September 2014 - a 'Peculiar People'

1 September 2014

Transfer 4 week 4

Sooooooooooooooo much rain here in the land of the long white cloud!! I can't even explain the point of my wetness. If you squeezed my skirt water dripps out. BUT, it's all part of the parcel. People driving past think we're slightly mad but hey, we need to live upto the expectation of being a "peculiar people" ;)

We went out for lunch to.. DENNYS.. some cool as diner
thing $6 for a large pizza and L&P!

We had a ward missionary fireside.. and somehow we had more people at the fireside than at Sacrament! We have been planning it for a month and everyone had their assignments buuuut at 3pm (3 hours before it starts) we get told that those singing have pulled out, and there is no video to share.  As a missionary you become pro at last minute pulling-it-off.  My lovely companion has the voice of an angel (unlike me, turns out im basically tone deaf and sing at one flat tone the whole time, eek) so she got up there and belted out some primary song and blasted us all away :) As missionaries, for anyone who doesn't know, you must be in sight and sound of your companion at all times.  So I called up some YSA in the afternoon ward and were like "hey, want to go on exchanges with us.... at 5pm..... in the chapel?" haha so whilst my companion was singing in the chapel I was in the office on lds.org looking up videos to do with eternal families.  Considering that's one of our main principles - there is very little on it! But through prayer and faith and a lot of scrolling through videos we found 3x 3minute ones to share. Got it onto a USB and had everything sorted about 5min before the it was about to start!  Sisters saved the day ;) So many people turned up and supported, and we had a few non members there....and people brought food, which was awesome as we skipped dinner to organise everything... the Lord provides... ohhh happy days!!!

So with the chatterbox I spoke about last week we also have one for friend shares (visiting with members)... and on it there are words and certain challenges.. and a scripture also:

fireside - bring a friend to next ward fireside

book - give someone a book of mormon with your testimony

preach - come out with missionaries for an hour

church - bring someone to church

share - share a mormon message on facebook.

Invite - invite a friend to hear a missionary discussiojn

Family - invite a family to your next family home evening

fast - Fast specifically for a missionary opportunity

Anyway. We have done this with a few families so far (each person has a different challenge) and one family is so 'boss' at it, they brought someone to church this week AND we went to their house to have a lesson with their other flat mate. So we have new investigators and great teaching appointments. Members are KEY to missionary work!!!!!! Making things happen :)

And a picture of a really fat cat (this pictures a slimming angle of it)
 which goes along with the picture i sent months
 ago of a fat cat on a fence.... love fat cats here in NZ

Also, I was supposed to go on tradeoffs with the Sister Brown and Kofford and I was SO excited as I was going to their area which means.,.. BACK TO MY OLD FLAT! So I would have seen everyone, including Sister Daynes. I was so excited but the night before, but poor Sister Taylor got sick so, it was cancelled.. fingers crossed for this week :)

Wow this got long, sorry about it everyone! Have a swell week..

Sister Heal

PS... CONGRATS TO SISTER FOSTER ON COMING BACK FROM HER MISH :)

8 September 2014

Transfer 4 Week 5

WOOOWWWWWWWWW.

Ok so, craziest story ever peoples :) But i will tell you at the end so you read the less crazy stuff first and your mind will be blown!!!

Companions - last day of church!

TRANSFERS!!!! My beautiful companion Sister Ezekiela is going to Otara and I am staying. No idea about who my companion will be, I didn't sleep a wink last night thinking about it. I am so excited but so terrified. I feel like I have had the best Sisters so far in the mission and there are none left... haha but I have confidence in my Mission President so whoever it is will be inspired. Sister Daynes has had a new companion EVERY transfer on her mission.. other than being my trainer.. I'm starting to wonder if that will be me? Which is an awesome blessing because I get to learn so much from so many different people :) So my rap sheet is as follows... 5 transfers, 4 companions, 3 areas. Not bad :) I will be hitting my 6th month mark this week coming... time to burn an ugly skirt (it's tradition)

We went on tradeoffs on.... Friday. We only got to go from 1-5pm though which was super short and super sad but awesome we got too do it!!  I went to the other area with Sis Kofford in Henderson... It felt weird being so close to my old area but also cool :) I challenged myself to actually 'come seeking' with some things I had been pondering and praying over... and waddaya know... I received answers for everything I was seeking for.  Seeking works.. time to apply that into everyday life.. church.. conference calls.. meetings. Nothing beats personal revelation! Well maybe a guaranteed spot in the Celestial kingdom like Alma received (reading in Mosiah this morning) but hey, revelation = awesome!

Sunday was fast sunday so we went to the park
for our lunch break to study :)

OK CRAZY STORY TIME. We walked in to the chapel to sit down whilst I see this man in the back wearing a tracksuit. Went and chatted to him and it turns out he is a member (less active by the seems of it). He tells me how he is going to bear his testimony at the pulpit and i thought "wow, good on him!" anyway he handed me a few pieces of paper and said "read this, this is my testimony". The second I grabbed it I felt the Spirit inside me tense (it's so cool looking back that before I even realised, my spirit did!). It was a weird feeling. I looked down at the paper and the opening line is "I know the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true..." and I thought well.. this seems normal.. but it still felt wrong, my chest was tight. So I investigated further, read a little bit more and had a chat to him.

