MISSION MIRACLE

This new member of the church accepted baptism the first lesson and was baptized October 26th 2013. A wonderful new member from Taiwan.

FOREVER FAMILIES!

Our missionaries in Cairns presented a musical presentation to a wonderful couple who were celebrating their 50th WEDDING ANNIVERSARY....
FAMILIES CAN BE TOGETHER FOREVER!

NEW MISSIONARIES TO THE AUSTRALIA BRISBANE MISSION

OUR FIRST WAVE OF NEW MISSIONARIES coming to serve in the Australia Brisbane Mission.   

THEY ARE GREAT!

OUR GOLDENS WITH THEIR NEW TRAINERS

DEPARTING MISSIONARIES NOVEMBER 2013

IT IS ALWAYS HARD TO BELIEVE SIX WEEKS HAVE GONE BY...and we must say GOODBYE to another group of missionaries!  These  9 have been valiant, diligent, obedient and observant!  THEY RETURN WITH HONOR! 

WE LOVE YOU Sister Afeaki, Sister Pangue,
Sister Muavae, Elder Hopoate, Elder Saulala, Elder Ram, Elder Kaul, Elder Latu, and Elder Lutui

THE LOVELY POINCIANA TREE

And I thought the purple Jackaranda Trees were spectacular!  There is another absolutely beautiful flowering tree here in Brisbane, THE POINCIANA trees which are in full bloom right now; big bursting red-orange blooms are everywhere and they leave a carpet of red underneath them everyday. This is such a beautiful place!

Here are some interesting facts (thank you Colin Campbell):
If asked to name a single tree that's helped shape the character of Brisbane, it would be the magnificent poinciana Delonix regia. In years gone by it was traditionally planted as a street tree and now enhances a lot of the city’s older suburbs. The poinciana is native to Madagascar, and in Brisbane the bright orange flowers herald the coming of summer. They also signal the start of the storm season.
They can grow up to 10 metres, but mostly only reach between 3 to 5 metres. However, their spreading growth habit, which can be up to 10 metres, means the poinciana is not a tree for a small yard.It's a semi deciduous tree – shedding the old leaves in spring, but new ones follow immediately, so it's never without foliage.
Because they're a legume, they produce attractive seed pods which look like a big bean.  
So we are incredibly lucky that our city fathers had the foresight to plant so many of these wonderful poincianas so we can all enjoy the magnificent avenues.

NOTES FROM THE NORTH

We are so grateful for the wonderful missionaries serving in the Northern areas of our mission; they are valiant, strong and doing a marvelous work and a wonder!  We appreciate the wonderful Senior Couples in the North:
The Fenton's, The Miller's, The Johnson's and The Kuhn's 
who truly are an outreach of us in Brisbane and do a great job keeping watch over the missionaries and the Saints in Thursday Island, Cairns, Atherton, Rockhampton, Townsville, Mount Isa, Gladstone, Emerald, and MacKay

Thank you Elder & Sister Johnson for taking the pictures...and emailing them!

MORE MTC MEETINGS WITH SISTER HENDERSON

Love from Provo~~~~

We feel so connected with our daughter, Sister Sarah Henderson, who is still in the Provo MTC.  She keeps sending us her love with the missionaries who are/or will be in the mission.  She met Elder & Sister Johnson who are now serving in the Australia Brisbane Mission and sent hugs to us all the way from Provo...SO WONDERFUL! 

