picture with our district leader

Christmas Present

Dear Whaunu,

 I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! I had a great one. Being able to talk to you all was really wonderful and I enjoyed being able to hear all your voices :) We also were able to have Cairo Smart baptized this weekend! It was such a wonderful thing! After being  the pianist and singing a musical number with my companion we were able to enjoy a breather visiting with Cairo and her family after she was baptized. She loved the way the program turned out and was so happy after she was baptized. :) And on Sunday she was confirmed. She also Loved the Snickerdoodle cookies I made Sammy! Thank you for the recipe! I had so many requests for the recipe afterwards! Your cookies are famous here in New Zealand! :)
    We had Zone Conference the week before and it was so good. Something I really liked is what our Mission president told us to do: while we are reading the Book Of Mormon, we should look for the words "the way" "a way" or "way". As we are doing so to ponder what is the Lord's way for us. As we do this we will Find our way by finding The Way. I know this is promise is true not only for me but for you all as well. 
   We were door knocking this week and we met this really nice couple! We had tried there house but they weren't home, then we realized that they had returned so we tried their door again. They opened and invited us in on the spot. They told us they had just been thinkng about how our church was very beautiful and they wanted to go inside. We scheduled a return appointment with them tomorrow to tour the chapel. It should be really neat :) Their names are Xin (female) and Hann (male) They are from China. 
 Well I hope you all have a wonderful new Years! Make some good goals and resolutions. As my mission president says : A goal not written down is merely a wish.
Love you all!
Sister Sudweeks

Christmas

Feliz Navidad! Merry Christmas dear familia! :)

 I hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and enjoy being able to spend this time with family and reflecting on the meaning we celebrate Christmas. I was reminded of something I had thought about a while ago the other day. That is Christmas has the word mas, which means more in Spanish. So let Christ be More in our loves this Christmas and the years to come.

    I am looking forward to our Christmas activites this coming week: they include caroling, service, a delicious meal eaten at a members with less actives and nonmembers present (a missionaries dream) and visiting with you all on Christmas eve. I can't wait to talk to you all; hopefully I have picked up somewhat of an accent... you will have to let me know.

   Exciting news! On Dec 28th Cairo Smart our nine year old investigator will be getting baptized! :) I am so excited for her and her mom is too! It is so great to see a family once again make the changes to be active in the gospel and receive the blessings from living the gospel and keeping the promises they made when they were baptized/ made temple covenants.

    We had a fireside last night about the fourth wise man. Sorry I didn't have time to tell you about it last week. But the fireside was so good. We sang God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman as missionaries. the story is about the fourth wiseman who wants to give his gifts to the Savior just like the 3 wisemen, but on his way he is stopped by people who need his help, who he does help and in the processes gives away his three gifts to help them. Throughout his life he tries to find the Savior and on the day the Savior is crucified he gives his last gift away to help this young woman, and he dies. As he is dying he hears the Lord's voice commending him for helping him when he was thirsty and aiding him. Abatran the wiseman asks when this was because he never did see the lord, and the Lord answers that when you are in the service of your fellowmen you are only in the service of your God.

   Miracles: We were out door knocking a street and everyone was so nice to us! While we were dorr knocking we found this older couple who had meet missionaries before and even had them come in. They told us they were busy now but to come back in the new year! We can't wait to go back and see how the Lord has been preparing them to meet with us. Second miracle: same street we were door knocking. As we were this lady comes up walking her dog and we go to talk with her. We found out her and her mom used to meet with the missionaries also and we asked if we could come back. She said yes! So we will see how things continue to progress with them as well.

 I hope you all have a merry CHristmas! :)

Love you all heaps!

Love,

Sister Sudweeks

   P.s. Cairo and her mom Jaime?

My companion and I and one of the members

Zone Conference

Dear Whanau,

    How has your week been? It is only one more week till Christmas! Wow! Times has flown, where has this last year gone? The Lord's work is hastening! I am so grateful to be a part of of the hastening of the Lord's work.

    We have a Christmas Fireside coming up and we are singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman. Sister Fetu'u and I have been singing it in the car on the way to appointments. The fireside is going over the rendition of the Fourth Wise Men by Henery Van Dike. If you haven'y heard it before, you should look it up it is wonderful. We sang at a nursing home this week, and I felt like I was doing Gate City Singers again. I really enjoyed being able to sing with most of my District to these cute older residents a very merry Christmas.

 I met Sister Clark yesterday, she is the sister of Brother Duncan! Small world!

   Have a great week! And Remember to keep the Spirit of Christmas  in Christmas this Christmas season

Love,
Sister Sudweeks

Dear Whanau,

   What a week! My new companion is Sister Fetu'u. She is from Tonga, but she lives in Oakland with her family. She was in my intake at the MTC too! So it was really cool to see her again and hear how she has been doing!  She is such a hard worker! I have so much to learn from her; I can't wait to learn everything I can.

    This week has been a fast week, and December is going to go by too quickly! We have a fireside we are singing in as missionaries to celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ. I am really looking forward to it; we have been inviting heaps of people to it. I really hope they come. It is going to be such a wonderful place to hear and feel the Spirit.

    We have a baptismal date set with one of our investigators this last week for Feb. 22nd.  I am so excited for her!

    I love this gospel so much. I know that This is the Church of Jesus Christ on the Earth once again. The Lord lives. He loves us! He will always help us. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can overcome all things, that all the pains we feel can be washed away and any mistakes we made can be made whole.

  Have a great week!

I love you all heaps!

Love Sister Sudweeks

   

Fwd: Pictures

----Doing Service for Sister Guthrie, the Family History Guru and Investigator to the church :) She goes to SL and does heaps of family history there each year. She is so amazing

Transfers and a Calling

Dear Whanu,

   Happy Thanksgiving! :) I know it's late, but I do hope you all had a great day counting your blessings. I had a most unforgettable day on thanksgiving. We had it right after our District Meeting, and because Sister Vila and I had planned a service activity we weren't able to stay for the lunch. So we grabbed a plate and ate in the car... I was so greateful for Elder and Sister Webb for feeding us a Thanksgiving meal. Sister Villa tried Pumkin pie for the first time, and liked it for the most part :)

    I am staying here in Masterton and my new companion is Sister Fetu'u! I think it might be the Sister Fetu'u from my intake! :) I will find out Wednesday or Thursday. And I have been called as the Sister Traning Leader (District Leader for the Sisters). I am really grateful for this chance to serve the sisters in my area. Sister Vila is going to Ashburton -- the Christchurch Zone. She is going to do great things there.

     I was really touched by something Sister Webb (Senior Couple in my Area) told me while Sister Vila was in Wellington for Missionary Council last Tuesday. She brought up Ether 12:27 and how it says that the Lord will make our weaknesses become our strengths. She then brought up that sometimes the Lord will allow our weakeness to remain though. As with Joseph Smith, he struggled his whole life with being able to read and write. But when the Lord was helping him he could translate and write so well. I was really touched by this. Sometimes we will always have something that is weak for us; but the reason we have that weakness is so we will always turn to the Lord, that we will rely upon him, and by so doing we become strong with that thing when we are men and woman of God rather than our natural selves relying upon ourselves.

  I love you all! Keep reading the scriptures, praying, going to church, and attending the temple :) Remeber the covenants you have made and let that strengthen you in all you do.

