Elder Brigham Blackhurst: Australia 7-Eleven BYO Slurpee Cup Day

It's been a week down here in 澳大利亚! We've seen the Lord's hand reaching into our mission...maybe not in the ways we expected, but certainly in the ways we've been blessed. Still working and serving and growing and doing our best to spread the Word.

So, we've been a little short on investigators. We were really hoping and praying that this week we'd find lots of new people to teach. Not quite the case, as we still haven't taught a lesson to a Heidelberg investigator since the 23rd of February. But because we haven't had much to do, we've been able to do lots of contacting and take care of our members. Last night in particular was such a sweet experience - we spent an hour or so with a Sister who's been going through some rough times. We were trying to help her see just how God prepares our path for us and blesses us in ways we could never understand - when her phone rang, and good ol' Elder Hu was on the other end, calling based on a prompting he had to contact her. It's not the big things that change lives - it's the little, impossibly "coincidental" things. I've learned a lot of things out here as a missionary, but there are no coincidences. Things happen for distinct reasons, by direction from our loving Heavenly Father. Sure, He doesn't will every bad thing that comes in our way to happen to us. But He has orchestrated a world in which we can learn and grow and suffer and love and change. And if you ask me, that's a whole lot more fulfilling than everything just going right all the time.

Our baptismal date investigator hasn't picked up her phone in a week and a half, so we have to drop her date. We're really worried about her. We love her lots. But sometimes, the Lord's timing isn't ours. She isn't ready. We aren't going to push her and neither will the Lord. As we trust that He's in control, we can worry less about why they aren't calling us back and focus more on how we can serve and share and testify and bless. Mandy will be ready some day. Of that, I am sure. It just simply isn't today.

Beyond that, not a lot of lessons. We had Zone conference, which was fun. Our branch had over 75 people show up, which was astounding. Shooting for 100 in the next few months.

So, a few fun stories. I have to explain my subject line, don't I? Last P Day was "Bring Your Own Slurpee Cup" Day - $1 Aussie dollar for any cup your bring yourself. That's three American quarters for as much as you can carry. When we got to the branch last week, I told the Elders there that I'd pay for whatever they wanted to carry down the street and back. They ransacked the branch and came out with three old ice cream bins, a colossal punch bowl and, naturally, a rice cooker. It was the ̶w̶o̶r̶s̶t̶ best $4 dollars I've spent since arriving in the mission. Pictures below.

In other news, my Chinese is getting better, I wear flipflops around the flat, I eat rice at every meal and my companion is teaching me how to tell if a watermelon is good based on the sound it makes. I'm becoming an Asian.

Have a lovely week, my friends. I miss you all tons. Keep up the good and I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Elder Blackhurst