I'm sorry I've been bad with my emails. Our Pdays have been busy the past couple ones and... yeah... Anyways, so I think I've missed the last 3 weeks... So here we go...
Transfers: Staying in Blacktown with Elder Kaburara. Got a phone call the night before transfers and was asked to train a VISA waiter (someone temporarily serving in our mission until their VISA comes in). We agreed and pretty excited. Get to mission and get assigned new missionary. Turns out President pulled a fast one on us and changed the assignments. Our 2nd companion is Elder Carter from Nevada and this is his mission. Being in a trio will be fun and interesting.
We have been working and busy. We have been blessed with many opportunities to teach and invite others to come to church. Much more in these past couple weeks than the majority of my mission combined. It feels great. The ward seems to be trusting us and have been working with a lot of them. We have one guy, who's our age and wants to serve a mission, but.... he's got a lady friend that he's serious about hahaha However it's been good because he's become motivated to learn how to teach and prepare to serve a mission partially he can teach his girlfriend and help her join the church hahaha Whatever it takes! "Thus we see that the Lord worketh in many ways to the salvation of His people". We have had good discussions with him as we teach him the Plan of Salvation at a higher level, show him the resources out there and answer his honest questions of the church and why we keep the commandments. We're hoping to get other perspective missionaries on board, or just anyone else that wants to increase their knowledge. Prepare them so they can go out and share with their friends.
My other leader companion, Elder Bennett from Canada, and I have been very insync. It's incredible and truly a great thing to have. We have the same approach to helping the missionaries we look after and we have seen the fruits. Love. Love is the answer. I was told early on in my mission that love is always the answer (thanks Dave). I sort of understood it then, but had no perspective or experience. However, as I've gone throughout these past 15 months I have seen more and more how incredibly true that is. Love, especially the Love of our Heavenly Father, has the power to change all hearts. From a leadership perspective, it is the best approach. Now expressing that love, and knowing how love is received is the trick. Throughout all my companions, interactions with other people/missionaries, and advice I've been given, it all goes back to love. Then allowing that love to change us into who we can and need to become.
Throughout my mission, I have absolutely loved the missionaries I have served and served around (or at least by the end of my time with them, have come to love them). Ministering has become my favorite thing because it's learning someone's love language and then delivering it accordingly. Then watching it open up paths for further love or help to be given or lessons to be learned. It's not the easiest thing at all and requires a lot of patience, understanding, a desire to even want to understand haha, and study of the Savior. I know I'm not even the best at it either, but it's something that I've seen to be absolutely necessary for everyone. Also it's been able to flow into how I work with members and friends of the church. In our missionary study book, Preach My Gospel, there is phrase that I love at the end of ch.6 "How Do I Develop Christlike Attributes?". It says "You need to be a Christlike missionary, not just do missionary things." (I know this just doesn't apply to missionaries because these are attributes that we need to develop throughout our life). Additionally, there is a quote from C.S. Lewis that also hammers this point in "We might think that God wanted simply obedience to a set of rules: whereas He really wants people of a particular sort.” As we strive to follow the Savior, and become like Him, our capacity and ability to love will improve and those around us will be blessed for it. Also, it will allow us to become what God intended for us to become.
I was blessed to have this point taught to me, the importance of loving, ministering and being Christlike rather than just the best, while I was in the MTC (thank you Brother Bartholomew). He taught me how it is more important to become a Christlike missionary rather than the BEST missionary. That principle has blessed me throughout my mission as I've sought to love and minister to the missionaries and people around me. I'm not perfect at all, but I have been blessed with opportunities to be a tool and convey Heavenly Father's sincere love to others. Those have been the most rewarding and cherished memories of my mission.
My mission has been far from being successful in the way that most people think a successful missionary is (baptizing people, finding people, leadership, and so forth). Don't get me wrong, we are working and we still have faith for success. However, I have been tremendously blessed with opportunities to learn how to minister and love in the way the Savior would. Blessed with opportunities to serve and minister to other missionaries who need the Gospel just as much as any person we see on the street. Blessed with others who have ministered and loved me at my lowest or at my not-so-best self, and brought me up with them. I'll be forever grateful for the lessons I've learned, new family I've gained, and the love I've received. I love my mission so much and this is the best thing I could've ever done for my life. If you're debating on whether not to go, GO! You will not regret it one bit. I love you and have a great week!
Elder Brandon Escamilla
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Australia Sydney Mission
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