I got my wish! Although New Missionary Orientation meeting was last week, only 2 Assistants stayed for the meeting, while I was free to go on trade-offs! WE took off on Tuesday evening for the beautiful, sunshiney Gold Coast. On Wednesday we went one-on-one with the Zone Leaders there. In the morning he had an interesting lesson with an anti-muslim Egyptian (Coptic?) Christian, with very interesting views, that was very memorable... We saw greater success later in the day, however, especially in our time finding. That evening was a Stake Correlation (The Zone Leaders, Stake President and High Councilors, and Councilor from the Mission Presidency). One of the responsibilities of the new Chinese Training Leaders is to attend these meetings and correlate on matters concerning the Chinese programs in the respective stakes (Brisbane, EMP, and Gold Coast). They reported that even in this first meeting, they were involved.
On Thursday, I went to Burleigh Heads, another ward on the Gold Coast, while my companion went to the Isle of Capri english-speaking missionaries. Both trade-offs went well (We visited a name on the ward lists and found a man who had been baptized just two or three years prior!). In the evening my companion and I returned to our own area.
On Friday we smashed out our own area. We had some small miracles in the people that we found and taught. During the week we found and taught two families, one from Iran and one from Sri Lanka (Both of them good friends with other investigators and recent converts!).
Saturday was my favorite day of the week--because I went with the Chinese Training Leaders on trade-offs!! We smashed Sunnybank and talked to everyone (100+ Contacts!) and taught a lesson outside the shopping center. Oh, how I miss being a Chinese missionary!!!! It was ESPECIALLY great because my companion was.... my first golden! :D Just like the good old days, we woke up early, exercised, got ready as fast as possible, ate a short lunch and were out of the flat on our bikes by 11.
On Sunday we had a bit of a miracle with the the number of non-members at church--between the three companionships in Chermside ward (the sisters, the office elders, and the assistants), we had about 13 non-members at sacrament meeting! During Sunday school, one of my companions and a member when on splits to visit the Part Member Family we are teaching. They arrived at the perfect moment, and they commited to come to General Conference this coming week. Similar miracles are happening with three other less-active families we are working with, who we visited at just the right moment. One of these was yesterday, where I and my companion visited the less-active (we had been excited to see at church last sunday), and we arrived in time to give him a blessing. The other, my companions visited last week just moments after police had arrived to take away their son, because of a mental breakdown he had. We later visited the son (who is really a great guy, he has helped us on numerous occasions, he just has complications from a car accident last year).
This week has been on-and-off with Interviews Trainings. This time around, we aren't doing them On The Road -- instead we are doing the traditional two-zones-at chapel method. We are, however, altering the structure slightly so districts can come just for their interviews and leave as soon as they finish. We've also had a mini-transfer -- two new missionaries came in yesterday, because their visas just came through. This doesn't happen often, but we had a mini-transfer to accomdate them, and reopened an area closed just a few weeks prior.
That is about if for the week... I am excited for General Conference!
Elder J. Colton Ladd
No comments:
Post a Comment