Elder Mahreza and I have been passing out to flyers to those that we meet on the streets, and inviting like mad to make sure that we have a good turn out. I have attached a picture of one of the posters that we put up in the little town of Waipu and also Ruakaka. There have been serveral people that have had a warm response to our invitation. A few have turned it down, not liking the fact that it is about "Religion". All well there loss unfortunatly. I was thinking to myself the other day about how you said that many of the people on the base don't even except us as Christians, despite explaining, reasoning, and expounding. Maybe the Branch could organize an event and invite friends and co-workers to it so they can have an enjoyable time and also maybe have a few myths shut out.
Even if a few people only come, they would still generate a lot of conversation others, and share what they learned from the video. We are also having the relief Society bring warm soup and bread so people have an enjoyable snack to keep them warm and cozy.
Reuben was able to make it to church this past Sunday. He was given the Aaronic Priesthood! There is now another priesthood holder in the Bream Bay Branch! Many of the members are excited about that. Reason being is because it simply means growth. There are many Sisters attend which is wonderful. But with out Priesthood holders to hold leadership postitions, the Branch cannot really move forwards. Reuben is happy to be a memeber. I was so privledged as a missionary to be part of his conversion process. It was not me, nor previous missionaries who converted him, it was simply the Branch and the strength that is in it.. The Lord of course played the biggest role of all!
DJ is doing all right. Unfortunatly progress has slowed due to some ripples in the family. DJ has 2 older Sisters who are members. You have Marama, and Mandy. Mandy is a recent convert since march, and Marama is a convert of about 2 years. Mandy at the moment is struggling a little bit and we want to make sure that she stays on the right path. You could look at it as we need to make sure Mandy is strong before we can then baptise DJ. Or at least that would be best and preferable. DJ is close and we are still seeing him.
Other than that we do have a few other people that we are seeing, and doing our best with helping them to get to the point where they are progressing.
We hiked the peak of a local Mountain called Mount Mania. It had a stunning view of our area. That beach you see all along the coast is part of our area that we cover. I don't think I run out of beautiful things to take pcitures of here in NZ!
Love you all!
Elder Ward
We visited a lady that has loved reading the pamphlets and this is the view right next to her home... The water was perfectly still and was a perfect reflection of the pink sky!
A picture of me at the Zone Leaders flat in the morning. I was a bit sick so I rested while they prepped for the big feed. Today we are having an "umu" (oomoo) or "hangi" (haungy). It is an under ground oven where cook the food by heating rocks to red hot and then putting them in the ground and then the food on top with wet blankets to trap the heat and steam the food.
Well this week was a bit slow, however there are a lot of other things that are happening in our area that I don't think that I have mentioned to you guys.
Elder Mahreza is form Jacarta, Indonesia. He currently lives in Babasi. I don't think that those are spelled right but I think that you should be able to find them on a map. What a great experince it is to serve with him. He is really humble and he does speak English well. He has been out for 5 months, and he had to learn English in the MTC. He is pretty much fluent and can have a well involved conversation with someone on the street. It is amazing to think that he has learned so quickly. His native tongue is Indonesian. They do have many dialects in Indonesia, however they do have a national Indonesian Launguage. His Grandparents where converts to the church. He has been born into it, as well as both of his parents. HIs Sister is currently serving in Indonesia itself. To attend the temple they have to go to the Hong Kong temple, however he took out his endowment when he came to NZ. They always make a trip from the MTC to the temple so those missionaries that don't have their endowment can get it. They did not even have it in his launguage. Something I can't fathom is how difficult it must have been in the MTC for him. There was no one that could speak his laungauge, no translators no nothing. He could not speak any English whatsoever. They were taught it in school, but, they never really learned, similar to highschool launguage classes. (haha) I thought that the MTC experice was hard, but my goodness for Elder Mahreza it must have been a highly challenging experience. He is a humble missionary, he certainly is going to go on and serve a great mission. He works so hard and is so diligent in his language studies.
We are planning a showing of Meet the Mormons in one of the nearby villages called Waipu. We are going to be renting out the town hall and getting flyers organised and invite like mad to the event. It should be awesome! We are hoping that it will help generate more curiousity and openess when we speak with people. a problem with small villages is that everyone tends to knwo each other and also attend the same church or have the same ideas. We have shared it with a few people and they have shown some great intrest in it.
