28 JAN 2019 ~ Week 13: Greenie No More! Happy Australia Day!

안녕하세요 여러분!!

Happy Australia Day! I believe it's the day that Captain Cook first landed in Australia... it's comparable to our Columbus Day. Basically an extra day off for the Aussies to drink, and a day that the aboriginal people hate because well... Yeah... It was Saturday and we spent about 5.5 hours in the morning moving a member in our Branch into a new home.
Don't have much from this week, except for more funny "Elder Escamilla identity crisis" experiences:

1) We're driving back to our flat for the end of the day and we see an Asian couple going for an evening stroll on our street. Elder Neas says their Chinese and says it's not worth our efforts (I know that sounds really bad, but he meant in regards to being able to speak Chinese... He's had many experiences of Chinese people who won't stop talking to him in Chinese even though he tells them he's not Chinese, but Korean, and doesn't speak Chinese... In Chinese...). So he just goes inside. However, I got pretty excited because, well, you don't see very many Asians in Port Stephens and since I'm Korean speaking... I'll take what I can get. So I "strategically" roll out our rubbish bin to the street right when they walk by our flat, so I can talk to them. I say,
"Hey how's it going! Pretty nice weather for a walk hay?" Then they start speaking to me in Chinese!! ".... ummm.... Sorry?" *Chinese* "... uhh..." *Chinese "Taiwan?" Chinese* "Um, no American" *Chinese "Mei guo ren" Points to our flat* "Yeah I live here..." *Chinese* "Umm... ok.. bye..." *Chinese, walks away*....
They thought I was Chinese, but when I didn't understand, they thought I was Taiwanese... Guess I better start learning some Chinese...

2) Every week, we email our mission president updates on our area, our personal well-being, whether we've killed our companion or not, if so who won, you get the idea. Well last week, President Runia emailed back to me...
"I'm putting you on a special assignment... it's after much pondering and prayer that you serve in this new area."
I get this the day after transfer calls. I'm thinking... "but President, transfers were yesterday... I guess you can make changes. You are the mission president after all."
I email him and text him back the next day, asking if I can get more information on this, but also understanding that he's very busy looking over the combining of the North and South Sydney Missions with over 280 missionaries. So I wait. Wednesday is when all missionaries report to their new areas. I expected to get something before then, nothing. So I wait some more. I don't call him or bother him anymore than my email and text, I understood he was probably busy. I was way excited for the inspired assignment that my mission president had for me from our Heavenly Father. I wasn't prideful about it, I hadn't even told me companion, but I was prayful that I would be able to fulfill the assignment that he had for me. Nervous and excited. My mind wondered, thinking about what's gonna happen. "Are they reopening the Korean program!?", "Are they opening a Korean Branch and he wants another Korean missionary and I to build the Branch!!", "Is he turning me into Chinese speaking?....", etc.


Then the email comes last night, "Call me Elder Escamilla, and we will talk about this." So I gave him a call this morning...
"Hey President, you wanted to talk to me about the special assignment you had for me?"
"Yes! So right now you're serving in the Spanish Ward with Elder.... Pickering, right?"
"Umm... No... I'm serving in the Port Stephens (very White, Aussie, English Speaking) Branch with Elder Neas..."
"Oh... Wait... Uhh... I'm so sorry. There seems to have been a mix up... I meant to send that to Elder *Something Hispanic* from Guatamala... I guess I confused the two of you since you're name is Escamilla... I'm terribly sorry... *Long pause* So how are you doing?"
So my hispanic name strikes again, confusing another poor soul. I've come to learn that Heavenly Father and I have a very interesting sense of humor with each other...

Besides that, very uneventful week. this Wednesday I finished my 12 weeks of training as a new missionary and am no longer a 'Greenie'. Then a month from last Tuesday, I will hit my 6 month mark. So crazy, time is flying. Still Navajo Mowing. No Koreans yet. UV Index is Extreme. Still humid and hot-az. No A/C in our flat is "the best" (Nacho Libre). We still see kangaroos. The Book of Mormon is still the Word of God. The Church is still true. I love you all and have a great week!

Elder Escamilla
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Australia Sydney Mission
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21 JAN 2019 ~ Week 12: TRANSFERS!!

안녕하세요 Mates!!

This week we got transfer calls!! WOOT WOOT!! So drum roll.... Elder Neas and I will BOTH be...... staying... Haha yeah, we're staying in Port Stephens. I'm good with it. A part of me wanted to go to the city for a change of scenary and a possibility of speaking Korean, but also I wanted to see if our Navajo Mow finding technique goes somewhere.

