"I'm Not Crying, It's Just Been Raining On My Face"

Dear Family and Friends,

Had some Trade-Offs with the AP's and the ZL's (Zone Leaders) and with our WML (Ward Mission Leader) this week so we had a ton of lessons and I have been pushing really hard to get our ward involved with any sort of Missionary work.  We're trying to get them to give us referrals and we have 3 appointments next week with families that have invited a non-member to their house for dinner and maybe have us share a short lil' gospel message. Other then that we haven't had much progress with our current investigators but I don't want to try and grow the ward when we can hardly keep the members we already have.

Not much has been going on here in Tokoroa other than that but It's been pretty quiet for the most part. I really like it here and I am not excited to leave but because I don't want to leave I will probably get shifted next transfer. I'll try and write a bit more detailed email next week but we are using some public computers right now so we have to get off real soon. 

Till Next Week,

Elder Cash Flow.

 

"Frodo, Don't Wear the Ring"

Dear Family and Friends,

This has been a pretty good week here down in Tokoroa and we had our interviews with President Rudd. I have been keeping us pretty busy and this last week we managed to make almost all of our goals that we set for the week. I don't really have much to say about how the area is doing because we haven't really made any progress with any of our investigators because they won't come to church or make any real steps towards quitting smoking but I hope that one day they will make those much needed steps. My interview with President went pretty well and he told me that I am doing better then some of the other missionaries in my transfer which is great to be recognized but I worry about the other missionaries as well. I have been starting over the Book of Mormon with the rest of the Hamilton Mission and in the past couple weeks I am already in Jacob which is great for me and have been reading the New Testament along side it as well. I really look forward to whatever else is in store for me here in New Zealand and I hope that everyone else is doing well.

-Elder Mitchell

Attached are some of the "Nature Reserves" around Tokoroa.

"Albi the Racist Dragon"

Dear Family and Friends

Its been a pretty average week here in Tokoroa, I am starting to get used to this whole mission thing now and my sleep schedule is more-or-less on track with what our mission president wants it to be which is good. The biggest thing that has happened this week is we got our Ward Mission Leader back which was so huge!

I had been fasting that we could make contact with him during the week and just see how he was doing. He has been having some WoW problems and whenever we have stopped by his wife just tells us to go away so in my whole time here I have only met him once and he was...... yeah....... We had a meeting with our Bishop on Friday about some people he wanted us to go see and I decided to go see one of our investigators and I felt prompted to walk through this alleyway. On the other side was Lachoneus' (our WML) house and he had just barely pulled into the driveway so we walked up to his place and we found out that he just messed up his knee. He told us that this was the sign that he needs to come back to church and keep himself clean. He came to church on Sunday and met with us and had a good meeting about what we can do to best serve the lord. He seems to be on board and we gave a guy to go see before Friday so he can stay active.

Other than that its been pretty boring. I'll add a couple pictures on my next email because I forgot my cord at home.

See you guys lates!!!

Elder Cash Flow.

"Rambling Through the Avenues of Time"

Hello Everyone!!!

Transfers Week was this week and I got a new companion!!! His Name is Elder Jensen! Since I have been in the area longer I am taking over and driving but I have only been out here for 6 weeks so I don't really have the best knowledge of the area so it has been pretty stressful but I have been trying to pray and ask for blessings so that I will know what the Lord wants me to do and the strength to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I've been reading the New Testament and studying all of the Gospels and their differences. I love my personal study in the morning and I only wish I could have more than 1 hour but we hardly have enough time in the day to do what we need to do but we get along just fine though.

Elder Jensen is a pretty cool guy but he is somewhat socially awkward and so I have been taking over all the lessons which makes it a bit harder on me but I know he is trying his hardest. I have been trying to plan for the following day as much as possible but it seems like 3/4 of the homes we try and visit are not there but we still manage to stay busy though. I have been trying to include my companion on our planning sessions but he just plays with a yo-yo or rubiks cube and I have to keep him focused but he doesn't have much of an interest in planning. 

I have been noticing some of the blessings that are listed in my Patriarchal Blessing on my mission and it seems like the energy I have for the day is only just enough to get me through to bed time. My exercise is been going pretty well and I have been pushing myself as much as possible to keep myself fit to serve the Lord. I am loving it here in New Zealand and the people here are amazing.

I didn't take really any pictures this week since there is really not much to take pictures off here in Tokoroa but I will try and take some this week.

All is well here in New Zealand!!

Elder Mitchell