Week 91

Hi Everyone!! :D

You sent me the weather for everywhere except where I'm at!!! hahaha So like I said I'm back in Manurewa I'm the ZL in Weymouth ward and Elder Gutke is my companion!! It is mean as up here! We're having so much fun. there are 25 missionaries in our zone; 12 companionships  (the Tongan elders are in a triple) Apparently Bro Pretious knew last Saturday because he heard from President when they called to ask about the Sprouses haha

Elder Gilmore went to Gisborne ZL, Elder Morley stayed his comp is E. Landis. Kawhia got closed Elder Ale is in Redoubt oh and btw we had to go to the bustop in Auckland mission hahaha out of mission boundaries for a little bit. Elder Christensen got Elder Bokai, he seems to just be following me around :P replaced me in Rotorua too haha.  

The investigators are good, I haven't met too many; we didn't get to start proselyting till 7.30 Friday night because we were running around errands all of Thurs and Fri. They just opened another flat and put some Tongan sisters in so we had that to worry about. but we still managed to get some lessons in on Sat and Sun. We blessed T's house (Investigator) because she said everytime she prayed or read the scriptures she felt like something was there. we felt really good afterwards.

P and B are really cool keen to learn we're hoping to set them this week

B is awesome Elder Gutke told me about her, they left her with a Law of Chastity pamphlet to read and  when they came back the next visit she told them she had dumped her boyfriend bc she felt it was important to follow what the pamphlet said. How cool is that!! 

L a recent convert got baptised last week we went to her house to introduce me and she was saying how she used to live in Blacktown so naturally I said "I used to live in Doonside ward boundaries." obviously she would never have known anything. haha She just looks like she's been a member for ages tho.

In our ward is Sister Kaufisi (yes Kaufisi NOT kaufusi) she served in Fairfield stake says she knows some people back home, her brother Jimmy is the Elders Quorum Pres.

We live so close to the airport it's not funny you can hear them all the time. and we have a nice view of the beach I'll have to send a photo next week  If you walk out on the beach you can see the runway. No wonder Pres Rudd told me at the bus stop "now no getting trunky up there Elder Cox, alright."

Yeah I really liked the broadcast as well talked a lot about reading our scriptures and praying. having active faith. i liked the bit "I was sharpening my ax" 

Love you all 

Elder Cox

His companion Elder Gutke

Elder Gutke had a photo of the beach

that he shared with Reilly.

Week 90

Hi Everyone :D

The week's been alright not much has happened. sorry it will probably be a short one.

W called and told us to hold off for a few weeks, his friend died, he's got visits with specialists and he'll start chemo.

We caught up with J, he doesn't want to have us inside bc he says the people who stay with him "are getting stoned out the back" so we just talk at the door. J and M were at church M brought his daughter with him, she used to come but stopped for a while so it's good to see her back. We did some more service this week Mowed T W's lawn and whippersnipped or whatever both S's and L's.

We met R while tracting, not interested but funny door knock, told us "If you have books to give me, don't bother, I go to the library to read books"  then she asked if we were orphans, not sure why she'd think that... anyway she was happy with our offer for service so she took our number and said she would ring if she ever needed some help.

Friday was a Family history day for the branch so they had us there. I managed to help the Sprouse's to get ancestory.com for free because they needed a certain link. 

We had sundae Sunday after church. 

L told me at church that she had a dream I got transferred so who knows. it reminded me of the talk by Matthew Cowley "They used to scare me, someone would come up and say 'brother Cowley I had a dream about you' I'd say 'don't tell me, don't tell me, I don't want to hear about it' 'oh it was a good one' 'alright tell me' and they'd tell me something... now did that just happen by chance, oh I might've thought so if it had been one of you white Gentiles that had prophesied that, but not from the blood of Israel. Oh no, couldn't deny it, couldn't doubt it".  So well see if I get transferred haha

Love you

Elder Cox

Week 89

Hi Everyone :D

Yeah it was a good birthday. Sis Rudd called and sung happy birthday The Sprouse's had us over for a roast (and the Pretious' came too) Primary sung to me once church finished and gave me a card, Elder Sprouse announced it bc he was conducting sacrament meeting yesterday and L's girls, G and A, made some cupcakes that afternoon. ZL even text haha

This week has been a bit slow. we haven't been able to catch up with W, 

H has moved, still in the area though, but he had a disagreement with his housemates. 

