MISSIONARY VISIT: MAY 2016

We love seeing returned missionaries who have come back to Queensland to visit family, friends or sometimes just to visit US.  We ran into this great Elder at stake conference in Ipswich.....looking great Elder!  

 

LET THE INTERVIEWS BEGIN: May 2016

We are beginning our final interviews with the missionaries and it is so bitter-sweet....we love the time visiting with the missionaries; Sister Henderson visits with them as they wait for their turn interviewing with President Henderson.  Often times they come from his office with tears and emotions that are because of the love they have felt and the embracing care of President's mantle.  Many of them come out changed and forgiven.  There are so many ranges of feelings.  There is nothing more incredible than seeing the growth from interview to interview with these incredible Elders & Sisters.  The mission has worked so many miracles through God's love and as we look in these missionary's eyes we see so much more than the color of their skin, but the beautiful colors of the Gospel and how it has blessed them in so many different ways with colors of knowledge, hope, forgiveness, humility, love, charity, brotherly kindness, and faith. 

We will miss this blessed time with them! 

First day we met with Coomera & Centenary Zones

ARRIVING MISSIONARIES: MAY 2016

A BIG AUSSIE WELCOME to the newest Australia Brisbane Missionaries!

May 2016

It is a great group of Elders & Sisters who arrived from Laos, American Samoa, Philippines, United States, Hong Kong, and Fiji. 

We can feel a great energy and excitement as they have come prepared to Invite others to Come Unto Christ.

 

 

GOLDEN HARVESTER APRIL 2015

ABM LEGEND......SISTER UTAI

Look who we ran into at the Brisbane Temple grounds....
SISTER UTAI!   
It was such a wonderful surprise to see her beautiful, smiling face as we walked out of the temple with our departing missionaries.  

SPECIAL INVESTIGATOR FROM CAMBODIA: May 2016

We love finding investigators wherever we go:  Teach When you Find....Find When you Teach!  We met this wonderful man from Cambodia when we were looking for someone to clean 10 mission vehicles in preparation for a special mission visit from Elder Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.   We had seen Chan in the parking lot washing and detailing cars and so we approached him and he agreed to the job.  He was FANTASTIC!  We talked and shared who we are and had a wonderful teaching experience.  We invited him into the office and shared a Book of Mormon and some pamphlets with him in Cambodian.  We also just happened to have an Elder from Cambodia who received the referral.  
WE LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!  

DEPARTING MISSIONARIES: MAY 2016

We had a wonderful day spent with our departing missionaries on May 9th
TEMPLE
LUNCH
INTERVIEWS
DEPARTING DINNER
PRESIDENT'S FINAL COUNSEL
TESTIMONY MEETING
 How grateful we are for these incredible missionaries who we spent the last two years with the Elders and eighteen months with the Sisters.  
They are WARRIORS!  
We love you!

 

WELCOME TO THE MISSION: Elder & Sister Bean

We are thrilled to have ELDER & SISTER BEAN arrive in the Australia Brisbane Mission.  They are amazing and have jumped right into their roles in the office and the mission.  What a blessing for all of us!   We are so grateful for your service and your willingness to leave home, family, and life as you knew it to come and sacrifice to serve.  
We are excited to serve with you! 

 

CHINESE MISSION MIRACLES

MISSION MIRACLE: MAY 2016

Found through the door knocking and with a a step of faith she decided to join the church despite of the skeptic view and opposition in family. What a wonderful girl!

MISSION MIRACLE IN BUNDABERG: MAY 2016

           "CALLED TO SERVE​"
 AUSTRALIABRISBANEMIS​​SION

MISSION MIRACLE: YEARS IN THE MAKING MAY 2016

This wonderful couple have been together since they were 15 years old. As time has passed they now have 2 children and 1 on the way. Sisters Grawrock and Esekielu found this good man while door knocking. As we both have tried to stop by to share a message they both were either too busy or not home. As a month went by we were able to catch both of them at home and share a message, we shared a message about The Gospel of Jesus Christ. They asked many questions and we were able to answer them. He had taken discussions before with the missionaries but wasn't fully into it. The next time we came we shared a message about the 10 Commandments and how praying was a commandment. About a week later or so, we received a text from them saying, "Good morning sisters. Hope you are all well. I prayed last night for the first time and feel good. I'm keen to organize some more lessons. I'd love to be sealed as a family at the temple. I understand it will be a long journey with it's bumps in the road but I really want to live happy and pray more. I feel amazing. Such a great feeling I've never felt before. I'm sure it's God." After receiving this text we admittedly went to visit him and asked him about his experince, he told us his experince and we were amazed and explained to him that was the Holy Ghost. We invited him to be baptized and he said yes. But of course we knew that they needed to be married and we explained to him the importance of marriage. He then again said yes and agreed to marriage and baptism. They were married on April 16th, 2016 and he entered the waters of baptism on April 17th, 2016. What a beautiful special moment it was not only for him but for the both of them, and now their next goal is to bring his family to the temple so they can be sealed together for time and all eternity.