Well speaking of Navajo Mow, we were in Stockton knocking doors, and a lady covered in tattoos opens the door. We start our shpeal, "Hi! We're just going around the neigborhood..." She looks at our nametags and says, "Oh hey Elders!" Elder Neas and I just look at each other... Turns out she's a less-active member who wasn't in our records and moved into the area a year ago. She asks us to come back another day because her daughters have been really keen to start coming back to church. We met with them on Saturday and just had a great time. They had heaps of concerns and questions and we were able to answer them. We gained their trust through laughter and testimony. We invited them to come to church, and "if you don't come to church, we will find you. We know where you live. If you're 'sick', we want a detailed doctors note." Haha they enjoyed our sense of humor. Come Sunday, they came to church! They enjoyed it and we were surprised the mom even came too! It was so great to see them come to church and enjoy it.

They have a lot of hurdles to go through, and were nervous to come back because they have tattoos and feared judgement from the members. We told them that everyone has struggles and weaknesses. No one is perfect. If the church only accepted perfect people, then no one would be allowed to go to church. Instead the church is a hospital for imperfect people, trying to be healed and become perfect eventually. Elder Holland - "Be Ye Therefore Perfect—Eventually" (https://www.lds.org/study/general-conference/2017/10/be-ye-therefore-perfect-eventually?lang=eng#title1)

I pray that we never judge people honestly trying to be better. My companion told them a story from his last area.... Members had noticed a stench of cigarette smoke coming from a couple of people who had been coming back to church. After a couple Sundays, the members began to get annoyed and tired of it. They went to the Bishop, asking him if he could ask those people who stunk of cigarette smoke to stop coming to church because it was disturbing everyone. The Bishop replied, "You know, I love it when I smell cigarette smoke during Sacrament. You know why? Because it means those people are coming to church and are honestly trying to be better despite their condition." Please never judge people for their sins or condition. Never be the reason why people stop coming to church, but reach out with a hand of love and support. Welcome them home. Our Heavenly Father wants all of His children to come home. Luke 15:4-7

"What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing.
And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.
I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance."

Elder Escamilla
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Australia Sydney Mission
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Showing one of the Bible videos. Just a sweet moment, that I wanted to secretly capture


"Hey Elder get a picture of this!"

14 JAN 2019 ~ Week 11: Tamworth, the Country Music Capital of Australia....

안녕하세요!!

We spent this entire week in Tamworth (3 hour drive away) for trade-offs. It's further north, and definitely in the bush/boonies. Historically, they sent the "bad missionaries" here as a form of "banishment."  Now it has 2 very hardworking missionaries.

Quick Miracle Story:
We'd been knocking doors for about 2.5-3 hrs. It was 38°C, about 100°F. Not quite AZ, but the sun is very direct since the ozone layer is very thin, so hot. Elder Raab is bilaganaa (white) and was turning red, while I was getting a very nice tan. We met some nice and some very... interesting people, but no one is really keen to learn more. Our goal was to talk to 40 people. By the time we hit that, Elder Raab says, "Sweet, that's 40! Let's head back to the car and cool off." I was keeping track of the number of doors knocked and I say, "Hey, but we're at 92 doors. Let's just finish it off to 100." We check to see if there are 8 more doors. There were, so we went to the next door.  We knock on the door, and Brad opens the door. We start talking with him. Brad is 25, Atheist, owner of a milk-delivery company, and a really nice guy. We ask him why he's Atheist. His parents used to be Christian, until their first set of twins were born, both got Cancer, and died because of it. After this they became Atheist, because how could a "loving God" allow 2 innocent children to suffer and die like this. Then Brad had just picked up their beliefs. He has traveled to over 100 countries, tried studying every type of religion (even researched Native American stuff.... I just kept quiet and didn't go down that path...) and just settled with Atheism.

We share with him what is said in Moroni 8:8, 11... "Listen to the words of Christ, your Redeemer, your Lord and your God. Behold, I came into the world not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; the whole need no physician, but they that are sick; wherefore, little children are whole, for they are not capable of committing sin; wherefore the curse of Adam is taken from them in me, that it hath no power over them...
... little children need no repentance, neither baptism. Behold, baptism is unto repentance to the fulfilling the commandments unto the remission of sins."

... He was intrigued and we told him more about the Book of Mormon. We gave him a copy, said he'd read it that night and would even come to church! Then he let us in, enjoy his AirCon, and gave some us some nice cold Cokes, and 3 cartons of the best Strawberry and Banana milk that I've ever tasted (Oak's Milk, good stuff).

