The Down Under

First week here has been an adventure. A lot to learn and a lot to experience. I'll start off with some of the stories right off the bat from leaving the MTC :

Immediately out of the MTC I had chances to share the gospel. The first person we talked to on the Frontrunner was named Maverick. He sat down next to us and we asked him where he was headed. He started opening up a lot and we realized that he had a really rough past. Then he told us he is a member but doesn't go to church very often. It was just such a great way for me to know that the Lord is already giving me opportunities and preparing people who need to hear the message. I shared a scripture with him and invited him to pray. He was really receptive and I'm glad we had the chance to talk to him. I'm excited to start this journey and touch the lives of others.

Already having a lot of adventures. We had just left the MTC and were getting onto the bus which takes us to the airport. I'm with 2 other missionaries, one Sister from Peru who speaks little English and one Elder from Utah who had his head in straight. They are both coming to Australia with me. We have about 8 suitcases between us and the Peruvian Sister's bags don't even really work, all the wheels are broken. So it's a complete ordeal getting these bags off and on the different trains and buses. I'm carrying my two bags and then one of each of theirs. I step onto the bus first and begin loading the suitcases onto it. I turn around to help the other two who are still on the sidewalk when the door closes. I wave my hand between the doors for a while before I realize they're not going to stop and then withdraw. I start pushing all the buttons but the door won't open and the bus starts moving. I can see the confusion of their faces as the bus I'm on cruises out of there and I leave them behind. So 2 hours into my mission I've already been split from my companions and left them stranded. Not to mention I have half of their stuff. It was an exciting start to the adventure. I got off at the next stop and just hoped that they would take the next bus and we could meet up within the next 20 minutes. The Lord took care of it. It's pretty awesome out here! Love having a good story. Plus I got to talk to people on the bus and tell them about the Church and my mission. All in all, a great experience.

The first man I talked to in security was very impressed by what we were going to go do. He pulled 2 50 dollar bills out of his pocket and handed them to us, telling us that dinner was on him. What a kind gesture and so uplifting. The Lord is looking out for us.

At the airport we happened to be on the same flight as a huge group of Chinese people also going to Sydney. It was so awesome to just have that opportunity right away. I walked up to all of them and began asking them where they were going and what they were doing. They were so surprised that I knew Chinese and kept asking how I had learned it. I explained that I was a missionary and that this was my purpose, to share my message with them. One lady in particular was so excited to talk to me and it was great practicing my Chinese. We talked for about 30 minutes as I kept bringing it back to the gospel and she kept bringing it to things like how she couldn't believe I wasn't getting paid. All of the Chinese people were blown away that I had paid for this mission myself. It felt good to bear testimony that I know it is true. None of them were very interested in making a change in their lives, but it was awesome to be able to talk with them and share with them my testimony. And it was just a lot of fun to get to know all sorts of different cultures.

The fiasco continues: the Peruvian Sister was sitting about 7 rows ahead of us on the plane to LA. We had no layover and rushed to get on the next flight to Sydney. She got off before us, and when we exited the gate she was nowhere to be found. Keep in mind, she speaks very little English and just seemed to be having a culture shock with the whole travel situation. I felt bad for her and when we realized she was probably lost in the airport I felt even worse. Me and my new companion looked everywhere around the airport for her while we heard on the intercom 'Last call for flight to Sydney'. We were running out of time and had checked everywhere multiple times. We said a prayer to be able to find her. Then we went to the plane attendant and checked with her, she said that the Sister had not boarded the plane. We had her call on the intercom in English and Spanish multiple times but the Sister still didn't show up. Finally we had to make a judgement call. We could wait, miss our plane, and hopefully find this Sister (who we were pretty sure had boarded a flight to Sydney with a different airline) or we could get on the plane and trust that the Lord would take care of her. We felt like it would be easier for the Church to rearrange one flight to Sydney rather than 3. We hated the idea of leaving her there, alone and confused but we didn't know what else to do. We tried to contact the mission president to no avail. Finally, we hesitantly boarded the plane. 

We got the pleasure of sitting next to a lovely Australian woman named April. She is spunky and fun, probably in her 40's and just so great. She was very kind and immediately gave us her number, telling us that if we ever needed anything in Sydney she would help us. She told me that she wanted to look out for me just the same way she would hope someone would look out for her son.

We began having a great conversation as I told her about my goals as a missionary, my motivations, and my family back home. She shared a lot of thoughts and showed me quickly that she is a very deep thinker. She was of the opinion that the gospel can be great for me and she was happy for me but didn't really need it in her life. I didn't take this as a rejection, and instead continued to learn about her and talk to her. My goal was not to convert her, but to love and understand her. The more we talked and the more she shared, the more powerful my small testimonies became. She was so impressed with me as a young man deciding to go do something like this. I was really grateful for how kind she was to me and it was so much fun and very rewarding talking to her. As I shared experiences, she would think deeply about them and give great responses. I was able to invite her to Christ and love her.

The flight was 15 hours, we probably talked for 7 and slept the rest of the time.

I went through and highlighted some good scriptures in a Book of Mormon as well as wrote a note in the front, then gave it to April. She was really excited to read it and I was happy to be able to share it with her.

