Week 71

Kia Ora!

This week was good. We did quite a bit or finding and a few exchanges with some really good Elders made for a good week. It's really starting to heat up here in New Zealand and man does the ocean look tempting haha

Tuesday we had District Council and we received a pretty good training on helping people keep commitments. That is definitely one of the hardest things to do on the mission. People just don't want to do what we ask haha but we will make things work some how haha. We had quite a bit of time to do some tracting as well. Tried contacting some people but still kinda struggling to meet them when they are at home.

Wednesday morning we did some family History stuff and started our exchange with the missionaries that serve in the Samoan ward. They are both really good Elders and I went with Elder Roberts from Utah. I've been with a lot from Utah lately haha. We did heaps of tracting and had so many rude people that day but oh well it happens haha.

Thursday we ended our exchange with them and started another with some elders serving more south of us In Favona ward. I went with Elder Lee and he is from Hamilton. We did some more finding and trying to contact some people so that was good. No luck that day but it was good serving with a great Elder. We had dinner with a couple we are trying to teach and they have some concerns with the Book of Mormon and we were able to discuss a few things with them while eating so that was good. We set up a time to teach them about the restoration and hopefully that will really lick things off with them! They are a really nice couple from South Africa and I really want to see them accept the Gospel!

Friday we ended the exchange with some more finding and drove the Elders back to their area and did some weekly planning. Not too much happened on that day so I'll just carry on haha

Saturday we had the whole day pretty much just finding. It was really hot and no one was home but overall things were good. We made it through a difficult day and hope to see blessings from it in the future! We did have a unexpected little lesson with a guy that morning though and that was good. Progress with him will be very slow though as he only wants to meet once every other week haha we will try to get things to move quicker with him.

Sunday was pretty typical. Nothing too crazy went down. We had a couple say they would come to church but didn't so that was sad but we hope to see them come soon. We spent some more time doing some door knocking so that was cool. It's been really hot lately and makes finding a bit more hard but we push along haha

This week has been pretty good we've seen some pretty cool miracles. Hope you all had a great week as well! Love you all!

Elder Wilding

Week 70

Kia Ora! 

This week has been a good one. Nothing to absolutely crazy but it was good. We got to go on an exchange with some elders and found a few more potential people. Things are starting to pick up after the long Christmas holiday.

So Tuesday we had District Council and then went off to go and teach a recent convert who had been struggling a bit but now she is doing so much better and we are continuing her follow up lessons. We also went to go contact a referral but she wasn't there but we ended up sharing the restoration with the husband and hopefully we will be able to go back and see him again sometime.

Wednesday we had our exchange and did quite a bit of finding still trying to get as many people in our teaching pool as possible. The work is so much better when you are teaching rather than walking in the sun haha. But we stick it out and also did some contacting and met the daughter of someone we are trying to teach and asked if she would be interested as well but sadly no. Hopefully someday the whole family will accept the gospel!

Thursday we had heaps of tracting and we also had a district blitz in our area and we were able to get 1 or 2 referrals from that so that was good. We also went and had dinner with a family that just moved out of the ward so it was kinda sad seeing them leave. Typically the missionary leaves first but not in this case.

Friday we had weekly planning and also had interviews with President Walker. I love interviews getting to catch up with President Walker is one of the best parts of the transfer. We talked about a lot of stuff and it's so sad that he will be leaving us in the beginning of July. Definitely an amazing person and a spiritual giant! Later that day we tried to contact some people that we planned to teach but they rescheduled and then we went finding again. One couple we did teach though had an amazing experience with the Book of Mormon! We asked the husband to read chapter 4 of 1 Nephi before we come back and he did! But the crazy part is he just kept on reading. And he finally stopped at chapter 12 because he had to go to work. He said it was so interesting and wanted to keep going. We invited them to come to church this next week! Things are looking really really good for them!

Saturday was pretty cool. We went to go help out with a YSA missionary camp out at Henderson stake. That was my first stake out here and I got to see a few members from out there especially one from West Harbour who is preparing to go on his mission soon! Pretty good day. Did some tracting with one of the members I knew so that was cool.

Sunday we had stake conference and that was a really good meeting. The talks were all focused on the area goals and stuff so that was cool. We then did all our studies and did heaps more tracting. It was a pretty good day though.

