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| This week Elder Rowe and the rest of his district visited a Marae, a Maori funeral home. |
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| Elder Rowe in front of the marae |
Dear Rowe Family,
Hello!
I'm glad to hear so much wonderful and exciting news from Orem-ville. This week has been a good one. I hope I didn't sound too depressed last week. I wasn't, but I am much much happier now than I was last week after a wet and uneventful change from Christchurch. I haven't heard what's the latest from the Mapurangas, but I hope to talk to Elder Prebble soon enough and what good news he may have.
It's super hot here! It's the hottest area in the whole mission, I was told. But I'm wearing sunblock, so no worries. I just need some sort of sweat-reducer.
I like Napier a lot, even though no one seems to care what we have to say. We're still doing a ton of door knocking. This week we have plans to change it up a bit and talk more about family history with all of the elderly people who "have their own religion" and don't care to hear that Jesus Christ's Church has been restored to the earth or that they can be married not just "until death do they part" but for eternity! So we've been trying to practice new ways of getting people interested, because this area has been struggling for awhile with progressing the work.
But all is well. I can legitimately say that I enjoy door knocking. I would, of course, enjoy it a lot more if people were accepting of the good news that we share, but I still enjoy it and am constantly thinking of different things I can say to these people to give them understanding.
We're not just door knocking all day, however. Elder Triantafillakos and I have a few progressing investigators. We have had a lot of joy lately as we've been teaching Matt and Jenny. They are the young parents of seven kids under the age of nine. Yeah! Lots of crazy kids. Every time we visit, we have to talk and play a game with the kids for a while before we can actually start teaching, but we've taught them the Plan of Salvation and they loved it! Of course they did, because it's true. Matt says "it makes so much more sense" than the idea of just Heaven or Hell. Jenny is reading the Book of Mormon and likes it. Besides the fact they'll have to get married before they can get baptized (they actually told us they have been planning on marrying before we even mentioned anything), the other big challenge is getting them to church. Because the kids are so young and not used to holding still and being quiet, Jenny is worried about taking them. But we'll be working on that.
We had a meeting with the ward council on Wednesday. We all have lots of plans to help the ward grow. The ward has been its small size for awhile now and missionary work hasn't been the most successful. So we're working with the ward leaders, who are very willing to do whatever they can. We hope to accomplish all we can to progress the work and get out of this rut that Napier/Omahu has been in for awhile.
We have randomly been given so much free food this week from people. A bag of plums from a lady while we were door knocking. A watermelon from a member in another ward who was selling them on the roadside. Popsicles from a guy buying fruit from one of the road side salespeople. A ton of leftover meats from one of our dinner appointments. And this morning a sister from the ward brought over a bunch of groceries! We are so blessed, and grateful for it. So know that I'm being taken care of.
And now for some answers to Dad's questions:
Q: Wow, you are no longer on the south island!
A: I keep forgetting that fact and that Aukland is actually nearby and not in another country.
Q: Were you sad to leave Christchurch?
A: Yes
Q: Are you okay with the move? Not that you had much choice.
A: Yes
Q: Were you able to say goodbye to the Mapuranga’s?
A: Yes, luckily. I told them that we shall meet again.
Q: What about your bicycle? Did you take it on to the plane?
A: Yes.
Q: Was your flight during the daytime?
Q: Was your flight during the daytime?
A: Yes.
Q: Was it cool?
A: Yeah!
Q: How big was the plane?
A: Quite small.
Q: Did you fly by yourself?
A: Yes. I love being able to see the view from up in the plane, so much green!
Q: How is the new town?
Q: How is the new town?
A: It's great.
Q: It sounds like you have met the ward leaders; did you say that they are all Polynesians?
A: About 80% of the ward is Maori.
Q: Do they speak Maori and English?
A: Few actually speak Maori fluently. Anyone in the world who speaks Maori knows English.
Q: How is your new companion?
A: He's great and we get along well.
Q: We have decided just to call him Elder T. Has he been a member his whole life?
A: Most people, including President Jolliffe, do. Yes.
Q: Are his family members?
A: His mom and step dad are, his biological dad isn't.
Q: Has he always lived in Australia?
A: Yes.
Just remember:
"True happiness comes only by making others happy"---David O. McKay
Keep doing what is right, and praying day and night!
Have a wonderful week!
I love you all so very much!
Love,
Elder David John Rowe
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