Aloha!!
Hi everyone. It's Elder Devey once again!! :) Hope everyone is just doing absolutely wonderful and that all is going well for you all! I miss you all and pray for you constantly!! It's great to hear from all of you and I am so grateful for your love and support!
Well updates here! Let's see! Well there is quite a lot actually it just doesn't feel like it! It's sad to say which I know it's not true at all but I kinda feel like I'm on auto-pilot mode right now! Everything is just flying by and I know I am focused and I love the work and I'm working hard. But I guess familiarity or doing something for so long every day it's not as exciting as it once was.. That sounds horrible to say cause I love this work more than anything!! I think it may just be the fatigue is gettin to me! My body is getting more and more tired it's crazy! And yet the Lord still supports me and supplies me with strength which is a miracle in itself! :) But I really do love this work and I've never been happier in my entire life!! And we experience miracles all the time so it keeps me pumped that's for sure!!
So last pday was a lot of fun! We've been spending quite a bit of time with the good ol tongan elders Elder Falepapalangi and Herrick! They're awesome and we always have fun with them! Monday night was fun had some lessons with some great new investigators. We've been really blessed with a lot of people to teach and wonderful people for that matter. We're very busy the majority of our time! Almost to busy I'd say!! haha but I'm not here on my time it's His time so all good by me! :) Tuesday was fun as well did our thing and ran on over to all the district meetings in the zone. For once we didn't deliver a message or a training we just sat back and joined in with all the missionaries. We're very lucky we have some incredible missionaries in this zone. They're all amazing it's been so much fun working with them all:)
In the morning on Tuesday we had to take a sister, Sister Engebretsen, from our zone to the mission home because she was making her journey home.. That was sad to see and hard to do because when we got there in the morning we were able to see and say goodbye to all the other missionaries going home.. A lot of missionaries that I grew very close to and that I love! That was tough seeing them go! And also later that night 2 of them going to Auz needed to come and stay with us at our flat so we could take them to the airport in the morning. The airport is in our zone so we have to do things like that quite a lot! And 1 of them was my old companion Elder Fuataga!! :( So it was fun spending the last night with him but also very hard to say goodbye! He was one of my favorites I love that guy!
So all of that were some pretty weird experiences! Oh well I've got a long way to go that's for sure!! Than we had transfers on Thursday!!! Woooo!!! :) Another one!! haha Elder Byam took off down to Hamilton. And now I am with Elder Afa!! Straight from Tonga! :) He came in with our intake and he's now my companion! He actually was just on Niue and came back! He was a junior companion and got thrown up just like that to Zone Leader! ha so it's been super fun!! His english is a lot better though! Before he couldn't say a single word! Still very FOB(fresh off the boat). But good enough! He's the man and just never stops moving! He's an engine so it's keeping me working hard which I like!! So we have loved it and are looking forward for the rest of this transfer! :) So things are going awesome here!!
The other day Brother Peterson got off his mission in our ward. And before he was set apart he came and worked with us all day! He's the man! It was so much fun working with him at the very end there and to see how incredible he is as a missionary! His setting apart was very good but also so sad! He's the man!! Besides that there was heaps of baptisms on Saturday that we always love to go to! So for March the zone ended up with saving 23 souls!!! :) yay!!!! The Lord has truly been merciful and has blessed us greatly as of late! The missionaries are also incredible!! So things are definately on a climb!! :) Church was really good and we experienced some more miracles of random investigators and non-members coming to church which is always fun! That lady that came a few weeks ago that said she wanted to get baptized was already taught by the missionaries in the city and she'll now be getting baptized next week just like that!!! What a miracle!!!:) Also another miracle that Elder Afa and I experienced the other day was that we were striving to reach the standard in the mission of talking to 200 people a week on the streets. We got to the 200 and we could have easily felt comfortable there but literally the 201st person we spoke to is a less-active member who has a 9 year old she wants to get baptized!!! And she really wants to come back to church with the family and she feels this baptism will help push them all! :):):) We're like uh yep we can help with that! So we'll be seeing them tonight! We now have 4 souls set for baptism this month! They are all such incredible people!! We have Alex, Ally, Lilley, Rea, and soon to be this new fella!! :) So we've been really blessed lately and I know for a fact it's nothing we're doing but it is all his wonderful mercy and love!! :) So Saipeis all around!!!
