So wow, what a week.... so...
- Sydney has got to be one of the most diverse places in the world.
- I've been moved to about 45-60 minutes from the city in the Liverpool area.
- From small branch of 30-50 to huge ward of over 200!!
- In this area, one second I'm in Samoa, the next I'm in Vietnam
- we've got a Korean Fried Chicken restaurant in our area!
- There are so many people! I'm not used to seeing people, so many Muslims, Hungarians, Vietnamese, Samoan, Tongan, Chinese, but no Koreans, YET! We'll find them though!
- There is apparently 1 less active Korean guy in our area!! His wife and kids are also Korean and his wife ONLY SPEAKS KOREAN (which means she'd be forced to put up with my bad Korean! Which means KOREAN PRACTICE!!!!! Hope you know how excited I am to meet them)
- In a flat of 5 Elders. One from Samoa, Elder Taafua. One from Utah but Samoan speaking, Elder Aloi. One finishing his mission this week, Elder Kaipuke. Then my companion who is basically Samoan speaking since he's served around Samoans his whole mission, Elder Kowallis. Don't know half of what goes on between them b/c they speak half Samoan and I just don't understand.
- District leader is tough here b/c everyone in my district and zone either already knows each other super well or speaks Samoan... Then I'm still pretty fresh and Green compared to most. So yeah...
- We had a mission conference with all 250 missionaries in our mission. Elder Nielson, the executive director of the missionary department and Elder Ardern from the Area 70 gave us a training. I got to see all the other missionaries that I've come to love, from serving with them. It was a really great day. Every missionary tells me that I'm in the best area of the mission.
- I asked my companion if they teach people in this area. He said yes and looked at me weird. I said like real lessons? Legit teaching? He said yes and thought I was weird. Man this just made my day b/c I haven't been able to do much teaching.
- Since our ward is primarily Samoan, 1) they love missionaries and 2) they love feeding missionaries. We get fed so much.
- Our ward is just so full of solid, strong, funny az members who are so keen to do missionary work.
So pumped for this transfer! I just made a complete 180°, so crazy. From nearly nothing to so much. Excited to get to work.
Elder Brandon Escamilla
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Australia Sydney Mission
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Pic 4 - Elder Fellingham, my fun Kiwi zone leader who goes home at the end of this transfer
Pic 5 - our whole flat doing finding
Posing in front of our flat with Elder Taafua, still fresh from Samoa.
Elder Wu and I. Love this guy, the most solid missionary I will probably ever meet. He goes home to Hong Kong next transfer.
My first zone leaders, Elder Wu and Tobler, such a solid companionship. The best missionaries I'll probably ever meet.
My trainers, Elder Scott and Neas, and my first zone leaders. Throwback to the Port Stephen days