The missionaries who taught them were Sisters Grawrock, Esekielu, Tuatonga and Malua. The missionaries that experienced the wedding and baptism was Sisters Grawrock and Malau.

MISSION MIRACLE: MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK MAY 2016

This great man was baptised on the 29th of April 2016. We have been teaching him for 2 months and had invited him to be baptised many times. One Sunday the 24th of April he was in Cairns with the Youth and in there Youth class they were talking about faith and the lesson started to change and focus on him. They invited him to be baptised the Friday coming up. The fears which he had seemed to fade away. He felt that this was the time he wanted to be baptised. The spirit was strong. That night he called us and told us that he will be baptised on the Friday.
The power of Member Missionary Work in the far North. 
Elder Steel & Harvey.

CHINESE REGION MEETING: April 2016

The Chinese Missionaries in the Australia Brisbane Mission are incredible missionaries who serve in Brisbane, Gold Coast and Eight Miles Plains areas of the mission; many are part of a new Chinese Branch in the Eight Mile Plains Stake.  They work hard, many learning Mandarin Chinese, many learning English, many who have only been in the Church for a few short years....but all who are here called to serve speaking Mandarin Chinese to serve the wonderful people in Brisbane.  We love meeting with these great missionaries for firesides, baptisms and Chinese Region Meetings.  We are so grateful for their dedication to serve the Lord.  

MISSION MIRACLES: ALL IN THE FAMILY

What a remarkable journey for this wonderful family who have blessed each other in discovering the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  There have been so many who have been a part of each member's conversion:  wonderful members and friends, great missionaries, embracing ward.....it takes everyone!  

  “Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together … [and] labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act in faith to fulfill His work” 

“Faith in the Work of Salvation" June 2013 

It all started with the beautiful daughter of God (second from the right), which led to her Mother, Auntie, brother, nieces and nephews and finally her Grandparents.  

CHEERS to our WONDERFUL SLEMBOSKI'S: APRIL 2016

It seems we have had to say farewell to so many of our Senior Couples.... but we knew that would happen when they were called to serve, as all missions come to an end. 
We were so blessed to have Elder & Sister Slemboski serve in the Australia Brisbane Mission; their great abilities and life experiences served them well to do all they were called to do for the Saints in Bowen/Whitsunday and for a time in several of the stakes in the Brisbane area.  We love their zest for life and their beautiful testimonies that they shared with love to the people they served.  
Thank you Slemboski's~~

  

WE LOVE THE HILLIER'S

For the past three years we have had the beautiful experience of being with Neville & Hazel Hillier for Passover dinner; we love that they include us in this special night with family & friends.  

Thank You Hillier family!  

Neville & Hazel prepare a delicious seder meal....we have come to appreciate Hazel's great Jewish heritage and how the Hillier's have preserved this wonderful heritage for their family and friends.  

 A Passover seder is a service held at home as part of the Passover celebration. It is always observed on the first night of Passover. Participants use a book called a haggadah to lead the service, which consists of storytelling, a seder meal, and concluding prayers and songs.
The word haggadah (הַגָּדָה) comes from a Hebrew word meaning "tale" or "parable," and it contains a sort of outline or choreography for the seder. The word seder (סֵדֶר) literally means "order" in Hebrew, and there's a very specific "order" to the seder service and meal.

WELCOME: ELDER & SISTER FA'APUNA

We are thrilled to have Elder & Sister Fa'apuna arrive to the mission....they are wonderful and will be outstanding missionaries as they serve.  They come with gifts, talents and abilities to do many things and we know that God will use every bit of them.  They have barely had time to adjust to the driving here in Australia before jumping right in to the Chinese Branch, Samoan Branches and working with the missionaries. 
Welcome to the AUSTRALIA BRISBANE MISSION!