Last weeks post: "But you'll probably have to keep your normal job"

Chur my cuzzies!!!

Pretty good week here in the NZHM. I probably won't write a whole lot because I am pretty knackered. We have been working really hard over the past couple of days to try and get the members excited about missionary work but other than that, not a whole lot has changed with our investigators since last week (or the last couple weeks for that matter). There are several challenges that plague this area, the first being that the large geographic boundaries make it very difficult to keep investigators progressing because we only see them once or (if we are lucky) twice a week. The other problem is the lack of commitment from the previous missionaries who would never try and teach investigators or less-actives but would just play games or watch TV with them which just ruins their expectations of missionary work. Even though these challenges exist, Elder Kailea and I try and work past them. 

Other than that we had a trip to Hamilton this week for President Rudd's Farewell which was awesome. Also I got bit by a dog but I was pretty lucky because the dog was really quite small.

Haere ra!

Elder Mitchell

Attached are pictures with President and Sister Rudd and the Dog bite mark

"You just stay home and play synthesizers"

Its a winter wonderland here in New Zealand.

My companion got sick on Tuesday so we spent most of the week home because he was coughing up a lung most of the day. We managed to get out for a few minutes throughout the week but he spent most of the week in bed. The weather here has gone bad over the past couple of weeks, we planned on going hiking with some the YSA and the Coromandel Sisters but because it has been raining all day we doubt that would be a good idea. There is not much to do here on P-day as a missionary which kinda sucks, but the rest of the week is usually pretty mean. 

We finally got to do some work yesterday after church and while we were out working we met this guy named Shane. He lives in a boat on the Thames Harbour and after our BML invited him back to his place to have a chat, we found out that he is basically homeless (but not boatless) and that he basically begs for a living. Missionaries have been visiting with him for a while all around the country, but he doesn't want to join the church because he doesn't want to pay tithing because of his low income. Its kind of a sad story as He is only a year older then I am.

Didn't get to take any pictures this week, sorry everyone!

Elder Mitchell

"For your information, there's an inflammation in my tear gland"

Been an interesting week here in the Paeroa Branch.

We recently started creating a new Branch Mission Plan and since our BML and our Branch Missionaries do not know how to use Microsoft Word I was given the 'privilege' of typing it up. It has been really good to be able to work with our Branch like how we have been for the past couple of weeks and this plan will help us and future missionaries stay focused on the goals of this area. We set as a goal to become a Ward by December 2017. The Paeroa Branch is quite big so I think that we can achieve it but it will take the support of the members.

We had Zone Meeting this week and since President Rudd is going home at the end of the month we had a few really cool announcements. First we have an additional set of rules (The Protocols) for our mission and recently Pres. Rudd got rid of them which means that I can wear shorts and flip-flops again but I don't want to because it is too cold here now. We also received additional instruction regarding the new mission president which was interesting.

Also my scheduled release date is November 1st so that means 141 days from today I will be home so make sure to plan any parties accordingly eh?

Elder Mitchell

#PaeroaWARD2017

1st- There is a hill in our area that overlooks 3 cities. They are Pauanui, Tairua, and Paku (where the hill is located)

2nd- Zone Photo #GoingHAMZone

3rd- Beach art with my companion and I

Plot Twist

Scene: Tuesday Morning in Waihi (2 days till transfers)

Telephone rings...

Elder Van Thiel (VTB):"I have transfer news for you guys!"

Elder Finau and I(Us):"Awesome! Lets here it!"

VTB:" Elder Mitchell you will be staying in Paeroa!"

Us: "So Elder Finau and I will be together another transfer???"

VTB: "No Elder Finau will be leaving to the Tongan Program in Papakura"

Us: "Nah, but for real though he is staying here right?"

VTB: " Yeah, nah Elder Finau will be leaving, Elder Mitchell's new companion will be Elder Kailea"

Us: ~silence~

So I will be staying another transfer here in Paeroa but Elder Finau is moving on to another area. I wanted to stay here in Paeroa but I wanted to kill Elder Finau off (he finishes this transfer). I guess the Lord had other plans for us! Elder Finau was pretty mad because he was only here one transfer and didn't get to say goodbye to hardly anyone before we had to take off on Thursday morning. 

