6 July 2015 What a Big Week...

This week was a big one for sure... Transfers came quick and boy was it a surprise as to what happened. I got transferred. It is the shortest amount of time that I have stayed in an area. Just 3 months which is a bit annoying. I kind of like staying for a while because you really get to know that area well and you also get to really try hard to find those that are willing to receive you. It's ok though I didn't really go far. I got transferred about a half hour away into Whangerei the town it self. Bream Bay is about a half hour away, and it just borders the town. I am now serving in a ward called Denby Ward. That is not all though. Last Monday evening the phone rang while we where driving back to the District Leaders flat in Town. We stay the night at The District Leaders flat so we can do shopping the next day in town and e-mail as well. P-day ends at 6 and we then drive about 10min to the North part of our area and do and visit a few people there for the evening and then drive back again so we can stay for District meeting for the next day, and also save k's with going all the way back. It is a bit fun staying with other Elders needless to say :D. Turns out that it was President Balli, and he then let me know that I was being transferred and assigned to serve as a District leader replacing our current District Leader as he was then assigned to serve as a Zone Leader in Whangerei! To be honest at that moment I was very nervous. Serving as a leader in the mission field is a big deal, and as it says in the White handbook "it should not be taken lightly". However I am enjoying it so much. Serving the other Elders and Sisters in our District is a privilege and is a great delight to serve and help them. Whether it be teaching them about a principal in PMG, or giving them supplies they need for the work that they are doing in their area, and much more. We have all ready had a companionship study with the Sisters as they are both new to the area and are trying there best to get a grip on the area. I am also excited to go on trade-offs with The Elder Mahreza who is still serving in Bream Bay with his new companion Elder Thorpe. It will be great to see those that I got to teach, and members that I cam e to know so well.  I am excited and I will do my best. Lot's of praying and studying. It is important to also be humble as a leader, as they often learn a lot more from those they serve than those that are being served. It is easier said than done though.

Yesterday in Bream Bay though DJ did go up and bear his testimony to everyone. He said that he "knows the church is true". He is so close to baptism and is really doing well with preparing  for it. Lauren didn't make it though. She felt church to be a bit overwhelming for her, however she did enjoy it. She said that she wants to take just small baby steps for now, which is fine. We do not want to make her feel uncomfortable by pushing her over. Things are going good in Bream bay and Elder Mahreza will take good care of it for sure.

Here in Denby we proselyte in a real similar to Auckland Neighborhoods, it is still different and we still have country areas or "bush" areas as they would call it here in NZ. We have some good investigators that we are working with though. I will tell you more about them next week. I would like to share one experience though we had yesterday. 

We visited members for dinner, and asked who where some recent converts that they havn't seen around for a while. They mentioned 2 names. We went and visited one that evening. We met her son, and he was a bit shy to us as it had been a while since the missionaries had popped up on his door step. He hesitently let us in, we had a YSA young man with us at the time, so we could enter into the home. We started to sing a song so we could lead into thought when the mother, who we were originally looking for came back form her run around the neighborhood. She was a bit surprised and it was a bit awkward you could say. However though, we introduced ourselves and we continued. By the end of the visit we had built a great relationship with her. We learned that she worked for the police force and that she has a very interesting job working for the youth. That discussion took up much of the time that we spent there. It was great though, we ended with a small scripture for all of us to ponder on, and it was great to see this Sister reach and find something to write on so she could write it down and remember it. She still has a testimony, but at the moment she is going through a lot in family matters, relationship wise. We didn't teach a profound lesson sprinkled with scriptures and intelligent thoughts. We simply got to know her and express to her that the Ward missed her, and the we the missionaries are there to help her in her journey with the gospel, and help her feel the spirit again. We should be seeing her next week. It was a fantastic visit!

Well there is so much more that I would love to type, but time does not permit sadly. I am now companions with Elder Lene. We have actually served around each other a lot! We where so excited to find out that we where serving together! I have sent pictures with him home before. He is a fantastic missionary with a powerful testimony.

Got some more mean pictures, me and my new companion. These pictures where taken at a members home that we had a zone devotional at. They have the most amazing view ever!

The camps sound like fun, send lot's of pics!


Love You All!

Love, 
Elder Ward