A glowworm's never glum.
'Cause how could you be grumpy,
When the sun shines out your bum??!"
I SAW GLOWWORMS LAST MONDAY! Yup. They only exist in New Zealand and Australia. (Multiple kinds in Australia - only one kind in NZ.) But they're SO COOL. And fun fact: They spin webs of sorts like spiders - but more into a hammock type thing that they lay in, and then they drop one single strand down that bugs fly into and get stuck and they "suck them up like spaghetti!" - as our tour guide said :) Haha... So many great times! :) Glowworm caves in Kawiti :) BEST. Highly recommend it.
Also: Ruapekapeka Pa. It's a Maori battleground of trenches — And a really impressively pretty area. Kind of cool to see the ways trenches were all built together, and how deep they were as well - I definitely had a couple of close calls of falling in... but that's me for ya!
TRANSFERS: Transfers are officially complete, and I am officially staying in Paihia and Matauri Bay!!! (Rejoicing angel choirs singing above!) Sad things of transfers though: My Pop left me. (Aka: Elder Summers — in the scheme of my "missionary genealogy" as my first district leader, he's my dad.... which also makes him my husband because I started traning under him as well — but that's just something we look past. :P) Our Dear Elder Summers (aka: Minion) has left us to Panmeur. But he's going to be wonderful as a district leader down there, and I know we'll see him again one day!
I love it here in the north though. And never want to leave. I don't know how to handle a lot of people anymore. Haha... But I can tell you one thing: This new life of the holiday season starting up is going to pull me out of that in Paihia! "Why?" you ask? ---> TOURISTS! Because: It's SPRING! Still crazy weird and confusing for my poor little Utah mind - because going into October is usually... cold. However, it's nice and sunny and warm - but honestly only when the sun is out. The second the sun goes behind a cloud, it gets chilly again - so that's also a new feeling.
Anyhoo - It's been a great week! Sister Pointer and I have pulled ourselves up and out of hard times and are moving forward toward new goals. Sad news of the week though: Ethan wasn't able to be baptized this weekend. :( He was away most of the week at sea, and also because President Going (our Branch President) didn't feel he was quite ready yet.... (Even though he totally is.) But we're still hopeful for it happening soon! He's apparently going away this week for the holiday to spend time with his pop, but he'll be back. And we'll catch him again, and I'm determined that he WILL get baptized before I leave!
Sister Pointer and I were able to do a bit of Family History this week as well - not quite as helpful as we were hoping to be in the time we were there, but we did figure out a few things that were hindering our poor Eddy and Kathy (two members in Matauri Bay). So that was fun! It was also this day that I learned (yet again) how prayer TRULY works. Ha. Because, see- at first nothing was working. At alll. Then I realized, "Hey, we haven't said a prayer" - and so we did. And things started working! So.... That's pretty cool. :)
Sister Pointer is from Cedar City and shes been out since February. :) ...Or, well, technically that's when she went into the MTC in Provo (for Maori language). So she's been in the field since March. :) She's wonderful:) ... similar to me in the ways of being a hippie - does the whole essential oils thing, tai chi, muscle testing, etc. It's great. :) She's 21, and everything is going great!
Also, funny things of how I still haven't changed:
Sister Pointer: Also, you will have to feed your companion at some point.
Me: Ah... I'm sorry you get a companion that forgets about food.
Sister Pointer: Do you SEE this badge?? *Pointing to the Samoan missionary badge*
And it's confirmed: We don't watch conference until the following week.... So you'll have to tell me special things to watch for. ;)
Wednesday this week resulted in going to....RUSSELL! I love Russell. Even though we really only go once a transfer. It's so pretty and happy. And also new people that we haven't seen! We were also able to have lunch at Clive's (a Paihia branch member) - which was the biggest "lunch" I think I've ever eaten!! Fresh seafood chowder (YUM), pork chop, salad (with cucumbers, tomatoes, lettuce and spinach), kumera pie (YUM— Aussie version of pumpkin pie), and for dessert? Fish dessert :) ....What's fish dessert you ask? We also asked that. And then Clive came out with a dish of ice-cream with a chocolate-covered-marshmallow fish on top. Hahahaha... He just loved seeing the worried look in our eyes when he said "fish dessert!" It was a lovely day though, and we were able to meet some of Clive's friends, as well as some tourists and others in Russell - there's a lot of exchange-students over here from Germany right now - so there were a few girls we were lucky enough to talk with. It was wonderful! :)
There were also a couple days this week that were spent partially in the flat, due to sickness in Sister Pointer's life. Which was sad. Because I can do nothing but give her oils. But - they're also miracle workers, because she was able to perk up for a half day both days. :) And we got some great work done! (Or - at least a lot more people seen than we thought we'd be able to!)
