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.
... 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
에스카미야 장로
Australia Sydney Mission
호주 스다니 선교부
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
I love you all and go the extra step. Let me know how it goes!
- Elder Escamilla
에스카미야 장로
Australia Sydney Mission
호주 스다니 선교부
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