Christmas

Kia ora whanau!! 

So the week went by real quick and it's a bit hard to remember what we actually did. It seems like we spent quite a lot of time preparing the area for the transfer. Elder T is going up to Hawkes Bay to cover a Samoan ward and I will get a new companion.

On Tuesday though, we drove down to Gore for our Zone Conference. It was all about the Savior, which was fitting. We talked about a talk by Elder Oaks called "Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ" and one of the things that struck me is that a large part of faith is trusting the Lord's will and timing for us and being willing to submit to them. In the words of Neal A. Maxwell, "Indeed, when we are unduly impatient with an omniscient God's timing, we really are suggesting that we know what is best." 

This Sunday at church, we had to use literally every chair in  the building and there were still people standing so that was pretty neat! I always love all the visitors coming together to worship with us. 

Love you all! 

Love,

Elder Benjamin 

December 19, 2016

Kia ora whanau!! 

This week was pretty neat. My companion wasn't feeling well so we ended up spending a couple days in the flat. I think I spent 4 or 5 hours this week napping. #WinningTeam 

We also watched heaps of church history DVDs.

We had a branch BBQ and went carolling at an old folks home so that was neat. Made me feel like a Twitchell all over again. 

D was baptized this Sunday. He came down for church and we had the baptism after the service. Elder T baptized him and I was able to confirm him. I'm always humbled by an opportunity to use my priesthood. 

As D was sharing his testimony, he shared a few things that we had said and done to help him and I was overwhelmed with such profound joy. I was able to feel that I'm a successful missionary and that I've helped my brother come unto Christ. 

I love you all. 

Love,

Elder Benjamin 

December 12, 2016

Kia ora whanau! 

Every once in a while, everything in the week will just go right. This was one of those weeks. I kept telling Elder T, "Things have been going so well. Almost too well. I give us about 2 more days before something goes wrong." But we're still being blessed with things going really well! So I'm pretty grateful. 

What has gone well? 

Well, D is ready to be baptized this Sunday! K hasn't been coming to lessons because she's been working so she will be baptized, just not now. In a month or two. President gave us permission to baptize and confirm him on Sunday after church because of the distance and we couldn't be happier with how things are working out. He's so spiritually mature. I'm always impressed at the things he tells us. 

While in town on Friday, my companion stopped to tie his shoe and two girls ran up to us and asked, "Are you the Mormons??" 

"Yeah that's us!"

"Can you tell us about Mormonism?"

"Yeah of course we can! Should we go sit down?"

We then walked to a park bench, sat down, and taught them for about an hour with literally hundreds of people walking past. It was pretty neat. 

Also. We had a mission tour with Elder and Sister Nielson. It was one of those spiritual highlights of the mission where you come out of the 6 hour long meeting ready to turn around and do it all again. I know that Elder Nielson is called of God. I also know anew that God lives and loves us, that Jesus Christ is his son, and that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet of God on the earth today. 

I love you all! 

Love,

Elder Benjamin 

December 5, 2016

Kia ora whanau!! 

Another great week. We found 3 new investigators this week!! Such a blessing. Two of them are from the Philippines. They used to be Catholic but they left because they don't believe it all. The Gore elders found them during district finding and taught them the 4 minute Restoration and gave them a Book of Mormon. We're going back over this Wednesday! 

Another is from Brazil and as we were teaching her the Restoration, she told us that she had been taught about 15 years ago in Brazil and that she had even read some of the Book of Mormon. We committed her to read the Book of Mormon at the end of the lesson and she said, "Yes I would love to. I read some of it in Brazil and I really liked it. I guess I'm pretty easy!" 

On a down note, we had one person tell us he was bored in our lessons and we had another who said, "You have not answered any of my questions" after about 5 lessons with him. That was pretty humbling. 

Brother B received the Aaronic Priesthood yesterday and was ordained a Priest. Elder T ordained him and he did so well. I was and still am so grateful for the pure joy that has come as I've been able to help Brother B on his spiritual journey. 

I love you all! 

Love,

Elder Benjamin