Rescue Night
Rescue night in the ward has moved to Wednesday since the first of the year. It has been wonderful to watch what this night has done for the ward. We meet at 6:45 with other members of the ward. Many are leaders but so many regular members come to join the group and make visits. We each are assigned 3 or so families to visit and encourage to come to church. We tell them of activities coming up and share the love of the Lord, the Bishop and the ward, with them.
This night has been faithfully held since about September and the numbers at Sacrament meeting have increased. Everyone in the ward has been visited and the membership records have been updated as to who lives where and who has moved. It is always fun to feel the happiness of the people as they gather to go make visits. They are down right jovial as they give up their evening to 'go to the rescue'.
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| Brother Hopoate, our ward Mission Leader passing out assignments for Rescue Night |
This week the Bishop asked us to visit 3 families. We were sent to visit a Brother Tipoki who we had never met. We were told said he had recently come to Stake Conference but we had no idea what awaited us. It is a joy to be on the Lord’s errand. We don't always know when we are being led by the Spirit and this time it was simply a matter of being where we had been asked to go.
We were welcomed in after knocking on the door. Brother Tipoki was watching TV but turned that off as we came in. Elder Thatcher asked him how long he had been a member and then asked him to tell us how he had joined the church. I recorded his story as he told it to us so here it is in the words of Brother Tipoki.
“I would have been one of those who run off the missionaries.” he began. “I didn’t believe in Mormons. I hated Mormons. So when they started coming around, I kept chasing them away.”
“It’s not only them that came to my place. But they were the only ones that said something different that hit me. The Jehovah Witness, and 7th Day, and we live right on the other side of the fence of the Theological College so I know them, they always come around but, so, yea, I did the same to them as to the other churches.
But another young man turned around and he said, ‘If you want to know if what we are teaching is true, kneel down and ask Him.’
“So that’s the thing that hit me because none of the other churches say that. Yea, so I started thinking, he didn’t say ask the Bishop or ask our ministers, he said, Kneel down and ask Him, ask the Boss, He’s the Boss.”
“I told him I would, but I didn’t. The same night, I went to my party as usual and then I had an accident and that was the turning point. It was Sunday. I went to the party on Saturday night and the next day I end up in a crash. So, I didn’t know what happened until Monday morning. I never saw Sunday. I was black out for one, 24-48 hours.
So I woke up Monday morning and then they came as usual. And they were shocked to see me. The man, the young guy had said, ‘We will come back and ask for your answer’, and I say, ‘OK, I’ll ask Him’. But I started wondering, and I started worrying because the next time they come back that I didn’t ask.
So the next time they came back they saw me on the bed and they gave me a blessing. Because I couldn’t move. And that is another thing because When they gave me a blessing, after they left, I was able to get up and walk around. Yea, that was the turning point. Because I was a heavy drinker and a heavy smoker so I was worried about that. How to quit. “
“Did you have trouble quitting after that, Brother Tipoki?” (Elder Thatcher)
“When I started taking the discussion I was also worrying about how I was going to stop. Because I had tried so many times to quit and the longer I stopped and when I tried again, it was like I never stopped. So and then they gave me a baptism date, so that was so hard for me to take because I wanted to be baptized, but I wanted to be baptized clean, yes? I don’t want to baptism and then still smoking.
“So I started praying and asking the Lord for a way to stop. And then I was left with 7 more days. (Which I am still using that to help my friends.) I was left with 7 days till my baptism, and this thing just came into my mind, that; 7 days - 7 smokes, 6 more days tomorrow - 6 smoke. 5 more days- 5 smoke. But when it came to 4 smoke, I started forgetting smoke. And then next minute, you know, I didn’t smoke. I didn’t smoke for a day. And then, ‘Oh, It’s supposed to be 3 smokes today’. And then tomorrow…, no I just started forgetting smoke and then I started getting back smell towards the smoke. I didn’t like it. I’ve never smoked from that time. And I knew when I started smelling back from the smell. I knew God helped me.”