Overall this week was really cool we saw some miracles with people reading the Book of Mormon and helping them progress. We are seeing things pick up and it's great! I hope you all are enjoying the Winter!

Ofa atu!

Elder Wilding 

Week 69

Kia Ora Whanau!

This week week was pretty good! After a few days of being in the flat sick we were able to go out and get some work done it was great!

We started off with the Auckland City Mission on Tuesday and went to pack food and some hygiene packages as well. It was really fun. We get to do it quite often and it just gets us out with other missionaries and doing some work together. We also went on Wednesday and that time we served food at the other building. It's always fun getting to help out in that way as well. It's always a humbling experience!

Thursday we had a full day of finding planned out and then that morning right as we were about to leave we received some referrals and we were able to go and visit them. They are from Brazil and we taught about the restoration and invited them to read and pray and now we will visit them again hopefully this next week. Later that day as well we went and saw a South African couple and taught the both of them about the restoration and invited them to do the same and set up a time to go and see them on on Monday. Pretty successful day!!

Friday we had weekly planning and started an exchange with some elders. I went with Elder Tenney from Orem Utah and we went ou and did some finding and didn't really see much but Elder Yardley and the other elder went and had a lesson with a Mexican couple that we found the previous day! They were very accepting and now we will be teaching them as well! So that was pretty good!

Saturday we ended the exchanges and Elder Yardley and I did some finding through Facebook and went to go follow up on some potential people and we sat down with another lady and shared the plan of Salvation with her and will see her again on Wednesday hopefully! We had a pretty solid day.

Sunday we had a pretty crazy one. While we're were walking to church I talked to a guy and he said we could come by his place another time to share a bit with him. That was pretty neat. We than had a guy that Elder Yardley talked to on an exchange walk to church and we sat by him and helped him understand what we do during sacrament. Then after sacrament a Chinese man walked in and started asking about the church as well. We had a member that speaks mandarin talk to him and we hope to see him again or send him to the Chinese Branch. Later that day we went to go and visit a couple we taught a few weeks before Christmas and we set up a time to visit with them next week! Things were going super well on Sunday! 

Overall this week has been great!! One thing for sure I learned this week is New Zealand is more culturally diverse than I thought!! We found 2 South African couples, a Mexican couple, two Brazilian guys and one Maori person to teach this week! Absolutely crazy how many different kind of people live here! We asked the members to fast for us and the work in the Howick area on the first Sunday of the year and we definitely know that because of that we have found so many people! Fasting does work! It might be hard but it works! I hope you all have a great week! And enjoy the cold😎😂

Week 68 ? 😬

Kia Ora!

Tuesday we had MLC and we received some pretty good trainings from the assistants and from President Walker. One on the atonement and missionary work, one on charity and another on reading the Book of Mormon with people we Teach. It was a really good day of learning how to improve and do better. We are trying to implement that into our zone now as well. We went back to our area and tried talking to people and sharing our message and it was really fun just doing God's work even though no one really was interested.

Wednesday we had District Council and got to receive some insightful feedback on following the prompting of the Spirit. It was pretty good. We spent the rest of the day out on the streets. We have no one to teach as of now so we have been doing so much finding and it has been really fun but really hard at the same time. We tried to contact some referrals and also some potentials but nothing too big happened. We will be pretty grateful when the people we were teaching come back from being on holiday.

Thursday was pretty good we had exchanges and I went with an Elder from Bountiful Utah and his name is Elder Cox. We spent a lot of the time door knocking. I was very impressed with how well he could talk to people at the point he is in his mission he is doing great. I was able to learn some things from him and hopefully he was able to take a thing or two from me. He has heaps of potential and I'm excited to see what he can do.

Friday we finished the exchanges and I got pretty darn sick.. We spent the rest of the day resting and trying to get some medicine in me to help prevent me being out the rest of the week. We were able to get some weekly planning in though so that is a brightside.

Saturday and Sunday I was pretty sick so we were in the flat all day for both of them.. We had a member bring the sacrament to us and got a blessing so that was good. It's a humbling experience when you can't go and do anything for two days. So I'm just waiting to be able to get back out and work.

Overall this week has been a good one. Being sick is definitely not fun especially when you lose your voice for 2 whole days😅