Success!! 26/3/2012

Kia Ora koutau,

     So the results from transfers is......................I stayed.  And Elder Fox got shifted down to Hamilton, Glenview stake.  Remember Dinsdale was my first area?  Well that was in Glenview Stake (I think) so I gave him a list of people to say hi to if he covers Dinsdale.  My new companion is Elder Lee.  He was born in Provo, but when he was about 3 or something they moved to Virginia.  He's a bit taller than me, blond hair, blue eyes, and a stick like Jake ;-).  He's pretty funny, can quote heaps of movies and we get along like a Tongan in a Taro patch (Afu would get that).   So we're set for this transfer.  My guesses is that I'll stay for this transfer, probably the next transfer, and then shift to a new area for my last 2.

     This week was so busy running around trying to get everything sussed for the baptisms.  But they went through and Makenna and Desirae loved it!!  We talked to them after the confermation and they said that they felt "lighter," and their grandfather said he's never seen them this happy before.  So it was a very rewarding baptism!  They are set to come to church and stay active too!  We're now hoping and working that this will be the thing that will help their parents come back to church.  The mum has a goal to get her patriarchal blessing  

     Sad that Elder Fox got transferred, we were making some real progress.   But I'm really happy that I have a companion like Elder Lee.  He is such a hard worker and we got working the moment we got back.  He's not scared to talk to people!  Its such a relief.  He's a great teacher, loves to talk to people and has no worries when I give him assignments to organize something.  This is going to be another great transfer, and full of miracles.  We're going to just work hard and smart and see a lot of success.  We're pretty excited!

     Sister Funaki and Sister Vailea are doing a great job.  They're really focusing on working with the ward more.  In fact, thats our focus for this week, and I really want to carry it through the transfer.  Our actionable item for this week is to get solid fellowship for our sets and progressing investigators by 1st April, and report them.  At the end of the week the Sisters went on trade offs with the ward and had some good success, and they're also receiving a lot more referrals from the ward.  We're looking at a few good referrals as well.  We know we just need to stay humble and do what we're supposed to do and we'll see the success come.  

"And I saw the heavens open"

 S. Funaki, S. Vailea, Tiare (member fellowship)

E. Lee, Richie, Maaraanau Teao, Desirae, Makenna, Richard Teao, Me

Arohanui! 

Sincerely,

Elder Sorensen

Kia Orana

Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Talofa Lava, Malo Lelei,  (There are so many languages to learn here, its fun to learn the greetings, 'how are you', and salutations in all the different languages)  

     Wow, I feel so much better about this week. We hit the standard of excellence for PBTW!!  It felt so good!  It was close, but we found 200 people this week.  Sadley it took us to getting 50 every day for the last 3 days, but we did it!  What was even better is that Elder Fox did quite a bit.  I didn't have to tell him to run and talk to every person.  I just hope and pray that it lasts over to this week and onwards.  

     It was also amazing to set two more people.  So for the weekend of the 24th we have set for baptism Makenna (10) and his sister Desirae (15).  Then we had a miracle.  We went to contact a referral we had from our friendshares.  She let us in to have a lesson with her.  She explained that she's finally done with a 4 yr course and has time to listen to our message.  So we taught her the restoration.  We found out in the lesson that she's had a rough past, and that she's starting to make changes for her children.  We also found out that she's been to church heaps in the past.  So we stretched and set her for the 31st.  Then when we reported her to the zone leaders, they committed us to bring it forward to this weekend.  So tonight we're going to re-set her for this friday.  Then yesterday we found out that her twin girls are 8 years old!  So they'd count for convert baptisms too!  So that's why our goal for baptized and confirmed is 5 and 5.  We've definitely got our work cut out for us this week, and we're really excited.  We also set Pange for baptism for next month.  He still has some big concerns to work out.  But we know that with the Lord he can definitely be ready for the 13th of next month!

     Like I was saying about Elder Fox, he's really doing a lot better.  I still have to tell him to focus a lot, and tell him things to do.  But having him be excited about PBTW was a huge relief.  We also have some direction for improvement in teaching together in unity.  So things are looking up.

     Sister Funaki and Sister Vailea had a rough week.  Sister Vailea was feeling sick this week, and they've had a couple of flat tires to go along with it.  But I was super excited to see that they reached 200 PBTW as well.  They've also got a choice investigator that wants them to come over every day and help him learn.  I can't wait to hear when they set him.  I love this district President, we have our challenges, but we working hard together and enjoying the work 

Arohanui! 