He started to tell me how no one has the Holy Ghost, and went on to share some very negative experiences and intentions etc etc etc and he ended with "people have to know the truth, so I am going to share this here and then go to Blockhousebay Ward and share it there and do this every fast and testimony meeting".

So here I am, 2minutes before sacrament, and this crazy (but lovely) guy tells me of his plans.  Between us and the Elders we have 10 investigators and a few less actives at church... not a good time for someone to preach false doctrine. I quickly went up to the Elders and told them and as I was returning, told Stake President and Bishop... and we all braced ourselves.

So the sacrament gets passed and Bishop introduces the meeting. He then bares a very, very, VERY powerful testimony.. hitting all the points this guy was going to say.. and the Spirit was just so thick you could cut it with a knife.  Elder Burgess and I had the plan that if the guy got up to walk to the front we were going to jump up infront of him and just spend 30min on our testimonies, not give him the time to get up... everyone would of been confused but someone had to take a hit ;) haha anyways he stands up. Elder Burgess stands up, the guy looks at him and walks out.

End of story. Happy days :) 

One more story:

Locked out of the flat!!

So Tuesday morning we were being good little missionaries and planned to take the rubbish out early as we always forget it. Well.. we walked outside... in our PJs... and THE DOOR SHUT BEHIND US. We were locked out. No phone no keys no nothing. We said a little prayer.... but the door didn't unlock (worth a shot lol). So we went 
to a members house down the road.. not looking very missionary-like. She welcomed us in and we had to call Bishop, to get the Elders number, to get to our zone leaders, to call the mission office. We get instructed to go to the tongan sister missionaries flat and wait there for a few hours. So we had a blast with them taking photos etc etc and eating all their food (the tongan missionaries get given so much food) and then at 9:25 get picked up by some lovely office ladies.  

We jump out the van to get into the house the Elders rock up to pick us up for our meeting.. so they catch us in our PJs with crazy hair.  

Got in and out in 5 mintes, never gotten dressed so quickly in my life :) Got to our meeting on time and became the laughing stock of everyone :)

Fun times with the Tongan Sisters   

I thought I'd share this, it's awesome

https://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/unity-of-the-faith?cid=HPTH090414350&lang=eng

Thats all my news. Such a long one again.. sorry kids!!

Love Sister Heal

15 September 2014

Transfer 4 week 6

SO to start this off awesomely... here's a sweet as quote from the "4th missionary talk""Every challenge you face, every hard thing you confront, every bad thing that happens too you, every unfairness, every conflict, every sadness, every disappointment and heartache, every temptation and every opposition happens for one purpose only: To give you opportunity to respond by applying in your life the teachings of Christ. As you do so you are changed to become more like him"BAM :)

Last day with Sister Ez

Cooking dinner for an investigator -  a tick off the bucket list!

Ok sooooo... Sister Ez is gone down south.. Otara.. and I am still in lovely Waterview with my new companion.. SISTER FAIVAKIMOANA!!!! All right, here's her background... Grew up in AUCKLAND in WATERVIEW STAKE (yep the place I'm at now), her Dad was Bishop of the Tongan ward, then she moved to Sydney for 5 years and got called back here. Poor lass!! She was trained by Sister Judd (most legendary missionary to walk the earth) and then got transferred here.  So I am her follow up trainer! Which is new, and exciting :) Soooo she went to Avondale College which is in our area, so she knows heappssss of people. Was hilarious, we walked down the street and first 3 people we spoke to she knew!! haha so good. She is trying to stay focused on the work (which would be hard being around fam and friends) but after some advice from President she will be sweet :)

My new companion Sister Faivakimoana

Transfers was on Thursday.. Sis Daynes, Remington and Bonilla were ALL THERE. So I got to see all my fave people in the one place - SO MUCH JOY :) 

Sister Broaden from Australia!!

I spent the first half of the week visiting all the members so Sister Ezekiela could say goodbye.. and the second half of the week visiting all the members so Sister Faiva could say hello. So I have been given so much hot chocolate and biscuits I'm about to burst! Members here are so nice, they take care of missionaries :)

Also funny story for the week: I fell of my bike (this happens too often).  I had a plate on the handle bars and it smashed under my hand so now it's all cut. Sad times. But as missionaries we carry on.. even if blood is dripping down my hand :)

Also split my tooth in half so I have a dentist appointment tomorrow!!!

That's it for my week. A week with members!!!!!!!!

Love Sister Heal

22 September 2014

Transfer 5 Week 1

Wooowww... Well I hit my 6 month mark. What the crazy? Too quick! Slow down life!!

Being Tongan!

