Well another week, month, transfer have all come and gone! So as you know my old companion Elder Rea is home. So I got a new companion, his name is Elder Brown from Khasville, Utah, so I am back to an American. He was companions with Elder Rea when they were my Zone Leaders in Manurewa. He just came from Waipuna ward where I have also served, and when I became a district Leader I replaced him in Papakura. He is a solid missionary, but the trend continues..... I have only had 1 companion that has been in the field for less time than I have, and that is when I trained! Elder Brown goes home in January, so I may also kill him off as well not to sure!! We have had a lot of changes in the Zone only one companionship did not have a change in it so now we are working at getting to know them and striving to help them catch the vision! Elder Brown and I also moved flats so now are flat is bigger than a shed, which is really nice, but we spent about 8 hours cleaning the filth that the old missionaries lived in and were ok with. Obviously they didn't have my mom as their mother! The flat is now super nice, and the spirit is strong!!
We have had a bust week with transfers and all that so not too much work going forward, but we were able to set a boy names BJ, and his mom named Poly for the 27 of November!!! They live with their Sister/Daughter Sister Pisa. We have had some very spiritual lessons with them!! They went down to the temple for a visit, and the mom just couldn't stop smiling and saying how good she felt!! We taught them that night after they got home, and they asked how they could go inside, we explained and then committed them to be baptized after a bit more talking they accepted, and now the work begins!!! Charles and Junior got the priesthood yesterday, and Charles bore his testimony in church so they are still progressing which is very good to see!! We are working very hard to "fill the pipes" we have a fairly low teaching pool, but we have faith that Heavenly Father is preparing the hearts of his children to help them receive us and his gospel!!
Well now to some home stuff... I am always happy to hear about Palo Verde victories I think I have more pride in that school than 90 of the students that actually go there ha ha. Hopefully they can take out Gorman or who ever is the competition of the year!! Speaking of sports I want to play rugby league when I get home, I know it isn't very popular, but it is so much fun. Of coarse I will be back in the wrestling room asap. Last week on pday I wrestled a few Elders one that wrestled in High School you will be glad to know that I remain Undefeated on the mission!!! Estee I am so excited to see your house it seems like each week you have done something more to make it a home. Have you "dedicated" it, if not get Dad and Kyle to!! Dad I miss dutch oven cooking heaps, and that food you made sounded delicious! I am glad to hear that Grandma Tryon doesn't have cancer that is a huge relief!! How are the Stucki's I have not heard from them in months!! I know everyone is busy so I don't blame any one!
Well that is my update for the week as you can tell things are going very well we are excited for the next six weeks and the miracles that will be about!! Please continue to pray for me and those that we teach!! Hope you have a safe and enjoyable week!!! I love yous all!!!
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Elder Matthew Lee Stucki N.Z.A.M.
November is here?!?!?!
Wow I can not believe that we are into the 11th month of the year that is truly insane! It was a really good week. Boy sometimes I wonder if I just copy and pasted an old email if anyone would even notice. Ha Ha just kidding, but I feel that I am at that point in the mission where home is a fairytale, and mission is the only life I know. Good mostly, but when it comes to P-days comes around it is weird trying to relay what is happening here in "real life" to "Fairy tale land". My companion leaves one Wednesday I take him home to the mission home tomorrow morning, then he flies back to Australia Wed. morning. He has definitely been one of my favorites! We work very well together and also goof around with the best of them! We have been very blessed this past month the zone Saved 17 souls, and has 21 lined up for November! I will find out who my new companion is probably on Tuesday, and then transfers in on Wednesday! This should be a really big transfer for the mission, due to the fact that the last two have been rather small.
Well news from this week Junior was baptized, so that was great to see! We also had quite a few people at church, so we are hoping to set a few more than we already have for the month of November. I spoke at our stake priesthood meeting on Sunday so that was a good honor. One of the stake presidency members asked me after speaking at his home, and at church! I feel it went really well I spoke to encourage all the young men to serve a mission. I hope that it went well. Well sorry, but I am out of stuff to say if I think of more I will come back later, but don't hold your breathe I love you all, and hope that Heavenly Father will continue to bless you as I serve faithfully!
Well news from this week Junior was baptized, so that was great to see! We also had quite a few people at church, so we are hoping to set a few more than we already have for the month of November. I spoke at our stake priesthood meeting on Sunday so that was a good honor. One of the stake presidency members asked me after speaking at his home, and at church! I feel it went really well I spoke to encourage all the young men to serve a mission. I hope that it went well. Well sorry, but I am out of stuff to say if I think of more I will come back later, but don't hold your breathe I love you all, and hope that Heavenly Father will continue to bless you as I serve faithfully!
