Tracting - feat. Angry Aussies, Born-Agains and not enough Zhongguoren

Hello everyone! It's been a long week. I know many of you must be going through withdrawals after not hearing from me for nine days. Rest assured, all is well. We had an early P Day last week before Zone Conference, and a late P Day this week because yesterday was ANZAC Day. But we're back on schedule and excited about everything happening in our area. 

A little bit of Australian culture for all of my Americans back home: ANZAC Day is a national holiday down here. It stands for Australian & New Zealand Army Corps, and it's a day of remembrance for all those serving and have previously served in the armed forces....and that's pretty much all I know about it. We found out yesterday that there is also a significant Footy game that happens every year on ANZAC Day. We did not know this before hand. We'd knock a door, and there'd be a rush of footsteps before the door would swing open and an annoyed looking Australian would be standing there. We'd introduce ourselves. And they'd say, and I quote: "But the Footy game is on." And them slam the door. You'd think we'd figure that out eventually and find something better to do with our time - no, not really. Missionaries are wildly persistent. So we kept knocking. Not much success, but hey. So it goes. One guy told us that "Footy is my religion. You're disrespecting my faith" before slamming his door. How I love this country. 

This whole week we seemed to meet a lot of people from all over. As the Subject suggests, we met a handful of Christians who were very convinced that we were not Christian and wanted to go to great lengths to prove to us so. It's a little sad, and a little frustrating, but what can you do? You leave your testimony of the Book of Mormon and move on to the next one. Our work is not one of convincing others, nor is it one that's going to be accepted by everyone. We seek out those whose seek change in their lives and offer it through the gospel of Jesus Christ, as restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. We trust that the Lord is preparing those whose hearts are ready and trust that the people we meet before then will prepare us on our way. 

The area is great. I miss the city, but dang, having 8-10 lessons a week is a great thing. We have four baptismal dates, the newest chose and accepted his as of yesterday. Jess and Bowen and Ted and Cui are all progressing. It's really, really exciting. I hope to watch each of their testimonies continue to grow. 

On the subject of baptisms, I had a very special experience this week. One of the responsibilities of a district leader is to interview investigators before they're baptised. Last week, the Waverley sisters asked me to interview Michael for his baptism this weekend. In Chinese. I was terrified. I gave one of our APs a call to see if he had any suggestions on righteously judging his situation. This particular Elder told me he had "full confidence in me" and that he knew I'd "do the right thing" and hung up on me. It wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but I guess it did the trick because it brought me to my knees. I spent an awful lot of hours in prayer this last week. When the hour of the interview came, I sat down across from Michael and asked him to give us a prayer to start. The feeling that filled that room was undeniable. I knew what the Lord would have me do. Sometimes, Heavenly Father expects us to take a few steps forward with faith. But as we prepare and do all we can, the Lord gives us the increase. I received that increase this week and it was such a tremendous blessing. How grateful I am to be part of this work. 

And while we're still talking baptisms, we had a dinner appointment earlier this week. We were a little curious as to how it would go, as we noticed this family had signed up to feed both my companionship and the English elders in the ward. The address they sent us was a chapel - we showed up for a dinner appointment and ended up at a baptism. So, we attended and congratulated the new member, a bright eight-year-old named Christian. It was a big Polynesian family, so they stuffed us full afterwards and sent us home with enough food to feed the whole mission.

Great fun. 

I wish I could share every story and every feeling that comes with being a missionary. It is such an incredible experience to be part of this work. It isn't easy. Not for a moment. And sometimes you have a little clearer vision of what you're doing here than other times. But one thing is for sure: God himself stands at the head of this church. Our ways are not His ways. His vision is not our vision. He will lead us and guide us home, and it is though His Only Begotten that any of this is possible. I love my Savior and will continue to serve Him by loving the people of Melbourne Australia. The Standard of Truth has been on my mind a lot this week. For those of you who aren't familiar with it, it goes like this: 

The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing;

persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, 

till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.
May it continue to go forth. 

