Hey everybody!! :) How is everyone this week?! I'm doing great thanks for asking! haha Just been preparing and getting myself ready for the adventure ahead of me! Sounds like some really fun crazy stuff out there! And I just can't wait! Sounds like a completely different world out there.. The only thing that will be a little hard about leaving this area is we have a lot of good stuff going! These areas in Tauranga and Rotorua are pretty hard to baptize. We've been struggling a bit.  Our companionship has done great on everything else just not that final commitment and step of finally getting them baptized.  And so the week I leave right after we have 3 people being baptized.. All my hard work here and I won't be able to see the fruits!! :( So that's kind of rough, but at least as long as they do get baptized that's all that matters to me.  This whole transfer we've just worked so hard to get this area back on it's feet and rolling again.  Things are looking very promising for the upcoming elder.  Pretty sure Espino will stay haha. It's been a wonderful experience and great opportunity to be training.  I've learned so much about myself and I've grown alot in these last 4 weeks.  It's really weird because New Zealand really feels like a new home and now I'm even leaving here! It's like I got another mission call when I got the news.  It is a whole different mission out there and a completely different experience.  I'm just pumped!

So as a lot of you have heard New Zealand had a horrific earthquake.  That is far away from me though, that's on the South Island.  Add those people in Christchurch in your prayers.  These last days are just getting worse and worse.  Apparently the fault that Christchurch was on there's one that Tauranga is on just as big! haha but I'll be out of here soon so no reason to worry! :)

This week was a great week, just nothing I love more than serving the ward!  I'm leaving to Niue on the 12th I think? So got a couple more weeks here! Sounds like I'll be missing conference! And wingers even worst!! I don't know if they do a broadcast in Niue probably not.  So all I really know about Niue is that I'm driving an old van, one of the only cars on the island.  Everyone loves missionaries there.  They do celebrations for them.  A lot of seafood and fruit! Takes 40 minutes to drive from one side to the other.  You'll know everyone there.  You play a lot of volleyball and do a lot of service.  Not much actual "proselyting" like here.  I do try to pick up the language as I go.  They do speak some english as well.  It's for sure 6 months.  The people just sound amazing! And it's just this beautiful little island where we're the only missionaries there!  Those are some of the things I've heard and some other little things but it just sounds like it's going to be an amazing adventure.  Niue is inbetween the cook islands and Tonga I think.  It's further away from New Zealand than Tonga is and it's just a puny little island.  So it will be just like the Other Side of Heaven! :) haha They call me Kolipoki here! just kiddin!  But this will be a lot of fun! I talked to some Niueans this week who visited our ward and they just freaked out hearing I was going there and they said they'd be visiting me when I get there.  So not much more news just getting a deep breath before the plunge! It's just crazy to think that how long i've been out already that's how long i'll be there.  Feels like i've been gone forever!!! Also feels just like last week I was home.  It's a time warp! But anyways this will be my home soon.. Niue.. Can't beleive it it still hasn't hit me! But it still hasn't hit me that I'm even on my mission! Crazy how things work!! haha :) Pretty sure I'll still be able to contact everyone just fine and it will all work out I havent heard anything like that so nobody has to worry!! :) I love you all so much and I'm grateful for all your support! Hope you all have a wonderful week! I love you!! :)

 

Elder Devey

 

Feb 20, 2011

Aloha everybody! So a lot of fun things and exciting news this week! First off, just like that the Lord has given me another big calling and a challenge! As you saw in the heading! I think the family already has heard because the President called them. But he needed to find out exactly how obedient and trustful I am because I'm going to be all alone soon! So our mission covers all of the North Island of New Zealand, and a random island 1400 miles away close to Tonga and those Pacific islands.  It's a tiny spec of land and every once in a while they'll send two random missionaries there.  Out of the 200 something missionaries in our mission somehow I was lucky and blessed enough to get this call. President called me earlier this week and just started asking questions about my worthiness and how obedient I am.  He's like, “alright cause I'm going to need to know I can trust you, I won't be hearing from you for 6 months” I was like “what?!” He tells me you're going to Niue! Not only is this very rare but I feel it was very inspired. 