Better late than never! 10/25/10
Hello to ALL! This Monday was Labour Day for New Zealand, so all the libraries were closed and you are getting my email a day later than usual! Things are still just chuggin along. We had a wonderful weekend both Michael and Charles were baptized as you can see in the photo! I baptized Charles and Elder Rea baptized Michael! That was definitely our most exciting news of the week, but I will now continue to write in fear that my mother would not be too happy if she only got a 3 line email ha ha. It was great to see the change in their hearts and in their countenance as they came out of the water. Charles could not stop saying how good he felt and smiling from ear to ear!
We had a very busy week with trade offs almost everyday helping to solidify the investigators through out the Zone. Friday night came around, and I was thrashed, my companion and I jokingly wondered how we could do it again? We have always been blessed with just enough energy to get through, but it is all worth it when you see the change in the lives of those that you teach. We have another busy week making sure that all 11 of the zones baptismal candidates go through this weekend, and the mission is really counting on it! We had a conference call with all the ZL's, Assistants and President Porter on Monday. It was really good to hear of some of the future events that we ave coming in the mission, and things that we want to accomplish! We now more than ever need the constants prayers of all. I wish I could explain more on the events that are in the future, but President made us all vocally agree to keep our mouths shut ha ha. So we put our head down, and do just as the picture says "Keep on Trucking"!! I am thankful to be in the service of a loving God that always provides a way for us to do what he has asked!!
We have been unable to catch up with Eseta, but I am still hopeful that the Lord will help her understand the importance of the decision that is before her and help her to make the right one! I am not sure how much I have talked about Morehu if at all, but she came to church on Sunday, in all white might I add, and she loved it. She is a Maori lady in her 50s or later, and for a majority of her life was big into drugs! She has lost a lot of mental capacity due to it, but she has been clean for a few years and has been searching for God in her life! She loved church, and said that it really helped her to get through the trials she is having. Right now she has a sister in the hospital sick with cancer, and she has lost 4 other family members in the last year or two, so she has a lot of built up pain and frustration. She will hopefully be set for November! Thankfully we have a very supportive ward that took her and all our our investigators right in!! Bishop is one of my favorite definitely in the top 2 and he is coming with us to her lesson tonight so I am excited for that!
Well I am off to slay dragons and save the world. All in a days work I guess ha ha. Thanks for all the emails, love, and Prayers. May God bless you all in your righteous endeavors!!! I love you all heaps!
We had a very busy week with trade offs almost everyday helping to solidify the investigators through out the Zone. Friday night came around, and I was thrashed, my companion and I jokingly wondered how we could do it again? We have always been blessed with just enough energy to get through, but it is all worth it when you see the change in the lives of those that you teach. We have another busy week making sure that all 11 of the zones baptismal candidates go through this weekend, and the mission is really counting on it! We had a conference call with all the ZL's, Assistants and President Porter on Monday. It was really good to hear of some of the future events that we ave coming in the mission, and things that we want to accomplish! We now more than ever need the constants prayers of all. I wish I could explain more on the events that are in the future, but President made us all vocally agree to keep our mouths shut ha ha. So we put our head down, and do just as the picture says "Keep on Trucking"!! I am thankful to be in the service of a loving God that always provides a way for us to do what he has asked!!
We have been unable to catch up with Eseta, but I am still hopeful that the Lord will help her understand the importance of the decision that is before her and help her to make the right one! I am not sure how much I have talked about Morehu if at all, but she came to church on Sunday, in all white might I add, and she loved it. She is a Maori lady in her 50s or later, and for a majority of her life was big into drugs! She has lost a lot of mental capacity due to it, but she has been clean for a few years and has been searching for God in her life! She loved church, and said that it really helped her to get through the trials she is having. Right now she has a sister in the hospital sick with cancer, and she has lost 4 other family members in the last year or two, so she has a lot of built up pain and frustration. She will hopefully be set for November! Thankfully we have a very supportive ward that took her and all our our investigators right in!! Bishop is one of my favorite definitely in the top 2 and he is coming with us to her lesson tonight so I am excited for that!
Well I am off to slay dragons and save the world. All in a days work I guess ha ha. Thanks for all the emails, love, and Prayers. May God bless you all in your righteous endeavors!!! I love you all heaps!
Good times in South Auckland
Well Kia Ora to all!! What a week of adventures it has been. It is so true that emailing just does not do the stories justice, but I guess I will give it my best shot and your imagination can fill in the rest!!! I guess I will start with the things of no real value other than a good laugh. This past week between Elder Rea and I along with one other companionship, in a 3 meal event, ate 58 pieces of KFC Chicken, 12 chips (Fries full containers), 3 mash potatoes and gravy, 5 Coleslaws, and 5x 1.5 liters sodas. Boy was it tasty ha ha. It is really quite fowl if you think of it, but you only live once right? Point taken if I continue to eat like this my life will not be as long, but when it is put on the table you eat and don't say a word! It is funny the food we consume while serving in South, but what can I say I have always been a fan of food!
