Ngaruawahia Week 14

Kia ora! 

For me, nothing much has happened this week. We are still working with Brandon and he has pretty much become a member of the church anyway. He offered to do a really big job for someone else in the ward because he lost his money to sickness treatments. The man was going to pour a large concrete pad and now he cant because he doesn't have money but Brandon spoke up in Elder's Quorum and said he knew a few people and could cash in a few favors to get it done for free. He also brought his sister and her family to church and convinced them to stay for all 3 hours. It was pretty awesome! He is the man. He just isn't baptized yet. 

Other than that, we haven't been able to progress very many people. We have tracted out an area that's on the edge of our area this week and we only have a few potentials from that but most people don't seem that keen. Hopefully we get something from that. But anyway, that's me for now! Not much to report. 

Arohanui, 

Elder Green

Ngaruawahia Week 13

Kia ora everyone!

This week was pretty good. I learned that I would be with my trainer ANOTHER transfer which is good because he is the man! He is "dying" in the mission this transfer and so President allowed him to stay an extra transfer because he wouldn't be very effective if he was sent to another area for just one transfer. But technically as of today, I'm no longer a greenie. I have graduated from my first 12 weeks. 

This week has been a little slow with the work just because it's transfer week and we had a lot of other things keeping us pretty busy but we were able to do some good. We went to a remote area to do some door knocking and we actually did pretty well. We ran out of pamphlets and Book of Mormons to give away in less than an hour. It was pretty awesome and I am slowly coming to enjoy door knocking more. Slowly. Very slowly. But the work is still good on all fronts. Our investigator, Brandon, knows that Elder Suriben is going home in 6 weeks and told us that he wants me and Elder Suriben to be there for his baptism. Meaning he will try his best to get married in the next 6 weeks. And if not, he will personally book his ticket back to New Zealand from the Philippines. He is awesome. 

That's me for the week. Hope everyone has had a good start to the New Year!

-Elder Green 

Ngaruawahia Week 12

Kia Ora everyone! 

This week really didn't have anything too eventful. We have made some good progress with some of our investigators and we were able to see a lot of less active members make it to church yesterday. Elder Suriben and I suspect it has something to do with New Years Resolutions but we hope that they stick to it! I have seen some great progress in my own teaching and being a good missionary. I am not near as good a teacher as some other older missionaries but there is definitely progress from 3 months ago when I was fresh in the field. 

Our investigator Brandon has a strong love for the Book of Mormon and it's teachings and has expressed a sincere desire to be baptised and progress on to his eternal salvation, but he wants to take time and figure a few things out before he does. We have taught him most all of the discussions we have and even taught him extra spare doctrine that investigators don't usually learn about until after they are baptized. He downloaded Gospel Library on his phone and spends about 2 hours a day just looking through it and learning what he can. He literally is one of the golden investigators with only one major problem. The law of chastity. He talked to his partner about marriage and they decided maybe they would get married in November! That's ages away! We've got a few different tactics to help him move along faster but in the end it is up to him and his partner. We don't want to be too bold and destroy the friendship we have but we do want to be bold enough to get the importance of our message across. 

Anyway, that's me for now. Have a wonderful week! 

-Elder Green

Ngaruawahia Week 11

Kia ora everyone! 

I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas. I had a pretty good one out here in Ngaruawahia! We were fed quite a bit of food and it really took it's toll on me in the next days. But I loved all the food I was fed and the members were very kind to us. I have definitely enjoyed the season and enjoyed helping others remember the reason for the season. We were able to get back into work this week and we have had a very good week. I have quite a story to tell about our teaching this week too. 

