Australia Sydney South Mission

I love serving in Australia because there are so many different cultures. It's like a melting pot of the world and all the cultures. I served with the Samoan people and was able to learn their language and I came to love their culture. For culture tips I would say with any culture is just to go in with an open mind but also go in with a heart of love. Going in with the desire to love people will help you love the culture a lot more and help you adjust a lot faster to it. The Samoan culture is very loving and very kind but they're also very respectful so it's really important to understand and respect your elders and also be able to play with the kids because if you can play with the kids and the kids love you then the parents will love you.

Australia is just, it's just literally the best, and you will have so much fun there. But, um, they love it when you use the words that they use. Like, when you say rubbish instead of the garbage, or they say flat instead of apartment, or like for bathroom, don't say like, where's the bathroom? This is kind of funny, but you just have to ask like, where's the toilet? And they'll know exactly what you're talking about. Um, just another like handy tip to use is that they do not have disposals, like sink disposals in their houses. And so if you're like at a member's house doing dishes or something, just make sure you throw the food away, like the extra food, and don't try and putting it down the sink.

Australia is very diverse and so just have respect for every culture that's there. It's going to give you culture shock in some areas. Always be mindful of the things that could offend them and the things that don't. Also, if you're going to be in a Polynesian ward or Polynesian zone kind of areas, always know that they're always going to feed you and that they're probably going to give you money if they find you or if they see you. Don't reject it. Even if it's just take a small bite of it, it's a way to show appreciation and it's a way for the Polynesians to feel that they have been blessed. In our culture, that's how you are blessed is to give to especially missionaries and to provide for them.

So going to a new country and being among different people can be very intimidating, but I think the greatest thing that I learned and the only thing that I like to share with people when they go is that you don't have to be able to speak people's language to love them. And so with different kinds of cultures and going in either if you're speaking English or Mandarin or Tongan or Samoan or Cantonese, if you go in and love the people and understand you don't have to love using words, you can love using your actions, they will love you and you'll fit right in.