Week #35 - February 25th, 2018 - Transfers!

KIA ORA! 

Sister Ove and me taking on the streets of Opo!!!

This week I had to say bye to my Whakatane whanau </3 I got shifted to Opotiki just down the coast from Whakatane and am still near the ocean, so its all goods! I'm gonna miss Whakatane and the people that we were teaching, they truly become your family and I love them heaps but I'm in a REALLY good branch here in Opotiki, the Lord is definitely hastening His work here in opotiki. 

My new comp is Sister Ove, from Papau New Guinea who is 24 and we are white washing! We are the first sisters ever to be in Opotiki and we are double covering with Elder Mortensen (Hawaii), Elder Razakariasoa (Madagascar), and Elder Mahina (Australia-Tonga) so there are 5 of us missionaries here which has never

Down the coast (pictures doesn't do it justice..
so gorgeous in person)

happened here before. I'm excited to be here and know that the Lord has people prepared. 

The branch is really on to it with missionary work.. transfers were Thursday and on Saturday there was a wedding/ baptism (Te Hurukeha & Harly) who the elders had been teaching, they have heaps of sisters, so the next day on Sunday after church we drove them around and met some of there sisters, we are going to start working with a few. 

We drove pretty far down the coast and it was so gorgeous.. New Zealand keeps getting prettier and prettier, we hadn't eaten all day and have no food in our flat so we found some crabs and boiled them up and ate some mussels, they were yum! 

Found some dinner #brokeas gotta do what ya gotta do

Anyways after church we also got some referrals from some members that had been waiting for sisters to come so we can visit some of their Whanau and friends. This was a HUGE miracle because I was so unsure about coming here but Heavenly Father has definitely made it clear that he needs all 5 of us missionaries here. Our first day we had no clue what to do cause we had nothing and no info about anything and we also didn't have a phone we started chatting with our neighbor and then the elders showed up to take us around to introduce us to some people and they also gave us their dinner appointments. So that was a little blessing! 

We moved into the elders flat which is flash as (more like a house) and they moved into the senior couples old flat in Whakatane and have to drive here every day to work, so we are definitely being looked after! And we also got

Crabs and the prettiest sea shells <333

some Tongan elders car that was in South Auckland and it was so nasty.. we cleaned the flat and the car and it reminded me of Tyler's room when I moved into it when he left for college.. haha.. we also just had a meeting with the branch president and went over who he wants us to teach and the elders as well, so everything is slowly working out, this week will be a good week for sure! 

Opotiki is a lil town but our boundaries are pretty big, down the coast and out in the bush. I'm so grateful to be here! One of the sisters we met on Sunday Miro, didn't want to let us into her home but I noticed her little kids and said something about families and she stopped and stared at me and told us to come inside and teach her more. The spirit is so real and I have a huge testimony that only the TRUTH can softened ones heart, if they're

willing to listen. The gospel is so good and so true! I hope yous are able to realize how precious the gospel is and the importance we have to share it with those around us! I LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS! 

arohanui, xo 

sister sughroue

ps. don't except another long email lol sorry mum ;)

YUM!!!

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last days in whakatane </3

Went to this cool art gallery on the beach

Sushi date with Sis. Ahnder,
Sis Kendall, and Sis Taylor

 

 President Waihirere.. or Mr. Bubbles
from Lilo & Stitch hahahaha

Saying bye to the Waihirere's my fav Whanau

Last FHE at the heads with my Whakatane Whanau...
I ran through the water with all the kids
 and am pretty sure I had the most fun haha. jayelle and te kohu 

whanau.. family 

 Love these lil kids <333 

My lil boyfriends, oho and te kohu pushing me on the swing haha

Week #34 - February 18th, 2018 - Chur Brudda

KIA ORA!!

KORU district singing at Ohope Beach care! 

This week was sooo lovely! It's going by so fast.. so crazy!! So I went to physio and they said they think I have a stress fracture in my back.. but I don't think I do and it's all goods! Anyways we walked around heaps this week and just visited heaps of people! We had are last district meeting of the transfer sadly so we said bye to the senior couple (the Hirschis from Utah) they became like all of our grandparents! The elders also got tshirts made for our district! We are still doing our Book of Mormon class and I honestly think it's more for me. haha I honestly am learning so much! 

So everyone here that we visit or work with knows me as the stubborn tall blonde. hahaha I was laughing so hard cause I am pretty stubborn but it's only to help people

Koru District

keep their commitments!! Anyways we also sing at a old people home right on the beach and they just make me so happy!! We were singing "If You're Happy and You Know It, Clap Your Hands" to the dementia ward and a lady just started crying because she said we sounded so beautiful! haha I love singing to them cause it's a lil confidence booster.lol

We also went to Opotiki for a Wanaga (meeting/ gathering). The branch president in Opotiki holds these Wanagas and connects the Book of Mormon to the Maori people and their culture it was so cool!! I felt like an outcast cause I was the only white blonde there haha but it was just so interesting to listen to! But this week we

Tacos!! Dinner with the
Rangiheuea Whanau <3 (Oho, Jayelle, Tekohu, Roni)

also had a dinner at a member who is trying to come back to church and get to the temple, Her kids are literally the cutest!!!! And she made tacos!!!  I miss real Mexican food but it was yum! 

