We moved to Torbay today! Haha. So I have a new address for Dad to stalk :) We now live in a flat below one of our members. My feet are really cold right now, but that explanation will come later. Haaaaa.
And, my apologies, as this email is probably going to be a bit shorter than usual as well, since we've been moving today and also have an appointment at 5:00pm in Hibiscus, down at the end of the penninsula.
MONDAY we met Kim (a less-active) and her family.
They're wonderful and adorable and we're excited to get to know them all better. She's keen to return to Church, and we're keen to visit with her family more now. Oh - and she gave us a tupperware with loooooots of pasta in it. Blessings, as we didn't really eat Monday, so we were ravenous by the time we got home. Okay. Maybe not ravenous. But definitely hungry!
TUESDAY was District Meeting. Good! But then.... struggly. Some people...weren't in a good mood this day. Which makes it difficult for everyone else to be in a good mood. Whatevs. It got better. "He turned me into a newt! ... But it got better." (Monty Python.) I miss the quoting things life. Haha.
And THEN. I'm getting the best "SOUVENIR" EVER. I went to turn in my paperwork for a NEW ZEALAND DRIVER'S LICENSE. Excitement in this Sister's life!! Haha. I will let you know how the picture actually turns out.... Hopefully I should be getting the license soon! *Side Note: My eyesight has changed. The Lord DEFINITELY helped me in passing that little mini eye exam for the license-ness. Ha. It's really not that bad. I can still see. Just not as well.
"Dinner" this night resulted in the Manuels bringing us to Pack n' Save (grocery store) and saying to us, "Fill up the cart!" #Spoiled. Also a blessing with Sister Gila being worried about money with her leaving and all.
I also forgot to tell you that at Tuesday's District Meeting we were trying to come up with a district name for the next transfer. Many ideas were offered. What did we choose? "KMF" for "Keep Moving Forward," which coincidently also works for "Killing My Friends" ...aka: I'm "Killing" all my friends this next transfer.
Have I mentioned that the Sunset Sisters (Taylor and Rarawa) were put in a TRIO this transfer?Sister Hoiesi came to join us, while she Visa waits here for her "real call" to Brisbane Australia. Sooooooo ALL OF THEM ARE LEAVING ME! Sisters Taylor and Rarawa and my Gila are all going home, and Sister Hoiesi out to her actual mission, soon, hopefully for her ;) ;) Sister Gila actually leaves me NEXT WEEK :( Sad face. Can you believe that??? We're almost half way through this transfer already!! And I can't even handle how fast life goes. Note: Just a reminder—to be "killed" or "die" on the mission just means going home or sending your companion home. Haha.
WEDNESDAY we chatted away with Sister Gimblett (an older woman in Hibiscus) and got to know her better. LOVE. We were actually supposed to go over that morning to help her start packing stuff away for her moving day soon, but, she forgot all about it and was waiting for Sister Sheward to come pick her up for her hair appointment. Haha. So we just had a bit of a chat with her instead. (We went back Thursday morning to help again!) After that we went off to Torbay and met one of the referrals we've been given lately—named Elizabeth—and she's beautiful. And she's now become a new investigator! :) THREE THIS WEEK!! We have an appointment with her this coming Wednesday, and we already have a lovely member (Kendall McKenzie) coming out with us to help teach her. :)
Wednesday afternoon, our STL's (Sister O'Reilly and Soderberg now!) came up to have a trade-off with us. So I got to be with my dear mum :) Sister O'Reilly. It's always nice to catch up with her again.
THURSDAY we continued Tradeoffs, helping out Sister Gimblett in packing away her kitchen, and then rushed up to Torbay to help rake some leaves at a potential investigator's home (a friend with one of our members - she's in a wheelchair and has cancer :( (Sad face. Lots of people seem to have cancer here.) But it was a lovely fun time raking leaves again! It's been forever! Haha.
After trading back to being companions with my dear Gila, we had dinner at the Rapata's, and a lovely MCM (Missionary Committee Meeting) with many off-topic moments, including the two of them—our WML (Ward Mission Leader) and his wife, who's a Ward missionary—going off on how they met. Hahaha. I love them. So much. Those MCM's always make our Thursday nights interesting.
OH! And the MIRACLE of Thursday was receiving a referral from the Elders! It was a referral through the Church from a member, Sarah, referring her friend. Fun fact: Sarah is one that we've been trying to FIND lately. She's a less-active, and we DIDN'T KNOW WHERE SHE MOVED TO. So.... BLESSINGS all around!! — More to come on this.
