"Makikenehi" (Mauk - ee - ken - eh - he)

Yay for Mauri! This phrase I have decided to coin as my official "Mauri Motto" for the mission. I believe I've already taught "Kia Kaha" which is "Be Strong" - but I've now added "Harikoa" (Har-dee-quoa) which is the equivalent of "Happy/Cheerful/Excited." So: "Be Strong and Be Excited!" ("e" is "and").

I can't believe that another week has FLOWN BY. I don't know what it's like back home, but minutes and days seem to go shooting past here. But life is grand, the work is BRILLIANT, and I have the best trainer/"mom" in the world.

Like I said, the work is brilliant - even when it's a bit slow. This week brought up a few moments of feeling like we weren't quite filling our time as effectively as we could have. This is due to the fact that there have been a lot of people not home, because it's currently Holiday from school.  So - people have gone down to Auckland, or just on day trips, which makes it difficult to find people to teach!  Including the ones that we teach normally - meaning set appointments fell through a lot this week. But it's "all goods." (As the New Zealanders/my dear Sister O'Reilly say).  We know the work will move on, and we continue to learn as we go about this work together.

One really happy moment this week is that we were able to find a new potential investigator! Sister O'Reilly and I were moving along our way, looking for a couple that had been written down on a list a couple months ago.  However, when we got to the address they had moved... :(  But the good thing is that it led us to Tenisia - as well as her rather drunk sister and cousin... (ha).

Tenisia is a young expectant mother, who just so happens to have gone on maternity leave from work. As we talked with her, Donella her cousin, and Rae her sister, we ended up teaching the Plan of Salvation - which they all seemed pretty keen to. Well- Donella and Tenisia. Rae was a little more difficult.  But the cool thing about it was how many questions they asked. Regardless of their beer-drinking and smoking (none for the pregnant mom, no worries) there was a Spirit there that touched them and got them thinking. We're definitely excited to go back this week to find and teach more - because life is beautiful and we want them to know of this life we live!

Now Daniel. He's great. And also struggling. It's been interesting to be a part of teaching him and watching him as we teach. Yesterday we stopped by his house to teach him after church (because we weren't able to find him a ride to sacrament meeting, and we're not allowed to pick him up...) :(  Which is mostly sad because of the fact that he always tells us he was up and ready to go - but no one showed up. Argh. It's frustrating. Anyhoo.  We got to teach him the *drum roll please* grand Law of Chastity yesterday. Ha! See, here's the funny thing about it. At the end of our last lesson, we introduced chastity a bit - to which he said, "Well, it's a little late for that one, isn't it?"  Because- he has a 5-year-old son. Haha.  We had a good laugh over that one, but we explained that it's the reason we have repentance. So - actually teaching it yesterday was a new experience for both Sister O'Reilly and me together. But we think it went over okay. At first he straight out said to us, "I don't know if I can do this one. I thought it was just going to be giving up drinking and smoking and things."  But- by the end of the lesson, after explaining the blessings that come from living this way, we asked him again if he could live the law of chastity. And he paused, and said, "Yeah. Yeah I think I could." Ahhh!! So - he's still with us. He WANTS blessings, and he WANTS to be a better person. We're excited to keep teaching him, and he's constantly excited to learn.

I've learned a few things about New Zealand. Mainly, that "stain sticks" - like, for laundry - don't exist. Or I'm just really bad at finding them. But Sister O'Reilly also had no idea what I was talking about when I said that - so maybe it really is just an America thing!

I also don't know that I'll be able to actually see Liz when she comes... :/ For a few reasons. 1) Mission President/rules. She really will have to talk to him about it. 2) I'm in the SUPER far north, and I don't know that she'll want to come this far from Auckland... I donno. I guess we'll just have to see! But life is good with whatever may come or happen. :)

One of the things I love about this mission is the closeness of the small branches that are here. There's quite a few of the sisters in our wards that we refer to as "Aunty" - and it just makes me so happy. :)

One of the Aunties I met this week is Aunty Apiata. She's one that's seen the difference between having and not having the gospel in her life, and it's truly just a testimony to me of the truth we are able to live in. One of the things she said to Sister O'Reilly and me this week that really stuck was, "You don't really know what it's like to be a member, until you've been to the temple." - Which, now that I hear it again, can sound a little harsh. But it's not meant in that way.  Her saying that just made me really think, and made me realize how perfect that moment of going through the temple was. It brought such peace and assurance into my life — that we truly are here for a purpose, and that purpose is to live a life that Christ would want us to live. I don't know. It just kind of opened my eyes a bit I suppose.

