August 2015 - I love being a missionary!

3 August 2015

KIA ORRAAAAAA

Trade offs with the sisters from Kaikohe

So, this week we were up in Kaikohe for tradeoffs, man that place is so beautiful. We went to Matauri Bay and it was so stunning!!! Such a beautiful area..

Blessing Greenstones. Now before anyone freaks out, it turns out it's just a Maori myth about getting them blessed because you CAN do it yourself all you need is running pure water :) anyway, a beautiful place.

There is a sister here from Vanuatu and the way you say "I

Greenstones and pure water - so beautiful

love you" in her language is "mi likem you" haha! so good.

I'm just going to share one thing from the week :)

"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you". 

That was from memory, I hope I spelt it right? BUT all we need to do to be happy is honestly, put God first in our lives.

My companion always uses a quote which is something like: "When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives". 
(I think from President Benson) It is so, so, so true!!!!

Sister Heal

10 August 2015

Sister Hauglid leaves tomorrow (devastating) and we have a few things to do and we are..... We are going door knocking today! What a boss companion, finishing strong, not even 'trunky' :)

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

Well we had our 'Lincoln Ward's Got Talent' event. Our Mission President and his wife came! It was incredible!! It was just a small ward activity but we did indeed have 150 non members and about 10 less actives come. The photo attatched... hardly any of them are from our ward as they are all backstage setting up things, etc!!! The highlight would for sure be the 'kapahaka' group. It's hard to tell how good it was from photos but they were amazing. 

An awkward moment was when they grabbed us missionaries onto the stage to do the Cook Island dance and we had to try shake our hips fast for a minute solid. We are both white as ghosts so that was embarrassing  but good fun :) also, after the 'kapahaka' we did the Haka, a group of 4 from the crowd stood up and did one back... apparently it's to challenge them or something. Pretty rad!

On Wednesday we went to the funeral of Phil Brown. He was only baptized in March/April and he had a very, very strong testimony. His service was beautiful. All I could think about was Nan! Death is sad but I can't wait to see all these people again when I pass over as well :) (hopefully not for 100 years though!)

FINDING…to the rescue

Something I have a testimony of is FINDING. It's the hardest and most rewarding thing in the mission. Our area is 'dead quiet' once the sun goes down but driving home my companion felt to go down a certain street and in the dark I saw a shadow moving, so we quickly pulled over and talked to him... his name is Zion and he is so, so, SO excited to meet us and learn about the gospel. Miracle!!!

ANY ADVICE ON 'FINISHING STRONG' ? This is my last 6 weeks :)

Sister Heal

17 August 2015

Well this has been an intense week!!!! Let's just take it one day at a time...

BUT FIRST!! I just lost all my pictures on my USB from Sister Bonilla (start of mission) down to Sister Allen........... over a year of photos gone.  :(

MONDAY: Sis Hauglid's last day. We got permission to go to Otahuhu and visit one of the families she taught called the TahiTahi family. They are straight up maori and the 'hori' of them all would be Elizabeth, honestly loved her!! We went to a couple of appointments, said a few goodbyes and that was it! A mission was closed just like that. Mind blown!

TUESDAY: Probably the most depressing day of my life. We dropped Sister Hauglid off at the mission home and I sobbed in the car the whole ride there! The atonement covers this as well right? I am so rediculously grateful for the people I have met on my mission! Nothing compares!!!! So we get to the mission home and I see a fellow Aussie and Sister Training Leader - Sister Fornaro. She was missing her companion as well, as she was also leaving, so we thought "what the heck, why don't we just be companions for 2 days?" SO I GOT TO ENJOY MY SOUTH AUCKLAND EXPERIENCE! it was the bomb. especially cos we had diner with Sis Dixon and Faiva and we entered into some of the most ghetto houses. I have an appreciation for the slums :) We also picked up Sis Van Zyl as she didn't fly out until Wednesday and we #yolo and went to Henderson (the area I am serving in now, she used to serve in).

WEDNESDAY: We dropped Sis Van Zyl off at the airport at a good 4:30 am.... Then we had a 4 hour meeting with some of the other sisters in the mission and it was exhausting. I fell asleep in our MCM meeting, hahahahaha! shame!

THURSDAY: Well we had a mission wide transfer meeting. I collected my new companion.. SISTER CLUFF!! A fellow Australian and she is a legend :) We had a couple of the speakers from TOFW come and talk to us missionaries. I also got to meet Elaine S Dalton, she was an inspiration to me in my early years in the church. I left feeling very empowered and motivated to be a more righteous woman and a better missionary. 

