My first full week back in River Terrace flew by! It was a slower week in terms of numbers (we had only 8 lessons -- everyone has to start somewhere, right? :P ) but it terms of miracles it was better than ever. I've done something which I haven't done as a Chinese missionary since the beginning of my mission -- tracted! Just by the largest university in the area (both in number of students and in size, and Chinese too) there are streets full of complexes of units filled with university students. We had a decent amount of success doing so as well. Several times, there were miracles where it wasn't the doors that we knocked, but actually the people that we talked to on the street as they walked by us, that had the most interest.
The miracles were countless. One example is that we were GQing at the bus station until 8 pm (we could leave at 7:30, since you can take an hour for dinner, but we decided to just have a short dinner and spend more time working). The very last person of the night that I talked to was a very interested Chinese student, who said he wants to come to church this coming week!
Another example: I felt strongly prompted to talk to a man sitting on a bench on queen street -- despite the fact that he wasn't even Asian. I said hello and he was silent for moment -- I thought he was just going to ignore me, which is often the case -- but then he turned to me and started talking, sharing that, funnily enough, just in the past few months he had changed from being an Atheist to believing in God. Not only that, he was looking for further guidance and knowledge in his life, a church to go to in fact. Not only that, but it was his very last time in the city, the next day he would move down to Melbourne permanently! And on top of all this, the very day before he had been watching videos about Will Hopoate (Formerly Elder Hopoate of the Australia Brisbane Mission) talking about his mission and his beliefs!! This man asked for the information to get in contact with missionaries in Melbourne so he can learn and go to church there.
It is no lie that most of the miracles that we have on our missions come from finding. They give us the propulsion to keep going in spite of difficulties and challenges. This was the greatest theme of the past week -- miracles while finding. I think I'll include just a few more before I close.
On Thursday, I was GQing. I turned around, and lo, right next to me there was a lost-looking Chinese student who had appeared out of nowhere! I talked to him. Since being in Australia for just a few months, he has developed an interest in Church -- but the one thing that has held him back thus far is that he doesn't understand much english! Perfect, we speak Chinese! We taught him once already and we will teach him more after his exams finish.
On Wednesday, I basically chased (that's when they are walking, and when they see you coming towards them they walk even faster, so you walk with them) down a student in the city. When he heard me speak Chinese, he came to a sudden stop. He lives in Sunnybank unfortunately (referred him there) but since I spoke with him, I corrected many of his misconceptions about missionaries, and the change was like black and white.
Our second day of knocking on doors, it was my companion's turn to try his first ever door approach (we saw that there was a Chinese sign by the door, so we thought it was a safe bet that they were chinese -- they were). Lo and behold, his first door approach became our first potential found through tracting in that area!
I hope all of you enjoy these stories -- this is just a few. Just as I mentioned last week, there is nothing that compares to beating the streets and talking to people, no matter how fun being an Assistant was. Remember that as you minister to those who are in need! Have a great week.
Elder J. Colton Ladd
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