This week was the best week yet. We saw heaps of miracles happen in our area. (:
Miracle #1: This is our longest miracle, it took a whole day to unfold, but once we recognized that it was a miracle, we got super grateful for everything that had happened throughout the day. Sister Holmes and I had planned to go to an area of ours that was further away and so we were going to ride our bikes. I don't remember if I told you about our garage mishap a couple of weeks again, but guess what? Happened again. Sister Holmes pressed the button and it only opened half way. So, we tried for like 15 minutes to fix it, but we just couldn't, so we texted our district leader Elder Wright, and so he and his companion rode their bikes out to our flat to help us. It took them like 15 minutes to get there and another 15 to fix it. Turns out the area we were planning to go to wasn't even our area, so we rode a little bit differently and knocked some doors, then we had an appointment at 4:00 so we rode back to our flat at 3:20 ish and we got there and she pressed the button and...nek minit...garage is broken again. It wouldn't even open at all. So, we just figure we'll go through the house door...ah, jokes, we didn't unlock the bolt at the top this morning because we just went through the garage. And there isn't a way to unlock it from the outside. So, there was literally no way that we could get into our flat. So, we had to call up Elder Wright and Elder Oliva again, and they had to ride hard out to get to our flat. It was probably 25 degrees C, so like 97 degrees F. So, like super hot. And Humid, but anyway, we spend 1/2 an hour breaking into our flat and when we finally got in we were like 15 minutes late for our appointment. So, Sister Holmes and I hustle our way over to his house and it turns out he wasn't even home! So, we started thinking of ideas that we could do instead, when...nek minit...he pulls up in his car! So, if all of the events that had been happening through the day hadn't of happened, we wouldn't have seen Rima and we had a really awesome lesson on the Book of Mormon with him. HEAVENLY FATHER ROCKS.
Miracle #2: We had a dinner appointment scheduled for Tuesday and they called the night before and said they'd just drop something off at our flat. Which is nice because then we can take a nap. (: Anyway, so earlier in the day Sister Holmes was like, I want McDonald's and me being the stickler that I am with McDonald's didn't really go for that. Anyway, towards the end of the day I started to crave McDonald's. Weird, eh...I...just ew...anyway, Sister Langi drops off McDonald's at our flat for dinner...nek minit..Sister Holmes and I both downed a Medium Fry, two Big Macs and a Medium Orange Fanta. It was probably the best meal I'll ever eat. Don't judge me, okay? I've walked it all off and more. (:
Miracle #3: Sister Holmes is getting married! Ah, jokes, A like 65 year old man and he was hitting on both of us. Sister Holmes just asked him if he needed help with anything and he was like, "Oh, if I was 40 years younger, you could marry me." Oh, man, it was crack up. Then the next day, we got hit on by another old man! He was a little tipsy though, he'd had a few glasses of wine. (: It was funny as!
So, on the other side of miracles is...not miracles? But there is this less active woman that we've been working with..her family has been consistently coming to church and her husband is a prospective elder, but she has this crazy concern about modesty in the church. And we tried to explain to her that people aren't perfect and that the church is perfect, but the people that run it aren't. She is just looking for an excuse to not have to quit smoking and going to church. Well, that was last Monday that we talked to her and almost every day this week we have stopped by their house to see her because we have, hopefully, a lesson that will help her with her faith, but every time they either don't answer, or one time she had her son Bailey come to the door and tell us she was sick. We know that she wasn't because the next day Bailey told us that she had him tell us that she was sick. We are just sad that she is mad at us and doesn't want to talk to us, but I guess she has a history of being easily offended, so I guess from now on we need to be extra careful of what we say to her. It makes me sad because she obviously had a testimony..that's why she got baptized, but something has made her doubt everything that she believes. Oh! I know what it is. It's Satan. That little fiend. So, Sister Holmes and I are going to try and weasel our way into their house so we can make her remember why she was baptized. We love her. And we love her family, but it just makes me mad that she doesn't want to work anymore! We'll get her!
