The final Chapters...bitter sweet!!!

Date: Sunday, May 1, 2011, 6:09 PM

Good day to one and all! Things are going so well yet again Heavenly Father led more people to church on Sunday that want to be baptized!! Things are so wonderful and I am just sitting here in tears.... I just read dad's email that mentioned how grateful he is that Kyle and I both had the chance to serve a mission. It just hit me, as it does every now and again, that this is truly the greatest experience thus far of my life. I can not put into words the gratitude and love that I have for these people and my mission!! I read emails that say things like see you soon and I am not sure how to feel. happy because I will be reunited with the ones I love, but sad because I am leaving others that "took me in" and made me feel as if I were their own. This morning I spent some time calling old members and setting things up for the trip and then as we came to the mall to email today I saw some others and I just feel like I am in the closing chapters of a good book (The Book of Mormon of coarse) and I am happy to finish, but at the same time it is sad. Unlike the Book of Mormon I can not just pick it up and start again this is one last chance my final match, the last period, but as I recall the 3rd period was usually my best! I want my mission to be the same. I must continue to live with no regrets! I don't want to even think about it to be honest, but when I get emails that say things like see you soon haha I have no choice! Thankfully the work must and will go on even after I am not a part of it in this way the work will continue and more and more souls will come and be saved!!

Well in updates for the people that we are teaching everything is chugging along. Of course Satan threw a few curve balls, but he is forgetting I am a Yankee at heart and we will be victorious!! Tuia and Kylie came to church along with some others that just showed up. One girl Valerie, when she introduced herself in class. she said I am Valerie, I am not a member yet, but I will be soon. We have not even taught her yet, but we will on Wednesday and hoping to add her name to the program on the 28...that's for you Mom, Dad, and Estee. Nothing like a New Zealand baptism with a massive feed to conclude. You all better be stretching your tummy's because we eat heaps. Sister Elisaia is back from Samoa she lives up the road so we are getting some missionaries together to perform an item for the baptism, since she is a mean piano player! So yesterday was a crazy day we rescued Tuia from her drunk husband beating her. It wasn't really that crazy when we got there he was passed out on the coach and we had her follow us to a members where she could stay. I hate the dumb culture of how men treat women in this country it is sick!!! I hope that it is just what I see, but the majority is just normal, but it makes me sick to think that some pig head man is abusing one of Heavenly Fathers Children! on other crazy new we went to the hospital yesterday....mom breathe not for me.....to give this 2 year old a blessing she had a jug of boiling water spill on her head. It was one of the most sad things that I have ever seen. This pure innocent child in such pain I just wanted to smack the parents for not looking after there child. It was sheer negligence, but I just hope they learn and change so that things like this do not happen again in the future!

Other than that things are going well again in the Zone President just got back from Niue (the small island that out mission covers) so we just talked to him this morning about how we did and what is happening for May. He is just over the moon. I am looking forward to a 14 hour nap on the 11th of June! I have oodles of sleep that will never be made up haha. I think that is all for now I will be calling home in a week any ways so gotta leave something to talk about then! All is well and I am working harder that ever!! I send all my love and prayers! Have a wonderful week!

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Elder Matthew Lee Stucki N.Z.A.M.