Week #31 - January 28th, 2018 - Trials & Miracles

KIA ORA!

Jordan, my lil' buddy!

I hope everyone had a lovely week! It is soooo hot over here and the sun is so intense.. but I'm embracing it. lol We just finished a game of tennis with a part member family the Singsams , they are so crack up, they have a lil girl Jordan, who reminds me of Kate! so whenever we are with them I feel like I'm at Diann's chasing around Kate all over the house! The dad, sings a song, "He" in the brown hymn book it's so good! 

Okay so this week was kinda crazy.. all week we were preparing for Ngapera, Tuakana, and Litara's baptism and on Tuesday night I went on exchanges and went to the bush in Kawerau, which was way fun! Anyways that night we got a phone call from Sister Taylor saying that Ngapera was in jail.. I was so shocked. Turns out that she wasn't arrested but her mum kicked her out and because of past situations, the police just removed her from the home and she can't go back so she moved to Opotiki on Friday, her mum then told us she doesn't want Litara and Tuakana to be baptized.. my heart broke for them because they want to be baptized so bad but can't cause there nan now has custody over them. They started crying and it just broke my heart so much.. anyways it was just a huge mess but they still are allowed to come to church and our Book of Mormon class during the week so that's good! We go over almost everyday just to play rugby with them and do service for the nan. 

The whole situation is just so sad.. it just goes to show that Satan is doing everything he can to stop the progression of the Lord's work. So Satan just converted me that the church is so true and that God is so real lol. We had a huge miracle though, as we were driving to the dairy to get the nan some chips we went

Our last FHE with Ngapera, Litara, 

and Tuakana (there cousin kaiyah) 

earlier in the week </3

down the wrong street and we ended up seeing Ngapera on the side of the street outside the courthouse. I know it wasn't an accident that we drove down the wrong street. we were able to talk to her right before she left for Opotiki and she told us she still wants to learn and be

Yummy Smoothies!!!!

baptized but understands she needs to wait and sort her life out. So that was a miracle we saw her. but she has no phone so there is no way of keeping in touch with her BUT we went to a marae on Saturday in Opotiki with the elders to help out with a missionary prospective camp for the youth in the stake and a lady knew where her uncle was staying in Opotiki.  She didn't have an exact address so we door knocked the street she told us and had no luck, we decided to go home and as we were driving away we saw a man washing his car and pulled over to ask him if he knew where the Wikotu's live. he told us here.. this was another huge miracle!! We found Ngapera in Opotiki gave her some clothes that were left by past sisters at our flat, cause she left Whakatane with nothing and gave her a Book of Mormon cause her mum won't let her have anything back. She was so grateful. I

Kiwi/Tui St.

told her to always have HOPE.. that's the whole purpose of the gospel, to have hope that we can be better, move on from our past, and become like our Savior Jesus Christ. we sorted out a ride for her to church at the branch in Opotiki and got members to fellowship her, so I know everything will work out for her in the future and the elders in Opotiki will take good care of her. 

So that was pretty much all that happend this week! I think the number one thing I'm learning on my mission is PATIENCE lol and to just trust and accept the Lord's will. I LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS!! Have an amazing week and remember the church is so true!!!!

arohanui, xo sister sughroue

Nice lil' study spot in Papamoa

Yaya fo making the Zone Leaders
buy us cause we are broke as!

Here is our last time alll together at church!! love them sooooo much!

My lil' friend Jordan!

Week #30 - January 21st, 2018 - Wharenui's a LEGEND!

KIA ORA! 

I LOVE the ocean and being a missionary sooo much!

So this week was good, we are working with heaps of people right now and some are slowly progressing and others are progressing really fast! Ngapera and her nephew, Tuakana and daughter, Litara are getting baptized this week!! So so so HAPPY for them! It's crazy how much love you develop for your investigators, they are all family to me and I care so much about them! 

I hope everything in California is okay. haha Everyone keeps telling me it's burning to hell and going to fall of the earth.. Just please save the dog if anything happens lol! Nah I'm just joking I know its all goods over there! 

So Sister Talyor is crack up! She's a cut throat Aussie haha. I love her heaps! and we've been running on the beach every morning and we always see this old man,

 

Jo, that will always give us a motivational speech. haha He's a cute old man. 