I love you heaps!

mahal na mahal kita, aroha, Le amo,

Sister Sudweeks

the weather cows, flowers, and Spanish!

Dear Whanu,

   Hello! I hope you are all having a great week! This week has been a good busy week! We had transfers! In Invercargill. The farthest I think I will ever be from the US, unless I am transferred there... we will see! They are next week, my companion and I are praying we stay here, but nevertheless the Lord knows best where we are needed.

    We went to Omaru on Wednesday for District Meeting. It was so wonderful to be in their new chapel which was dedicated on Sunday. They have a beautiful picture in the foyer called "Remembering the Covenants." If is this painting of two young men walking on a road with their scriptures dressed like missionaries. It really made me think about what it means to make covenants, that we don't just do it for ourselves than stop, but we make it our lifetime pursuit to always help others remember and make those covenants themselves.

     One of Elder and Sister Webbs investigators told them that if 1/2 or more than half of the cows in a herd are lying down that means it is going to rain... so far this has proved true. I can't wait to put it to the test in Idaho! :D

     We have been able to do service in the public Library here! We are so excited Sister Vila and I! We will help go through their foreign languages collections and I will get to use my Spanish skills! I am so excited. We will tell here what the names of the books are and help organize/ tell if they are going to be read...

    I hope you have a great day!

Love you heaps,

Mahal na mahal kita, ( I love you heaps in Tagolag, Sister Vila has been teaching me words :)

 sister Sudweeks

Our Miracle

Dear Whanu,

   This week is another week in beautful Dunedin. Transfers will be coming up soon! Only two more weeks, so little time to do everything we need to but I know the Lord will help us do it! We had a miracle this week! We received a referral from one of our members. Her name is Akrita. She is really sincerely looking for truth in her life. We met with her for the first time on Saturday, and she is so prepared to hear the Gospel. My companion asked her to be baptized when she knows this message is true and she said yes. We are so excited for her and I know this gospel will bless her life.  We had an exchange in the Gore Area this last week and this week we will be going to Omaru for District meeting and to Invercargill for the other exchange. It shall be exciting and an adventure! I am excited to help the other areas, but sad because we will only be in our area for a short amount of time this week... but that is okay I know the Lord will consecrate our efforts! Something I learned yesterday. That it is more important for us to know the process of learning than it is of the information we learned. It is through this process of learning that we come to learn more information, but if we are never able to learn that process we will forever be stuck with the same information and unable to obtain more. I really liked this insight because it has helped me realize how important it is for me to make sure my Investigators know the process by which they are able to come and obtain knowledge (such as the truth of the Book Of Mormon, etc) When they know how to obtain knowledge they will then be able to implement that and apply it in their own lives.

   I love this gospel. I know it is true and this Is the Lord's church on the Earth.

Have a great day!

love,

Sister Sudweeks

P.s. I drove up Baldwin Street! Not as bad as it looks :)

P.S> if you have time Read Jacob 3:1-2! It is great!

Vegimite...

Dear Whanu,

   Hello! I hope you have all had a great week! This week has gone by so quickly for us here in Dunedin! We had so much service and appointments. It was crazy good! I tried Vegimite for the first time this week. Not to bad, but definitely not my first choice for any meal. Vegimite is this popular spread that is made out of fermented barley... good source of nacin, but not worth eating it.

   We met with one of our members who isnt able to come to church anymore due to health issues. She is so spiritual and such a gem! I really enjoyed hearing her speak about her life and her work. She is currently working on her geneoglogy and putting that into a book. She is such an inspiriation to me! Truly meissionary work isnt just with talking with people, but it is also doing our fmaily history and temple work! She is such a missionary!

   One of our investigators Tara is really in to reading the BOM! She is already in nephi 18! Wow she is amazing!

  One of the speakers yesterady said something I really liked. She started her talk off by telling us how she would say If I was with Jospeh smith I would do this________, or if I was with (name some important figure from the church) I would do this. She then asked the question, But What will I do (for the name of the person afore mentioned) now? What will I do for Christ now? A lot of the time we wait for some grand momentous occasion to occur before we will change, or wait for some important figure to come into our lives, but by then the time is past. It is too late, and our change to improve our do that thing for that person is gone. May we act now, be bold now, and move forward in our devotion and love for the Savior.

   Something else I thought was very profound was a comment made by our senior couple Sister Webb. She made the comment that for years the 1st presidency has asked us to read our scriptures, pray, go to chyrch, attend the temple, etc. The basics if you will. Once we have the basics done, they ask us to continue to improve, by using the basics we use to strengthen our brethern. They then ask us to apply our scripture our praying to pray for missionary opportunities, help others, help to know how to strengthen others. May we do this I pray. The lord's work is hastening, may we do now the basics as the Lord wants us to do and really apply it into our live.

  I know our Savior Lives. He is behind this work, He loves us, and He will bring His work to a close.

Have a great week!

Love,
Sister Sudweeks

P.S. The Lord's work is a busy work, there will be no stopping day or night! :)

A pizza Joint

Dear Whanu,

   So this sign is found on a building called Hell's Kitchen: "Hell's Kitchen home to the World's 7 deadly sins." When I first saw it I was thinking what a perfect description for a place selling beer. Then it turns out that it is a pizza joint! Who would have known? I think it would be a bit out of place though if I did go there to eat pizza.

   This week we had a miracle! :) We went to see one of our former Investigators who didn't really like the idea of the Book of Mormon before the Bible. We talked to her for a bit and she told us she really feels she needs to read the Bible first. My companion and I tried to resolve her concerns and then she showed us how she liked this powerful verse in the bible and asked if there was anything like that in the Book of Mormon. I said yes and told her we could give her an example. We opened my scriptures and I didn't really know what to share when My companion opened up to 2 Nephi 9:50-51. The scriptures that says we should delight in fatness for our spirits because we feast upon the words of Christ. Then My companion shared another verse and it tied again to that verse, and we  showed her how the cross references tie the Book of Mormon and Bible together and that cross reference also tied to 2 Nephi 9:50-51. We felt so blessed by the Lord for helping us and we now have her again as our investigator! What a blessing! :D

   Cairo one of our investigators who is nine said the cutest thing this week. We had asked her about her day and then she told us "and we we to sleep thinking about God." I loved this! She is so young and yet says the most profound of things. I thought of the scripture in 2 Nephi 4:16 which talks about how we should ponder continually on the words of life. I felt like Cairo was showing me another way we do this. I loved it!

   I hope you all have a great week!

 love you all heaps!

love,
Sister Sudweeks

Miracles, Miracles, Miracles

Dear Whanu,
  This week has been a good hard week. :) We got some hail! And it was pretty huge! (Luckily we were in the car so the hard part of the week didn't hurt as much ;) It is supposed to be snowing here(it's not) but it is in Cedar City... Everyone seems pretty uptight about it snowing, but I just give them a big smile when they say it might snow. I am secretly hoping for snow even though we are going into the summer. I love the snow!
   On Thursday we had miracles! We always have miracles each day, but Thursday was a big day of miracles. We found two new investigators, and then we went to an appointment to one of our investigators. We were thinking we might need to stop seeing her so much because she liked us over for bible study (that is something a lot of people think we are doing when we meet, is just studying the bible.) but she hasn't really been progressing. We were talking to her and starting our lesson when she told us "When can I be baptised?" As a missionary we love that phrase! We have now set a date for November 30th and we are helping her reach that goal. The Lord has really been blessing us!
   So for a service project for the ward: we went meat testing for this big Study that originates from the Universtiy in Texas. It was the best service project I have ever done! :) They came out with differently cooked pieces of beef and we rated it to savouriness, tastiness, softness, and overall preference. Yep, that was a great service project... :D
    Other news: I am done training! I cannot believe it;s already done; time is flying to quickly!
   Well, I love you all. I hope you are having a great week. If you See Tim, tell him to tell me hello! 
Have a great week!
Love,

Sister Sudweeks

"How is your missionary Spirit?"

