A new week, another transfer gone and past :)

Dear Whanua,

    Hello! How are you all this week? I hope you are doing well! I have my new companion Sister Farr here and she is great! She is from Lehi Utah. As one of the members said "Oh right next to Nephi and close to Sariah". Haha yep that is where it is on the map! ;) She is so nice and I am enjoying learning from her. She is teaching me so much. She just came out of the MTC and it was fun to hear what her MTC teacher focused on compared to mine when I was in the MTC.

   It was Sister Farr's birthday on Friday and the Elders surprised us coming out behind the bush by our flat 15 past nine and sang Happy birthday and gave us juice, sprite, tim tams, and chips. It was so fun and they gave me a birthday cake for my birthday just past, best Elders in the Mission!

    My companion and I watched   talk given by Elder Pierson of the Area Presidency here and he talked about how we need to deepen our spiritual conversion. My companion then made the comment that a good indicator of our spiritual conversion is the desire we have to share the gospel. I really loved that quote. and it is so true, the Sons of Mosiah and Alma and many of the prophets in the Book of Mormon tell us how much they desired the welfare of those they were around so much so that they prayed for the gospel to be brought to them. I hope to always have this kind of spiritual conversion to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

   I love you all and hope you have a great week!
Love,
Sister Sudweeks

Faith, trust, and a little bit of Pixie dust

Dear Whanua,

    Hello! Mololelei, hola, kia ora! It is another week here in Rangiora, and it has gone by so quick! First, I will be staying here and my new companion is Sister Farr. I am excited to meet her and see where she is from. Maybe she is Kiwi and I will learn the Kiwi accent more now :)
  This week we had a special conference where Presdinet Mosnson and Elder Oaks spoke to us. It was wonderful, and I am grateful for the council which has been given. Something that really stuck out to me was how much we should love others. Many people feel alone, sperated, and sad because they don't feel connected to other people. How improtant it is for us to let people feel coneccted and loved by us and the Lord. ANother thing that stood out to me that President Monson shared was that the Savior was always compassionate, loveing, kind, servicable, and merciful. He did all these things and then he asked us to do it too, how many times does the Lord have to ask us to "follow thou me?" I hope and pray that I will forever be quick to hear it once asked and then to respond with all the fervor of my heart to obey.
    Something else I read this week was by President Hinckely. He was sharing how the President of the Church is not his own, he belongs to Christ's church. It made me think that I too am not my own. I belong to Christ because He first has already boughten me with a price. I am because of Him, may I always put the Lord first in my life and not forget that I too am not my own.
    Miracle of the week: We ahd a district service, and we went there and the lady cancled. We didn't have anywhere else to go but there were 8 missionaries all ready to serve, so we said a prayer, SIster Glenn mentioned how the Lord will ope up another door because this one has been closed. We then prayed and began to drive to an area we picked on the map. On the way there we stopped and talked this man building a fence\. He wasn't interseted thoug, so we moved on. The Elders then texted an investigator who said he could use some help. WE wne tnad helped him move, it was great. We found out aftert that just a half and hour before this investtigator had been wondering how he was going to movce all his stuff, he was moving and then he recieved this text from the Elders. Truly the Lord knows are needs and if we wil be faithfull and trust the Lord's timing many ways and things will be opened up for our opporuntiy to serve his children.
I hope you have a great day!
Love,

Sister Sudweeks

Happy May!

Dear Whanua,

  We had a great week this week: exchanges, district meeting, being led by the spirit and seeing less-actives come to church. We were so excited to see Christine Fraser who we helped clean her gutters come to church on Sunday. That was so exciting for us and we were so happy about that! She is less active, but has voiced desires to come back to church and go to the temple. We are excited for her and were able to give her a New and Returning member progress form so we could help her progress to coming back to church. We are excited for this upcoming week for more service and telling people about the Stake conference on May 18th. We were able to knock on this door on white street and visit with this man. He had just visited with the Elders on the street a couple of days ago, but we were able to visit with him more and talk to him about Prophets and what we do as missionaries. It is wonderful to see the Lord prepare people in steps to here the gospel or to hear more parts of the gospel. What a blessing to witness such miracles!
   We also helped someone clean her yard, another less active. I hope we can help them come back to church and stay fully active forevermore. I know the Lrod would bless them so much with eternal blessings. Hope to be able ot help them see that and feel the Lord's love for them.
  Thank you all for the birthday wishes! I had a wonderful bithday and the sisters who came up down from Timaru helped celebrate it with us. (we had exchanges). I learned how to throw shockput (sp?) we had a competition after we finished cleaning, my companion is a professional athlete, she is good! We had fun and a good laugh and went back to work.
    Something I loved that was shared yesterday was that when we pray, there is real power in prayers. When Joseph Smith prayed he recieved an answer. He also received more than he asked for. He asked to know which chruch was true, he was told not to join any of them, he was chosen to be the prophet of the dispensation and was given a Book to translate that talked more about God and what he has to Share with us. The same thing happens when we pray. We recieve more than we ask for, and all of that because Heavenly Father loves us more than we can possibly imagine and only wants to bless and change us. 
   I hope you all have a great week! Be like the Stipling Warriors firm and steadfast always abounding in good works. Never doubt that your ancetsors knew and know the truthfulness of this Gospel. I know this is the Church of Jesus Christ. His church is a church of order, and I know that this Church is made exactly after the Blueprint He estalisehd when he was on Earth so long ago, I love this gospel. I know Thomas S. Monson is the prophet for our day and Jospeh Smith was called of God. One of the Elders said it so well, I would die for this Gospel if the Lord needed me to. I know Families can be together forever. I am grateful that the Lord has given me this time to proclaim this to all the World.
I love you all! 
Love,

Sister Sudweeks