The reason this email is coming a little later than usual is because we had zone p-day today! It started out...well...Sister Holmes and I had to use a real live map and find the train station from our flat. Nek minit...no problems, we got there like 1/2 hour early. We were just super worried that we were going to get lost so, we booked an hour to get to the station. So, we waited for the rest of our district and then bought tickets to Papakura! We got on the train with our bikes and then rode from the train station to the chapel and had about an hour of companionship study. It was really fun! Sister Holmes and I hung out with Sister Leung-Wo and Sister McCarthy and role-played different ways to teach about the Book of Mormon. (: It was so fun and then we sang some songs and it was really really awesome. (: After that we rode our bikes to the park and played kick ball! It was so hot and the sand we were playing on was white, so it was completely blinding, but I made an awesome catch and it just made my day. (: Then we took pictures and headed back to the train station. This might be TMI, but I was more sweaty in the last few hours that I have ever been in my entire life. It was so hot and humid and running and stuff didn't really help the whole situation, but everyone else was sweaty too, so it wasn't as embarrassing as it could've been. (: I love this zone! The zone leaders are Elder Brann and Elder Johnson and they are really really great missionaries! Then there's Elder Lelenoa and Elder Brown. Elder Lelenoa is the DL of the other District. And Elders Vakemeilalo and Veimatahao are the tongan speaking elders. And then there's Sister Pula and Sister Muava and they are the samoan speaking sisters. Then there's Sister Fiu and Sister Truhijillo. They are English. That's the other district and then in my district there's Elder Hester and Elder Dellaca. Sister Holmes thinks I'll marry Elder Hester one day. I just don't comment because my heart is locked. (: But I wouldn't mind it (; Then Elder Wright is the DL and Elder Oliva is his companion. And Sister McCarthy and Sister Leung-Wo are just super awesome. (: It was a blast!
So, this week I saw a legitimate haka! The boys at Wesley College did one for us. (: It was probably the most terrifyingly cool thing that I have ever seen in my entire life. They were so into it and they just made it look way cool. Even cooler than the one in Forever Strong, but I still love that one. (:
Anyway, this week I learned a lot about myself. I learned that I am strong, and I can do hard things. I can do uncomfortable things, I can do things that don't make sense, and I can teach people about the gospel. We had an awesome lesson with one of our investigators this week. Her name is Sarah, she's 16 and we set her for baptism! She is set to be baptized on the 4th of January! Sister Holmes and I are hoping that we don't get transferred so we can see her be baptized. But guess what? There is a huge possibility that I'll be training! Transfers are on Thursday and in the intake there are 19 new sisters and President is probably going to have to ask my intake of 4 weekers to be trainers! I don't really feel ready to be a trainer, but if that's where Heavenly Father needs me, then I'll do it. So, I might be in a completely new area...as a trainer next week. I really want to stay here, but "not my will, but thine." It will never cease to amaze me that Heavenly Father is so aware of our needs and our desires, but also that He is aware of the things that we need in our lives to help us grow. He knows me better than I know myself and I think I know myself pretty well. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about the people back home, but I don't dwell on that and I don't want to. I throw myself into the work and I am loving it. I LOVE NEW ZEALAND!!!
Love,
Sister Pearce
IMG_4214 is Sister Holmes and my arms...we're comparing watch tans.. (:
IMG_4219 is the train station and a sign that says Pukekohe!!
IMG_4222 this is my zone!!! Top Row, Left to Right: Elder Wright, Sister Holmes, Elder Brann, Elder Johnson. Middle Row, Left to Right: Elder Dellaca, Sister Me, Sister McCarthy, Elder Hester, Elder Vehimatahao, Elder Vakimeilalo, Sister Pula, and Sister Truhijillo. Bottom Row, Left to Right: Elder Lelenoa, Sister Leung-Wo, Elder Brown, Elder Oliva, Sister Muava, and Sister Fiu. (:
IMG_4224 is Sister Holmes, Elder Brann, and I. (:
IMG_4335 is Elder Hester and I!!! (: He is really awesome! He is from here, North Shore, but he has a medical condition that made it so he had to stay here, but he is totally mean (cool) and a way good missionary.
IMG_4227 is Sister Holmes and I when we were sweaty as. Supa gross, but it is a bodily function that all people everywhere will one day have to accept. (:
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