Dear Whanu,

    Hello! I hope everything is going well for you all! This week has been a very tender mercy filled week from the Lord. We had an investigator drop us but we found many wonderful referrals for the Elders and we have a golden new investigator(which will be official on Wednesday) when we have her appointment :) This new investigator is the daughter of a less active we are working with. She is nine and her name is Cairo, and wouldn't you believe it! They live on the world's steepest street! I don't have a picture but Sister Vila and I will go next week for p-day and take a picture of it. I was to scared to drive up it last week, but I think I will try driving up it this week... we will see.... Cairo told her mum that she wanted to be baptised so we are beginning to teach her. Her mum told her to pray about the decision to see if God wants her to do that. I am super impressed with the family. Sister Heparri's children are so very spiritual and ask such great questions. It is going to be a wonderful experience teaching them. 
  This week we had District Conference. I am a part of two branches. We conver the first branch, but we teach all the single woman who are being taught. During this conference one of the Speakers asked this question. "How is your missionary Spirit?" I loved his talk. It really made me think about how my missionary spirit was before I left on my mission. The speaker also reflected on this question and realized that since he had been on a mission he hadn't been seeking many missioanry expereinces. This is something we should all do. I liked what he said. We don't have to be knocking on doors 24/7 to share the gospel. All we have to do is Talk with people, and when opportinuties arise share the gospel, focus on how people are reacting to us sharing the gospel(even if they are not interested, still be their friends), and then seek for those experiences. Missionary service comes in many ways, from service, sharing "the reason for the hope that is in you" and much more. I want to leave the challenge with all of you to do as Elder Ballard asked us in Conference: To Find someone by December with whom we can share the Gospel. Bring that person to chruch, invite them to a baptsim, have them over for dinner with the missionaries there, give them The Family or Jesus The Christ for Christmas, a CD with music on it about Jesus Christ, the ways are limitless. Will you all do this? I promise as you do you will be filled with the love and rekindle all those times when you were on your missions and were sharing the Gospel with others. 
   I love you all. I know this church is The church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. God lives; Jesus is The Christ. Thomas S. Monson is the Latter day Prophet, Jospeh Smith truly translated the Book Of Mormon, and The Book Of Mormon is the Word of God. 
  I love you!
 Aroha,
Sister Sudweeks

Conference

Dear Whanu,

   Hello! It has been a wonderful week! We had General Conference this weekend and it was so wonderful! I really enjoyed it so very much! I really especially enjoyed the Sunday morning and Afternoon session. It was great. I loved how we were told that this time is as important as when the Prophet Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon. I know this is true. It really is; I can feel it. I know that everyone is a part of this exciting and important time. We all need to be a part of bringing the Lord's work about.

    I loved this scriptural image: 2 Nephi 9:50-51. It talks about how our souls should delight in fatness. I know we don't want to eat ecessively in our lifetimes the wonderful food around us, but we should become spiritual fat, feasting so much on the Words of Christ that as it says we are spiritually big. May we all do so each day I pray. :)

    This week we had another blessing from the Lord! We found Mr. and Mrs. Douglas. We caught them on their way out of their flat, and they let us come back the next day. They are now our new investigators! :)

     We had Presdient and Sister Kezerian here for interviews during our District meeting. It was wonderful. I loved hearing from them; they are truly servants of the Lord.

I hope you are all having a wonderful day! Keep praying, reading the scriptures, and going to church.

I love you all!

Aroha,

Sister Sudweeks

We helped cleaned the church: I felt Like a Ghost buster with our cool vacumns :)

And Eating Lunch after conference before we went finding some potential investigators! :D

Conference this weekend!!!! Cannot wait! :D

Dear Whanu,

   How are you all? I hope you enjoyed conference! What was it like?! Favorite talks!? I cannot wait to hear it this weekend! It will be really neat as well, because one of the Elders Investigators will be baptized between the two sessions on Saturday. What a day to be Baptized! :) Hearing and Living the word of Christ. I am really excited about conference it is going to be so good!

   We went over to Sister Lee's last week. They are from Korea. They made us Korean pancakes which were so good! :) yum! I really enjoyed eating them, and was reminded of Kirra going to Korea! She also gave us barley water, which wasn't so good.. but luckily you couldn't taste it while you drank it only after you swallowed. It really wasn't that bad, but definitely not my favorite flavor for water.

     We had another exchange this week! It was really fun because one of the Sisters I came out into the mission field with was one of the sisters who came for the exchange. That was pretty great! :)

     The members here went to the temple this week. It was so neat for me to hear their testimonies after they came back. I loved how they saved and looked forward to a week in the temple. It really made me realize how lucky we are to have a temple an hour away. It is so close to us, and yet we sometimes do not go but once or twice a year. I have really appreciated their diligence in going to the temple. It makes me realize that going to the temple is so important, and since we live so close to one we should go as often as we are able.

      This last week we were blessed with two new investigators. Reuben and Victoria! They were our blessing from the Lord. We were door knocking and they opened the door. We had a good converstaion with them and then I  asked if we could go in and share a short message with them. They said yes and we went in. Sister Vila and I had no idea what to share, but the Lord helped us :) Victoria asked about the Book Of Mormon, and we shared about that. She was really impressed that is was a record of the ancient people of the Americas and was excited to read it. We see them tomorrow,a nd I hope they are wiling to hear more of our message!

    this week, I have was humbled to realize that the people we are teaching even though they may not be progressing as fast as Sister Vila and I think they should, we need to remember that we just should focus on helping build thier faith in Jesus Christ, and wait on the Lord's timing for them to progress.

 I love you all and hope you had a great week!

Love,
Sister Sudweeks

Fwd: Mission Miracle

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Sandy Kezerian <sandykezerian@hotmail.com>
Date: Tue, Sep 24, 2013 at 5:16 PM
Subject: RE: Mission Miracle
To: Annemarie Sudweeks <annemarie.sudweeks@myldsmail.net>

Dear Sister Sudweeks, 

Thank you so much for sharing your miracle story. I really do look forward to hearing how this woman progresses. We know you have great faith. This work is hard at times. It actually reminds me a lot of motherhood. Some days are very challenging but the rewards in the end are so worth it. Every time I have ever been around you your beautiful smile and optimism have lifted by spirits. 