Elder Thatcher said that he must not have had a drinking problem to which Brother Tipoki said;
“That’s my problem now. I think that’s the mistake I did during that time. I didn’t ask God to take away my drinking because I thought the smoke was the hardest. So I just didn’t ask. But then I quit smoking just like that and I was only in the church for 4 years and then something happened in the church.
Elder Thatcher, ‘Were you offended?’
“Yes, and it was my Branch President and I was the first counselor. And I never thought that something like this would happen between us, and a month later I realized I was wrong. I was trying to be nice instead of causing trouble between us, I let him be the Branch President and then I stayed away. And then when District heard about the problem, they straight away released him and then he recommended me to be the Branch President. And I said I can’t, I can’t now. And 2nd Counselor recommended me, and I said, I made a mistake.”
“You know, because, I respected my branch president with all my heart, but I never expected that my temptation will come through him. Until the 2nd counselor called and he came and invited me to go to church. So I went then, I knew straight away, that was my last trial to be the Branch President, and I just regret it, and you know, that was it. I went and apologize to him. ‘ Branch President’, I said, ‘I’m sorry, I have nothing against. It’s my fault.
I should have maybe, kneeled down one whole night and asked God for forgiveness. You know it was a business between me because I am a builder and the Branch President is not a builder, he does the same job, but I am the main, and he was doing some job for me until the money just disappear. And I was shock because he’s the Branch President. You know, I was shocked. Yes, and what made it worse was that I didn’t have any money to pay my workers. I should have left myself out, and with every money I have, just to pay my workers and forget about it. I don’t know why I made it into a big a - I just stayed away and then they started asking, ‘How come you not coming back to church?’ And I said, ‘I can’t sit in the front with the man who made the problem sitting beside me. It didn’t feel right.’
I regret it, to me, I should have prayed about it, and stayed in church.
Brother Tipoki was so humble and so repentant. We felt the Spirit strongly as he told his story. He mentioned that Elder Cardon and the Stake President had come to see him in his home over Conference weekend. It had meant a great deal to him that someone of that importance in the Church would come right to his home. He also told us that his wife has remained active in the church all these years and goes to the temple often. They have been sealed in the temple. She wants him to come back to the temple before it closes in July and he has told her he would.
Elder Thatcher told him he should have a blessing to help him stop drinking and he said he would lie that very much. The call was made to Bishop Utai who came within moments with Brother Clark and the blessing was given.
We wish we could express the sweetness of these missionary moments. The humility and repentant heart of Brother Tipoki allowed the Lord to fill his home with the sweetness of the Spirit. We felt like we were in a sacred place.
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| Brother Tipoki |
Temple Day (Thursday)
One of the blessings we have is going to the temple 2 weeks out of every 3 with the missionary. The 3rd week is our intake day at the MTC. This means that the missionaries get to attend the temple at least twice while at the MTC. If they are learning English they get to go 4 times during their 6 weeks here. Temple day is probably my favorite day. It is wonderful to be there in a session with the seats filled with Missionaries - some of which are there for the first time taking out their own endowments. We feel like family on those days. Before we leave Sister Howes sets our names for us to take. I couldn't resist chosing this card.
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| 'Winifred' is my mother's name and 'Blanche' is my grandma Johnson's name |
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| We will treasure our times at the Hamilton New Zealand Temple |
Tracting Report
Yes, we spent time tracting this week. Sometimes I wonder if that is why we are here. The Lord must have known that Elder Thatcher would tract and that we would meet many people and plant many seeds. I think this week we scheduled about 6 appointments from tracting. We will meet with Bev, Bele, Peni, Keisha, Elijah, and John. I must say that it would be some kind of a New Zealand Record if they were all home at the appointed hour of our appointments. But some just may be.
Here is a sample of the flora and fauna that meets our eyes as we tract.
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| Pomegranates? |
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| The flowers matched the home |
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| many trees are enchanting |
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| The flowers can be large and tropical |
Milz
I think we told you about Koi, Milz and children in the last blog entry. Koi is the man who was baptized as a youth in Tonga while at the church school there. We had an appointment yesterday with Milz to continue teaching her. It was amazing! Miracles are happening!
