Transfer Week!

Can you believe it's transfers this week again already?! 'Cause...I definitely can't. We'll find out tonight if we're being transferred or not! Any guesses?

I'm going to ATTEMPT to keep this email a bit more ...brief than usual. Ha. Just because we're going out with the Masiasomua's today! Yay! They're going to bring us around to a few places in the Zone, including "Crystal Mountain" and Arataki.:) So...we're excited.

It's been a good week. Along with a bit of sickness again for me. I had the beginnings of a cold last week Monday... mid-day-ish, which I was thinking was just allergies. But then by that night I could just tell it was there. So I took a bunch of things, apparently not enough. Ha. So... the struggle was real. All goods though. We're on the mend :)

So last MONDAY was fairly relaxed. Just hung. Shopped. The usual. That night we had dinner and a lesson with the Masiasomua's. Oh how wonderful their family is :) Funny side note about dinner: We were having burgers, and I decided I wanted another small one - but...without the bread life. So I put it between two pieces of lettuce, and brought it to the table. ...And that's when I got "the look" from President. You know- that "look" of "please don't tell me you're one of THOSE girls." Haaaa. I started laughing and Sister Hobbs lovingly seconded (is that a word?) my need for less gluten sometimes. Haha. The look he gave me though. Priceless. :)
We had put together a "Jeopardy" version of the Plan of Salvation for the family that night. So they split into teams — Team Moroni: Sister Masiasomua, Tanner and Kahlii. Team Ammon: President, Aejah, and Kira. Even though we ended up having to cut the lesson short we had a good time with the family, laughing hysterically at the end when the points were tallied up to find that team Mornoi had won by 100 points, regardless of President and his SURETY that their team had taken it by a long shot. A testimony that cockiness gets you nowhere ;) —Until you're humbled at the end of your cockiness. Haha. #CheekyMan

So, like I said, by the time I got home Monday night, I suddenly had a cold.  It kind of felt like it came out of nowhere, 'cause it honestly did feel like allergies at the beginning of the day. But oh well. Life moves on.

By TUESDAY I was exhausted. #ColdLife. But we had district meeting, then met with Aroha Henare, and then over to Marion's to help her in the beginnings of cleaning out her humble abode more. (Once again. Liz, can you just come help us clean her house?  Haha.) Luckily she decided she wanted to start with the kitchen, which was much better than jumping into the rest of the house, not having a clue where to put anything. The kitchen is at least a contained area. (But please, my dear family. If I ever seem to be going in the ways of becoming a hoarder, please tell me to stop!) We had dinner at the Haeata's, and then visited Ivan that night. Miracle of the day? The amount of members that LOVINGLY gave us rides... pretty much everywhere. #Grateful #LoveThemAll — Sister Joseph, Sister Leato, and Sister Haeata. 'Cause I couldn't move very fast, and... there wasn't any way I was biking without being able to breathe. It's hard enough up some of those hills when you DO have the ability of breathing out your nose, let alone when you don't.

WEDNESDAY. #Sickness. But we still had a comp study with Elder Hunter and Gulliver.  I just probably looked like I was going to fall over a little. Okay. I really wasn't that bad. But you all know what it's like when you have a cold. I also didn't sleep much the night before, so I was zombie like. Anyhoo. We still made it out that morning, I forced myself to bike, otherwise we wouldn't have made it to and back from where we wanted to go before lunchtime. But...alas. All the people we planned were not home. So we tracted. And met one lovely man – who's super Muslim, but also stopped to talk with us! He's the first super Kiwi man I've met that's muslim. Aka: He married into the religion. But he taught us some fun things! So that was good. We had our lunch break — I slept. We had dinner with our dear Emere Joseph at Pita Pit (have I mentioned that they have that here too?) and...we had some lovely conversation :)

Comp study with the Zone Leader (Elder Saulo, and his comp/trainee, Elder Vaioa Salanoa) began the day THURSDAY. Fun times there, as they also came over partially to try and steal the Samoan potentials from our area book. Ha. We gave them quite a few to contact, but...there's also a few that they're not allowed to have.  Namely: Dora, her mum, Sia, and Vale........ Nope. All ours! Sorry! Also, Dora doesn't even speak Samoan, so, it wouldn't really work for her to go to the Samoan ward. We then had to rush on over to our lesson with Vale – and we taught her the Plan of Salvation! Fun things :) She seemed to enjoy it.


