Another week has come and gone. Sometimes it's just crazy how quickly time moves! We email now at the stake center—Sunset Chapel—where we attend the Torbay Ward in the Family History Center.
The beginning of this past week consisted of helping my dear Sister Gila packing up to move on to her new adventure back home :) She left us mid-transfer, thus why it's been a good thing that Sister Lemalu is here Visa waiting! So our trio life was short, but it was fun—also hard when you become just 2 again and your companion—who's been in only trios (MTC and here)—tells you how "difficult" it is to be in just a 2-person companionship! Haha. Patience. It's all good :)
Anyhoo. MONDAY, teaching Gina. She's lovely and we missed her heaps. And it was good for Sister Gila to be able to see her one more time before she left, and to be able to make the transition into Sister Lemalu being here instead of Sister Gila. It's awesome Mom about your friend, Renee, meeting Sister Gila's dad and making that connection. I got to meet her dad for a second on the mum's day Skype chat as well :) I love them all :) And I'm hoping that my Gila will actually EMAIL me soon.
TUESDAY we went to the Sunset Chapel bright and early to meet President and Sister Balli for Sister Gila's "exit interview" before leaving on Wendesday. And then, after lunch, we were on our way to Warkworth. We had a lesson with Ngaire, and we got to meet her daughter, Trista. She's a very sick little girl, but the most adorable thing you'll ever meet. We got to know her and her mum a bit better, and learned about when Ngaire first met the missionaries and all that jazz :) It was a lovely afternoon and a blessing for us. This night's dinner consisted of the Sunset Sister's coming over to our flat for a pizza and chips dinner for Sister Gila's last night, and it was good times :) Oh. And P.S. I FOUND the RED SAND BEACH, Dad! It's at the very edge of Orewa on the way out to Puhoi/Warkworth. SO COOL!! We saw it as we were driving back :)
We also had more Sisters (Hobbs and Placedo) come to stay with us (from Whangarei), due to Sisters Lott and Smith coming down for a MLC [Missionary Leadership Council] and Sister Smith leaving, so Sister Lott needing companions to go back up to Whangarei with! Ha. Confusing, I know. But it was exciting to see them all. And that night I helped Sister Gila with all her packing. And it was a blessing. 'cause we got a bit of time to ourselves one last time before she was off :) I'm gonna miss that girl more than anyone knows.
WEDNESDAY. It all began with bringing Sister Gila to the mission office to be wisked away from us back to Vanuatu. We cried. I probably would have cried harder had we not been there with Sister Lemalu and the Garths. Haha.
But bittersweet things. I'm excited for her new adventures back home though, and the grand life she has ahead of her. And for the fact that when she left her home she left a BRANCH behind, and is now going back to a WARD – and a newly organised STAKE! #MissionaryWork #LoveIt
So after that was the first day of Sister Lemalu and I being companions! Not gonna lie – it started off a little rocky. Ha. But just because we didnt' know how to talk to each other yet. Plus we had a struggle of a day with one of our investigators dropping us, and having to drive back and forth from Takapuna, dropping off the other sisters and whatnot. But it was all good.
Volleyball that night was good for us, talking with one of our members who wants us to come help with a YW activity this coming Tuesday. The activity should be good and will all be based on missionary work :) Anyhoo, by the end of the day Sister Lemalu and I were talking and figuring each other out and just laughing and all the things. Many heart-to-hearts this day. All good things.
THURSDAY was Sister Lemalu's first real experience tracting. And it just so happened to be on a street where ...almost no one was home. And the ones that were – didn't speak English. #NewZealand
We had dinner at the Rapata's, along with the elders (because they're in the single's ward, and the Rapata's have a daughter that's in the ward). It was grand fun learning more about our zone leaders via-the questions that were asked of them. Haha.
FRIDAY we had a lovely lesson with Philip, always always. He TOLD us that "he would be baptised TOMORROW if it weren't for one thing." (I've always known this.) #Beer Not even the other alcohols. Just beer. Bah. Satan. It's okay though. He still comes to all the things and one day we'll figure out other things for him.
And our dear Maiema. She's from Tuvalu and a convert of a few years back when she lived in Warkworth, and a lovely one too. She's just recently started coming back to church, as she couldn't because of work for a while. She told us her conversion story. Things we LOVE hearing as missionaries, 'cause it gives us more motivation and drive to keep doing what we're doing! To find those that are waiting, just as she was. Love her to pieces.
SATURDAY....Sister Lemalu was ill. Sad face. Remember how I mentioned (or at least I think I did...?) that she's lactose intolerant? Yup. That caught up with her Saturday. So we got some other things done—she slept some, and we got to know each other better.
Yesterday was a BRILLIANT FAST SUNDAY. Peace. And a Sunday all based on missionary work within our Torbay Ward. We also met a couple of people and visited a few less-actives that caught our interest – because of prayer. Prayer is real, and I KNOW that Heavenly Father leads us to where we need to go THROUGH that beautiful power :) And I love it.
So.... all in all, good things and more good things to come. We're also loving our new flat, nice and warm, because...carpet. Haha.
I hope you all have a beautiful week and soak up some extra sun for me (though - I do still see the sun quite often... it's just deceivingly chilly even with it!)
Much love from Aotearoa,
Ofa atu,
Sister Mckenzie Ann Ottley
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