Have a wonderful week! I miss you all, and I'm so glad to hear about all of the accomplishments back home. Weddings and mission calls and performances...Will hit a triple a few days ago. So good. I send my love. 

Jiayou!

Elder Blackhurst

My mother ran the Boston Marathon this week

I really had no better title for this week. And besides, my mother rocks. Thought you all should know. 

Hey everyone! Another fun week out in Glen Waverley. Elder Bibb and Elder Wang and I are working hard, and we're having a lot of sucess. Lots of investigators and lots of lessons, which is really exciting. I'm very happy with the progress of our area and I look forward to spending more time here. 

New area means lots of new names to learn. Between the investigators and members and less-actives and ward leaders...my head is swimming. I made a bet with Elder Bibb to see who can know more names. As long as I don't mix up any of these people, things should be alright. I may have mentioned this before, but something that the Asian people do when they come to a place like Australia is choose their own English name. This makes things worlds easier for those of us trying to get to know people. However, you'll often find that they pick really weird names. Sure, you've got the regular Mitchell and John and Audrey and Anthony and Grace. But then you bump into Heathcliff. And King Arthur. And Kitty. I met a Fish and an Ogre not too long ago. Elder Liu back in Heidelberg gave himself the middle name of Ninja. I'm trying to convince Elder Wang to adopt "Elvis" as his own before he goes home. As of recently, no such luck. I'll keep working on him. 

Being District Leader is still a new experience for me. I haven't quite figured out how to bridge the gap between my three Goldens and my three veterans, but one thing for sure is that our meetings are a lot of fun. I can't speak the language but heaven knows I do my best. I'm surrounded by a lot of good missionaries and I'm very grateful for them. 

We've got several solid investigators we're working with right now. Bowen and Rita and Jess and Cui are all close to baptism. Keep them in your prayers.  

Dinner appointments last week were quite the adventure. They ranged from chef-prepared gourmet all the way down to downright awful. Lots of love to the Australian couple who invited us over on Sunday night; we appreciated the spirit in their home, and they truly are an amazing old couple, but they can't cook. We managed to get dinner down, which honestly wasn't too bad - but then came dessert: an herb-based jelly with some sort of nut paste on top. Elder Bibb and Elder Wang politely declined, but Wang told them I'd love some. I thought it was coming back up after every bite, but I got it down. Anyway, we had a lovely discussion with them afterwards on the importance of sustaining the prophet and the role we have in the Savior's kingdom. Their insights reflected the wisdom of their age and their faith was inspiring. I still miss the branch, but having such a solid ward is a blessing. 

The mission field teaches us patience, that's for sure. Sometimes we're put in a place where others need us, and sometimes we're put in a place where we need them. The Lord is teaching me right now through some of the experiences I'm having. I look forward to seeing what the Lord has for me to do as I continue to go through this missionary experience. I love serving. I love the Lord and His gospel. I pray that He will continue to bless me and you as we do His will. 

Have a lovely week! Congrats to my dear cousin on his mission call - the Lord has great things planned for you, Jarom. I hope you're excited. 

Jiayou!

Elder Blackhurst

I'm getting fat

We survived our first week in Waverly! What a blessed week it was, with conference and all sorts of new experiences after transfers. How grateful I am to have this new opportunity to serve in a new area and meet new people.

One of the primary differences between the city and the Waverly area is the fact that Waverly has a full ward, part english, part Chinese. It's a great thing, to have a ward that can take care of all of its needs (nothing against my beloved city branch). It also means that we get fed. All the time. I've been in the area for a week and I've already been taken out for food five or six times. I'll have more feeds this transfer than my first five transfers combined. With that, however, comes the inevitable weight that comes with free food. Many of you have very kindly commented on the fact that I seem to be a little larger in my photographs now than when I left. I'm afraid that will continue to happen. As always, keep us in your prayers. 