Elder Kailea is from Tonga and has been out on his mission for 22 months so he will finish here in Paeroa. He is my 3rd Tongan companion in a row in this area which is alright cuz I am already used to the FOB (fresh off the boat) things that they tend to do.

We have been killing it here for the past couple of days as we have just finished updating our ward list (a project that I started when I first got into the area) and we have begun a draft for a new Branch Mission Plan. There are a lot of good things happening in our area and I am so excited to see what this next transfer has to bring!

Elder Mitchell

flip.... I forgot to bring my cord for my camera again sorry everyone!!!  

Transfer week!

Kia Ora everyone!!

There have been times in the last 18 months where I have wanted to be transferred from an area just to keep things fresh. Now in my last little while here in the NZHM, I don't want to leave this area any time soon. While I have not gotten transfer news yet, in my weekly letter to President Rudd, he hinted that I will probably be staying (Fingers crossed). That said, I will go happily if I am called to another area. 

Other then a few door slams we had a pretty amazing week! We got a new Branch Mission Leader, Brother Whitehead (He used to be 1st Counselor in the Branch Presidency) who is the man!. We now have a new 1st Counselor in the BP, Brother Napia and a new Elders Quorum President, Brother Sands! We had a meeting with all of the Branch Leaders and discussed changes that will be made under the new leadership. We are all definitely looking forward to these new callings as our new BML has hit the ground sprinting with his new calling!

We did a lot of service this week preparing the members and non-members for the upcoming winter season with firewood (yes, it does get kinda cold here. Also no-one has central heating so they all use fireplaces LOL). I have had to brush up on my High School Spanish because one of our LA ladies here in Paeroa is Chilean and she doesn't speak much english so I have to 'translate' for Elder Finau when we go over there to do service, She also makes the meanest hispanic food so that is payment enough :).

Also our Mission President finishes on the 1st of July so if you ever see Charles Rudd around, give him some love! He deserves a break from us hahahaha :) 

Arohanui, Elder Mitchell 

Another Week in Paradise

Kia Ora everyone!

This was actually a fairly good week! Aside from all of the driving we have done we managed to see all of the people that we had planned to see during weekly planning. Monday was spent mostly just exercising and playing touch with the Youth here in Paeroa. Tuesday was my DL calls since we no longer have District Meetings because the sisters live 3 hours away so I just call them and give them a spiritual thought to lift their spirits. Wednesday was our Kerepehi and Ngatea day so we ended up in service clothes splitting wood at around 3 and spent the rest of the day delivering it to members and non-members in the area. 

Thursday we had to drive to Hamilton for Elder Finau's tooth so that took basically all day and at the end they forgot to take out one of the wires that they put in so we had go back again on Friday which took most of Friday as well. Saturday our Branch activity got cancelled so we were pretty disappointed with that but we were able to visit Whangamata (Paradise) which was mean because it was a beautiful day. Sunday was spent in meetings with the Branch Presidency, With our recent converts, and helping out our Second Counselor with his computer because he doesn't know how to use a mac. Lol. 

Anyway that was my week!

Arohanui!

Elder Mitchell 

May 15-Mother's Day Skype

Sorry didn't get much time to email today....

After my last Mother's day skype that may or may not have made me trunky. We went out and got to work, at least that's what we wanted to do. We worked fairly hard through Tuesday and Wednesday and were able to see all of the people that we needed to see but our success was short-lived.

On Thursday I woke up with a sore eye so I had my companion drive us to Hamilton for his dentist appointment (Root canal, fun right?). I ended up having to drive home but basically with only one eye. The next morning my eye was killing me so I went and waited at the doctors office for 3 hours (the joys of socialized medicine) before they would help me. They told me it was Bacterial Conjunctivitis and gave me an ointment to put on my eye for a couple of days. My eye has gotten much better but it has made my right eye really sensitive to light so I have been getting mean headaches for the past couple days. 

Sunday was pretty good but one of the Tongan Families invited us over for dinner and when we got there they would not let us leave because they boxed our car in with all of their cars. So we walked to a house down the street and taught a lesson before calling it a night. 

And that's my week!!! 

Elder Mitchell

Sorry no pics of my eye, it was really red and looked pretty painful.