But so missionary work is the best work we can do!! Wharenui just got baptized and he is already the best member missionary in the branch!! We walked into church yesterday and heaps of his family was there, we asked him what he did to get them here and he said "oh simple, I went out to Taneatua and invited them to come." haha Missionary work can be so easy if we make it easy!! All we got to do is invite! Just extend the invitation, you never know what the outcome can be if you don't at least try! 

I'm glad everyone at home is doing good! All of the family is always in my prayers and I LOVE you all HEAPS!!! 

Keep reading your scriptures and praying!! And remember to SMILE and be HAPPY!!! Hope yous have a

I bought Wharenui paints when he finished the
 smoking program before his baptism a couple weeks ago!

lovely week!

arohanui, xo

sister sughroue

ps we are hiking mt maunganui again today with the sisters in the zone!! also wharenui was going to get a tattoo of bob marley on his rib cage and he asked me what i think I told him it's up to him haha he looked at me and said "you know he's a prophet.. he sings about God" I said "I sing about God, does that make me a prophet." he said "aww dang I really wanted it but ill just get your name 'SUGHGRILLLL" on my back" HAHAHAHAHAH I was dying he was actually planning on getting my name done on his back but he  told us he would rather have an eternal family and he prayed about and knows he shouldn't. i'm for sure gonna miss wharenui when I get transferred in the future.. haha don't worry are next lesson is going over the role of prophets and the priesthood which he received the Aaronic priesthood yesterday! 

View of where we have our district meeting each week!

Photoshoot heheheh jokes just lunch break :-))

Week #29 - January 14th, 2018 - bitter sweet

Saying goodbye to Sister Gase

KIA ORA!

Wharenui got baptized!
Sister Sughroue, Wharenui, Sister Taylor

I

Bitter sweet to say goodbye to Sister Gase

'm staying in whakatane!!!!! I'm sooooooo happy!!! This week went by sooo fast! Sister Gase left me </3 It's like we broke up hahahah I miss her heaps but my new companion is Sister Taylor from Aussie! She is so sweet and crack up, this transfer is going to be another good one! 

Wharenui & his family

So Wednesday night we drove to Tauranga and slept over at the sisters flat up there and we went to the Mt. Manganui and ate ice cream together on the beach. haha We then in the morning woke up early to take Sister Gase to the bus stop and we missed her bus, haha because you know we're on that island time. So we then waited for 2 hours and made some mean music videos together one last time and then got her on another bus home down to wellington, we had about an hour before we picked up Sister Taylor so I was in a trio with some sisters and we went to the beach and went for a nice long run waiting for Sister Taylor, it was soo nice! 

So I said bye to my soa but Sister Taylor is seriously so funny.. she reminds me exactly of Tara Fry!! Anyways so WHARENUI GOT BAPTIZED on Saturday!!! That was such a crazy day, but we worked so hard and prayed heaps and everything worked out! His family came just in time to see him enter into the waters of baptism which was such a blessing to witness. he got up and bore his testimony and it was so special. 

Sisters of the Koru district!
Sister Taylor, me, Sister Kendall, Sister Ahnder

I LOVE the GOSPEL with all my HEART and am so blessed I get to witness and be apart of so many miracles. Heavenly Father truly is a miraculous God and will always be there for us if we put our TRUST in him. It was a lovely baptism and I started crying haha I couldn't help it because of the impact Wharenui has had on mine and Sister Gase's life. 

We also got a text friday morning from a recent convert, Natasha, saying she had a referral for us and to meet her at the ladies home, so that was a blessing! We are starting to teach this lady name Gioanna, she is getting a divorce, has 5 lil kids, has a lot of health problems, and her story is so sad but I was really able to connect with her and I feel for her so much. She told us she's coming to church and she brought her 2 oldest kids!! So hopefully we will begin teaching all of them! 

Went to a cool burial ground last pday in Opotiki!!!

