April 15/16, 2012

Elder Rowe and his new companion

Elder Rowe and his former companion

Malo soifua!

It's been an interesting week with transfers and all, but all is settled now. I sent off Elder Segi down to Wellington on Thursday, and Elder Niutua came up from Christchurch. In fact, he was serving in my beloved Riccarton Ward and often visited the Mapurangas. I say this with modesty, and I've heard it from a few missionaries who've served in Christchurch, but Violah is still talking about me. I heard that Elder Segi and I are her favorite missionaries. (If you remember, he was the one who replaced me and then baptized Kaibos and Rudo. So Elder Segi and I sent a picture of the two of us to them with some words on the back. And our autographs. But yeah I would love to see them again.

Elder Niutua (new-too-uh) is a Samoan from Auckland. So he's The Man, as we say, and it's going to be an amazing transfer. I guess it didn't start off very amazing though. And I tell you this not so you think I'm struggling or unhappy, but because I learned a great lesson just in these past couple of days. Thursday and Friday were pretty rough days, without the level of success I was expecting. We had a lot of lessons lined up for those two days, but everything seemed to keep falling through. We were able to have two really powerful lessons on both Thursday and Friday night. Both of which strengthened my testimony of one, the Book of Mormon, and two of the power of the Atonement. But what I'm trying to say with all of this is... that after all of the bad comes something great. After the trials come the miracles and the blessings. (If you can call a slow day a trial). And then Saturday came! It was what we call "Chockers" or "chock-a-block" with busyness, our schedule was so full on Saturday with some really great lessons, and it all made up for thursday and Friday. I came to another conclusion, that for us to truly appreciate the good things in life, we must experience the bad things.

On Saturday, one of our lessons was with a university student named Taylor who is friends with some members. She has come to church a few times, including the last two General Conference broadcasts. We were finally able to have a real lesson with her, to ask and answer questions, and to see where's she at in preparedness... She's golden! She loves everything about the gospel and is totally ready to be baptized, once we teach her of coures. So we're excited!

Also, in other exciting news, there was a baptism yesterday. I wouldn't say "we had a baptism" but we were a part of it. A 9 year girl from a less-active family was baptized yesterday by her father. We've been visiting with them for a while to help the rest of the family join the dad at church, and to help Ngawai finally get baptized. It went wonderfully, and it was so great to see the joy in her family's eyes.

That's exciting about all the changes in the Sharon 4h Ward, I think I'll be very confused when I get home. Especially when I see who's on the stand, and seeing Dad teaching sunday school. Who's elder's quorum pres?

Well I gotta go!

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