Music to My Ears

Dear Family,

I would be jealous of you being at the beach house but I just feel bad because my beach house is closer to the beach than yours and I have stayed in mine for 5 months now and you will only get one week. J haha jokes I am kinda jealous... But in all seriousness, if you want to look how close I am to the beach look up 60 Parton Road, Papamoa on Google maps. Also, I can hear the ocean at night time just in case I haven't told you before. Sounds like fun though! I hope the new beach house is cool. You should send me some pictures of the new house so I can have a better view of what it is like for you guys. I only got 2 emails so I will have some time to send some pictures today. 

SO I have a lot to respond to but first, A GOT BAPTIZED THIS WEEKEND!!! It was kind of an awesome miracle. Sunday he let us know he went 3 days without smoking... Then he stayed clean ALL WEEK!!! Elder Lamb and I both felt he was ready so we had him interviewed and he was baptized this last weekend. Honestly, I had started to wonder if it would really happen and then… MIRACLE!!! HE DID IT! Powerful service! It was a good day for everyone. 

About the Broadcast, it was all music to my ears! I reckon this mission will be a little bit farther behind in the Internet use... But other than that all those miracles and experiences all just sounded great. It definitely motivated me to work a little bit harder at working alongside with the members in our ward. One of the main things I resolved to do is GET these rescue nights up and kicking in our ward... All of New Zealand and the South Pacific was asked by the area presidency to dedicate one night of the week to GO TO THE RESCUE!!! which would entail at least two or more members meeting at the chapel and going on splits with the missionaries to visit those that are less active or need ordinances performed... (the priesthood, temple, baptism, sacrament, mission... stuff like that) I have kinda moaned to myself that there are only a few people in the ward who actually want to go and do that on a Tuesday night (the only free night around here) But I made a list off the top of my head of all the LA or PMF families that I know will accept visits from us and the members. I listed at least 75 people who we need to come back who will accept visits. And we have our South African assistant ward mission leader assigned to get up and be as straight forward as he can (which South Africans are very well known for) to help inspire the ward to come out... Our vision is having six members and two missionaries doing these visits every week. So yeah, I will let you know how that goes down.

Also I feel inspired to tell the family when you invite the sisters over for dinner next time don't just talk about doing missionary work—make a plan with the sisters and let them know that you are going to do some kind of block party with the Dicksons and whoever else is on that road or a FHE or something where non members are invited and that they would be welcome to come along as well. Haha That would make them pretty happy. I know it would not be the most easy thing to put together and it would be a little weird inviting the only 4 non member friends you have but get other people in the ward to join in and it will be less awkward. 

Things are great right now... the new mission officially started. I woke up this morning and just yelled, “WHOO HOO WE’RE IN THE HAMILTON MISSION!!!!” The work is picking up again. C J went to A’s baptism and he told his family he wanted to get baptized on the 27th of July... we found a family of 6 with 4 unbaptized children that is keen to feed us just about every day so we will set them with a baptism date when we have dinner with them on Tuesday. 

President Rudd, to answer your question, just flew in 3 days ago. I haven't talked to him yet but we have mission leadership council at his house tomorrow so I am looking forward to that big time! Also cool thing! He stays like a football field’s distance away from the Temple!!!!!! So yeah, big cool changes going on. The work is great. I have had to be a little bit crackdown and fire and brimstone in the zone because of some disobedience but hopefully the Elders know I still love them and the only reason I give them a hard time is because I want them to be good missionaries (heck you could say the best that they can be). 

Anyway, I will leave my thoughts at that but I sure do leave a lot out of these letters that can be saved for after the mission. Some are just too long and detailed to put down or sum up... But no worries, I have written in my journal EVERY DAY since I started my mission so I will be able to share a lot more when I get home! Keep that chair warm for me, which won’t be too hard in the 115 degree weather. Enjoy California while you can!

Love,
Elder Ward



Doing some service chopping wood

Cute Baby

Pet Ambulance not knowing how to drive???

Baptism