M said he doesn't want to see us at the moment because he is busy. 

The AP's came and stayed the night on Wednesday, they were on there way thru from Taranaki and their GPS took them the back road which leads them to us haha Elder Tibbitts was surprised how small our ward list was. so I don't remember if I told you but at zone conference Pres Rudd said "I'm going to be mad if I find out anyone has been tracting for more than 1 hr in a week" so when the APs came we said well what do you want us to do!! We don't have enough members to be working with! so they said you can be the exception you can tract... so we have been with little success. but we can only keep trying.

And we had the A&P show haha (not AP show :P) agriculture and something haha went bc everyone in town was there so just go and be seen and all. talked with some people there shame they're from Gisborne 

J was at church again yay! and he had a button up shirt on, usually he'll come with a basketball jersey on or something. he's doing good lost his job at the meat works which is good bc they aren't great influences there but it's all good bc he found another job with the shearing gang.

we found some blackberries on a path. Yum! (See photo!)

We mowed M's lawn and the Sprouse's lawn this week because they both have house inspections this week. by the time we got to the Sprouse's, it started to rain a bit so we did it running until it started raining too much and they told us to stop (lucky it was already done haha) 

No I haven't heard anything about the Haka video. speaking of which, I did the Haka on top of a mountain we climbed for P-day,  I forgot some of the actions so I just made it up as I went haha. They used it (the mountain) in filming Lord of the Rings and Mount Doom is in the background. (you can see the photos in the other email) We climbed up, tried to feel like Ether or Moroni or Mormon hiding in the 'cavity of a rock'. 

love you all, have a great week!

Elder Cox

Blackberries...YUM

The A&P Show.

Alpacas at the A&P Show.

Climbing the Mountain.

Reilly and his companion.

On the Mountain rocks.

"Hiding in the cavity of a rock"....

2 Scripture references,

1 Nephi 3:27.

Ether 13:13 - 14.

Week 88

Hey Everyone :D

The chapel's internet is down and because it's a public holiday the library is closed too so we got permission from Pres Rudd to email at a members "yes, but briefly" so we're at the Pretious' today.

Bro Pretious says "tell your parents I said your working hard and you need to stay a bit longer, you can even board here!"

Thanks for the Birthday wishes. yes the Sprouses know and one of the LA bc her daughter (I'm not even going to try spell the name; it's probably longer than a Sri Lankan one, only it's a first name haha) is the day before. 

The week was good H has noticed when we go round he "feels good and all happy, not like drugs or alcohol, it's better than that" so now we have to help him recognise and realise for himself that what he is feeling is the Spirit. 

W is doing ok. He even bought some milo incase we ever wanted some while we're at his house bc he knows we don't drink tea or coffee. we found out he is very interested in Family History so we're hoping to Get Pres Chadderton and his wife to help out there (they have been family history consultants) W might even be related to the Ormsby clan haha seems like everyone is related to them!

We dug a trench for a pipe at S's (see photos), that was tiring, we went and got some deep heat after that hahaha S even helped dig for a bit 

And we finished off Sis P's garden bc it was too wet last week apparently that didn't take too long tho.

We had activity night except only S and B turned up so we had some fun with those 2. Were trying to work with S to see if he wants to be baptised but whenever we go around it never seems to quite work.

Zone Conference was great! There was 4 zones there: Glenview, Temple view, Rotokauri and Taranaki. We had the 2nd cleanest car!! despite hitting all the bugs on the way up haha.  I was playing prelude seeing we were there early and then Elder Tibbitts (who was conducting the meeting) said what the opening hymn was so I ended up being the pianist, lucky I knew how to play that hymn haha.  I don't think Pres or Sis Rudd knew i could play piano because after the meeting they both thanked me for the prelude music and said how nice it sounded, it seemed as though they were pleasantly surprised when they said it. It was good to catch up with some missionaries; Elder Joseph, Elder Lingwall, Elder Saury, Elder Latu, Sis Perry, Sis Teihotu, Sis Fifita. 