FRIDAY was planning. And then dropping off to the Plaza (mall) to pick up Maggie (one of our BRILLIANT ward missionaries in Hibiscus) to come to a lesson at Philip's with us :) Maggie takes a shift here and there at the mall in an art gallery, trying to get people to buy local artist's paintings and whatnot.... One of the local artist's paintings in this shoppe is our dear Sister Christine Heaps (also a ward missionary in Hibiscus). AND HER PAINTINGS ARE GORGEOUS! When we arrived at the mall to see if Maggie could come with us (we knew she got off at 3), she was there chatting away to one of the other ladies (Trina) that works there (who has also been showing a bit of interest in the Church.... 😄 ). So Maggie introduced us to Trina, and then told us to browse around the shoppe for a minute while she finished her conversation. SISTER HEAPS' PAINTINGS! MAN! I'm in love. I already knew I did from when we had dinner at their house a couple weeks ago, but there's this one specific painting of a red poppy field against mountains, that's done with oils and a pallet knife. BRILLIANT. I actually debated purchasing it right then and there. But... missionary life. Haha. Anyhoo. We stole Maggie away and went off to our lesson with Philip.
Philip is SO GOOD. We just love teaching him. And we got to teach the Plan of Salvation and share more things that he wasn't clear on, even though technically he already knows most things he's been taught for so long. But we'll hopefully be having another lesson with him again this week, so we'll see how things continue :)
The rest of Friday included dinner at the Glover's in Torbay, and an appointment with the Sunset Sisters — "op-shopping" as we helped one of their members with some of her clothes she was packing away to send off to other islands for girls there! But...she let us pick some new clothes for right now, 'cause she knows how boring clothes get after a while.... I can't even understand how the elders wear a suit for 2 years! Bah. So. Lovely night. Lovely day. Lovely fun :)
Ah! And to continue with the referral from Sarah – we had called and texted Sarah that morning, 'cause we wanted to get to know her and ask about her friend before we go meet said friend referral. She called us back just as we were picking up Maggie and said, "Yeah Come over tomorrow!" Love her.
SATURDAY was back to meeting with some former investigators, and meeting some less-actives we haven't been able to yet, ...Including: Sarah! She's adorable btw. A young, single mum with 2 kids. We're having a mini Family Home Evening with them tonight! Excited :)
And then Saturday night was the excitment of all things. LOVE SOUP. That's what we call a Community Night (organized by one of our members) for people to come, have some kai (Maori for food), and watch some entertainment. SO - we went along to help out in the kitchen, dish up food, wash dishes, and meet some people!! Service nights. Gotta love 'em. And we did, indeed, meet some lovely people :) including some that we've...once again, been looking for!
Oh. And we got matching Service T-shirts. Ha. Brilliant :)
SUNDAY was Church at Torbay—a cluster meeting with surrounding stakes —topic MISSIONARY WORK, and then visiting with Gina that night :) And stopping by the Rameka's to see....our new flat!!
So yes, we've moved. That's what today's been about. Ha. Moving out and moving in. I'm not really positive about the reason behind the move - it still doesn't change the fact that we have to travel to Hibiscus and Torbay both all the time. Haha. But we ARE closer to the Stake Center (Torbay Ward Building on Sunset Road) now, which is nice. We love it though. This flat is beautiful. I mean, right now it's all in chaos and boxes, but it'll be grand soon ;) And it has carpet! So our feet will be warmer. I think it's a better neighborhood too? The other one was fine, but I'm feeling more comfortable with this flat. And Sister Gila is grateful 'cause with carpet her feet won't freeze like with the fake wood floor in our other flat. Haha. (The Hibiscus flat had a particle-board like floor throughout the entire thing.)
It's still not really even that cold here, but It is for Sister Gila, because she's from Vanuatu, an island where it's ALWAYS hot. Haha. For me, I really only have to pull out my coat at night sometimes.
FUNNY STORY though about the move this morning, well, a couple of things actually. 1) Our Zone Leaders FORGOT to call us and tell us WHEN we were moving.... Ha. So this morning around 10, we called Elder Garth, asking when we were moving! "A... Didn't your Zone Leaders tell you!?? ...Well, we'll be coming at 11 with a trailer to pick up your stuff!" Haha. Good times! 2) ALL my shoes got packed/taken away......... So Sister Ottley hasn't been wearing shoes this afternoon/most of the day. So yes, my feet are a little cold. If Elder Summers were still here he'd be calling me "Hori as!" Still not sure how that happened. But all is well. I know they're in the Sister's car, which should be here soon, and then I'll be reunited with some shoes for the night. Haha. Btw - "Hori" by definition, or at least the best definition I can give you, is a Maori word/term symbolic of the little kids that run around in the streets with no shoes on, that use all the super New Zealand slang. Saying "hori" out LOUD, it sounds like "whorey," but, ya know, very DIFFERENT meanings!
AH! HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! I apologize for having no idea until reading your letter....NO IDEA. Haha. ....Father's Day isn't until September for me.... Hahaha.
Good days. Good weeks. MANY MIRACLES, and many more to come :)
The work is hastening here in beautiful "Torbiscus" (as I've decided to name our two areas together, instead of always saying "Hibiscus and Torbay"). We love it. And we're excited for our new investigators, and the other new ones that WILL COME.
Ofa atu, my dear whanau (ha......all the mixes of languages)!
(I also just realized that this really wasn't that short. Long story, but we ended up having to reschedule our apponitment... Ha. So we got to be on a bit longer :P Details. Details rule my life!! Haha)
AROHANUI,
Sister Mckenzie Ann Ottley
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