Yesterday we had a Zone conference. Which is the reason why we did not e-mail on monday. Hope that you wheren't to concerened about it. Forgot to mention it last e-mail. It was a great Zone training though. Presdient Balli is such an inspired man. He taught us how we could use the Book of Mormon more effectivly when we teach. Elder cook also mentioned a few things at the mission conference that really apply to missionary work. Everything from understanding that we are builders of God's kingdom and not ust sales men was one of the messages that was expanded, and also that we ourselves are the message to the people that we meet and see. We are the ones sharing our testimony everywhere we go, we are the ones that dress nicely and are groomed well to show the importence of our message. It was just great. Thats something that I have always loved about the mission is the trainings. They are always so clear, and crisp in helping us become better missionaries. I will miss that after my mission for sure.
I do have some mean pictures but I think I might need to send them next week
Thanks for the e-mails sorry I could not get back to each one.
Love,
Elder Ward
This week was a particularly special one. My goodness. I think that in my last letter home I expressed a bit of concern before Reubens baptism. I was a bit worried about him not being bale to make it to church and what not. We met with him pretty much every night before his baptism to go over things that needed to be taught such as the various principles in PMG Chapter 3 lessons 4 and 5. As we taught him though, I began to gain a much better understanding of how well prepared he was for Baptism and how much he desired to make the covenant with God, and I felt confident that he was ready and prepared. We had felt the spirit so much during his lessons, and we felt it all the way up to the day of his baptism. I can tell you that I fasted before the baptism that I would be ready to perform the ordinance and also that all would go well for the Baptism. Nearly all of the Branch was there to support Reuben, and also his Daughter \who is a member but is LA came as well. Reuben also had his cousin (who is an active member) to support him. It was brilliant, and it went so smoothly. I talked with Reuben afterwards, and he mentioned a few things along the lines of that he " felt like he was a changed man". I am thankful for Heavenly Father blessing my companion and I to help someone return to his fold. It wasn't just us. In all honesty I don't really feel like I deserved, or least to extent that I didn't really do to much to help Reuben get there. The missionaries before Elder Mahreza and I found him. They taught him for a few months, then I cam in and continued to teach him with Elder Donaldson. Members came with us to the teaching appointments and where able to bear a powerful testimony of the church and also share with him their conversion story. Our Branch is made up nearly all converts surprisingly, and many of them personally know Reuben personally. So when you look at it in the bigger picture it was the combined efforts of previous missionaries, us, and the members to bring Reuben into the fold.
So Reuben was baptized on a Friday... Usually it is a Saturday... Reason being is because of Elder Quinten L. Cook! He came to our mission and we traveled back down to Auckland and back down to the MTC and we all met at the local chapel with the Hamilton mission. Being in the presence of an Apostle is amazing, and many of the other General Authorities form the Area Presidency. So I have met shaken the hands of 2 Apostles on my mission, that's Elder Anderson, and Elder Cook. Elder Bednar was not able to, but still got to see him up close and be in the same room. :)
Love,
Elder Ward
This week we had transfers. Elder Donaldson, my last compaion, unfortunately was sent down to Auckalnd to serve. My new companion is Elder Mahreza, and he is form Indonesia! I don't think that there is another missionary here in this mission form Indonesia which is pretty cool. He is a humcle Elder and very kind. He has been out for 5 months and has served in Auckland for those 5 months. It's a bit different for him, he is use to there being lights keeping the streets light and the surrounding area. We are often drving in the the country getting form place to place.
Reuben is doing well. his baptism is going to be this Friday. He asked me to perform the baptism... certianly a privledge and a honor. He asked simply because I was the one that had been around him the longest. Many people have been involved with teaching Reuben. Our Branch President, Elders Qourem Pres, and our Branch Mission Leader, and Brother Mills. He has some great friends that are part of the church and they have all been part of the conversion process. I am spoiled with the privledge of being te one that performes the baptism. Reuben didn't make it to church this week however. There have been some real big inconvienes that have popped up. Reuben has attended church many times in te past (His wife is member however LA), so he is familiar with it. He also has the right motivations behind it as well, and that is simply to come closer to the Lord. He understands the the importance of the promise that he is going to make with his Heavenly Father. It should all work out well though. I will call President Balli and seek further guidance.
