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| Doesn't she look happy to be here? It must be the fun Hadfield family she got to come to. |
We were so happy to hear that sweet little Miss Hadfield had arrived safely. Laura has kept us in pictures that we study and stare at and little videos that we are glued to. This is the second grandchild born while we have been here. Maylee is our 62nd grandchild. It is so hard not to be able to kiss her cheeks and hold her. Maylee and Baby Kate make our arms ache over here. We are so thankful that all went well and that she is here just in time for Christmas.
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| Just in time for Christmas - little Maylee |
It is late . . . past the bedtime of a missionary but I need to get this blog done tonight. It has been a wonderful but busy day and tomorrow we have an early intake at the MTC. Missionaries usually come in on Thursdays but due to the airlines and when missionaries can travel during the holidays they will arrive tomorrow. Intake days are busy and long so I better get this written tonight.
It amazes me looking back how many things happen in a week. Here are a few quick updates:
1. We learned on Tuesday at the ward rescue night that our little Vietnamese investigator Tuan Tran came to church last week. He came alone without his 'community' but he came. Our ward mission leader's wife told us she sat by him and that he seemed to really enjoy everything in Sacrament Meeting. We were so excited about that. No word on whether he came again yesterday.
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| a flowering bush on the way to visit Aunty Orepa |
2. We drove to Manuera to see if we could get the phone number for our sweet little Aunty Orepa (the one who played the guitar and sang with her nieces and nephew when we met them while tracting) She is one of the most wonderful people we have met here but her brother was not interested in us coming to teach them and she is now living with her 2nd mother in Manuera. Orepa answered the door and we were all so happy to see each other. She told us we could teach her about the gospel but that she didn't feel that we could do it at either home since they weren't hers. We are trying to arrange a church where we could meet and hope to teach her after Christmas. I cried after driving away - we was just so happy and Elder Thatcher started dreaming of all the blessings and opportunities that await her.
3. Zone Conference - we had the best zone conference on Wednesday. President Walker has set a new mission policy that no one can get baptized in the Auckland mission until they have met with the ward family history consultant. Apparently new statistics from the church show that if a new convert has taken a family name to the temple for baptisms in the first 2 months following his baptism the retention rates go up dramatically. They not only taught us about the importance of using Family History in missionary work but they had a room all set up with computers and the family history consultants from the area and all the wards there to help each missionary identify an ancestor that needs temple work and print out a card to take to the temple this week. Last Zone Conference we had submitted our log-in info for family search and these family history experts had located ancestors for all of us. We were amazed at them. Once the cards were printed this group of family history workers were headed to the temple to do all the baptisms and confirmations so that the missionaries could do the endowments in their temple trip tomorrow. Elder Thatcher and I already took our cards last Thursday when we went with the MTC missionaries to the temple.
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| Brother and Sister Schwinker Area Family History Consultants - gotta love these people |
4. Temple trip with only the ESL MTC Missionaries. The schedule at the MTC is a little crazy right now. As I understand it there is a ban for missionaries flying during the holidays so the group leaving the MTC this week left early and the new missionaries arriving are also coming early. Because of a shortened stay for some of the missionaries at the MTC, those leaving early didn't go to the temple this week. They stayed back to get a full day of work done at the MTC. We made the trip with the ESL missionaries who have another 3 weeks here. We took one MTC van and two cars and it was the most relaxing trip to the temple we remember. Even President and Sister Howes seemed to relax and enjoy the time. They had so many less to keep track of and worry about. The temple looks beautiful right now - all lighted and ready for Christmas. There are choirs that perform every night and we will be going on the 28th to an afternoon session and staying to see the lights in the evening.
