Sunday, June 21, 2015

"Do the doggy bounce"

This week was awesome! I got transfer news on Wednesday and I am in Raglan right now!!!!!!!

After saying goodbye to everyone in Rototuna I packed up my stuff and headed to the beach for some surfing ;) I have been loving it here and have been getting to know the area for the past couple of days but it has been pretty nice here! Raglan is situated on the West Coast of New Zealand and has one of the best surf sports in the world in my backyard!! There is only a branch here and the people here are interesting! I'll take some pictures today when we go out site seeing but it is so beautiful and there is so much to do here :)

We have been teaching a couple of people here in Raglan but since there is not many people here during the winter time, we have been trying to visit the less-actives in the area to try and encourage them although one of the favorite things to say here in New Zealand is "can't be bothered". We have a couple of people getting ready for baptism here but other then that the work seems to be pretty slow but maybe I just need to get used to the area. We have done a lot of service for the people here in the past couple of days and they are so grateful for what we have done even though it was usually just helping them move firewood or jump-starting their car and have gotten a couple to let us come back and share a message! 

My new companion is Elder Gutierrez from the Philippines and he is the coolest guy! It seems like all of my non-American companions know heaps of languages and Elder Gutierrez is no exception! He speaks Tagalog and English (both fluent) and 3 of his native languages (somewhat fluently) which is cool because when he meets other people from the Philippines he is able to say somethings to them! Elder G knows the area quite well but he has been in the area for 3 transfers so he will probably be leaving this next transfer unless President decides to keep him here longer. He plays piano for the branch on Sunday, which he just started since he got here and has gotten pretty good. 

I was kind of mad to be leaving my last area especially since I was only there for 3 months but I know that the Lord needs me somewhere else. I became friends with a bunch of the members and I feel like I had just started to get integrated into the ward when I got shifted. We were teaching a guy named Brodie Retallick and I just thought he was a really big fella but when I was over at one of our members houses I mentioned his name and he said " the All-Black?" I said I wasn't sure but he did have some All-Black stuff in his (massive) house. Turns out it was him. When I got here to Raglan, one of the members had a poster of him on their wall and I told him that I taught him a few of the lessons which he thought was the coolest thing! 

I finished Jesus the Christ last week and it has hit a resounding chord within me that I need to really take upon myself the name of Christ and to remember his sacrifice and all of the wonderful things he has done for us! I know that this church is true and that we are truly engaged in a "Great and Marvelous Work!" I am so excited to be able to serve the people here in Raglan and be able to invite them to receive the restored Gospel! 

I'm going to take some pictures of Raglan today while we go site seeing but I don't have my camera with me right now so that will have to wait till next week.

Love you guys !!!


Elder Mitchell 

1 comment:

  1. You aren't really allowed to surf are you?! Sounds like a really neat place. What is "All-Black?" Thanks for your letters Elder and the fine example you are setting!

    Much Love,
    Sister Cabarcas

    ReplyDelete