To answer the most common question that has been asked: have I seen any kangaroos/wallabies/spiders/
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
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