DJ made it to church yesterday as well! He was happy to be there and he said that he would like to come to church every Sunday from now on. Now that is the commitment that is needed! He is progressing well and he has been reading the BoM with his older Sisters. Elder Mahreza and I have spoke with the parents, and they are happy for him to make his own choices, and wiill support them in whatever decision that he makes. Things are looking good for DJ and we look forwards to teaching him more.
Just to give you guys an idea of what it is like teaching DJ, being a little boy of about 11 years old, he often gets distracted. Asks silly quesitons that are a bit off subject. However with a bit of patience it is possible to help him understand. We start the lesson off by singing a hymn, and saying a prayer. His Sisters are present and are there to help him and learn as well. We may ask a few questions to see what DJ can remember form our last lesson. When teaching him we simply explain the principles that he needs to know and understand (We teach each the priciples found in PMG Chapter 3 for each lesson). Sometimes we can't get though them all because he or we get a bit distracted, but we love to end with a video that goes along witht the lesson to really help out with the understanding. We just downlod them onto a USB and plug them into the TV. Thats an indepth discription of what it is like to teach a lesson. We often try to do the same for each investigaotor, however, everone has different needs though.
Also at church we had a member come who had not been to church in many years. He is the Komata (leader manager) of the local Moari (a Moari building used for religous worship, and culture activities ) which is a big deal. He hadn't been to church in about 12 years. He also came with his wife, who is a former investigator. We had visited them the night before Sunday (we have visited them many times in the past to say hello and share a thought), and invited them to come to church because we had a linder longer afterwords. They didn't say they would. So I was shocked to see them at sacrament meeting and as well as many of the long hauling members in the branch because they had never seen him come before. Needless to say, it was a combined effort on all our parts as members and missionaries to help them get to church. Not to sure if they are here to stay, but we will certainly come say hello this week see what they thought and felt about there visit and encourage them to keep coming.
There is a lot that happened this week. However I just can't e-mails it all back home. :(
Here are some pictures though, got a sweet senic picture in front of Mount Mangia (Mania) and then we also got a bad tire this week... It went oblong and it started to bump as we drove down the road... That was an adventure. Thanks you Boy Scouts, nothing to it if you know how!
Thats great what they did for Grandpa and I am happy for him. I hope to see him when I come home! Tell him I say hi and that I love him!
Love,
Elder Ward
Boy it sounds like things have been busy at home I must say. Thanks for your e-mails, I don't know if I will get around to responding to them. I hope to get a lot in a general e-mail.
For this week we had another lesson with DJ. He has been keeping up on his reading in the BoM. He is learning has the beginnings of a strong testimony. In his family, DJ has 2 older Sisters, Marama, and Mandy. Marama is YSA and Mandy is at the end of being in the YW program. So they are great for helping DJ with reading the Book of Mormon and also teaching him. At the moment, we do have a good relationship with their parents who are non-members. They relaxing after work with alcohol and smoking, but they are great people. So we are hoping to one day teach them. It may take a good amount of time for them to warm up. Many was baptized about a year and half after her older Sister. DJ, didn't make it to church unfortunately. He instead decided to go shopping... Our next lesson with him is going to be on Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy.
Reuben, we have been keeping in touch with. We should be seeing him this week on Tuesday. We are itching for it because it has been a while since we have seen him, and June is right around the corner as well. Big things should be happening as well.
We had a bit of a miracle happen for as well. It was late at night and Elder Donaldson and I didn't have to many people to see at this time. People here in NZ are not to keen on getting visits late at night, especially in the country areas. Despite not having anyone with an appointment, we did remember one family that we where hoping to work with in the near future. We decided to go say hello. Surprisingly the family was awake and all the kids where up. We where invited in surprisingly and we got to know the family a little bit. They have had missionaries over in the past, however the time was simply not right for them. The wife is a member, however due to some bad experiences, she is not active. The husband is not a member, however he has been around members all his life and has had interest in it. We showed a small clip of meet the Mormons, they thoroughly enjoyed the video, and now we are planning on having dinner with the family this week. Maybe the time is right now we will see and we will follow the spirit and do our best!
