October 2nd, 2011

Hey everyone!! :)
Hope you all had a fantastic week this last week! I know in my last email I sounded like I was going to die! haha Well good news I'm a lot better now! So that disease or sickness that has been spreading that apparently a few people have died from is called Meningitis I think? Anyways when I went to the doctor he thought it was the beginning of this sickness so that was pretty scary!  He said at least it would be influenza.  Which it was I'm pretty sure because I'm better now.  If I had not gotten better but got more sick they would have had to rush me to the hospital! So that was pretty scary! haha The doctor would call everyday to see if I was feeling better or if other symptoms started occurring.  But things are good now so no worries!! :)

Most of this week I was really really sick though.  I haven't been that sick in a long time it just destroyed me!! haha but no worries now I'm back to my old self!! :) So the awesome things from this last week is that we baptized two of Brother Ngawaka's Mokos(grandchildren)!!! Ibeneze and Demarsio and yes they're named after the guitars! They're such cute kids! Brother Ngawaka baptized both of them and my companion and I did the confirmations on Sunday! It was a real blessing to be a part of all of that!! Nothing better than baptisms on your mission that's for sure!! :) The Zone is looking really good this month! We're on target for our personal best!! Which was like a year ago with 21! We have 20 solid sets right now in the zone and this last weekend we had 4 baptisms! :)

So this month is looking very promising and we're so excited about that!!  We haven't been able to see conference yet that will happen this weekend so no baptisms than.  But the weekend after that hopefully we'll finish off these Mokos!! They're all so awesome! :) Can't wait for General Conference!! Feel like it's the Prom or the Super Bowl or something!! Absolutely pumped about it! We've already found out a few changes going on! We already know that Elder Whaanga my comp will be going back to Auckland as a District Leader.  So I'll have a new companion this Thursday! Change is always fun!! Our two district leaders are going home today actually!! Pretty crazy I know!! So my companion and I are going to have to split up and do district meetings tomorrow for the missionaries.  So back up to the North I go!! :)

I love it up there! So this will be a very busy hectic week that's for sure!! God will take care of everything so it's all good! Well things are going great here as always I can never complain it's the Lord's work I'm a part of so I have to be happy!! haha The gospel is a happy thing!  Well I love you all very much and hope you have another wonderful week and that the Lord is blessing you all greatly at this time! Keep up the hard work and know that this kiwi down here misses and loves you all!!! :)

September 26, 2011

Hey everybody!!! :) How's it going?! I hope absolutely wonderful!! Everything's all good here besides the fact that I've been deathly ill lately! Like no exaggeration on the deathly ill! I've never had to stay at the flat and not proselyte but it happened! My comp wouldn't let me go out! I wanted to but he forced me to stay home and miss church.  Because I guess some serious virus has been going around.. Hopefully I don't have it but I haven't felt this way before so maybe I caught it I don't know!! :( Yesterday I couldn't move AT all!! I was asleep the entire day.. Same with this morning.  My body just has no strength and my head kills, my throat, my nose, everything it's just rough!! But it's all good I'll be better soon!! :)

So this last week was fun! The whole zone headed down monday night for the temple the following day.  This is one part I do not like about being a zone leader is organizing all these things and executing them! Stressful I tell ya! But Monday night was fun because we blitzed everyone's areas actually in my last zone! So I of course went into my old area in Papatoetoe and saw everyone who was baptized the day after I left! haha Went and saw Junior and Allison right away.  Junior's getting the Aaronic priesthood.. Just yesterday! They were saying how their goal now is the temple! They're just so awesome!:) So we shared all about temples and I committed them to go right at their year mark! That would be a week before I go home and I could go through with them! haha That's the plan anyways!

Than saw Miriana and her son lil Richy who was baptized they gave me a gift they're too sweet! So that was fun going back in my old area! In the morning we were off to the temple!!! :) What a beautiful day that was! It was so much fun it was incredible.. Nothing like the temple to get you pumped up and excited to go out and work! I love the temple so much... It's just so amazing so that was really special for me:) Went out to Punaruke, Whangaruru this last week! Driving and preaching by the way on the beaches which is unreal! We have some people out there now that are working towards baptism! Went on a few trade offs in the zone this last week. 

We had a conference call with the zone this morning.  So things are really busy and really fun!! Just hope I get feeling better!! We should be having 4 baptisms this saturday.  Raiha and Ibaneze, Damazio, and Narissa-May.  Bro. Ngawaka's grandchildren:) So pray for that please!!! Well love you all and miss you so much!!! Have a wonderful week I love you1!!!!! :)

Love Elder Devey

Kia Ora!!!

