Time Flies--It's Been a Year

Kia Ora!

Wow.  I'm sure I say this every week but time goes by so fast!  Week time and emailing time both. :P  But I can't believe it.  Deseret is 18 today!  So HAPPY, HAPPY birthday to her!  She's an adult!  Crazy!  Also, Sister Havea is already gone.  Her bus left early this morning to Hamilton.  "Killing" someone as we missionaries call it (being their last companion) is so weird.  But we rushed around and packed and said goodbyes and everyone gave her a greenstone.  The pros of this area is that everyone is rich so you are so spoiled when you go.  Brother Paama makes every missionary that comes here a t-shirt with our mission logo on it and a sweatshirt with our areas on the back.  Isn't that cool!?  He came to the bus stop this morning and dropped it off to her.  But it's so weird that's she already gone.  We definitely had a hard time sometimes, but we have learned so, so much from each other and we had such a "real" companionship.  I just love her so much.

I've been so busy that I haven't even thought about what I'm going to say in my email.  We've been visiting lots of former investigators and potentials this week.  During weekly planning I spent about an hour and a half going through our two area books and really cleaning them out and organizing things.  There are just so many names to work with, which is a blessing, but we just have to plan well.  But Chasidy is doing well.  She didn't drink at all this weekend and she's been going consistently to the addiction recovery.  She (and our wonderful investigator Kathy) were both sick so they couldn't come to church.  Poor Kathy!  She just has such faith and she wants to come to church and be baptized so much, but she keeps having crazy things happening in her life that are out of her control. 

I went on an exchange with Sister Suk this week.  She is from Korea and we served in Taranaki together but we'd never been on an exchange together.  It was so fun.  She is so faithful and good.  She just loves people so sincerely in her quiet way.  She made me breakfast.  :D

This week, the feeding the poor and needy was quite the adventure.  The Solomons had to go to a Taungi (funeral) out of town so we were called upon to make the food for the homeless.  She had set everything out for us and so we made the spaghetti.  I thought I was kind of a bad cook, but Sister Havea, bless her heart, is worse.  But we made it through!  I always love feeding the homeless so much.  Te Puke is just a good little town.  It is the only part of our area that is not super touristy and rich.  It is mostly full of kiwi pickers, and many of them are on work visa from all over the world.  We met these two guys from Chile that were cool!  They helped Melissa jump her car!

Church was wonderful as always.  Sundays are such marathons around her but I just love them.  I love going to church twice.  Haha  Our mcm was really good.  We have some good ward mission leaders.  I just want to go so, so hard with my new companion.  I realized that this Saturday will be my one year mark on my mission.  How have I been here that long?  And I remember Sister Pantoja's year mark and now she's going home!  Also Sister Likuborebore and Sister Snow are going home!  So sad. :'(

But now I am spending three days with the Greerton Sisters (Sister Hekau and Sister Urgel!!!! . . . Hooray!) until my new companion comes.  And guess what???  I'm going to be training again!  I'm so, so, so excited!

But I have been studying and thinking a lot about the Holy Ghost.  I just finished the conference Ensign that we FINALLY got last week (two months later . . .).  But I just love President Eyring talking about how we need to pray and ask about how we can best serve others.  I think it was in the Women's Session.  But I'm just so grateful for the Holy Ghost.  He is really the best teacher.  He can tell us things that we need the most and help us make decisions and ultimately help us return to live with God.  The Holy Ghost is one of the greatest gifts from God.  I'm trying to focus on using it more in my life and following the prompting and asking for guidance more.  Heavenly Father truly answers prayer!  He helped me find my lost badge, helped direct me to invite this wonderful girl to be baptized, and comforted me when I was stressed.

The church is true.  The book is blue.

Love you all heaps,

Sister Johnson