Week 79

Hey Everyone

if you haven't already check out christmas.mormon.org

This week was exciting. So guess what it's not Temple view Zone anymore it's "Intake 11 zone!" that's right, everyone from my MTC intake who came to NZHM is in the zone! Elder Sialoa and Gilmore are the ZLs, Elder Misi is in my district, and Elder Ale is out at Kawhia. (Sister Kinouchi is already finished....) Alma 17:2 Here.

S wants to be baptised and it's this Saturday!!! what a miracle! so hopefully all goes well. now all who's left in the family to baptise is S, hope he'll come along.  we've been trying to teach him but he doesn't seem to interested so he'll go do something else (we'll teach H his sister, she's a RC)

M has been meeting with us more, he's realised that he'll need God's help if he's going to get thru this and I think he's starting to recognise the spirit bc he told us that whenever we come around he feels good and happier and he likes feeling that. 

The Pretious' had to go to Auckland over this weekend, it was originally for a baptism, but then it turned out to be a funeral (same guy) he was pretty old and sickly apparently so no real surprise. 

Saturday there was the town's Christmas parade we caught up with a few people there 

E, he's a kind of on/off investigator. J and T were there, we were going to go over later that day but it took them too long to mow their lawns and they were at T's sisters that night eating lambs tails or something.

Yep everyone seemed pretty happy we're both staying yep I'm the DL

No they called me Tuesday to say I'm the new district leader down here; Elder Tibbits called to let me know (he's AP) and he asked if I had any of those milk straws (Sippah Straws!) so if you could kindly send some with the Christmas box if you haven't already, that would be great:). 

photo 

Marokopa falls

 and the parade

Love you all

Elder Cox

Marokopa Falls.

The parade.

More of the parade.

Week 78

Hi Everyone :D

so I don't forget, say happy birthday to Dad for Saturday.

Yes Elder Johnson is staying. so am I this will be his 3rd transfer and apparently I'm the DL - transfers is weird this time so it's on the missionary portal instead of phone calls and I have an option to change stuff that Elder Johnson doesn't have so I assume its DL bc I had it in Rotorua and Elder Pukepuke says DL's have that....  well see haha

It's been a up and down week. S is waiting to be baptised not right now. so that's kind of a bummer. we met 2 girls on the street they remembered Elder Gerrado and had lessons at J's - A is cousins to J (someone we already know) they were all happy to have lessons again now, we just have to get a time off her (J) We had Thanksgiving at the Sprouse's on Thursday (3 Americans in the area...) didn't mean much to me apart from getting a feed. We helped Sis G paint her house and patch a few holes (nifty thing I learnt doing work exp at church offices see did serve me well going there haha) 

M has taken a few steps back sadly with the Word of Wisdom and it hasn't helped him too much as he has a DUI and it's not his first, could present some problems for us seeing he is going to court next month :L 

On Wednesday we met someone nice. C she was part of a charity in collecting stuff in town and she called out to us so we went over to talk and she asked us all these questions about our beliefs she already knew missionaries. sadly she doesn't live in town but it was a nice conversation, if only more people were like that. 

We had a choir of 6 for Sunday. we saw G again just finished a bike race on the Saturday around lake Taupo and Sunday he'd gone for a long hike they just got home he said to try next weekend when they weren't so tired.

Photos: 

nice waterfall, 

small bridge we crossed to get there, 

Elder Pukepuke.

Love you 

Elder Cox

Waterfall

What a good looking boy!

Oh..and that's the bridge they crossed behind him! 

Reilly and Elder Pukepuke.

Week 77

Hey Everyone

haha it's probably going to be short this week too. (I told him his emals were getting short!)

We had a miracle this week at church 46! The W Family came (PM) they haven't been in a long time says bro Pretious so we're going to keep working with them, there's a potential 2 baptisms. 

We got a new stove this week the old one didn't work and we had been using the Pretious' gas cooker (like a 72 hr kit one) We've been teaching H the RC lessons and S and S are joining in more which is good. we're hoping to set her with a baptismal date in dec this week. 

M has been busy with his projects painting and fixing up his house so we only got to meet him once other than games night he's been doing well with his goals he has to still give up coffee and tea. 

L is a LA we've visited and so we asked what she liked doing as a hobby and she said drinking..... so we're not too sure how we're going to work with that for now.

J got a job at the meat works don't know if I told you already. he starts Tuesday. So we've been teaching T a little bit (one of the W children) getting him to remember stuff can be hard at times but he's a good kid when he wants to be, been getting up to a little mischief as of late so he was grounded. 