So with our investigator Brandon, we decided it was time to teach the Law of Chastity. Now a little background. Here in NZ, marriages aren't as big or as recognized as they are in the states. Most people just have "partners" who are pretty much husbands or wives but there's no legal binding or anything. So essentially it's just a man and a woman living together sometimes with children. Brandon has been with his partner since high school and is now going on 11 years. Elder Suriben have taught him about the Family Proclamation and about adultery so he has had a prelude and kind of knew it was coming. We decided to have the lesson in the home of our ward mission leader and that was one of the best decisions we have made. All of the questions and concerns that Brandon had needed to be answered by a man who knew about marriage and dating for long periods of time. Us Elders are only 19/20 year olds teaching a commandment from God himself. The Spirit was so strong in the lesson and after Elder Suriben and I started the lesson, Brother Hester took the reigns. It was a good lesson and we hope that Brandon gets married soon so he can be baptized! 

Anyway. That's me for the moment. Happy New Year to all! 

-Elder Green

Mom's Note: I subscribe to a Facebook page called New Zealand Hamilton Mission Friends and Family and often look for photos of Elder Green on there.  A few days ago there were several pics of Elder Green and Elder Suriben doing some yard work so I mentioned it.  Here's what Elder Green had to say about it:

I enjoyed that call a lot too! It was a nice little peace in the storm! Not that the mission is a storm right now but the that the idea applies to the situation. I can see the blessings a well. It's amazing to be able to actively see the blessings and protection of Heavenly Father be poured out on me and you guys! I pray those blessings continue to come. I will try to send some pictures this week but the computer might have problems again. We will see. It's nice to here about all the progress back home. Hopefully there is more to come. And his name is Tony Mabey-Bulley. We call him Uncle Bulley. He is a (was a) less-active member of the church but he has been coming back for the last 5 weeks straight! He is quite the interesting fellow. He is very VERY cheeky. But we do some work for him every week and usually show a little cheek back to him to get him to come to church and he does!

Here's one of the pics:

Ngaruawahia Week 10

** Sorry this is a little late in posting.  Christmas Eve/Christmas Day threw me off a little bit! We had a wonderful conversation with Elder Green and he is doing GREAT!

Kia Ora everyone! 

New Zealand this time of year is wonderful! But really hot! The humid air mixed with the summer heat and the lack of an ozone layer makes the days hot, the sun piercing, and the clothes sweaty. But we still work hard and do our best to stay clean. Sometimes showering twice a day! Everyone here goes to the beach for Christmas or goes out and does fun summer activities! It's quite different to the White Christmas's back home. The members are taking very good care of us over here and they are helping us to enjoy our Christmas away from our families. We have one sister here who is "moming" us and making sure we are taken care of. I am quite sure she wrapped a bottle of sunscreen for me as a present but I haven't opened it yet. The work has slowed a lot this season just with us missionaries being so overly busy with other things and the temple lights. Last night was my last night working the temple lights though so maybe we won't be too busy and tired as when we work. This week we set some high goals as a companionship to help others and bring them to Christ especially since we will get an energy boost and be able to focus solely on the work after Christmas! 

My companion was able to call his family yesterday and I was able to talk to them as well. It was hard because their English isn't the best but it was nice to see a little prelude to what it will be like when I call my family tomorrow. I want everyone to know that I am very happy out here in the field and I wouldn't have it any other way. I look forward to being able to serve others during this time of year and being able to do the Lord's work this Christmas season. I do miss my family and friends but I know that I am doing what I need to be doing and  hope to stay as focused as I can on the work. I want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I challenge you all to truly invite others to come unto Christ and remind everyone around what the real reason for the season is. Have a wonderful New Year! I will talk to you all next week! Cheers.

-Elder Green

Ngaruawahia Week 9

Kia ora ko te whanau!

