Green & Growing, or Brown & Dying!

"Green & GROWING, or Brown & DYING." Sister Valette in Torbay Ward mentioned this quote yesterday in her Sacrament Meeting talk, speaking about Self-Reliance. So I've had it stuck in my head since then. And I love it. 'Cause.... it kind of reflects the things I've learned over the course of my mission. If we're working toward SOMETHING—studying, learning and GROWING, we're STRONG AND GREEN and happy—facing the sun, and holding strong, regardless of what comes our way. But ....if we let our guard down—if we don't take care of ourselves—get lazy and droopy, we become brown and dying.... It's all about FAITH. ACTION. and keeping a positive attitude about life.

I LOVE learning. Even if you're like me and it seems slow at times, to actually get things STUCK in your head enough to EXPLAIN them to others, it's still all worth it. And it brings spice and new things to life. It's great. Little by little. That's how things go :)

So. Adventures of the week.

Last MONDAY. Zone P-day. We went to Laser Strike again :)  I really quite like Laser tag now. Haha.
Leave it to the Elders to make me like something that I'm still....really bad at.
Haha. It's exciting though. Running around, trying to not get distracted by the lighting fixtures they use in the maze.... #LightingNerd #Forever

But then, part way through our laser strike happiness,
President Balli called! Perfect timing too—right in between games.
Haha. He's great :)
He surprised me with different news than we'd been given earlier in the day from the
assistants — my new companion would be coming to us THAT day around 6pm. Not Tuesday.
So the Sunset Sisters—since they were in a better place to be able to go pick her and another sister up from the mission home—went and got them. We met at their flat in Browns Bay to take my companion. Her name is Sister Tcheou (che-oo). It's a French name. I thought it was pronounced "chew" last week, but that's because no one really knows how to actually pronounce her name. Haha. She's from Tahiti, speaks English and French, and she's been out just over 10 months. Always new adventures with new companions :) We got her settled into the flat, and helped Sister Lemalu finish packing that night.

TUESDAY was pretty full-on busy. District Meeting, good-byes to my Lemalu, and then running around like crazy people with our little trio for the day. Visiting people in Hibiscus—seeing Linda and Rochanna—and running back to Torbay to get Sister Lemalu's things to bring her to the mission home.

And then there were SURPRISES at the mission office and mission home :) First: The CLEMENTS. Elder and Sister Garth are off back to Austrialia, so the Clements will be taking over their job in the office. A shock for them and everyone up north, as they didn't know they'd be taking over until that week! But they're going to be grand, and now I'm closer to them and get to see them! Blessings and exciting things :)

THEN – at the mission home, who else came running, chasing after our car as we went to turn around? My dear SISTER POINTER!! Hahaha.... She's adorable, and I'm glad I got to see her one more time before she was off on her new adventures going home :)

The rest of the day was spent getting to know Sister Tcheou as we made visits around Torbay, had some dinner, and then went to MCM.

WEDNESDAY. Visits, meeting new less-actives that I hadn't met yet, dinner with Bex Maire in Hibiscus, and some Volleyball. And just to initiate her into the group, my poor companion accidentally got a volleyball to the FACE. But she's okay, so we're all good. It was kind of a shock for all though!

THURSDAY. Same bit as Wednesday, going around meeting people I hadn't met before either, as well as some lovely potential investigators—one man named, Chris, who says he's "kind of Atheist at the moment," but he still loves learning about other religions and things. So he took a pamphlet! He's also already read the Book of Mormon before. So there's that. We're excited to go back to visit him. Some of the kindest people I've met on the mission have been Atheist! Seriously.

Dinner at the Rapata's, as always, but with a spin this time. When we got to the house their power had been out for a few hours, so Tina took us out instead. Spoiled. It was a great time with Tina, and a blessing and an informative time for me about my companion, because Tina asked her about her background and everything.

FRIDAY. Weekly Planning. Sickness.
Tuala's, Santana's, and Elli :) Sickness = my body's been doing that thing again where everything I eat makes my stomach upset. So there's that. But we're fine. I'll be fine :)

SATURDAY we found out that Brendon (our musician, rocker investigator)  has apparently flown the coop to Europe! So.... there's down one investigator until October. Ha.  But all is well :) We'll find more!

SUNDAY was my beautiful day in Torbay of learning and peace.

Here's the main thing this week: Learning that even when things change—and you're TERRIFIED of that change—it always works out the way it needs to. It's allllll about having faith in the Lord. Because HE'S the one that really knows what's going on, and what needs to happen. Even though I've gotten significantly more used to change over the last year of my life, I still don't love it — but I've been blessed with the things I've been able to learn and grow in, whether it be because of certain companions, or areas, or people I've come in contact with. Life is crazy. And it goes SO fast.

Anyhoo. I hope you all have a most LOVELY week back home. Life is grand. Build your foundation on Faith in Christ, and all will work out :)

Love you all heaps!

Alofa tele atu!
Sister Mckenzie Ann Ottley