Well on a more missionary side of things we double our member present lessons this week with 18 and are really seeing some great progression in those we teach! This weekend a 19 year old boy named Charles will be baptized. He is doing really good and has been working very hard to give up smoking! Also Michael who is 11 will be baptized he is a very smart boy that comes from little parental support. It is super sad to see, but if he continues in the Gospel he will change generations and generations of lives just by one decision!! We are working closely with them this whole week to make sure Satan will be kept away! It will be a good weekend.
This week we also had interview with President Porter. He is pleased with how things are going for the most part, but he is the kind of man that just plain tells you what he expects and so we have got some things to work on. I find that style wonderful because we know exactly what he expects and so we know what we need to do!!! I will be forever grateful for him and his wife they truly have been called of God to guide this mission and they are doing s fantastic job. We had a fireside that they spoke at yesterday for all of Auckland, and I saw heaps of people from old areas it was really cool to see them and know they remember me. It is a good feeling when you see people still strong in the church or they thank you for the impact you have had on their life.
Eseta's lesson had to be rescheduled because of a family thing so I am hoping that this week we can set her for baptism! I went to Tangaroa wards primary program (my first ward) the kids were so cute. That definitely is the best Sunday of the year! In our ward my companion and I spoke. I spoke on the power of an example and how Christ mentions multiple times to "Come Follow me." He does not just bark orders, but he sets the example and then asks us to follow him! I am so thankful for that! Elder Rea spoke on the worth of souls! Things went very well and the word is very supportive. On the 31st I have been asked to speak in the Stake Priesthood meeting to encourage the youth to serve a mission so I have been gathering my thoughts for that. I love speaking I know that that is a big way that I am able to be used as an instrument in his hands!! For most people it is a dreaded assignment, but I guess I am just weird!
Well family and friends I love you and am thankful for all you do. Stay strong in what you know is right, and may God bless you as youmake decisions for good!! Remember that God lives and loves you!
So attached are some pictures! Police in New Zealand, Bentley which is Grandma Stucki's maiden name (hopefuly spelled right!), and I founs Uncle John's rd. ( John Stone's Rd), and the one year burning of the shirt! (mom the shirt wan no longer wearable to many stains that yould not come out)
Well on a more missionary side of things we double our member present lessons this week with 18 and are really seeing some great progression in those we teach! This weekend a 19 year old boy named Charles will be baptized. He is doing really good and has been working very hard to give up smoking! Also Michael who is 11 will be baptized he is a very smart boy that comes from little parental support. It is super sad to see, but if he continues in the Gospel he will change generations and generations of lives just by one decision!! We are working closely with them this whole week to make sure Satan will be kept away! It will be a good weekend.
This week we also had interview with President Porter. He is pleased with how things are going for the most part, but he is the kind of man that just plain tells you what he expects and so we have got some things to work on. I find that style wonderful because we know exactly what he expects and so we know what we need to do!!! I will be forever grateful for him and his wife they truly have been called of God to guide this mission and they are doing s fantastic job. We had a fireside that they spoke at yesterday for all of Auckland, and I saw heaps of people from old areas it was really cool to see them and know they remember me. It is a good feeling when you see people still strong in the church or they thank you for the impact you have had on their life.
Eseta's lesson had to be rescheduled because of a family thing so I am hoping that this week we can set her for baptism! I went to Tangaroa wards primary program (my first ward) the kids were so cute. That definitely is the best Sunday of the year! In our ward my companion and I spoke. I spoke on the power of an example and how Christ mentions multiple times to "Come Follow me." He does not just bark orders, but he sets the example and then asks us to follow him! I am so thankful for that! Elder Rea spoke on the worth of souls! Things went very well and the word is very supportive. On the 31st I have been asked to speak in the Stake Priesthood meeting to encourage the youth to serve a mission so I have been gathering my thoughts for that. I love speaking I know that that is a big way that I am able to be used as an instrument in his hands!! For most people it is a dreaded assignment, but I guess I am just weird!
Well family and friends I love you and am thankful for all you do. Stay strong in what you know is right, and may God bless you as youmake decisions for good!! Remember that God lives and loves you!
So attached are some pictures! Police in New Zealand, Bentley which is Grandma Stucki's maiden name (hopefuly spelled right!), and I founs Uncle John's rd. ( John Stone's Rd), and the one year burning of the shirt! (mom the shirt wan no longer wearable to many stains that yould not come out)
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