And we have a mission Haka that we will be doing at Christmas conference so we all got told to learn it (Christmas conference is on the 23rd)

Yeah Pres C and Brother Pretious are doing well now. Pres is still looking a little tired tho. 

Bro J knows the Tupaea's  from church college apparently

We just ended up eating the spinach. yeah you wouldn't believe someone gave us capsicums to take home and guess what I ate them. surprising dad? fried them up and put them with a spaghetti sauce. yeah food is it really, and haircuts if you can't find someone to cut it haha. (He didn't like capsicums when he was at home.)

Photos

I thought parramatta was home of the eels....

Love you all

Elder Cox

Obviously they have Eels clubs everywhere!

Week 76

Hi Everyone :D

This week has been full of service! 3 lawns!!! and digging a garden. So Pres C was in hospital so we took care of his lawn and then Bro Pretious went to hospital with pneumonia so we did his lawn as well and we helped Sister N with her lawn. I went on Exchange this week with Elder Baker that was interesting catching up about Doonside and that. 

The ZL came to district meeting. Bro J from stake came down on Sunday and guess how he remembers the Tupaea's ???? the same as me circumference ( 2πr ) hahaha he must be in his 60s and Elder Johnson told me after he was looking at us 2 like a pair of nerds "no one else has any idea what you two were on about"

We also met a fella named G who was taught many many moons ago at the O'Niel St chapel (the one in Claudelands) and said for us to stop in. he remembers 'Moroni', 'hill Cummorah'  and 'Joseph smith' he said he almost got baptised up there but for some reason or another didn't. hoping he'll decide to down here.

we have FHE with S tonight at Sis G's. she's planning on being baptised but she's more the Sprouse's investigator now (we gave it to them seeing no male in the house most of the time)

ummm... still 2 min noodles sometimes hahaha I just crack an egg into the noodles while it's still warm and mix it. how do you cook spinach??? as in the big leaves S gave us some and I was wondering if it was like the baby spinach that you don't need to cook. we don't really buy meat... it's very exp here maybe it's just exp everywhere but anyway we just buy sausages bc they're the cheapest actually do you have the spinach lasagne or does that take too long to make. (Asked him what's they have been cooking for themselves!!)

love you all

Elder Cox

Week 75

Hi Everyone :D

So we went to the snow last P-day!!!! not the we could really get up to it but we went to it and got some nice photos :D (perhaps that's why it's cold :P)

We stopped by B again this week and he was so grateful for our help he treats us like angels almost. we noticed a copy of The Book of Mormon on his shelf as we left, so hopefully we can ask about it in our next visit.

We followed up on some names in our area book this week, and this one house we went to we go thru the gate, can't see any dogs or anything, and we hear this growling so we stop and look. can't see anything take another few steps, growling starts again so we stop look, we think its the neighbours dog or something and then we see it; a nose sticking out of the bush! and then it comes for us barking it's head off and we leg it!!! (I'm following the golden rule at this point - run faster than your companion :P) I jump straight over the gate (good thing I did some parkour for exercise back in Glenview :P) then Elder Johnson jumps (kinda haha) the gate and we hope the dog doesn't do the same. thankfully it didn't.... I don't think we'll be going back to that house any time soon.

another funny story haha so Thursday was Sis Pretious Birthday so we got a card and we were going to do a knock and run with the card, only one problem, there was a guy across the street who saw us running so he decides to come over and ask us why we're running (as well as swear at us, he was probably drunk) by this stage Bro Pretious is out his door and the guy says "they're over here!!!" cut a long story short, bro Pretious invites us in so nothing happens hahaha.

Thursday was also Guy Fawkes haha so we went to L's and J's, taught the kids a lesson (bc they're RC) and then they did a fireworks display hahahaha (shame I can't send videos)

We've had an interesting week so we had zone meeting on Fri (instead of Thurs like normal) and did weekly planning on thurs (instead of fri like normal) so we were out of wack those 2 days but I got to see Elder Sialoa (from my intake) he's my ZL (I don't remember if I told you or not...) and Elder Smith (my ZL from Glenview, he's the other ZL here) and Elder Ale too (also from my intake)

The Sprouse's car pooled to Zone meeting they're nice they feed us Monday nights. Elder Sprouse just got called as 2nd counselor branch presidency and branch clerk this Sunday. we we're pumping this week too - 38 at sacrament. Helped it was the primary presentation 

there's about 8 families (including investigators) that we get to see. we haven't been able to catch M this whole week but he's got some holidays so should be good now he said he wants to catch up with us. 

No ideas for my box. I don't really need p'day clothes or shoes. oh btw I plan on making some of my long sleeves in short sleeves seeing as I don't really have winter again and I only have 3 short sleeves. 

scripture

D&C 103:36 Here.

