About a girl . . . .
This is Sister Yueran Gao. She joined the Church in her hometown of Qingdao, China two years ago. I didn't know that the Church had any full-time missionaries serving from China. In fact there are three full-time young missionaries serving in the Brisbane, Australia Mission from China. She is the only member in her immediate family. She decided that she wanted to go on a mission and her parents said that they would not pay for it. She asked them that if she found someone to pay for her mission could she go. They said yeas, probably thinking that she would not be able to do so. Well, she found someone to pay for her mission and she is serving here in Rockhampton. She was called to a Mandarin speaking mission in Brisbane. There are many students from other countries that come to college in Brisbane some of which speak Mandarin. She speaks very good English as it is taught in Chinese schools. Last transfer she was sent to Rockhampton where there are few, if any Mandarin speaking people.

She is fiercely proud of her country and fights to get rid of stereotypes. She is very bright and filled with the missionary spirit.
Last week we drove with the Sisters 45 minutes to Yappoon which is on the ocean. It is very beautiful there. The Sisters were following up on a "friend" who used to live in Rockhampton and had come to church regularly when here. Which was about 6 months ago. None of us had met him in person. His name is Lorenzo (all of the people from other countries give themselves an English name because they are often hard to pronounce or remember). To our surprise he was Chinese. In fact Syster Gao, attended university in his hometown. Lorenzo's English was not as good as Sister Gao's was. So as they taught the lesson Sister Gao would speak to him in Mandarin if he didn't seem to understand the English words. Sister Gao said " I wondered why I was sent north where I didn't think I would use my Mandarin but maybe you are one of the reasons why I came here."
God knew a girl would join the Church in China, that she would be called on a Mandrin speaking mission and that President Vansawad would be inspired to transfer her to Rockhampton.
Our greatest joy so far has be going with the sister missionaries on appointments. They are amazing. They are keeping up busy. Some days we go to 4 appointments between the two companionships. They truly are God's Army.
Sweet story. The Lord has a way of arranging the puzzle pieces of our lives so we're where we need to be.
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