Growing up I always had the vision that I would serve among people like that on a small island and I kid you not! I just started crying when I heard the news.  I've never been more excited for anything in my entire life!! Not only is New Zealand amazing but to get to have an opportunity like this.. It will change everything about my life. It's still going to be hard to though.. New Zealand has come to feel like home, and now I'm leaving that too.  Background from what I've heard of Niue! Don't know much maybe you guys could tell me more.  But a couple months ago they ran out of toilet paper haha.  The van the missionaries use is one of the only vehicles on the island so people are always interested. (I get to be the designated driver by the way haha.) Only a tiny airplane will land there once every couple weeks and everyone goes to watch it.

 I'll have to learn Niuean as I go! So I do get a language! haha :) I hear they're wonderful people but it's hard to baptize there, so I may not be seeing the success that I've been able to here.  Doesn't mean anything though! I'll just go out there with the same mindset of saving souls!  There’s not much people that live there, you apparently end up getting to know everyone.  Do lots of service and you literally get to have a mission like the "other side of heaven!" haha except the island's smaller than Tonga!  It's really sad though because a lot of the missionaries I've come really close to or even President and his wife will be gone when I get back... It will be a whole different mission.  By the way we found out our new President this week! They'll be coming in July! So a lot of that will be really hard.. But I'm so excited.. Right away I got a confirmation from the Lord that this was right.. That the Lord needs me there for a reason.. I can't wait to go and be a representative of Jesus Christ on that island.. It's going to be so exciting.  My comp is going to be Elder Losalu, he's a Tongan that came in with me.  Apparently the language is really similar to Tongan so they always have a Tongan and a palangi (white person) that go.  I'll definitely be the only white person there! haha Kolipoki! haha :) It's sad I'm leaving this area so fast.  Just got here now I'll be going.  We finally have gotten the area rolling again and I'll be taking off! So that's kind of hard! It's going to be a whole new world there.  This will definitely be the furthest away from home I've ever been.. News with this area, our baptism we were going to have this week is being pushed back 2 weeks.. So I may not see one in this area.  At the end of last year we baptized weekly! But the first 2 months of my "full year" on the mission we've had nothing.. But I know my efforts haven't been in vain.  Though I don't get to see the fruit of my labors I'm satisfied and comforted with my efforts.  I truly have been giving my all, I feel I have been serving with "no regrets".  So maybe this is my miracle and my blessing from my labors is preparing me for a new adventure on Niue..:) It's hard to not get excited or think about it! Trying my best to focus!!!  I love you all and I thank you for the support!!! :) It's amazing to see the blessings and miracles back home!! I love you so much!!!

Elder Devey

Happy Valentines Day

What better way to spend the day than spreading the Lord's love to all?! So it's all good! :) Hope everyone had a wonderful week this week and hope that dad had an incredible birthday and Heather had a great one as well a little earlier!! I miss and love you all! And especially on this Valentine's Day I spread my love to you all back home!!

This last week was a good one! I feel confident with our area again.  We've been able to keep it rolling and get it back on track.  This last week we were able to set a few for baptisms, so some will be coming up here.  None for this upcoming week though.  The one we had for this week fell through on us he just disappeared! But we have solid ones coming up so that's exciting!  This last week we had heaps of tradeoffs.  We had a 2 and a half day one with our DL because he lives so far away.  Than the next day we had one with our zone leaders.  It was so funny, poor Espino was absolutely terrified to run the area! That literally feels like just yesterday when I was like that! It basically was!  Things have been going great.  We've been working hard each and every day.  We've been able to have a lot of success which has been wonderful.  The Lord has truly been providing for us.  It's amazing how he really does take care of everything.  If you but have faith and say your prayers and go to work he really will take care of the rest.  If we're obedient to God’s commandments and work hard and seek the kingdom of God all else truly will be added unto us.  We've been able to have a high number of lessons and as well investigators to sacrament meeting.  We need to just finish up and get them baptized! So this week we're going to just go nuts and literally declare repentance and baptism to everyone!  This week we're going to try our best to invite and commit all our investigators to baptism.  It's going to be so much fun! I'm excited! :) Nothing better than serving the Lord!!