Sincerely,

Elder Sorensen

Kia Orana March 12th

 This week was pretty eventful.  Started off on Monday during emails the Tongan Elders walked in and asked us if we rode here on one wheel.  Tongans are usually cheeky and I wasn't going to take any of it so I said yeah right.  But when we left someone had stolen Elder Fox's front wheel off his bike.  We finally got a replacement from another missionary but had a hard time trying to fix the holes in the tube.  Finally fixed it, and rode on it for about half a day then it exploded on my companion.  Then Elder Fox got pretty sick for a night and a day with diahrea and vomitting.  I felt bad for him.  He got up probably 4 or 5 times through the night.  Probably something he ate.  I don't know what it could have been because I only had a slight difference nothing like him.  But we carried on working the next day.  Then yesterday and today I've had a fever and a massive headache.  I just hope it goes away soon.  
     Aside from that we were so excited about a massive miracle this week.  We went to dinner with a member,shared a spiritual thought, and asked if they knew anybody we could teach.  After a bit of thinking they realized that their grandson and granddaughter haven't been baptized.  So we were able to have a lesson and set them for the 24th of March.  It was because I'm not sure what they'd been taught or how many times they'd been to church.  Elder Walker then committed us this week to reset them for this weekend.  So we're hopefully going to have 2 baptisms this Saturday!
     Sister Funaki and Sister Vailea had 3 Baptisms this weekend!!  They said it was really spiritual and all three bore their testimonies after they were baptized.  They have 2 or 3 more that qualify for this month, but they just need parent permission.  I've told them to pray about it.  And our goal for this week is to have a very spiritual friend share every day this week at least.  
     I'm struggling a bit with Elder Fox, that I have to ask him to do pretty much anything.  I have to tell him when to get out of the shower, I have to tell him to shave so we can be on time, I have to tell him everyone to talk to.  And its weighing on me more and more.  I'm trying to be patient and encouraging, but its getting really hard.  I'll keep pushing forward as best I can and hope for the best. 

Arohanui! 

Sincerely,

Elder Sorensen

kia ora march 5th

     We had a low week again this week.  Mostly Preach by the Way.  I realize especially by President's training that that is one of the 3 pillars holding up our investigators, along with obedience with exactness and becoming a preach my gospel missionary.  I really want to repent this week and change for good.  But I realize what its going to take is both of us in our companionship.  We've subdivided the goal of talking to 300 people on the street and found that we each need to talk to 25 people a day this whole week.  Thats the biggest goal I've ever even thought about.  Its going to take all my faith and effort to reach it.  

     We finally were able to sit down with Robyn and her partner Tone this week.  It started off really ruff.  She texted before the lesson wanting to cancel because they were fighting again.  I had the thought that only the gospel will help them through it, so I asked if we could still come.  When we got there they were still arguing.  It was hard to get a lesson going, but after a lot of talking they were both able to calm down.  And eventually Tone said that he wanted to change.  So we told them that prayer, scriptures and church attendance would help them get into a routine, which would help them change the most.  They agreed.  So we're making big progress with them now.  

     Our other progressing investigator which we're hoping to baptize this week is a 13 year old named Fa'apoi whose record was lost.  They're not having much luck recreating his record, but they're going to have one more try with a certificate or the old bishop.  If not he'll be re-baptized.  

     We also have an investigator named Pange.  He lives in our ward, but he's been attending the other stake with a friend.  But we found out that one of our recent converts is a relative and she finally got him to come to our ward, and the best part is that he's going to keep coming.  He's pretty much ready for baptism, and we would have set him last week, but he had to cancel the appointment.  This week will be good though.  

     The sisters are doing really good this week.  They have the family of 3 set to be baptized this Friday!  They've resolved all the families concerns, from what I can understand, and they're scheduled to be interviewed on Thursday.  And they've got 2 more that were set, but lost their baptismal date because of family concerns.  They're planning on re-setting them this week.  I was really happy to see their numbers steady or increasing. 

     Our goals for the district this week are:

     Sacrament - get every investigator fellowship and have them invite the investigator to church.

     Member Present - Have a member at every lesson possible

     Preach by the Way - Reach 300 each.

Arohanui! 

Sincerely,

Elder Sorensen