Coming home. . .

9/26/10
Well this week was the delightful week of transfers, and you will never guess where I am or should I say where I am back to. Can you say OTARA haha probably not, but I am back. That was my very first area, so today I am back on the same computers in the library, and will go back to the same shopping places and all the good stuff. I was definitely not expecting it!!! A few changes though, I serve in a different ward, just the same stake, and am still a Zone Leader! My companion is Elder Rea (pronounced Ray). He is from Australia, so I am glad for that, weird enough I get along best with the Aussies over the Americans. Elder Rea is like Australian version of Kyle (my brother). He has been a Zone Leader for quite some time now, in fact he was my Zone Leader when I was a district leader in Papakura! We work very well together and I am very excited about the upcoming 6 weeks. I will for sure only have 6 weeks with him because he is finished after this one. This is my first time killing off a missionary so it will be a fun experience, and very rewarding at the end because I will end up with all the stuff he won't need back home like ties and shirts and stuff! The tradition continues however I have only had one companion my whole mission that had less experience that me with regards to time on the mission haha. So we cover only one stake as a Zone which is the Great TAMAKI (Tom-a-key). It is literally the Heart and soul of the mission. This past month 9 of 9 companionship's baptized and hit a new zone best of 20. October is setting up to beat that as well. It is total shell shock from my last area of rich and white people back to my favorite Polys and poor as..... The food is to die for and the portions should be illegal!! The cool part is that y ward now meets in the same chapel as my first ward Tangaroa, so I was able to see many old faces. I also hope to see Eseta this week and commit her to be baptized. I know I was sent back for a specific purpose and I feel that she and a few others are a big part of that. Now I have a lot more in my library of knowledge for the Holy Ghost to draw from so I feel that now may be the time!! We are very busy all the time since people are so receptive here. Also busy with making sure all the missionaries are staying obedient the members love the missionaries so much down here that often times the missionaries take advantage of that or that we all live so close together. My last area was bigger than the whole zone I am over now haha. So there are a lot of the things that we have to keep an eye on. At transfers President pulled me aside and said that I need to learn from Elder Rea and connect with the language program missionaries because after 6 weeks I will be taking over the area, and he said there are 3 main zones in the mission and you have to learn how to make them successful! Needless to say, I accepted, and again have been humbled by circumstance! I am excited for the challenge and know that God will always qualify those that he calls! The two young girls from my last area were also baptized this past weekend so I was glad to get that news! Mission life is great it is now just time to sprint till the end of the year we are so close to following the call of a Prophet and to double our baptisms we just have to put it into high gear and qualify to be instruments in the Lord's hands! He will do the work we will just be used by him. It is good to be home or at least in a place that feels close to it! Oh and day light savings time was this weekend for us so that may be why you get this later than usual! Life is good and it was so great to hear from all of you today. I love you all more than words are able to express and will be eternally grateful for the people that have been placed in my life!!!

P.S. The picture is of the "refreshments" after a baptism we had this week this was about half the food I kid you not for about 35-45 people haha life is GREAT!