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| beautiful Nativity at the Temple |
5. Flat inspections. One of our new responsibilities in the mission is to inspect the cleanliness of some of the missionary flats in our district. We have enjoyed it. We get to know the missionaries a little better and actually become their friends. We are pretty nice inspectors. Elder Thatcher takes really good treats. The 3 flats that we inspect are kept very clean so our job is just happy. These 3 sisters have an investigator from Holland. They want Elder Thatcher to come along with them to their next appointment with him. That should be fun. Elder Thatcher taught them a little Dutch before we left. Now that is quite something hearing these missionaries try to talk Dutch with all their various accents. I had to interpret for Elder Thatcher and tell him what they were saying in Dutch. "Tot shins!" (see you)
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| Sister Romualdo (Philippine), Sister Tapu (Samoa), Sister Gorrelu (India) |
6. Brother Rotana - at Rescue night we met Brother Rotana. He is a convert of a few years who loves the gospel and the book of Mormon. He is reading it for the 6th time. We love visiting with him and hearing the stories of him joining the church. His wife is not a member and Elder Thatcher is determined to teach her the gospel. We have made a friend of Na, Brother Rotana's Maori wife. We have taken her a puzzle because she loves puzzles and Elder Thatcher has shown up twice to help her weed her flower bed. He is winning her over. We visited out on their driveway and I videoed a little of his story. I will have Greg attach it so you can hear how he met the missionaries.
He is a hard worker and a demolition man. I asked Na if he had changed since he joined the church and she told me it was unbelievable how much he had changed. He had been a chain smoker and stopped smoking in one day. I asked if he treated her nicely and she replied, 'Like a Queen!' You would all love Brother Rotana as we do.
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| Brother Rotana - 'When I looked into their faces I knew I had known them before.' (the missionaries) |
7. Meeting with the Singh family. We stopped by the Singh family to see if we could set up an appointment and they were so happy to see us. The ward party was missionary magic for them. Shelley told us that she had called all her sisters to tell them about the party and they all wish they could have come. We told them we wanted to help them find their ancestors and would bring Sister Briggs with us who is an expert on Family History. So Saturday The Briggs came to the Singh residence with their computer in tow and we went to work. Ronak sat right in the middle and would enter the names for his mother. Shelley didn't have very many dates or even names but they are excited to contact relatives and find out more. They are now officially registered with family search.
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| Sister Briggs with Ronak and Shelley as she texts her sister for info |
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| Ronak is such an amazing boy and he wants to be a Christian |
8. The Senior Couple Christmas Party - President and Sister Briggs and the two of us were in charge of the Christmas Party for the senior couples. That was tonight and it was pretty delightful. If you have to be in charge of something and you are me, it is nice to be paired up with Sister Briggs - she gets things done. She planned the program and the food. I just basically had to show up to help decorate - cook the ham - and make the missionary nose-warmers.
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| front row: myself, S. Smith, S. Briggs, S. Ashby, S. Woodard, S. Plehn, S. Bartlett 2nd row: E. Briggs, E. Smith, E. Woodard, S. Downs, S. Garlick, E. Garlick, S. Clark top row: E. Thatcher, E. Stosich, S. Sosich, E. Ashby, E. Downs, E. Phlen, E. Bartlett, E. Clark |
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| His eyes - how they twinkle! His dimples: how merry, His cheeks are like roses, his nose like a cherry - a right jolly old elf, and I laugh when I'm with him inspite of myself. |
9. Enekosi and Leitu - I've saved the best and most beautiful thing for last. We met with Enekosi and Leitu today and it was one of those times that every missionary dreams of. The Christmas Scripture it reminds me of is in Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. That is what we will do with our meeting today - treasure it and ponder it in our hearts.
Last week we went to an appointment only to find Enekosi there alone. He was a little shaken. Leitu had gone after some problems with their children. He thought she must be with their daughter but was worried that he had upset her. We read a little in the Book of Mormon with him and then left. We were worried and have been praying for them.
Last night at the MTC we got a text from Leitu asking if we could come on Monday. We felt like dancing in the Moroni room of the MTC when we got that text and told her we would be very happy to come.
Enekosi was standing at the open door this morning waiting for us as we walked up their driveway. He always greets us this way, the door open and he waiting to welcome us, usually with his Bible and Book of Mormon in his hands. He hugged us and ushered us into their living room where Leitu was sitting on the couch waiting for us. She looked happy and we could tell she is feeling much better. It was so good to see her doing so well. She gave me a long hug and told us how much she had missed us.
Elder Thatcher asked them how they were feeling about the things we had taught them. Enekosi began talking about the Book of Mormon. We felt so pleased when he told us he is in Mosiah. He talked about reading the book of Jacob and then Enos. 'Jacobs son Enos is very good.' he told us. Then he talked about King Benjamin, and his son Mosiah. He liked how it goes from father to son.
