This past Saturday (13th) we were up very
early and out shopping for more missionary supplies before we went into town to
skype with Chelle. By the way A BIG
CONGRATUALIONS to CHELLE who is now a university graduate, well done Chelle. We
didn’t even have breakfast so by about 12.30 we were hungry and still needed to
by our grocery shopping. So Elder Saunders said he would take me to Carl’s Jr
my favourite real ice cream Oreo milk shake place, which I am sure I have
mentioned before and will mention again. But for some reason I said no, let’s
just pop into Burger King. No said Elder S, no BK said I. So I won as we were
just standing right outside BK. Just as I had placed my order a stranger said
hello to us and said he would like to buy us lunch. WOW! He explained that he
had not been to church in a while and was very sad about it. His job takes him
away from home a lot, he is a furniture removal man. So along with his fellow
worker, who was also a less active member we had a lovely chatty lunch together.
Sunday, 14 December 2014
Missionary Experiences
I guess as we
are on a mission I should share our missionary experiences with you. Saturday 6th
December in the evening we were determined to spend some time walking along the
beach at Gisborne. So after picking up a few sea shell (“not another shell, you
cannot take them home you know” ”Yes Elder Saunders I know”) Anyway after pick
up another shell for my collection we were stopped by a man!!!!!! He asked who
we were and said that we were special and stood out from other people. Thinking
that we were going to get a load of abuse he just chatted to us for about an
hour and was very complementary. He said he would come to church with us the
following day. Which he did, wow! There is a bigger story there but I really do
not want to go into that as I would sound very hmm how should I put it, judgmental,
even if it was a funny story. Now I’ve got you all thinking, well maybe
sometime I will share it with you but for now it’s a mystery. Ha ha ha.
East Coast Sunshine
Christmas Misson Conference Preparations
O boy! what a week it has been getting prepared for this amazing get together. All of the missionaries in the Hamilton Mission are meeting at Camp Tuhikaramea next Tuesday 16th December. For those of you from Reading Stake that is where Elder and Sister Witts are serving as camp managers. I think my week of organisation has been hard but Elder and Sister Witts are working overtime to get the camp ready for opening. I’m sure us coming then is adding extra stress to their lives. But for those of you who know the Witts they are amazing and can perform miracles. I’m sure I will be adding lots of photos of that day. So why have I been so busy. In the office we had to put together a booklet for each missionary, basically a year book of all the missionaries serving in our mission this Christmas. Sister Marsden who is the other sister missionary in the office (along with her husband) sorted out all the photos. Some of them were done before but they all needed adjusting for one reason or other. She printed them out and I helped bind the books together, only 280. I also created a Christmas card for all the missionaries from the Mission Office Couples just four of us. And I’m quite pleased with myself to be honest. Just a sneak preview for you but don’t show any missionaries from the Hamilton mission.
This is a photo I took at the Temple Visitors Centre this week.
As we share the message of
‘He is the Gift’ with those around us this
season we pray that you will find the
Joy of the gospel in your lives.
Best wishes from the Mission Office
Elder Sister Marsden
Elder and Sister Saunders
The card is not set out like this but it is the only way I can seem to post it
We Still Here
I
can’t believe that it has been two weeks since I’ve posted anything. Shame on
me because that means that I have not written anything in my personal journal
as well. Obviously I don’t put all the personal things that happen to us on our
blog but it is my main record for recording what we are doing on our mission. So
what have we been up to the past two weeks? The first week I was very busy in
the office trying to get all the baptisms recorded onto the church system which
will then give the new members their membership record number. At the beginning
of the week I had 21 outstanding records which I had not received so I had to
make lots of phone calls to the missionaries to ask where the records were.
After lots and lots more phone calls and getting all the information I needed I
was just left with 4 on Monday. More phone calls, sigh, but finally all
information was entered and all the baptisms were entered and accepted for the
month of November. Hurrah! It may seem like little things please little people,
but actually I consider baptisms an amazing part of my mission. I also love
receiving the photos of the new members just before or just after their
baptisms. I put together the monthly mission newsletter and I include all the
photos that are sent to me. Thankfully I do not have to put in my own message
just organize other peoples messages.
Monday, 1 December 2014
Hoe Hoe Hoe
Hoe
Hoe Hoe No No No!
Is
this Plymouth Hoe, no! But it is New Plymouth sea front. Also it was New
Plymouth’s Christmas carnival some very good floats. Loved the concluding
float.
Exercise Time
Elder
Mitchell doing his daily exercises cheered on by Sister Baird. It is such fun to be with these missionaries, during the spiritual times and well as the not so spiritual.
Climg Every Mountain
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