We also had a miracle with Ngaperas Whanau (family) her little daughter Litara and nephew Tuakana all want to be baptized together! And her mum has really softened her heart and pulled me aside one day when we were over at their home and thanked me for everything we have done for Ngapera, giving her hope, helping her quit smoking, and showing her a better life that she can live. So who knows maybe one day missionaries in the future can teach the mum! 

There is so much potential here in Whakatane and I'm so grateful I get to stay here and continue to do my best in helping the people here know of the truth and ultimately the LOVE Heavenly Father has for each and every one of them! I LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS! If you have family or friends who don't know about the gospel, reach out to them, you have nothing to lose, sharing the gospel should be a desire we all have because of the true happiness and clarity it brings to our own life!

arohanui, xo

sister sughroue

We found an old Methodist church on our hike

Ice Cream before Sister Gase went home!

Week #28 - January 7th, 2018 - I Love NZ So Much!

KIA ORA!

Comp study on the BEACH!!
There was a storm but that didn't stop us
 from going to the beach everyday or door knocking ;)

This week went by so fast and Sister Gase and I have seen so many miracles! Wharenui smoked Sunday night last week and when he told us on pday last week I just kept having an impression in my head, a prompting, to not give up on him. So we started the smoking program all over again on Tuesday and today is his last day! He is truly committed and is getting baptized on Saturday. This has been a miracle to be apart of his conversion and to see the countenance and the light in him change brighter and brighter each day. We have visited him briefly each day this week to encourage him and read scriptures with him. When we first started reading the Book of Mormon he couldn't understand a thing and was lost but we told him to pray if it's true and then read more, ever since then he has LOVED reading the Book of Mormon and is so excited to talk about the stories. I have never been so 

BOLD and STRAIGHT UP with someone before than with Wharenui and he told Sister Gase and I that he 

WHARENUI!! Getting baptized this saturday!!

knows we love him and care for him because of how bold and dedicated to helping him we are. We have worked so hard with him and it's all been worth it! He's going to be an amazing missionary and wants us to meet his girlfriend and start teaching his grandchildren when they are over! 

Another miracle is that we were praying so hard all week for Heavenly Father's help to guide us to people who need the gospel and are prepared at this time in their life. During the storm we decide to take advantage of the weather and door knock, because everyone would be home and instead of finding a new investigator we found a less active and she isn't interested in us coming back or coming to church. But I know she felt the spirit as we were in her home talking to her. That opened my eyes that Heavenly Father sometimes ALMOST ALL THE TIME has a better plan for us than what we have in mind. 

On Sunday we walked into church and heaps of less actives that we have been trying to work with all transfer came to church finally! And Ngapera, one of our investigators who is wanting to be baptized, came with her daughter! We are starting the smoking program with her Wednesday and Wharenui is going to come to help out and share his experiences. Her daughter, Litara, who is 8, wants to start taking the lessons! Then a man Fano who's Catholic from TONGA came into church with his cousin who was visiting him from the island and they stayed for all 3 hours and we got his address and cell number and are going to give him a visit. He knows SIONE NA'A'S family from the

Companion study on the beach!

island. Small world. So we have some potentials to start working with!! 

Patience is so important and persistence, not giving up... I always thought we would find investigators from getting member referrals but we're working on that! And from door knocking but door knocking is more to strengthen your testimony and build your character because of all the rejection which is why I like it. 

So this is the update in Whakatane! We have some work to do and I'm excited!! This transfer went by so fast and sadly Sister Gase is going home :( she has heaps of dental work she has to get done but then she'll come right back out!) It's like I'm losing my best friend haha it sucks but well go to BYU Hawaii together after our missions! I love being a missionary and serving the Lord! XOXOX LOVE YOU ALL HEAPS!

arohanui, xo

sister sughroue

ps. my foot isn't fractured woohooo all goods!! fasting and praying is a real thing people, try it! 

dinner with our district
cause we cleaned our flats real good haha!
KORU district <33

 My soa cracking macadamia nuts.. she's a real islander <33

Sister Gase spranged her wrist at the mtc going to hard
at basketball and it's been playing up
so we spent almost 4 hours at the doctors haha.. she's all good! 

My friends!!! (the cows) Dancing in the rain with them ;)

Sending late christmas packages home! 

Homemade FISH n CHIPS!!

A beautiful storm in NZ