MISSION MIRACLE

MISSION MIRACLES AND OVERCOMING
Elder Luki and Elder Kioa challenged this beautiful new convert to be baptized again. She has gone through many sets of missionaries because of addictions that have been hard for her to give up. It has been remarkable to see her work hard, exercise her faith and finally come to the point where she could accept baptism fully in her life. Her testimony is growing and she is so happy to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

MISSION MIRACLE

MISSION MIRACLE AND THE ETERNAL TRUTHS:
This beautiful new convert is 74. She is from PNG but has been living here in Cairns with family. She has always belonged to the Uniting church and in her country is highly respected for her religious beliefs. Her husband passed away 22 years ago. He was a pastor in their church. Her strong faith and wisdom has helped her connect to the gospel teachings. She became concerned in her heart that her baptism had not been done like Jesus Christ. She had not been baptized by immersion. We first met her at a shopping center just before Christmas. There was a good feeling immediately between us and we agreed to get together for a gospel conversation. One lesson led to another and always the Holy Ghost was in attendance. She recognized the need for priesthood authority to make the necessary ordinations, like baptism, valid. We have loved teaching her. Her faith and desire have strengthened us and have touched our hearts. She said we make her feel lighter and younger, but we know that it is the understanding of gospel truths that are making her feel this way. In her own words, "I am carrying my treasures, a learning of what I did not know. You have put it more and more into my heart." We love being missionaries!

WELCOME NEW MISSIONARIES

We welcomed 18 new missionaries AND ONE WONDERFUL NEW SENIOR "Resident Full time Senior Missionary Couple" into the
Australia Brisbane Mission
...always so exciting to have these GOLDEN missionaries arrive with an amazing spirit of the hastening.  They will be wonderful and will add so much to the mission. 
WELCOME!

 FROM AUSTRALIA, TONGA, PHILIPPINES, TAIWAN, UNITED STATES, 

JAPAN, CANADA, TAHITI & SAMOA

 BIKE SAFETY TRAINING...we love you Elder Orth!

 PACKED AND READY TO DEPART FOR THEIR FIRST AREAS....

MISSION MIRACLE

This is a wonderful new convert to the Church; she is a friend of a recent convert in the Tweed Heads Sister's area, but lived in our area in Isle of Capri ward. She had seen such a tremendous change in her friend over last year or so and decided she needed to know what her friend had that made her so different. She described her experience "she's found pieces to a puzzle she's never had before." All of her beliefs about our Heavenly Father and the scriptures set up and laid out in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She has found so much peace and joy since learning about the gospel and she is on fire! She's ready to get engaged in the work. She was a 2 Sunday miracle!

​

MISSION MIRACLE

This is one great convert to the Church.  He is 32 years old and compensates in spirit and love what he lacks in height. Stephen gave up his tobacco and tea so he could be healthy enough to ride his bicycle to church every Sunday and prepare himself for his baptism. He is the husband of a less active member and is such a special person. He was steadfast and diligent in his goals to change his life and find the true Church of Jesus Christ!

MISSION MIRACLE

​This is a wonderful new convert; she was found by other missionaries and never thought she would ever join the church. She was part of the Stolen Generation of Aboriginals who was taken from her family and placed into an Australian family. She investigated the church for about 5 months before deciding to take the step of her baptism to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and move on from her past. She is such a good mother of two children who will hopefully in the future also have a desire to learn about the gospel. She is anchored in her faith and wishes she had been able to know and have what she has now, her whole life.

MISSION MIRACLE

MISSION MIRACLE AND HER FAMILY:
​A sweet new convert baptism..... We had been working with her family who were found by Elder Luki and Elder Maono. She had been living away with her mum in Perth, but her mum sent her to Brisbane to be with her dad.....to see if she could get things figured out.   Her father invited us over to meet her and have a lesson with the family the day she arrived in Brisbane. She was shy at first but soon opened up. She quit smoking that same week without ever being asked, and was ready and wanting to be baptized in 3 weeks. She experienced such an incredible change, and faced a lot of opposition in preparing for her baptism, but overcame it all. She is amazing.

MISSION MIRACLE

MISSION MIRACLE AND A LEAP OF FAITH:
We have been teaching this great man for a couple of months now. He was found by Elders Rose and Gobeil-Velasquez and we had the opportunity to continue teaching him...He has been a golden investigator, but he didn't want to agree on getting baptised until he received his own witness.... Well one lesson we encouraged him to make a leap of faith...he's a big fan of hang gliding, and he's the kind of guy where he will talk if you let him! During one of his spiels we felt prompted to ask him what did he feel like he had accomplished so far with the lessons...he said that he felt like he had been doing everything that the Lord had asked of him....we then testified to him that everything up to that point was just preparation to make that leap...you can prepare as much as you like but the time has to come where you need to make your leap off the cliff, or figuratively speaking, a leap of faith, to enter in the waters of baptism....to trust that the Lord has his best interests at heart, to know that he's done all that he can, and that the Lord will catch him and make up the rest!