But that's not the miracle... ok maybe a little, but the point of this was going the extra step. We can't just settle on baseline or just getting TO the finish line. In cross country and West Point, they would teach us to run past the finish line, do the extra repetition or exercise. Just one more. If we're gonna be successful in life and achieve our potential, we have to be willing to go the extra step and go PAST the finish line. Had we just been satisfied with just those 40 people. We wouldn't have met Brad. We were lucky to catch him because he had just gotten home and is normally working rather than being home. Sure maybe Elders would've knocked on the door some other day, but he may not have been there and this interaction wouldn't have happened. I don't know what will happen or if it will go anywhere, but I'm grateful to say that I went the extra step and wasn't satisfied with our baseline goal. That Heavenly Father granted us that tender mercy and I was able to be a part of this little miracle. 

I love this quote from Elder D. Todd Christofferson:  "Let us not be content with where we are, but neither let us be discouraged."

I love you all and go the extra step. Let me know how it goes!

- Elder Escamilla
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Australia Sydney Mission
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Spider of the week


Dinner on the Go!


Made Navajo tacos! Not quality, sorry mom and grandma, but the boys really enjoyed it. They just wanted to eat the bread.


Elder Raab and I enjoying our Milky Miracle


Beautiful Aussie sunset

07 JAN 2019 ~ Week 10: Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Mates!

What did I do for New Years, you may ask? Nothing, because we were good, obedient missionaries who went to bed at 10:30... Plus, we had to be back in our flats by 7:30 so... yeah... I finished the Book of Mormon though! A little rushed, but finished that night! Congrats to anyone who did the same, & Pat yourself on the back for following the Prophet's invitation! *Patting back*

On Tuesday, companion exchanges w/ the Zone Leaders in Maitland. I went w/ Elder Wu, from Hong Kong, to teach a lady about the Plan of Salvation. Katrina was physically handicapped, but I don't know all her physical issues. From what I saw... She was in an electric wheelchair, one leg in a brace & the other only existing to the knee, weight issues, and has been confined to her house for years... Her house was unkept, but that's just cause she's not able to clean it up.
When we taught about the Plan of Salvation, she had so much hope and eagerness for the Resurrection. I read this:
"The soul shall be restored to the body, and the body to the soul; yea, and every limb and joint shall be restored to its body; yea, even a hair of the head shall not be lost; but all things shall be restored to their proper and perfect frame" - Alma 40:23

She said something like "I can't wait for the Resurrection". To have a perfect body without flaws or impediments. I became more appreciative for what I have. Working legs, hands, brain (for the most part), etc. I can read & scratch the millions of Mossie (mosquito) bites on me. As we taught Katrina, there would be moments where we'd make her laugh or smile. Those were the sweetest moments. Her countenance was miserable, but when we left she was smiling & it seemed we brought some hope or at least some happiness in her life. That was rewarding. We felt the Spirit, or that TRUE HOPE, PEACE & JOY that is felt as we TRY living the Gospel of Jesus Christ - Having FAITH in JESUS CHRIST & His Atonement, REPENTing, being BAPTIZEd/receiving the GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST or renewing those baptismal covenants/promises each Sunday at church, & then ENDURING TO THE END... 

Later on doorknocking, we'd get cussed out, & threatened to be pushed down the stairs by this tatted, pierced up guy. Don't worry, we called his bluff as he came busting out of his house & we just stood there staring at him and he just stood there too...

Message from Zone Conference from Sister Runia (Mission President's Wife):
Our FAITH is NOT in BLESSINGS, but in in the GIVER of blessings. Our faith is trusting in Jesus Christ, that He knows best & that eventually we'll see the blessings, outcomes & results. So it's up to us to just keep "press[ing] forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men... feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure the end..." - 2 Nephi 31:20

Today we'll be heading off to Tamworth. Hopefully we won't hit a kangaroo again like last transfer... But hey, when in Australia! Have a great week! 수고하세요! 포기는 없다! 힘 내자!

Elder Escamilla
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Australia Sydney Mission
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Elder Wu and I after a long day pf walking since neither of us can drive. Him cause he doesnt have a license from Hong Kong and me because the mission office hasnt approved me to drove yet.


One of the beaches in Stockton

We took a break and stopped at a nice lookout over the beach in Stockton. Stockton is one of the beach areas where it is MUCH cooler with the nice ocean breeze. Much better than other parts of our area.