So - the other thing about Aunty Apiata, is that she's Mauri. And she GAVE ME A MAURI NAME. "Mckenzie" in Mauri translates to "Makikenehi" (Mauk - ee - ken - eh - he). OH, I LOVE IT. Thus: An answer to one of your questions.  Haha. The little pieces I've picked up of Mauri so far are from members, as well as Sister O'Reilly and this little Mauri book we have. We occasionally have "Mauri Minute" at night, teaching ourselves new words and phrases. It's pretty great.

Sister O'Reilly and I are working with Aunty Gloria in the Matauri Bay Branch - she's the YW leader, and struggles because the girls don't want to come to anything, and there's drama between all of them and all this stuff. Soo - we're setting up an activity. A spa day, and hopefully it all goes well and we can get the girls loving each other again!  We're excited for it.

And in answer to your questions... Yes, we put ties on my luggage! Haha. That day/night/day leaving was definitely a blur. No - to multiple missionary companions in our areas :) It's all US! We switch off weeks as to which branch we go to - Paihia is about 40 people, Matauri Bay is about 20 people.  Very small and very different from what we're used to back home! But it's great.  And with investigators, we just have to have faith that they go — ha. And we try to set up rides, as well as fellowshippers to help the investigators out when they get to church.

Oh - one more thing I remembered about this week. The Tua family. They are wonderful. Brother and Sister Tua are an older couple who have taken in a lot of their grandchildren after two of their daughters passed away in an accident.  I'm not sure what the accident was - but they are possibly the most loving family I've met, and have the most adorable grandchildren ever. (1 girl, 5 boys). The Tuas fed us dinner this last Wednesday, and we were oh, so grateful.  Brother Tua also taught me a little Mauri! And this — this is how I'm realizing I can get to the people.  Learning and retaining more of the culture and language.  Brother Tua by the end of the night, with my use of the the phrase "Kia Ora" (which, by the way - can be used for almost anything — hello, thank you, I agree, etc.) was saying, "Ooh! I like this one!" Hahaha.  I'm excited to get to know more :)

And I've acclamated to the temperatures here... haha. Which means I'll probably be really wussy when I come home to the snow... But just a funny thing from yesterday when leaving the flat - The ground was covered with frost and Sister O'Reilly got really excited and started taking pictures of the ground! Haha... Things I apparently take for granted! ;)

Also, we got to give talks and teach Sunday School in the Matauri Branch yesterday! So lucky of us!

MY WEEKLY QUOTES...
"God does notice us, and He watches over us. But it is usually through another person that He meets our needs." —Spencer W. Kimball

"I promise that because of your faithful response to the call to spread the gospel, He will bind up your broken hearts, dry your tears, and set you and your families free. That is my missionary promise to you and your missionary message to the world." —Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

Life is good. God is good. And Christ is our forever and always happy Redeemer :)

Life is wonderful. Keep up the happy moments at home, and know that I'm thinking and praying for you all daily!

I LOVE you all! The gospel is true, I'm excited each and every day for it and I'm ready to teach more people (hopefully they'll be getting back from the holiday soon!)

MUCH LOVE! MISS YOU ALL! (My Whanau!)
Sister Makikenehi Ottley ;)

PICTURES:

Check out her new pictures on the Gallery page at the top of the blog! 

KIA ORA FROM KIAKOHE!!

WHANAU!! (Fa-nu) Aka: FAMILY! — The first "a" actually has the flat line accent over it, however, I don't know how to do that on these computers.... So, that's what you get!

I'm trying something new this week. Telling you about things, and THEN I'll read the rest of your emails. I think it'll be easier.

I'M OUT IN THE MISSION FIELD!
I've been assigned to the Kiakohe zone, which is the FARTHEST NORTH sister missionaries are allowed to go!!!! It was about a 4-hour drive from Auckland - but also possibly the most BEAUTIFUL drive I have ever been on! – Sister missionaries aren't allowed to go out to the Cook Islanda or places like that, for safety and what not... which is a little sad, but I also understand because - well, President doesn't want us all alone and secluded on an island or whatever. ;) Haha.

Wednesday began with being picked up from the MTC by the AP Elders and President and Sister Balli (our mission president/wife) and they are WONDERFUL.  Definitely a cute little mum and pop for while we're out here in New Zealand. This past week also was the aniversary of their first year completed out here in the mission field! So exciting for them! After we were picked up, they brought us around to do a little sight seeing. Our first stop was ONE TREE HILL. LOOK UP PICTURES (memorable volcanic mountain peak). Oh, the beauty! And SHEEP!! Up until now we've only seen cows. But we have finally found the cute little sheep, who have all just been shaved! (Another reason why winter here is VERY different from back home). We were then brought to the mission office for some orientation, thinking "ooh- maybe we'll be getting our new companions!" Nope. Not true. We had to wait a WHOLE day. Haha. But it's okay.  It gave Sister Lott, Christensen, Nakibae and me another night in a motel to say our goodbyes.