We stopped back by the flat for lunch after our lesson with her, and then out to visit Ivan and tract a bit. And...here's where Ivan surprised us. He told us the week before that he had gotten us a gift, yeah? Yup. He was going to wait, but then decided to give it to us before we left before it was too late. HE GOT US GREENSTONES! Or "Pounamu" in Maori.

Here's a little background of why this is a SWEET AS gift. Not only is it a crazy cool necklace, but greenstones are technically not meant to be bought for yourself, but rather - gifted to you by someone else.  Ivan had ours carved by a man in his hometown up North, (Karetu) then they were washed in HIS river (the Taumarere River) and BLESSED on HIS Marae grounds (the Ngati Manu Marae). So: the significance in this is the fact that because it's been washed and blessed in his land and marae, the Ponamu has his ancestors with it. So - we carry Ivan's ancestry wherever we go now, 'cause... both Sister Hobbs and I have been wearing them since he gave them to us. He spoils us. He said he wanted "to thank us for all we've done." ...Oh, Ivan. It's WAY more than we deserve, but we are grateful - because, he's just brilliant. #BestConvertEver Love him to pieces.

We went to the Frost's for dinner and a lesson that night. They're just wonderful. It's still funny to me sometimes that David is my same age. Not sure why it's so funny to me... but it is. Anyhoo. We taught the Restoration to them, and had a lovely night. They just spoil us with smiles and greatness. And little Avery, man,  It's like I'm getting a chance to watch Brody grow up - but... not, obviously. Ha. 'Cause Avery's now 8 months old? Almost. So... ya know, a few of the months I've missed with Brody. ;)

FRIDAY was weekly planning, lunch, walking and talking with people around the mall and down the rest of Great North Road to the "Manna Christian Store." We've been wanting to go in ...the entire time we've been here - but alas. So finally it happened! And we found REAL JOURNALS!! I've been struggling with this - 'cause...I've liked my nice actual journal-like journals, rather than just... notebooks. The journal I"m currently finishing up is kind of a journal, but more note-book-ey to me. Anyhoo. We found pretty and, ya know, Christian-themed journals. So I have one with lyrics to Amazing Grace on the front, and another with Phil. 4:6 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." And that one is pretty, embossed leather. And, yes, I know I'll fill up both of these journals before I come home! #AllTheWriting

We visited with Aroha Levi and the kids - it went... alright. Ha. We're still struggling to figure out how to bring her kids to a level of focus. We had them for a bit - teaching faith with "growing animal capsules" but... we're not sure how much they actually got the gospel relation to the lesson. We just need to get them to church, and all will be well :) Just making that step will be good for the family. It's amazing watching how something as little as going to church helps in peoples lives.

Our night was filled with tracting on Pakira Ave (Ivan's street) and finding a couple of little miracles. Anita and Poonam. Both lovely and willing to talk to us. Poonam is Hindu, and helped us in understanding the symbol they have that goes along with Ganesh (Hindu deity) that looks a little bit like a swastika. ...And I'm assuming this is actually where Hitler got his symbol of "good luck" or whatever. Anyhoo. It was fun to talk with her, and she gave us tips on if we ever go to India - where to go and when to go (not during the summer apparently...haha). Anita was...insanely excited to see us though. She's recently become Christian, and said she wants help in Bible studies! - As, with her job(s) she struggles to find a bible study class that works with her different hours. So she said, "Oh, it's like you've been sent to me!" Haha.  #Blessings. Excited to go back and visit her :)

SATURDAY I was just sick of being sick.  But we still got out, talked with people, then came back for a lunch break - which I slept during again. The afternoon resulted in ...all our plans not working out, but then finding the blessings in visiting the Josephs instead :) We got to spend time with Arihia, and...we just love her to pieces. We talked books and movies and just got to know her a bit more. We love the friendship life. We all also decided to compile movie/book lists for each other, so that was pretty exciting. I'm still working on Arihia's...
I'm slow. Ha. Love her. So much.