When we shared this with him, he couldn't eat or sleep for 2 days because that phrase was stuck in his head, and then just after Christmas Zone conference he called us up saying that he wanted to make that leap of faith, and to be baptised....that was a great miracle! He knows that he has made the right decision because he has made that leap of faith... because when the time for decision arrives, the time for preparation is past... Take a look at this great convert baptism...he's never been so happy!!

Loves from Elders Fa'alogo and Blinkov!

MISSION MIRACLE

MISSION MIRACLE AND FAITH
These two boys are mission miracles! They were found through the finding efforts of Elders Vaea and Falevai. Through weeks of teaching, their faith developed, their hearts believed, and they were eager to be baptized. The family was at first hesitant, but after bearing testimony of the necessity of baptism and the blessings that would follow, permission was obtained for the boys to be baptized... that following day! They were baptized on the 30th of December, 2014, just before the end of the year, and were miracle baptisms! We love you!

Love Elders Vaea and Smith:]

MISSION MIRACLE

MISSION MIRACLE AND MEMBER PRESENT LESSONS
This great new member was baptized on September 13, 2014 in the Eight Planes Ward by Elder Andersen and Elder Hilyard! Her story is quite the miracle - at first contact she had no interest. She told Elder Hilyard her family was Buddhist and to try and get the missionaries off her back, but we were persistent. The first lesson with her was with a member in the ward and they kicked it off so nice; she was socially converted so fast. We had her new friend at almost every lesson after that! Her spiritual conversion was not quite as fast, though. She was only curious at first and feared family opposition if she did get baptized. She began studying, not just a little, but heaps. She stayed in the office one day for four hours and studied the Plan of Salvation pamphlet, read the scriptures in the back and answered the questions the entire time. Her curiosity was beginning to work for her, as her questions were being answered by the Gospel and even gave her peace. With a deadline of her going home about a month afterwards, we really pushed and exercised faith. We ended up teaching her daily for some time and she ended up knowing she needed to be baptized. Despite family fears that became reality, she pushed through and is now such a strong member of the church. She lives in Taiwan now, has not had been able to contact the church there yet, but has her friends that fellowshipped her, her Book of Mormon, and God, and that's enough for her.

MISSION MIRACLE

MISSION MIRACLE & SERVICE
After doing some service for her less active brother, the missionaries met this great sister. They made an instant connection and she agreed to let the missionaries come over for visits. She came from a spiritualist background and didn't show much of an interest. But as the missionaries continued to visit her and began to teach her the doctrine of the missionary lessons, she began to change. She realized her dependence on Jesus Christ and began to have faith in Him. She still however did not understand the importance of attending church every Sunday. On a fast Sunday, my companion and I fasted for her. She had decided to come to church and to make a decision based on that experience. After Sacrament Meeting she told us that it was boring and that the church probably wasn't for her. As she was leaving, one of the primary girls from the branch asked her to come to help teach them in a Primary lesson. The teacher of the kids also asked if she would help teach....she accepted. We don't know what was taught in that class, or what exactly happened, but as this beautiful sister came out of the room she was a completely different person. Her heart had been softened and now understood why we attend church every Sunday. Soon after that, we challenged her to be baptized and she accepted to be baptized on her birthday at the end of the month.

At the same time, this great investigator had invited a friend to meet with us. We taught them both, and he progressed in the Gospel. He miraculously was able to solve his concerns and then accept a baptismal date with this sister. They were both baptized together on her birthday.

We love them both!   Love, Elders Madson and Smith:]

DEPARTING MISSIONARIES JAN 2015

TIME to say farewell to our January departing missionaries.  They return home to their loved ones with honor and we know their lives will be blessed as they continue those things they have learned on their mission. 
GREAT MISSIONARIES!
WE LOVE YOU!

SISTER TRAINING LEADERS

OUR WONDERFUL  
SisTeR TrAiNinG LEaDeRs

NORTHERN ZONE MISSIONARIES

We love our missionaries serving in the Northern Zone.  They are faithful, dedicated, trusted, and diligent in their efforts to serve as they are far away from the rest of the mission.  We have some incredible Senior Couple Missionaries who are blessing this mission and these missionaries....THANK YOU! 
Here is a little glimpse of our Cairns, Innesfail and Atherton missionaries who are in the very Northern tip of the mission (1,704.5 kilometers from Brisbane to Cairns).  WE LOVE YOU!
Elder & Sister Johnson
Elders Pinegar, Kioa, Galenzoski, Elisara, Greening, San
Sisters Smith and Su'a

MISSION MIRACLE

Miracle:
THIS IS AN AMAZING10 years old boy who decided to follow the example of Jesus Christ by being Baptized. He loves his little brothers and he's trying hard to be a good example to his family. The mother, because of her son's willigness to learn the gospel, is now returning to Church. The next goal will be for them to go to the temple. :)
We know that our example can have an impact on people's lives, so let's shine and do good works.
Sister Alberts and Tama

MISSION MIRACLE

DECEMBER MIRACLES!