District meeting was the most stressful it has been since arriving. I had to leave and I thought I was going to fall apart. But it was fine, they didn't notice. I love my little district. Three of them are goldens - Elder Bibb, Sister Chen, and our brand new Sister Knight - and three are veterans - Elder Wang, Sister Zhang and Sister Tian. It was a lively, spirit-filled meeting and I am grateful to be surrounded by them. The trio companionship is definitely a new change. Elder Wang and Elder Bibb are a lot of fun and I look forward to working with them for the rest of the transfer. 

Chinese is improving. Or, at least, I go to district meeting with two other Americans who just got here and I feel better because I understand more than they do.

New area means new investigators, and I'm so excited about that. We have several people on date and I hope all turns out well for them. Rita will be baptized in two weeks, I can't wait. 

General conference was incredible. I hope you're all checking and rechecking your notes, what an incredible meeting that was. Ministering better captures the essence of Christianity - we serve to serve and bless, not just check boxes. I look forward to hearing all of your stories of seeking out the One and being an influence for good in their lives. Elder Bednar's talk...wow. We all have a long way to improve, but the path to godliness isn't an easy one. Wasn't meant to be. But it is the best way.

Have a lovely week! I miss you all, but I'm glad to be right where I am. I look forward to my many coming adventures out in the east!

Elder Blackhurst​​

I don't think we're in Heidelberg anymore, Toto

A happy PDay to you all! It's been a crazy week. Transfers and Easter and missionaries leaving and going...my head is still spinning. I'll do my best to get my thoughts out today.

First, of course, is Transfers. I'm no longer in the city - I've been transferred out east to Glen Waverly where I will serve as the Chinese District leader with six other missionaries, four Chinese and two new Americans. I'm in a trio companionship with Elder Wang and Elder Bibb. Wang is a quiet, dedicated missionary from Shandong. This is his last transfer, which makes two kills for me in 6 transfers. Not bad. This is Elder Bibb's second transfer, which also means my second chance to train to 6 transfers. Also not bad. He's from Louisiana, 5 foot 4, and might break 120 pounds dripping wet. It's an exciting time with lots of change and I'm just doing my best to get a grip on everything. 

Moving to Waverly means that, yes, I had to leave our Branch behind. It was a rough last few days, not going to lie. Sisters Cahoon and Johnson had their farewell FHE last Monday, and everyone was preparing to send them off. It hit me, seeing them give their goodbyes, just how many of the people around me weren't going to be there when I get back. I wasn't just saying goodbye to Cahoon and Johnson - this was the last time I'd see Chen and Hadlock and Madsen and Fong and Ren Rong and who knows who else. Missionaries and members alike don't stay long in our branch...by the time I get transferred again into the city, it's going to have changed. And that's a scary thing...all these people I've come to love, just to say goodbye like that isn't fun. But then again, that's truly the message of the gospel. We're here to help people take the steps it takes to be sealed together forever. All of us. Member to member, family to family. I might not see any of those members before I go home. But it's alright - I know we'll meet again. 

On the subject of conference - No, I haven't seen it yet. When I do, then I'll start talking about it. 

As far as last week, it was a good last few days of work with Elder Liu, my Taiwanese golden. It was a joy training him, and I really will miss him a lot. But unlike the rest of the missionaries, I'll bump into him again before I go home, no doubt. 

I'll have more stories to share next week, no doubt. For now, I'm just trying to get a grip on things. This week will definitely be full of adventures and I look forward to this new transfer. Keep us in your prayers, you're constantly in ours. I love you all and look forward to hearing from all of you soon!

Elder Blackhurst

Why are you so white, Elder Blackhurst?

Hey everyone! Quite the eventful week. New investigators, lessons, lots of chances to teach and work with the members. The work is progressing - slow, but we're moving. 

I'll start with the subject - that was the topic of discussion at dinner last night. Elder Liu and I were invited to have dinner with a couple of our members and another companionship. Great. We go, we sit down, they ask me to take a picture. No big deal. So I take a picture, and I happen to be sitting in a spot where the light was shining right on my face. I'll attach it below. I was mocked for the rest of the evening about everything that comes with not being Asian. Too light in photos; can't do cool tricks with chopsticks while waiting for the waiter; when the waiter does come, he speaks to everyone at the table in Mandarin until he gets to me and then asks for my order in English; so on, so forth. I heard a story recently about two Asians who climbed into a cab in New York driven by an African American man, and they began commenting in Chinese about how dark his skin was. When they reached the first red light, he turned around and in perfect Mandarin said, "It's not my fault, you can blame my parents." 

