Elder Brandon Escamilla: 12 NOV 2018 ~ Week 2: Gardens & Service

G'Day Mates from the Land Down Unda!

Well I've survived a 2nd week in good ole Aussie land! So how is the work in Australia? Well it's difficult. Not many people are just religious or very comfortable with their lives. Some of the towns that we work in are a little rougher areas that I would compare to a Highland Falls just outside of West Point, and a lot of government housing. Then we also are right next to the RAAF (Royal Australian Air Force) base and there a lot of members who are in the Air Force, so I've been able to connect to them very closely because of my time at West Point. Surprisingly, every Aussie, I've told that I went to West Point, knows about West Point. Then the town we live in is like the part of Mesa that have bigger lots and properties.

So a lot of variety, but still not many Aussies are not too keen of talking about religion. So we'll either get frustrated, meet angry people or just no answer at all. So in order to change things up and hopefully get people to actually talk with us, we came up with an new idea. So usually before people close the door we tell people that we do service, whatever people need. Usually we say this while wearing our white shirt and tie, and I'm sure they're curious as to what kind of service we can offer in our white shirt and tie. So as we were walking from door to door one day, I noticed how unkept many of the lawns were and how badly they need a good lawn mowing. Sooo.... Instead of showing up door to door like a salesman, we are gonna show up with a lawn mower ready to do service! We searched all week and eventually found a broken up lawn mower, got it fixed by a genius in our branch and are all set to do some service this week. We figured this would be a good approach because most of all our people we are working with have only continued meeting the missionaries because of the service they offer and have actually had their hearts softened from the service and we've been able to share messages with them.

One example is Corinne. She's mom with 3 daughters, her husband and an absolute love for gardening. Missionaries have been going over to help with her beautiful yard and gardens for awhile now, and almost got the door slammed in their face until they offered too chop wood and have been coming over ever since. I met her for the first time this week and I don't think I've ever met anyone so perfect for the Gospel. She has got everything figured out about how to live the Gospel, strengthen your testimony, find out truth for yourself, having faith, one step at a time, just keep working, to not get frustrated from setbacks, and so forth... Except in the shape of gardening. When we got her talking about her garden, I just kept asking leading questions that would perfectly answer concerns about the Gospel or how to find out truth for themselves. Like:
- "Did you ever expect your garden would become something this beautiful when you started?"
"Oh no, never would've guessed."
- "So you're glad you started your first little garden?"
"Oh yes, if I never started I would've never been able to have any of this!"
- "It took time right? It didn't come all at once right?"
"Yes absolutely, it took a lot of time. Just one step at a time. A little here a little there."
- "So you had to continually work on it right?"
"Oh yes, if I didn't do anything then it wouldn't grow. Nothing would happen"

Basically the conversation continued like this. When talking about how life nowadays can be stressful and overwhelming with all of life's influences, I said "it was like a big mist of darkness that surrounded us and we need just something like a rod to hold onto to help us get through the fog, right?" Then she said "YES, absolutely like that." It was funny because I had just described the tree of life vision that Lehi had in the Book of Mormon, and she totally agreed with it without us saying it was from the Book of Mormon. She later took great interest in my Native American heritage (every Aussie seems to just absolutely love and are fascinated by Natives, super crazy). When trying to figure out how to transition our conversion from Native Americans to us sharing a quick Gospel message, the thought came to my mind to share the "Music of the Gospel" Mormon Message video and said, "Hey I've actually got a video on my phone of Navajo dancing and music, would you like to see it?" She was like absolutely! So we watched the video and it was the smoothest transition into a Gospel discussion I've ever seen. Not by my own abilities, but the Holy Ghost reminded me of this video that I hadn't seen in a long time but ended up being the perfect transition and we could tell that she was touched somehow by it. Her and her family are so absolutely ready. Her daughters are good and try to live good lives, she tries to instill good values on them, her and her husband are trying to give up coffee because she said it was bad for you. So perfect. Just a tiny string is keeping them back, but once it's cut they will just absolutely soak everything up and will be wonderful. I had a vision of them hosting Branch events or parties in their beautiful backyard. Kids running around and their family joining and becoming a part of the Branch family. They'll get there, I can feel it.

I know this Gospel is true. It can bless our lives in so many ways we don't even understand. But we have to let it and CHOOSE to let it bless our lives. We never force anyone, that is not the plan. We must choose for ourselves, we cannot force anyone to join. We experienced this one dinner with a good Brother of the Branch who's wife wasn't a member, but his impatience and immense desire for her to be a member was very visibly driving her away. Her entire family were members - husband, children (served missions), grandchildren (singing in Primary and preparing to serve a mission), except her. She was content with her life and thought she was doing her best to live a good life. However, we could see that the pressures from her family were affecting her and staying to drive her away and she was defensive of her beliefs. We tried sympathizing with her and told her we don't force anyone to believe our beliefs and apologized if it seemed that way. Unfortunately her husband was more impatient and aggressive of trying to get her to believe. We left the house saddened by this situation, that she was pushed away from the church, not because of the doctrine but the people. Don't be the stumbling block that keep people away from the church. Love people for who they are, whether they share beliefs or not. That's what Christ would do. Dont be a good companion friend, sibling or spouse. Be a Christlike companion, friend, sibling or spouse (cite my sources: Bro. Bartholomew, cant take credit for this).

When people ask us what we believe be firm and talk about it as if it is a fact, because it is isnt it? When people ask who is God? Dont say he's like our Father but in Heaven. Say He IS our Heavenly Father. Who is this Russel M. Nelson guy? Not: we believe or he's a cool guy who's like a prophet. No, he IS the prophet on the earth today called of God to lead and guide His church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints IS God's kingdom and church. If people disagree then that's ok but Alma grasped this idea in Alma 5:58, "And now my brethren, what have ye to say against this? I say unto you, if ye speak against it, it matters not, for the word of God must he fulfilled." Be bold, not rude or forceful, but have confidence and faith that the things you know are true. If you don't know then you can find out. Begin with a prayer then start searching the scriptures and find out if it's true for yourselves. We often tell people that sure maybe you could prove, by cross referencing the Bible and Book of Mormon and doing historical research, that The Book of Mormon is true. But there is no power in that. Instead our invitation and the invitation at the end of The Book of Mormon is to read it and study it for yourself, then "ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall all with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost."

I've done this and it has made the greatest impact on me than anything else in the world. Enough for this Navajo, Mexican, Filipino and Chinese looking, identity crisis having boy (me) to put everything on hold, sacrifice a pretty decent future, go halfway around the world to teach people he has absolutely no family ties to or any personal connections to in order to share a message about some Book. Spend 10 weeks studying Korean for an English speaking country, in a mission that has been trying to tell Salt Lake to stop sending Korean missionaries because there isn't a need for them, but they keep getting sent. Where the previous mission president has literally said that he doesn't know why Korean missionaries are here. Where my companion has only seen 3 Korean families as members of the church during his entire year of being on his mission, and the other Korean missionaries are guessing that I'm the last Korean missionary to be sent to Australia... Many people would immediately question why they were even here. But I know it is because God loves every single one of His children. Enough to send one person who speaks their language half way around the world in order to deliver the message of the Gospel personally to them. I know this is God's work. Why else would there be Korean speakers be sent to Australia? These calls aren't mistakes, but by divine inspiration. Am I having faith and hope because that's all I have to hold on to? Absolutely, but I can't wait to meet the person or people whom I was specifically called to deliver God's message to. Until then we'll keep studying and preparing for that day. Love you all, have a beautiful week.

Elder Escamilla
에스카미야 장로