Hi everybody!!! :) Another week down!! Here I am once again! How was the week for everyone?! I hope just wonderful!!! Well let's see how creative I can get with thinking of new things to write! haha just messing!! This last week was awesome!! I spent a few days away from my comp working with Kaikohe and Kataia.  The furthest furthest north you can get in New Zealand.  Those poor elders out there all alone! It's like Niue!! haha So I spent District Meeting up there and Pday and all that good stuff! It was way fun the missionaries out there are awesome! :) What's from Africa and the other is Tongan they're way funny!! So that was a lot of fun! That's what I love about being here I get to go all over with all the missionaries and get to know them all it's alot of fun because we have some incredible missionaries up here. 

Pday we went to some scenic places in the North.  We all played touch on a beach which was way fun than went and took pictures where the two oceans meet I'll attach these photos.  So that was really fun.  We worked really hard this last week and it felt like we finally had time to work!! We got a lot done and October is looking like it will be a really good month for us! We have this Ngawaka family set on the 1st and there will be 5 of them so pray for that! They're awesome! They're grandpa is the man and he does so much missionary work for us he's awesome! He needs all his grandchildren baptized so we're helping him with that!

 Things are going great here I"m finally getting used to everything and I'm enjoying it very much it is super busy though!!! I think I said last week about how President came with us and we're teaching his mother in law.  Sh'es incredible!! We keep helping her and president always calls to see how she's going so it's a bit scary having him wathcing it all! haha We had Stake conference this last Sunday where the temple president and his wife came also President and Sister Lekias came as well! So that was really good! :) Today our whole zone will be driving all the way down to Auckland for the night and we're gonna just blitz another zone.  Than in the morning we have our temple trip!! :) YaY!!! Can't wait!!! :) So that's exciting!!

Tomorrow we get to go through the temple again! But ya we have been having some bleeding in the zone.. A lot of sets falling through even ourselves so it has been a little hard this last week but it's all good!! We have a lot of good things coming our way!!! :)

Well I love ya all heaps!!! Hope you have a wonderful week!! Love ya!! Arohanui!!!!

Love Elder Devey

Hey everybody!

Hello everyone!! :) How's everyone doing?!
Geeze after awhile it feels like I"m writing the exact same email every week!! They come and go so fast it feels like everyday! Well I always love to report to you all about what's going on and what's new!! So this last week was a pretty crazy week! One thing I don't like about being a Zone Leader is that we have to do so many errands and things it's not even funny! This week we were hardly in our own proselyting area it was really weird! So P-day actually was pretty boring last week.  Nobody had money to do anything! But it was alright!

Then monday night we came all the way up to Kaikohe which is the very very north of New Zealand.  We worked with the missionaries up here for the night than spent Tuesday with them as well and went to District Meeting with them.  It was really fun we're so blessed to have such wonderful missionaries in the zone.  They're just incredible!

Than Tuesday night we made the long trip all the way to Auckland and stayed with missionaries in Henderson the Zone leaders there elder Moss and Kitchen.  Than Wednesday morning was Zone leader council.  And this was the first time in a long time and the last time that I would ever see Elder Atkin on the mission again! He's going home this transfer.. Ah I love that guy so much!! It was fun being there with him! The council was awesome:) Learned so much it was just mean!! I was definantely the youngest missionary there haha.  President was sure to point that out! They're all such amazing missionaries I am so not worthy to be there with them!!  There's l0ots of really cool changes happening in the mission I'm excited!

So we finally got back Wednesday night to our area.  Than President Lekias came and worked with us for the day on Thursday!! How lucky are we?! He's really awesome like that! He loves to come and work with the missionaries in the field!  That was a lot of fun!! :) We had all the missionaries and senior couples in the area meet up and Elder Whaanga and I ran a District Meetinng with everyone there.  Fun day but never had that experience with working directly with a Mission President! Besides Niue but that's all service basically!! :) So that was a big surprise!! Than Friday is planning and things for the Zone like ALL day!! So

Saturday was like our only full on legit day to work in our own area!! It was a really strange crazy week!!! But it was so much fun I just love serving what can I say?! :)  We have a temple trip coming up soon!! Can not wait for that!! So excited!! I really took for granted temples back home!!! Because this feels like.. Ah I don't know how to explain it!! Better than the super bowl or anything else that's for sure!! And we have stake conference this week! President Lekias and also the temple president will be coming:) Besides that not much else going on!! Just figuring out what I'm doing!! It's a work in progress that's for sure!! But I love being out here more than anything.. What a privilege and honor it is to be here serving the Master.. I love you all and miss you so much!!! Have a fantastic week!!!! :) LOVE YOU!!!!

