1 Nephi 1:20

Kia ora whanau!! 

Such a fast week! I tell you what. We had zone training in Gore, we moved flats this week, and we had a Stake Conference in Dunedin! 

Zone training was great. We talked about teaching skills and Faith in Christ. One of the questions we were asked was, "What are you going to do because of your faith in Chirst?" Elder T and I talked quite a lot about that on the way home and we both felt a strengthened desire to give everything we have to the work. 

We taught D and K again this week and tried to set a date with them. They're so ready. They were a little weary about how soon we wanted to baptize them but they said they want to pray about it. They've been praying about it all weekend. We're excited to see where they go. They're so well prepared. 

Because Dunedin is so far away, they try to broadcast stake conference but the broadcast didn't work out so we drove up and spent most of Saturday and Sunday at the meetings and travelling. IT's about 3 1/2 hours from Queenstown to Dunedin. My favorite part of the meeting was being able to see all my friends from Oamaru again. I saw the Smiths, the Kaufanas, the Kautais. It felt like coming home. I love them all so much. It was such a blessing to be able to spend a bit of time with them again. 

I love you all! 

Love,

Elder Benjamin

October 24, 2016

Kia ora whanau!! 

This week went by so fast. It all seems like bit of a blur. I went on an exchange with Elder Richardson in Gore, the country music and brown trout fishing capital of New Zealand, this week. While there, we taught a lesson to a part-member couple.  M is investigating and has a baptismal date but told us that she was worried about what her family was going to think. We taught her about the Atonement and how her Savior had the Spirit withdraw from Him so that he would know how the rest of us would feel when we're forsaken. 

We also taught that opposition allows us to exercise and grow our faith and that God won't let us be temped more than we can withstand. 

We told her that it has to be her choice and we asked her what she wants to do. 

"I think I want to be baptized." 

It blows me away that I was trusted to be a part of her progression. It also surprised me how much love I felt for the both of them. I know Heavenly Father loves his children. 

On Saturday, we were street-contacting and that was neat. We meet people literally from all over the world: Germany, Argentina, Brazil, Nepal, USA. We ran into a lot of members and one family shouted us lunch. Another brought their left-over groceries to church and gave them to us. So basically, the church is really true in Queenstown. 

We were teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ to a member family, and one of their sons said the third part is, "Baptism by emergency for the gift of the Holy Ghost."

I love you all! 

Love,

Elder Benjamin 

October 17, 2016

Kia ora whanau! 

So we had a pretty neat week. I tell you what. 

On Wednesday when we got back from district meeting and were at our chapel for a minute (or maybe it was Thursday..), we felt like we should go and see P. He just moved to the old-folks home on the street the chapel is on because his health is failing. He's not quite 50 so it's sad to see him so sick but I believe that his afflictions have softened him up a bit to the gospel. While we went in to visit him, after talking for a minute he said to us, "I prayed to see if your church was good." We asked how it went and he said he felt like he wanted to run and jump like a little boy because of the joy that came into him. You know where the feeling came from? The Holy Ghost. 

D and K came to church again this week! They told us earlier in the week that they felt like they should put more emphasis on reading and on Sunday, because they had, I could see the difference in them. They had questions, they felt the spirit at church, and they even had some of the answers! Doug had done some reading online about us and had a question about the Word of Wisdom so that's what we taught them during second hour. You wanna know the best part? They were already living it. "Will you keep living the word of wisdom?" So cool. 

We told D to be careful about the anti-mormon stuff on the internet but he said, "Oh yeah I'm not worried about that. I think you can tell about an organization by the enemies it has." 

We had visitors in church from Perth and I thought, "Hey that's where Annie served! Maybe they know her." So I told them that Sister Tanner had served in Perth and they said, "She got married didn't she?" 

"Yeah to Elder Gardner from the same mission!"

Then the mom said, "He was the one that found and taught me." 

It's a small world and Heavenly Father loves his children. 

I love you all! 

Love,

Elder Benjamin 

Queenstown

Kia ora whanau!! 

I tell you what, it's one of the most bitter-sweet weeks I've ever had. Saying goodbye to Oamaru was harder than leaving home. Especially saying goodbye to the Kautais. I was pretty emotional for a few days. I feel good about the work I was able to do there and I know I gave it my all. 

On Wednesday, I spent about 5 hours in the car. Elder T was born in Hamilton, NZ, grew up in Gold Coast, Australia, and played a year of Rugby at BYU before the mission. He's been out for 3 months and I'm his second companion. He's the man. I'm pleased to say that we get along real well. 

Queenstown is the most beautiful place I've ever been. Wow. I feel like I'm on vacation here. 

You know my favorite part about being here? We have a teaching pool! Three of them came to general conference. We have four of them committed to baptism.  Then we have several others. We taught a young

man last night and he stopped us and invited his mom to sit in with us.

I felt really strongly in General Conference that me being sent here is blessing. 

I love you all. I know that President Monson is a prophet of God. 

Love,

Elder Benjamin

Transfers

Kia ora whanau!! 

So this week was a little bit different. It's school holidays and it seems like every single person in Oamaru left. We were trying our hardest to get our talk withs this week and so we would walk up and down the main road for ages and only talk to 7 or 8 people. Just a fairly slow week. Then on top of that, a lot of our members went down to Balcutha for a youth camp. 

The church is still true though, even when we don't have many people to talk to about it. So we're all sweet. 

This week has also been the least contentious of our companionship! So I'm really pleased about that. 

My time in Oamaru has come to a close. I'll be moving to Queenstown (which is wild because it's in the same zone so I'll be driving there) and I'll be serving with Elder T. That's about as much as I know right now but I'll be sure to fill in the gaps once I transfer down there! 

I love you all! 

Love, 

Elder Benjamin