Our First Email from Australia!

August 3, 2009

Family!
Hey sorry sorry I didn’t have any time at all to call you in Sydney there was so much to do, I had to get my luggage and other stuff. The flight was good, maybe you could do the math for me. But I woke up at 6:30 A.M. Monday, and didn’t get to sleep till 10:30 P.M. Wednesday night in Adelaide- Australia time. I was unable to sleep on that plane ride, it was a very long plane ride. President Poulton and others picked us up. And we went straight to the mission office. Did some paper work, converted my money to Australian money, very colorful. And bought my bike. Which I don’t really need to ride, my Trainer and Companion, Elder Inglis-from Queensland Australia hasn’t even rode his bike in 6 months, so theres just a lot of driving. My area is Firle, one syllable. It includes the temple and the stake center, the suburb of Klemzig and Paradise and other suburbs I don’t know. But if you look on google earth or something you might see where I am working.
There are miracles happening here. Especially with the Chinese. Chinese people come here to the Uni’s for education. They are so humble and receptive to the spirit. This is how the church will grow in China, when these converted Chinese students move back to China, They will be Pioneers. It is Awesome. I am teaching a Chinese man named Neo. Taught him the restoration and he made it to church this Sunday. So he is looking good, Elder Inglis and I are going to commit him to baptism in the near future. Also another two Chinese friends are on there way to accepting the gospel. One had a baptismal date, but it was dropped, his wife’s visa was denied so she is stuck in China, so he is bummed about that. He is close, we will recommit him sometime in the near future as well. Tiger- his friend. Knows very little English, so when I taught him the restoration, it has to be as simple as can be, But I feel good about him, he will be baptized. We have met with a Indian Man named Parom. He is a Sikh “seek” a religion in india. But he is golden. He believes the church is true. And would so be baptized. But he is afraid his other Sikh friends will disown him. So we are going to try and convert his friends. And also just build up Paroms faith and confidence. And have the members fellowship him. I have also been teaching a young man named Safari. He is Sudanese. He believes in the Church and is so close to being baptized, you just almost wanna push them into the baptismal font. But his dad, who is very strong Catholic, will have nothing of it. Safari is 18 and could move out, but we don’t want to split families apart, that’s not what the restored gospel is all about. So we will try and convert his father, who might not be very receptive but at least help him understand that we are good people and that this makes Safari happy. So hopefully everything works out.
These people are so close, it wont be easy to get them baptized, but I know missionary work is not easy. It was never meant to be easy. Being a Christian is not easy. We learn this by the example of Jesus Christ, who is the ultimate example of having a difficult life and full of rejection. He was rejected even before he was born. When there was no room for Mary in the Inn. Just a foreshadowing of his whole life. Everyone might not accept the Good news of Jesus Christ, that there is hope in this world. But the ones that do accept-so much joy. I can feel that joy just by strengthening peoples relationship with god. It is awesome to hear them pray for the first time in their lives, investigators really do have the most awesome prayers. I am happy to be here in Adelaide. I really wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world. I am a part of the most important work the world has ever seen. And that is saving the world. And with faith and diligence, these few people I have mentioned, not all my investigators just some, The work I do will lead them to take that leap of faith and be baptized and return to our father in heaven.
I had a chance to look at the stars just last night for the first time. It has been overcast pretty much all the time. But what I saw last night was sure beauty. I have never seen a more pretty night sky. I hate it but I love it. I hate not knowing what the heck I am looking at, The stars are so foreign to me. I don’t know any of them. But I recognized the Southern Cross because I am just good like that. And its easy to see. I loved it because its so new. It’s a love-hate relationship.

Love – Elder Montgomery