Love Elder Devey

Putting our shoulder to the wheel

Hi everybody!!! :) Hello once again from the pacific! Hope everyone is doing just wonderful and having a great time! This week was another awesome week but so so busy!! 

 So from the top! Last pday was bag to the good old touch! I always love playing touch but it was hilarious because we are all so out of shape because of the mission and it took 10 minutes of playing and guys were already laying around! Pathetic eh?  Well I hate to admit but I was one of them!! haha I'm not what I used to be! But at least there's hope of a resurrection! ha just messin! 

Tuesday was the first District meeting in a while where I didn't have to conduct it so that felt like a load was taken off a bit! But now you kinda feel like the big bad wolf coming in and giving your training! But it was really fun! I've enjoyed it very much being a zone leader.  Our zone is really close and unified.  Everyone is very obedient and works hard so we're really excited for what's coming our way! We had a few trade offs this week!  I went with the only Indian in our mission Elder Singh! That was fun and than also the assistants to the President came on a trade off with us.  That was so much fun!! Learned SO much from Elder Greening!! :) He's just incredible!

 We had heaps of miracles that day!! 3 accepted the invitation to be baptized and 2 of those we're people we talked to on their doorsteps and invited them there! It was just a crazy fun day! Than after that this weekend we spent most of it out in Punaruku! That little bay area the most beautiful ward in the country!! We stayed the night at that beach house and had an awesome couple of days!  Worked a lot with the members and got to meet a lot of the people and finding new people to teach.  We want to get that area pumping because the missionaries have kind of not really worked there much since it's far away.  But we know there are souls to be saved out there so we're doing what we can!! :) It was fun staying there it's absolutely stunning!! 

The members are just so great! They're incredible!! Also from my last area in Papatoetoe a couple in our ward that we'd always go around to and also who would help us heaps for fellowship and feeding us moved to Whangarei while I still had like a week left there.  And guess what in little Punaruku all of the sudden we go to this one house and he starts yelling out the window "Elder Devey"!!! It was crazy no way did I think I'd find them out in Punaruku! So they were a little less active back in papa2toes so we got them to come to church this last Sunday and they had us over for dinner after that! A mean feed by the way!! :) So that was really cool to find them here! We basically moved out at the same time to the same ward!!  Sundays are funny because both of our wards start at the same time but are far away.  In Hikurangi ward we teach the gospel principles class like most missionaries do in New Zealand.  But after that as a result of a ward council we had last week we organized a missionary lesson for the entire ward.  So it was combined last hour with everyone and we just hit them hard on member missionary work to get the ward going hard! It was way fun!! We brought heaps of books of mormon and committed everyone to give one to one of their friends this week and we got quite a few refferals after the block! It was way cool!! Ah I just love missionary work so much!! :) If you work hard God takes care of everything! So things are going great here just trying to be a sponge to learn all that I can! My companion has had bad tooth problems lately and we just came from the dentist and he may need a root canal!! So that'll be interesting! Besides that not much else to update you on!! I called Elder Atkin not that long ago because we can call other Zone Leaders! That was fun he's going home at the end of this transfer! Anyways think I said some of these things on my last email! Oh well i know you love it! Hope you all have a fantastic week and May God be with you til we meet again!!!! :)

 

Love Elder Devey

TRANSFER

:) Hey everybody!!! Hope you all had a wonderful week this last week!! I sure had lots of surprises and fun things happening! We'll start from the beginning of the week.  So things were going really good just getting everything ready for the upcoming weekend baptisms of Junior and Allison and Richard.  Things were super busy and a lot of fun.  Also my bday coming up! We had a fun last pday in Papatoetoe, well sorry spilled the beans a bit but i'm no longer there! haha so our last pday we went got some famous butter chicken that I absolutely love and than went bowling with the district.  It was way fun! A good little bday pday!! :) 

Than Tuesday night I got the call.  Usually the call comes on Wednesday's unless it's a new calling.  So President Lekias called while we were in a lesson so I gave him a ring when we get out.  I was nervous because I knew this might mean that I would leave the area and I really didn't want to!! I know as long as they get baptized but I really wanted to be there for that special day.  Aso I loved Papatoetoe to bits!! :) So President tells me that I also have a new calling in Whangarei/Kaikohe.  I don't know how this happened but I think it's a terrible mistake! But I'm now with Elder Whaanga a Maori and I'm a Zone leader with him here in the very north of New Zealand!! :)  It is definantely THE most beautiful zone to be serving in in New Zealand.. Honestly the world!! That's a fact and that's what they say!!!!  It's stunning here.  We have kind of 3 homes cause we cover a massive area! Two are in bays and are literally vacation beach homes no lie, members live upstairs and we stay with them! One of them we have to literally drive on the beach to get to because it's hidden away in a bay.  When the tides up we can't go because we can't drive through water obviously!