Milz was the only one home and could concentrate fully on what we were teaching. Elder Thatcher taught her a first lesson with scriptures that she read eagerly. We learned she had already been reading the Book of Mormon since we left it with them last week. She said as she read the story of Nephi and his brothers she thought it sounded familiar and then realized it reminded her of the story of Joseph and his brothers. Then, she said she discovered that there was a connection with Nephi and his family and Joseph sold into Egypt. She was interested.
We told her the story of Joseph Smith's first vision and also the story of Moroni visiting Joseph Smith and how we got the Book of Mormon. At one point she said that Joseph Smith couldn't have had the imagination to put together such a Book as she had begun reading.
Elder Thatcher asked her if she would say the closing prayer. She was nervous about it telling us that she had never prayed out loud that she said prayers silently but that she would. Her prayer was humble and beautiful. She became very emotional during her prayer and as tears fell she thanked Heavenly Father for sending us to her door and for the message that our bless her family. She asked forgiveness for being distant from Him for so long and thanked him for sending a message that could save even her. She prayed for her children and her husband that the family would be helped.
Elder Thatcher described the experience as one of the times that missionaries long for and that keep them going and excited about the work. There is nothing quite like telling the story of the Restoration in all its power and wonders to someone who has not heard it. You walk away from such a meeting with wings on your heels.
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| Koi and Milz home on Emerson |
Barry the Atheist
We also had a nice meeting with Barry teaching him much of the first lesson. It was fun to teach him about being children of God and God's plan for his children. It was also quite something to talk to Barry, a self proclaimed atheist, of the first vision and the angel Moroni and the resurrected John the Baptist and Peter James and John all appearing to Joseph Smith. It was not a philosophical visit but one of relating the remarkable happenings of the restoration. We did so boldly and you could feel the presence of the Spirit. We knew that Barry felt something too. He didn't argue with us in the least and you could see by his expression that he was listening and interested. He told us he would read the Book of Mormon. We hope he does. He will be gone for the next 2 months so our ability to teach him is limited. We hope we planted a seed.
Enekosi and Leitu
We just returned from a meeting with Enekosi and Leitu. It was a little deflating. Enekosi and Leitu have been attending another church in Manuwera. He wants to be baptised but then wants to attend that church. He wondered if we could do that. We aren't sure how to proceed from here. Our best hope is that he continues to read the Book of Mormon but somehow he is sliding away from embracing the beautiful fullness of the gospel. We meet again tomorrow and are unsure what to do.
District Meeting
We love the young missionaries we associate with. Many of them we knew at the MTC and is so great to see how they serve.
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| Sister Peck, Sister Ryter, Elder Sully, Elder Powell, Elder Mahu'inga and Elder Leao |
Family Home Evening with the Senior Couples in the area. We get together once a month and it is always a good time. Last night was kind of a Valentine Theme where everyone shared their favorite scripture. The food tasted great I guess because it tasted American. Each couple is unique and wonderful. They serve the Lord with love.
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| FHE with the Senior Couples |
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| The Senior couples in our area - such a fun group Elder and Sister Plehn, Elder and Sister Kopp (Switzerland) Elder and Sister Garlic, Elder and Sister Smith, Elder and Sister Downs |
Happenings at Home
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| David broke his arm on Sunday - we are so sorry Davy |
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| Tommy boy was in the hospital in Reno for a little minor surgery |
Birthday wishes to
Gregg
Lorraine
Alex
David Howell
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| Sister Thatcher in England has a new companion from Mexico who is a great cook |
On Thursday we will be meeting up with Merv and Clara Jean Weeks and going on a little trip with them. It will be a change. We will visit Hobbiton and also we will be going up north to the Bay of Islands. We will take pictures and share them with you. It is suppose to be rainy all weekend but we won't let a little rain stop us.
Much love
Mom and Dad,
Grandma and Grandpa
Elder and Sister Thatcher
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