July 29, 2012 Gidday!!

Hi everybody!! :) It's Elder Devey again! Well things are going good here what can I say?! Hope everyone back home is doing awesome!! I miss and love you all very very much!! I continually pray for all of you and hope that the Lord continues to watch over you and bless you abundantly!! So this week has been a crazy one! our last pday was pretty lame! Didn't really get up to much. But Tuesday was really good! A part-member family came to church and told us to come baptize their two kids who hadn't been baptized yet! So we're like, um ya we can do that! We went over and taught the two kids on Tuesday and they were keen as! They're awesome! And we set them for baptism for in a couple of weeks! Miracles aye?! Too bad I won't be there to see it but it's all good!! On Tuesday some of the families had me over for their last feeds and things! Went to a Tongan family named the Sikea's. They gave me a mean Tongan gift! This massive wall decoration thing called a Tangutapu I think? But it's way cool!! :) After that we saw some converts, saw Tania, Rebecca and Mata'anu. They got me quite a lot! A cool cocunut ukelele, some cook island necklaces and lava lavas and so forth! It was a fun last night with them I love them so much!! It was really weird but since the airport is in our area we always help out heaps with taking missionaries to and from the airport. We took some missionaries home which was pretty hard because I have become close to quite a lot of them! All the missionaries that just went home in that last intake were all so awesome! I served around heaps of them and got to know them all very well! It was hard to see them go! And we had to go pick up a sister at the mission home and we were there when some of the families and parents came to pick up their sons or daughters from the mission home! That was super weird to see! Got me a bit excited not gonna lie!! ;) My last day in Thomas rd ward!! Oh the beautiful land of Mangere!! :) We had some last little lesson/get togethers with converts and members! Had a feed with a Niuean family, the Taula's. Who of course gave some Niuean gifts! :) Also Nancy and the daughters! Those sweethearts! Saw Emi, etc etc! Just popped in on a lot and said some last goodbyes! I love that ward so much!! The converts there, the members, the people overall!! I miss it so much it's not even funny!! Hands down my favorite area of the mission!! :) But I'll be visiting them soon anyways so it's all good!! Some of the hardest goodbyes were at transfers... Former companions that we knew wouldn't see each other again we all had to part ways.. Some I'll be able to visit again but there's those couple where I don't think it would happen. Elder Losalu and Afa.. My two tongan brothers.. I dunno when I would see them again. They don't even have emails or addresses or anything where they stay in Tonga!! I've drawn so close to these two! They are some of my best friends for sure! Their stories are so amazing as well.. Joining the church was a huge sacrifice for these two. It's men like these that have caused this church to soar. Both got disowned by family and had to live on their own before their missions. And right at a year mark they left all and came to the mission field. Elder Losalu lived nearby Elder Afa and even baptized him because he was baptized just prior. They then both got their mission calls same time to the same mission. They both will go home together and I have been companions with both of them. One on Niue the other in Mangere. They go home a couple of weeks before me due to visas so that was the last time I'd see those two... It was probably the hardest goodbye of my mission yet.. I'll miss those guys I love em so much!!! :( In their broken english:) they told me they'd see me in the celestial kingdom.. Oh the mission!! Just jam packed of changes and hard goodbyes!! There's nothing like it!! You fall in love with so many people out here!! Such beautiful people I've been able to meet out here on my mission. People that forever have impacted and changed my life. People I will never forget and whom I will hold forever dear in my heart..How grateful I am for them and for all they've done for me.. Well enough of this sad business!! :) So transfers happened and I got my new companion! Elder Luamanuvae!! Straight from Samoa!! I've had samoan companions but they were plastic because they came from aus or nz! He's straight from the island! I even was talkin to Elder Whipple how I've had almost every other Islander so this was bound to happen and it did!! :) Awesome aye?! He's the man as well! So obedient and willing! English isn't the best but he's determined to work hard! I just pray I don't get in his way! Studies are crazy now because it's some new trainer program which wasn't there when I first trained. So there's an additional hour of comp study and plus he has his language study so we're in the flat for ages I hate it!!! haha but it's all good! He's soaking it all up! Hopefully I can teach him everything I know! :) The new area is insane!!! SOOOOOO beautiful!!! But MASSIVE!!! And we don't have near enough ks it's ridiculous!! We cover Warkworth branch, Hibuscus ward and Torbay ward. Arguably the richest areas of our mission and it's just the two of us!! I'm a south aucks boy and love the islanders with all my heart!! So this is being a bit difficult to get used to! Prideful white people!! haha But it's all good!! The members are absolutely lovely!! Very fun!! But ya in these 3 wards and branches over the last couple years there has been 1 possibly 2 baptisms over all!! :( The last weekend in south aucks we just baptized 3!!! So this is gonna take some getting used to! The members were shocked to see missionaries! It's been a long time! haha so this is definately that "Mountain to Climb" as President Eyring speaks of! It's funny but I asked for this too! Not only to President but in prayers that I'd be given an ending that would force me to work hard and finish strong! Well I learned that two-fold lesson as well!! So I'll do my best and hope and pray all works together for our good!!!:) The members have been helping heaps and that's been a great blessing! There's potential that's for sure we've just got to find it!! We've met up with heaps of the members trying to get things rolling. They have fed us well! haha we've gotten lost heaps and we don't have a cell phone which I'm not used to!! We've had some funny experiences as always!! We've been grateful or lucky to even teach anything!! lol :) The ward mission leaders in both wards are super onto it and they've been helping heaps!! Than on Sunday in both wards we had to give that big mission-wide combined 3rd hour training that I've already done in the South! So that was exciting as well!! They'd thrown us in the deep end I'd say!! haha It's interesting I'm used to members that will drop anything to help us or let us in! We've had members, even members! (One of them being a bishop) who turned us away at their doors!! haha Not saying the members are mean! Just not used to the white folk!! That's for sure! And the people we talk to on the streets they're definately quick to let us know if they're interested or not!! haha :) But we've been loving it! It feels so lonely though! We're far away and I'm used to being around missionaries ALL the time!! Trade offs phone calls etc etc!! Now no messages on phone, no cell phone, no random errands to be done, just me and my Samoan!! :) But the area is SOOOO beautiful!! One of the best beaches in NZ and the houses are rich as! Everyone is so proper and intelligent!! The ward was actually doctrinally sound which I'm not used to!! haha just kiddin! No more funny talks!! Everyone's so serious! No loud laughters and screaming and joking around. Just handshakes no hugs!! haha It's a change!! But I'll get used to it!! The members really are SOOO good though!! Just haven't served in an area like this!! It's a lot different but we're excited!!! :) For pday not sure what we're gonna do today! Probably check out some beaches!! Well love you guys soooo much have a great week!!! :) ALOFA ATU!!! Love Elder Devey