We love you,

Sister Kezerian

---

Date: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 15:09:54 +1200
Subject: Mission Miracle
From: annemarie.sudweeks@myldsmail.net
To: sandykezerian@hotmail.com

Sister Vila and I have been praying really hard for people to teach, that we might be lead to those who are prepared. It was really easy to stay in the spirit of finding people and really being filled with motivation and determination to find someone to teach the first week or so after we had that wonderful mission tour. Then drudgery started to set in. Doors being closed, no after no, and although our determination didn't falter I started to decrease a little in faith. Not to mention my natural man started to kick in (being tired or that grumbley stomach reminding me I am hungry...). All the while, I would be reminded of our true purpose here and be filled again with that desire to find and have faith like unto the Brother of Jared. It was on one of these mediocre days I received a tender mercy of the Lord.  I had woken up that morning more tired than usual. For some reason I didn't sleep well that night, and so despite my efforts to go back to sleep, the alarm went off as usual. Normal routine kicked in: exercising eating breakfast, and preparing for the day. Studies were wonderful and filled me with the desire to share the Gospel with everyone I could talk to. As the day wore on, from studies to training my attitude became less excited. I was tired and the last thing I really wanted to do was go and talk with people, and we had planned an hour of street contacting for that day. I said a silent prayer that I might have my attitude changed, and when we were out talking with people I was filled with more energy but unfortunately my body reminded me I was tired again to quickly, and I began to not be as upbeat as I should have been. Sister Vila and I had been sitting waiting for our turn to be able to use the computers, and I thought we could go and make some phone calls to make appointments. We had noticed this nice lady who smiled quite big when we came in and sat down, but I hadn't given much thought to go and speak with her. Sister Vila agreed that we should make phone calls, but she wanted to give a mormon.org card to this lady before we left. When we walked up to her, I knew this was a lesson for the Lord. She was really excited to see us and invited us to sit down next to her right then. She then proceeded to give us a description of her life and her contact with members of our church with whom she has had multiple conversations with about the Gospel. I knew the Lord was blessing us for praying for finding someone who would be converted. We have a return appointment with her, and whether she is will join the church I don't know. I do know that the Lord was showing me that even though I was feeling less than excited about talking with people that day because I was tired, He blessed me to realize that He will cause his work to progress forward whether I am happy or not, but how much better a tool I will be and how much quicker will His work progress if I am positive.

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

And there was Idaho!!!!

Dear Whanu,

  This week we had our first exchange. It was really good! The Gore Sisters came up and stayed two days with us. Then I drove them back (I am becoming a really good driver here now...: ) And who would have guessed but Idaho comes into view! Or at least I  thought it looked like Idaho, you be the judge. On the exchange, we found a couple new Potential Investigators and set a baptismal date for november the 2nd with Judy Wilson! Ah so excited! My companion and Sister Puleta set the date. She replied when they asked, "if that's what you want me to do" Haha yep! That's what we want you to do! :)

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY TREVER! Sorry it's late on the email! But I thought of you and your birthday on the 28th here! :)

   Something that was really cool this week: My companion and I have really been trying to focus on a vision for ourselves and the mission. As President Hamula asked us to do. We have also really been trying to find with greater faith and pray for greater faith. Because of this, we were able to find this really golden (means practially baptized! because they are soo ready for the gospel) investigator for the Elders. His name is Jared and he works at the Cadburry Chocolate Factory that is here (which I hope to go to next PDAY with Sister Vila :) Yum! Chocolate! ) We tried asking him some inspired questions (questions that answer or provoke questions of the soul) and ended up having a doorstep lesson with him. We then gave his information to the Elders. The Elders contacted him later in the week, and he said he would be interested in hearing more (he had been thinking tons about what we had talked about on his doorstep) It was really neat and such a faith building expereince for me about the power of faith.

     Grandpa Sudweeks: I get so many comments about my handshake. Thank you for teaching me to have a firm handshake with everyone I meet :)

     I had a really neat experienvce to see an Elder set apart as a missionary yesterday by President Kezerian. It was amazing. The spirit was so strong, and I was reminded of the excitment and energy new missionaries have as they are just set apart.

    In my personal study I had a neat thought. I was studying about the life after death and the call for us to concencrate our lives to the Lord. And when we concencrate we give our whole soul, might, mind, and strength to the Lord. I was thinking about how when we die, we go to the spirit world and continue to  share the gospel (our lives our entirely concencrated). We spend our entire lives and part of eternity concencrating our lives. Fully giving ourselves to have the Lord's will, to be like our Heavenly Father. I thought it was so neat that our entire life we try to be like our Heavenly Father who is fully concencrated for our behalf, because his Work and His glory is to bring to pass our immortaltiy and eternal life. By being asked to be this concencrated, we are preparing for the time when we ourselves will be Like God and this will be our desire for our children.

I love you so much! I hope you all have a great week!

As our mission motto says:

Faith is the Power

Obediance is the Price

Love is the Motive
The Spirit is the Key

Christ is the Reason

Alma 26:22

May we remember this always in our lives :)

Aroha,

Sister Sudweeks

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

A Kiwi

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Can I say Pamilya Magpakaiylanman!?!?!? :D

Hello Whanu!

  I love you all so much! this week has been so good! A bit crazy though :) First, we had President Hamula come and it was amazing!!!! :) Sister Hamula came to and I just felt so much love from them. Sister Hamula put her arm around me while I showed her the restroom and I just felt like all of you were there at that moment giving me a big hug :D It was the best! Thank you for your prayers. You don't know how much I can feel them, it is such a neat experience for me and one I am so thankful Heavenly father is allowing me to feel. I learned so much and I cannot wait to put it all into action! :D Something that really touched me was what President Hamula said about the nature of Jesus Christ, He said if you believe that Jesus Christ isn't working among us, then think again. He isn't in some cloud watching us work here on Earth. He is working with us, unseen to our imperfect eyes. Just like it is said in Jacob 5 that is how Christ is with us. He is amongst us, helping and build us up. Something I really enjoyed about the mission tour was the reminder about Faith. How when we have a vision of who we truly are, we can then show that forth. Nothing will cause us to fear because we see ourselves as God does. I also had the blessing to stay two nights with Elder and Sister Webb as Sister Vila was at the Training Conference in Wellington. It was a wonderful experience, and I so enjoyed seeing how they do missionary work and appreciating more the role of Senior couples :)

  A scripture I really liked was in DC 98:1-3. I read it today and it just hit home! Truly the Lord has already listened and will cause our prayers to be answered as it we have asked, but we first must wait on his time, and he will always let things work out for our good. (You have to Read the this scripture! :) 

I love you all! Keep reading the BOM, keep praying, and see yourself as God does. :)

I love you

Aroha,
Sister Sudweeks

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

First week in Dunedin!

Dear Whanu,

   Hello! Glad to tell you it is not too cold here! Haha, just a nice chilly wind and rain... but it is great! :D I will take some pictures today and send them to you next week! It is really pretty! My trip getting here was a bit crazy. I was suppoesed to travel on the plane at 9 am in the morning wednesday, but my fllight was delayed in Wellington due to the weather. And then it was delayed again to the next day at 2:20 pm. So I got to hang out with Sister Alcock and Sister Boehmer (both from Canada  and SIster Alcock was the Sister Training Leader). We went to dinner with Sister Saltana (she's from Mexico). It was super cool as I could understand her most of the time when she would start talking in SPanish. We ate wonderful mexican food! Which was so amazing! I loved being able to eat mexican food! I am pretty sure Heavenly Father made the plane delayed so I could talk to this wonderful girl I sat on the plane with on Thursday afternoon. SHe is going to be a DR so we had a good conversation about anatomy and such. :) Then I brought the converstaion around to God and how we couldn't have a the human body work they way it does without a God. I met my companion at the Airport. Her name is Sister Vila and she is from the Philippines. She is so cute! She reminds me a lot of Emma Baker :D

   Tomorrow, President Hamula is coming for a mission tour. We have the meeting at 8am, but we have to be at the chapel at 7am. It is going to be soo good! And I am going to learn so much I can improve upon! Can't wait to be changed!