Having this new calling has been a wonderful experience. Espino's great! It's been a lot of fun!! Some really funny experiences! It helps me to realize how much I've truly been able to change on my mission.  Seeing someone who just came out of the world and his testimony makes me realize how this experience really does change your life.  I used to be just like him, and now I don't even remember those days even though it was about 6 months ago! I can't believe how fast the time has gone!!! I'm already 1/4 done!! :( to fast!!!!! It's kind of scary... Of course I'd be excited to come back home!

It's so amazing here. And being this close to the Lord constantly is something I want for the rest of my life.  I've been able to grow a lot.  When we stretch ourselves is when we truly grow.  If we continue doing everything we've always done, we'll get what we've always got.  So we got to stretch, go outside our comfort zone and that's when the growing and progression takes place.  We need to continuously be looking to the next step that will get us closer to Christ and how we're going to do it.  If we're not moving we won't ever change, things won't get better! I've learned that a lot with this whole experience.  I was forced outside of my comfort zone and I've grown so much its incredible.  I feel like a completely new man.  The Lord is shaping and molding me to who he wants me to become.  All we have to be is willing and allow this change to take place and trust in the Master's hands.  These concepts have helped me so much to accelerate my growth, strengthen my testimony, and draw closer to Christ.  And it applies in all aspects of life.  So if you want something new or want to grow have faith and go for it! Act! Do something new work for it the Lord will provide!  I've definitely learned that trials make us grow so much as well.  They do of course seem hard at first or even unbearable, but in the end it is all for our own good. We're down here to grow, progress, and prepare to return back.  How are we going to grow if we don't experience hardship? There must be an opposition in all things.  That way we truly can become like our Father in Heaven!  So I've truly been grateful for the experiences and trials the Lord has put before me, it has helped me in so many ways.. All I can say is keep them coming!! I want to be the best instrument in the Lord's hands I can possibly be! So I'm excited for trials! :) Anyways hopefully these lessons I've learned will be of benefit to some of you as well! Hope you all have an incredible week!! My prayers are with you all! I miss and love you all!!! :)

Feb 6, 2011

Kia Ora once again from the land of Aotearoa! :) I hope you all had a wonderful week!! Not much happened this week! Just the first week of the new transfer and the fun circumstances in which I get to serve in! I'm definitely blessed to be here in the part of the Lord's vineyard! This week we worked very hard! Poor Espino is not used to this torture! Haha I just went hard out all week! The second I'd hit my pillow I'd be gone.  I've never worked so hard in my entire life and I absolutely love it.  It's just so rewarding.

This week we were able to work with the members a lot.  Great ward! I feel like we're picking up the area decently and carrying on where the last missionaries left off.  We had lots of lessons this last week and caught up a lot.  It's finally not feeling so stressful! Still so much work to do But I'm feeling really good about everything.  I feel like I'm doing all I can at this point.  I've never been so consecrated to anything in my entire life.  I have such a passion and desire as of late.  Just been doing all I can for the Lord and I've never been happier... I hope all of you back home are keeping your chins up and working hard as well. The Lord is always there for you and he knows what you have been through.  Alma 7:11-12.  He went through all of that so that he could know how to 'succor' you individually.  He knows how to comfort you he knows how you feel.  So if you turn to him, he will always be there for you, he keeps his promises!! I love hearing from you all! Thank you for your prayers and support!! :)  I pray for you all and wish you the best! :)  Have a wonderful week everybody!!! And shout out to Big Pop!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!!!!!!!!! :) He deserves it!! Everyone give him a big hug and kiss for me!

 Love you all!!!! :)