Man man lai. We got dropped by Helen and Kong and Shan officially, so that was sad. But we found Sammy, who if nothing else, is interested in learning about the activities the church offers. Hopefully that turns into something good.

My companion rocks. Love him tons. It's been such an adventure to get to know someone with completely different culture. Elder Hu is great and I'm honored to have him. Also, his name lends for lots of great humor. Ask my father for good Hu puns, he's got plenty. 

The food. Brothers and sisters, please go find yourself a real Chinese restaurant or cook (no, Panda Express does not count) and eat something. Anything. I'm yet to have something I didn't love. They cook often and they cook well. A few pictures attached below - a member took us out for jiaozi last night, oh my goodness. I'm very happy with how I'm eating. No Australian food yet, so I'll keep you all updated when that time comes.

Stake Conference for the Heidelberg stake was this week. You know it's real when the area seventy makes rugby jokes on the pulpit to the stake. The Australians...they're all such real people. They look at you and tell you what they think and they laugh loud and hard and I love being among them, even if your typical Aussies aren't the ones I'm here to teach. It's such a blessing to be in a cultural bubble within a different world. There is so much to see and feel and learn and I love being around them all. 

This week was truly trying for my patience - mostly with myself. I want to share and teach and express the love I have for my Savior and my teaching skills and language skills inhibit me from doing so. It's really a struggle that I can't already be the missionary I want to be. However, there was a thought I heard at stake conference. One of the speakers quoted a poem, that spoke of a tapestry, line upon line. Progress in life is slow. We all know that. We often get upset when it seems that the threads of our life for periods of time seem black or grey, in opposed to the golds and silvers and vibrant colors we wish they were. In this life, it might seem difficult to understand why we have those dark moments. It's only when we step back and look at the whole that we realize how important those different experiences are. Someday, when we look back at the whole tapestry God has been stitching for us, we might realize that the dark stitches in the big picture are as important for the design as the gold ones. I hope we all can better approach our trials and burdens this week with a brighter desire to work and a more willing heart to accept whatever comes. Count your blessings, name them one by one. You'll be surprised all that the Lord has done. 

Few other fun stories. One of the members brought some ridiculously spicy wings to the branch and convinced a few of us suckers to try a taste. I thought I was going to die. We proceeded to convince our APs they were traditional Korean food, and got one of them to pop a whole one into his mouth. He also thought he was going to die. Great fun.

The musical Aladdin is showing in a theater about three minutes walking from the branch. I cry a little inside every time we walk past. My choir friends, I'm sure you all understand. 

Because Elder Hu doesn't speak perfect English, we help each other with the language a lot. Sometimes, though, he doesn't believe me. When I told him the other day that the shoes we slip on when we go to the beach are called flip-flops, he thought I was kidding. I think he still does. Doing my best, people.

I love you all. Keep the emails and memories coming. I miss everyone lots, but I know the Lord has you under his wing. Keep it up, my friends. 

Elder Blackhurst

Nihao from the Land Down Under

My companion and trainer - Elder Hu

Hey everyone! It's been a crazy couple weeks since I last emailed. For all those of you angry at me for not sending anything out last week, sorry about that. Between that morning and the time zones and all that craziness, this is the first chance I had.

So! For all my American friends, I'm sitting at a Heidelberg library computer in Melbourne Australia at 10:30 AM on September 13. Most of you will probably read this before that time.

Lots to talk about, and I've only got about 90 minutes before I have to run. We have two hours every P Day (Wednesday) to email. Forgive me, friends, if I don't respond to your personal emails. I promise, I read them all, and they bring a smile to my face. Keep them coming.

Most of you will be familiar with the old comedy routine, Who's On First? (If you aren't, look it up - it's funny and it's about baseball. Two fantastic things.) In the sketch, there are two men - the first asking for the names of the players on the teams, and the second answering him. I bring this up for a number of reasons. One: Since arriving in Melbourne, I have been the first man. I ask questions and the responses I get, whether or not they're true, are going over my head. Two: there is no baseball here. Three: the first day I arrived, we all met together with our zone, and within six hours of arriving, we were on the street, talking to people about the gospel. We were randomly assigned companions for that first hour - we'd get our actual companions the next day. I was assigned to Elder Hu. We go out, we teach (more about that later) and we come back. On the way back into the church, Elder Hu asks me, "Do you know who will be your trainer?", to which I respond, "No, I don't know yet."

Surprise. He knew. Hu (who) is my trainer.

Elder Hu is my missionary trainer/father/companion and we've had a blast the first week. Native zhongguoren (yessss) and a great leader. He's only been out for four months or so, so we've been growing a lot together. Both of our languages are growing together. He's also a phenomenal cook, so I've been eating very, very well.

The food. Oh my goodness, the food. I've been introduced to so many new foods, none of which are Aussie. I've had more noodles in the last week than I had the four months prior and it has been awesome. I've also eaten more spicy food than I ever would have cared for, and I'm mastering chopsticks. A word of advice if any of the friends back home are called to Melbourne Mandarin speaking: forget the Melbourne. I'm virtually in China. The food I eat, the meetings I attend, the streets I walk, the people I meet - Asian. Everything. Even the people I'm supposed to approach on the street are only supposed to be the Chinese (which is hard, because Chinese and Japanese and Korean and Vietnamese and Malasia and Singapore...). I'm learning to love this culture and I'm grateful to be a part of it.

