Well it's officially December and the start of Summer! I've always wanted a hot, humid, bug filled Christmas... (I hope you can hear the sarcasm haha) No but honestly the Christmas is just crept up on me, but I'm especially excited for Light the World and all the push for service since that's right up our alley!
So I'll get going on the week...
Yes we hit a kangaroo last Monday on our way to Tamworth for trade-offs with the Elders in that area... after we hit it and pulled to the side, we ran back to try to find it and we see it hopping down the road... probably to try to hit another car... It took out our headlight and bent the frame of the car so that I couldn't open my door. Therefore, I applied what I learned during Mil Move at West Point, and would have to climb in and out of my seat from the window...
So I'll be honest, these past week or 2 have sucked... Our time in Tamworth was full of doors actually slammed in our face and getting cussed at in Inverell. Then more doorknocking in Tamworth with heavy rain and getting soaked (which was great, throwback to West Point summers). Then I truly realized how little teaching I've done while being out... This week was my first time teaching the Plan of Salvation... In reality my first formal lesson beyond the little messages we try to get out or the visits we make not being able to get an actual message out. So that was really surprising and not really something I wanted to realize...
Overall, no luck at all, which made me appreciate my area a little more. However, once we got back into our area, it wasn't much better. One experience in particular... We were with a lady who we previously gave a Book of Mormon. I'll tell you now that this visit did not go well at all. She had actually tried reading the Book of Mormon and we were excited to see what she thought and all. Then... She comes at us saying it was dark and depressing and violent and graphic... You can imagine our shock and just how caught off guard we were by this comment alone. This would set the tone for the rest of the visit. There were questions that we ourselves didn't know the answers to or couldn't explain properly. Then she was openly mocking us at times. Just really catching us completely off guard. It resulted in us leaving a little defeated, and with the Book of Mormon we previously had given her... If these past 2 weeks were spiritually portrayed as a West Point Plebe boxing match, we would just be getting our butts handed to us. Just pummeled. Doors slammed. Cussed out. Mocked. People driving by and yelling at us while we're filling up the car at the servo (thats gas station in Australian haha). Unable to answer questions. Feeling like I don't know the scriptures well enough. Feeling like I'm not achieving or fulfilling my purpose as a missionary. Satan magnifying these thoughts and trying to make me doubt or give up. Feeling frustrated on how I'm possibly ever gonna learn Korean. Trying to cope with never being able to teach beyond the doorstep. Or simply trying to be worthy and entice the Holy Ghost so we can receive that inspiration and guidance. Just completely getting demolished.
After getting mocked and not being able to answer questions beyond the simple have faith or a testimony, I turned to Elder Scott and just laughed and said: "Dang, we are just getting are butts handed to us." He didn't understand what I was taking about or why I laughed. I laughed because when I've just gotten pummeled or had a rough experience at West Point, I just laughed and said dang that sucked. Haha. That's all I could do. If I worried too much about it or got discouraged then I would've just broken down. So now I laugh, because we are just getting beat up Spiritually here. Then I laugh and feel honored because I'm getting to experience the smallest portion of what prophets of old experienced. Like Alma or Sons of Mosiah or Amulek or Abinadi. Nothing quite as extreme but a portion, maybe my version of it. Then, is this not how the Savior was treated? Obviously I'll NEVER possibly fully know or understand His experience. We can't possibly, but the smallest portion, the smallest atom of an atom of an atom of understanding. He was mocked. Betrayed by friends. He performed miracles that were just cast aside. He did absolutely no wrong. People who once welcomed Him into Jerusalem with celebrations and cheering, would later be shouting for His crucifixion. Spit upon. Hated. Whipped. Carrying His own cross, the cross which He would soon be nailed upon. Then mocked at His death with a crown of thorns, a sign above Him "King of the Jews". So I feel so incredibly honored for this experience. Yeah it sucks and very hard, but I'm doing my best to share the true Gospel of Jesus Christ. When we have weeks like these past 2 weeks honestly, all I can do is look back on my testimony and what I know to be true. I dont know everything, but I do know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints IS GOD'S KINGDOM ON EARTH. THIS IS THE TRUTH. A lot of Christians and other religions are offended or find it hard to believe that we think that our church is the only true church. It's a bold statement, I admit. The lady we got mocked by said: "so you're saying Mormons are gonna be more prepared to meet God and are better than everyone else?"
Unfortunately, I didn't respond as well as I am now, it just caught me off guard because when I spoke I had no intentions of giving off this message. However, now that I think about it, yes. Not being better than others, but being prepared. People often think that we believe that we are trying to work our way into heaven. No, we can't possibly earn our way into Heaven. "...it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do." 2 Nephi 25:23. However, what we do with that grace is strive to do as Christ commanded and "be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect." 3 Nephi 12:48 and Matt. 5:48. I love the talk by Brad Wilcox "His Grace is Sufficient". Check it out and it just provides heaps of clarity on Grace and how we view it as members of the restored church of Jesus Christ. Ultimately we are preparing to dwell in the presence of God. To repent, and keep the Commandments. Follow the prophets and their instruction revealed to them from Jesus Christ. We perform ordinances given and revealed to us from Jesus Christ. So who is gonna be more prepared to meet God? Someone who has continually worked to become like His son? Or someone who only thought of Him on Sunday then did what he wanted the rest of the week? Yeah it's bold. It's not pleasing for them and us if we are not doing what we know what we should be doing. "The guilty taketh the truth to be hard" 1 Nephi 16:2. I know these things are true. Do I know everything? Absolutely not, I still have a lot to study. But there is one thing I know with as much certainty as much as I can see my hand - that is that Heavenly Father is real and we are in His church. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is TRUE. Since God is the same yesterday, today and forever, He has restored the same pattern of calling prophets to lead the church that He always used like with Noah or Moses. If God were to speak to you today or give you more words, wouldn't you want it? Or would you say oh I've got the Bible or Book of Mormon, that's all I need. I would be ECSTATIC to get more words from God. What's incredible is, we do. Through the Book of Mormon. Through modern day Prophet's like President Nelson. In the Book of Mormon, we get the personal ministry of the resurrected Jesus Christ to the people in ancient Americas. The Book of Mormon was translated by Joseph Smith, not written. The Book of Mormon takes place about 600 years before Jesus Christ and about 400 years after His death. It is an additional witness, and is not meant to be an addition to the Bible but together "shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace." 2 Nephi 3:12.
Our invitation is to simply read the Book of Mormon prayerfully, because "if ye shall believe in Christ ye will believe in these words, for they are the words of Christ, and he hath given them unto me; and they teach all men that they should do good. And if they are not the words of Christ, judge ye—for Christ will show unto you, with power and great glory, that they are his words, at the last day; and you and I shall stand face to face before his bar; and ye shall know that I have been commanded of him to write these things..." 2 Nephi 33:10-11.
Be bold in standing up for the truth. Stay firm in what you know to be true. This is the restored Church of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith truly saw God the Father and Jesus Christ. Watch this talk from Elder Holland, an Apostle of Jesus Christ: https://www.lds.org/study/general-conference/2009/10/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng#title1
I love you all, keep pressing forward with a steadfast faith in Jesus Christ. Please just read the Book of Mormon. I'll invite you to read Alma 5. Give it a shot, tilly won't regret it. I say these things humbly in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Elder Escamilla
Australia Sydney Mission
에스카미야 장로
호주 스다니 선교부
Raising the Navajo flag on a members flag as a joke, replacing the Australia flag
What that 'Roo did to our whip
How many elders do you think it took to change a tire?
The end of our efforts in Inverell