    While I was in the airport, it was cool I saw a live Kiwi! It was just sitting on the floor and it was so cute. It was even letting little kids pet it. The Lady who owned the bird, reminded me a lot of Aunt Maud and Jessica. She had hair like Jessica, and her mannerisms where just like AUnt Maud. So I thought of you both when I saw  her and Kiwi bird :)

     Something I was thinking about the other day was about Nephi. He is on the ship talking with his brothers and they tie him up. And even thought Nephi's wife and childrend ask them to let Nehi go, and they are in a big storm... they still refuse. It is not until the moment where they are about to die, do they let Nephi go. I was thinking about that and how it took them the moment they were about to perish before they repented and changed. But Nephi, even though he went through all of that, he still praiesd God and was humble. This made me think about myself and which of the two ways I respond to situations in my life do I act. Am I a Nephi or am I a lemuel/ laman and wait until I am about to be destroyed before I change? Which side of myself wins and comes out?

   I love you all! Have a wonderful day!

 Nag Ma Mahal, (I love you in Tagalog :)

Sister Sudweeks

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

And... Transfers! To Antartic!

Dear Whanu,

  Wow! what a week! We had two baptism from the Elders. Tame Hughs (the one who got married last week) and Tane (he was a referral from church head quarters). Such a blessing from the Lord! Things are defintely moving here in Masterton! :) Something that has been really cool for me, is the focus on the Priesthood that is placed here in Masteron. We had a lesson about the Priesthood and the blessings we can recieve from the Priesthood. It was really cool for me to realize also that the World was created through the Priesthood, thus the priesthood is able to create. After the lesson, the priesthood came in and sang Ye Elders Of Isreal. They alsways have the Priesthood come and sing songs for firesides, baptismss, you name it. They really undesrtand the importance of the Priesthood here.

    So! I am being transfered out! Ahhh! :) Way excited! President Kezerian called Sister Saunders and I and told us it wasn't planned but the Lord had a last minute change of plans for Sister Saunders and I. So I will be sering in Dunedin now with Sister Vila the Sister Training Leader. I am really excited. When I found out, Elder Christensen told us via phone, and he told me I am going to the Artic.Haha, but really I am the closet to the south pole! Luckily for me though I will be heading into the summer now, so it shouldn't be so cold! And I will be seeing one of the Elders I came in to NZ with, we will see if he survived the winter months... he hadn't brought a coat!

    Funny story: Satuday the All blacks were playing, and beacuse it was a pretty game to the Kiwi here, they express their support well, and consume much drink during the game I guess, because as I was driving to an appointment, I etentered the traffic line where everyone was having their breath analized for alcohol consumption... this happened twice! Because our second appointment was on the other side of town via the way we had just come. Sister Saunders remakerd how the first time for us both to be checked happened on our missions, its quite ironic. :)

     So a cool thought. When we read the BOM it increases our ability to learn and understand. Elder Christensen was telling us of this person he taught who wasn't very literate and had learning disabilities, but through reading the BOM he became more literate and his learning disabilities decreased and he learned and retained information more. Just like the BOM can change our habits, it can also increase our mental abilities, and this is because it brings the spirits into our lives and the spirit can give us many gifts that sometimes are forgotten.

     When we give lessons their are three things that we focus on Church, Praying, and Reading the Book of Mormon. In the end we use the accronym CPR. I found it intersting to note that we use that same accroyn for emergency situations. This just reminded me about how improtant it is for us to do these three things, truly our spiritual wellbeing is in danger with all those temptations and things the devil is putting before us at this time. Now then ever we are in danger of spiritual regression, so we should put these three things to use every day and every week becuase it will keep us safe from the dangers around us that are so prevalent in society today.

    I love you all, and I will talk to you next week in Dunedin! May the Lord continue to bless you and keep up the Great missionary efforts!

Aroha,

Sister Sudweeks

 

P.S.

 Elder Christensen says Hello

  President Hamula is coming to NZ for a mission tour! :) So cool!

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Wedding, fireside, and one more week

Dear Whanu (Family),

   This week has been very good! We have done lots of different things. This week has been a good fast week. We had a musical fireside in our ward, as a type of farewell for the well loved couple (Tui and Cissie Walker) as they are headed off to serve in the Hamiltion Temple on a mission this week. The fireside was very good. Their were several non-members there, and we are going to go and contact them within the next week or so and ask how they liked the fireside. We are just waiting for a list of names from Tui and Cissie Walker to know who to go and see. We already have one person who was touched by the spirit there, and she wants to go to church on Sunday! We are very excited, and can't wait to meet her. Because sister suanders and I are the only two who play the piano we did a lot of singing and and playnig the piano. it was quite exciting! 

    We also had Tame adn Tamara get married!!!! Whoo hooo! We were so excited for them! It was a crazy day filled with many blessing from the Lord.

  One of our investigators has a baptismal date! We are way excited! Sept. 28th. She is so prepared. I think i mentioned her before, KP is her name. She has ben wantign to get bapritzed for a couple of years now, just didn't know how to begin doing so. WE are relly excited! (Excuse the bad grammer and spelling... my keyboard has really stiff keys and it is taking me a while to be able to type)

   I was reading in the BOM this week in 1 Nephi 11:31. I was raelly cool becaus my companion was studying the exact sam thing. This scripture said that the Lord will show himseld unto us by his sspirit. I thught it was neat that the Lord showed himself unto the people back in hte day and he continues to do so but he dose it thruogh his holy spirit now. This is also illistraetd in 2 Nephi 26: 13.

   I know for certain that the work is true. God lives and he loves us so much. Through him we can do so may miracles and much good amongest his Children. I am so thankful for the chance to b here at this time serving the Lord.

I love you all! Have a great day!

Love (Aroha)

Sister Sudweeks

p.s. Transfers are next week! LOCO!!! Time is going by tooo quick!

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Dear family,

   So this week the email situation is a little crazy, so if I don't email you back today, that is why, We got less time today. This week has been really good. We met this great girl, her name is Katrina but she goes by KP. She is so sweet and is really excited to have us come and visit her. We can't wait and I am really looking forward to teaching with her. she's golden! :) 

   We had a batism on Saturday, it was this Investifator thatthe elders were teaching. he is really cool! He is looking forward to serving a mission in a while now that he is baptized. He is really cool guy! 

  Next Sunday we are having this fireside for Bro and Sis Walker in our ward. They are serving a mission in the Hamilition Temple. They are so beloved and highly thought of in the community. We are playing (sis Saunders and I) in the fireside and singing and we are really looking forward to it. They invited lots of people to come and this is going to be a really good missionary opportunity that is for sure! 

  I was thinking a lot this week about our life before this earth. And I was pondering the role of agency. Agency is so important. It's so important that we all stood up for and protected our ability to have agency in our pre-earth life. And now we get to use agency here on earth.  its hard to be teaching people and you see them use their agency to reject the gospel, but that agency is something I fought a war in heaven for, and I am reminded of how important agency is to us. May we all use our agency as our Heavenly Father would have us exercise it. 

