"Some people say we are not rappers..."

April 13, 2015

Hey everyone!

 

Was a pretty slow week for us here in Rototuna because of the school holiday but we did have our temple trip and got to see our Prophets and Apostles at General Conference! Since we have the rare opportunity to have a temple in our mission we get to go quite often and the session was very uplifting and we got a feed at the end of it. I really enjoyed the talks given at General Conference and definitely look forward to getting the Ensign next month so I can read them again!

 

We have been pushing really hard to get new people to teach and finding people but it seems like a lot of people just don't want to listen to us here. They are too focused on their money rather then religion.

 

We recently caught 2 praying mantis to put into our flat to catch all the flies but we didn't realize that one of them was a boy and the other a girl so we now have 1 nourished female mantis and 1 egg sack. We had no idea we were starting a mantis "dating service".

 

I need to find my cord for my camera so I can send pictures because I got a few cool ones this week.

 

Elder Mitchell

 

"Stay Cool Bret"

Pretty good week here in Rototuna and I have been getting pretty good biking workouts as we regularly bike 20k a day so I have been staying in shape. The area is pretty rich so we get fed very often which is good but I might gain weight if I am not careful. We haven't gotten General Conference yet here but I am definitely looking forward to it this week.

Easter has just passed here in NZ and I am so thankful for the sacrifice by our Lord and Savior and that through him we may all have eternal life. As a missionary I get to bless the lives of others by bringing the gospel to them but it is only through Christ that the blessings come.

I don't really have much to say but that'll have to do until next week.

Elder Mitchell

This is his response to my letter to him.  I thought I would share it as well:

We still haven't gotten to see conference yet and I am looking forward to it but we get it a week after you guys. During this last week I studied the gospels with an emphasis on the atonement and found some very interesting stuff such as why he was able to atone for our sins. I often remember the 3 little aliens from Toy Story when they say " You saved our lives, We are eternally grateful" and how we can never pay back the debt that he paid for us but by giving our lives to him and devoting our hearts, might, mind, and strength to him we can show him our gratitude for that great and last sacrifice.

I love you guys and I hope that you know that and I think of you everyday but I know that this is where I am supposed to be. 

Elder Mitchell

  

"David Bowie Told Me To Do It"

We found out our transfer news this week on Tuesday and I got transferred out of Tokoroa despite my wishes. I am now in the Hamilton Stake serving in the Rototuna Ward and my new Companion is Elder Otto from Vanuatu. He is so funny and his English is pretty good for the most part. I was sad to leave my first area as the people there have grown on me but I know that eventually it had to happen. I know that I left the area in good hands so hopefully they don't screw that up too bad ;). 

Rototuna is a pretty different area compared to my last area as there is quite a bit of money here but I am biking now which will be good for me as I get a mean workout everyday now! Elder Lukens who was my trainer in Tokoroa until he got transferred is now my Zone Leader. There are quite a few Elders serving close to me right now so we see them at meetings and around town which is quite different from my last area where we never saw anyone ever except for Zone and District meetings.

I look forward to the rest of this week and I will write more letters when we get back from shopping.

Love you guys!

Elder Mitchell.

Here are some pictures that his ward families posted before he was transferred.

This is the Brown Family

 Chuk hiding in the corn field.

Elder Jensen and Elder Mitchell.

 

 

"Li'l Wayne is not very good"

This week is transfers week so chances are that one of us will be getting transfered because Elder Jensen and I have been together for 3 months and I have been in Tokoroa for 4 1/2 months so I will probably be the one to leave but everyone wants me to stay cuz they think Elder Jensen is just awkward but I will have to leave here eventually. I have been trying to prepare the area for a double shift because thats always a possibility but chances are that he will probably stay another transfer or two. Its starting to get cold here in New Zealand as we are going into winter but its not as cold as Utah though haha! I probably could use another jacket but I'll have to look into that sometime next week to make sure I get a good enough one that can last me to the end of my mission.

We have been cutting a lot of firewood this week and I learned how to use a hydroulic wood splitter so that made it go by way quicker. It also rains here quite often so I use my rain jacket like everyday lately. Tara went to a Flight of the Conchords concert last week and she called me up at like 10 o'clock at night and guess who I got to talk to. Bret Mckenzie. Yeah, for reals. I just told him who I was and he told me that the US doesn't suck and that was about it haha!!! 

I'm gonna miss the people here in Tokoroa, but wherever the Lord wants me to go is where I am supposed to be.

That's about it for this week and I will tell you all's whether I stay or go next week but I should find out either today or tomorrow.

Elder Mitchell

"You know what it means when I'm down to just my socks..."

Pretty slow week... after our Zone conference on Monday and our P-day on tuesday this week I got sick. I got feeling better on Wednesday and I went to get my license but later that night I woke up with a fright and ran to the bathroom to expel all of the food inside of me. Elder Jensen woke up feeling pretty crummy too so we stayed inside that day. We didn't get to go out proselyting until Friday afternoon when we were finally feeling better but we had a couple really good lessons. We have transfers coming up next week and I don't think either of us are getting transfered which is alright I guess. I don't really have much to write of this week but I should be getting my New Zealand License pretty soon!

Love you all and hope everything is going great back home!!

Elder Mitchell

Affirmative. I poked one, it was dead.

We had a pretty good week here in Tokoroa and we had our mission conference yesterday so thats why we didn't email then but other then that a pretty slow week for missionary work. We got to go to Tauranga for a conference with Elder Neilson of the Seventy and he gave a mean (New Zealand for really cool) training on how to connect with our investigators. We have transfers on the 26th of March so its getting close and I just keep feeling like I am going to get transfered but I'm really alright with anything anyway. Elder Jensen and I are starting to get along pretty well but at first he really bugged me because of just how slow he was but now I have just learned to keep encouraging him to get better.

I'll write more next week and add some pictures but that'll have to be all for today!

Elder Mitchell

"The Most Beautiful Girl, in the Room"

We saw Elder David A. Bednar this week and let me just say that it was probably one of the coolest things that has ever happened to me. He didn't prepare a talk but he just opened it up to question and answer and we could ask a 'Special Witness of Christ' anything we wanted and man was that cool. I wrote about 3 pages in my journal about it and all the things that the Spirit spoke to me not by words that were spoken but by things that I felt in my heart. He said some really funny things and there were a couple of times that he was cracking up laughing. We didn't get to shake his hand but I think I am fine with the words that he spoke.

Other then that the week went pretty well and my companion and I are starting to get along better which is good. I have been pondering pretty hard some of the things he talked about and have started to reread the Book of Mormon since I just finished my study of the New Testament. I just finished 2 Nephi Chapter 25 and I think all of the Isaiah chapters went completely over my head so I may have to reread them. 

The Newspaper I added below is one we had dropped by our flat and it just goes to show how slow this town is that Chickens (Chooks) are so important that when they are a problem (only like 20) that you must get rid of them (Boot)

I love Tokoroa....

Elder Mitchell!!!!

P.S. on December 21st 2015 Tara (my recent convert) is submitting her mission 

Me and Elder Lingwall

Slow news day in Tokaroa