We also had exciting times learning more flax weaving from Aunty Apiata (I made a box!). And then... the epic day of Saturday...
Running around inviting a bunch of people to a "feed" we were having at the Piahia chapel, trying to get more people to come and see a little bit what we were about. It was a fun day - as we also walked around most everywhere, becaues it was BEAUTIFUL out. LOVED it! We had a grand day of visiting less actives, others around, and also a young, new-convert couple who just moved to Waitangi from Whangarei. And they're ADORABLE. The kind of couple I've always wanted to meet — James is COVERED in tattoos. Tayla also has some. And they have an adorable little girl named Sophie. :) I'm SUPER excited to get to know them better. And hopefully get them coming to our branch now (they're pretty shy).
RANDOM THINGS of Saturday: - Sister Pointer "SAW A BLACK SWAN" - and freaked out. It was pretty funny. :) We also ate KINA (aka: Sea urchin). It's actually really quite good. And we ate it as fresh as you can get man. Bel broke one open and popped it in a container and told us we could try it. (She's another less active we're trying to activate...love her to death.) Also, LORD OF THE RINGS VAN. Here's the thing with tourist season. There's even MORE backpackers/people who live out of vans that come around. And there was one on Saturday painted in murals of Lord of the Rings references. There was SO much happiness in the nerd side of me!! Next, BUTTON THE LAMB. ...I've officially "fed the sheep" - literally, an apple - and then the Book of Mormon. She's an adorable little lamb, and partially owned by the partner of one of our less actives (yes- there's truly a lot of less actives...) And he's super nice. His name is Anthony and when we found out it was his sheep, he told us we could take a picture with her, and brought us the apple for her treat. :) Happiness!! :)
Sunday we were lucky enough to give talks/testimony in our Paihia branch. :) It was actually really nice - andddddd ROZANNE CAME AGAIN! Because she loves us. And supports us. And just makes us so happy. And she has FRIENDS in our branch now! - so... there's even more hope now. Also because she also STAYED FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL and MADE COMMENTS IN SUNDAY SCHOOL. She's golden - she just doesn't know it yet. ;) I love her. And I truly need to get a picture with her soon so I can show her cute little face to all of you.
ALSO. About Elder Scott. SADNESS. WHY ARE THEY ALL LEAVING AT THE SAME TIME!?? And Sister Pointer and I have decided to bring up a "TELL THE MISSIONARIES THINGS" plan — because we're LITERALLY always the last to know anything happening in the Church! We didn't find out until... Saturday night that Elder Scott had passed away. To which we both practically screamed "WHAT??" ...So: This is our plan to tell President Balli this week: That it should be a RULE that a MASS TEXT goes out so that we ALL KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN OUR CHURCH #endofrant :) [Whats popular right now!]
Anyhoo. So: It's been a grand week. :) And we're excited for the upcoming one. New goals, new people, and lots of tourists that I have a feeling we'll be talking to. Spring is here, and Summer is approaching!
Tell our home teachers and the entire ward hello - I miss them all! Also: I kind of miss being in a ward in general. Ha. Though I do love my little branches. It's much easier to speak in front of them! 😉 ...I just discovered these smiley face things, in case you didn't notice... haha. 😁 The extent of my technology!
I hope you have a most brilliant week filled with joy, happiness, and miracles beyond your imagination. :)
Life is grand in Aotearoa (Maori name for New Zealand)! I love it lots. :) Kisses! 😘
Arohanui (Big Love),
Sister Makikenihi Ottley :)
No comments:
Post a Comment