That's all the updates I can really give ya!! Just enjoying and loving serving the Lord!!! I hope you all have a wonderful week and know that I love you all and miss you all very very much!!!!! :)
Lovve Elder Devey
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Monday, March 19, 2012
March 18, 2012
Hiya!!!
Hi everyone!!! :) Hope you all had a super awesome week!! I always hope and pray that you are all doing awesome as always!! I miss and love you guys so much!!! Thanks for your love and support and all that you guys do!!
Things have been going really good here! I find it pretty hard to update you guys on things!! Not much is different than the every day work of miracles and saving souls!! We had a few trade offs this week. The first one I went with a Samoan elder into our area, elder Siaia from Utah:) He's the man! We had heaps of fun and experienced quite a few miracles that's for sure! We met these two ladies running and we talked to them. After our feed they invited us over that same night! One has a boyfriend who is a convert of our church and she was super keen to learn more and says she feels this is what she needs to do with her life. Her friend as well is super keen! We only had a little bit of time so we basically just taught them what we do as missionaries and why. And the whole outcome of what will happen to them as they take and act on our message. Both of them want to get baptized on April the 14th!!! :) Such a miracle to find two super as prepared to the days!! They are awesome!! Such a miracle we feel so good about them. Amazing to be able to find, teach, and set all in the same day!!! Goodness I love New Zealand so much!!! haha :) So that trade off was super fun!!! Oh how I know of a surety that the Lord is in this work because all of these things we definantely could not do on our own!!
Members fed us like crazy this week it was insane!! I think I may be starting to put on again!! haha The islanders they'll have it no other way! They love LOVE to feed the missionaries!! They feel they get blessed so much for it! And I love that as well!! haha :) yeeha!!! So things have been super awesome on this end as always!!
Also went on another trade off with Elder Falepapalangi from Bingham back home!! My SOJO mate!!! We had such a fun trade off in his area! The tongan wards here have been tearing it up as of late! Except because of that huge baptism that Elder Falepapalangi had the other tongan ward is competing now... Which is no good!! The islander pride! But and it's a good but, at least the members are super on board in finding souls to save!!! The other tongan ward now has 7 set on a weekend in April trying to beat that last baptism of 7! Hilarious aye?! So it is bad, but we've never seen the two wards work this hard to save souls so that's a big plus!! :) But ya our trade off together was super fun! Felt like I was back in Niue! Eating at every house we visit! haha It was a lot of fun catching up with him and spending time with him. We had all the MTC missionaries come on trade offs with all the missionaries again on that day. Super fun being with them! Feels like just yesterday I was in their shoes literally! But now it is far down the road.. 6 areas and 11 companions later here I am!!! Craziness!! But it's amazing to look back at all the experiences and memories and all i can think of is God's love... The mission has changed me completely.. The atonement has been activated in my life.. And i've come to know them like I never have before.. The mission definately is the best two years FOR your life.. It has made me into who I am today.. But I can never forget my roots, my family and my loved ones who have also had profound significant affects in my life.. The Lord is so merciful and loving I cannot believe it.. But I know it:)
Besides that things have been busy as!! Running around doing our duties and such it's been great! Love serving other missionaries! :) On Saturday and sunday the zone had a few baptisms again which I love going to!! One of them was in the Niuean ward with a sister who is going home this week it was her last baptism. She's from provo. It was so fun seeing Niueans again and speakin the lingo with them!! It's mostly to entertain them! I'm still just a goofy palangi(white guy):) But even ran into some people that I knew from the island which is rare! Because hardly anyone lives there! So that was a special baptism and a huge Niuean feed after which I have missed!!
At church we had a few miracles!! :) Randoms who showed up with members! The members are incredible here! So we got a few new investigators from that! One of them was even saying how she's been talking to her friend about baptism and she wants to be baptized! It's like what?! See when members are missionaries how this work just rolls goodness me!!! So that's been fantastic in this area!! :) So all is well here! Loving serving here! the people, the missionaries the area I just love it!!! :) I want it to last for forever!! This week will be transfers, pretty sure I'm staying! Just got here 6 weeks ago! Man! These transfers just start going faster and faster!! So I'll let you know on all the news!!! Well I love you all heaps and hope you have a miraculous week!!! You're always in my prayers!! I LOVE YOU!!!!! :):):)
Love Elder Devey
Hi everyone!!! :) Hope you all had a super awesome week!! I always hope and pray that you are all doing awesome as always!! I miss and love you guys so much!!! Thanks for your love and support and all that you guys do!!