MISSION MIRACLE

This experience has taught me and increased my Testimony about the principle the Lord teaches in Isaiah 55:8-9.
 "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."
I learnt that timing is precious and the Lord knows HOW to use His time WISELY! I believe and know for a surety that there really are people out there who are waiting specifically for a Missionary to teach them. This happened to me; the world will call it influence but as we learnt from a prophet of God a few months ago; Elder Dallin H. oaks taught: "that a coincidence is a situation where the Lord chooses to remain anonymous." This is one of those moments where I can testify that this was done by the Lord's hand. Not only did it change Peter and June's life to one day now be married in the Temple, but it changed my life. So when the April transfers happened, I and Elder Hodges split an area with the Zone Leader's and Elder Jenkins was telling us about a few of the people that we can teach in our area, one of them being Peter. Peter was a non-member of the Church and June his wife is an active member. So I and Elder Hodges decided to pop by their home one evening and they weren't home. We thought no one had lived there anymore because it was just empty. So we kinda left it alone not knowing that what would happen later on. Being in the area for a few weeks now, it was Sunday and we went to Church and during our Gospel Principles class Elder Vea (our other Zone Leader) is talking to a young man who we had seen come to Church the last couple of weeks not knowing who he was. Elder Jenkins after class tells us that that is Peter ! We were like WHAT! So we go and talk to them and set up a time to go and see them during the week. Six weeks had gone by so fast that Elder Hodges gets transferred and my new companion Elder Lutui comes in.. Elder Hodges and I have taught the Restoration lesson to Peter and he just embraces it and accepts it so humbly. He tells us that he reads the Book Of Mormon with his wife every night, he knows it's true and he loves coming to Church because he can see a difference in his life. We are just amazed at Peter! We teach the 2nd lesson to Peter and again he shares a wonderful insight to us .. one of his first few weeks he started coming to Church he learnt in Gospel Principles class that he can sealed to his wife for time and all eternity! He said as soon as he heard that he just wanted to be baptized straight away! He knew what he needed to do so committed to do it. A lot of our lessons the sacred power of the Spirit's purpose was manifested to Peter and June especially June because this was a dream come true for her! It was very special for all of us. This story gets better, we set the date for Peter's baptism,...a few weeks previous the Assistant's baptized Peter's cousins. Here we have a family starting to begin something new in their family history which will be remembered for the eternities ! What makes it even more better is .. our district leader Elder Powelson came along to see the baptism and his companion Elder Lao tells us that when he first arrived on his mission, he and his trainer had been teaching Peter but 2 years previous, Peter had no interest at all whatsoever to hear the message. Now 2 years later here is Peter preparing himself to make a covenant with the Lord in the waters of baptism! Elder Lao was so happy! I was so happy! June was so happy! The Spirit was definitely there! I learnt 2 things: 1) The Lord's timing is very specific. There was something Peter needed from me and my companion and something we needed to learn from Peter, from our teaching experience with Peter we have become brothers! 2) Diligence and obedience with persistence in the Lord's vineyard brings miracle's. We have been called to invite others to come unto Christ whether they accept it now or later on! Salvation hangs in the balance. The Lord's ways are higher than ours.
ELDER DANER SAAID

MISSION MIRACLE

Susan and her kids have been investigating the church for about a year, with missionaries after missionaries teaching them, but Susan hesitated to attend church or to be baptized. Elder Robison and I decided that we will fast for her and her family that they would accept to be baptized, with other help from missionaries and members we set a baptismal date for her but she was still not showing any progress. We decided to fast and pray for her and apply what Elder Pearson's method of daily contact by sending uplifting messages each week. Lastly our last trip to the Temple we decided to fast for her again and take it to the house of the Lord before baptism on the 26th of October. To our surprise Susan texted us and said that she is ready and she has felt that it will be the right thing. Her youngest daughter joined her mother and agreed to be baptized; they were baptised on the 26th and confirmed on the 27th of October.

I would also like to acknowledge in our miracle the help of Elder Dudley, Elder Lamm , Elder Field and Elder Reiri....Thanks Elder Falevai and Elder Robison

