Monday, November 9, 2015

This week flew by! 

Monday-  For preparation day we went to the beach!  The Nuhaka Elders were busy so Elder Barbosa and I decided to just go down to the beach for the day.  When we got there one of our investigators happened to be there. Can you guess who it was?  Matiu!  Matiu is the man!  He makes traditional Maori instruments and makes heaps of traditional things out of wood.  (I sent a picture last week of me playing one of his instruments.)  He also goes all around New Zealand and plays the traditional instruments for people so that it way cool!  Matiu stayed and chilled with us for about an hour.  It was so hott!!!!!! It was fun to hang out with him!  Matiu will hopefully be baptized sometime next transfer.  He needs to get married first. Their wedding is planned on November 28th so sometime after that he will hopefully be baptized! 

Tuesday-  Tuesday night we started an exchange with the Nuhaka missionaries.  I was with Elder Hawkins a missionary from England!  He seems way cool and we had a really good time!  The only bad part was I got absolutely no sleep that night!  Elder Hawkins snores like a grizzly bear... no joke!  I don't think I have ever heard a human being make the noises he did in his sleep.  Even when I somehow managed to fall asleep, my body would be jolted awake from his non-human noises.  I think they were actually scaring me in my sleep haha and that's what was waking me up.  No jokes I think I got like 2 or 3 hours of sleep at the most. It was terrible!

Wednesday-  Wednesday was pouring rain and freezing cold!!!!!!!!!! It went from like 70's to 30's overnight, it was insane.  Luckily we had heaps of people to see that day so we weren't out in the bad weather much.  It was literally the most rain I have ever seen in my whole life!  It didn't even let up all day. Usually if it rains hard it is off and on, but that was not the case. It rained hard ALL DAY!!!!!! Wednesday night we drove to Gisborne for Zone meeting.  We stayed in the Zone Leaders flat with the Nuhaka Elders.  It was so much fun!  We played a couple games of Monopoly Deal which got pretty intense.  I had never played Monopoly Deal, which is weird because I think Katie and Amanda love it. 

Thursday-  Thursday we had a mean zone meeting!  I learned heaps and everyone really felt the spirit it was way cool! Elder Barbosa and I shared the miracle moment of the week!  We talked about the two people we met from Germany haha. Everyone really likes my storytelling (unlike my family) so I'm starting to build my rep haha.  Elder Rios was the first person to love my storytelling haha. Whenever we were around people or missionaries who didn't know me he would have me tell them my losing my luggage story haha.  I love telling stories, maybe I should become a professional storyteller for a living haha.  After Zone Meeting we went to Carl's Junior haha. Yes they have CJ's in New Zealand!  My burger was way mean but my shake was very disappointing.  It was by far the worst shake I have ever had in my entire life.  It was so watery it wasn't even funny.  It was like I was drinking cookies and cream flavored water. 

Friday-  Highlight of Friday, I met an Italian guy!!!!! I was like, “My sister is serving a mission in Italy!” He invited us to sit down outside his house and we talked with him for about an hour.  I shouldn't say we talked with him though haha. More like we listened to him for an hour.  He gave us a history on pretty much everything that has ever happened in this world.  He had some very interesting views, and he sure love Barack Obama ;) Every time we tried to talk he just talked over us haha. I was hoping that he was going to be keen but he really wasn't.

Saturday-  We contacted two of the people from the area book. They are sisters and their names are Anastasia and Antonia.  I have contacted them once with Elder Holmes but we didn't really get to teach anything. Then Elder Barbosa and I ran into them in the street the other day and had a pretty good lesson with them.  I love Wairoa because it so small.  I pretty much know everyone in the whole town and you run into everyone you know pretty much every day. Anyway, we went to their house Saturday night and had the meanest lesson ever!  The reason they had been dropped by previous missionaries was because of the Church's stand on homosexual relationships (no they are not homosexual) but they do have family who are.  I was so worried about going to their house and trying to resolve this concern.  Well the Lord took care of us and we actually ended up resolving their concern!  We answered heaps of their questions and the spirit was really strong!  It was way mean and we invited them to church and to this fireside that we were having at church Sunday night! They said that they couldn't make it to church but that they would come to the fireside. 

Sunday-  Right before church Elder Barbosa and I got a call from Brother Maehe (2nd Counselor in the Bishopric) and he asked if we could fill in for two speakers.  We of course said yes because we are the missionaries haha.  I gave a talk on faith and it was the longest talk I have ever given, I spoke for 25 minutes so that was pretty crazy haha. I have now spoken 3 times in this ward haha. Some of the other missionaries say they never have to speak in their wards.  Sunday night was a mean fireside!  A Maori fella named Herewini Jones came and gave a presentation. He studies culture and relates family history and culture to The Book of Mormon.  You guys should definitely look him up! Antonia and Anastasia came to the fireside and they said they really enjoyed it!  We had a feed after the fireside and I got to try muscles!  They were way good!!!!!!!! I had heaps haha. I also had heaps of other food!  I don't think you will recognize me by the time I get back. 

My testimony is growing heaps and I love doing the work!  It is far from being easy but it is definitely worth it.  I don't know how I could forget!  Tinika’s son Ricky is set for baptism!!!!!!!!!!! They are both set for November 21st!  We are so excited.  Ricky is 12 and he is the man!  Sunday he stayed for all 3 hours of church and came to the two hour fireside! He is way cool! When we first started teaching Tinika he wasn't very interested, but now he loves seeing us and is really progressing heaps. Tinika still has some things to work on but I know the Lord will help her to be prepared!  I love New Zealand! 

Love,

Elder Brunson