SISTERS' CONFERENCE JANUARY 2014

What an amazing group of Sister Missionaries we have in the Australia Brisbane Mission.  We were able to have every beautiful Sister with us for our 

2014 ABM SISTERS' CONFERENCE 

We joined together for a lot of hugs, tears (of love), testimonies, talks, workshops, skills, and food.  We had a great committee who worked hard to organize this wonderful event and everyone did a marvelous job. 

  We have 68 Sisters from all around the world:  

Indonesia, Tonga, Taiwan, Tahiti, England, Samoa, Hong Kong, China, Singapore, Philippines, South Korea, French Polynesia, Myanmar, Micronesia, New Zealand, United States, South Africa, and Australia.  We also have seven SENIOR SISTERS who work diligently and faithfully with their husbands serving around Queensland....with more coming which we are thrilled about!  We are also pleased to have several SINGLE SISTERS who are serving in the mission. 

Our amazing Northern Sisters....serving in Mackay, Emerald, Townsville, Gladstone and Gympie. 

President Henderson...preparing for his remarks.

 

We are grateful for the Relief Society who planned, prepared and provided our delicious lunch!

FAREWELL ELDER CHEN

We bid farewell to our wonderful ELDER CHEN who served valiantly in the Australia Brisbane Mission.  His life is amazing and his conversion is inspiring SEE HERE.

 Elder Chen has plans to return to China to visit his family and then engage in continuing his final year of his Master's program in Sidney Australia.  

WE LOVE YOU!  We are grateful for your incredible service...especially with the Mandarin Chinese program! 

LEADERSHIP COUNCIL CONFERENCE

We have such wonderful leaders in the Australia Brisbane Mission; we love meeting with them and learning together how to be the best missionaries and leaders of missionaries that we can be.  We had a special conference with our Zone Leaders, District Leaders and Sister Training Leaders to get the year started on the best foot and to congratulate the mission on such an amazing 2013!  We are most excited for all that 2014 will bring~~~ 

MISSION MIRACLES

Our recent convert is a single mother of two boys. She recently moved to Innisfail from Darwin and was tracted into by Elders Dudley and Thorpe. She was the first person that I meet when I (Elder Giles) came to Innisfail, she had been found two days previous. Her initial interest was in Joseph Smith, his question was the same one that she had. She has been looking for a church, but wanted to pick the right one. We began teaching her and trying to get her to come to church. Three weeks in a row she got up, got dressed and didn't come. Finally after a few member visits she got up the courage to come to church. I will never forget the feeling I had when I saw her drive up in front of the Chapel.
    The moment she walked into the chapel all of the fears she had washed away and she felt comfortable. The next day we set a baptismal date for the 22th of December and the whole family progressed quickly from there. The biggest problem we had was picking a place to have the baptism since we do not have a font at our chapel,  she chose a favorite swimming spot at a nearby creek. We have renamed the place "The Creek of Mormon"
   Currently she is almost done with the Book of Mormon and excitedly doing her family history to prepare for the temple. She is on fire and a great strength to the branch. We feel so blessed to have been able to be a part of her continuing conversion.

INTERVIEWS & FLAT INSPECTIONS

We are having a whirlwind experience traveling around the mission with our good assistants interviewing our missionaries in their flats; it has been good to get a glimpse into their life away from the churches and meetings.  I have a new appreciation for missionaries! (I have especially had a new appreciation for our six children and our four children-in-law who served missions all around the world and lived in all kinds of conditions). I have learned that they don't make strong enough bunk beds for our big framed Elders, the fridges are too small, I need to teach why to use a mattress cover, blu-tack does not work on the walls....among other things. I have realized that missionaries know how to make a little bit of heaven wherever they are!
Here are just a few samples of these wonderful missionaries....more to come!  

MISSION MIRACLES

This wonderful new member was baptized on Nov. 16th and it was an amazing day!  He was found when his less active Mum showed up to church and wanted to get her baby blessed and she asked if the missionaries could come over and start teaching her son.  Ever since it has been a blessing to have taught him and to see not only a change in himself but also in his family.  He is 12 years old and he is now setting the example to his family on coming to church and doing things that will help them come back.  They are now really receptive to missionaries and we hope to reactiveate them through the work of this good son, he is truely an amazing kid.  We love being able to complete families!!

Elder Davis, Fifita and Nelson were involved in the teaching.  Baptized by Elders Fifita and Nelson

THIS IS TRUE MISSIONARY LOVE!

We have come to know and love the many cultures in the Australia Brisbane Mission; there are 31 countries represented and 23 languages that our missionaries speak.  There is a wonderful representation from the Polynesian Islands and we learned at the Christmas celebration that they express their love in a most unique way: 

 We were told that the meaner looking, louder sounding and face contorting, the more they loved us!  We think they love us HEAPS.... this we know....WE LOVE THEM HEAPS!

NEW MISSIONARY ORIENTATION & TRAINING

WE LOVE THE "GOLDEN" SPIRIT OF THE NEW MISSIONARIES IN THE AUSTRALIA BRISBANE MISSION.  After being in the field for a week, we meet with our new Goldens for 2 days for a overall review and training.  It has been amazing to see how well these missionaries are doing and how much we LOVE THEM already! 

 This transfer: Missionaries from Japan, China, New Zealand, United States, French Polynesia

We had a wonderful afternoon training on The Culture of Christ.  We had our friend, Joe @ FISH53 make us burgers and chicken sandwiches (loaded with shredded carrots, tomato, lettuce, beet root sliced, and cheese.  We love his "chips" (french fries to us Americans) and there is always a smile and song of THANKS for all he does for us.  When I called to confirm, he wasn't even working today, but he showed up and had everything ready for us.  

Australia Brisbane Mission Book of Mormon Reading....JOIN US!

READ along with the AMAZING YOUTH in Brisbane Australia in reading THE BOOK OF MORMON every day!

   FOLLOW US ON  INSTAGRAM  @ ABMBOM2014

...or visit our FACE BOOK PAGE  

https://www.facebook.com/abmbom2014 

INSTAGRAM @ABMBOM2014

Motivated by the 1,425 Mormon Youth in the SMYC in Brisbane Australia

*Inspired by the Book of Mormon Book Club in the U.S.  

Church a home for missionaries, no matter where they are | Gladstone Observer

Church a home for missionaries, no matter where they are | Gladstone Observer
Click on the above link for article published in the Gladstone Observer

NEW MISSIONARIES JAN 2014

It is always an exciting time to WELCOME our new missionaries to the field; we have an excellent group of missionaries that arrived January 1, 2014...what a way to WELCOME IN THE NEW YEAR!  The future of this mission is exciting and in good hands!

OUR NEW MISSIONARIESfrom New Zealand, United States, China, French Polynesia and Japan