The new home looks exciting! I love the makeshift lift that the Italians have. Boy that must have been fun. Fixing it with packing tape? not dodgy at all. Haha.
Stuart the prom looks like it was awesome. Looks like your making good memories.
Eric it is awesome that your pinewood derby went so well. It's a pretty great car! I think that we have a total of about 4 now or so? The red rocket, the blue and white one that I made, the marshmallow toaster, and now Eric's car!
It is pretty awesome that you are getting good with the trumpet, I think that I may need to learn to play the piano when I get home. Keep working at it!
Dad thanks for your e-mail. It must be quite an experience with serving in South America. Thanks for the encouragement. It tough when you get to the later part of your mission, but I am determined to remain diligent and continue to improve.
Thanks for the wonderful e-mails!
Love,
Elder Ward
This is a picture of our zone up here in Whangerei. Great Elders and Sisters.
A beautiful sunset.
Still eating like a king. Stuart don't let the missionaries in your mission keep you eating Ramen.
Hey thanks for the awesome phone call I really did enjoy it! I have attached a picture of me calling.
I went on a trade off with our District Leader Elder Adams. Unfortunately I got sick and so we stayed in the flat for part of the day. I don't know what it was, but I was able to feel well enough by the end of the day to go out and visit DJ.
Well for this week we taught DJ some more. He is doing well and he is quite a bright boy with lot's of desire. We reviewed the plan of Salvation with him again and he almost got all the little pieces in order. It was a great teaching opportunity to really help the principles sinking in to his head. At the end of the lesson we watched short little video to sum up the plan of Salvation. That was a pretty great lesson.
We kept in touch with Ruben this week. We should be starting up the visits by the end of this week.
So I am a bit short on time sorry, but next week will be some good e-mailing!
Also Mother, do you guys read the BoM together often? I could help Eric build interest in a mission possibly.
Anyways Love you all,
Elder Ward
This week was a good one for sure. Ruben is donig great. We taught him the Plan of Salvation, and also the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He loved both of those lessons. He also asked about tithing and wanted to know more about it. Missionaries just simply love it when investigators ask questions. We then know that they are seeking for a deeper and better understanding. We also know exatly what their concern/ what they would like to know. For the 2 lessons we had a our Branch President with us. His name is Prsident Aschcroft. He is form England originally and boy is it great to have him come out with us to teach. We started with a song and a prayer, and then went on in teaching him about the Plan of Salvation. Ruben all ready is familar with the church, so it wasn't difficult for him to get a grasp on it. (When we teach people that they have a loving Heavenly Father, and that they lived before this life, sometimes a blue screen comes over their minds.) We taught simply, and it was greatt to have President Ashcroft there to bear testimony about the Plan of Salvation and the principles that are within it. Teaching him the Gospel of Jesus Christ was wonderful as well. We had our Elders Qourem President with us President Lynton. He is a convert of about 4 years, and it would amaze you to hear about his background. He grew with a pretty rough back ground, but needles to say, he is now a memeber who is sealed in the temple with his wife and children. He is the only member that comes with a pretty sweet Gotye to church as well. :)- Ruben is busy with work right now. Here in the small town that we live in, most of every one works at either the Port, The Oil Refinery, or the wood Mill. Ruben works at the Refinery, and at the moment they are doing some Heavy maitenence work on it while it is shut down. He is current working 12 hour shifts for 10 days right now. Ruben did tell us that things would finally clear up enough for around June. So he will be a wonderful addition to Bream Bay Branch in June sometime.
That's the latest on the area atm. There are some smaller things happening on the side but unfortunatly to much to relay right now.
So I am looking forwars to calls. It is a shame that Dad won't be there... but none the less it should be great! I will likely call on Mothers Phone. I think that I have been calling in the morning for me, so the earlier the better because it will be late for you guys. I will call 7 o'clock or so. I will call Monday here so it should be Sunday there.
Last P-day we went a saw a waterfall in town. Needless to say it was very nice. I took a few pics. By the way the camera I have is probably the best camera I could have got for my mission, it just works great!
So I love you all, Take it easy and send some pics of the home.
Love,
Elder Ward
Elder Deardon is in our District, he pulls the best faces!
And the other one isn't funny but just a good pic of the falls.
