Week 4

Kia Ora Whanau! (Pronounced fawnoo, means family)

This week went by so fast it was crazy. My last email was super long so I'll try to keep this one shorter. 

Last Monday we had a really great lesson with a less active/part member family. We talked about how the gospel blesses family and ready 1 Nephi 8 with them. We asked if they would be interested in having us over to teach them more and to help them come to church and the wife Hineone was super excited and said yes (she's less active) and the husband Mia was less enthusiastic but also said yes. We were pumped. They told us that they would text us the next day for a return appointment but they never did and have since dropped off the face of the earth. We've called, and texted, and dropped by their house but we haven't been able to contact them which is not good. 

On Monday we also knocked on a nice lady's door and she was busy so she told us to come back. So we did, and she was busy again but told us to come back. So we did, we came back 4 times until she wasn't busy and she listened to our doorstep message but then told us she was too busy to learn more. So we gave her Book of Mormon and encouraged her to read it in her spare time since she was too busy for us to come by. But it turns out she ready had one lol so we told her to read the one she already had. 

On Tuesday we went over to an investigator's house who the missionaries have been teaching for 6 months and we talked about the importance of keeping commitments because they haven't been keeping any. Tina, the mom, said they weren't ever going to keep commitments because they are catholic and don't want to convert but they like having us over but she "feels sorry for us because we are wasting our time". So that was fun. I was thinking, what the heck have the missionaries been doing for the last 6 months then if this lady and her family aren't willing to keep commitments and think we're wasting our time. 

Wednesday the real highlight was the Wilskn family. They're former investigators that dropped the missionaries right before I got here but they still want to have us over for dinner. They are currently on the fence between Arise church and our church. We really felt that if we shared the Book of Mormon with them and read it and committed them to read it every day that they would gain a testimony and choose Jesus Christ's church. We read 3 Nephi 11 with them where the Savior comes to the temple bountiful and the spirit was really strong. Farrah (the mom) really felt something and I can tell really is starting to have a testimony. Jason (the dad and the one who wants to go to Arise) I think also felt something and apparently was a lot more focused than he usually is. We committed them to read chapters 12-19 throughout the week and they said they would. Then we connected with them on facebook and started a group chat so that we are able to share thoughts about what we've read so that they stay accountable. Facebook and technology is such a blessing! It's really helping the Wilson family and is going to help so many other people as well. 

Thursday everything fell through so not a ton happened. We also set up for the ward talent show. The talent show is missionary-run which I'm not a fan of because it's taking up way too much valuable time and not helping us fulfill our purpose. But it was already in the works when I got here so I had to follow through with it. 

Friday was great because we got a new investigator! His name is Zade and he is a refugee from Iraq and moved to New Zealand in 2002. He is so golden. We had our first appointment with him on Friday and we were able to get a less active young woman from the ward to come to the lesson so it was a double lesson and so great. We gave Zade a Book of Mormon and set a return appointment. So blessings. 

Friday was also the talent show which went really well but I'm glad it's over because it was honestly a waste of time to organize as missionaries. 

Saturday we did a ton of service which was nice. We also started exchanges. It's weird not being with your normal companion and being with someone else. The other sisters' flat is not as clean as mine so I was not loving it. 

Sunday was so good! It was the primary presentation and the spirit those kids bring was so strong. It also got so many inactive and non members to sacrament it was so crazy. A newly reactivated mother and her newly baptized daughter sang and it was so powerful. In that moment I realized that their reactivation/conversion  story is what missionary work is all about. It was great. After church we continued with exchanges. We met 5 new potentials all with return appointments. It was such an inspired night. It was really a testament to how we succeed when we open our mouths and talk to everyone. One of the potentials I literally yelled at from across the road. It was weird but I saw him and all of a sudden I was yelling. They invited us into their house and fed us dinner (our 2nd huge dinner). I was not hungry but eating their food was an excuse to be in their house and talk with them so I was happy to eat. Today was so good and what I needed to be motivated for the coming week.

Today we went on a hike to the first lighthouse in New Zealand. It wasn't really a hike, it was more of a walk but it was so warm and beautiful. The lighthouse is called Pencarrow and it was built in 1859. 

My spiritual thought today is from a quote from Richard G Scott that says "The joyful news for anyone who desires to be rid of the consequences of past poor choices is that the Lord sees weaknesses differently than He does rebellion. Whereas the Lord warns that unrepented rebellion will bring punishment, when the Lord speaks of weakness it is always with mercy." I love this quote and I think it says it all. The Lord does not punish us for being mortal. He is merciful and just so if we repent and turn to Him, He will always forgive us.