Getting off the plane was a bit of a blur. However a miracle did occur and the Lord answered my prayer. We walked off the plane and were in the customs line. I had been worried what we were going to tell the mission president about why one of his Sisters had been left in LA. But then that Peruvian Sister just walked up to us as if nothing had happened. I looked at the other missionary I was with, shrugged and decided I didn't even want to know how she had managed to get to Sydney, I was just glad she was there. Then we went through all the security which took about an hour. I was doing my best to just have a positive attitude and take in all the new information. We met our mission president and wife who were waiting for us outside the gate and enthusiastically greeted us which was nice. We then met some missionaries who were departing and talked to them for a bit. Then we waited in the airport for a couple hours while a few other missionaries arrived from the New Zealand MTC. It was an adjustment just taking in everything and I really relied on the Lord to help me keep smiling. Our mission presidents then drove us to the Sydney Operahouse and filled us in on some things about the mission. As soon as I saw all the Australian trees and the landscape, as well as the city, I just felt more at home and loved it. I can't wait to begin my mission. There are so many different nationalities here. President Runia told me that about 40 percent of the baptisms in the mission are Chinese. So speaking Chinese in Australia really has been a blessing.

The operahouse was really amazing. The whole city looks so awesome and my mission presidents are enthusiastic and nice. I'm grateful for them. The other missionaries are really nice too. Then we went to the mission office which is right by the temple. There we met some of the senior couples who gave us an orientation of a bunch of stuff like cars and phones. They were very welcoming and I began to feel comfortable there. Then after a few hours they brought in all the trainers and didn't tell us who had who. It was pretty easy for me to guess, as there was one native speaker from China and I was the only new Chinese speaker. His name is Elder Feng and he is a cool guy from China. I was so excited I got a native companion because I will learn so much faster. His English is pretty good, I told him I always want to speak Chinese as much as I understand. He is really nice, helpful and patient. I was very grateful to get him as my companion. He even likes basketball. He told me that we are going to a new area which is all Chinese. 

That night we stayed with some other missionaries at their apartment. I couldn't believe how nasty it was, and I was surprised there weren't any of those giant spiders there. Seriously this place was a complete dump and the missionaries seemed to have never heard of a rag or broom or even a trash can. So I stayed the night there and passed out, the time zone was really catching up with me. The next morning we had some more training and then took off to our new area. Being out in the real world was such an interesting feeling after being cooped up for so long. I became increasingly grateful for my awesome companion who continued to explain the mission to me and what we were doing and helped with my Chinese.

Right off the bat I talked to a lot of people on the street. I have no fear of approaching people and explaining who I am and what our message is. You get a ton of different responses and it's a lot of fun seeing how people react. Some are more interested than others. My favorite is speaking Chinese to the Chinese people because they are always so surprised that I can speak their language.

We got to our new apartment and to my delight it was clean and bright and very peaceful. Luckily it had previously been used by Sisters which explained why it was so well kept.

Showing up at the new apartment and seeing the whiteboard with old investigators as well as seeing all the information and reports they had left for us made me feel like a detective. We have all these clues and now we need to piece them together and get people to progress in the gospel. 

The next day, we had an amazing experience happen.

I went up to a man on the street and began talking to him. I couldn't really understand what he was saying because he was speaking Chinese with some sort of accent, but my companion helped translate. To my surprise he started showing me a picture of our church saying he had gone there the day before. He said he was from Hong Kong and had just moved here. He had been meeting with missionaries there and was hoping to get baptized.

We met with him later that day because he asked for a lesson. He said he wants to get baptized which was so exciting. I still don't understand a lot but I was able to contribute. We were truly an answer to his prayer. He said the day before, he had been trying to find the church and wanted to worship God. Then the next day he found us. It was amazing to be an instrument in the Lord's hands. He came to church on Sunday with his daughter and made friends with a lot of the members there. We are so grateful that we could be part of his progress.

The branch that we're assigned to is mostly all Chinese. However this does not mean Mandarin, actually our church is a mixture of Mandarin and Cantonese. This makes it a complete zoo in the lessons. One person will be speaking Cantonese and a bunch of others will be translating into Mandarin or English and it sounds like the Tower of Babel. It takes all my brain power to keep up, and after hearing so much Cantonese, the Mandarin is music to my ears since my brain actually has a grasp on it. Meeting the members was a bit of a challenge because of the language barrier, but it was fun and I just smile at everyone and let them know I would love to help and serve them. Everything here is much easier and more fun when I take it with a positive attitude. I've met all sorts of people on the street, some are really rude and some are just plain weird. But always loving them and just being kind leaves no room for retort. It's pretty hard to argue with someone who just wants you to have a good day. 

We got invited to a members house to eat some dumplings. All the Asian food is new to me and so is using chopsticks. It took me about 4 times as long to finish my food but all the members appreciate my efforts to use the chopsticks. I made progress, soon I'll be like Kung Fu Panda. It's a fun adjustment learning the new culture.

My companion makes great Chinese food and I've enjoyed trying all the new things he makes for dinner. It sure is great having a companion who will cook for you. 

Overall, there are a ton of Chinese people here. I get the opportunity to speak Chinese for hours every day. It's such a great experience. It's called missionary work for a reason. This is not a vacation in Australia. I am being pushed and stretched, but that's how we grow. I am touching lives by following the Lord and I know that I am right where He needs me. I'm grateful that I have Him to rely on, and I'm so excited to be serving Him and His people here.

 Looking forward to the next adventures,

Elder Halverson