Monday, July 25, 2016

Interviews.............. 

We had interviews with the new mission President this week.  It was different than our normal interviews though.  Usually the whole zone gets together for interviews and we receive a training.  However, this time we just had a scheduled appointment with President Cummings at the chapel.  It's weird having a new mission president and having to adjust to the way he does things.  He is really awesome though, he is very knowledgeable in the gospel and is really kind.  I'm excited to get to know him over this next year.  I'm sure I will love him and Sister Cummings just as much as President and Sister Rudd.

What else happened this last week?  Man the weeks are going by so fast I can't even remember what happened.  This week we did some service which was good!  Elder and Sister Rowland a senior couple called us up after our weekly planning and asked us to come help them move some things out of an old missionary flat.  Elder Saurey and I are always keen to go and do some service so we went over and helped them move some beds and dressers.  The Rowlands are an awesome couple and they really appreciated the help.  Man I'm really having a hard time coming up with what has happened this last week.  All the weeks are just mixing together.  I wasn't sure if I should share this story because I don't want my mom to get mad but I can't think of anything else to talk about so I will share this funny story.  So this last week Elder Saurey and I saw this lady parked outside a house.  We were riding our bikes and we pulled up next to the car.  Elder Saurey started the conversation and was talking for a little bit, but then he kind of awkwardly stopped talking.  I was wondering what he was up to haha. Well I decided to keep the conversation going and so I kept talking to this lady.  I kept talking, but something about the conversation seemed really weird, but I couldn't put my finger on what it was.  Well I noticed at the beginning of the conversation that this lady was holding a baby.  I hadn't really paid too much attention to the baby though, but the conversation was a little awkward and I didn't know where to take it so I asked her about her baby.  Well when I looked down at the baby I realized that the lady was breast feeding her baby haha.  I was like woah man haha.  I awkwardly ended the conversation and rode off haha.  I realized that the conversation had been so awkward because she was in the middle of breast feeding and I was talking to her haha.  Elder Saurey had noticed right away and that's why he was trying to ride off.  I however, am a little slow and it took me ages to notice haha.  It's so funny what happens on the mission.

Now for a spiritual highlight of the week.  Saturday night we went out with Gups.  I'm not really sure if I have talked about Gups before, but he is the man.  Gups goes out with us almost every weekend.  He is Samoan and is 18 years old.  He is in his last year of school and is preparing to serve a mission.  He helps us out heaps though, I love him.  He stays with the Pritchard family.  The Pritchard family is a Samoan family in our ward that feeds us all the time.  Ty Pritchard was the young fella that just left for his mission from our ward.  Anyways Gups is Ty's cousin and stays with the Pritchard family.  Also our ward mission leader is named Brother Saliva and he is married to sister Pritchard’s daughter.  Brother Saliva is a convert to the church and is like 24 years old.  He is new to the gospel so it had been pretty hard for him to be the ward mission leader.  He is really awesome though and loves the missionaries.  Back to the story, so we were out with Gups and we went to try and visit a potential investigator named Dorothy.  We met Dorothy ages ago and she is a really nice Samoan girl who seemed really keen to learn.  However, we haven't been able to catch her which is really sad.  Well we went to try and see Dorothy, but she wasn't home surprise surprise.  However, a fella named Jay was home.  Jay is a less active member of the church that came up to Elder Saurey and me on the street when I first got to Manurewa.  However we never ended up seeing him for some reason and we even forgot that he stayed at that house.  Anyway we started teaching Jay and his partner Mary was kind of listening in.  He asked us if we had some scriptures to help him have more patience.  We each shared some scriptures from The Book of Mormon.  We asked Mary if she had ever heard of The Book of Mormon.  We ended up having a really awesome lesson where we explained The Book of Mormon and invited her and Jay to read and pray about the Book of Mormon.  They both said they would and even committed to come to church on Sunday.  We told them that we would find them a ride.  That night we got home and asked Brother Maasi if he could pick him up.  We talked about asking a couple different people, but decided brother and sister Maasi would be the best.  Brother Maasi is married to Bishop LeeLo's daughter.  Bishop LeeLo has 8 children and they are all girls!  I can't imagine being in his shoes.  Bishop LeeLo is the man though!  He is Samoan and hardly speaks English haha.  It is so funny when he gets up and talks to the ward.  I love him so much, their family is awesome.  Back to the story though.  Brother and sister Maasi said they would be keen as to pick them up.  We told them the names and the street where they lived.  Sunday morning Elder Saurey and I took Jay over a shirt and tie.  We were really nervous because we didn't want them to back out of coming to church.  Well we went to drop it off and he said they were getting ready to come to church.  Well church time came and Elder Saurey and I were up blessing the sacrament.  We were anxiously awaiting the arrival of Jay and Mary.  It was 10 minutes past 2 and we were really hoping they would come.  Guess what..... they came!!!!!!!!  After blessing the sacrament we went down and sat with them and brother and sister Maasi.  After sacrament we talked to them and guess what?!  Another miracle!  Brother Maasi went to pick them up and Jay said they were not coming because he didn't have church pants.  Just then Brother Maasi recognized him and it turns out they were in the same previous ward!  Brother Maasi said that Jay was coming whether he wanted to or not.  Brother Maasi ran and grabbed some church pants and brought them for him.  Also sister Maasi ended up knowing Mary from school!  It was amazing how much the Lord’s hand played in them coming to church.  It was a testimony to me that Heavenly Father truly has a hand in our lives and can fit all the pieces of the puzzle together to provide beautiful pictures and amazing miracles.  I'm so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father.  We are really excited to teach them, and hope that we can really help them to progress.  I hope you all can feel of our Heavenly Fathers love for you in your life and I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ live.  

Love,

Elder Brunson