Yes, I know I'm late emailing this week -- but for good reason! I wasn't aware of this last week when I wrote my email (or else I would have mentioned it) but this week was our temple p-day, which is once a transfer. For our temple trips, our p-day is moved to Wednesday instead of Monday, hence the email coming now instead!
So anyways, there are a few items from this week I wanted to mention, the first one I suppose being my first visit to the Brisbane Australia Temple. It's a small temple, especially compared to the temples I've been to before -- Washington D.C., Salt Lake City, Provo -- but it is just as beautiful. We woke up between 5 and 5:30 to get ready and take the bus to the city, and got to the temple around 7. We were done around 11, after doing a session as well as baptisms and confirmations (Elder Lee and I were witnesses of course). It was very peaceful and enjoyable.
It's hot today of course, about how Atlanta is in June I would say. This year is going to be my first Christmas in the summer, haha. I actually enjoy the weather quite a bit here (my companion is funny, since he's from Toronto the slightest warmth, which is the perfect temperature for me, has him sweating and fanning his face). It's especially nice when there is a strong breeze. I hope one P-day we'll have the chance to visit the ocean, not to swim of course but to enjoy the views -- and the breeze.
Last night was hectic, that's why having P-day today is especially gratifying. We held ("We" being the elders of Eight Mile Plains ward) a Family Home Evening/game night at the Chapel last night. There was between 40 and 50 there, it was a great turn out -- about half of them were investigators. Some of the chinese-speaking members came down from River Terrace YSA ward, which is in the city. The craziest thing to deal with was the rides, getting investigators and members alike to the church and back home. One thing about the chapel here which is a constant issue -- it isn't in a convenient location at all. This is especially an issue because almost all of the people who are taught by Chinese elders do not have cars (the prefered method of contacting among most of the older Chinese speaking is bus-stop contacting, which has a higher success rate than tracting but also for obvious reasons does not yield people with cars). We ended up recruiting anyone who we could find, whether they spoke chinese or not.
In the end it all worked out though. At FHE we played ping pong, ninja, and a game called pukana (I think?) which is a stand-in-a-circle, pass-around-to-the-beat game. We then had ice cream for refreshments. It turned out very fun for everyone involved. What was most exciting for me was that the sister we work with, an RM and the only member of her family, invited her family to come. While they will be leaving for China soon over the summer, they will be returning in February at which time whoever is in EMP at that time might have the opportunity to teach them all.
Outside of the family, Elder Lee and I had 4 or 5 investigators of our own with us. All of them were investigators contacted by Elder Lee -- This past week I got about 8 potential investigators through contacting, but none of them were able to make it to the game night. Three of my potential investigators are a group from Taiwan all living in the same sharehouse. Something I find with the people I talk to at bus stops from Taiwan is that *all* of them (almost) have seen the missionaries in Taiwan, always on the bicycles, saying hi to people as they go past. I think it's cool how that even though all those people who I meet here never actually spoke to the missionaries in Taiwan, just seeing them and having them say hello in a friendly manner as they ride past is one way the Lord has prepared people to meet *us*, the missionaries in the cities where Chinese people are moving to.
Had some good food last week. We went to the same hot-pot place we went to my first week here, this time with an investigator (who insisted he would pay -- Chinese people are aggressive in their generousity! So are Polynesians, too, incidentally, haha). I had tripe for the first time, it was pretty good too, though the normal beef was better tasting. The meals we cooked ourselves usually consisted of fried rice and whatever is left around in terms of meat and veggies. Sometimes I eat just cereal -- at the store last week I got some Raisin Bran (called Sultana Bran here in Australia) and Coco krispies (forget what the Australian name is). Cold milk and cereal still probably takes the cake for my favorite food on reflection, but Asian food is next.
Depending on if the other elders finish using the memory card reading attachment by the time I get off the computer, I'll try to send a couple pictures I took this past week. Take care all!
Elder Ladd
Oh p.s. for thanksgiving, Elder Lee bought ourselves an apple pie at the store. It was alright... didn't even come close to dad's pies though :) That was about it, haha.
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