John 16:33

Kia Ora Everyone!

Well sorry this email is coming so late we got to our chapel today to find that the power was out and it would be out until 4:30 in the afternoon so we scrambled up to Nuhaka to email at their chapel!

But we had a really good week down here in Wairoa the temple was absolutley amazing it was so wonderful to go inside there again, it really strengthened my testimony that the temple really is the house of the Lord! it is not just some nice building that is pleasing to the eye that the mormons build.  It is literally Gods House! and he dwells there! I know that without a doubt in my mind! The temple is such a sacred and wonderful experience, make sure you all are attending regularly.

After the temple we had an exchange with the Nuhaka Elders, Elder Gutierrez came down to Wairoa with me and we sent Elder Brunson up to Nuhaka with Elder Landis.  And Everyone said they had a good exchange so it sounds like it was a success!  Then this week we have an exchange with the Zone Leaders after district meeting on Tuesday and then on Thursday.... the Assistants to the Mission President are coming down on an exchange... scary haha jk.

Also this week we were able to start teaching a family that has already been taught a little by missionaries before, we found their names in our area book and we thought we would give it a try, we met them a few weeks ago but we just started having visits with them and then the dad and three boys came to church on Sunday which was awesome! and then we met someone else who had been previously taught by missionaries and then they lost contact and one of the Members of the ward that has just recently started coming back to church brought him to churchon Sunday also and that was really really unexepteced and then we had one more come to church so we had a total of 5 investigators at church on Sunday! that was a great way to end the week, after church it was a nice day so we decided to walk around and try to talk to people and that went well also we talked to lots of people and got to enjoy the wonderful weather after we almost got washed away by the rainstorm we had like all last week!

That was pretty crazy the town of Wairoa literally almost got washed away the rain was just pouring down there was so much water, the river flooded and i mean flooded!

Sorry this is pretty short but not to much to tell about this week except for that wonderful temple trip.  I know i have already said it but the temple is truly and amazing place! Because of the temple families have the opportunity to be together forever! Death cannot and will not separate us from those we love!

Thats all i have for this week, a scripture i want to share with everyone this week is John 16:33 it says: "These things i have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.  In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer, I have over come the world."  Those are some beautiful words from the Savior to us all, we must remember that though life in this world is hard he has overcome the world for us!  I love you all and I know this church is true! 

Driving to Hamilton for their Temple trip

Handsome little guy

Make Sure We Are Walking

Kia Ora Everyone!

I hope you all have had a fantastic week!  Life down here in NZ is just moving along!  

So we are going to the temple tomorrow but we just got news like just barely that the road up to Hamilton is closed because it has been raining like crazy the last two days! so we have to go a different way that goes out of our mission! so we get to see the outside of the NZHM this is a very rare opportunity!

This week was a little slower we were doing a lot of talking to people on the street this week and we found a few potentials but we didn't get any new investigators but we should have a few this week!

One cool experience while walking on the street the other day we saw one of the members of our ward and she was sitting with one of her friends so we started talking to them.  The member then asked us to share something we learned from our studies so we said ok and Elder Brunson started talking about his studies but we snuck in a little of the Restoration in there and I noticed when Elder Brunson said Joseph Smith restored christ's church to the earth she was kinda taken back a bit because she is presbyterian and she believes she is part of Christ's church so I said I noticed you were taken back a little bit when my Companion said this and she was like yeah and I said well here is the fact we have The Book of Mormon and if The Book of Mormon is true then the church is true because if its true then that means Joseph Smith really was a prophet.  She agreed We then told her that we are not asking her to leave her faith but we are inviting her to gain a better relationship with the saviour and we informed her she will grow closer to the Saviour by reading The Book of Mormon.  We then said we want to give you a Book of Mormon and she said well thank you i was actually going to ask for one! That was really awesome it is incredible the power that The Book of Mormon has!  

Another cool story while walking around town the other day I had the thought to go a different way then what we normally do and it was a bit weird because except for the place where we walk the rest of the down is pretty much dead haha but we went that way anyways and we say this guy  who was walking his dog and we started talking to him he has a few family members in the church and some cousins on missions so we asked if he would be interested in learning more he said yes ans so we will go see him this week because he went out of town this weekend!  The Lord really does put people in our paths we just have to make sure we are walking!

