Week39

G'day Mates

Pretty exciting week, we got a mini missionary this week. Brother Hillier from a nearby ward came with us for half a week. He is a 17 year old preparing for a mission. 

Also, I'm training!...again! Elder Etilage, he is from Tahiti and speaks French. His English is really good for just a couple months of learning. It will be exciting to see the Ward and Elder Etilage grow. We will be going Mountain Biking with the YM today after we email so it will be great! The kids in our ward really need a role model so I am glad that our bishop has asked us to get more involved with the youth. 

Door knocking has been a little easier after the new Christmas initiative began. People are more prone to listen even though they are still not interested in learning about the gospel. It's still good to plant seeds.

Hope everyone has a white Christmas!

Love Elder Westbrook

Week 38

Hello 

We taught Tamara the Plan of Salvation this week, she is learning really well. We have been explaining very simply all the lessons because she is a slower learner. She has started reading the Book of Mormon and starting to pray, she is progressing really well.

Bishop has advised us to be more involved with the YM so we have been going to their activities and priesthood class. I miss those days when we used to be in the YM! Sadly the youth in the ward aren't that close. All of the YM go to different schools so it's hard when you only see the kids once a week. Other than that it is great being with the YM! We built fires during the activity and saw who could build the biggest fire. 

Elder Ho and I have been visiting some members more frequently instead of door knocking. Door knocking isn't the most effective here. We have been visiting a part-member family, the Browns. Phil is his name, his sister is the only member and Phil's family and the member's family(Regina) live in the same house, so it can get quite crowded there. Phil has been taught by missionaries in the past, but we have started teaching him again. He has committed to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. We will follow up on Thursday.

This week is the last week of the transfer, hopefully I get to stay here!

Love Elder Westbrook

Week 37

Hello all , this week was a week of miracles. First off we got a referral from a recent convert and before finishing the first lesson with her, she just blurted out" I'm actually thinking about getting baptized." So now we have a date for Tamara for Dec 10. She has been going to church quite often and learning from the recent convert and her husband, Tammy and Julian. Julian is a returned missionary and has been teaching Tamara many of the lessons. She also said that when she comes to church, she feels peace. That is the Holy Ghost working in the life Tamara. 

There are people out there ready and searching for answers that the Gospel can give! Many of those people are YOUR friends! Members have to responsibility to find people for the missionaries to teach and missionaries are responsible to teach them. We have been working with members and gaining their trust and helping them in their missionary work. I invite all of you to read The Power of Everyday Missionaries. This book will inspire you just like it did me. 

We also bumped into some people this week that were actually interested in learning about the Book of Mormon. Torri is a single mother with a 14 year old daughter and she said she is looking for a congregation to go to. We invited her to come to church but she couldn't make it. Hopefully she comes next week. Graham is a Pentecostal, don't know much about him but we will follow up this Saturday.

Love you all

Elder Westbrook

Pics from Zone Conference 

Week 36

Hello all!

We just had Stake Conference this last Sunday. It was great! Elder Fatta from the 70 came and spoke to us. Since the missionary work here in Australia is slow, his talk mostly consisted of members doing missionary work. I was really glad that he spoke to the whole Stake about it because Elder Ho and I have been finding ways that we can strengthen the ward. 

Door knocking in Australia is probably the most ineffective way to find people. Almost all of the doors we knock on have do not knock signs. Although they are geared more towards sales people, Aussies don't like their door knocked at all. Most people don't even wait to hear our message they just say "not interested". When they do listen, the response is either "I have my own church" or " I'm happy where I'm at". 

I recently read a book called The Power of Everyday Missionaries. It is an inspiring book. I would assume that many members would want to do missionary work, but either don't know how or are intimidated by it. After reading the book, we now have some ideas about what we will be doing with the members to help with their missionary work. 

Many members are scared that they might offend their friend or damage their relationship. This book mentions that when you invite them in a loving and caring manner, your relationship actually builds because they see that you care for their well being. And when your non-member friends decide to listen to the missionaries but don't accept the message, again, your relationship with your friend usually is strengthened. Elder Ho and I will start working with the leadership of the ward and find ways we can get some baptisms!

Love Elder Westbrook

Week 35

Hello family and friends!

Elder Ho and I are now starting our 3rd week together. Couldn't ask for a better companion! We have been door knocking all week, and temple Pday threw our bodies of sync. I'm so relieved that it's Pday! We are still figuring out how we can best work with the ward. During church, we try to talk to as many members as we can. We have also been going to priest quorum and teachers quorum to get to know the youth. 

We met some weird people this week. One man named Richard is a hardcore Atheist. He is super nice but despises religion. He even admits that he contradicts himself...

We have been struggling to find people to teach from door knocking, but doesn't seem very effective since Australians don't even like anyone knocking on their door... Hopefully we can find an investigator through door knocking. 

I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and I love the people of Australia. I know I will baptize converts who need this message. I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.

Love Elder Westbrook

Week 34

Hello!

The English program is awesome! Lots more dinner appointments! But that's not why it's awesome. I feel like in the Capalaba Ward, I can actually do missionary work. The ward is very cooperative. I am very excited to be able to work with them. Sorry no time today!

Elder Westbrook

Week 33

Hello!

Exciting news! I got transferred to the English program!! I will no longer be speaking Chinese. Sad day, but I know the Lord has other plans for me. My new companion is Elder Ho, from Hawaii. He just finished his training so we will have a blast together! I will be serving in the Capalaba area. So excited for some new experiences and new challenges. Looks like we will be having many more dinner appointments than in the Chinese program so that's exciting as well.

This week has pretty great. We found a new investigator named Larry from Papa New Guinea. He took everything well and accepted to be baptized. We have yet to give him a date but he seems to be pretty solid. My two old companions will be companions now. Elder Li and Liao will be together. They will have some tough challenges as both of their English skills aren't very good. Hopefully they will be able to teach our investigators well. 

Ryosuke now has a job. He has been super busy and unable to meet with us. I hope that he can receive a spiritual witness soon. God has answered his prayer by blessing him with a new job. He didn't immediately recognize that as an answer, we had to help him realize it. 

Other than that not much has happened. I have renewed energy to serve in this area and hope I can be an instrument in the Lords hands.

Love Elder Westbrook

Sorry no pictures this week, or for the next 6 weeks, for the computers' USB ports are disabled by the library.