August 19, 2012 Kia Ora, Kia Ora!!

What up everyone?! :) Oh my goodness!!! It's gettin close ya'll! you're all probably pumped to see the new and improved Parker man! Hopefully i don't dissapoint! I remember always seein missionaries come home and it was a black and white difference! They grow so much! So hopefully you guys like the new version! I tried! :) haha but I'm still the same goofball i've always been! I think i've just learned some very important lessons that have changed my outlook on life completely! Not that I'm thinkin of comin home or anything! But it is kinda closer than i realize.. It's finally hitting me I've noticed.. But not really? Feels like home is SOOO far away and almost like a dream, like it never happened and I've been here my whole life it's really weird. And I'm pretty sure that soon the mission will seem like the dream which is a sad thought... People here are always talking about it and sayin such things! Freakin me out! :( I miss the Whanau(family) and can't wait to be reunited more than anything!! But also.. There's so many things about New Zealand and about the people that I so do not want to leave.. It tears at my heart the even thought of it.. Lately there has been a few times lately where I have just started bawling out of nowhere just by the slight thought of not seeing these people again or not having these incredible experiences.. It's going to be hard.. But this day had to come! I gotta keep going!! I'm so thankful for everyone's support and love from back home.. I have felt it and am so grateful for your prayers. I'll forever be grateful! :) I love you all so much!!! So let me tell ya of the work and what's happenin in this part of the vineyard! Well.. Miracles of course!! No doubt bout that!! :) So last pday was actually pretty enjoyable! We drove on down to play some ball with our district! Elder Dyumthi one of my all time favorites is in our district so it was super fun kickin it with him! He's hilarious!! :) Another one that it's gonna be hard to part ways with! But anyways so it was a good pday! Came back and had a FHE with a family in Torbay! Always good stuff the members in these wards are HILARIOUS!! It's been way fun!! :) On Tuesday we had Zone Conference! President has been super funny lately! You can see how much he has loosened up especially with me cause it's gettin close! He's like this is your last one isn't it? I was like President how darest thou?! And he just laughed and hugged me and told me to keep on keepin on as always!! He's such a wonderful man:) So zone conference was good! Good to be with all the missionaries as always!! :) We've been havin heaps of lessons with our main man ET!! :) More miracles with this guy!! So it's all planned out that it will happen on the 1st of September my last weekend. At 430 he will have his baby blessed, they'll get married, and he asked me to baptize him!! :) So we're pretty pumped about that!! Great last Saturday that will be!! :) Pretty exciting stuff!!! He's the man he's been eating it all up!! He loves it and it's amazing to see the changes that have been happening with him! He came to a activity that we had and enjoyed himself maybe too much! haha and he also came with us to a missionary fireside last night which was a really good experience as well!! :) So we're excited for him and his family and are really looking forward to that! Our bappy supposed to be happenin this weekend with our Tongan Alfred we gave him over to the Tongan missionaries. It will be a better situation for him! He's got mates there and speaks better tongan so off we sent him!! :) God speed Alfred!! um.. what else durin the week? Oh!! That Japanese girl named Kea that I told you about that came to church and was a pure miracle!! So we've been teachin her and we have an RM that speaks japanese with us to translate. They've been the funniest lessons! She's an absolute sweetheart!! She's keen as!! Just doesn't speak a lick of English!! But that's all good cause we learn by the Spirit and she's super receptive!! Some members are bringin to our flat some couches and things tommorrow so I'm pretty ecstatic about that! :) Ya than the Minute to Winit activity on Friday was a lot of fun! We got quite a few investigators there and they all really enjoyed it so that was good!! Than Saturday we had baptism day!! Elder Luamanuvae's first!! :) What a great experience that was! She's amazing! Her name is Dinah and she's Maori, she's 50 years old. Elder and Sister Nelson who are senior couple missionaries played a great role in it. She lives up in Warkworth but there is no font up there so they came all the way down to Hibuscus. We got everything set up and it was incredible! Heaps of her Whanau came and it was a very spiritually uplifting experience for all in attendance. Elder and Sister Nelson go home tommorrow and it was a wonderful mission ending event for them. Elder Nelson baptized her. I've drawn really close to both of them throughout their missions and love them very much! So it's tough to see them go as well!! :( On Sunday they picked us up and took us to Warkworth branch for the confirmation. Of course me and my comp both gave talks! As is custom first time missionaries come. The branch is TINY!! Smaller than my Niue branches!! It's a little rented out building with like only 12-15 people who come. So we blessed the sacrament, gave talks all that jazz! :) It was fun and the confirmation was very good as well!! We saved another soul!!! :) Whoooo!! It was fun driving back with the Nelsons! They're all about home now just talkin it up! and Elder Nelson is like don't distract Elder Devey! and than she's like he's basically going with us he needs to think of these things! So that was fun!! Beautiful drive as well, just such a gorgeous country!! :) Um... besides that?! Just workin to the end!!! :) I love you all heaps and hope you have a great week!!! Can't wait to see you all soon!!!! LOVE YOU!!!! Love Elder Devey