Things have been going really good here! I find it pretty hard to update you guys on things!! Not much is different than the every day work of miracles and saving souls!! We had a few trade offs this week. The first one I went with a Samoan elder into our area, elder Siaia from Utah:) He's the man! We had heaps of fun and experienced quite a few miracles that's for sure! We met these two ladies running and we talked to them. After our feed they invited us over that same night! One has a boyfriend who is a convert of our church and she was super keen to learn more and says she feels this is what she needs to do with her life. Her friend as well is super keen! We only had a little bit of time so we basically just taught them what we do as missionaries and why. And the whole outcome of what will happen to them as they take and act on our message. Both of them want to get baptized on April the 14th!!! :) Such a miracle to find two super as prepared to the days!! They are awesome!! Such a miracle we feel so good about them. Amazing to be able to find, teach, and set all in the same day!!! Goodness I love New Zealand so much!!! haha :) So that trade off was super fun!!! Oh how I know of a surety that the Lord is in this work because all of these things we definantely could not do on our own!!
Members fed us like crazy this week it was insane!! I think I may be starting to put on again!! haha The islanders they'll have it no other way! They love LOVE to feed the missionaries!! They feel they get blessed so much for it! And I love that as well!! haha :) yeeha!!! So things have been super awesome on this end as always!!
Also went on another trade off with Elder Falepapalangi from Bingham back home!! My SOJO mate!!! We had such a fun trade off in his area! The tongan wards here have been tearing it up as of late! Except because of that huge baptism that Elder Falepapalangi had the other tongan ward is competing now... Which is no good!! The islander pride! But and it's a good but, at least the members are super on board in finding souls to save!!! The other tongan ward now has 7 set on a weekend in April trying to beat that last baptism of 7! Hilarious aye?! So it is bad, but we've never seen the two wards work this hard to save souls so that's a big plus!! :) But ya our trade off together was super fun! Felt like I was back in Niue! Eating at every house we visit! haha It was a lot of fun catching up with him and spending time with him. We had all the MTC missionaries come on trade offs with all the missionaries again on that day. Super fun being with them! Feels like just yesterday I was in their shoes literally! But now it is far down the road.. 6 areas and 11 companions later here I am!!! Craziness!! But it's amazing to look back at all the experiences and memories and all i can think of is God's love... The mission has changed me completely.. The atonement has been activated in my life.. And i've come to know them like I never have before.. The mission definately is the best two years FOR your life.. It has made me into who I am today.. But I can never forget my roots, my family and my loved ones who have also had profound significant affects in my life.. The Lord is so merciful and loving I cannot believe it.. But I know it:)
Besides that things have been busy as!! Running around doing our duties and such it's been great! Love serving other missionaries! :) On Saturday and sunday the zone had a few baptisms again which I love going to!! One of them was in the Niuean ward with a sister who is going home this week it was her last baptism. She's from provo. It was so fun seeing Niueans again and speakin the lingo with them!! It's mostly to entertain them! I'm still just a goofy palangi(white guy):) But even ran into some people that I knew from the island which is rare! Because hardly anyone lives there! So that was a special baptism and a huge Niuean feed after which I have missed!!
At church we had a few miracles!! :) Randoms who showed up with members! The members are incredible here! So we got a few new investigators from that! One of them was even saying how she's been talking to her friend about baptism and she wants to be baptized! It's like what?! See when members are missionaries how this work just rolls goodness me!!! So that's been fantastic in this area!! :) So all is well here! Loving serving here! the people, the missionaries the area I just love it!!! :) I want it to last for forever!! This week will be transfers, pretty sure I'm staying! Just got here 6 weeks ago! Man! These transfers just start going faster and faster!! So I'll let you know on all the news!!! Well I love you all heaps and hope you have a miraculous week!!! You're always in my prayers!! I LOVE YOU!!!!! :):):)
Love Elder Devey
Monday, March 12, 2012
March 12, 2012
Hi everybody!! :)
I hope your all doing well as always!! Feels like I was just here talking to you! Well here I am again! First of all I love you all very very much and am so grateful for your love support and prayers! You're all awesome and I'm grateful for all that you do for me and for everything that you continue to do!!
