Taranaki Hit Their Goal!!!

T's Baptism

T's Baptism attendees

So here are some pictures along with the email. First off, there is a picture of T, my companion, and Noah Jones, the priest who just moved into our ward from Utah! It was his first baptism so it sure was exciting for the family and especially for him. It was a great after church program. Normally we do the baptisms on Saturday but I wanted to see if it would be a little bit more easy to just have it be done on a Sunday... TOTALLY WORTH IT!!! We just have to wait for him to receive the Holy Ghost till next week and the Aaronic Priesthood. Funny story, it turns out his mom is a less active member and got baptized when she was 14 as well but her dad told her to leave the church and stay away from it, but after her daughter and son joining the church it will be hard for her to stay away. J Also, there is a picture somewhere on here of everyone who stayed for the baptism after.

So yeah, my very last transfer. It’s a little bit nerve racking figuring out what is going to happen to me... to be quite honest my number one place to go is wherever the Lord wants... A Tongan ward wouldn't be half bad though. haha Apparently, when missionaries finish their missions, Tongans throw a huge party for them and go all out with pigs and everything and then they get young teenage girls and put some kind of oil stuff on them and as they dance people stick money to their skin. And everything that gets put on the missionary takes home.... SOUNDS SO WRONG!!!! But would be sweet. I don’t know anything that is happening yet but sure am looking forward to it! Getting a little antsy to be honest!

Other cool stories… at church on Sunday a really dark Maori guy showed up wearing normal clothes and had a very long pony tail. His name is R.  Turns out this guy was investigating the church and progressing quite well when the law caught up to him and he eventually had to go to prison for 6 months... (hopefully not for murder) J Because you would be surprised, Dad, about some of the laws and punishments in this country. I am just using the word surprised because I am not meant to say anything negative about the country. In emails home. J Anyway he showed up to church and we got talking to him and he knows all the lessons we teach from Preach M Gospel almost better than I do. He told us he decided to drop all his addictions and his 6 months in prison helped him do that. Then he asked how soon he could get baptized. January 4th it’s happenin!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Taranaki is finally up and running. An area that had been deeply scarred is now an active, fun running zone to be in. We had a goal to baptize three people this month and guess what, SUNDAY WE HIT IT!!!!!!!!! President Rudd told each of the zone leaders he would like each of us to call him one day and say, we did it president, we hit a goal! So after our baptism on Sunday we gave him a call to let him know that we were the first zone in the Hamilton mission history to hit a goal as a zone. Haha President Rudd said, “Hold on a minute,” as he rolled down his car window and yelled at the top of his lungs, “WHOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Taranaki HIT THEIR GOAL!!!!!!!!!!!  Well, Elders, it has been shouted from Tuhikaramea in Hamilton. WELL DONE!” Something along those lines it was pretty funny.

I forgot to mention last week but I finished reading the Book of Mormon again!!! I lost track of how many times I have read it all the way through. I think it was three before the mission and six on the mission but I could be wrong... Anyway, I went downstairs in the middle of personal study after I finished reading it and prayed to ask God if it was true... again and I just received yet again just another small confirmation that it was true then I went back upstairs and disturbed everyone else as they did personal study and said, “Well, I got good news everyone! The Book of Mormon is still true!” Mom and Aubrey, keep that challenge. That is the most important book you will ever read in your life, and most important to keep reading DAILY!

Anyway, love you guys. Sounds good for 4:00 pm my time 8:00 your time on Christmas eve. I am Skype-tarded so I will need a little help on how I will reach you guys so you can just send me that next week.

Love,
Elder Ward