MISSION MIRACLE

THE MIRACLE OF TECHNOLOGY

We met Kasirida in late April 2013.  She is from a small African country called Burundi.  The only language she speaks is Kirrundi.  Growing up she didn't have the opportunity to go to school. She was also subject to war, where she had five of her children die.  Despite some of the things which have happened in her life, she has always had a belief in God and Jesus Christ.
We originally went to her address to look for her son, who had been baptised the previous year.  We went a few times and didn't find him, but she was always there, so we would take those opportunities to sing to her in hopes that she would feel the Spirit even though she didn't understand the language.  We were then able to make contact with her son, who had moved in for a very short time.  During this time we were also introduced to another family member, Salum.  We began to teach both of them and she would join in on the lessons.  Language was one of our biggest challenges while teaching, but ways were prepared.  One of the miracles came via technology; we were given permission to skype with South Africa; President and Sister Henderson had friends, Elder & Sister Boyce, who are serving as senior missionaries in Cape Town Mission and they connected us with the missionaries there who had a member who spoke both Swahili and Kirrundi.  Through him we were able to teach Kasirida and her family member and they were able to understand the basic principles and commandments of the Gospel.
There were times in our teaching where we didn't know how we would possibly get through the barriers and opposition that seemed in front of us, but Heavenly Father knew their hearts and He prepared a way for both of them to be baptised and to receive the Holy Ghost.  Their faith is simple.  They know that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world.  They know the difference between things which come from God and things which don't.  Kasirida is an amazing example of someone who trusted in the power of prayer.  I am so grateful to have been a part of the miracles that unfolded whilst we taught, it was so amazing to see people on the opposite sides of the earth come together via technology for the work of salvation.
Sister Tamana

*Thank you Elder & Sister Boyce
*Thank you Brother Sotar
*Thank you Cape Town South Africa Mission

MTC MEETINGS!

SISTER HENDERSON:  TAIWAN TAICHUNG MISSION

Elder & Sister Hoskisson with Sister Henderson @ the Provo MTC.  The Hoskisson's will be serving in the Australia Brisbane Mission (as soon as their visa is approved). Our missionaries love seeing Sarah in the MTC and they always bring love from her to us when they arrive.  

This is Elder Kaosucharit and Elder Hassan. We had a young man who was baptized on 26/10/2013. He was a miracle baptism. We found him through his uncle. One day, he walked in the church with his uncle and Elder Kaosucharit was there. He talked to him and found out that he wasn't a member and interested to learn about the church. We had been teaching him since August. At first, he had many concerns over his old life style.  We have had many good discussions and learned much from each other.  What really helped him to change was exercising faith in Christ. Our ward mission leader told us to focus our teaching on the Atonement. We did that for a week and he was baptised that week. It is truly a miracle. We know that as we exercise faith, God will bless us with miracles.
THE REST OF THE STORY....from Elder Nagato and Elder Abel
 One night after the planning, we were preparing for the next day and getting ready to go to bed, and our phone rang; it was one of our senior missionaries, he just got out of the temple and found this boy in the temple parking lot. He talked to him for awhile and decided to introduce him to the missionaries. We lived 2 minutes away from the temple. Right after the phone call, he came and dropped him off and left. We quickly put on our proselyting cloths and went out to meet him.  He told us about his life and how he wanted to change. He was so keen to learn about the message we shared. We talked for 20 minutes and left. He told us to get his phone number from the senior missionary. Miracle!!
Then, we tried to get his phone number from and he could not find it...

We lost him…

3 months later, he walked into the church with his uncle and was welcomed by elder Kaoscharit.
We thought we lost him, but Heavenly Father never lost him. He kept guiding him and leading him to his church.I know that our Heavenly Father loves us all and He prepares a time for each one of us to find a way to come back to Him. I am so grateful to witness His love toward the children of men.

MISSION MIRACLE

Aaron was baptized October 5th and confirmed Oct. 6th. We found him one night while we were walking to another appointment and he was walking home. We stopped to talk to him but he was talking to someone on the phone and we moved on. A little while later at an intersection he caught up with us so we stopped and talked again and he told us that he's been thinking of joining a church for a while now and we set an appointment with him. He didn't really have any background or knowledge of religion at all so as we taught Aaron we always focused a lot on not just trying to understand everything we were teaching but more on just how the information felt and finding truth from the Holy Ghost. He committed to being baptized during our first meeting with him. Aaron always told us after the lessons how good he felt about everything we taught, and as he started to keep the commitments we left him he felt even more that it was the right thing to do. He was so ready and prepared to accept the gospel into his life, and change to come unto Christ. His baptism was a beautiful service and had such a wonderful spirit, especially because Aaron was able to invite four of his friends to come along too! The Sunday after he was baptized he was confirmed and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost and it was also fast and testimony meeting, and although Aaron is quite shy, he rose up and bore the most humble and sincere testimony,  that his Father in Heaven loves him and his gratitude for being lead to find that out for himself. It's been such a wonderful experience to see Aaron draw closer to his Savior over the last few weeks.