This week was another great week!! The missionaries in this part of the vineyard have been on fire! I love working alongside them and am so grateful for the hard work that they put into this work. So this week was just like any other week I guess! haha it's amazing how similar everyday is! But I love it! :) On Tuesday we had a trade off with a companionship as always and that was a lot of fun! And while on the trade off Elder Dyumthi came up from Gisborne again for Zone Leader council on Wednesday. That's always fun having him around I love him to death! So that was a really fun trade off! Than on Wednesday we had our Zone Leader Council again. They come so fast it's crazy! Just come and go! It was a really really good one! We went to this place they call the big guns:) It was a lot of fun and was basically a testimony meeting which is always special:) Learned a lot of things as always, especially what I'm not doing!! haha Oh my goodness how the mission has been so much fun to help me realize how weak I am! But the most important lesson how strong I can be with the Lord on my side!! :) But ya I saw and still see a lot of my weaknesses this week! lol But that's all good! I think I really did need a lot of humbling especially compared to how I was before I left onto the mission.
So that was a lot of fun! And the next day we had a city-wide conference with some general authorities again which was really good! Elder Watson of the seventy, Brother Beck, Brother Osgothorp, etc! It was SOO good!! Learned heaps at it! I love having conferences with the mission! I always learn so much and it's just so much fun to be around all of the missionaries! Than that same day I got to go on a trade off with one of our district leaders Elder Whipple back in my old area of Papatoetoe! :) That was a great day! Got to see and run into a lot of old investigators, converts, and members! It's fun going into old areas! They've been having a lot of baptisms lately so we get to keep going to the chapel to watch those and that's fun running into everyone! Especially when we get to see Junior and Allison always good! :)
Besides that this weekend there were a lot of baptisms throughout the zone! Not for us though but for all the other missionaries. Especially Elder Falepapalangi who I came out with from West Jordan he had 8 baptisms this weekend! And that baptismal service was insane! Just heaps of tongans and food! It was incredible!! :) Nothing like getting to see all the baptisms happen it's the best! So this week was really good! Things are fun! I love serving the Lord! Nothing really new to report just grateful to be out here! My body just feels so tired all the time now though and I don't know why! I don't think I"ll ever get ''trunky'' just very tired! haha But it's all good it's for the Lord and I gotta give my all because I won't be out here for forever! Well I love you all and wish you the best!! My prayers and love is with you! Hope you all have another wonderful week!! Love you!!!! :) Arohanui!!
Love Elder Devey
Sunday, March 4, 2012
March 4, 2012 Kia Ora!! Kia Ora!!
Hello everybody!!!! :)
It's Elder Devey once again! hope ya'll remember me!! haha But it's good to be back talking to you guys!! I definately miss you all very much!!! Oh life is good.. Nothing better than serving I'm telling ya!!! i never want it to end!! Thank you all once again for all your love support prayers and all that you do for that matter! You're all amazing in your own way and I appreciate who you are and especially what you've done for me.. So i love you all what more can i say?! :)
This last week was super good so we'll start from the beginning! Pdays have been non-existent since i've been here but that's all good! Just more to sacrifice for the Lord!! :) But monday evening was really good! Our stake president is the man and what happened monday night is we just stayed at their home for the 3 hours while each hour a new investigator would come and we'd have a lesson! The ideal situation it was so much fun!! lesson after lesson with them coming to us haha so ya our stake president is really onto it that's for sure!! :) on tuesday we had a trade off with the assistants!! That was way fun! I got to go with Elder Kaufusi who is close to where we are in Utah!! He's the man! It was so SO much fun we went hard!! i'm still sore from this week! haha we actually tied the record for most lessons in a week in the NZAM. Lol! That doesn't even matter though! It's just because our ward is way legit! We have an army of young men preparing for missions, some with calls in hand! So we go on splits all the time and just pound our area! Way fun!! So it was a super good week but very very tiring! It's hard to keep a consistent effort! The years are starting to wear me down a bit! But it's all good because the Lord is my strength!! And time now is just flying... It's really scary actually!! But I'm gonna give it my all to the end!!