Well that is it for this week, I hope everyone has a good week and remember The Book of Mormon is central to this gospel if it is true and it is then that means that the church is the only true church on the earth! I know The Book of Mormon is true! Love you all have a wonderful week!

Pic of the week, good ol' Dax

Agents Who Act

Kia Ora Everyone

I hope everyone had a good week this week!  

This week was transfers for us here in the New Zealand Hamilton Mission but thankfully I was not transferred!

It has been a pretty busy week though we said goodbye to Elder Rios he has been transferred and the missionary that replaced him up in Nuhaka is none other than.... Elder Landis haha my trainer.  it will be good to serve around him again!

Well we worked pretty hard this week, we found 3 new people to teach who all were pretty interested when we first made contact but then when we went back for our return appointment they were not very interested.  But what made the week good was we got to have another boil up!  which was great!

But really this week what i was impressed with was how we have not been able to find new people to teach for some time and then this week we set our goal higher and we were able to accomplish it and we found new investigators for the first time in like 4 weeks!  and the secret to it was Work!  I remembered when David A. Bednar came to the mission he talked about being agents who act rather than objects that are acted upon, we need to be "agents unto ourselves"(D&C 58:28)  By applying this principle this week we were able to find new investigators and we will continue to apply it and we will continue to see miracles! 

The secret of this principle is we need to act we could pray for new investigators all we want and nothing will happen because that would make us objects waiting to be acted upon, but if we pray for new investigators then go out and act then we see the miracles!  A great example of this can be found in The Book of Mormon 1 nephi 16 while his whole family was murmuring because of the lack of food nephi decided to act(make a bow and arrow) and then go find food, instead of complaining like his brethren.  Nephi made the bow which made himself an agent, and then asked his father "whither shall i go to obtain food"(verse 13).  So what we learn from this is we have an immense amount of control over our circumstances because the Lord has told us that we are "Agents" so when we pray we need to be like joseph smith who prayed to know "what church to join".  We must act and then we receive blessings I can bear testimony of this because i have applied it in my missionary work and it works! The church is true!

Hope everyone has a wonderful week also i would like to thank everyone who wrote some notes in my birthday package i really loved reading all those notes i'm so blessed to have so many wonderful people in my life! i love you all!

His beloved Chick-Fil-A Sauce from Lindsay and Skyler

Last pic with Elder Rios

Last pic with Elder Saville

Elder Homes' new ride

Everyone can partake

Kia Ora Everyone!

I hope everyones week was amazing mine was pretty good down here in the land of Aotearoa!

Well not anything really too interesting this week just the usual missionary work.  This weekend we did have stake conference so we had to drive up to Gisborne for that and that took two days out of our schedule, but the best part while we were up there we went on a little exchange with our Zone leaders and the Zone leader i went with his name is Elder Saville he was the AP that picked me up from the MTC and he ended his mission this transfer so i got to be with him for his very last exchange of the mission it was awesome we had a really good time and I learned heaps!

While we were walking around on the street there was a woman sitting on her porch, so we started talking to her come to find out she is a less active member and we ended up having a wonderful visit with her! so the elders up in Gisborne will be heading back there!

Then we had a dinner appointment at one of their Recent Converts house he has an incredible story and he is just amazing he has totally been prepared for the gospel!  We talked to him about Temple marriages and how families can be together forever by performing ordinances in the temple and he just lit up it was so incredible, his mom passed away two years ago so he really is eager to work towards taking her name to the temple! 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ is absolutely 100 percent true The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is Gods living church on the earth Thomas S. Monson is his prophet on the earth and he leads and guides this church!  And everyone can partake of the happiness that the Gospel brings! and you can know it is true by simply praying with real intent and you will receive an answer! it is that simple.  

Love you all thank you for all the prayers and support you send my way!

Arohanui!

"Here is a pretty, pretty picture," I would have to agree.

Forgetting yourself- Aug. 30th

Kia Ora Everyone

I know the first thing that is on all of your minds is how the goat was! but sadly we didn't get to have the goat but I still had a great birthday i wanna thank everyone who sent me bday emails that was really nice of you all! 