He told us that before we came he had read the Bible 'all the time' but now he understands where the people in the Bible went. He talked about Jacob in the Bible and wondering what had happened to all his 12 sons. 'Nephi is from Joseph' he told us. And, it is all one gospel. It is the same Jesus - it is all about Jesus! All of the prophets teach about Him - the Bible prophets - and the Mormon Book's prophets - it is all the same - one gospel. As he was talking my heart was racing, I couldn't hold back the tears. As he continued I turned to Leitu and said, ‘He really loves it doesn’t he.' she smiled her warm smile and nodded.
We asked how he felt about being baptised. Could he see himself being baptised? He said, 'To be honest I love this book. I know it’s true and from God!' Then Enekosi began to tell us about the first day we had met them. He talked about how he had been praying to learn more about what the Bible taught. We had met their grandchildren in their yard and Leitu had invited us in to show a video. He told us he heard our voices that day, he heard us talking and the spirit said, 'Get up and go out there Enekosi, this is the answer to your prayer. They will teach you what you want to know.'
He was telling us things we hadn’t heard before. He talked about Phillip in the New Testament and how he taught the man about being baptised and how he baptised him, just Philip and the man. We did’t understand everything he was saying but I think he meant he wanted to be baptised like that in a river with just the two of them there. He then said he hadn’t really thought about baptism yet that he was just reading the book and so grateful for it.
Elder Thatcher shared some scriptures from the Bible first. Matthew 7 about false prophets and knowing by their fruits if something is good or a prophet is true. Then to the first part of Matthew 7 - ask, and it shall be given, seek and ye shall find, knock and it will be opened unto you. He explained that asking would be as simple as prayer. Enekosi had prayed and Heavenly Father was answering him. Enekosi had also been seeking which is like studying the scriptures seeking truth, and he was finding truth in rich abundance. Elder Thatcher would have taught that knocking would be like getting baptised and the gates of heaven would be opened to him, but he didn’t get that far.
Then Elder Thatcher told the story of Gertrude Sprecht, (one of his favorite stories) and how this brilliant woman with 3 PHD's in religion felt when she was given the Book of Mormon and allowed to feast on the word of God that she had hungered for all her 76 years.
The Spirit that we had prayed so earnestly to attend us was so powerfully present in that humble home today. We all felt it and we saw more clearly the truths He bore witness too.
We had given them a few Christmas gifts when we first came. One of them was an LDS Bible. With that Bible Enekosi now has all of the Latter-day scriptures at his fingertips. He was so grateful and lovingly looked it over thanking us. Before we left Enekosi had Leitu read what Elder Thatcher had written in that Bible. As she read she wept. 'I will text you to come back - before Christmas.' she said.
We hardly spoke as we got into the car and then in reverent tones we shared our feelings of what we had all shared together. When we arrived home we fell to our knees in our bedroom and thanked our Heavenly Father for the opportunity to be missionaries, to have met these people that we love so dearly and to have the great blessing of teaching them about the restored gospel.
When I was a little girl my favorite song to sing in church was 'The Morning Breaks'. The words have been filling my mind since our meeting with Leitu and Enekosi:
The morning breaks, the shadows flee;
Lo, Zions standard is unfurled!
The dawning of a brighter day,
The dawning of a brighter day,
Majestic rises on the world.
The clouds of error disappear
Before the rays of truth divine;
The glory bursting from afar,
The glory bursting from afar
Wide o'er the nations soon will shine.
-Angels from heav'n and truth from earth
Have met, and both have record borne;
Thus Zion's light is bursting forth,
Thus Zion's light is bursting forth
To bring her ransomed children home.
There are some truly beautiful things and people here in New Zealand.
Happy Birthday to all our other December darlings.
Claire
Daniel
Ella
Brooke and Stockton ( I told everyone this week how you are twins but born on different days)
We hope all your Christmas preparations are bringing joy and not stress. It truly is a most magical time of year.
We love you all dearly,
Mom and Dad,
Grandpa and Grandma,
Elder and Sister Thatcher
What an incredible and sweet visit with Enekosi and Leitu. We loved reading about that and all of your happenings. Hope you have a wonderful week. We’ll look forward to talking to you on Christmas.
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