So we've been working very hard! Elder Byam is the man and is unstoppable! So it's been super fun!! on thursday we had a zone training with president with just our zone! That was really good! Always enjoy meetings, in fact I love them!! Never did before but now I can't get enough! This week I've had to take heaps of missionaries to doctor appointments and such! The errands oh how that's fun! Um what else.. Well I guess nothing up until this weekend!! :)
We had Ruth's baptism!!! :) She has worked so hard for this!! It's amazing to see her come this far! That was such a fun baptism! Really good turn out. There's even members in the ward that play the violins so they did some musical items that were mean! Great service, the spirit was very strong.. She gave an awesome testimony but she's so funny!! haha half maori half tongan. All her kids were baptized last month and now since she has finally overcome word of wisdom issues she could enter in by the way!! :) So ill send pics of that and also nancy's again because I don't think that they worked last week. So Elder Byam did the baptism this time and I was blessed to do her confirmation. I love serving so much it's so fun to see miracles and God's hands each and every day... It has been very special.. I love my mission so much..So it was another great week! Can't believe it's March already!!! Yeehaw!!! I miss and love you all so so so much!!! Hope you have a wonderful week!! My prayers are with you!! Love you all!!! And congratulations once again a shout out to Amber and Russell!!! Love you guys!!! Love you all very much!!! :)
Love Elder Devey
It's Elder Devey once again! hope ya'll remember me!! haha But it's good to be back talking to you guys!! I definately miss you all very much!!! Oh life is good.. Nothing better than serving I'm telling ya!!! i never want it to end!! Thank you all once again for all your love support prayers and all that you do for that matter! You're all amazing in your own way and I appreciate who you are and especially what you've done for me.. So i love you all what more can i say?! :)
This last week was super good so we'll start from the beginning! Pdays have been non-existent since i've been here but that's all good! Just more to sacrifice for the Lord!! :) But monday evening was really good! Our stake president is the man and what happened monday night is we just stayed at their home for the 3 hours while each hour a new investigator would come and we'd have a lesson! The ideal situation it was so much fun!! lesson after lesson with them coming to us haha so ya our stake president is really onto it that's for sure!! :) on tuesday we had a trade off with the assistants!! That was way fun! I got to go with Elder Kaufusi who is close to where we are in Utah!! He's the man! It was so SO much fun we went hard!! i'm still sore from this week! haha we actually tied the record for most lessons in a week in the NZAM. Lol! That doesn't even matter though! It's just because our ward is way legit! We have an army of young men preparing for missions, some with calls in hand! So we go on splits all the time and just pound our area! Way fun!! So it was a super good week but very very tiring! It's hard to keep a consistent effort! The years are starting to wear me down a bit! But it's all good because the Lord is my strength!! And time now is just flying... It's really scary actually!! But I'm gonna give it my all to the end!!
So we've been working very hard! Elder Byam is the man and is unstoppable! So it's been super fun!! on thursday we had a zone training with president with just our zone! That was really good! Always enjoy meetings, in fact I love them!! Never did before but now I can't get enough! This week I've had to take heaps of missionaries to doctor appointments and such! The errands oh how that's fun! Um what else.. Well I guess nothing up until this weekend!! :)
We had Ruth's baptism!!! :) She has worked so hard for this!! It's amazing to see her come this far! That was such a fun baptism! Really good turn out. There's even members in the ward that play the violins so they did some musical items that were mean! Great service, the spirit was very strong.. She gave an awesome testimony but she's so funny!! haha half maori half tongan. All her kids were baptized last month and now since she has finally overcome word of wisdom issues she could enter in by the way!! :) So ill send pics of that and also nancy's again because I don't think that they worked last week. So Elder Byam did the baptism this time and I was blessed to do her confirmation. I love serving so much it's so fun to see miracles and God's hands each and every day... It has been very special.. I love my mission so much..So it was another great week! Can't believe it's March already!!! Yeehaw!!! I miss and love you all so so so much!!! Hope you have a wonderful week!! My prayers are with you!! Love you all!!! And congratulations once again a shout out to Amber and Russell!!! Love you guys!!! Love you all very much!!! :)
Love Elder Devey
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)