So this week was a little interesting on monday when we were going to have the goat we got out to Amy and Logans and stress was in the air one of their cows had given birth but one of the babies died in the mom which pinches a nerve and makes it so they can feel their back legs so we helped them lift up this cow!  obviously i had to do all the heavy lifting because of my nice big muscles i have haha.  But it was really awesome that i got to give service on my birthday, now giving service isn't really anything new out here on the mission but it was on my birthday and i was helping someone else and i could totally feel the savior's love when I in essence "forgot myself" it was such a wonderful day and i feel so blessed to have had that opportunity to serve on my birthday!

Then on tuesday i went out to nuhaka with the elder from the philippines on exchange it was really interesting to see how they do missionary work up there because that is the smallest area in the whole mission! but it was great i had a wonderful time and learned heaps!

Then wednesday night Elder Brunson and I decided to fast for some of our investigators so all thursday we were fasting and I can say just as nephi said that  "the tender mercies of the lord are over all those whom he hath chosen" 1 nephi 1:20.  and one of our investigators text when we were done with our fast and invited us over for a boil up! which is my most favourite Maori dish! it was incredible and without a doubt the best boil up ever!  and then to end the week we had several less active members that we visit with come to church on sunday two of which we weren't expecting to come at all so it was a really nice surprise!

Other than that not to much else this week, I hope eveyone has a wonderful week thanks for all the love and support you all give me i can feel the strength that comes from all your prayers!

And one last thing Happy Birthday on the 1st Dad! you're the best dad ever I am so grateful for you and your example to me I wouldnt be out on a mission if it wasn't for you!

He was very proud of his deviled eggs

Elder Holmes and Elder G in Nuhaka

Nuhaka

Nuhaka

"That sends a chill up the spine."

Birthday Boy- Aug. 24

Kia Ora Everyone!

Well first off I want to thank everyone for the Birthday wishes! thank you all so much it means the world!  and thanks to all of my wonderful Whanau who were in that video it was great to hear you all sing to me!!  But I think i do have to single out one performance... Thanks Ren for the best birthday song ever hahaha I loved the dance moves haha if that's what you want to call them i guess haha!

Anyways I want to share one really cool experience this week, we were helping Bishop Edwards move some firewood and he then told us to go see one of the Less Active members of the ward he said "I don't know why but i have just been thinking about him all day", so we took his name and address down and went to visit him on saturday after we had some good fish and chips :) haha anyways, we went to the house and we started talking to this member and he was really closed and reserved at first and you could tell he really didn't want to talk to us, but i like to talk so i just started talking to him about weird stuff haha but finally he opened up and just told us he has been having a really rough week with some trials that have happened to his family this week, Me and Elder Brunson said well we dont think its a coincidence that you and your family are going through this trial and we come along, and i mentioned you have have a heavenly father that loves you because bishop told us he has been thinking about you all day and he doesn't know why. by this time the spirit outside was strong and you could feel the love of our Father in Heaven all around us, we talked a little more bore testimony by this time he was a little teary eyed and then we left with a prayer.  It is wonderful to be able to be an instrument in the Lords hands it is wonderful to know that he needed a job done and he had enough trust in me and my companion that he sent us!  

Another good story we were out walking around the street on wednesday and we walk by this house and this older fella has a big huge trailer full of wood so i start walking up his drive way and say "good day" he looks up looks at me looks at my name tag then looks at me again and says "right you've come just in time" and so i drop my bag on the ground and i say yes we have where we taking it, and he informs us we need to push this trailer full of wood over to this little pad that he wants it parked on and he couldn't get it there with his car so we push away and get it where it needs to go, talked to him for a bit and then went on our merry little way so yesterday we decide to take this fellow an invitation to the movie night we are having at the chapel on friday so we go to his house knock on his door his wife answers and before we can say anything she says"not interested" and slams the door, so i yell is neil in there haha and we wait for a bit and nothing happens so they dont get to see the movie on friday... sad day for them.

Well hope everyone has a wonderful week be sure to celebrate my birthday tomorrow also! We are going to have a goat! yeah a goat it sounds kinda gross one of the elders in nuhaka is from the philippines and so he is cooking it up for us! i will let you all know how it goes next week!

Arohanui! 

Some oceanic scenery

"I don't know how this thing would even get here, but it's good for taking pics,"