Elder Holmes talked about having charity when we teach, Sis Rudd focused on Commitments and promised blessing and Elder Tibbitts' training was on working with members. In President Rudd's remarks I really felt how much love and concern he has for each of us, not just as missionaries but as individuals and the future of the church.

Some inactive came up to us on the street as we were walking (I think he was a little drunk) and he just goes "elders..... Joseph Smith..... Nephi.... Book of Mormon... is that right?? yeah, yous are latter-day,I'll let you get back saving souls, ayyy souls like me I'm  inactive, see yous elders God bless"   and hops in a car. it was a little random but who knows maybe we'll bump into him again when he is more of himself and see if he would like to come back. 

Oh yeah and then this guy at New World (grocery store) was unloading his bread truck and he goes "Elders! are Shem and Melchizedek the same person?" idk if he is a member or what but he knows the old testament pretty well and how Maori culture links to it bc he was telling us about all the names and traditions that apparently go back to Noah. But he lives in Taupo and was just on his delivery run, so we'll probably see him again if we get to the shop at the right time.

Yep the pudding tasted good Ma and Poppy asked for the recipe so I gave it to them. the Sprouse's and Pretious' thought it tasted good as well.

Love you all

Elder Cox

Digging the trench.

The trench!

Elder Christensen eating lunch.

Reilly and Elder Christensen after hearing

Elder Christofferson (the Apostle) speak 

to the missionaries.

Nice Sunset.

And again.

Week 87

Hey Everyone :D

What a wonderful surprise this week!!! we got to go see Elder Christofferson! AND SHAKE HIS HAND!!!!! we found out on Thursday, he even said himself that it was an "unexpected blessing" so that's 3 apostles :D (and all in order too haha (Bednar then Cook then Christofferson) isn't that cool) It was so good to feel of his spirit. He and his wife were meant to be in Port Villa but the runway couldn't land planes so they had to stay, so they decided to see the missionaries how crazy is that!! 

Here's something to tell Poppy he said about how he had been in the pacific quite a lot and Australia speaking about Perth he said "Perth, Perth the end of the earth" hahaha 

Elder Christofferson is really funny too. I wish the conference didn't have to finish I think i felt a bit like the Nephites when the Saviour visited and they wanted Him to stay. 

We went up to TA on Friday (ZL area) bc driving all the way from Taumarunui to Auckland and being there by 8.45 would've been absolutely ridiculous and we needed to pick up one of the Cambridge elders bc there are 10 elders in the zone and only 2 cars.... anyway so we did a service up there.  

But because we hadn't planned to drive to Auckland and back, we went over our k's for the month too.

W is set for baptism!!! but he missed church bc he was in Waikato hospital (almost 2 hrs away) 

M is doing well he is up in Auckland for the long weekend with his kids, so he wasn't at church (Auckland anniversary) 

The ZL's (Elder Gilmore and Morley) were at District meeting on Tuesday which happened to be Australia day hahaha so guess what we sung as one of our hymns, yep the national anthem and then we all had ginger beers after the meeting haha

We were helping Sister P with her garden (she is one of the elderly members in the branch) on Wednesday and then it decided to pour on us so she told us come back another day (which will be tmrw) 

H had to go to hospital on Thursday for her hand. (they had to go to Waikato too) I heard that she is getting better. We helped K paint the roof (not the ceiling, the outside on top) so I've pretty much painted a whole house; walls ceiling and roof haha

We saw J, he was so excited to see us He really loves the Book of Mormon and says when we're there it makes sense. He's just always busy with work (at the meat works) 

Sunday school went well not too many there. only 21 at church this week

I've got a recipe for a steam pudding from S so I thought I'd try it out (see photo) I mixed it up last night and cooked it as we email at the chapel (bc it takes 2 1/2 hrs to cook and we didn't have a pot big enough to steam it) 

We have a Zone Conference this Thursday who with idk so I'll tell you next week.

Elder Tibbitts and Holmes (his comp) say thanks for the straws

photos from last p'day of Mt Doom and the "Skiwi" 

Love you, have a good week!

Elder Cox

Elder Christensen, his companion, 

and Mt Doom in the background.

Reilly and Mt Doom.

His steamed pudding.