  Our main flat in Whangarei is way nice I'm telling you we're spoiled! We also definantely have a car so goodbye to the bikes! haha :)  We got lucky there as well! We have one of three brand new toyota corallas.  Latest model WAY nice car!! Holy cow we're so lucky!! I really don't know how I deserved all of this but it is paradise out here!!! haha so I definantely was sad about leaving my old area but this will do just nicely!! :) So this zone is massive though.  We cover all the way to the very tip of the mission.  So lots of branches and wards still but more Niue style!! :) One of our words out set alone in a bay is just like Niue but way nicer!! haha We're looking to work there a lot.  Seriously it all is so green out here and looks just like Lord of the Rings but with beaches and ocean and everyone is Maori.  No more indians or samoans and tongans.  Up here in the north it's just Maoris. 

 I am so grateful to be serving here and I know that the Lord qualifies for the work he has called us in.  It's definantely been a crash course for me acting like I know what I'm doing but I'm going to do my best regardless!! So that's the news happy birthday to me!! I have mean pictures i'll send but i left my stuff at the flat so next pday.  This weekend Elder Whaanga and his previous companion had sets for last weekend as well so still got to see lots of baptisms.  We traveled all around to go to the other elders baptisms.  Our Saturday that was all that we did! haha Driving all around in the beautiful country seeing souls saved!  So it was a mean Saturday!! Since we can call any ZL in the mission I called back to see how the baptisms of  Junior, Allison and Richard went.  They went all good:) So I'm Happy!! The Zone is just on fire right now! It's been so much fun! This thursday we have a trade off with the APs so that'll be a bit scary! haha oh well i'll get to learn.  We have lots of things planned for the zone so this is going to be a very fun transfer I can't wait! But so much to learn as well!! So now I'm up here in the beautiful North.  Left the city once again! But pumped to be out here! Besides that nothing else to new.  The wards are very missionary work orientated so that's a big plus! Did the whole new missionary in the area thing.  Gave a talk, went and met the Bishops, etc etc!! This next month is going to be huge I can't wait!! But I definantely need everyone's prayers because I don't know what I'm doing! I miss and love you all so much and wish you could see God's creations out here in the Pacific... I love you all!!!!!! :)

 

 

Love Elder Devey

PDevey's Bday

Hey everybody!! :) How's it going?!

How was everyone's last week?!  Sounds like everyone is doing awesome!! I can definantely say that I miss you all very much! Especially as it draws closer to my birthday!! haha Weird being on a mission during this time! It doesn't feel a thing close to my birthday! Feels like I just had my birthday not that long ago! And I'm pretty sure this won't feel a thing like my birthday! haha :) Oh well! Sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven! So I'm all good! :) So this week was really awesome!! Lots of good things happening! 

We've been working with a lot of members lately they've been a huge help.  We've been able to find many prepared people.  This last weekend we had the baptism with Adam.  His mom and little brother will be next month.  They have a little more work to do.  But Adam is choice! He's almost 13 and just a really good kid.  So that was fun having his baptism.  Also this last week we knocked a random door(which I guess we do always) and we found Darryn and his 2 daughters.  We set them 3 for baptism at the end of the month in September.  We can really see our hard work paying off lately:) So September will also be huge for us.  This coming weekend will be Junior and Allison and also our man Richard on Friday night!! :) And it's gonna be big the ward is planning all this stuff for it so it's going to be a really fun baptism! Not only that but out of all the people i've taught I honestly think that Junior and Allison may be two of my all time favorites!! Their conversion has just been so beautiful to see and they've gone through so much.  I think just really seeing the Lord take over and wrought a change in their hearts was so wonderful.  When we first met them they wanted nothing to do with us! It's been a couple of months and now they are absolutely pumped about this friday! So please pray for these three!! :) So this weekend will be really fun and on Wednesday I turn 20! Thursday is transfers.. I really hope I stay.  I love it here so much.. 

 The ward is so awesome and it's such a great area and I love my companion as well.  What more could I ask for?!  I really do hope I stay! And I know that as long as Junior, Allison, and Richard are baptized that's all that matters! But I still would love so much to witness them make that promise with God.. But it's all good if I'm not there!! Hopefully I am though!! :) So this week should be an exciting one!! A lot of fun things coming our way!! Definantely a good birthday week!!! :)  Really what more could I ask for?.. I'm serving the Lord.  There's nothing more beautiful than this.. I am so blessed and lucky.. Happy Birthday to me!!! :) That's for sure!! Well I love and miss you all so much and hope you have a wonderful week!!!! :) My prayers are with you all!

The ward is getting very excited about missionary work I love it!   

Love Elder Devey