What will you do with the time that is left?

Dear Whanau and friends,

 Kia ora! Hello from Paraparaumu, my new area. I found out that I am actually living and covering the Paraparaumu area, but I am a part of the Titahi Bay district, turns out Paraparaumu is so much more beautiful. Or maybe i am just biased because that is all I have really seen. But it is so pretty! There are mouantains all around me, and the ocean on the other side, pine trees, cabbage trees, flowers, wild flowers, can't get any better. :) I am serving in a ward, they are great. We have our first ward activity this friday, trunk or treat! :) Hopefully lots of people show up!

   My new companoin is sister Foliaki, She is so sweet and such a sweet heart. I love her so much already! I am learning so much from her all the time! We walk and bike a lot here, it has been so good, and we have met some really cool people as we have been walking around town these past couple of days. WE didn't email yesterday because of a public holiday-- labor day. So emails are today. :)

    We watched a video from our area seventy on Sunday and I loved the question he asked, "What level of spirituality are you currently choosing?"

    We have been given permission to listen to EFY songs now, and one of them has made the title of my email this week. In the song the artists says "what will you do with the time that is left? WIll you live your life so there is no regrets?"

    What are we doing today, that if the Savior was coming the next day would we have regrets? Would we be using our time to help His work? Showing him our love through our desires and actions to give our whole souls, heart, might, and mind to His work?

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

Love,
Sister Sudweeks

P.s.

Have a wonderful Halloween!

Big CHANGES

Dear Whanau,

   WEll! What an amazing august week! :) (I learned the definition of a new word today) And so much is happening this week! First, my companion is leaving to go home. Second we are closing down Timaru to the Sisters!!!!!! Ahhh! And I am being transferred to Wellington to the Titahi Bay area!!!! :) I am so excited! I know this is where the Lord wants me to go. So today, lots of packing, syaing goodbye to members and invisetigators and on my way to my next area! Time does fly!

    So this last week we had exchanges. The Sisters came down from Rangiora to visit, That was really good. :) We had a great exchange! Found some potentials, one of which we went and saw this week. Their names are FEta and Feau. WE had a good converstaion with them. they had the missionaries come around two years ago. 

Um, what else this week..... We had another amazing lesson with our investigator who wants to get baptized. So excited for her!

   This Sunday we had the primary program. It was so fun to see the little children share their testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. I truly know He lives and loves each of us dearly. After church we had a meeting with the Elders and transferred our information over for them so they know who are investigators are, as they are taking over our area. And then we went and had a lesson. We watched Finding Faith in Jesus Christ. I really loved one of the lines in there, it said as we believe in Jesus Christ He gives us power. I have been thinking about that line. He gives us power. And how does He give us power? He gives us power to overcome death, overcome our sins, and to become more perfected in him. We are given power to be able to have the Holy Ghost to always lead us in the right way. What a wonderful blessing!

I love you all so much! Have a great week! Next week I will be emailing you from the North Island! Ahhh! :D

Arohanui,

Sister Sudweeks

General Conference

Dear Whanau,

   Sorry this is going to be a quick email time for me again... we are having another Zone P-day! Aahhh! Crazy! My companion is also having her last week of the mission this week, so that will be crazy as we get everything ready for her departure home. THe time has flown! next week is transfers, so I will see who my new companion is too.

     Well, this week we had General Conference.... I just loved it it was so good! :D I am so excited to begin implementing and working on all of the things I felt that Heavenly Father wants me to start doing and changing. Truly it is a wonderful thing to be able to listen to. What did everyone enjoy most about conference?

   This week I was reading from the Ensign about this talk given in last years October conference. The Speaker likened his learning experience of playing basketball to Discipleship. To play basketball he learned that one had to be dedicated, persevere, and be self-disciplined. Likewise it is for us. We must also have these three things as Disciples of CHrist.

    This week we did heaps of service. Cleaning the chapel, gardening, we had District meeting outside then the weather turned so we all made a bee-line for the chapel. :) Conference, door knocking(where we found someone who told us to come back! Pretty cool), all in all a wonderful week! :D

    Another quote I read I really liked "He[Heavenly Father] has actually given His Angels-- invisible beings of power and might-- charge concerning us and they watch over us and have us in their keeping" President Cannon.

 Have a wonderful week! THank you all for your prayers! Know I am also praying for you in all you are doing each day.

Much love,

Sister Sudweeks

Dear Whanau,

    Wow What a week! Conference was on for all of you eh? How exciting! I bet you have loved every minute! I cannot wait! :) I am looking forward to it immensely!

   This week we had an amazing miracle with the investigator I mentioned last week who has been reading the Book of Mormon. She has been having some opposition about learning more about the Book of Mormon and she shared with us how she doesn't understand why so many people have problems with it as she feels in her heart that it is true. As she asked us this she knew the answer already. It was so cool to see how the Lord has been preparing her for the Gospel and to accept it into her life. She is coming to conference this weekend. I can't wait to see what her experience is like.

    We had a random hail storm.... oh my companion had so much fun! She couldn't beleive it--as the hail started acting like snow! Crazy! I was so excited to! Looks pretty cool, the hail. :) It didn't last long though....

    So if you haven't read this talk you should it is amazing. It is called His Grace is Sufficient by Brad Wilcox. Sister Shayna Sudweeks mentioned it in one of her emails a while back. It is amazing! Something that really stood out to me from this talk was that The Gospel of Jesus Christ is all centered on Changing us from our natural selves into Heavenly beings. The first to principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ-- Faith in Jesus Christ and Repentance give us the desire to change,

the second two Baptsim and the Gift of the Holy Ghost (and all future ordinances and covenants) are the way we are shown to change, and endure to the end provides the necessary push to internalize those changes so that they become who we are not just how we act. It is through that internalization that we become changed and new beings.

I love you all. Hope you have a great week!

You are in my thoughts and prayers,

Arohanui,

Sister Sudweeks