So this week, we have been full on 24/7 almost quite literally. While we work the Temple lights, we have to be on the temple grounds from 7-11pm. Yes. We are out and about quite a bit later than mission rules but the mission president has asked us to work according to what the visitors center needs so we are allowed to be up late!  The temple lights are amazing though! I have been working at them the past week and I really like it! I get to talk to heaps of people and learn different stories. I say Merry Christmas about 1000 times an hour and so sometimes my companion and I try to have a little fun with it and switch up our accents. But I really like it! We are out on the temple grounds until 11 though and we live a half hour from the temple so we don't actually get into bed until midnight and its quite draining. But we work hard and continue to work hard regardless. But it has taken its toll on us. We are usually quite dead throughout the day but there is always work to be done so we don't take any extra breaks. We still provide quite a bit of physical service and there is always more work. I am truly learning to work hard and to work long and I am ever so grateful for that experience. I truly love working at the temple lights however and it is definitely worth the long nights. We are able to talk to heaps upon heaps of people and learn so much from everyone that shows up. We are also able to find quite a bit of new investigators whether they are for us in our area or for other missionaries in other areas. I also must say that the Mesa Temple lights are a bit better than the Hamilton lights. But mostly because the Mesa grounds are flat and have more area to put up lights. The Hamilton Temple mostly has a bunch of bushes and a few trees and a lot of grass fields. But the lights are absolutely beautiful nonetheless. 

The work in the area has slowed down a little and we are slowly losing one of our best investigators. He is slipping more and more away from us and all we can do now is meet with him and talk about how life is going that week. He is a 14 year old boy who has been through so much in his short life. His name is Chay and we set him for baptism when I first got here, but he has since lost his way. We will continue to visit him and pray for him and help him as best we can. Our investigator Brandon is becoming more and more golden, but he has such a humble and good heart that he doesn't feel worthy or good enough to be baptized which is one of his only barriers. We are trying to help resolve that concern and let him know that baptism isn't just an easy way out. But he loves church and loves visiting with us. He usually just drops whatever he's doing to talk to us when we get up to his door. But anyway, that's our work for now. I wish you all a Merry Christmas! I'll send another email on my Christmas which should be your Christmas eve. 

-Elder Green

Ngaruawahia Week 8

Kia ora everyone! 

I have been crazy busy this last week and my companion and I have had trouble with actually getting out and finding new investigators! The whole town has been knocked in the last year at least once but we are so busy that we find very little time to go tract! We are constantly providing service for members and random people we contact and offer to help. I absolutely love the amount of hard work and service I am able to give! While I go out and do some of the service and figure out different ways to get the job done, I am quite often asked if I came from the farm. I tell them no, but I have learned quite a bit here and there since I have been in so many different places in my life! I was able to see the fruits of our labor yesterday at church because we had to mow a massive lawn on Saturday for a less active member that the Sister missionaries have been working with and because of what we all did, she came to church for the first time in a long time! And I never thought I would say this but I actually enjoyed mowing that lawn. We even had to go mow a lawn for another lady later that day who we met while walking the streets and I enjoyed mowing her lawn as well! But the sun and the constant work really took its toll on Sunday. I was exhausted and just beat. But the work never stops so we've been pushing through. 

The Temple lights here at the Hamilton Temple go into full effect on Tuesday and we will be able to go there at nights to talk to everyone and help out.  I have been helping the Temple grounds workers put up lights on the trees and bushes as service every week but I haven't seen them at night yet. Every other missionary that isn't in our zone or the zone next to us is quite jealous because working the lights is one of the greatest things! Everyone is looking forward to it and I can't wait to get out there too! I'm not quite sure what exactly to expect but I really hope that I can enjoy it and help bring others unto Christ. He really is the reason for the season and I cannot wait for the great opportunities that Christmas will bring. I only hope to be the best I can be as I teach others. 

Until next week,

Elder Green

This is a little blurb he sent in an email to Maren after she asked him how he was doing and what his favorite ice cream was:  

My time here is amazing! I really like it here and I am so happy I get to spend 2 more years here! My favorite is probably the 4 way ice cream that has vanilla-cookie dough-chocolate brownie-salted caramel. I like to make milkshakes out of it. Its kind of like Neapolitan with 4 different flavor squares.