Monday, June 6, 2016

I would say this is the moment you have all been waiting for to find out where Elder Brunson is, but it sounds like you already know.  Right now I'm in an internet shop in Manurewa (South Auckland).  South Auckland is known as the place where all of the missionaries get their crazy stories to send home.  I don't want to give you too many hints, but this might be one of the most exciting letters I will send.  I hope you are all preparing yourself for the intensity of this letter haha.  I will try and take you through a couple of days during this last week.  The beginning might not be too interesting, but trust me this letter will get crazy.  Monday morning I was in the barber waiting to get my haircut when the phone rang.  I answered the phone and to my surprise it was good ole President Rudd.  President asked me if I had finished all of the work in Waitara.  I told him I was still working on it, and he said that I better hurry up because I was going to be moving to Manurewa to be a Zone Leader with Elder Saurey.  At first I was a little nervous, but I was pumped to get to be with Elder Saurey.  I had met Elder Saurey a couple of times and he seemed like a really good Elder.  I wasn't too sure about being a zone leader yet though.  However, I know I have been nervous heaps of times in my life and everything always works out.  I love a quote from President Monson, "Fear not, the future is as bright as your faith".  This quote has really helped me on my mission and helped me to overcome my fears.  So I hung up the phone and then proceeded to get my haircut.  It turns out that I shouldn't have gotten a haircut because I spent $20 on the worst haircut ever haha.  I currently have no sideburns because the lady completely cut them off.  It's really not that bad, but I look like an old man haha.  Tuesday and Wednesday I spent my time teaching my last lessons with our investigators and saying goodbye to our members.  It was pretty hard to leave, as I have really grown to love the members of the Waitara branch.  The hardest person to leave was Ngapuhi though, I'm sure going to miss that fella.  The sad part was I forgot to get a picture with him and paunamu and potoki :(.  Who knows though maybe I will end up down in the Naki again as a zone leader.  I tried to take heaps of pictures with the members and our investigators though, but I'm not sure if Elder Saurey has a cord that will fit my camera.  I'm going to take a quick break though and I will finish up this email, it’s not even close to the crazy stuff yet.  

And I'm back.  Thursday was transfer day!  Normally on transfer day I would have to get on the bus in New Plymouth and then get on another bus to get to Manurewa.  However, Elder Suriben’s new companion was also Filipino and couldn't drive so they are now in a biking area.  So I got to drive the car up to Hamilton with Elder Zesiger.  Elder Zesiger is finishing with President and Sister Rudd halfway through this transfer so he got called to be a traveling Assistant.  Elder Zesiger and I had heaps of fun just talking in the car on the way up to Hamilton.  I love that fella heaps, he is way funny.  He was my very first zone leader when I got into the mission.  It is crazy to think that he had only been out for just over a year when I got here and now he is finishing.  Time really flies on the mission!  Elder Zesiger needed to be in Hamilton by 1:00 so I was there two hours before I needed to get on the bus, so I got to chill with my papi Elder Holmes.  It was so good to catch up with him, and to joke around with him.  I forgot how much fun we had when we were together.  Elder Holmes has changed heaps though!  He is way on to it, and is doing a great job as the assistant to President Rudd.  He has worked really hard and has come a long way!  I can't believe that he will be going home here in 6 months!  I'm starting to get older in the mission haha.  Thursday night I arrived in Manurewa to meet my new companion Elder Saurey.  Elder Saurey gave me a warm welcome and he really is the man.  Thursday night a member dropped off a huge feed!!  I didn't eat heaps luckily though because later that night we went to the Prichard family.  The Prichard family is no joke one of the coolest families I have ever met!  They fed us so much!!  Elder Saurey, Elder Tonumaipae and I were dying because we had already had a huge feed.  I didn't want to offend them though, so I ate heaps haha.  They are a Samoan, everyone here is either Samoan, Tongan, or from another island.  I'm so excited to serve here. The people are so nice.  I definitely will gain weight though haha.  I think I have already eaten more in these few days than I ate all of last transfer.  Our cupboard is filled as well because the members give us so much junk food.  Hopefully you still recognize me in a couple of months haha.  Oh I just remembered!  I forgot that I didn't say who elder Tonumaipae is haha.  Elder T was just with us for Thurdsday and Friday because he was leaving to go back to Australia because he finished his mission.  Elder T was really funny and we had heaps of fun being in a trio for two days.

Alright, I hope you are all ready for the craziness.  So the week turned crazy on Friday morning at 3:00 am.  Elder T thought it would be funny to play a prank on me.  Elder T set the alarm for 3:00 am and so I got up and prayed and went out into the living room to workout.  Elder T came out as well, but Elder Saurey stayed in his bed.  Elder T worked out with me, and then told me to get in the shower first.  I thought it was a little strange that Elder Saurey wasn't up yet because I thought he was a pretty obedient missionary.  Well I got in the shower and was about to get ready for the day when elder Saurey came out and asked me if I normally get up at 4:00 am haha.  I was like what the heck, it's not 4:00 am.  Then Elder Saurey showed me the phone and I just started laughing.  Well I tried to go back to bed, but it took ages!  Friday was weekly planning and so Elder T just chilled as Elder Saurey and I planned for the upcoming week.  Well we went out and worked until 4 PM when we had to come back to get Elder T's luggage so he could go to the airport.  Well this is when things went downhill.  When we got home, to our surprise, our flat door was wide open!  We were like what the heck!  So we ran inside and our flat was absolutely trashed.  We looked at the front door and somebody had busted through it.  The door was broken and the lock was halfway across the living room.  We immediately started looking to see what was missing.  They stole two of my suitcases, and $400 that was in one of my suitcases.  The sad part was that I had just taken the money out of my wallet Friday morning and put it into my bag because I was worried about losing my wallet.  If I would have just kept it in my wallet I would not have lost it.  Moral of the story, I should not have been carrying that much money around anywhere.  I feel really bad mom, and you can take $400 out of my personal account.  They also stole Elder Saurey's G-Shock watch, shoes, and his American candy.  At first I was really mad, but then I was just thankful for the things that they didn't take.  Luckily I had unloaded all of my clothes from my suitcases, or else they probably would have got all of my clothes and my suits which would have been terrible.  We had 6 bikes in the garage that weren’t stolen.  My camera wasn’t stolen.  So we reported the robbery to the police and they came and tried to get fingerprints.  Unfortunately, they didn't get anything.  Luckily though our Indian neighbors caught the car on their security cameras, but we can't read the license plate.  They robbed us and our neighbors in 10 minutes!  We have a new door now thank goodness.  The ward members felt so bad for me that I just got here and got robbed.  You are probably wondering what was in my suitcases though.  All of my notebooks, letters from home that I have been saving, baptismal programs, all of my hygiene items, and all of the office supplies, pens, pencils, the whole lot!  It’s sad, but it will be all good haha.  The Church is still true, and I still really love my new area!  Sorry mom for losing all of that stuff!  I love you all heaps though and will keep you all in my prayers.  

Love,

Elder Brunson