Week 14 - New Transfer//Clean Slate

Talofaaaaaa,

Well this week was transfers and, as I said last week, I stayed in Bell Block and my comp left. My new companion is sister Asiata! She's awesome really, full Samoan but she's from South Auckland so that's cool. It's in our mission. She has connected really well with a lot of people here (mostly other Samoans) but she's shocked at how slow the work is down here. Taranaki is mostly farmland and every one is quite content with their laid backs lives. Hardly anyone has big goals or aspirations (which is beyond comprehension for me) and they are completely content with never leaving this area. So they don't really see a need for the gospel. Especially in the nicer areas (bell block) because their lives are really quite lovely. Anyway, we saw most of our investigators all in the same day and also decided that almost none of them will actually progress, so we are working on getting a whole new teaching pool. Not fun. I might actually tract more than once a month haha. But it's all good.

It's good to hear that Corey didn't get seriously injured in his crash. Glad he's not dead, haha. I heard about a shooting in Oregon? Yeah I have no idea what's going on in America but people here are so intrigued by America, especially when I do my crappy Texas accent. Who is the next president? Or is that even happening yet? It's getting warm here and I'm so excited to spend a warm Christmas on the beach for once! It's gonna be sweet.

So something I've been studying a lot is about how I can become the best missionary/daughter of God/person/sister/future mother/friend that Heavenly Father wants me to be. So two talks from conference really hit on how we need to figure out how to progress everyday. Neill A Marriott and Larry R Lawrence. Read them! I want to make it a goal to recognize each day how I have changed to being better than I was the day before. It's gonna be awesome. I love the gospel and I love this work!

Alofa Atu,
Sister Machen

Week 13 - Baptisms & Transfers!

                                              Samsara, her Dad, Me, and Sister Pagofie

                                      Me, Sis. Pagofie, Aunty Alwyn and her sister, the Elders

Hey yous,

So this week was crazy! We had five baptisms this past weekend, three were the elders'. There were three little kids from the same family on Saturday morning, then our girl, Samsara, in the afternoon, then Aunty Alwyn Sunday morning!! It was awesome. I sang three musical numbers with my companion... Lol there's no stage fright when you're a missionary, you just have to sing when you get told to sing, even if you suck. So Samsara's was super good, her dad baptized her but he had to do it 3 times cause the font is TINY. Seriously the smallest font I've ever seen, it's like as big as a jacuzzi bathtub back home. So that made Aunty Alwyn's baptism a bit tricky considering she's a bit of a larger woman. She was adamant on not wanting anyone at her baptism besides the missionaries and the branch president so that was kind of a hard thing for the branch cause they want to support her and be her friend but she really doesn't like people. Anyway, she ended up sitting on the floor of the font and Elder Wark had to kneel in it and lay her down to try and get her all the way under. Man it was bad. But as long as it happened and the spirit was still there! Sister Inia's grandma (Aunty's sister) flew from Australia to be there, so that was really awesome! It was such a spiritually and emotionally exhausting weekend. But those are the best kind.

So transfers! We just got transfer calls and Sister Pagofie is training up in Rotorua, and I'll be staying In Bell Block! I'm getting a Samoan comp but she's actually from NZ. It's a different situation because she got reassigned to our mission after being home from her first one for six months, so I'm not training her, but I'm reacquainting her with mission life and the Hamilton Mission way. SO that should be interesting. I'm excited!!

Well that's about it for the week, just lots of baptism prep and we found four new investigators! And they're all solid! But I'm so happy to be a missionary and to be growing personally along with my investigators. I know this church is true, just read the Book of Mormon. I love New Zealand!

Much love,
Sister Machen

Ps. I had "mexican food" today. It was nasty and terrible and made me want to cry. If I could get a package of tacos that would be great. I'm dying.

                                                  Trying (unsuccessfully) to be athletic

                                            This is where you're coming to get me, family!

Week 12 - Baptisms!

Kia Ora,

First, I'm dying because General Conference is delayed a week for us and it's practically like Christmas for missionaries. So I'll probably have a better letter next week.

But this week we finally got Samsara's baptism date set! October 17th is her baptism and then the next day is Aunty Alwyn's, yay! Seriously, I'm so excited for their baptisms. It's crazy how much love you feel for people.

We had branch council this week and our branch president made sure everyone was there and practically called everyone to repentance, it was awesome. The work out in Taranaki New Zealand is really moving fast and the members have to be ready! He then gave us like 15 referrals so yeah we have so much work to do as well. But we found another relative of the samoan family and we're gonna start working with her! Also we had a lesson with our next door neighbor and it was basically an hour of her telling us how Jesus is her first love and crying about her relationship with God so yep she's getting baptized too.

We had lamb shanks this week. Not really a fan of lamb. At least not the way I've had it here. Also we visited our YW president's house and set up a dinner appointment. She asked us what we want to eat and my flipping companion said Kiribus food. (they are from Kiribati...) so she goes oh like fish heads in milk?? And my comp freaks out and says oh yes yum that sounds so good!!! Then there's me about to slit my comp's throat bc I CANNOT eat fish heads in milk. I will die. Stay tuned for the update on that dinner.

This week I learned a lot about enduring to the end. The talk, "Latter-Day Saints Keep On Trying" by our new apostle Elder Renlund from last conference is basically it. So a saint is a sinner that keeps on trying. We're all sinners, but we just have to keep moving forward and promise to be better the next day. Don't quit guys, this life is too short to waste it on unimportant things!!!

Okay I love you all.

Sister Machen