Week 18 - Culture Night

Pumpkin Pie!!

Kia Ora! Talofa lava!

This week went by so fast. Like every week. They are just going faster and faster... So basically I'll be home like next month. Jokes, but really I can't believe it's been four months! It didn't feel that long. Well, first and foremost, I got a flippin awesome package from my favorite sister in law (I'm giving Megan the credit because I'm sure Gabe doesn't deserve it). But It got here much too early so now I have to wait like a month to open all the presents inside for Christmas. Anyway, shout out to them for being true fam. On Saturday we had a branch activity, it was supposed to be "sounds of Polynesia" night but we're pretty whorey out here so it ended up being a potluck of food from the most random countries (America included, thanks to my mean pumpkin pie making skills), and random cultural dances. The Scottish elder wore his kilt (gag) and there was a Highland fling, Samoan siva, and a Maori kapa haka. So that was prettyyyyy cool. And we had like six investigators there so that too was prettyyyy cool.

In other news, we are smashing our goals, Sister Asiata was even sick a little bit this week, but the Lord provided a way for us to make up time lost and still exceed our goals. So I'm feeling very #blessed. Transfers is next week and I feel like I'll be going to South Auckland. Sister Pagofie had a dream I am going there, so now it's pretty much doctrine that I am. Pray for me and my rapidly changing figure. Every one who goes there gets legitimately FAT. Oh well, mission blessings.

My ponderize scripture this week is Moroni 8:16. I have definitely been trying to work on my boldness, and this is perfect. I hope you are all still ponderizing and feasting upon the word:)
Have a marvelous week, I love you all.

Alofa atu,
Sister Machen

Making Pie

My "rolling pin" (a roll of plastic wrap)

Look Ma, I made pie!

Me and Sister Asiata with our Favorite Future Missionary - Louisa

Our Favorite Little Samoan - Johnson

Week 17 - Another Week Down

Talofa!

This week went by so fast I don't even remember what happened! I guess the most fresh thing in my mind right now is getting yelled at by a big Samoan dad, from one of my favorite families, actually. So that was discouraging. But I had an awesome study this morning about how those who reject the Lord's servants and the gospel will receive their deserved reward. So I know he will eventually realize his wrongs and be justly dealt with. :)

Other than that we had a wedding and we all got fed soooo much. I'm feeling it for sure... gotta get out earlier in the morning. Church was good this week, I really love the members. They are so faithful! If the people in the wards back home had the amount of heart these saints do, the work would go so much faster. But I have really gained an appreciation for the tender mercies in life! People being nice, free food, and extra five minutes to sleep. My challenge to you guys this week is to count your blessings every day! We all have our struggles but it's nothing compared to what the Savior went through. We have it easy. Sorry for the short letter this week, but everything is great out in the promised land!

Love you all heaps,
Sister Machen

P.S. Here is my Samoan family, the Sioli's :)))

Week 16 - Go All-Blacks!!

Kia Ora!

Many miracles this week! We set two girls for baptism that come from a part member family so we're also trying to reactivate the rest of them. So hooray for that and for baptisms coming!! Then it just seemed like everything fell into place perfectly yesterday so we were able to not only reach all of our goals but exceed them. We found a potential investigator on Friday at the sports nights we've started up. The next day we visited her and she became a new investigator, and the next day she rocked up to church! So that was crazy and awesome and we ended up having FOUR investigators at church which is a record in this branch haha. Sacrament meeting was so full and there were hardly any empty chairs, it had me almost tearing up. So proud of our little branch. Then one of our Young Women gave a talk in church and she did SO well!! And she gave a shout out to me and my last comp for helping her stay strong in the church and always giving her challenges to become more Christlike lol. Tender mercies.

This weekend was "Guy Fawkes" so basically fourth of July for no particular reason. Everyone just set off fireworks for like three days so that was cool. And there're no rules here in NZ about fireworks apparently. I don't know if you guys in America heard anything about rugby, but last weekend the All Blacks won the world cup for the second time in a row so everyone has been hard out celebrating all week and drinking like there's no tomorrow. So that was interesting. We got a few invitations to take a night off and have a few, haha.

This week I have been studying a lot about families and our personal conversion. It has just hit me more than ever about how important the basic everyday things are. "If you read the Book of Mormon everyday you will never go less active." - Elder Bednar. So do it people!!! I love these people and I love even more seeing them change for the better. The gospel is for everyone!

Alofa atu,
Sister Machen

Week 15 - JANDALS

Waitara Missionaries

Kia Ora,

Not much to write about this week because we are just working on finding, finding, finding. We have been tracting heaps because we just have to fill our time and there is no city center or anything in our area; it's just basically a large neighborhood. SO we knock on doors and the white people are rude, the Maori's smell like smoke, and the Samoans invite us in to eat. It's pretty standard. Oh and the occasional Asian doesn't speak English. My comp is finding it hard to transition to this mission because our area is SOOOOO slow compared to the city. I just have to say love the people, love the people lol. But we are walking tons more because everything is so close and there're always people out walking. Our area is tiny, it's like the size of the neighborhood between High Ridge and Helen of Troy above Redd Road. It's just a tiny little square and there's only a fish n chips shop and a subway and that's it... We go out to Waitara for single sisters and stuff cause that's where the rest of our branch lives, but that's the elders area so we don't really proselyte there. Everyone in this tiny neighborhood already knows us so they already think they know what we're trying to "sell." Which makes it hard to say anything...

Today I bought sandals yay!!!!!! It's warm enough for them now and we can wear any shoes we want as long as there is a back strap, so my toes can finally breathe! But the funny thing is that they call flip flops "jandals" here. At first I though it was a joke but nope. It's actually in the dictionary. Halloween here is not big at all. I think there were like 20 kids total trick or treating in Bell Block... So we went over to an investigator's house and just ate all their candy that nobody came for, haha. Oh that reminds me, I think I've pretty much stabilized my weight now, we run every morning (more like slow jog and do jumping jacks on the corner) and with the walking it keeps us at a good weight, I guess. Also I'm eating less haha. Not starving though!

Anyway the work is great, the people are wonderful, and the gospel is the key to happiness!

Alofa Atu,
Sister Machen

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