We then dropped by the Masiasomua's for a "toilet break" as Sister Hobbs called it (ha) — but really we were just too tired to be bothered to go back to the flat for dinner (and I didn't really care, as I didn't have that strong of a desire to eat anyhow), and because our dinner hour was even technically over at this point. But the Masiasomua's were home (miracle) and took us in, let us stay and fed me salad. We planned our p-day together (today! woot!), and they drove us home, lovingly letting us store our bikes at their house.... to be picked up at some point. Ha. We were going to pick them up last night. And then maybe tonight, but... that just doesn't seem like it's going to happen. So Tuesday then. ;)

SUNDAY.  SISTER GAITAU HAS RETURNED! Both Ramona, and her beautiful daughter, Alisha, who's just returned from the England, Manchester mission :) She's the cutest of all cute, and we're excited to get to work with her in all of her returned-missionary glory. There was a GIANT feast after church Sunday, and poor Alisha was just... exhausted from all the travel and jet-lag-ness.  Ha. But she seemed happy, and then told us later that night that she "hadn't broke down yet" — but that she probably would soon. Poor girl ;) We're ready and excited to help her adjust by throwing her into more missionary work with us though :)  It'll be grand.

OH! And: OTHER exciting news about Sunday: We HAVE A WARD MISSION LEADER! Now that we've been here for 12 weeks, they've found someone to fill the calling.  Brother Tuatonga - their family has just moved here from Christchurch (city), and he's super excited to work with us, and we're super excited too! :D

So... there's the week. Slow at times, and I"m sick of being sick, but... "It will all work out" :) (Thank you President Hinckley - and then Sister Marriott.)

Life is grand. Henderson is beautiful. And.... we'll see if I'm sitll here next week at this time :) Or - even in 2 days time! #Weird. I definitely feel like I'm not ready to leave yet, but I keep having this feeling that SOMETHING is going to change.... so, we'll see.

A scripture for the week:

"And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another." —Mosiah 18:21

*And here is now my "not amused face" with myself* as, the WRONG SD CARD is in my camera at the moment... so you don't get a picture of my greenstone (sad face). But... next week. We'll make it happen.

Funny story: Sister Hobbs knows all our family by name...for the most part, and I'm just barely learning her siblings names. Why? 'Cause I've actually seen pictures now of them all separately and I can put a face to the name. When she was showing me pictures last week our convo went like this:

Hobbs: How is it that I know all YOUR sister's names and you don't know any of mine yet?
Me: Once again, I'm a VISUAL person. You know this now.
Hobbs: ...Yeah. Okay. #ThingsNotEveryoneUnderstands

And,  I saw the Leap Year bunny on Google too! When  I got on the computer last week! (The Internet opens to the Google page.) It made me super happy :) I realized AFTER i got off the computer that I had forgotten to wish you guys an early happy Leap Day!  Haha.

And it's good to hear about Sister Hatch news :) I totally understand her, "Where did my mission go?" 'Cause... I was just thinking about that last night. I'm almost to 9 months! Crazy!  Sad about her comp though :( But lil' Ri's got a good positive head on her, doesn't she? So excited for her :) You'll have to give her a BIG hug from me and tell her how much I miss her, and how grateful I am for her example to me in going on a mission!

Oh. And RANDOM QUESTION for the day: Why do we have basements in America? I get asked this quite often... people think I'm crazy for living in the BASEMENT. Haha! #ThingsIveNeverThoughtAbout

LOVE AND MISS YOU ALL HEAPS! ;) Hope you have a brilliant week!!!

Arohanui,
Sister Mckenzie Ann Ottley