  Oh! Funny joke! My Companion told me a story about her explaining how Adam got his wife Eve to this little boy. That she was made from Adam's rib. He then went runnning for a bit and came back saying "oh no! My Rib is hurting... I think I am having a wife!" hahaha :)

 I love you all! Have a great week! 

Sister Sudweeks

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Something must be done

Dear Family,

   Hello! I hope this finds you all well! I am doing very well, a little cold, but nothing major. I am sad because I have been taking my vitamins pretty religiously, but I suppose they are making the cold ten times less worse than it could be :)

   We had District meeting last week with President Kezerian. It was so good! He really is so nice. He said something that I found really insipiring, and it was about this meeting he went to titled Something Must Be Done. This meeting was for missionary work in the church, and the title naturally got him nervous... I find this statement so insipiring because as President Kezerain was telling us, we can't sit on our bottoms waiting for something to be done. We must just go and do. We want to have better prayer and we need to take the actions to do so, not just sit and wait for it happen. I want to have more member involvment in the work, then I need to take the actions to do so. Truly if Something must be done, and we need to just go and do it.

   Funny story, we had dinner the other day with a member. We were waiting for her to bring it to our flat, and then we finally found her number and callled. She asked what was up and we tried to ask about dinner without making her feel bad if she had forgotten, and she said "Oh! That is what that was for. I thought I had signed up to answer a questionaire!" Haha. She was really kind though and took us out for dinner and fed us Tai food. She was so nice!

   We had stake conference too this weekend which was awesome! I love it so much! Tame and Tamara came too and it was just awesome! Something I really liked was what Sister kezerian mentioned about her friend who was able to be in one of the church productions. She was told she had such an important part and was asked to stand in a part of the scene and not to move, later she was asked to move. She felt bumbed that she wasn't doing her importnant part, because she was now off stage. But she decided to be happy and visit with the other people standing there. While she was doing this she met this man, who she found out was playing the role of Christ. It wasn't until she left the Lime light so to speak that she fouind christ. I feel this is the same way for us too. Its the moment that we leave our thinking of Me or the Me mindframe, that we can grow closer to Christ.

   Another thing that happend was that President Kezerian and Sister Kezerian sat sdown and talked with Tame, tamara, and us. Tame had a question and it turened into a lesson with President and SIster KEzerian. This reminded me that just like President Kezerian did even though he was super busty, he took time for the one, just as the Savior does. Somthing that was talked about was reading the BOM, getting a blessing, and praying. He mentioned how he and sister Kezerain prayed together morning and night and the strenght that brings. I was thinking about that and in 2 Nephi 32:9, I realiazed why that is improtant, for us to pray. We can pray for ourselves nad others, but its so much more powerful when we pray for eachother with eachother, It's when we do this, that we are truly concencrated by the Lord, because he can then take all that we pray for, and when it's something the Savior would also pray for (for we pray in his name John 15:7) then will our prayers have a more powerful effect to concencrate us and those we pray for.

 I love you all! Keep the faith!

Aroha,

Sister Sudweeks

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Miracles :)

Dear Family,

   Thanks for all the emails! I am sorry if I don't get to respond to you all personally, times limited, but send me your addresses then if I don't get to you I will send you a letter :) This week has been really good. We had some cool expereinces with our investigators. Tamara has a set date for marraige! We are so excited! Because here in NZ you get more money for being single than you do for being married, so we have been working a lot with her getting her excoted to get married. It was really neat beczuse we have seen God working in her to help her know she is going to be okay financially. She even came to church this Sunday! Which is awesome because last time we talked she said shes would some wwhen she is ready. She is so mature though. She only 21 but so mature. Tonight we are going to get her to stop smoking! A fun thing for us: Tamara is pregnant and we saw her Saturday adn she was a little upset because she was craving bacon and eggs and she didn't have any and they couldn't buy any, so Sister Saunders and I bought her some and dropped it off telling her we had way too much in our flat. She was so excited :) Then on Sunday we had her say the prayer and she thanked God in the prayer for us bringing her bacon and eggs. It was really sweet and made us smile :) Though the Elders were a funny as they protested after the prayer, why didn't we get any?!!?!? 
  yesterday we had a really powerful lesson with Kuini and Taylor. We taught them the Restoration. We were wondering how we would address her concerns, we know what they are, but we only know because her mum told us, and so we were trying to figure out if we should just address them or wait for her to tell us. But as we know Heavenly Father knows everything! :) I was bearing my testimony and Heavely Father took over and through his spirit I started giving an experience to her and telling her how much God loves her. It was really neat because as I was speaking I could feel God working through me, and it was so cool to see Kuini regconize the truth of what I was speaking in her eyes. Heavenly Father really is mindful of us and all that have a concern about. 

  Antoher cool thing. So in Ether 15, it talks about Corintumer and how he began to regconize his wrong doings and to feel sorrow. But he refused to be comforted. In Moses 7:44 it talks about Enoch who was also sorrow and also didn't want to be comforted but he chose to allow that comfort to be given to him. I found these two verses really powerful because Corintumer dies and Enoch lives. the difference between their two outcomes was that one chose to be comforted and the other didn't. This made me really think what it means to be comforted, and I came to the realization that it can mean to repeant and be forgiven. I would hope that we all would be as Enoch and be comforted or repeant and be forgiven, no matter how big or small something is we have done, its better than the fate Corintumer suffered. 

  My companion said something I really liked. Fill yourself with so much good you don't have time for anything else!  This is so true! I know as I have done this as a missonary I don't have time for sorrowing or anything like that because I am doing good and filled with Joy. 

   If you haven't read the August Engisn yet you should it is so good! :)

   I'm learning some Maori! It's been fun. One of the families we teach knows Maori and so after or before lessons her kids sing us a Haika and teach us a word or too. One day maybe they will teach us the Haika too! :)

  Keep pressing forward and God bless you this week! I love you all and I hope you keep having a wonderful week! 

Kakite(goodbye)! And Ahora(Love),

Sister Sudweeks

p.s.

I started driving this week!!!!! :) Wasn't too bad at all! Sister Saunders says I am pro :) I still get turned around getting in on the other side of the car though, and its hard ebcause I now have a bulge of car on the left rather than the right but other than that its great! :)

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

My first Assignment!

Dear Family,

  Kiaora! :) I have been assigned my first area! I am serving in the Masteron area, Upper Hut Zone. :) It's really nice here and everyone is so kind. My companion is Sister Saunders! She is really nice and is from canada.  We are white washing the Masterton area and it has been a very different expereince, but a good one. We are thankful the Elders have us some of their investigators to teach as it has helped make things a bit easier as we try to find our own investigators. We are teaching to Tame and Tamara who are really awesome! They already have a baptismal date and we are just trying to get them to stop smoking. Theya re alomst there andw ea re expetcing to see miracles any day now! :) We have aour bikes now too, and they are super sweet. The Elders rode our bikes home the other day for us, as it was raining and so we drove the car (the elders have been so good to use and have really been great gentleman. They are both fro Utah Elder Christensen and Bearnson). They likened our bikes to corevets. :) Mine is white and has a leaf design on it... very fitting for me I think :)

   Thursday the Releif Society presdient's husband died. He was very loved by ther ward members and we were privlaged to go and see his viewing. It was under the Maori tradition which they have the body in the hosue and sleep there with their belvoed family member for a couple of nights. They also eat lots of food. For a LDS /maori tradition, the viewing is more of a sad/happy socail event. With the Plan of Salvation, everyone is not so sad about the persons's passing. It was really neat for use because we got to really meet the ward memebers there.

    so something neat! For training we went over how to get someone to pray,a dn then later that day went and taught this family how to pray! It was really neat because we saw the Lord's hand in that preparation. He helped me as I was practiing before hand to know how best to help the little kids in the family know more about how to pray. We were so blest and it is so true, the Lord will let you know what to say if you first study it and obtain it from reading!