I look forward to the day where I say the same. 

This week, we had the opportunity to meet a few new people. Khloe came to FHE and had a lesson with us earlier this week - a sweet sister from Hong Kong. So excited for her. Blackie is from Shandong. I've learned recently that everyone from Shandong is a little big crazy. Meeting with him was awesome. And yesterday, we met with a couple - Sky and Alice - from Malaysia. I've heard fast Chinese, but yesterday hit new records. Not quite sure how I followed that lesson, but hey, gift of tongues. I've definitely seen my language improve in the last several months. I've still got a long way to go, but I can hold my own and that's enough for now. The Lord will supply the rest. 

Powerful experience last week. On exchanges, I had the opportunity to teach Chichi - a long-time West Melbourne investigator - with Elder Feng. It was one of those lessons where everything just feels good. You're using the scriptures and testifying of the Savior and everything is moving in the right direction. There was a point where she posed a question that really didn't have an answer, and I felt impressed to share an tough experience I had a month or so ago to help her see how God sees us. It was a reminder to me of how our trials and losses help us to learn and grow. Powerful witness of the majesty of the plan. It isn't always going to be easy and fun. But it will always work out.

Last P Day was zone P Day. For those of you interested, yes. We crushed at capture the flag. Twice in a row. Undisputed champions. 

Yesterday, Elder Liu and I led our branch's newest activity - Scripture Night. We acted out Joseph in Egypt. Notable was Aelita (Potiphar's wife) telling Martin (Joseph) to lie with her. Martin resisted. Great fun.

Have a lovely week, everyone. Next week, more likely than not, I'll be somewhere besides Heidelberg for the first time in...what, 6 months? Aiyah. Weird. Time certainly flies when you're in the service of the Lord. 

Elder Blackhurst

Why are you so white?

Missionaries

Ninjas

I gave them another shot at catching me.  They failed again.

A visit or two from an Apostle of the Lord

Hey everyone! It's been a week. Let's jump right in. 

On Friday morning, we had the blessed, blessed opportunity to attend an all-mission devotional by Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve. What a magnificent experience that was. To come and receive counsel from one of the leaders of the church was something that could change the course of my mission. 

Also, I had to sing at that devotional. My legs are always a little shaky when I perform, but I was a mess at this one. I probably got some extra vibrato into the song from my legs alone. I could have turned and poked him from where I stood. Aiyah. It was crazy. 

That meeting was a funny one, because (as we found out right after we had all arrived) that the previous Prime Minister of Australia, Tony Abbott, was going to award Elder Andersen on behalf of the church with some big achievement that we had nothing to do with. I think it would have been a bigger deal if the vast majority of the missionaries weren't all foreigners. Anyway. I had an interesting thought as he spoke, though. Of course, when Elder Andersen arrives, there's a power that just rushes in. But with all the articulate speaking that Mr. Abbott had, it wasn't the same. He could ramble with all the eloquence the world has to offer and yet it doesn't hold a candle to the feeling that only a witness of Christ can bring. Nothing against Mr. Abbott, of course. We were honored to have him with us. But his works are of men. We are here to do the Lord's work. 

Anyway. That meeting was spectacular. And then we got to hear him speak again that night at a big YSA devotional. Elder Liu and I spent the evening with Aren, our recent convert. Seeing how excited she was to come and see and hear and shake the hand of an apostle of God made me want to burst - what a special experience that was. 