Thursday morning was the transfer meeting. My new companion and TRAINER? SISTER O'REILLY! Oh, she's adorable. She's 19, from Brisbane, Australia, and is READY for it! And the crazy thing? She's only been out here for six weeks! Yup. She's a smart one. And I love her already.

Within our zone, Kiakohe, (Kee - a - kway), we cover two different areas. Matauri Bay (Ma - toad - ee Bay) and Paihia (Pie - he - a) And "r" is kinda rolled... IT'S BEAUTIFUL. And all the people are just amazing. We switch off days as to where we go - starting in Matauri on Friday. The people are so kind and loving and happy. We only have a few investigators right now, but the ones I met seem to be positive and excited for the teachings of the gospel. Paihia is a little more sparse in the area of investigators, but still wonderful. We went tracting yesterday after church, which was kind of a struggle because people are very set in their own religions, and some seemed a bit offended that we would "try and change it"... nope. Not our purpose. But we still offer service :) Also: Atheists. They seem to be abundant here.

...And the time on my computer is going to run out. I'll try and get more time and continue on!

The gospel is true. I'm loving and getting more excited by the work each day, and I'm so very grateful for the strength that I feel here in the members of the Church. ...

[More computer time] ... We're in a DRIVING area [no bikes], because Kerikeri (the Bay area where our flat is) is about half an hour away from the two areas... so driving it is! And it's also not bad because it's about the same distance I was driving back home everyday, going to and from BYU to work... Haha. :)

[No worries about the crazy driving you may have heard about.] Luckily I'm not the one driving - or it WOULD be. But Sister O'Reilly is great. It's definitely different driving on the "wrong" side of the road - but something I know I'll get used to.

Also: Sadly, I have no way to get pictures to you once again.. :(
As, the Library computers were packed and the church computer doesn't have an SD card slot - and I didn't bring my camera cord [with me today]..... Next week though (ALL the pictures)!

The area I live in is quite a nice little area! It's just a struggle to find a place for Internet. We get two hours, but the library is packed (because of children being on holiday from school at the moment). Oh- and we get kicked off the computers at the library every half hour.  So maybe longer stories should be snail-mail. However, I also only get mail every two weeks—and that's if it has come in. Because our ZL's have to go get it from the mission office and they only go every other week.

ALSO: RLS = Restless Leg Syndrome
hahaha. It was just difficult in the MTC sitting. ALL THE TIME. ;) Love you all.  And all your crazy ideas of what that stood for!

OH! And one more thing. The first person I met upon coming here to Kiakohe. [We call her] Aunty Lydia. She's a part of the Piahia Ward, and the most adorable woman you'll ever meet. She ended her testimony yesterday in church with, "Feed the missionaries! They're TOO SKINNY!" Haha... Love her so much!

Another member I've met is Katrina: She makes the BEST Hot Cocoa ever - with cream and all! She joined the Church almost four years ago and has a lovely spirit - which definitely helped Sister O'Reilly and me on Saturday night after a long day of everyone being gone, dropped appointments, or just straight up no one wanting to listen.  She's wonderful, and so kind and loving.

We're also teaching a man named Daniel in Matauri Bay who's set for baptism on the 18th of this month—hopefully it works out!  He's a super major smoker, but we were able to teach the Word of Wisdom to him my first day and he seemed to take it well enough. Hopefully we'll get to go see him tonight!

We've also met with some lovely ladies who strengthen me each day with how much they know and understand.

Also. Artists: "Mark Mabry" — he's a BEAUTIFUL photographer. He does creations of Christ's life. My favorite of the ones i've seen is Christ being baptized.... SO MUCH LOVE! And the artist, "MJ Deas" —also gorgeous! :)

Anyhoo. That's really all I have time for —but I love you all, and I hope all is well back home!!

Life is beautiful. The gospel is true! I have felt it here on this mission more than I have ever felt it in my life. But I have also ALWAYS known it to be true. It's kind of an amazing thing, isn't it? That we have a Father in Heaven who looks down on us each day, rooting for us to do His will. I know He has a BEAUTIFUL plan for each of us—all resulting in being able to live with Him and Jesus Christ again.  We can all do this! We can endure to the end! I know Joseph Smith was called on at that specific time to bring the Gospel back to this Earth for a reason. And the realization of that perfect timing has made me see how perfect this time has been for me to come on a mission now, rather than when I could have originally, two years ago. The Lord has a plan for each of us. His plan is perfect. We have to put our faith in that!

Kia Kaha! (Be Strong) (Key - uh- ka-ha)
Aroha, (Love) (Uh-ro-ha - "r" rolled)

I LOVE YOU!!!

Sister Mckenzie Ottley :)