   The church is true! Help the missionaries in your area by giving them names of people to visit, its so much easier to find people through member invlvment. :) Truly we are missionaries full time to teach, but we are all full time missioanries to find people to teach :)

I lvoe you all!

Sister Sudweeks

   

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Fwd: picture

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Rachel Kennedy <rachel.kennedy@myldsmail.net>
Date: Mon, Jul 29, 2013 at 2:05 PM
Subject: picture
To: annemarie.sudweeks@myldsmail.net

My district! Mormon :) We are the best!

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Flying out tomorrow

Dear family,

 Wow! So much is going on! First, I fly out tomorrow at 12:20pm. Then we head to wellington! WoW! The MTC has been the bst most spiritual experience I have had so far. I love it here! I am sad I am leaving but I am really excited to get out in the field and learn everyhitng there! I incuded some pictues. THe one where I am standing by my companion in fron of the MTC is Sister Kennedy. She's so sweet.

 Last sunday President Keung asked me to sing If you could HIew to Kolob before our firesdie. It was a wonderful experence and I really enjoyed being able to sing again. :) I also have learend how toplay touch rugby! Awesome stuff! The Tongan and Soaman elders were really impressed with my skills :) Haha, its the funnest game ever!

  Cool things this week:  I learned that prayer is correlated to sacrifece. When we pray for help to feel the spirit more, we are saying in our prayer we are going to sacrifice those things that we do that would inhibt us from ffeeling the spirit more. I just thoguht that was a rteally powerful concept, that like olden times, they sacrificed the best of their flocks all the time, we still do the same thing but its with our prayers.

 Another thing: I was listening to a fireseide last night by Elder Holland. He talked about how missionaries should have at least one convert, and that convert better be the missioanry. I really likied how he brought up that missionary life, shring and teaching the gosepl is realy life. Eveythig else we get so caught up doing, schooll, work, etc, etc doesn't matter, and we would do good to remember that. Missionary life and familiy is real life.

 I love you all and I wish I could write more, but I got ot go! All the other distircits need to wirte today too!

Have a wonderful day!

Love,

Sister sudweeks

 

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

So... turns out I am writing monday!

Dear family!

 Sorry about the confusion about when I write turns out I write today and I didn't find out till 40 miuntes of our assigned time was over with so I have twenty minutes to write. Sorry about that! I wish it was more but this will have to do.

      Things are great here! I feel humbled each and every day while at the same time being spiritually fed every second. I have so much to learn to be a better effective teacher as a missionary. but I am trying my best to learn everything that our teachers are teraching us. Brother tagaga'e (said tanganga 'eh) really made us realize we have a lot to learn by playing a hard investigator Saturyda. it was really humbling to realize man I don't know as much as I thought I knew, but thats okay. I still have this week to learn more before I go out i the field and experience the hard and good times constantly.

  We are teaching two investigators (our teahers)> Theier names are Jacob and Ese. They are both realy nice, and I am really liking the fact that I have to teach soeone the gospel I hope by the time I finsih here I will be able to help at least one of them feel the desire to be baptized, by the Holy Ghost, really thoguh I am just the portal in which God causes them to feel this way. So we will see. Sister Kennedy and I are ding are best.

     It's cold here! Haha, I thought It wouldbn't be that bad, but its cold. I am keeping warm thought with my nylons and jackets! :) And the food they serve here is always warm! So that helps!
     Lasty night we watched the REstoriation video. It was so cool. It really helped me realize more how hard it was for Jospeh Smith to do what he did. I know life can be so tough and hard, but it gives me great joy to know that we can do all things through our Savr Jesus Christ! He will always help us and strengthen us! I am so grateful for this knowledge and I know this church is true. I am so grateful for the blessing the Gospel gives us in our loves.

 

 Okay! So I am out of time! I will hopefully be able to write you al next week!

Love,

Sister Sudweeks

 

P.S. Emma its not sending it to Heather V. will you forward it to her for me? THanks!

I will email you Kenna next wekk! I love you tons and miss you lots! SMile for me :)

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

First day in the MTC!

Dear Mom and Dad,

Kioroa (Sp? Anyways means hello in Maori)

 

 Hey! I am here! And I sucessfully made it through customs and the plane landed safely in Auckland! After I left you guys, I made my way to the front of the security check point line. I found my gate and was suprised and happy to see there were three other sisters there! Sister Kennedy (From Brigham City), Sister Morris(From Utah) and Sister Milne(From Star Valleu Utah). Along with a lot of other Elders! There was a total of 19 of us who traveled fom LA to Auckland. The ELders are Hamiliton, Kelly (from Manchester UK), Norderland (sp?) (from Switerland), Magnum, Lovelace, Brown, Richardson, Adams, Child, Farnesworth, Smith, Paulson, Yates, and the other last names are escaping me right now... but I have them written in my journal. I really lucked out and was able to sleep most of the flight! So that was really nice. Elder Smith was my sitting partner along with ELder Yates and we had lots of good conversations. Elder Smith is definitely a spiritual power house. It's really neat. Our whole group has really just clicked. I feel we have all known each other way bag. When we arrived in Auckland 5:30 am, we were met by two brothers who took us to the MTC. I had to have one of my pairs of shoes sanitized as we went through customs, as it had dirt on it... haha that was semi embarrasing, as I was looting through my suitcase to first find the afore mentioned shoes, but all is well, and now I have a wonderful pair of sanitized shoes! :)

 President Tarawhiti (said Tarahfeetee) and his wife welcomed us here about 7 am. The building here is really small, but I love it. You can just feel the spirit here right off. And everyone is so nice here... I have been told everyone gains 20-60lbs here... throughout the mission, so it should  prove to be an adventure! The food here is really good, but defintiely not as many choices as provo. I am grateful for that, because it makes it easier to eat at least a little more healthfully. After breakfast, I was the first to go and visit with President Tarawhiti. I have been called as the Sister Coordinator with my companion Sister Kennedy! (So Excited we are companions!) SC is the equavalant as District Leader. I am still getting an idea of what we do, but Sister Kennedy has been taking it in a stride, and I am very geatful for her to be there as my companion. And I am so excited to learn the things she has to teach me. President Tarawhiti says that this MTC is the best MTC out there, which I totally agree just being here a couple of hours. I am in the Mormon group, (each of our groups are split in to different groups assigned to a room named after a BOM prophet) Tomorrow the real routine starts, and I am looking forward to it. We follow the exact schedule that all the other MTC's do around the world, so it will prove to be a vigirous day. I took the jet lag pills, so I hope they work! I am pretty tired today, but I think I can function for most of the day today.