MISSION MIRALE

​Hi Sister Henderson, this is Dean Wang, He is prepared before we find Him, we GQ him 1 years ago, but never come and see, years after, we re GQed him in the bus stop, on a Friday(conference week), we tried very hard set an appointment for Saturday session GC. then we invited Scott, the Ward RM to Pick up him, and teach him before the GC.

He enjoyed the Word of Christ, and He said Is that will be continue? Then he suffer the hunger stayed for the priesthood session,and he come to the sunday morning, skipped lunch, stayed the sunday afternoon session, and went to FHE at the Sunday night, and bear his own testimony of Heavenly Father on the FHE. 13days after He was baptised on the saturday morning.

the Gospel changed His Life.

Elder Fu and Elder Tian
 Hey，你好！

MISSION MIRACLE

THIS GREAT MAN was found through GQing, on our way to contact a referral from one of the ward members. I can testify the Lord does work in mysterious ways, we met his uncle who he was walking with through door knocking not knowing he had a nephew. On our first lesson he shared with us that he has been praying for a way to change his life and the following couple of days he came across us, when we taught him the first lesson, we committed him to baptism, accepted the invitation and  captured the gospel with both hands. Though there was a hiccup before his initial date of baptism, we were able to witness a baptism here in Gympie. He has truly been the answers of endless fasting and prayers, and with open arms taught him. During his baptism, I spoke about faith and repentance and broke into tears because i never boasted in my strength but knew that the Lord provided one of his sons in our paths, I shared with him that I knew him in the premortal life and i told him i was gonna bring him the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. Its been a long awaited drought for a convert baptism, and it finally happened. I am filled with joy and gratitude for the love of my Saviour and Father in Heaven. I love this time of my life, dedicated to serving our Father in Heaven and assisting the Saviour in the vineyard. We must actively search for His children who once knew of His Plan of Salvation.  

MISSION MIRACLE

THIS WONDERFUL LADY was found on the last day of transfers before elder Tribe moved out of the area.  As she met with us in the beginning of December she related that she wanted to turn her life around.  She didn't want to drink and to feel the social pressure.  She just wanted to clean up her life.  As she began to read the Book of Mormon and feel of the power of Christ changing her from the inside out she committed to be baptized on the 3rd of January.  She worked very hard and resisted the temptation to drink after just a couple visits.  She gave up tea and coffee and worked hard to receive answers to prayers.  As she read Moroni 7:45 she felt she needed to separate from a boyfriend who was pressuring her to break the Law of Chastity.  As she gave up all of her past life she felt a new peace come into her unlike she had ever felt before.  She felt that she actually could change and become a new person and that she could be clean again.  As we invited her to move her date up to the 31 of December she agreed that it would be a great way to start out the new year and that she really was going to make it.  Now her focus is on making it to the temple to help her deceased ancestors receive the same blessings in their lives.  How Grateful we are to witness the miracle of change in someone's life.  That is the real miracle of the Gospel.  What a great way to end the year.
ELDER WOOD, ELDER LUNT, ELDER TRIBE

MISSION MIRACLE

Mission Miracle:
We had beautiful white Christmas here in Capalaba. THIS BEAUTIFUL NEW MEMBER was baptized on Christmas Day after a miraculous conversion. She had met with previous missionaries in the past but was never too interested. After the missionaries recently visited her and offered her service, her heart was softened enough to hear the message of the Restoration. She said that she had felt something she had never felt before. After a ward service project at her home, she felt kinship and love from the ward. She decided to attend church and has enjoyed it ever since. As the missionaries continued to teach her and as she continued to come to church, the missionaries challenged her to be baptized. She promptly turned them down because she had already been baptized and she wouldn't give up drinking coffee. However, we still continued to visit her. As December rolled around, my companion, Elder Fusitu'a, and I, were wondering what we could do to bring about a white Christmas. Our first personal study of the transfer brought the answer. As I was reading the Book of Mormon a subtle thought came to mind: this wonderful lady needs to be baptized on Christmas Day. I dismissed the thought and continued to read. Then during our companionship study, Elder Fusitu'a started sharing his insights from his study. He said that he had the unmistakable revelation that she needed to be baptized. As he wrestled with this question, he again recieved the thought that she needed to be baptized. He thought "she can't be baptized, she won't stop drinking her coffee!" But the Spirit came again and told him that she would be baptized, this time on the 25th of December. As he shared this experience with me, I knew that the Lord inspired our minds to help Maria progress towards baptism. We set a goal to set the date with her the very next time we saw her. We did, but she had one concern about tithing. We also learned that she had miraculously given up coffee on her own. We had not asked her to quit, but somehow the Lord miraculously removed any desire for coffee. She threw all of her mugs, coffee machines, and everything else pertaining to coffee out the window. Over the next few visits, we resolved her tithing concern and she was baptized on the 25th of December, Christmas day. She is now a faithful tithe payer, who is sharing her testimony with others.

Elder Fusitu'a and Madson

MISSION MIRACLE 2015