So, that was great. And then we left to go work and we thought that was the end of it. But then we're at church on Sunday. Sister Johnson is giving her farewell talk in Chinese. And then in walks the apostle and his wife and I thought Sister Johnson was going to faint on the spot. He comes up and sits on the stand next to President Lai and smiles and starts listening to the talks through the translator mike. The branch members were all about to explode. The poor investigators who came that day had no idea what the heck was happening and why it mattered that this old white guy walked into their Chinese branch. But when he got up to speak...oh, the sweet peace in the room. The power, the authority. He came to visit our branch because he'd heard so much about it. He came to encourage the members to build their faith, to keep growing. They would be pioneers in spreading the gospel. They would be the tools that the Lord will work through to spread the truth of Christ to all the world. What a powerful, beautiful meeting. Brothers and Sisters, I try really hard not to make my emails preachy. But I'm here to witness that Christ himself leads this work and that He has called the Twelve and the First Presidency to lead us through these times. If we stay close to the Prophet of the Lord, we will be protected from the fiery darts of the adversary. Christ will carry us through. 

Beyond that, we've been working. We got to see the Tas Elders, that was fun. Lots of GQing. Zone P Day is today, we're going to crush the South District at capture the flag. I love the work, I love my companion, and I look forward to the coming weeks.

I miss you all tons. But there's no place I'd rather be. 

Elder Blackhurst

跳伞 Tiàosǎn means Skydiving

Hey everyone! Another great week in Melbourne Australia. Loving the work, loving the people. We keep on keeping on. 

This week was a good one - nothing but work. We taught when we could and GQd the rest of the time. We taught several lessons this week - a good change. A few new, a few formers. Heidelberg is starting to pick back up. Stay tuned for baptismal dates and the likes.

We have the special opportunity this week to have Elder Neil L Andersen visit Melbourne. Lots of meetings and devotionals that I'm sure President is freaking out about are coming together and we couldn't be more excited. Naturally, whenever there's something big, there has to be a musical number, so I've been pegged to sing at a missionary devotional later this week. Less important than the event, but practicing has been the first time I've had a chance to really sing since coming out. There's a power to music, especially when the music is there to praise our savior. 

Because of the devotional, the Tasmania Elders and Sisters are flying in for the weekend. Because Heidelberg is the only Chinese flat big enough to hold more than two missionaries, we'll be hosting Elder Mourino, Elder Gao and their brand new Golden, Elder Gao (the Chinese aren't too big on variety when it comes to family names). Expect lots of great pictures and stories next week.

We had a rather memorable Monday. We have a language activity after every district meeting - a chance for all of us to practice our language in a group setting, usually in the form of a game. Elder Feng orchestrated an activity where we associate actions with a vocabulary word. To make a long story short, I needed a good action for "skydiving" so I asked the Elders on my left and right, Feng and Biehler, if they would catch me. They both said yes. So my turn came, I climbed up on my chair and pretty accurately demonstrated skydiving. Neither Feng nor Biehler caught me. 

On the bright side, I'll never forget "tiaosan" again. 

The thing about missionary work is that, from the outside, we kinda take the miracles and the baptisms and the great stories and put them up on a pedestal. Most of our work isn't really like that. We spent so many hours this week talking to every person we could at the La Trobe tram stop or in Melbourne Central Station or Preston Market. It's a lot of work and usually disproportional results. But that's what makes the good moments so powerful - hours and hours and hours of searching and praying and teaching and preparation for the one person who is ready to make the changes in their lives to come closer to Jesus Christ. That's what we're here to do. Recently, it's been a little more looking and praying and a little less finding. But sometimes, that's how it goes. I trust that the Lord is preparing others to receive the Word. I look forward to playing what little role I can in their conversion to the Gospel of Christ. 

Until then, we keep on working. Talking to everyone we can, whether it be the crazy Vietnamese guy in the market ("I, Buddha!") or the Jehovah's Witnesses who knock on your door to invite you to their congregation before seeing the name tag. We talk and share and testify. I couldn't be happier.

I'm grateful for the emails and stories from home. Congratulations to all of the new mission calls I keep hearing about - I'm so excited for all of you. You don't know what you're getting into. It's tough, being out in the field. But so, so worth it. So good. I'm grateful for the Lord and for my opportunity to serve. 

Have a lovely week, I look forward to hearing from all of you soon!

Elder Blackhurst