THURSDAY ISLAND

THURSDAY ISLAND BRANCH

This has been a wonderful experience being with the Saints in Thursday Island, a small island in the Northern tip of Queensland....one of many islands in the Torres Strait Islands  (a group of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait).  It is Father's Day and a holiday weekend and so not all the members were in town for church, but here are the members present today; they are humble, devoted and amazing members of the Church.  They love Heavenly Father and are so grateful to have the Gospel.  They are pioneers in this part of Australia.  They had a dinner for us with grilled Du gong (Sea Cow) and some other island fare when we arrived Saturday night...another first for us here in Australia! 

The Branch President (top of picture holding his son, Junior) is leading these Saints with faith and love.  His wife (in the black & red striped dress) was the first missionary sent from Thursday Island, she served in Melbourne, Australia.  We had a touching meeting and left with a renewed commitment to live more simple, have more gratitude and keep our faith in God foremost in our daily life.  

MISSION MIRACLES....

LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO THE NEWEST MEMBERS OF THE BRANCH: 

DENZEL:    "When I was a little boy,  I lived in Mabuiag Island, where there is a little branch.  I first went to the church and I didn’t understand anything.  I went to other churches as I was growing up.  When I came to Thursday Island for high school, I started going to the Mormon church on the weekends and they started teaching  me about the Gospel. I do not know what got into me, but I wanted to know more.  I asked so many questions and they helped me understand so much.  After 2 months, I felt that I should get baptized.  I was baptized in the stadium where the swimming pool is in March 2013.  When I was baptized, it was something new; I felt great...so light and full of the spirit."

IRENE (16):  "When I started coming to the Mormon church, I felt the spirit.  I felt that the Church is such a nice place and it makes me feel happy.  I was taught the missionary lessons and so much about the church from the Branch President.  It felt like home being at church.  After I get baptized, we went down to a church conference at Camp Kanga in Mackay and met a lot of wonderful friends in the church, it was wonderful meeting a lot of different members of the church and they made me feel welcome and at home.  I like the Young Women's program where I  learn more about being a  daughter of Heavenly Father." 

 

 ERIC (17)  "My family is from Mabuiag Island, but I was born and  grew up on Thursday Island until I was four years old  and then moved back to Mabuiag Island to live with my sister and her husband.  I was very bad before I joined the church; I used to party a lot because I didn’t know.  The Branch President invited me to church; I didn’t really want to go because I thought it was not important and that they just played drums and sang.  I felt the spirit the minute I walked through the door.  I wanted to get baptized straight away; I was so ready. I am now very very grateful for the Gospel in my life; I learned about a living prophet and about the Book of Mormon.  It changed my life.  A month later I was baptized.  I am a very happy to have purpose, I am sorry for the young people that I know who don’t know about the church.  When people ask me why I got baptized into the church, I tell them that I am following Jesus Christ’s example and He is the reason.  My sister and her family also joined the church."