  I have my name tag now, and I feel pretty official. I know this is what Heavenly Father wants me to be doing right now, and I am so happy that I am. I know great things are in store, and I have many lessons I need to learn and I cannot wait to be taught by members, my companions, and investigators.

   We get to go to the temple on Wednesday and I am really looking forward to it. We are about 1 1/2 hours from the temple, so on Wednesday we will get to drive and then go to a session and also visist the visitors center. I am really looking forward to that and I cannot wait.

   Part of the schedule includes preparing a 5 minute talk for Sundays, as anyone could be called up to speak. I am looking forward to it as it will help me focus more on a particular subject.

  It was super neat, on the flight on the way to LA, Elder Yates was the only one in our row who sat next to a nonmember. She and Elder Yates began talking a lot, and by the end of the plane ride he had placed a BOM.

  From the schedule, it looks like I will be emailing on Sundays in the afternoon here, so that means you will be getting my emails Saturday? I figured it out on the plane ride that Will is only four hours behind me! Wow! So close to my cousin! :) The plane we flew in was pretty fancy, the food was good too. We had broiled beef, tomatoe zuchinii, scalloped potatoes, a roll, a potatoe tomatoe salad(which didn't taste that great), and a really yummy parfait desert. For breakfast I had fruit, yogurt, and a muffin. Then the MTC fed us scrambled eggs, pork, toast, yogurt and fruit. I was glad

   So, I don't really know what else to write about, but everything is great! I will send pictures on Sunday, sorry I didn't think to bring my camera today. I love you all lots and lots and I hope you had fun at chuckie chesses after dropping me off!

I know this church is true and that the Our Heavenly Father, God, loves us all so very much.

Keep giving your best and God will provide!

Love,

Sister Sudweeks

 

P.S. Emma Baker! Send me Heather's email? I put it in wrong and so I need it again. Thanks! :)

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

Travel Plans!!!!

What a way to start off the day! :) I had to run into town to do some errands for my mom, and on the way back home I decided to get a Kiwi Loco (1. because Frozen Yogurt is so much better than ice cream in my book, and 2. I figured it was one of the last times I would have a frozen yogurt in quite a while) Well, as I am driving back up to my house, I find I am behind my Grandpa who was driving my brother home to pick up his shoes, he forgot when leaving the house today. When we walked into the house, there was a package sitting inside the door. My grandpa picked it up, and I wracked my brain for what it could be (I was pretty sure I had received everything I had bought for the mission), when my grandpa looks at the return address and exclaims: "Travel services!" He tried to keep the envelope away from me, but I would have no such thing. We both wore anticipated faces as I ripped open the package and took out my long awaited travel plans! : D
 So I will be leaving Salt Lake City on the 16th with three other Elders, and then from SL to Los Angeles CA. From LA we will fly to Auckland! (That is going to be such a long flight!) Then on the 30 of July I will be flown to Wellington where I will be assigned my area! Wow! I just can't believe it's finally happening! I am so excited!

How to write me if you would like to:

Write to this address from July 18th to July 30th. 
Sister Annemarie Sudweeks
New Zealand Wellington Mission
New Zealand Missionary Training Center
19 Redoubt Road
Manukau
Manaukau City 2241
New Zealand

After July 30th to Janaury 18th 2015, send letters and/or packages to:
Sister Annemarie Sudweeks
New Zealand Wellington Mission
324 A The Terrace
Te Aro, Wellington 6011
New Zealand

You can also email me at
annemarie.sudweeks@myldsmail.net

But! :) I want to write you back and I am not sure how much time I will  have so include you address in the email and if I can't write you back via email I will send you a letter! Can't wait to hear from all of you!!!

About Me.... :)

I am going to be serving a mission in the New Zealand Wellington mission! I am so excited, and I cannot wait to be getting out there! I report to the New Zealand MTC in Auckland on July 18th. I am currently awaiting the travel plans from the mission office! Whoo.... no anxiety what-so-ever! Haha, actually it was a bit stressful, but as I have not heard anything from Church Head Quarters I haven't worried too much. In order to get my visa I had to get a bunch of blood work done, a chest x-ray (just to make sure I didn't have or had have TB) and a whole bunch of other things... (Seminary certificates, you name it! :) But compared to all those going to Brazil I certainly got off easy!
    I just love this Gospel. If anything these last couple of months waiting to go have been nerve wracking (leaving the country for eighteen months without much contact with your loved ones can be a hard thing), but my desire to share this Gospel has trumped those things of nostalgia. One of the biggest things I have realized is this Gospel is all about Families. The reason we are here on earth is so we can be a forever family. That is something that is so dear to me heart and being able to give others that same joyful message is something I really want to do, and I am grateful that the Lord is helping me and letting me do this.

So New Zealand... That was a fun day when I opened my call! February 15th I recieved my call and on the 16th I opened it with my family and friends. It was neat my cousin Elise guessed New Zealand right before I opened my call, and she was right! She was very excited about that! :D Joe Hyde was kind enough to give me a ride down from Provo to Pocatello the 15th. He and his family have been great friends to me... though that particular day he kept teasing me about opening my call right then in the car! Haha, luckily my disposition is not violent in nature otherwise I think I would have had to give him a friendly punch in the shoulder to show him my resolve not to open the call until I was home! (JK Joe :) No but we did have a fun bantering session on our way down from Provo to Pocatello. Luckily for me I didn't get nervous at all or anxious until about an hour and a half before I was able to open my call. For all of those who have already gone on missions, I suppose you know the feeling. But it was so neat, when I opened my call I just knew New Zealand was exactly where I needed to go, and I couldn't picture myself going anywhere else. It just didn't fit.

So Why did I decide to serve a mission?

To be truthful, I hadn't really considered it. I did think about it seriously after I graduated high school, but by the time I was the age girls were able to serve then (21), I thought I could potentially be married or stuck deep fast in the Nursing program. So, due to that, I didn't really think about it much. I figured I could think about it more after my schooling was complete and if that was an option by that time. Then, the fateful day happened where the mission age for girls was changed to 19! I was 20 that year, one year from being the age of going on a mission historically, and about 2 more years of Nursing school left at BYU. It was crazy to see the transformation of everyone deciding to serve. I came home from conference to find one of my roommates knowing the day of the announcement that she needed to go and my other roommate seriously considering it. (both of whom are currently serving in the Indianapolis mission and the Tokyo Japan mission) For me the decision came much more gradually. I starting thinking about it a lot, talking with my parents, reading talks, and praying (lots and lots of praying). And one day I just knew it was right. After I made the decision that I needed to go, I have still had instances where I have wondered if I heard correctly and made the right choice, and each time I would have a little nudge from the spirit saying yes. I am grateful that I can confidently say to you now that I know I am supposed to go on a mission. I can just feel it in :) It is such a wonderful neat experience to have the Holy Ghost speak to your spirit, spirit to spirit. Those are moments that I treasure deeply and think about often and this is one of those experiences I have had. I wish I had some powerful transforming moment that I could share with you, but for me, knowing to serve a mission just came in little moments and slowly over time. I suppose for me this was one of those moments where I was filled with  "fire and the Holy Ghost, and [I] knew it not." (3 Nephi 9:20 Book Of Mormon) until now :)