Chinese. To be perfectly honest, I've never been more worried about any personal burden I have to leap than this language right now. I understand maybe 10% of the words in any given conversation and my understanding is low. My speaking is pretty rough, especially in every day coversations. Grammar is rough. Vocab is rough. It's all kinda bearing down. Still, day by day. Line upon line, precept upon precept. It will come.

I love my flat. It's roomy and the only one I share with is Elder Hu. Pictures below.

So, every day follows a similar pattern. Wake up, morning prayers, workout (run or pushups or whatever else) for half an hour. Shower. Breakfast. Planning for the day. Planning is usually followed by personal studies, companion studies, and a bit of the program they have for the newbies (typically referred to as Greenies, but in Melbourne, Pres. Vidmar calls us 'Goldens' - Olympian, go figure). After that is lunch, and then we head out. If we have a lesson, we go to the lesson. Otherwise, most of the time, we go GQing: find a place on the street and talk to anyone (any Asian) who will listen to me. And to be honest, there aren't that many who do. But we keep going anyway. Those of you who know me know I was bad enough at conversing in English - forget my broken Chinese, especially with people who don't speak English as a native tongue. It's hard and I've got a long way to go. Even then, I love it. I love being out there and sharing it. It means the world to me. Just waiting for the ones who are ready to take it and let it mean the world to them too.

Anyway. After that, we head back to the flat. Dinner and language study. I've fallen asleep with my head on my book and a pencil in my hand almost every day this week. It's long and it's hard but it's so good. Looking forward to being totally adjusted to this new world.

Let's see. What else?

We've got several investigators. The Chinese are different - it's a different culture and different contacting. Still, there's a few and they're all golden. Love them. First day, I met Chelsy. Super sweet. Very curious about the church, but not a lot of desire to change. We're working with her. We've also got Shan, who is a little less good. She likes railing on Australian politics. We can't really discuss politics, so that's been interesting. Leo is awesome. Love him. Willing to keep commitments and wants to follow God. Not so sure about everything we teach, but he's willing to learn. And Liu - he's golden. Praying and studying. Accepted a commitment to baptism. We're so excited and proud of him. The glow and joy in him is apparent. I'm very excited to keep working with him.

And then there's Kong. To all my speakers: Ta fang women gezi le.

DRIVING. Aurgh. Thank heavens my companion drives, because the roads are terrifying. Wrong side of the road. Enough said. When the time comes for me to drive, I'm going to die.

More stories. First night here, we stayed at the mission home. Sis. Vidmar beat every one of the new Elders at ping pong. That was fun. A little humbling.

I found Beanie hair on a shirt today. Beyond all logic and physics and reason, that dang dog still managed to follow me over here. What the heck.

Being on the opposite side of the world is weird. The jet lag is still lingering. I spent a fair amount of time stargazing back home - all of a sudden, the sky is different and it's a little bizarre. But the sky is so clear. Unlike the MTC, the stars are bright every night. And that's been a blessing. In all this madness, it's been stressful. There is no doubt that mission work is hard. And I've only been here a week. I know, however, that God is watching out over me. He answers my prayers. He comforts me when I don't think I can do it. He helps me find the courage to go and open my mouth. We've all got struggles and trials and walls in front of us. I've got Chinese, I'm sure you all have your own. May we all better rely on our loving Father in heaven this week. He's ready to help us, to bless us. We just need to trust in Him.

I love you all dearly. I miss you all. But this work is the most incredible thing. I'm honored to be out here and I'm excited to see what adventures will come.

Elder Blackhurst

Elders Rosa and Nguyen at the mission home

Our flat

Elder Hu, cooking

Heck yes

               I'm...I'm not sure what this is. I'm conflicted. I was really tired.

Also, the fact that our flat has that hat is beautiful.

Love you all! Have a fantastic week!

​​

A note and picture from the mission office.

Dear Blackhurst Family,

Last week we were pleased to welcome Elder Blackhurst to the Australia Melbourne Mission!  He is delightful! I hope you enjoy the attached photo of him with President & Sister Vidmar.  And please do hesitate to email the mission office with any questions or concerns.

Kind regards,

Sister Hyde

Australia Melbourne Mission Secretary

I made it!

Hey! Real quick. Just checking in. I'm here. Right next door to the temple. Already spent an hour picking out Asians off the street and contacting. It was awesome and terrifying and my Chinese is terrible and I love it. So excited. All is well over here. President Vidmar is great. So excited to be here. You won't hear from me until next P Day, but I'll know who my first companion is by tomorrow. I'll be in my first zone by tomorrow night. 

Love you lots. I love it here. Couldn't be happier. Learning lots. Have a fantastic week. Thank you for everything.

It's time.

It begins. 

Elder B. H. Blackhurst

The following photos were taken from the Australia Melbourne Mission facebook page.  

The sign at the airport with all the goldens

And he's off!

Good morning! Just had a few minutes to swing by the lab and drop a few pictures in. I leave in a few hours. I'm mostly packed and ready to go and I'm so excited.  

Plans never changed - still Salt Lake to Houston to Auckland to Melbourne. 

Can't wait.  Love you all!

The District

Australia Melbourne Mission

Elders Bunn and Crimm

Elders Staten and Sowards

Elders Campbell and Nissen