We are working with heaps of kids right now but none of them have permission to be baptised but they all just love learning and Sister Taylor and I always have lil lessons/games with them!! I love Whakatane and all the people here! Transfers are this week and I could be getting transferred.. I hope I stay for at least another transfer but we will see what happens! I love you heaps!! The church is true and you are LOVED by your Heavenly Father!! Always remember that!! 

arohanui, xo

sister sughroue 

ps. "what did the chair say to the butter?" "chur brudda" haha this a joke from a lil 4 and 6 year old (jayelle and oho) and ill send pics soon!

 I LOVE them so much!
They are just the cutest lil kids ever!!!! 

Valentine's Day surprise!!
Elder Mortensen (hawaii) and Elder Razakarisoa (madagascar)
surprised us during our exchanges!

We cover some beach towns but we also cover some lil towns out in the bush!
And I just am so in love with New Zealand!!! <3333

Week #33 - February 11th, 2018 - Remembering Who YOU Are

KIA ORA! 

Sister Sughroue & Sister Allen

I hope everyone has had a lovely week! this week was a lil rough haha cause Sister Taylor got a gnarly spider bite that had to be cut open and I watched it and almost passed out. hahahahaha So good thing I don't wanna be a doctor and I also hurt my back but it feels heaps better and I'm going to the physio today so thats good! 

So this week we were driving back and forth between Whakatane and Tauranga going to the doctors, stake broadcast, and zone conference which I got to see Sister Allen who I served with at the Visitor Centre!!! Good thing the drive is so gorgeous!!! But I was just so sick of being in the flat all day and a car BUT am so happy to get out and work this week!! 

So I'm not sure if I wrote in my last email but Ngapera moved back and we are going to reteach her and her partner now! So thats a huge blessing! And zone conference was just so amazing and so was the stake broadcast! I saw Felicia Worthren (one of Lindsey's mission buddies) and it was so good to talk to her. haha I love Whakatane but there aren't many normal people here but I still LOVE them!! 

So I just wanted to share some thoughts I had from the stake broadcast. The stake president was announcing how the temple is closing for 3 years and will be rededicated. I'm grateful I had the opportunity to go to the temple a couple of months ago because I probably won't be able to till I come home but one thing I truly loved about the visitor centre was being so close to the temple and learning about the history behind it. Temples are the crowning ordinances of this gospel, don't take them for granted! so the broadcast was elder stevensen and sister

Road Trip All Weekend

oscarson and some area of the seventies. One talk I absolutely LOVED was about remembering who you are. I'm definitely learning more about who I am and who I can become by putting my trust in the Lord.  you get what you focus on in life, and your decisions and attitude is based on how you see yourself and then those decisions determine your destiny.

This week try to think about what your focus is in life, and then ask yourself, are you focused on coming to know the Savior? Be real with yourself and make changes if needed.  I love being a missionary even when its hard because in reality its so worth it. I wouldn't trade what im learning now and who I am becoming for anything! I LOVE you all HEAPS!! hHve a lovely week, remember to smile and keep your head up! 

arohanui, xo 

sister sughroue

PS - also HAPPY VALENTINES DAY <3333 i LOVE you all sooooo very much xoxo

If you don't have someone special no worries you can always share God's love to those around you ;) I have more pics to send but ill send them next week!

arohanui, XO

sister sughroue

Ohope NZ- most loved beach
(we come here almost everyday lol)

Felicia-Lindsey's mission buddy

Tauranga Zone aka the Celestial Zone

Chasing around the seagulls.. they are so loud/ annoying here haha

Got lost in the bush....

but we found some sheep!

and the ocean!

il ata cutest lil baby ever!! i wanna adopt all the lil kids her

Week #32 - February 4th, 2018 - Short & Sweet!

KIA ORA! 

Sister Sughroue & Sister Taylor

I love and miss you all heaps! But I love being here sharing this beautiful gospel in such a lovely place! So this week nothing new really happened, still working with Tukana and Litara they are so cute and just LOVE to learn! We are also working with Wharenui's daughter, Veronica, and taught her the restoration. When we were teaching her, Wharenui randomly brought up how excited he is to go to the temple to do the work for his parents, we explained the importance of temples and Veronica's face lit up.. she was really interested and wants to continue to learn! She told us that she has never heard of any other religion doing temple work. This was just a lil lesson to never postpone a prompting.. the spirit will

Family Home Evening with Wharenui, Natasha &
her kids, the Stebbings family, and Tuakana & Litara.

never lead you in the wrong way and Heavenly Father always knows what each person needs to hear. So glad Wharenui was our member present and he listened to the spirit! He is such a great missionary! Besides that we are still working really hard trying to find new people to teach and just looking for opportunities to serve everyone around us! 

There was a stake youth beach activity on Saturday which was way fun! Sister Taylor and I brought some of the kids we have been teaching with us and Tuakana as well! They loved it! We may or may not have played a little bit of beach volleyball ;) 

It's still going great here in Whakatane! I know the Lord is preparing people and right now we are at 

AS a district, we sing at the Old People Home
each Friday & it just makes my heart so happy!

least planting the seed and working with heaps of less actives! I love this gospel and am grateful for this time I have to help all those around me come to an understanding of the love God has for each of them! Have a lovely week and remember I LOVE YOU!! 

arohanui, xo

sister sughroue

Sister Taylor! The Crazy Aussie!

Sister Sughroue & Sister Taylor

Our District!

Horses!