OH AWKWARD moment, President always gets 2 'finishing' missionaries to speak at a transfer meeting and 2 'new' ones. Well I sort of forgot it was my last transfer meeting so when he called my name I was a bit shell shocked. I got up there and spoke about the 3 biggest pieces of advice I can give to any missionary, new or old:

1 - LOVE YOUR COMPANION!!! If your companion is your best friend missionary work is easier, funner and just 100% better

2 - OBEDIENCE!!!! If your not obedient then what are you even doing out here? Obedience shows our love for the atonement

3 - SACRIFICE!!!!! Be prepared to give your all and to just sacrifice anything for anyone.

Well... I think I was a little bit too harsh as so many people came up after and did the whole "YOU SMASHED ME on this" or "rebuking with love" haha ummmmmmmmmmmmm not my intention but all goods :)

FRIDAY: A normal day introducing Sister Cluff to the area :) but at 9pm the sisters from Whangarei rocked up at our flat because....

SATURDAY: TOFW (Time Out For Women)!!!!!!!! yeah, yeah, we went to Time Out for Women! Oh my goodness, it was amazing!!!! I am pretty sure I can take on the world and change the world and myself all at the same time. Talk about feeling empowered?? Everyone needs to go, it's the best!! So much revelation received and prayers answered. I also got to spend the whole day with Sis Dixon so that's always an added bonus ;) But yes, best, best day!!!! Words can't even explain :)

SUNDAY: Stake Conference!!! I saw some old families from when I served in West Harbour which was excellent. Then we had a "Come and See" fireside. This time a whole family spoke. The spirit trully testified to me how a family is the best as they can all strengthen and uplift each other. It's then that we have those around us to build us rather then tear us down.

I love being a missionary :0 There were so many things this week, and now life will go back to normal!

Also, our areas got changed, so I no longer get to go to Kaikohe but I now get to visit South Auckland ;) ;) ;) Dreams CAN come true! haha!

Sister Heal

24 August 2015

Here are some photos from last week on PDAY on a wicked hike. We got to join the other district with the zone leaders so it was half our zone :)  Also a couple of photos from TOFW and tradeoffs!!!!

MY NEW COMPANION is the one in the pink jacket!!!!

This week we have seen SO many miracles with finding new people to teach!!! I have a strong, strong testimony that the work is hastened in Heavenly Father's time and not ours. We didn't do anything different, we just kept doing what we know we should and Heavenly Father is now providing us with a stronger area!!!

The highlight of the week was TRADEOFFS!! I went to the other area and was with Sister Blanchard. So here the story goes, our rebel crime story… 

The other month we borrowed bikes off the sisters, as ours are trashed and we wanted to be 'real' missionaries and ride around not just sit in a car. My new companion is always saying 'we should take them off the back if were not using it or they will get stolen". Well.... on tradeoffs we knew where the sisters would be, so after looking like ninjas and driving past 10 times, we stole the bikes!!! And then gave them to the district leader to look after.  They FREAKED OUT and it was basically the most genius thing ever. Everyone knows I suck at being sneaky as I always crack up laughing, so I got Sister Blanchard to talk to them on the phone the whole time, golden! So when we finished tradeoffs and we were all inside the same flat, they felt sooooooo bad. haha! and we messaged Elder Nonu to put the bikes back on the car. So we all walked outside together and the bikes were 'magically' there. Hope my new companion saw the funny side in it and still loves me? haha :)

We also broke into the Elders bathroom window and stole their toothbrushes and toilet paper. Dont worry we didnt go inside :) They thought it was the other Elders as they had pranked them the night before.. haah let the wars begin!!! We also had to break into our flat as we just simply forgot the key. But other than all the shenanigans, it was a great and spiritual day :)

Other than that, things are going great!!!!!!!!! Honestly, I just love simply being a missionary. When else in life can you walk up to strangers and talk about God and have them open up about their lives and tell you things their best friends don't even know!!! Seeing people change as they embrace Jesus Christ and his teachings, no greater reward then seeing that. 

Also seeing the changes in yourself. I probably sound the same to you all, but I swear I have changed... not just physically ;)

Well today we are in Mangere. Living the southside dream!! We are here for PDay with the sisters :) 

Sister Heal



31 August 2015

Well, I got my 'trunkie email'.  I get home 23rd September at 10:25am to terminal 1. So if you want to come see me then all goods. 

We are in WHANGAREI, so no time to email as always. But this week was amazing. Being a missionary is amazing. I learn't a lot this week about relying on Christ and not our own strength. You would think after all this time I would have learnt it, but sometimes I get a little prideful and think I can do things on my own, but Heavenly Father sure teaches me otherwise :)

Sister Heal

My companion, Sister Cluff & me