Photos

Snow

L, B and Sis Sprouse (guy fawkes)

Zone meeting

Love you all

Elder Cox

SNOW!!!!

(This is NOVEMBER in NZ!! Crazy!!)

More snow!

"Elder Cox"

Checking out the mountain view.

"Chill-axing!!"

Companion - Elder Johnson...

who is from Utah where it snows is

wearing a jumper, 

where as the Aussie boy isn't!!

L, B, and Sister Sprouse

on Guy Fawkes night.

His zone.

Week 74

Hi Everyone

M's good. needs to give up coffee and tea he's been busy at the meat works but should have a week or so off coming up. no date for baptism. yep we found some knew investigators Barry is an old fella we did service for. we dug up his yard so he can plant veggies. he's about 85 not sure if he's all that keen but slowly we'll get there. E is a youth who is related to a RC who has gone LA. oh and there's this guy who's kinda fafa not sure yet just acts a little different and he looks like Jack Sparrow and we forgot his name so we just call him Jack when we talk about him haha. yes it's a pretty big area it does take in some other towns but usually Branch Pres takes care of the people out there when he comes in to town (He lives in Te Awamutu and comes down on assingment to run the branch so he comes on Thursday and leaves back on Sunday arvo) 

Yep prety much like Finley, one shop. yep we email in the clerks office and there is only 1 computer so it takes a while sometimes. I was telling Elder Johnson about Fred the other day hahahaha maybe we should get the Sprouse's to do that :P

Yes the couple arrived on Friday. They're from California, no they aren't replacing anyone first time there is a couple down here. we're going there for dinner tonight so I might be able to tell you more about them next week. speaking of dinner can I have some more easy recipes bc we cook for ourselves on a regular basis down here and I am so sick of 2 min noodles. Yes it is my month to play 

Elder Johnson comes from a family of 6 children he is no 5 he has a younger sister and his older twin brother Taylor is serving in Adelaide. 

No idea about Christmas conf but rumour has it it will be on the 23rd of Dec probably same place. 

Love you heaps 

Elder Cox

"I'm on an adventure!"

Hobbit reference!

Just the country-side.

Beautiful and green.

And some more.

And some more.....

looks like it was/is a volcano.

Week 73

Hi Everyone :D  

 I'm in Taumarunui which is a little branch a 2 and a bit hour drive from Hamilton. even tho it is still Temple view zone. we are way out. We started sacrament with 12 people. we had 27 by the end. Guess who was at church!!! Bro T, yes his brother is in Parramatta and he recognised my name haha. Can be out the back of nowhere and people still know home!! Oh yeah and Pres C said he had a son who worked in church offices maybe 5 years back before the area office moved to NZ. know any C's by any chance Dad??

I am an experienced rider! there was a car and I was coming down a gravel driveway so I stopped so the car wouldn't hit me. i just happened to stop by skidding sideways and sliding on the driveway :) no stitches it's fine (We asked how come he fell off his bike last week!!)

As I said Taumarunui. My comp is Elder Johnson from Brigham City Utah (first American) and yes we have a car (yes Dad I back up elder Johnson even tho there's a camera).... we're 2 hrs from Hamilton, no I don't drive my license doesn't work here anymore and Sis Marsden says there's not point me getting a NZ one bc it will cost to much to convert it apparently. Yes I took sister park's bike. Elder Carr is with Elder Bauki from Kiribati he's a good Elder so they'll be fine Guess who the other Elders in the district there are tho!? Elder Pukepuke and Elder Baker from doonside.

Yep 2 dollar shop got a card reader as I said in the first paragraph people know home.... I should probably read the whole thing first before answering each paragraph individually hahaha 

Well it is a branch but it's a good area says President. like I said not too many people. M is a solid investigator came to our service project bc guess what!!! it's such a good area Pres is sending us a senior couple on Friday so we had to clean up the yard of their house. Elder and Sister Sprouse probably from America, and the other people we see are kids, so now we're working with their parents hopefully they'll like church too! 

Sis Pretious (RS Pres) (yes that is how it is spelt pronounced like precious) reminds me of Helen and Bro Pretious (1st councilor branch presidency) reminds me of uncle Trevor in the things he does.

oh and they want me to play every other week to give Sis Pretious a break seeing she has been playing for years and years (i think 7 or so) 

Have some photos 

see we really are far far away "forgotten world highway" hahahaha

Love you

Elder Cox

Brother and Sister Pretious.

Their meeting house.

Beautiful rolling hills.

He says he's far, far away.... 

see the "Forgotten World Highway".

His companion, Elder Johnson.