Time flies when your having fun? I think so! Alright, my week:

So we had a 'Come and See' fireside last night.. it's the one for all missionaries to bring their investigators to. We had 2 investigators and a less active come. The first 2 speakers were amazing, and then SAMMY J performed, such a perfect voice that guy. Then Mission President gets up to speak and is all spontaneos and is like "can all the full time missionaries please come to the front, we're going to sing a song".  So we all get up (there's about 800 people and 100 missionaries) and we're all up there going "what song are we singing?" and the the piano starts and it's the intro to "As Sisters in Zion" and we realise were doing the TFY medley. Everyone got quickly sorted, pulled it together, and smashed it. I think we got more out of it than the people watching.. but the Spirit was strong. Those that came with us said how much they loved it all! So happy days :)

We had zone confrence.. where 4 zones get together (like 60 missionaries) and have training for the day. Was way fun and informational! The focus was on Family History... Wowwww it's so important. I always pushed it aside as a thing to do when I'm older, but on Tuesday I went to the Family History library and had the best hour ever. The Spirit of Elijah is real people. Get onto it! And then on Wednesday it's exactly what president Balli taught us, how to use Family History in finding, retaining and reactivating.  Such a spiritually uplifting day.  Plus we all had lunch together and in this mission you rarely get to spend time with other missionaries so that was good :)

Ok so, the weather has been crazy, crazy. The other day we were walking down the street and it was raining hard out.. next thing you know.. hail... and this is like hard hail just started pelting down, so we ran and hid behind some random's house and hid under the umbrella. Got soaked still. Went to a member's down the road and when we walked in they ran to give us towels and then made hot chocolates.  So nice of them!!

Also.. MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK. With the chatterbox thing I spoke about a few weeks ago.. we have had heaappss of people bring friends/family to church/activities/giving out Books of Mormon etc... Everyone is starting to get excited about it. Members are key.. anyone reading this.. help your missionaries.. complete challenges.. I dare you :)

OH ALSO. One of our members made us Pulitassis or however it's called.. Looks so good :)

ALSO. We drew the Plan of Salvation on the pavement on Saturday.. it worked a treat, heaps of people stopped to talk and asked questions etc :)

The Plan of Salvation or the Plan of Happiness, a wonderful message!

Love you all!!

Sister Heal


29 September 2014
Transfer 5 Week 2

KIA ORA :)

So this has been a week of miracles. Story time!!!

Riding bikes across a random field!

I don't know if I ever mentioned it, but a few weeks ago we got a random phone call from a lady saying she is interested in learning about the church.  Phone calls like this don't happen often! After a week of complications we were able to see her.  I vaguely remembered her - just a lady we tried to talk to passing by and we insisted she took the "Restoration" pamphlet.  Well, she read it, she loved it, has now read half the Book Of Mormon and.. is getting baptised this Saturday!!  I look forward to the 1000 more calls I will one day receive from all the other pamphlets I have given out.. if only!! But you NEVER know who is prepared.... 

Speaking of prepared people, we had a lesson this week with one of our investigators. He is Samoan and lives with his daughter and grandchildren.  Sometimes you forget the power of the 'First Vision'.  As we shared it - the Spirit could have been cut with a knife it was so strong.  After the lesson he bore his testimony of how he knows it's true because he feels it deep within his heart. Miracle! He should be getting baptised on the 25th October.

We also had 2 people we have worked with for over a month agree to baptism. 

Where is all this coming from??

LOVE IT!! Sent to me from Sis Broaden's mum

INVITING!!! We have a challenge to invite someone to be baptised every single day.  We accepted the challenge and followed the guidance of the Spirit as to who was prepared and who wasn't. Last time we were given this challenge I was in Hibiscus on the Nth Shore at the start of my mission.  I thought it was a dumb challenge "its not all about baptism now is it" was my frequent response.  BUT something I learnt this time. No it isnt all about baptism, but, baptism is the start.  It's the gate, the door opening, that leads to eternal life.  Someone can't be baptised unless you first invite them.  When you invite someone, you get 2 responses... YES - Awesome, fantastic! Or... NO - which is just as awesome. People always have a reason why they say no. So you find out their concerns and follow the spirit to help them resolve them. Love it.

ALSO

Then came Saturday night and we were planning for Sunday and we realised that to hit our weekly goals we needed... 3 more lessons with a member present, 1 more friendshare (challenges to members), 1 more less active visit, 45 TWE (talking to randoms on street) and one more new investigator. We looked at each other and thought "all right, let's do this".  There was a lot to accomplish but with Heavenly Father's help everything is possible. Only through him were we able to accomplish all this, plus more. It was the busiest Sunday of my mission, and we accomplished everything except sacrament attendence 1/4 and other lessons 5/10. But other than that.... Happy Days :)

My study desk.
A HUGE picture of Christ staring at me,
with Mosiah 14 (Isaiah's messianically writing
about Christ - the best) and Alma 26 on the wall

I can't even remember the rest of the week. I am still buzzing about the baptisms and accomplishing goals. I just want to point out - It is NOTHING that we did.  So many things we planned fell through and didn't work out how we wanted. Why? This isn't our work, it's Heavenly Father's work.  His hand is in it and we need to just relax and stop trying to force things to happen but seek His will through prayer and follow that. That is my new way to live life!!

Sister Heal xx